Craig Edwards isn’t new to the Pro Circuit environment, and neither is his third round opponent Alex Gellerman. The players shuffled their decks as they made small talk about how they didn’t hear their match announced as a feature match this round. “I heard your name, and that’s how I knew; I didn’t hear mine,” Alex said as Craig sat down at the table late. “I never heard the announcement at all,” said Craig.
Alex won the die roll and decided to take evens. Craig decided to mulligan his starting four, and Alex decided to keep his. Craig led off with a resource and recruited Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster in the support row. Alex passed with no recruit, and Craig smashed into Alex for 1 endurance loss.
Turn 2 saw Alex flip Brother I Satellite, discarding Ahmed Samsarra to search for a copy of Surveillance Pawn. He recruited Surveillance Pawn and then passed to Craig’s build. Craig recruited Sue Dibny in the front row and used her effect to search for a copy of Maxwell Lord, Financier. Alex announced Surveillance Pawn into Sue Dibny, and both characters became stunned. Craig attacked into Alex directly with Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster for 1 ATK, and play moved to the recovery phase. The score now sat at 48 to 47 in favor of Craig Edwards.
Turn 3 was Craig’s initiative, and he recruited Maxwell Lord, Financier and used his effect to search for a copy of Funky’s Big Rat Code. He then followed up by recruiting Funky Flashman in the front row and formed with Sue Dibny, Funky Flashman, and Maxwell Lord, Financier in the front row and Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster in the support row protected by Funky Flashman. Alex flipped and activated Slaughter Swamp to bring Ahmed Samsarra back to his hand from the KO’d pile. Alex then recruited Ahmed in the support row hidden and passed. During his attack step, Craig attacked with Sue Dibny, Funky Flashman, and Maxwell Lord directly into Alex. Alex then attacked with Surveillance Pawn into Sue Dibny, earning the mutual stun. Alex used Ahmed Samsarra’s effect to KO Brother I Satellite and search for a copy of Checkmate Safe House, which he then played in his resource row. The score stood at 42 to 46, Craig’s lead.
“I’m still not sure what you’re running,” Craig said as Alex entered his build phase for turn 4. “You might be running that Rock of Eternity deck.” Alex recruited Atom Smasher followed by another copy of Surveillance Pawn, and then Black Thorn in the hidden area. Alex then flipped Checkmate Safe House and teamed-up Checkmate and JSA. Alex then activated Checkmate Safe House and used Black Thorn in response to re-ready Checkmate Safe House. Alex followed this all up by activating Ahmed Samsarra to KO Slaughter Swamp; he searched for a copy of The Rock of Eternity and placed it face down into his resource row. Craig followed by flipping Funky’s Big Rat Code, teaming-up JLI and Secret Society. Craig targeted himself with Funky’s Big Rat Code’s effect of putting three cards from the top of his deck into his KO’d pile. Craig then recruited Deadshot, Floyd Lawton and used UN General Assembly from his resource row (exhausting Deadshot for the additional cost). Craig searched for a copy of Bluejay and recruited him into the hidden area. Craig ended off his build by recruiting Quadromobile onto Funky Flashman and formed with Funky Flashman in the support row adjacent to Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster and Maxwell Lord, Financier and protected by Deadshot, Floyd Lawton. At the start of the combat phase Craig used Funky Flashman to bring Joseph Jones ◊ General Glory from his deck to his hand. Craig then attempted to use Deadshot on Ahmed Samsarra, but Alex responded with a Threat Neutralized targeting Atom Smasher, and Alex’s Ahmed was removed instead. Finally, play moved onto Alex’s attack step, and Alex declared Surveillance Pawn into Funky. Craig KO’d Quadromobile to return Slaughter Swamp from his KO’d pile to his hand. Alex then declared Black Thorn into Sue Dibny, stunning Sue. Alex’s second Surveillance Pawn attacked into Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster, and then Atom Smasher attacked into Maxwell Lord, Financier. Play moved to turn 5 with Alex leading 40 to 38 in endurance.
Craig led off turn 5 by using Slaughter Swamp to discard a copy of Deathstroke the Terminator, Lethal Weapon and return Booster Gold from his KO’d pile to his hand. Craig then recruited Joseph Jones ◊ General Glory—equipping him with Quadromobile—and then followed up that recruit with another copy of Deadshot, Floyd Lawton. He formed with Funky Flashman protecting Deadshot, Floyd Lawton and General Glory adjacent to Funky Flashman in the front row. Alex flipped Brother I Satellite to search for Thunderbolt, then recruited him in the support row adjacent to Atom Smasher. Alex then used a Checkmate Safe House activation and re-readied it with Black Thorn again. Alex exhausted Thunderbolt and Surveillance Pawn to return The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero back to his hand and passed to Craig’s attack step. Craig pondered over his possible attacks for the turn and decided to declare a team attack onto Thunderbolt with Bluejay, General Glory, and Funky Flashman for a total of 11 ATK. Before passing, he used Safety in Numbers from his resource row to re-ready Joseph Jones ◊ General Glory so he couldn’t be stunned back. Alex then used Advance Warning to give Thunderbolt 13 DEF, and then Craig played another copy of Safety in Numbers to re-ready Bluejay so that two of his characters couldn’t be stunned; Funky Flashman, though, became stunned in the attack. Craig then declared Deadshot, Floyd Lawton, General Glory, and Bluejay for 13 ATK total and passed back to Alex. Alex used Checkmate Safe House to give Thunderbolt +1 more DEF and then another copy of Advance Warning to make him 14 DEF. Craig just started scooping up his cards and offered his hand to Alex.
“That was a rough draw,” Craig said as they both shook hands.
“Yeah, I had a pretty good draw,” Alex responded.
Winner: Alex Gellerman