There’s one story that’s being flying under the radar here at the YCS, but now that we’re in the last round of Day 1 it’s time to get a close up look at it. Eric Dalton’s 6-1 today playing an FTK Dinosaur deck that leverages Link Monsters to make game off as little as two cards. Remember all that hype about massive Link Summoning combos looping Firewall Dragon?

Eric Dalton is playing the Deck the internet warned you about.

Dalton’s opponent this Round is Tucker Lau, traveling this weekend from Boston to play a more conventional True Draco Zoodiac Deck. It’s unclear right now how many people know what Dalton’s playing, and I’m not sure if Lau knows what he’s up against.

Lau opened the Match with Upstart Goblin, giving Dalton 1000 LP and drawing a card. He Summoned Zoodiac Whiptail, overlaid it with Zoodiac Broadbull, and detached Whiptail to search his Deck for Zoodiac Ratpier. He overlaid Broadbull with Zoodiac Drident, then Zoodiac Chakanine, and detached Drident to Special Summon it. He overlaid for Zoodiac Tigermortar, attached Whiptail to Zoodiac Drident, and overlaid Tigermortar with Zoodiac Hammerkong. He Set two cards to end his turn, then detached Chakanine from Hammerkong to finish out.

Dalton had Terraforming; Petiteranodon; Alexandrite Dragon; Miscellaneousaurus; Dragonic Diagram; and Fossil Dig. He activated it to Dig his way to Souleating Oviraptor, then searched Dragonic Diagram with Terraforming. He played it, activated its effect, and Lau Chained Cosmic Cyclone to banish Diagram before it could resolve.

Dalton Normal Summoned Oviraptor to search his Deck for Babycerasaurus, then attacked Drident with Oviraptor; Lau flipped Zoodiac Combo in response and Dalton conceded the first Duel right then and there.

Things don’t come together for Eric Dalton’s combo deck in Game 1! Tucker Lau takes an easy win, with Dalton scooping before he reveals his real strategy. That kind of concession’s a tough move to make, but it’s a smart gambit when you’re playing this kind of Deck. Dalton was clearly banking on the notion that Lau might just write him off as a regular Yang Zing Dinosaur player.

But now he was a game behind and the pressure was on. Dalton opened Game 2 with a hand of Miscellaneousaurus; Souleating Oviraptor; True King Lithosagym, the Disaster; and two Baobaboon. He Summoned Oviraptor to get Babycerasaurus, then blew away Baobaboon and Babycerasaurus to Summon True King Lithosagym; he Special Summoned another Baobaboon and another Babycerasaurus from his Deck. He fed the Babycerasaurus to Oviraptor to Special Summon Miscellaneousaurus, then overlaid both to make Zoodiac Broadbull, detaching Miscellaneousaurus to search Manticore of Darkness.

He overlaid Broadbull for Zoodiac Drident, popped his Babycerasaurus, and Special Summoned Carboneddon. He overlaid Drident for another Broadbull, detached to search a second Manticore of Darkness, and overlaid Zoodiac Chakanine on Broadbull. He detached to revive a Broadbull and Linked 4 Link Materials to make Firewall Dragon!

He banished Carboneddon to Special Summon Alexandrite Dragon, then used it to Link Summon Imduk the World Chalice Dragon. Dalton used Firewall Dragon’s effect to Special Summon a Manticore from his hand, and he banished Miscellaneousaurus plus three more Dinosaurs to Special Summon another Miscellaneousaurus from his Deck. Then he Linked Imduk and Miscellaneousaurus to Link Summon Proxy Dragon. That let Dalton Special Summon his second Manticore and Xyz Summon Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal!

Dalton detached one Manticore from Beatrice to send Grandsoil the Elemental Lord from his Deck to the Graveyard. Then he traded in Beatrice and Proxy Dragon for Decode Talker, and activated Firewall Dragon’s defect to return Grandsoil to his hand. He Link Decode Talker and Firewall Dragon for another Firewall, then Special Summoned his Grandsoil to revive his Firewall Dragon! He activated the effect of the Firewall in his Extra Monster Zone to bounce Grandsoil back to his hand, Special Summoned it again, and revived Decode Talker. He Linked Decode Talker to Baobaboon to make a third Firewall Dragon, bounced his Grandsoil again, and revived Proxy Dragon with it.

He used the center Firewall Dragon’s effect to bounce Grandsoil, Beatrice, and the Firewall Dragon itself. He Special Summoned Grandsoil yet again, revived Decode Talker, and used both to make Firewall Dragon (again). That got him back his Manticore, Grandsoil, and bounced the Firewall. He Special Summoned Grandsoil, Special Summoned Decode Talker, and made Firewall Dragon. This time he got back the Dragon, Manticore, and Grandsoil, and Special Summoned both Manticores.

He overlaid them into Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal for a second time; used her effect to load the Garveyard with True King Agnimazud, the Vanisher; and Special Summoned Grandsoil yet again. That brought back Decode Talker, and he Linked Decode Talker and Beatrice for another Firewall. This time he bounced Firewall, Agnimazud, and Grandsoil. He Special Summoned Grandsoil, revived Decode Talker, linked for Firewall, and used two Firewall Dragon effects to get back Grandsoil and True King Lithosagym, the Disaster.

