Carl and Christian barely squeaked in at 6-3 yesterday, but they’ve each 2-0’d the third draft pod today. The winner of this match (and of the pod) will most likely make Top 8, while this will be the last match of the day for the loser. Christian won the die roll and selected the even initiatives. Carl kept his opener, and after some debate, Christian chose to keep as well.

Neither player had a 1-drop, and Christian missed on the second turn as well. Carl recruited Silver Surfer, Skyrider of the Spaceways and used his ability to get Human Torch, The Invisible Man rather than attack. Carl had Doom-Bot Corps in front of the Surfer on turn 3, while Christian recruited Gamora. At the start of combat, Christian gave Gamora +2 ATK / +2 DEF. Carl flipped For the Glory of Doom! to team-up Heralds and Doom, then paid 3 endurance to turn his Corps into Dr. Doom. Carl played Time Thief and got to take a look through Christian’s deck. He removed Galactus, The Maker from the game and went back to the business of combat. Carl chose to pass, and Christian sent Gamora into Doom Bot Corps. Carl used Silver Surfer to fetch Elemental Converters, then flipped Super Genius to draw a card before allowing the stun. Christian led, 50-42.

For turn 4, Christian recruited Stardust behind Gamora. Carl played Human Torch, and then used Silver Surfer to get Destroyer, Harbinger of Devastation. He flipped and used his Converters to draw the 6-drop, then set up with Doom-Bot Corps protecting Silver Surfer. At the start of combat, Christian chose to make his Gamora 6 ATK / 6 DEF. Stardust attacked Human Torch, and the characters traded stuns. Gamora went after Doom-Bot Corps, and Carl’s 3-drop was stunned as well. In recovery, Carl KO’d his Corps to For the Glory of Doom! Christian still led, 44-33.

On turn 5, Carl recruited Ultron ◊ Ultron 11. Christian had Black Bolt, King of the Inhumans behind Gamora. At the start of combat, Christian chose to keep his Gamora at 4 ATK / 4 DEF. Ultron went after Black Bolt, and Christian flipped The Herald Ordeal to team-up Heralds and Inhumans. Christian powered-up once with Stardust, then played Elemental Battle to push Black Bolt’s DEF over the top. Carl used the Surfer to get Relentless Onslaught, then drew the plot twist with his Converters. He played it on Ultron to attempt the mutual stun once again. Christian exhausted Black Bolt for Waking the Ancestors on Ultron, and then allowed both characters to be stunned. Human Torch took down Gamora with no problem, and Christian fought back by stunning Silver Surfer with Stardust. In recovery, For the Glory of Doom! hit Christian for another 2. Carl now had a lead of 36-33.

Turn 6 was Christian’s initiative; he recruited Medusa, Queen of the Inhumans. Carl had Destroyer in front of Human Torch. In combat, Medusa attacked Destroyer. Carl played The Power Cosmic Unleashed to give his 6-drop a counter and +3 ATK / +3 DEF, and then passed back to Christian. After a full minute of thought, Christian reluctantly stunned his Medusa. Black Bolt attacked Human Torch, and Carl flipped a late Worldeater Apparatus to gain 3 endurance before stunning his 4-drop. Still in combat, Carl KO’d Ultron to hit Christian for 2. Ultron came back at the start of recovery, and Carl exhausted it to gain 3 with Worldeater Apparatus. As the turn concluded, Carl was ahead 28-27.

Carl’s seventh turn play was Silver Surfer, Harbinger of Oblivion. Christian played a concealed Mr. Sinister and set up with Medusa protecting Black Bolt. In combat, Ultron and Human Torch went after Black Bolt in a team attack. Carl quickly realized that this attack was an error, but it was too late to take it back. Ultron and Black Bolt traded stuns. Silver Surfer attacked Stardust, and the 4-drop was stunned without a problem. Time was called as Carl passed to Christian’s attack step. He played The Uni-Power on Medusa and attacked The Human Torch. The 4-drop stunned. Still in combat, Carl flipped The Heralds Ordeal, and both players discarded to gain 2 endurance. In recovery, Carl KO’d Ultron to For the Glory of Doom!, and Christian took care of Mr. Fantastic with Mr. Sinister. Carl led, 21-12.

Turn 8 featured, surprisingly, two 8-drops. Christian played Thanos, Alpha and Omega, while Carl had Dr. Doom, Latverian Monarch. Carl flipped a second Converters and drew a card before passing to Christian’s attack. This was, of course, a monumental error—by removing three counters from Silver Surfer in the build phase, Carl could have guaranteed a win on endurance totals right there. In combat, Christian sent Thanos into Dr. Doom. Carl was forced to KO Destroyer. He powered-up Doom three times, then played Absorba Shield for an additional +2 DEF. Thanos was brickwalled, and that was the game.