Both players here are happily on eight wins with radically different decks. Jason is playing Curve Sentinels, while Oldaker has the new take on Evil Medical School that has been the talk of the tournament. It's placing a greater proportion of its players in Day 2 than any other deck thus far.

 

Oldaker won the roll and chose to take evens. With the different approaches of the two decks, the roll was something of a formality, as each player effectively ended up with the initiative they wanted. Who says that Vs. is a game of winners and losers?

 

Dawson had the turn 1 Boliver Trask for Hounds of Ahab, while Oldaker had Alfred Pennyworth. Going into turn 2, Oldaker's recruits were as underwhelming as they could possibly be—nothing at all.

 

“That's sexy, I'll take that,” remarked Jason with a smirk as he made his Hounds of Ahab, attacked into Alfred, and ate the butler with the dogs.

 

On turn 3, Matt again didn't like the recruiting plan, instead taking what beats he was due as Sentinel Mark II attacked for Mr. Dawson.

 

Turn 4 saw Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius from Oldaker, while Dawson's recruit was limited to a new Boliver Trask and a Sentinel Mark II. In this particular matchup, that might not actually be too awful, as there are plenty of activated abilities that are great fun to negate. What was pretty awful for Jason was the two Reign of Terrors that he played on that turn, the first getting rid of Boliver Trask and Hounds of Ahab and the second on a Sentinel Mark II that had been Nasty Surprised in the effort to take down Doom.

 

On turn 5, Jason was torn about which was the appropriate recruit—a single Nimrod or many smaller characters. Eventually he decided upon Hounds of Ahab and Sentinel Mark II. Matt played Entangle on the Mark II, then recruited a new Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius. When Jason tried to attack into him with a Savage Beatdown, a third Reign of Terror ended Jason's plans of attack, and the doctor stunned another Mark II on the attack back.

 

Going into turn 6, Oldaker remarked, “This is the worst curve deck ever,” as he recruited Dr Light, Arthur Light. With all the doctors and none of the orderlies, he wasn't looking especially happy with things. Jason, on the other hand, had Bastion, and felt pretty good with a hand full of cards.

 

“I will be very unhappy if I lose this one from here.”

 

Bastion attacked Dr Light, who Entangled Sentinel Mark II but was unable to do anything to stop himself being taken down. Hounds of Ahab then attacked into Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius with the aid of four Bastion pumps. Oldaker teamed up his stunned characters, eliciting a Reconstruction Program from Dawson before recovery.

 

On turn 7, Magneto, Master of Magnetism came out to play, and Oldaker decided that he didn't want to play any more.

 

Jason Dawson wins.