Australian native Luke Bartter is showing what he’s made of here this weekend with a 7-1 record after eight rounds. Luke has had a few features in Australian $10K events, “But only American $10Ks count,” he jokingly said. This is Jesus Esterada’s first $10K event—and sitting at table one during the last round is never a bad way to end your first day at a $10K!
Jesus won the die roll and chose to take odds for the matchup. Jesus decided to mull his starting hand while Luke kept.
On turn 1, Jesus recruited Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl in his front row. Luke had no recruits, so Jesus attacked directly with Chay-Ara for 2 ATK.
Turn 2 saw Luke recruit Blue Devil, Dan Cassidy in his support row and saw Jesus recruit Sarge Steel in his front row. Jesus formed with Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl protecting Sarge Steel. Luke attacked with Blue Devil into Chay-Ara, and both characters stunned with Jesus taking the brunt. Jesus then attacked directly with Sarge Steel for 3 ATK.
Jesus recruited Michael Holt ◊ Mr. Terrific in his hidden area to start the turn 3 action. Jesus then equipped him with Amulet of Nabu and formed with Mr. Terrific in the support row. Luke played a resource and passed to Jesus’s attack step with no recruit. Jesus attacked with Michael Holt ◊ Mr. Terrific into Blue Devil, Dan Cassidy and followed closely by a direct attack with Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl and Sarge Steel to bring Luke down to 29 endurance. Play moved quickly to recovery and then to the next turn.
Luke recruited Dr. Occult, while Jesus recruited Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero in his support row. Jesus then flipped Dr. Fate’s Tower, discarding Ragman, Redeemer of Souls to search his deck for Helm of Nabu. “Yeah I’m going to tear up,” Luke said as Jesus continued. Luke equipped Helm of Nabu to Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero, using its effect to draw two cards. Jesus then discarded Join Us or Die and Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype. Jesus used Dr. Fate’s Tower to transfer Amulet of Nabu to Hawkman and then formed with Chay-Ara in front of Hawkman, who was adjacent to Sarge Steel. Luke declared Blue Devil, Dan Cassidy into Sarge Steel and powered-up for the mutual stun. Luke flipped Watch the Birdie! targeting Michael Holt ◊ Mr. Terrific and moved him to the visible area. Luke then attacked with Dr. Occult into Mr. Terrific, stunning the latter. Jesus declared Hawkman into Dr. Occult, and Luke responded with Death from Above to stun Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero back. In the recovery phase, Jesus chose to keep Hawkman, and Luke chose to keep Dr. Occult.
Jesus recruited Black Adam, Teth-Adam on turn 5 and then formed with Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl protecting Black Adam, and Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman adjacent to Black Adam in the support row. Luke simply recruited Hourman III ◊ Hourman. During Jesus’s attack step, Jesus flipped up Checkmate Safe House to team-up JSA and Villains United and then declared Black Adam, Teth-Adam into Dr. Occult. Luke had no effects, and both players lost 5 endurance, putting Luke at 20 endurance and Jesus at 27 endurance. Jesus announced Hawkman into Hourman, with Luke taking 8 endurance loss from the attack. Jesus concluded by attacking directly with Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl for a loss of 2 endurance.
It was Luke’s initiative on turn 6, and he recruited Dr. Psycho, Twisted Telepath into his front row. Jesus recruited Huntress, Reluctant Queen in his support row and formed with Huntress protecting Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl, who was adjacent to Black Adam, Teth-Adam. At the start of the combat phase, Luke lost 5 endurance to Dr. Psycho’s effect, and Jesus lost 6 endurance. Luke announced Dr. Occult into Huntress, Reluctant Queen and flipped Blinding Rage from his resource row to make Dr. Occult an 11 ATK / 3 DEF. Jesus then flipped Knightmare Scenario, exhausting Dr. Fate’s Tower to give Huntress +2 ATK / +2 DEF. Next, Luke attacked Dr. Psycho, Twisted Telepath into Black Adam, Teth-Adam, using Burning Gaze to give him +2 ATK; Jesus reinforced with Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl.
Jesus led off turn 7 by recruiting The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero in the front row. He then formed with Huntress and The Phantom Stranger in the support row, with the Stranger being protected by Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl. Luke recruited Black Adam, Ruthless Hero from his resource row into his front row. Luke formed with Black Adam protected by Dr. Occult, and with Dr. Psycho, Twisted Telepath adjacent to Dr. Occult in the front row. At the start of the combat phase, Dr. Psycho’s effect triggered, and Luke lost 8 endurance (putting him at -8) while Jesus lost 7 endurance (bringing him to 2). Jesus announced The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero attacking Black Adam, Ruthless Hero and flipped Epic Battle from his resource row; that stun brought Luke down to -15 endurance. Then Huntress, Reluctant Queen attacked into Dr. Occult, reducing Jesus’s endurance total to -4 and Luke’s to -29. Jesus then attacked with Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl into Dr. Psycho, Twisted Telepath, and when she became stunned, he KO’d her to search for Kendra Saunders ◊ Hawkgirl. Luke promptly conceded and shook Jesus’s hand.
Jesus Esterada is 8-1 in his first ever $10K event!
Winner: Jesus Esterada