Both of these top-level competitors were at 8-1 records for the day. This one was about pride, showmanship, and pole position for tomorrow.
Hunstad opened the game with The Calculator, Noah Kuttler and swung into Vidi’s turn 1 play, Electric Eve. Both characters recovered, Eve burned for 1, and it was 49 to 48, with Vidi leading by a point.
Vidi recruited Joystick with a Flamethrower and hid her behind Electric Eve. Hunstad discarded another copy of The Calculator to take a Coercion from his deck and passed without recruiting a character. Vidi swung with Electric Eve into The Calculator. Both characters stunned, but Vidi didn’t attack with Joystick. Instead, he burned for 5 with the Flamethrower in the recovery phase, burned for 1 more endurance with Eve, and the turn ended.
Dr. Polaris, Force of Nature hit Hunstad’s side of the table immediately once turn 3 began, and Vidi took his time deciding on his next move. He opted to play Wild Ride, searched for Black Panther, King of Wakanda, recruited it into the visible area, and searched his deck for Atlantean Trident to give it to Panther. Black Panther protected Joystick, Electric Eve sat in the back row to complete the “L” formation, and play passed into combat.
Dr. Polaris and The Calculator launched a team attack on Black Panther, resulting in the stun of Panther and Polaris. Electric Eve exhausted for Dr. Polaris’s effect. Again, Vidi had to debate whether he wanted to attack or burn with Joystick; he eventually opted to burn. Hunstad played Mikado and Mosha to stun and KO Joystick, but Vidi chained with Die for Darkseid! to add even more burn.
“That’s why I didn’t attack” Vidi explained. If he had attacked, and M&M had been discarded for the stun, the attack would have been worthless. Vidi had made the right read, and it was 28 to 42 in his favor as a result.
Vidi flipped Wild Ride next turn, searching his deck for Moon Knight. He had his preferred even initiatives, and Moon Knight came out at 10 ATK / 7 DEF as a result. Panther protected Eve, Moon Knight sat out front ready to attack, and the phase passed to Hunstad.
He recruited Fatality, Flawless Victory, set her behind Dr. Polaris, and moved The Calculator to Fatality’s side in the support row. Black Panther pounced on Polaris with the Trident, and Hunstad didn’t reinforce, taking 7 endurance loss. The Science Spire flipped in his row, and he bounced Dr. Polaris back to his hand, chaining to Fatality’s effect. Electric Eve was exhausted for Polaris’s effect, and Vidi had to choose what to sic Moon Knight on.
He discarded Mikado and Mosha to target The Calculator, stunning him and driving him back into Hunstad’s hand. This made the Moon Knight choice easier, at least, and Moon Knight slammed into Fatality for the mutual stun. Electric Eve then evaded to push for 1 more point of burn, and by the end of the turn, it was 33 to 12 in Vidi’s favor. Mexican Hardware Store was passing out the beatings, big time.
Hunstad tossed The Calculator from his hand to grab another Coercion. He then recruited Mr. Freeze, Brutal Blizzard, and protected Fatality. Vidi flipped Enemy of My Enemy, discarded Iron Fist, Danny Rand, and grabbed his preferred drop for the “opponent has low endurance” situation. John Henry Irons ◊ Steel, Steel-Drivin’ Man hit the field, and he snapped up a Flamethrower from the KO’d pile as he arrived, taking it for himself. Vidi formed up with Steel behind Black Panther and Electric Eve shielded by Moon Knight.
Mikado and Mosha dropped from Hunstad’s hand to stun Electric Eve, and Vidi evaded, briefly forgetting about Fatality. Eve was KO’d. Mr. Freeze attacked Moon Knight and Hunstad flipped Advance Recon, but Vidi wasn’t about to let that stand. He flipped another Die for Darkseid! and KO’d Moon Knight to bring Hunstad down to 8 endurance. With the Flamethrower on Steel, Hunstad couldn’t take a single stun back this turn and survive.
“I have very few options here,” he observed, shaking his head while running the math. “Yeah, one option, looks like . . .” He activated The Science Spire to return Fatality to his hand, digging through four cards off the top of his deck. Steel then attacked Black Panther, leading Vidi to shuffle his hand and think. He had one face-down resource left, and Flying Kick, Joystick, and Electric Eve in his hand. He did nothing, and Panther was stunned. Steel burned Hunstad for 5 endurance, lowering him to 3, and the turn ended.
Next turn, Vidi drew Die for Darkseid! and recruited Golden Archer from his resource row. The moment he showed it to his opponent, Hunstad was offering the handshake and concession.
Vidianto Wijaya moves on with a 9-1 record, scoring up another impressive match in the name of FTN and Mexican Hardware Store!