“Shotgun—not doing life!” Wiitanen cackled as he slumped into his chair, eager to avoid using the feature match tablets to keep track of endurance totals.

“What are you playing?”

“A deck.”

“See, now I’ve got the information!” Wiitanen grinned.

He won the roll, and after some deliberation, he took the odd initiative. “I like to decide if I want to mulligan first,” he explained. Staring at Dr. Light, Master of Holograms and Dr. Ub’X, he opted not to. Keller “hrmm’ed” over his hand.

“You know, the saying is, ‘if you don’t know, ditch it.’”

And he did.

“Ha! I talked him into it.” Wiitanen was being his usual self.

Keller opened with Willworld and Henry King Jr. ◊ Brainwave. He swung directly against Wiitanen’s open board for a single point of endurance loss. The next turn, he recruited Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern and grabbed a Chopping Block. The equipment went to Brainwave, Rayner got some Light Armor, and Keller had one heck of a second turn!

Wiitanen recruited Tomar Tu into his front row and had nothing else. The armored Kyle tackled him, but in response, Wiitanen used The Ring Has Chosen to fetch a copy of Roy Harper ◊ Speedy, who was immediately discarded.

“That’s an obvious turn 3 play,” remarked Keller.

“You’re an obvious turn 3 play,” retorted Wiitanen without skipping a beat.

Emerald Dawn blew away the defending Tomar Tu and got Wiitanen a copy of Remoni-Notra. Rayner readied and then swung directly for 5. Brainwave poked for 1, Keller activated Willworld and then used The Ring Has Chosen to fetch Dr. Light, and play moved to turn 3. The endurance totals were 50 to 43 for Keller.

Both players dropped Dr. Light, Master of Holograms on turn 3. Wiitanen used his to bring Roy Harper ◊ Speedy into play, while Keller brought out the Tomar Tu he had discarded via Willworld last turn. Wiitanen did not attack. Kyle Rayner swung into Dr. Light, but Speedy cracked off a shot at Brainwave to eliminate the Chopping Block. Rayner got stunned back, Tomar Tu attacked directly, and the endurance totals were at 48 to 36.

“First blood!” cheered Wiitanen. “Ha ha! You got stuck with evens! It’s on you this turn!”

Wiitanen was picking up confidence, or at least he was flinging quips at an increased rate. Keller flipped Hard-Traveling Heroes, and then he recruited G’Nort, Arisia, and Olapet. Next, he activated The Ring Has Chosen, took Hector Hammond, discarded him, and brought him up with Dr. Light. The fact that Wiitanen sorely needed, oh, perhaps a Flame Trap, didn’t seem to bother him.

Wiitanen activated Book of Oa, chained Dr. Light’s effect to bring up Tomar Tu, and then resolved the Book (discarding a copy of Hector Hammond). He recruited Dr. Ub’X, who braced himself for an onslaught, shielding Dr. Light with his body. Olapet and Hector attacked into Tomar Tu.

“Playing it safe, huh? That’s a smart move.”

Wiitanen stunned Tomar Tu, saying, “I’ll take infi damage.” He sighed, his first sign of resignation in the entire match. Rayner slammed into Dr. Light for the double stun and some breakthrough, and Keller’s remaining attackers team attacked directly.

 “40 to 24—that’s a rough time right there,” remarked Wiitanen.

Dr. Ub’X surveyed the field before he and Wiitanen agreed on a target: Dr. Light. Keller activated Willworld in response, but he was forced to take the stun. “I’m only down by 20!” Wiitanen laughed. Ub’X took down Dr. Light, and the board stood at G’Nort, Olapet, Hector, Arisia, and Tomar Tu against Wiitanen’s Dr. Ub’X, Hector, and Dr. Light.

Wiitanen opened turn 5 with Book of Oa and shuffled his hand repeatedly as he decided what to do. Choosing a card to take, he then quickly recruited Remoni-Notra, forming up in an “L” to protect Dr. Light. Keller made the same play, recruiting a Remoni-Notra of his own and then flipping and using Birthing Chamber.

Wiitanen took some time to determine what to do. He actually apologized, saying, “Sorry, it just takes some time to figure out how to come back.” After a minute and a half, he decided.

“Okay. I have a theory.”

Remoni-Notra swung on Olapet. “Frickin’ plants, always getting in the way. Nothing gets in the way of an obsessed warrior princess. Haven’t you seen Xena?” The attack resolved, and since the adjacent support row character that could reinforce was Keller’s own Remoni-Notra, he opted not to reinforce and took 7 endurance loss.

“That’s game, I think,” said Wiitanen, not at all suggesting that he was about to win. Ub’X swung on Tomar Tu, but Shock Troops made him significantly larger, and Ub’X took a stun that Wiitanen was not ready for. Hammond swung at Remoni-Notra with No Man Escapes the Manhunters, and Arisia reinforced.

“Triple Light Armor?” asked Wiitanen. Keller laughed and passed. Wiitanen used Emerald Twilight to get rid of Remoni-Notra. It resolved, as Keller had no Lanterns in Love to chain.

“YAAA-HAAAAUS!” exclaimed Wiitanen as play moved to turn 6. The endurance totals were 25 to 14—he’d narrowed the gap! Keller had Arisia, G’Nort, Tomar Tu, and Hector Hammond to Wiitanen’s Dr. Light, Hector Hammond, and Remoni-Notra.

Keller had the initiative on turn 6, however. He used The Ring Has Chosen to search out Guy Gardner, Strong Arm of the Corps. He then activated Birthing Chamber, recruited Guy Gardner, and placed him in the back row between G’Nort and Arisia, who was protected by Hector Hammond. Tomar Tu was watching over the wonder pup. Wiitanen activated Dr. Light to bring out Tomar Tu again. He then used Book of Oa, and after a moment’s hesitation, he used Emerald Dawn, pitching Dr. Light and searching out a copy of Olapet. He recruited her with boost, brought out G’Nort with her effect, recruited Major Disaster, and then recruited Roy Harper ◊ Speedy with incredible speed! Wiitanen had managed to turn the tables, and despite an 11-point endurance deficit, he now had a remarkably commanding board presence.

Keller’s Hector Hammond rushed at Tomar Tu, and Wiitanen activated Breaking Ground to replace his own Book of Oa. Keller flipped Prison Planet, and G’Nort reinforced.

“I’m at 12! I don’t see it happening this turn, maybe next one.”

Keller used Willworld and nabbed himself a copy of G’Nort.

“Cards in hand?”

“Two,” replied Wiitanen, “and one’s a piece of equipment. But of course, you can’t use equipment from your hand.” He smirked, knowing how brutally untrue the statement was. It was a strong bluff—if he could get Keller to believe that he had a Catcher’s Mitt, there would be no way in Keller’s mind that he could be defeated this turn.

Tomar Tu attacked Major Disaster, who activated to get rid of Prison Planet. It was a move so irrelevant that it looked like Keller might have bought into Wiitanen’s bluff. The Planet was replaced with Hard-Traveling Heroes, which was promptly flipped up.

“You’re such a sack,” remarked Wiitanen as Keller played his freshly drawn Shock Troops. Wiitanen responded with Speedy to blow away Keller’s G’Nort, and then he took 6 endurance loss, leaving himself at 6 endurance.

Wiitanen was left with a front row Remoni-Notra protecting Hector Hammond. G’Nort was next to him, and Olapet was next to the dog. Keller had Arisia and Guy Gardner left, and he needed to isolate Olapet and call Wiitanen’s bluff to win. Sure enough, Arisia took out G’Nort, and a single attack of Gardner against Olapet was enough to end the game and then some!