Brian Foley is a local player who is here today with his son, DJ. They began playing competitively four months ago, and it looks like the father son duo is doing pretty well today. Brian has a solid 3-1 record. Sitting across from him is Adam Prosak, someone who everyone will recognize. After his 9th place finish in Indianapolis this year, Adam undoubtedly knows what he’s doing in this format.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Adam won the roll and took evens, taking the safe route because he didn’t know what Brian was playing. The game got off to an eventful start as both players passed on turn 1. A Chimp Detective Agency from Adam on the next turn found him a Detective Chimp, Shoeless Gumshoe, but no 2-drop. A Dr. Psycho, Mental Giant from Brian allowed him to attack undaunted and essentially steal the turn’s initiative. On the next turn, Brian played Ahmed Samsarra, while Adam missed with the Agency again but played Blackbriar Thorn and Madame Xanadu. A Divination and Magical Lobotomy on Dr. Psycho put two counters on Blackbriar. Adam flipped the Lobotomy back down and played it again on the good doctor after an attack on Blackbriar Thorn was legal, brickwalling the attack. Ahmed found a Checkmate Safe House and Xanadu found another Divination before Blackbriar Thorn attacked directly for 5, evening out the scores a little more and leaving Brian ahead 43-40.

The next turn began with a tough choice for Prosak when Chimp Detective Agency revealed Detective Chimp, Shoeless Gumshoe; Zatanna, Magical Manipulator; and Manitou Dawn. After taking a few moments to decide, he eventually settled on the Detective Chimp before playing a second Divination and Stepping Between Worlds to move Blackbriar Thorn, who now had five counters, to his hidden area. He removed Detective Chimp from the game to find June Moon ◊ Enchantress, Good Witch. Brian used Ahmed to find a Brother I Satellite, netting him a Bizarro, ME AM BIZARRO #1, which he promptly played. Helm of Nabu and Amulet of Nabu equipped Bizarro, coming up one card short of the full set. Adam passed his attacks, and Bizarro attacked June Moon, who stunned Ahmed before being stunned. An attack from Dr. Psycho brought Adam to 10. During the recovery, Adam tried to play Removed from Continuity on Ahmed, but Baddest of the Bad returned the King to his hand.

Brian looked to be in a good position on turn 5 as he played Mr. Freeze, Brutal Blizzard. Adam played Black Alice behind June Moon, who was promptly attacked by the still huge Bizarro. Adam thought for a long time about how he was possibly going to stay alive, mulling over in the Abjuration in his hand. He played the Abjuration, then used Chimp Detective Agency to find The Phantom Stranger, Fallen Angel and paid half of his 2 endurance to use Black Alice’s ability. This successfully brickwalled the attack, gaining him 4 endurance from Bizarro’s vengeance ability and leaving him at 5. A team attack from Mr. Freeze and Dr. Psycho stunned June Moon, but not before she stunned Dr. Psycho. Adam, again at 1 endurance, again tried to play a Removed from Continuity on Bizarro, but a discarded Huntress, Reluctant Queen stopped him. Adam opted not to attack with Black Alice, not wanting to trigger Freeze’s vengeance and lock him out of his own initiative next turn.

Adam went back to 6 endurance on the next turn with Abjuration’s ongoing effect, and then he searched up Manitou Dawn with another removed Detective Chimp. Dr. Occult came out to join the team as well before Adam passed to Brian, who was sitting at 34 but still was not in firm control of the game. Brian played a new Ahmed and used him to find a The Science Spire before playing a second Baddest of the Bad to find Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype. Time was called as Brian replayed the same Ahmed before allowing Adam to swing away. Adam went to 2 to flip Magical Lobotomy down, and then sent Alice into Mr. Freeze. Adam then paid half his endurance (again, a bargain price of 1), to make Black Alice a 12 ATK / 12 DEF, stunning Freeze without stunning back. Brian targeted Blackbriar Thorn with Mr. Freeze’s vengeance ability. Thorn then went after Bizarro. The flipped Lobotomy put him to seven counters, putting Brian to 24 to Adam’s 5. A team attack from Manitou Dawn and Dr. Occult directly at Brian took him to 12, but before June Moon could stun Ahmed, Brian used Science Spire to return Ahmed. Adam activated Chimp Detective Agency, hoping to get lucky, and found the Detective Chimp he needed.

With the totals 2-12 in his favor going into the next turn, Brian played Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype and transferred the Fate Artifacts from Bizarro to her, adding the Cloak of Nabu to the mix to round out the set. Adam gained 5 from Abjuration, putting him to 7. He played Shazam and responded to the wizard’s triggered ability by flipping Lobotomy face down and using the Chimp Detective Agency to put himself to 0, bringing Brian down to his level with Shazam’s triggered ability. Bizarro attacked June Moon, but a removed The Phantom Stranger, Fallen Angel stunned Bizarro back, and Manitou Dawn reinforced, leaving Adam at 0 and putting Brian at -4. An attack from Sasha on Manitou Dawn took Adam to -19, but after the attack resolved and Adam was preparing to mount a counter attack, he realized that he was going to be 1 point behind Brian. This upset him all the more after realizing that he had forgotten to power-up Manitou Dawn to prevent the 1 extra point of breakthrough, which would have left the players tied after Adam’s attacks. Under the rules for extra turns, Adam would have been the winner because Brian was the active player on the last turn, but as it happened, the costly mistake helped Brian to a 4-1 record, keeping the local community’s hopes alive with it!