Rivera had to take a mulligan but still came out with turn 1 Carbone’s Assassins, turn 2 Electro, while Wright only found a turn 2 Roscoe Sweeny. “That’s a turn late,” Rivera quipped.

Electro brought down the fixer, and Rivera turned up Honor Among Thieves and Doc Ock’s Lab. On turn 3, he finally missed his curve, settling for Hammerhead, and Stuart finally hit his: Kingpin, Wilson Fisk.

“When I find Roscoe, I stop needing him. It’s always the same,” lamented the Englishman. Electro came right at Kingpin, with Ock’s Lab and a second Honor Among Thieves backing him up. Down went the Kingpin.

Wright used Roscoe Sweeny and tried to save him from the incoming traffic with Club Dead, but Rivera was in a hurry. The best Wright could do was trade with the help of Blown To Pieces. With both characters down, Wright agonized before deciding to recover Roscoe Sweeny over Kingpin, Wilson Fisk.

Turn 4 marked the end of the initial bloodbath. Wright played Centurious, The Soulless Man and teamed-up Underworld and Crime Lords. The best Rivera could do was a third Honor Among Thieves and Mr. Hyde. For once, Stuart was not on the receiving end of a beating.

The American bounced right back with Cobra, but by now Roscoe Sweeny was in full swing. Out came Deathwatch. Tim’s little guys, backed by the three Honor Among Thieves and one Doc Ock’s Lab, swung into Wright’s skyscrapers.

Two of them brought down Deathwatch and left Wright at 16, and the remaining character drove into Centurious with enough power to bring him down and end the turn with Wright at a mere 8.

The Englishman now had his chance to strike back. At 23 points back on the damage race, he needed a strong turn to even things out. He dropped Asmodeus, Duke of Hell, and Rivera answered with three small characters.

Smiling, Stuart Wright peered at Tim Rivera’s horde like it was a rather strange puzzle. Finally, he sent Asmodeus into Mr. Hyde, and Deathwatch into Cobra. “I’m closing the gap,” whispered Wright, as he wrote down the new endurance totals. Wright 8 – Rivera 14.

Still, Rivera had the last word, dropping Rhino and two Mysterios. He lined up his huge horde, and Wright asked Roscoe Sweeny for some help. Out came Varnae.

“He’s big and pink. Everyone’s afraid of big and pink,” he announced. He messed around with his formation and finally found a nice square one. He smiled and dared Rivera, “Come on, show me the huge amount of pain you’re going to deal.”

The American stared at the table for a full minute. He wanted to make sure he would get things right, especially with such low endurance totals. Finally, he found a plan.

Rhino and Chameleon ambushed Asmodeus. The Duke of Hell fell, dragging Wright to 1 and Rivera to 11. Vulture traded with Roscoe Sweeny and . . . he “suicided” Hammerhead into Varnae to set up his table.

Rivera only had two non-stunned characters: two Mysterios in the support row. With only Varnae capable of attacking Rivera, Wright couldn’t get any breakthrough damage in. Since he was at 0 and Tim Rivera was at 5, he wouldn’t have another chance.

Wright conceded, and they discussed how Stuart Wright should have left Asmodeus in the front row and Deathwatch in the support row. That would have allowed him to attack with two characters at the end, instead of having Deathwatch in his support row at the end, unable to attack.

Result: Tim Rivera def. Stuart Wright