This first round feature match pits two of the more recognizable names in the game against each other. David has multiple PC Top 8 finishes, while Michael has a finish of his own and a regular column on Metagame. David didn’t post a particularly spectacular performance at Atlanta, and Michael didn’t show at all, so both are looking to make their first mark on MMA today. Michael won the die roll and chose to take the odd initiatives.
“This is bad,” said Michael as he surveyed his opening hand. After thinking, though, he still chose to keep. David followed suit. Michael’s first turn Rick Jones went unanswered, and that was the first turn. David led off the second turn with Sage, Tessa, while Michael had the optimal Natasha Romanoff. After a few elementary attacks, the turn ended with Michael ahead 47-46.
Michael continued his optimal play with Quicksilver, Mutant Avenger on turn 3. David played Join the Club, discarding Shinobi Shaw to fetch Mastermind. All of David’s characters stayed in the hidden area, and Michael declared a direct team attack for 8 points of endurance loss. Rather than return the attack, David played Power and Wealth from his hand to retrieve a critical copy of Shaw Industries. “Notice that I haven’t activated Sage yet,” said David. By the end of the turn, Michael had widened his lead to 47-38.
On turn 4, David hit his first visible character in the form of Empath. Michael demonstrated that he wasn’t playing a run-of-the-mill Avengers deck by recruiting Anna-Marie Cortez, Acolyte in front of Quicksilver. At the beginning of combat, he revealed Dane Whitman ◊ Black Knight in his resource row to lock down all plot twists with a cost of 2, then passed. David flipped up his Industries, then declared an attack of Empath into Anna. Neither player had effects, and Anna went down. For his next attack, David flipped The Hellfire Club and sent Mastermind into Natasha. A power-up and reinforcement from Michael shifted the endurance trade from the attack in his favor, and both players passed the turn as each character stunned. Michael retained a lead of 38-35.
Michael hit his turn 5-drop, She-Hulk, and moved all of his characters to the front row. David had another Join the Club to get another Shinobi Shaw. Shinobi was recruited in the front row of the concealed area in between Sage and Mastermind. At the beginning of combat, Michael again locked down plot twists with a cost of 2. His first attack sent She-Hulk into Empath. Before passing, he played Call Down the Lightning. David used The Hellfire Club to move Shinobi behind Empath. Shinobi reinforced, and with Empath’s stun effect on the chain, David flipped and used a Massachusetts Academy to put a counter on Shinobi. When Empath’s power resolved, Join the Club was turned face down. Neither player had any attacks—“this turn worked out better in my head,” said David—and Michael maintained his lead of 38-31.
David led turn 6 with Join the Club, which fetched out the optimal Donald Pierce. Donald joined Shinobi in the front row of the hidden area, and David passed to Michael’s recruit. Michael continued his perfect curve with Wonder Man, targeting Mastermind. Before the stun resolved, David used his Academy to draw another card and put another counter on Shinobi Shaw. Michael set up with Anna protecting Quicksilver and She-Hulk protecting Wonder Man, then passed. At the beginning of combat, Anna revealed Hawkeye, Clinton Barton in his resource row to lock down plot twists with a cost of 4. Before declaring any attacks, David moved Shinobi to the hidden area with his Hellfire Club. He then sent Shinobi into She-Hulk; Michael gave her invulnerability, and reinforced. Next, Donald went after Anna. Michael returned his Rick Jones to reinforce. Michael had no attacks of his own, and David used Mutant Massacre to remove Anna from the game. At the end of the game, Michael still led 34-31.
Michael had the initiative on turn 7, and he finally missed a drop. Black Panther, T’Challa came out with an impressive seven counters. He was quickly joined by Hawkeye, and Michael set up with Quicksilver protecting Wonder Man and She-Hulk protecting Hawkeye. Before making any recruits of his own, David had a declaration. “I’m going to do something I haven’t had a chance to do yet this game,” he said. Indeed, he finally had a chance to use Sage. Courtney Ross hit the bin, and David played his fourth Join the Club of the game to get Sebastian Shaw. Sebastian was set between Sage and Shinobi, while Donald remained David’s only visible character. David played Power Play to steal the initiative, and then went about the task of winning the game. His first attack sent Shinobi Shaw into She-Hulk. Michael used her power to give She-Hulk invulnerability, and then passed without reinforcing. Next, David sent Donald into Quicksilver. This time, Michael reinforced to save himself 11 points of endurance loss. David’s third attack sent Sebastian into Hawkeye. Michael used Hawkeye to stun Sage, and passed, taking 16 in the process. Finally, David used Sebastian’s power to ready him, and sent Sebastian after Wonder Man. Michael took 11, and David took the game.
David Spears wins!