Now Dalton had what he needed to win. He SPecial Summoned True King Lithosagym and True King Agnimazud, and overlaid them to Xyz Summon Phantom Fortress Enterblathnir. He detached a True King from it to banish a card from his opponent’s hand, removing Lau’s Pot of Desires from the Duel. Dalton Special Summoned Grandsoil, brought back Decode Talker, and this time he bounced Grandsoil, Firewall Dragon, and Phantom Fortress Enterblathnir. Another Grandsoil and Decode Talker made another Firewall Dragon, and that got him back Grandsoil, Firewall, and Agnimazud.

It continued that way with Dalton getting back True King Agnimazud, the Vanisher and True King Lithosagym, the Disaster once again, reusing Phantom Fortress Enterblathnir to banish another card from his opponent’s hand, and Lau scooping once he saw that the combo could be looped ad infinitum; Lau knew that given more time, Dalton would banish every card he had and leave him topdecking, so there was no point in continuing with the Duel.

Eric Dalton’s Dinosaur Firewall FTK deck goes off as planned, playing through different versions of Firewall Dragon plays to build the needed cards in his Graveyard, and then looping a series of recycled Decode Talkers, Firewall Dragons, and Grandsoils to reuse Phantom Fortress Enterblathnir and steal the second Duel!

But could he do it again? Going second, and with Lau knowing what was up?

Lau opened Game 3 with Fire Formation – Tenki, searching his Deck for Zoodiac Ratpier. He Normal Summoned it, used its effect to send Zoodiac Ramram to the Graveyard from his Deck, and overlaid it with Zoodiac Hammerkong. He detached Ratpier to Special Summon his second Ratpier from his Deck, then overlaid Hammerkong with Chakanine to revive Ramram. From there Lau overlaid Chakanine with Zoodiac Broadbull to search his Deck for Zoodiac Whiptail, and he activated Zoodiac Barrage to destroy his Ramram and Special Summon Zoodiac Thoroughblade; he revived his Chakanine with Ramram and discarded another Thoroughblade to draw with his on-field copy.

Lau overlaid Broadbull with Tigermortar, attached Broadbull to Chakanine, then Special Summoned Broadbull with the Chakanine’s effect. He Linked Tigermortar and Broadbull to Link Summon Missus Radiant, then overlaid Ratpier and Thoroughblade to Xyz Summon Zoodiac Chakanine. Lau detached Ratpier to revive Ramram, and overlaid the Material-free Chakanine with Zoodiac Drident. Lau had four cards in hand and he Set one to his backrow.

This time Dalton had a hand of Ultimate Conductor Tyranno; Petiteranodon; True King Agnimazud, the Vanisher; Fossil Dig; Dragonic Diagram; and Miscellaneousaurus. He activated Fossil Dig to search his Deck for Souleating Oviraptor, Summoned it, and Lau blocked with Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring; Dalton pitched Miscellaneousaurus. He searched his Deck for another Miscellaneousaurus, then activated the Special Summon effect of True King Agnimazud. Lau borrowed it for a moment to read it, but had no immediate response.

Dalton destroyed Petiteranodon and Miscellaneousaurus with True King Agnimazud, Special Summoning Giant Rex with Petiteranodon’s ability, then banished the other Petiteranodon and Miscellaneousaurus from his Graveyard to Special Summon Babycerasaurus from his Deck. He destroyed it with Oviraptor to revive Miscellaneousaurus, triggering Babycerasaurus’ effect in the process and using it to Special Summon another Babycerasaurus from his Deck. He overlaid Giant Rex and Miscellaneousaurus to his Extra Monster Zone, Xyz Summoned Tornado Dragon, and Lau paused a moment, considering possible replies.

But Lau couldn’t do anything, leaving Dalton to detach Giant Rex, banishing Lau’s Set Cosmic Cyclone! That’s what he wanted to see. He banished Giant Rex and Babycerasaurus to Special Summon Ultimate Conductor Tyranno from his hand, then revived Giant Rex, and activated Conductor Tyranno’s ability to turn his opponent’s monsters face-down. Lau responded by destroying Agnimauzed with Drident’s effect on the Chain, as Conductor destroyed Babycerasaurus. Lau’s monsters went face-down, and Tucker Special Summoned another Miscellaneousaurus with his Babycerasaurus’ effect.

And that was it.

“Enter Battle Phase.” Dalton attacked Lau’s face-down Drident, and Tucker swallowed a visible lump in his throat as he took 1000 damage from Ultimate Tyranno’s effect, and then another 1000, and then another 1000, as he lost all of his monsters to Ultimate Tyranno’s rampage. A series of attacks from the rest of Dalton’s monsters were more than enough to end the Duel, the Match, and the first day of competition.

Eric Dalton moves on with a 7-1 record, piloting Dinosaur FTK straight into Day 2. He’ll be back at 9am tomorrow for two more Swiss Rounds of competition, and so will we, as we continue our coverage of YCS Toronto!