In this quarterfinal match, Maximilien’s Mental deck faced up against Nicolas’s Wrecking Crew combo deck. These players are also representatives of two of the game’s more visible teams, YMG and Team AttaQc. Nicolas won the coin flip and selected the odd initiatives.
Game 1
Both players kept their opening hands and neither had a first turn play. Maximilien missed on turn 2, as well, while Nicolas recruited Beetle, Armorsmith. He discarded Mikado and Mosha to search for Maxwell Lord, Financier. Beetle got in for 3, and play quickly progressed to turn 3.
Nicolas laid a resource, then boosted out Yellowjacket in the hidden area. Another Beetle went into Nicolas’s hand, but he opted to spend his remaining 2 resource points on Maxwell. When the 2-drop entered play, Fatality, Emerald Assassin was discarded to search out Justice League Task Force. After all this searching from Nicolas, Maximilien had a less elaborate but still very impressive Cardiac. The 3-drop traded for both Maxwell and Beetle, and Beetle was lost in recovery. Nicolas led 46-43.
On turn 4, Maximilien wasted no time in dropping Fatality, Flawless Victory. Nicolas let loose an actual cry of anguish. “Every time!” he said. Nicolas recruited his second Beetle. With the come-into-play ability on the chain, he flipped a Task Force, teaming-up JLI and Masters of Evil. Beetle’s power resolved, and Nicolas found an L-Ron, who was recruited. He flipped and used Birthing Chamber, but Maximilien responded with a Cardiac activation targeting L-Ron. Nicolas allowed it, and the 2-drop was KO’d. With the Birthing Chamber effect still on the chain, Nicolas played Hard Sound Construct on the L-Ron. Maximilien responded with War of Attrition on the Task Force. It resolved, but Nicolas had another Task Force. Maximilien had another War of Attrition. The Hard Sound Construct had an illegal target, so it went of the chain with no effect. Since he only had three characters in play, Nicolas’s Birthing Chamber also did nothing. With no resource points left, Nicolas passed. In combat, Fatality attacked and KO’d Maxwell. With no ready characters, Maximilien passed back. Nicolas played No Man Escapes the Manhunters on Cardiac and went in with Yellowjacket. Maximilien had the Mikado and Mosha to KO her. Nicolas smashed in with Beetle instead, and they traded KO’s. Only Fatality was left in play in recovery; Maximilien led 37-34.
Nicolas began turn 5 with Enemy of My Enemy for Dr. Light, Master of Holograms, discarding Melissa Gold ◊ Screaming Mimi. He immediately recruited the good (bad?) doctor and used him to return Beetle to play. Trial by Fire was discarded to search for Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern. Predictably, the new 2-drop was also recruited, searching out a second Hard Sound Construct. Nicolas immediately used the Construct to return Screaming Mimi to play. As this was his fourth character, he was able to use Birthing Chamber. Nicolas set up with Beetle in front of Dr. Light and flanked by Kyle and Mimi. Maximilien began his recruit by playing an Enemy of My Enemy of his own, discarding White Tiger for Sunfire. Nicolas let out a groan. “You got the absolute nuts draw,” he said. Maximilien set up with Sunfire in front of Fatality.
In combat, Nicolas flipped and attempted to use another Birthing Chamber. In response, Maximilien discarded Emma Frost, Friend or Foe to Sunfire, KO’ing Beetle. The Birthing Chamber activation did nothing. Nicolas went into the tank to consider his options in what looked like a completely unwinnable game. He finally chose not to attack at all. Maximilien did not follow suit, though, as he KO’d Light with Fatality. In recovery, no characters were lost, and Maximilien led 37-26. Maximilien showed another Cardiac for next turn, and Nicolas conceded rather than prolong the agony.
Game 2
For the second game, Nicolas again chose to take the odd initiatives. Both players kept their openers. This time, Nicolas led with Paul Ebersol ◊ Fixer, who was able to beat into an empty board. Maximilien had the initiative on turn 2, and he played Captain Boomerang, George Harkness. Nicolas matched him with Shocker, Vibro-Shock Villain in front of Paul. In combat, Maximilien chose to have Boomerang trade stuns with Shocker. Paul attacked directly, and Nicolas led 47-44.
