Win and go to Sunday, lose and watch from the railings. The highest-pressure setting for any PC is the last Swiss round, where a win means fame and fortune, and loss is a solid but unexciting finish. Stephen King, finest of the Maryland players (including our dearly departed foot model Matt Tatar) and this writer’s choice for “Best Player Without a PC Top 8” squared off against one of the highest profile Vs. stars, Adam Prosak. Adam is a lock with a win, while Stephen will need a win and some helpful tiebreaks to get to his first Sunday.
Stephen won and (obviously) took evens, and both players drew a new hand. Adam started out like gangbusters, using Kindred Spirits inside of the first draw for Galan and Destroyer, Soulless Juggernaut, recruiting Galan, suiting him up with a Mind Gem, and discarding Destroyer. Stephen whiffed, and Adam gained two. Turn 2 featured Warskrull from Stephen, while Adam flipped Soul World, getting back his Destroyer, then used The Great Refuge to find Franklin Richards, Creator of Counter-Earth, who he recruited. Stephen attacked for 4 with the help of Battleworld, and Franklin surged up during recovery.
Adam put the Gem on Galen again on turn 4 and under-dropped, hitting only Destroyer. Stephen had Technarx and set up with War Skrull up front. Destroyer traded with Technarx, and Adam passed, allowing War Skrull to brush up Galen. Adam kept Galen around during recovery. Stephen flipped The Substructure to grind through a card, and recruited Nahrees in the hidden area, well-suited for the slower pace of this game. Adam had Ronan the Accuser, Starforce, pretty saucy with Franklin Richards. Technarx busted up Galen, and Franklin moved Ronan to the hidden area. Warskrull and Naharees went to the face, and Ronan cracked back on Warskrull. Naharees got to surge up, and play went to turn 5.
Adam started to turn up the pressure, using Creation of a Herald to find Silver Surfer, Righteous Protector, while Stephen had Magneto, Acts of Vengeance, setting up with Magneto in front of Technarx and Warskrull also in the front. Galen and Surfer team attacked into Magneto, and Adam used TAA II, removing a cosmic counter from Surfer for a little From the Shadows action. Galen and Magento traded. Ronan stunned Technarx, and Franklin and Warskrull traded stuns. Stephen used The Outside World to recover Technarx and used Naharees on Ronan. Franklin went to the KO’d pile.
Stephen went off curve on the sixth turn with a Ronan of his own, Nenora, and Alpha Primitives, while Adam had the more conventional Destroyer, Harbinger of Devastation. Adam set up with Surfer in front of Destroyer and Galen flanking. Magneto and Alpha Primitives team attacked Surfer, and It’s Slobberin’ Time gave Stephen a From the Shadows of his own, saving Magneto. Technarx took out Galen, and the remainder of Stephen’s team took down Destroyer. Naharees locked down Destroyer again, prompting Adam to recover Silver Surfer over the 6-drop.
Adam had Galactus, The Maker on turn 7, while Stephen had Mr. Fantastic, Doom’s Adversary and a hidden Tonaja. Stephen formed and reinforced the best he could, but the huge characters were too much. He extended the hand after Adam made the obvious attacks.
Adam Prosak wins and advances to the Top 8!