These players are playing virtually identical High Voltage decks. Yeah, I know it doesn’t make for the best coverage, but the other semifinal was a second Good Guys / Teen Titans match. What’s a reporter to do? Anyway . . . Yu-Ming won the die roll and selected the odd initiatives.
Game 1
Both players kept their opening hands. Yu-Ming led off with an Ape X, fetching Advanced Hardware. Paul played Ratcatcher. Ape attacked in with a Flying Kick, and each player took more endurance loss than any player ought to take on the first turn. For the second turn, Paul had Micro-Chip and an Advanced Hardware on Ratcatcher. He set up with Ratcatcher behind Micro-Chip and passed. Yu-Ming had a Micro-Chip of his own, as well as an Advanced Hardware on Ape. He also set Micro-Chip in the front row before passing back. Paul played Wild Ride for Mikado and Mosha, and then attacked into Micro-Chip with Ratcatcher. Yu-Ming had a Wild Ride of his own, also for Mikado and Mosha, and he used her to stun Ratcatcher. Paul responded by using his Mikado to stun Ape X, and Yu-Ming responded to that by burning Paul for 3. Paul passed on further attacks, and when Yu-Ming attempted to trade Micro-Chips, Paul used his to flip his Wild Ride. Yu-Ming attacked directly with Micro-Chip, and that was the turn. Yu-Ming led, 43-40.
On turn 3, Yu-Ming led with Enemy of My Enemy for a visible Black Panther, King of Wakanda, who picked up another Advanced Hardware. Paul re-flipped Wild Ride to duplicate the play. He set up with Black Panther in front of Ratcatcher and passed. In combat, Yu-Ming sent Panther into Panther with Mega-Blast. Paul burned Yu-Ming, and both characters stunned. Micro-Chip traded stuns with Ratcatcher, and Ape X was exhausted to burn Paul for another 3. In recovery, Ratcatcher and Micro-Chip were KO’d. Yu-Ming led, 29-23.
For turn 4, Paul had Enemy of My Enemy for Jester, which he recruited behind Black Panther. Yu-Ming had Golden Archer in front of Ape X. Paul went into the tank and decided to begin by stealing Black Panther’s Hardware with Jester. Yu-Ming burned for 3 in response. The newly-equipped Jester went after Black Panther, and the 3-drop stunned. Next, Paul sent Black Panther into Ape X with a Flying Kick. Ape burned Paul for 3, and the characters traded stuns. Paul passed to Yu-Ming, who played Betrayal. Paul responded with Die for Darkseid!Yu-Ming burned for 3 with Golden Archer. In recovery, Yu-Ming lost Black Panther, and the turn concluded with Paul ahead 8-6.
Yu-Ming began turn 5 with Enemy of My Enemy for John Henry Irons ◊ Steel, Steel-Drivin’ Man. The 5-drop got a Flamethrower from hand, and Yu-Ming passed. Paul used Enemy of My Enemy to get Firestar, Hellion, which he recruited. In response, Yu-Ming burned Paul for 4 with Golden Archer and for 3 with Ape X. Firestar entered play, and was set in front of Jester. Steel attacked Jester, and Paul could do nothing but take 11. He attacked back into Ape X with Firestar and played Surprise Attack to even the score. The turn ended with the players tied at -10.
Paul had the initiative on turn 6, and he played Wild Ride for another Black Panther, fetching a Flamethrower. He also recruited King Snake and equipped his 1-drop with Advanced Hardware. His 5-drop received Advanced Hardware as well. Yu-Ming started off his recruit by burning Paul with Ape X. He played a second Ape X, searching out a second Flamethrower. He played Black Panther from hand, fetching Advanced Hardware, and equipped Flamethrower to Ape X. Yu-Ming immediately burned Paul for 5, then played yet another Ape X. He searched out another Advanced Hardware, and it was pointed out that he lacked the resource points to pay for it. Yu-Ming set up with Panther protecting Steel and Ape protecting Archer, and then passed. Paul sent Firestar into Steel; Yu-Ming powered-up, burned, and then powered-up. Steel was stunned and Firestar was KO’d. King Snake attacked Black Panther, and Yu-Ming burned again before both characters stunned. Jester ran over Ape X for 10—Yu-Ming did not reinforce with Black Panther—and Paul used Panther’s Flamethrower to conclude his attack step. Yu-Ming played Flying Kick and attacked Black Panther. The players did the math, and the final score was -44 to -46 in Paul’s favor.