Turn 3 was Nicolas’s initiative, and he again boosted Yellowjacket in the hidden area. Again, he fetched Beetle, Armorsmith, who was recruited. Nicolas discarded Ted Kord ◊ Blue Beetle to pick up Fatality, Emerald Assassin. He flipped and used Birthing Chamber, and with no remaining resource points, set up with Shocker protecting Beetle and passed. Maximilien hit his Cardiac and hid it behind Boomerang. In combat, Nicolas sent Paul into Captain Boomerang. Maximilien had an unfortunate power-up, and Nicolas was forced to use No Man Escapes the Manhunters. The characters traded stuns. Next, Beetle and Shocker team attacked Cardiac. The attack was legal, and Maximilien activated Cardiac to stun Beetle. When combat resolved, Cardiac and Shocker traded stuns. Yellowjacket attacked directly for 1, and that was the turn. In recovery, Paul, Beetle, and Captain Boomerang were lost. Nicolas still led, 42-36.
Maximilien kicked off turn 4 with Enemy of My Enemy for Fatality, Flawless Victory, certainly a bad sign for Nicolas. He set up with the 4-drop protecting Cardiac and passed. Nicolas, again in a horrible situation, went into the tank to figure out his recruits. He eventually chose to hold off on recruiting a character in favor of using Shocker to KO Cardiac. Maximilien responded by activating Cardiac to KO Shocker. Nicolas played Cloak of Nabu on his Yellowjacket and passed back to Maximilien with a resource point unspent. Fatality attacked directly, evening the endurance totals to 33 apiece.
Nicolas was up again on turn 5, and recruited both Fatality and Melissa Gold ◊ Screaming Mimi. His remaining resource point was used to burn Maximilien for 3. Nicolas set up with Mimi protecting Fatality, and then passed. Maximilien under-dropped with Sage, Xavier’s Secret Weapon behind his own Fatality. Before passing in his recruit, he exhausted Sage to play Memory Probe. Finding nothing of interest, he passed to combat. Before declaring any attackers, Nicolas flipped up Justice League Task Force, teaming-up Masters of Evil and Emerald Enemies. He sent Fatality into Sage with The Wrecking Crew. Maximilien allowed it, and the characters were KO’d. Nicolas team attacked Fatality with his remaining characters and played Trial by Fire from the hand to bring their combined ATK up to 8. Maximilien had Shrink to halt the attack, and Yellowjacket was KO’d. Maximilien attacked back, KO’ing Mimi in the process. In recovery, Maximilien led 26-23, and Fatality stood alone.
On turn 6, Maximilien didn’t miss—he dropped Jean Grey, Red in front of Fatality and passed. Nicolas went deep into the tank; his empty board was facing 10 points worth of recruits. He eventually came out with Sue Dibny, and he used her to search out L-Ron. The Robot entered play. Nicolas paid a point get a Birthing Chamber from his hand into play. He immediately flipped it to KO his existing Chamber, then flipped and KO’d Kooey Kooey Kooey to search his deck for Dr. Light, Master of Holograms. He attempted to recruit the doctor, and in response, Maximilien flipped a War of Attrition to replace Nicolas’s Justice League Task Force. Dr. Light entered play, and Nicolas activated him, targeting Beetle. In response to this activation, Maximilien flipped another War of Attrition, this time taking out the new Birthing Chamber. Beetle entered play, and Nicolas discarded Deadshot, Floyd Lawton to search his deck for a new Yellowjacket. He set up with Light protecting L-Ron and Sue protecting Beetle, and then passed. In combat, Maximilien simply sent Fatality into L-Ron. He played No Man Escapes the Manhunters on Dr. Light and discarded a Mental card to Jean Grey to replace each of his six face-up resources. After inspecting his new resources, Maximilien passed. Nicolas flipped up a new Task Force, naming Masters of Evil and JLI. Beetle reinforced, and L-Ron was KO’d. Maximilien played a second No Man Escapes the Manhunters on Dr. Light and bulldozed him with Jean Grey. Both players declined to declare any further attacks. Maximilien’s lead had widened to 26-5.
Nicolas began turn 7 with his fifth resource and a boosted Yellowjacket in the hidden area. Yellowjacket searched out Booster Gold, who was recruited with boost. Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose came into play, and Nicolas played Hard Sound Construct on Mimi. He paid a point to Mimi’s ability, hitting Maximilien for 6, and passed. Maximilien had another Enemy of My Enemy, discarding White Tiger for a late Sunfire. He played another Enemy of My Enemy for Sage, which he discarded to Sunfire to KO Beetle and Yellowjacket. In response, Nicolas used Poison Ivy’s ability to KO Beetle, searching out a copy of Kooey Kooey Kooey. Yellowjacket was KO’d. In combat, Nicolas used Kooey Kooey Kooey to get a Trial by Fire. Surveying his attacks, he realized he had no hope of winning and conceded.
Maximilien Brouchard wins!