These two are veterans of professional card games, and they probably have played against each other more times than they could really remember. This obviously means any game turns into a long series of jokes interrupted by some actual gaming. Alex Shvartsman has surely been to more different countries and cities to play collectible and trading card games than anyone past, present and probably future.

Shvartsman dropped a turn 1 Dagger, Child of Light and turn 2 Hounds of Ahab, while Kastle played a turn 2 Werewolf By Night. On turn 3, they both hit their perfect 3-drops.

Alex got the beatstick Elektra, Elektra Natchios, and Kastle got his tricky Brother Voodoo. Brother Voodoo did his thing, dropping a bunch of characters into the graveyard, and Alex’s army blazed through to drop Kastle to 40. Werewolf By Night chewed up Dagger and Quick Kill sent it away.

“Here comes my main man!” announced Darwin Kastle. Luke Cage, Street Enforcer entered the fray. Alex answered with exactly the same card. They only had hidden characters in play, but Luke’s ability allowed them to attack characters.

Darwin’s Luke Cage pounded Hounds of Ahab, and the rest of the attacks went directly to the dome. Went the dust settled, Darwin Kastle was at 23 and Alex Shvartsman was at 34.

On turn 5, decks with Marvel Knights tend to do only one thing. Yes, they both played Daredevil, Matt Murdock. Elektra dove from the roofs straight at her Romeo, Daredevil. With the help of Crime and Punishment she had enough power to stun.

That convinced Kastle to sit back and work out the math. He played Strength of the Grave for eight, dragging a “that’s a lot” from Shvartsman. Daredevil survived, and Elektra got stunned.

Alex’s Daredevil brought down his twin, dropping Kastle to 14, with Alex at 23. The Hounds came in to clean up the job, KO’ing Darwin’s Daredevil, and the Luke Cages traded as well.

A Quick Kill took Kastle’s Luke Cage away, leaving him with only Werewolf By Night facing Luke Cage, Street Enforcer and Hounds of Ahab, with the totals 9 to 14 in Shvartsman’s favor.
 
Kastle was in trouble, and his turn six was very inspiring: Elektra, Elektra Natchios and Brother Voodoo. “That could have been much worse for me,” commented Alex, before dropping Daredevil, Matt Murdock.

Elektra tried to bring down Daredevil, but Shvartsman hid it. Darwin Kastle sent his whole crew directly at Shvartsman’s dome. A flurry of plot twists helped bring Shvartsman down to -11.

“So, I need at least 20 points of damage, right?” Shvartsman asked. He sent Hounds of Ahab into Brother Voodoo, powering him up twice and playing No Fear. He sent his Daredevil - Luke Cage duo in to bring the endurance totals to:

Alex: -13, Kastle: -16.

Darwin Kastle had no answers, so he smiled and extended his hand. Alex Shvartsman enters day two with a very healthy 9-3 result.