No one ever remembers the guy who got knocked out in the semis. The masses are fickle, you know, and though they might recall a gritty final performance for a few days before it passes from their minds, that's about as much as you can expect.

 

These guys have already won their ten PC credits. The money on the line is considerable, but even that isn't the whole story, the overriding factor. What they're truly playing for is a chance to be remembered as the man who won $10K New York.

 

The winner here will advance to the finals and to that sweet shot at the big time. The loser will be forgotten . . . at least until the next event.

 

Mike Dalton, whose name was on the lips of many as a favorite to make a nice showing at the Pro Circuit this weekend, may have been looking for some sort of redemption. He won the roll and decided to go first. He mulliganed into a sweet hand with 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-drops ready to roll.

 

The first action of game 1 came on turn 3, when Dalton played Hal Jordan and suited him up with Yellow Power Ring, giving him the Anti-Matter affiliation. Tice under-dropped with Gnaxos and flipped In Remembrance when Dalton smashed, but Mike had Qwardian Council Hall to avoid the stun back.

 

On turn 4, Tice had Frostbite, while Dalton unloaded with Myrwhydden and transferred the Yellow Power Ring to the tiny mage. Frostbite bashed into Myrwhydden, and Tice powered up to avoid a stun back. Gnaxos was too small to go after Hal Jordan, and Dalton didn't attack back for fear of a mutual stun. Tice, who had suspected such a play, ran the Chopping Block on Myrwhydden to end the turn.

 

On turn 5, Dalton had Guy Gardner, while Tice had John Stewart. Guy smashed into Stewart, resulting in a double stun. Dalton passed, and Tice also had no attacks. Both players had other chicanery planned, though. Tice used Frostbite's ability on Guy Gardner, and Dalton played Apokoliptian Hospitality on the stunned John Stewart, freezing him in limbo.

 

Turn 6 brought a concealed Superwoman from Tice. Dalton, undaunted, dropped the big Kilowog. Tice had seen a lot of Kilowog in the Top 8.

 

“Who doesn't play Kilowog on turn 6?” he joked. “My last opponent had two.”

 

Superwoman bashed into Kilowog, and Tice looked for Cosmic Conflict in his hand, only to realize he didn't have it. He'd discarded it to use Chopping Block.

 

“Brilliant,” he chastised himself. With the help of Qwardian Council Hall (which he used twice), Superwoman was still able to stun Kilowog through Dalton's own copy of In Remembrance. Tice took an extra 6 endurance loss, though. He used Frostbite on Kilowog and passed. Dalton had nothing.

 

On turn 7, Dalton busted out with Krona. Tice, who had discarded Ganthet to his Council Hall in a fit of desperation during the last turn, came out with Owlman and Carol Ferris ◊ Star Sapphire in his hidden area. Gnaxos decided to join those two via Krona's triggered power, and then Krona ran over Frostbite for a bunch. Hal Jordan bashed for 5 more, and then Guy Gardner came in for 12. Endurance totals were at 35-5 in favor of Dalton, but Tice had a counterstrike coming.

 

Tice's first thought, Superwoman on “little Hal,” was foiled by Coast City, so he had to reformulate his plans. Tice had no attacks. Any stun back on Superwoman would end his day. Hal Jordan Spectre was his turn 8 play, and he formed up and hoped for the best, looking for ways to come back from a 30-point endurance deficit.

 

Dalton, for his part, tried to let Tice back into the game. He recruited a second, smaller Guy Gardner, not realizing it would KO his 5-drop version, and after a suitable period of mourning, followed up with Governor Tozad and Tomar Tu, plus a Catcher's Mitt for Krona.

 

Tice went into the think tank. (I wrote this per his request.) Dalton had no hand, but he had four cards in his resource row that worried Tice.

 

“What do I play around?”

 

The math was tough. He was going to hit the negatives this turn no matter what, and he had to figure out a way to drag Dalton down to his level, and then even lower. The first attack was Superwoman into Kilowog, with help from Qwardian Council Hall. A double stun brought Tice to -1 (and he couldn't help but note that he should have been at 11 instead). Hal Jordan Spectre attacked Krona, and Dalton used In Remembrance to get his DEF up to 19. Tice flipped up Coast City and used Lantern's Light on Carol Ferris ◊ Star Sapphire and then used her ability on Spectre, making him a giant 23 ATK/17 DEF, knocking Krona out of the box and getting rid of the worrisome Catcher's Mitt.

 

“Okay, now I can do breakthrough,” said Tice, and he again "got to thinkin'." Eventually, his characters came swarming out of the hidden area. First, it was Owlman into Guy Gardner for the double stun. Then Frostbite beat up the Governor, and Gnaxos attacked Hal Jordan with some help from Qwardian Council Hall . . . which tied the endurance totals at -7 to -7!

 

Tomar Tu was the only character left standing on Dalton's side. Could he do anything? Dalton thought about it, but he eventually had to pass and recover. Dalton drew and played Grayven, though he did not yet have the face-up resources to take advantage of his ability. Tice drew no characters, and could only form up, making sure to protect Hal Jordan Spectre from Krona's ability. He also used Coast City on Hal at the first available opportunity.

 

Dalton had a problem. Tomar Tu had to take out Star Sapphire by itself, or he'd have no valid attack on Hal Jordan. Eventually, Dalton did swing with Tomar and fired off a Living Ink. Tice did have something to flip up in Q Field, which he finally used to move Superwoman, but Dalton responded with Lantern's Light, exhausting her and moving her out first to deny Tice a draw. It still wasn't enough to get rid of Star Sapphire, and that meant Dalton had no attack on Spectre. And that meant game over. Dalton could only scoop up his cards.

 

Game Two

 

Dalton chose the odd initiative for this game. Again, the game started on turn 3, with Dalton playing Guy Gardner, Warrior. Tice put Elasti-Man in his visible area, took his 3 endurance loss like an Alabama man should, and then continued on to turn 4, which interested him much more. He put Frostbite in the hidden area, while Dalton had Myrwhydden.

 

Frostbite bashed into Myrwhydden, and Council Hall put her over the top. Elasti-Man stunned Guy Gardner, and Tice had stunned Dalton out on turn 4, giving himself a one-character advantage.

 

Dalton gave Myrwhydden a Yellow Power Ring and “under-dropped” (sorta) with the big, big Xallarap, while Tice had Guy Gardner. The little mage bashed into Elasti-Man. Tice had In Remembrance, but Dalton, who had brought out the Yellow Power Ring for just such an occasion, had his own Qwardian Council Hall. Xallarap, who was about to take the dirtnap anyhow, clubbed Guy Gardner for a double stun. Tice struck back by having Frostbite beat up Myrwhydden with the help of his Council Hall, and moved into turn 6 with the same one character advantage.

 

Tice played Superwoman in his hidden area and immediately ran the Q Field. Dalton fired back with Kilowog, who picked up the Yellow Power Ring. Superwoman bashed into Kilowog (you guessed it—Council Hall), and Dalton used In Remembrance to put his man out of reach—until Tice simply readied his Council Hall and used it again. If you ever wanted proof that Council Hall is good, you're reading it.

 

Guy Gardner bashed into Myrwhydden, and Dalton was in big trouble. Frostbite bashed for 7 more, and then Tice unloaded a Chopping Block on the 'Wog. Dalton drew for his seventh turn . . . and had only Tomar Tu.

 

“Man, that Kilowog had a lot riding on him,” Tice commented. He, on the other hand, had his 7-drop. Dalton could only extend the hand.

 

Doug Tice wins 2-0 and advances to the finals!