Richard Edbury is the Welsh National TCG champion and has won a substantial amount of money playing cards in the last year. Richard Hoaen, his Friar Tuck–looking opponent, is a long-time TCG pro who, even at the youthful age of 18, has already been on the Canadian national team for another TCG and has made some nice profits from playing games. Both players scrubbed out of the PC event yesterday and are trying to improve their weekends by making a strong showing at today’s 10K.

Hoaen is playing Common Enemy, an almost card-for-card copy of teammate Gabe Walls’s 6-1 deck from yesterday’s PC. Edbury is part of the new crowd running Teen Titans beatdown. Both competitors sported 3-0 records coming into this round.

Edbury kicked things off with a turn 1 Dove, followed by Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal on turn 3. Hoaen started with Boris on turn 1 and She-Hulk, Jennifer Walters on turn 3. Dove stunned Boris with the help of Tamaran, and Roy Harper stunned Hoaen’s She-Hulk, courtesy of Flying Kick, sending She-Hulk to the KO’d pile. Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius was Hoaen’s turn 4 recruit, while Edbury summoned Bart Allen ◊ Kid Flash to his side. Doom attacked the Kid, and when Edbury powered up Flash and then pumped with Tamaran, Hoaen used It’s Clobberin’ Time! to nail the stun.

Edbury recruited Garth ◊ Tempest to the board on turn 5. Hoaen used Signal Flare to Search out Thing, Heavy Hitter and bring the big man into play. Garth attacked Dr. Doom, breaking through for 3. Kid Flash then attacked Thing, pumped up by Savage Beatdown. Dove tried to attack Boris, but Boris is ever the cowardly servant, and searched out Faces of Doom, summoning the Diabolic Genius to Hoaen’s hand.

Hoaen played Dr. Doom plus Boris on his turn, while Edbury recruited Arsenal and Hank Hall ◊ Hawk to his team. Arsenal was pumped twice by Hawk and Dove and activated to stun Dr. Doom before Hoaen could attack. Thing attacked Kid Flash, who reinforced himself. Garth attacked Thing, pumped once by Tamaran and then enhanced by Savage Beatdown, resulting in both attacker and defender getting stunned. Flame Trap after the attacked stunned Edbury’s entire team, leaving him with Garth alone to Hoaen’s Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius. Endurance totals at the end of turn were Edbury 27, Hoaen 14.

Edbury recruited Arsenal; Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective; and Dove while Signal Flare from Hoaen searched out Thing, The Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing and put him into play. With Thing’s ability on the chain, Edbury used Dove and Tim Drake to pump Arsenal and stun Hoaen’s Dr. Doom, and then used Press the Attack to ready Garth, immediately calling it a mistake. Hoaen then attacked Garth, bringing the endurance totals to 0 apiece.

Hoaen recruited Big Daddy Apocalypse to go along with his other “fatty boom boom” Thing. Edbury put Tim Drake, Dove, and Arsenal into play to go along with Garth, putting Arsenal and Garth in the back row and Tim Drake and Dove in front. Hoaen attacked Garth, and after thinking about it, Edbury scooped his cards up.

Rich Hoaen 1, Richard Edbury 0

Game 2

Game 2 started with turn 1 Boris for Hoaen, turn 2 Tim Drake plus turn 3 Donna Troy ◊ Wonder Girl for Edbury, along with a belated turn 3 She-Thing from Hoaen. Tim Drake powered-up to stun She-Thing, and Wonder Girl attacked unhindered for another 5 in breakthrough endurance loss. Edbury 49, Hoaen 41. Donna Troy was returned to Edbury’s hand via Reign of Terror, but Tim Drake stunned an attacking She-Hulk with help from a power-up. Doom stunned Tim Drake, and then Edbury’s oh-so-fresh Red Star attacked Doom, getting in there for 8 with a little Savage Beatdown action.

Turn 5 Edbury recruited Donna Troy and Pantha, and then used a remaining resource point to send 5 to Hoaen’s dome via Red Star’s power. Hoaen played a 4-drop Doom and Boris again, searching out Flame Trap with Boris and then playing it, stunning Edbury’s entire board except Red Star. Red Star plus Savage Beatdown stunned Doom, making the endurance totals Edbury 34, Hoaen 17.

Hoaen quickly dropped to 7 endurance the next turn as Edbury used a Red Star activation, played a second