I covered these players in rounds 1 and 2, so they need no introduction. Incidentally, they’re both undefeated! I pick ’em well, right?
Tim won the die roll and selected the odd initiatives. Both players mulliganed their opening hands.
Joe had a first turn Kid Devil to Tim’s nothing. Joe started to curve with Timber Wolf, and Tim again missed his drop and took 5 on the chin. On turn 3, both players had Kinetix. Tim sent his Kinetix into Kid Devil, and Joe had Price of Treason. In a curious move, Tim responded with For Khundia! He realized that his character would stun anyway and removed the cosmic counter to exhaust Joe’s Kinetix. Both characters stunned, and Joe attacked back with Timber Wolf. Joe led, 49-37.
On turn 4, Joe under-dropped with Karate Kid. Tim recruited Darkseid, Apokoliptian Oppressor behind Kinetix. In combat, Joe sent Timber Wolf into Kinetix. He removed the cosmic counter from Timber Wolf to stop Karate Kid from being stunned this turn. The characters traded. Next, Joe sent his remaining three characters into Darkseid, and Kinetix traded stuns with the 4-drop. There were no further attacks. In recovery, Timber Wolf was lost. Joe led, 39-30.
Turn 5 was Tim’s initiative. He recruited Vic Stone ◊ Cyborg, Titans Veteran. He removed Vic’s cosmic counter to recruit Jazmin Cullen ◊ Kid Quantum. Joe recruited Dark Warrior. He set up with Karate Kid in front of Kinetix and Dark Warrior in front of Kid Devil, and then passed. In combat, Vic Stone went after Dark Warrior with another For Khundia! Joe had a power-up. Tim played Ravaged! from his resource row to force the mutual stun, and Joe allowed it. Tim flipped up United Planets HQ, teaming-up Darkseid’s Elite and Legionnaires, then attacked Kinetix with help from Dark Fury. The characters traded stuns. Finally, Darkseid attacked Karate Kid. The 3-drop stunned without incident. In recovery, Karate Kid, Kinetix, and Jazmin Cullen were all KO’d. Tim had inched ahead, leading the endurance race 24-23.
Joe hit his 6-drop in the form of Darkseid, Evil Reborn. Tim had Sun Boy, and set up with Darkseid protecting his 6-drop. He passed to Joe, who sent Darkseid into Vic Stone. Tim allowed the stun, and Joe gave Darkseid -2 DEF. Joe next attacked the opposing Darkseid with his Dark Warrior, and the stun went through. Kid Devil ran into Sun Boy to stop breakthrough, and Tim sent Sun Boy back into Dark Warrior. Joe allowed it. In recovery, Tim flipped Past, Present, and Future to team-up Legionnaires and Darkseid’s Elite. A 31st Century Metropolis teamed-up Titans, as well. At the end of the turn, Joe’s Kid Devil and Tim’s Darkseid were sent to the KO’d pile. Joe led, 14-11.
On turn 7, Tim under-dropped with Cassie Sandsmark ◊ Wonder Girl, Ares’s Chosen (putting a cosmic counter on Vic) and Chameleon, Reep Daggle. Tim set up with Cassie protecting Sun Boy and Chameleon protecting Vic, then passed to Joe, who was already in the tank. Eventually, Joe came out with Superboy, Yellow Sun Armor. He substituted in Dark Champion in his hidden area and set up with Dark Warrior and Superboy in the support row of his visible area. Joe passed to Tim, who spent quite a while in careful consideration of his attacks. He chose to send Vic and Chameleon into Superboy, and Vic traded stuns with the 7-drop before being KO’d. Next, Sun Boy ran over Dark Warrior, and Cassie attacked directly for 7. Tim passed to Joe, who sent Dark Champion into Chameleon with Busted Knee and Furious Assault. This brought Tim to exactly 1 endurance point lower than Joe, and as neither player had anything to play before the end of the turn, that was the game.