Both these Vs. System players have a lot of experience, with Anand making money at PC: Los Angeles and multiple $10K events, and Carl Perlas finishing second at the $10K Origins Convention Championship. Anand wanted me to mention a special shout-out to the lovely ladies of the Metagame.com editing team.

Carl won the flip and took the even initiative, and both players mulliganed their opening hands. The game started out fast-paced, with Carl bringing out Iron Fist, Danny Rand on his second turn and Anand playing Hounds of Ahab, with both players attacking each other. On the third turn, Anand played Elektra, Elektra Natchios, while Carl had Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Elektra took out Spider-Man after Crime and Punishment and Spider Senses had complicated combat, and Anand’s Hounds of Ahab proceed to KO Spider-Man.

Carl played out Will O’ The Wisp on his fourth turn, while Anand had Luke Cage, Street Enforcer. Will O’ The Wisp attacked Anand directly, and Anand retaliated by sending Luke Cage and Elektra to attack The Wisp back. Both Will O’ The Wisp and Luke Cage ended up stunned, bringing endurance totals to 39 for Carl to Anand’s 27. Anand’s Hounds then finished off Will O’ The Wisp.

On the fifth turn, both players recruited Daredevil, Matt Murdock. Anand had odd initiative, so he attempted to attack Carl’s Daredevil with his team of Daredevil and Elektra. Carl’s Daredevil would have none of it, moving himself to the hidden area. Anand’s Luke Cage managed to see hidden characters and stunned Carl’s Iron Fist. Anand’s subsequent attacks took Carl down to 17 endurance.

During the sixth turn, Carl discarded Dagger, Child of Light to find Midnight Sons and played it. Spider-Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man was recruited next, while Anand brought out Asmodeus. Anand’s characters were then all caught in Spider-Man’s web, which exhausted them, but not before Anand activated Asmodeus, KO’ing a resource on both sides. Carl’s Daredevil took on Anand’s Daredevil, but Anand activated his to move it to the hidden area and nullify the attack. Carl then attacked Asmodeus with his Daredevil and played Headshot. Some confusion rose over whether this constituted Carl’s first attacked, but it was ruled in Carl’s favor. Carl added Crime and Punishment and two power-ups, along with an activation of Daredevil’s ability to make sure Anand took 17 while Carl only took 5, making endurance totals 12 for Carl to Anand’s 4 going into turn 7.

After Anand recruited another Hounds of Ahab and a Yelena Belova ◊ Black Widow and Carl brought out Mattie Franklin ◊ Spider-Woman protected by his Spider-Man, Anand sunk into thought. After a few minutes of silence, Carl pointed at Asmodeus and said, “That was good . . . I think I would’ve had this game won if you hadn’t done that!” to which Anand replied with a dry, “Yes . . . time to get this attack started.” He then declared a team attack of Elektra and Daredevil on Carl’s Spider-Man. This stunned both Spider-Man and Daredevil, bringing Anand to -1 endurance and Carl to 6. Midnight Sons made an appearance on Anand’s side, allowing for a team attack of two Hounds of Ahab and Luke Cage on Mattie Franklin, but a Tragic Loss of Spider-Man and Mattie’s special ability made sure she survived that attack. Luke Cage was stunned, and Anand was unable to deal enough breakthrough endurance loss in the subsequent attack to turn the game around.

Carl Perlas beats Anand Khare, 1-0