Game 1
It’s Charles’s first $10K event ever and he finds himself playing in the finals against a former $10K Champion. I asked him if he was nervous and he said he wasn’t, but I can’t think that someone who is new to the $10K circuit wouldn’t be at least a little intimidated by the environment he’s been thrown into. Players in this game mature fast or not at all, though, and win or lose, this will be a great experience for Charles.
Both players began shuffling their decks and then cut each other’s deck. A die was rolled to see who would take the initiative and Charles won, taking odds. Nick decided to mulligan his first hand while Charles chose to keep.
Charles led off turn 1 with a resource, recruited Surveillance Pawn, and passed to Nick. Nick set a resource and had no recruit for the turn so he took 2 endurance loss from Surveillance Pawn and moved on to the next turn.
Nick set a resource, recruited Sarge Steel in the front row, and then passed to Charles. Charles set a resource, recruited Atom Smasher in the front row, and passed back to Nick. Nick declared an attack with Sarge on Atom and passed. Charles, in response, activated Atom to gain a +1 ATK/+1 DEF counter and passed back. Atom stunned and play continued to turn 3.
Charles set a resource, recruited Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot in the support row, and passed to Nick. Nick flipped Brother I Satellite, discarding Aspiring Pawn, to search for Ahmed Samsarra and recruited Ahmed in the hidden area. Nick passed to Charles’ attack. Charles spent some time thinking over his choices. He announced Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot into Sarge Steel and passed. Nick flipped Secret Checkmate HQ and passed back. Both characters stunned and Charles followed up by attacking directly with both of his other characters. Nick attacked into Atom Smasher with Ahmed Samsarra and passed. Charles passed back and stunned Atom. Play moved on to the recovery step where Charles KO’d Atom and then moved continued to the next turn.
Nick set a resource, recruited Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite in the hidden area protecting Ahmed Samsarra and passed to Charles’s build. Charles set a resource, recruited Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman in the hidden area, activated Valentina Vostok’s backup effect, and passed to Nick’s attack step. Nick’s Secret Checkmate HQ replaced itself at the start of combat and Nick moved to attack. Nick attacked with Dr. Mid-Nite into Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot and passed with no effects. Charles passed back with no effects and both characters stunned. Nick then attacked directly with Ahmed and Sarge and passed to Charles’s attack. Charles attacked Sarge with Surveillance Pawn and passed. Nick also passed and said goodbye to his Sarge Steel during the recovery phase.
Charles set a resource, recruited Hourman III ◊ Hourman in the front row protecting Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, and passed to Nick’s build phase. Nick matched Charles with his own Hourman III ◊ Hourman. “Hey look, mine’s foil,” Nick said as he formed his characters. Nick then passed to Charles’ attack step. Charles declared his Hourman into Nick’s Hourman and used his Hourman’s effect to make Hourman 11 ATK/11 DEF. Nick did the same and both Hourman characters stunned, dealing each player 5 endurance loss, though they had each gained 3 endurance from the earlier pump effects. Charles played Relentless Pursuit on Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite to bring him into the visible area and then attacked with Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman on Dr. Mid-Nite, passing with no effects. Nick also passed and both characters became stunned. Charles flipped Allied Against the Dark to team-up JSA and Checkmate, passed onto the recovery phase, and they continued to the next turn.
Nick recruited Power Girl, Earth 2 in his front row and passed to Charles’ build phase. Charles recruited Harry Stein and Kate Spencer ◊ Manhunter forming with all three characters in the support row and then passed to Nick’s attack step. Nick declared Power Girl into Hourman and passed with no effects. Charles looked at his resources carefully as he contemplated what he could do to avoid the stun. “I’ll let you gain 3 endurance,” Charles said, while using Hourman III ◊ Hourman’s effect. He also flipped up Taking Up the Mantle to give Hourman +1 ATK and then passed back. Both characters became stunned. Nick made his next attack Hourman III ◊ Hourman into Harry Stein and passed with no effects. Charles looked over his hand and resources for a few seconds and then started picking up his cards, “Yeah, that’s game.”
Game 1 Winner: Nick Little
Game 2
Both players shuffled up their decks as Nick started going over what Charles may have done wrong. “Wait a minute. Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you what you did wrong in the middle of the match,” Nick said, with some laughter from the spectators to go along with it. Charles chose to take evens in this game to which Nick responded, “Evens? No! They’re learning!”
Both players drew their starting hands and decided to keep, so they moved on to turn 1.
