David Spears was playing Curve Sentinels, a Web of Spider-Man enabled build that dominated the Costa Mesa PCQ last week. Robert Leander was playing Teen Titans, and many people picked him and his deck as the early favorite to win the tournament.

Game 1

Spears led with Boliver Trask and fetched a Sentinel Mark V. He also beat in for 1 point.

“This is ridiculous!” protested Leander, who played his second resource and a Tim Drake Robin, Young Detective before realizing he had to wait for Spears, who played a Mark III. Spears team attacked Tim Drake, and when Leander powered up, Spears earned a laugh by Powering up his Trask.

 Turn 3 meant a Hawk and Dove for Leander and a Mark II for Spears. “If you have another Boliver, so be it,” shrugged Leander as he sent in Dove to take down the Sentinel creator. Tim Drake and Hawk came after the Mark II. When Spears tried to stun Dove with a powered up Mark III, it was Overloaded.

Spears played a Mark V, and Leander activated his USS Argus with the hope of finding his turn 4 play. He did not have one. He set Hawk up front, with Dove in the rear and Tim Drake to her side. Mark II came after Dove, and it was powered up with Tamaran, so they both stunned. Mark V attacked Hawk, and the scores were 39 to 38, just slightly in Leander’s favor.

Leander used his Argus where his draw step used to be. Meanwhile, Spears was making goo-goo eyes at a particularly attractive bystander. “How much can I flirt with you before your boyfriend kicks my butt?”

Garth showed up on turn 5 after it looked like Leander had no play. Spears was crushed. “You are such a liar,” he said before playing Nimrod. Leander sent the whole team over on the Mark V, and Spears attempted to stun Tim Drake but it was deflected to Hawk. Teen Titans Go! allowed Garth and Tim to try and hit the Nimrod. Spears flipped Cover Fire, but Leander—of course—had the Savage Beatdown. He paid 3 to regrow the Teen Titans Go! and bashed Garth into Nimrod to finish him off. Spears recovered Nimrod and let the Mark V go.

“Where is the Bastion?” asked Leander, and when Spears slumped, Robert sat up straight. “This game is so over. Stick a fork in you, baby. If he misses Bastion, it’s just ridiculous.”

Spears picked up his army characters with Reconstruction Program and glared at Leander’s 5-drop. “Garth is so stupid.” He played a boosted Mark V and passed the initiative back to Leander to use his Argus. “If I survive this turn, and get Bastion next turn, I think I can pull this out.”

Leander used Garth’s ability to pick up Hawk and boosted it for Dove. He also played Roy Harper Arsenal. He had Tim and Hank up front while everyone else milled in the back. Nimrod came over for Arsenal and Leander exhausted three guys and used Arsenal’s ability. Spears negated with the Mark II, and Leander Press the Attacked and took out the Mark V.

Garth cracked back at the Mark II, and the score was 10 to 20 in Leander’s favor. There was no Bastion for Spears, and they moved onto the second game. “That is my first loss in the Top 8.”

Game 2

Spears led off with Boliver Trask and dug out a Mark II. Spears had the initiative on turn 2 and declared, “how lucky!” when he found a 2-drop on top of his deck. There was no play for Leander, and Spears bashed for 3 on that turn. Leander had Hawk and Dove for turn 3, and Spears played the Mark II. Dove came over for Boliver and Spears reinforced with his Mark II and Tag Teamed. Leander used Tamaran, so they both stunned. Hawk came at the Mark III, and Spears’s Finishing Move took down the feminine half of the tandem.

Leander had Terra on turn 4 after Spears played a Mark V. The Mark V came in for Terra and Leander powered up with Tamaran. He also powered up the old fashioned way. He used Terra’s ability and flipped Heroic Sacrifice off the top when Spears had the Savage Beatdown.

Garth showed up right on time for Leander. Spears had to Reconstruction Program for Boliver Trask and search out an unenhanced Mark V. Trask and the Mark II stood in front of a pair of Mark vs. Garth, and Terra came after the Mark II and took it down without much trouble.

Leander flipped up Teen Titans Go! and Terra came in for Boliver. Spears reinforced and then realized it was foolish. “Everyone does it,” smiled Leander. Another Teen Titans Go! let Leander Finishing Move the Mark II and a Mark V with a little help from Garth.

Bastion earned a mutter of appreciation from the crowd. Leander played Connor Kent Superboy and put him front of Garth, with Terra hanging out in back to his side. The Mark V went after Terra and Leander pumped Connor before she fell to the robot. Bastion attacked Connor, and when he pumped it, another card was discarded. Leander pumped it all the way, and Spears flipped Reconstruction Program to pick up his yard. Leander recovered Connor Kent and used Garth to get back a Teen Titans Go!.

Leander boosted out Hawk and Dove, and also boosted Tim Drake. Tri-Sentinel came out unboosted on turn 7, and an Underground Sentinel Base made another Mark V. Everyone but Connor bashed into a Mark V, and they both took 4 thanks to the Tri-Sentinel burn. Leander flipped up a Teen Titans Go! and then bashed Tri-Sentinel. He played another TTG from his hand to take down a Mark V, and once he demonstrated that he would not forget to return the Titans Go! with Garth, Spears congratulated him on his victory.

“I had a Press the Attack in my hand, also.”

Robert Leander is the Texas $10K Champion, winning $2,500 for his efforts. David Spears can console himself with the $1,500 second place prize.