Alex Shvartsman is a longtime TCG player and the owner of Kings Games in New York. Donnie is also an experienced player and store owner, operating Next Level Games in Nashville, Tennessee.
As the players sat down, the participants in a different feature match managed to collapse the table. Alex suggested that they flip the table for choice of initiative. Unfortunately, Donnie found a coin at the same time.
Alex won the flip and chose odd initiatives. Alex mulliganed his first four, while Donnie kept his hand.
Alex led off with Lockjaw, Inhuman’s Best Friend, fetching Quicksilver, Inhuman by Marriage.
Donnie played nothing, and Alex attacked for 2.
Donnie also missed his drop on turn 2, but he didn’t seem too concerned. Alex played Quicksilver, then played Mega-Blast on him and attacked for 7. He then flipped Wild Ride from the resource row for Black Panther, King of Wakanda—giving him a face-up resource row—and attacked again with Quicksilver, putting Donnie at 32.
Alex took a moment to consider his third turn play, eventually electing not to play a resource in order to allow his Quicksilver to attack twice that turn. He played Ape X and equipped the entire Fate set onto Quicksilver. He then played Ted Kord ◊ Blue Beetle and passed to Donnie.
Donnie dropped Rose Psychic in the concealed area and equipped her with the Amulet of Nabu.
Quicksilver attacked for 7, dropping Donnie to 22. He then attempted to ready Quicksilver, but in response, Donnie played Transmutation on Mega-Blast, putting his endurance total to 19. Unfortunately, per Dave Humpherys, that play doesn’t prevent Quicksilver from readying, and Alex brought Quicksilver to bear once more. The Inhuman attacked for 7 again, and then Alex sent in the rest of his team, leaving Donnie at a precarious 7 endurance.
Rose attacked back into Ape X for 5, and during the recovery phase, Rose returned to Donnie a few precious endurance points. Endurance totals were 41 to 13 in Alex’s favor.
On turn 4, Donnie searched for a play with Detective Chimp, Shoeless Gumshoe, eventually settling on Witchfire, Rebecca Carstairs.
Alex decided he wanted to play a resource this turn, and then recruited Black Panther. He pulled a Flamethrower out of his deck and equipped it to the King of Wakanda.
Donnie’s Rose Psychic dropped him to 10 at the beginning of combat. Witchfire attacked Alex’s Quicksilver, and Donnie discarded The Phantom Stranger, Fallen Angel to give Witchfire +2 ATK / +2 DEF. Rose then attacked Ted Kord. Alex used Ted’s ability in response to search for a Flamethrower and also exhausted Ape X to play Tech Upgrade to find a Helm of Nabu. At the end of combat, Alex’s Black Panther unleashed a Flamethrower at Donnie, but Donnie got back 6 endurance from Rose during the recovery phase.
On turn 5, Donnie played Political Pressure to open the turn. Alex, unimpressed, replaced his Helm with another Helm to cycle through another three cards. He then played Wild Ride for Moon Knight, going to 26 endurance.
Donnie played June Moon ◊ Enchantress, Good Witch and flipped up Dr. Fate’s Tower, finding the Cloak of Nabu. He equipped the Cloak to June Moon, moved the Amulet over to June as well, and then formed with June in front of Witchfire.
Donnie dropped to 10 endurance at the start of combat because of Rose Psychic. Alex decided to swing Quicksilver into Witchfire with a Mega-Blast, but Donnie played The Conclave to stop it. Alex then powered-up Quicksilver, making him an 8 ATK / 8 DEF. Both players passed, and Donnie dropped to 2 endurance. Moon Knight attacked June Moon, and Donnie powered June up for a critical brickwall. Alex passed on further attacks.
Donnie sent Rose into Ape X, dropping Alex to 15. Donnie then brought his 9 ATK / 10 DEF June into Black Panther, who shot Donnie down to -2 endurance with Flamethrower in response. Alex lost 8 endurance and went to 7. Rose brought Donnie back to 3 endurance during recovery. Alex recovered Quicksilver (leaving him with the speedster and a lonely Lockjaw), while Donnie flipped Witchfire face-up.
Donnie’s hand was empty going into turn 6, and his two cards didn’t produce a drop. He recruited nothing and passed to Alex.
Alex looked at the board, looked at his hand, and also had no drops. He thought about it for a minute, but he had no way to live through the turn. He conceded to Donnie on turn 6.
Donnie Noland wins!