Could Round 1 get any better?! Our first feature match for the day (to start us off in style!) is between Sydney players — rival team fanatics and store owners — Paul Van Der Werk and Kieren Otton. Unsurprisingly, both of them are playing the teams they're famous for — Paul is sporting some alarming kind of Amazing™ X-Men build, and Kieren holds in his hands a hot little Arkham Inmates-Villains United deck.
Will good triumph over evil? Will justice be served? There's only one way to find out: stay tuned to this station.
"Vanderwerk has no X-Men characters and one Arkham character in his deck. What a Clown!" chortles Kieren.
"Ahhh . . . I have a *way* to make all my characters X-Men . . . And I’m not afraid to do it!" retorts Australia's keenest X-Men fan.
And so, the eternal battle between Otto and Paul, X-Men vs. Arkham, is under way. Kieran (in Two Face-like style) wants to flip a coin to determine initiative, but fate was not kind to him today, with Paul winning the coin toss and taking odds.
Turn 1
Paul started off with Electric Eve and Kieren brings out The Calculator, Noah Kuttler.
Paul swung the 1-drop into The Calculator and Paul was burnt for 1 when Eve recovered.
Endurance:
Kieran: 47
Paul: 49
Turn 2
Kieren had no 2-drop, while Paul almost seemed to mock the rabid Arkham fan when he brought out Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose. "I’ll bring out your friend — Ha!" teased Paul.
Kieran had to pass his attack phase. Ivy swung into The Calculator, and then Paul snuck in with Eve. He then used the 1-drop to double-evade and burn Paul further.
Endurance:
Kieran: 41
Paul: 47
Turn 3
A copy of Dr. Light, Master of Holograms came out for Paul, verifying that he was playing a Faces of Evil build. The doctor was followed up with a free copy of Haywire, who was promptly sent to the KO’d pile via Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose.
When Paul KO'd a resource, he put Detective Chimp, Bobo T. Chimpanzee into his KO’d pile and then Dr. Light, Master of Holograms brought the Chimp back into play.
Birthing Chamber was searched out and happily netted the X-Men player a card.
In an attempt to slow Paul's game down, a timely copy of Dr. Polaris, Force of Nature came out on Kieran's side of the board. Paul paid 1 endurance to give all characters the Masters of Evil affiliation via Bobo. Electric Eve and Ivy team-attacked into Polaris and both players passed. Polaris exhausted Chimp and then Eve did her double-evade thing once more.
Endurance:
Kieran:37
Paul:37
Turn 4
Dr. Polaris swung into Fatality and play passed to Paul. Paul paid 1 endurance to make his veritable army of characters belong to the Team Superman affiliation, and then both players passed. The Emerald Assassin was sent to the KO’d pile and Paul couldn't find a way to trade stuns. When Kieren sent his Fatality into Dr. Light both players passed and the Doctor gladly went down without a fight. Fatality triggered and Paul used Poison Ivy to replace his Birthing Chamber with a fresh copy. A new Chamber drew Paul a card and both players passed. Calculator then attacked into Electric Eve. Both players passed and then Calculator's trigger returned the 1-drop back to Kieran's hand. Paul responded to Fatality's trigger with a copy of Die for Darkseid.
Endurance:
Kieran: 32
Paul: 37
Turn 5
Paul started off his turn by playing a copy of Klaw, Sonic Construct. He then played a copy of Nenora in his hidden area (who he paid a resource point for). With 6 characters now on the board (Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster, Klaw, Ivy, Haywire, the Chimp and Nenora) Paul was free to draw two cards from his Birthing Chamber. Poison Ivy sent Haywire to the KO’d pile and found Paul a copy of Slaughter Swamp. With 3 resource points remaining, Paul then recruited Scarlet Witch, Eldritch Enchantress and then the remaining point was used to equip Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose with a copy of Light Armor.
Kieran started his recruit phase by flipping over a copy of Coercion. Scarecrow, Fearmonger was revealed to team up Arkham Inmates and Villains United and the Scarecrow, Fearmonger was then recruited. A Power Gem was recruited onto Fatality and then play passed over to Paul's attack phase.
"You can always tell when Paul is doing bad cause he changes color in the face!" quiffs Kieren.
Klaw attacked into Dr. Polaris and both players passed. Klaw was KO'd to a copy of Die for Darkseid and the Doctor's vengeance trigger ensured that Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster wouldn't be attacking this turn. Paul then team-attacked Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose and Nenora into Kieran's Scarecrow via The Kent Farm; Ivy and Scarecrow traded stuns, Scarecrow got a counter and both players passed. Witch and Chimp then teamed into Fatality. When the 4-drop and Chimp traded stuns, a third copy of Die for Darksied was used to burn Kieren for another 4 endurance.
Power Gem was returned to hand and both players moved to turn 6.
Endurance:
Kieran: 11
Paul: 32
Turn 6
Kieran had a copy of Alexander Luthor, Diabolical Double who netted Kieran 2 cards. The Power Gem was then re-recruited onto Lex and play moved to Paul. Slaughter Swamp from Paul returned his copy of Dr. Light to his hand, who was then freshly recruited into his back row.
A copy of Hard Sound Construct brought Klaw back into play and then Paul used the Chamber once again to draw two cards. A second Chamber netted Paul more cards, but his deck didn’t seem to be performing as planned as he shook his head. With 3 resources points remaining Paul could only muster a copy of Fatality.
Scarecrow attacked into Paul's Scarlet Witch and Kieran tried to force through some very necessary breakthrough with Blinding Rage. Paul, cheekily reminded Kieran of Nenora's ability and reinforced with his back row Klaw. With few options left to cause real damage, Kieran sent his Lex into Dr. Light. Fatality reinforced the Master of Holograms and both players passed. Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose then KO'd Scarlet Witch and found a final copy of Birthing Chamber for his resource row. Hard sound Construct then sent Klaw to the KO’d pile and play moved to turn 7.
Endurance:
Kieran: 11
Paul: 27
Turn 7
Dr. Light brought a Detective Chimp back from the pile. Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern was recruited, netting Paul a copy of Hard Sound Construct. He then used the plot twist to bring back Klaw from his KO’d pile. The Chimp made all of Paul’s characters Brotherhood and then Scarlet Witch was recruited, with boost, twice, to burn Kieran for a total of 16 endurance. Enemy of My Enemy found Kieran a copy of The Calculator, Crime Broker who was recruited into the hidden area.
Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster, Klaw, and Kyle Rayner teamed into Lex Luthor. 2 copies of The Wrecking Crew brought the attackers to a grand total of 16 but Kieran had other ideas in mind. A copy of System Failure attempted to take Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster out of the attack, but Paul had a few tricks up his sleeve. Ivy axed Dr. Light to search his deck for a location. He elected not to find one and was brought down to 5 resources. He then used Fatality's ability to negate the effect. Poison Ivy, the Chimp, and Fatality then team-attacked into the Scarecrow, alongside a copy of Trial by Fire. Ivy and the Scarecrow traded stuns.
Calculator swung into Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster. A copy of Flying Kick ensured that Paul lost a grand total of 17 endurance. Kieran then pitched 5 cards to The Calculator to burn Paul for 10, and played 2 copies of Meltdown to gain 4 endurance.
But it wasn't enough. With no way to force through the other 8 endurance, Kieren had to accept the loss to his veritable nemesis!
Endurance:
Kieran:-12
Paul:-5
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