Nick led off with a face down resource, recruited Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific in the hidden area, and passed to Charles. Charles set a resource, recruited Atom Smasher, and passed back to Nick. Nick passed his attack step and Charles opted to activate Atom Smasher to add a +1 ATK/+1 DEF counter on him and then passed to the next turn.
Charles recruited Weather Wizard and passed to Nick’s recruit. Nick recruited Jacob Lee in the hidden area and passed to Charles’ attack. Charles attacked Weather Wizard into Nick directly and then activated Atom Smasher to add another +1 ATK/+1 DEF counter on him.
“Ka-Pow!” Nick exclaimed as he recruited Sarge Steel with boost to KO Atom Smasher. Charles set a resource, recruited Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl in the front row protecting Weather Wizard, and passed to Nick’s attack step. Nick declared Sarge Steel into Chay-Ara and passed with no effects. Charles passed as well and the attack resolved with both characters becoming stunned. Nick announced Jacob Lee into Weather Wizard, playing Taking Up the Mantle to give Weather Wizard +1 ATK, and passed back to Jacob. Both characters stunned from the attack and Nick chose to keep Sarge over Jacob. On to turn 4 they went.
Charles set a resource, recruited Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman in the hidden area, and passed to Nick’s build phase. Nick set a resource, recruited Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero in the front row protecting Sarge Steel, and then passed to Charles’ attack step. Charles announced Weather Wizard for 3 ATK into Sarge Steel. Nick responded with Secret Checkmate HQ, to give all his characters +2 ATK, and passed back to Charles. Weather Wizard and Sarge Steel both stunned, with Weather Wizard’s effect giving all of Charles’ characters +1 ATK/+ DEF, flight, and range. Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman attacked into Katar Hol stunning both characters. Then Charles played Relentless Pursuit to bring Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific into the visible area and attacked him with Surveillance Pawn, who was a 4 ATK/2 DEF that attack. Mr. Terrific became stunned. “Yeah, you got me pretty good right there,” Nick said as he passed into the recovery phase.
Nick led off turn 5 by flipping Brother I Satellite to search for Huntress, Reluctant Queen and placed her in his hand. Nick recruited Ragman, Redeemer of Souls in his front row protecting Hawkman and passed to Charles’ build. Charles recruited Hourman III ◊ Hourman, equipped T-Spheres to Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, and passed to Nick’s attack step. Nick’s Secret Checkmate HQ replaced itself and Nick declared Ragman, Redeemer of Souls into Hourman with a Burning Gaze plus Brothers in Arms from the resource row. Both players passed with no extra effects and Hourman became stunned. Nick then attacked directly with Hawkman for 8 ATK, bringing the endurance totals to 30 to 26, with Nick winning. Charles thought over his attacks, looking at cards in his resource row the entire time. Charles flipped Checkmate Armory and attacked with Valentina Vostok into Hawkman and passed. Nick also passed with no effects and stunned his Hawkman. Play moved on to the recovery phase, where Nick chose to keep Ragman and Charles KO’d Hourman.
Charles set a resource, recruited Superman, Earth 2, and passed to Nick’s build phase. Nick set a resource, recruited Huntress, Reluctant Queen in the support row, and formed with both his characters in the support row. Charles chose to use Surveillance Pawn’s activated power to give all his characters +1 ATK and then passed into his attack step. Superman attacked into Huntress and Charles passed with no effects. Nick reinforced with Ragman, Redeemer of Souls and then passed as well. Both characters became stunned and then Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman attacked into Ragman, Redeemer of Souls for 12 ATK and Charles passed. Nick also passed and these characters also became stunned. In the recovery phase Charles chose to keep Superman while Nick decided to keep Ragman.
Nick recruited Black Adam, Ruthless Hero on turn 7 and passed to Charles’ build. Charles set a resource and started staring at his hand to see what he should play this turn. “Any more 6-drops? Any 7-drops? Are we going fishing?” Nick asked in a joking manner. Charles recruited Thunderbolt, Yz from his resource row to his support row and chose not to replace the resource. He then recruited Kate Spencer ◊ Manhunter to his support row adjacent to Thunderbolt. He formed with Superman, Earth 2 protecting Kate and then activated Surveillance Pawn to give all his characters +1 ATK for the turn. Nick declared Ragman, Redeemer of Souls into Thunderbolt and passed with no effects as an 11 ATK. Charles reinforced with Kate Spencer ◊ Manhunter and then passed back to Nick. Nick then declared Black Adam into Superman and passed with no effects. Charles looked at his resources and his hand for a short time and promptly scooped up his cards, declaring that it was game.
Game 2 and Match Winner: Nick Little