Game 2
Yu-Ming again took odd initiatives for the second game. He led off with King Snake. Paul matched with a King Snake of his own, and Yu-Ming played Surprise Attack in response. The characters traded stuns to end the turn. For turn 2, Paul had both Electric Eve and Ratcatcher. Yu-Ming recruited Micro-Chip behind King Snake. Paul sent Snake into Snake, and the characters traded. Next, Ratcatcher went after Micro-Chip. Again, the characters traded stuns. Electric Eve attacked directly and then evaded. In recovery, Ratcatcher and Micro-Chip were lost. The score was 36-35 in Paul’s favor.
Turn 3 was Yu-Ming’s initiative, and he hit his Black Panther, King of Wakanda. The 3-drop searched out Advanced Hardware, and Yu-Ming passed. Paul had nothing but a Chomin in the hidden area. When Yu-Ming attempted to attack with King Snake, it was taken down by Mikado and Mosha. He sent Black Panther into Paul’s King Snake, and Paul allowed it—his Snake stunned. Paul evaded Electric Eve, and the turn concluded with no characters KO’d. Yu-Ming was now ahead, 31-26.
Paul had a Golden Archer for turn 4, while Yu-Ming had Deathstroke the Terminator, Lethal Weapon. Yu-Ming set up with Deathstroke protecting Black Panther and passed. Paul began combat by attacking King Snake with Chomin, and the characters traded stuns. After that, Paul had no choice but to pass. Black Panther attacked King Snake with Mega-Blast, and the 1-drop was very convincingly stunned. Deathstroke attacked Electric Eve, and Paul chose to take the endurance loss rather than evade. Golden Archer burned Yu-Ming for 4 to end combat. Paul KO’d his Chomin and King Snake in recovery. The score was now 23-5, still in Yu-Ming’s favor.
Yu-Ming under-dropped on turn 5 with a concealed Fiero and an Advanced Hardware on his King Snake. Paul recruited Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff behind King Snake, and in response, Yu-Ming exhausted everyone but Deathstroke to burn Paul for 12. The Witch entered play. In combat, Deathstroke attacked King Snake, and Paul used Mikado and Mosha to stun his own character. Deathstroke attacked Golden Archer, and Paul powered-up from hand before burning Yu-Ming for 6. The characters traded stuns. At this point, Paul was behind by nearly 30. Realizing that he simply didn’t have enough gas to pull it out, he conceded.
Game 3
Paul took the odd initiatives for the final game. Both players kept their opening four, and Paul started the game with Laser Watch on a Ratcatcher. Yu-Ming responded with Surprise Attack, but had no recruit of his own. On turn 2, though, he hit a Ratcatcher and equipped it with Flamethrower. Paul recruited Ape X, searching out an Advanced Hardware. He set up with Ape X protecting Ratcatcher. Yu-Ming passed on his attacks, and Paul sent Ratcatcher into Ratcatcher. Yu-Ming had the Mikado and Mosha he needed to stun the attacker, and Paul was forced to try again with Ape X. Yu-Ming burned Paul for 5 before his character was KO’d. In recovery, Paul lost Ratcatcher. The endurance totals were 42-35 in Yu-Ming’s favor.
On turn 3, Paul played Wild Ride to get his Black Panther, King of Wakanda. The 3-drop was recruited behind Ape X and picked up an Advanced Hardware. Yu-Ming duplicated this play. Paul sent Panther into Panther, and Yu-Ming burned before allowing the trade. Paul burned Yu-Ming with Ape X, and that was the turn. Yu-Ming still led, 30-26.
Turn 4 was Yu-Ming’s initiative, and he had Enemy of My Enemy for Jester. Paul duplicated this play and then set up with Jester protecting Ape X. He sent Jester into Jester, and Paul paid 3 endurance to steal Yu-Ming’s Advanced Hardware. Yu-Ming paid 3 to steal it right back, this time for Jester, and Paul burned Yu-Ming for 3 in response. Both characters stunned. Black Panther attacked Black Panther with a Flying Kick, and again, both characters stunned. Paul burned with Ape X, and in response, Yu-Ming used Wild Ride to pick up a Mikado to stun the 1-drop. At the end of the turn, Yu-Ming had an equipped Jester and Paul had an unequipped Jester. The score was 10-8 in Yu-Ming’s favor.
Before Paul had the chance to do anything at all on the fifth turn, Yu-Ming played a 5-point Surprise Attack. After that, he allowed Paul to recruit Golden Archer and King Snake. In Yu-Ming’s recruit, he exhausted his Jester to reduce Paul to 0. In response, Paul stole Yu-Ming’s Hardware, equipping it with his own Jester. Yu-Ming stole it right back, and Paul exhausted his Jester in response. Yu Ming recruited John Henry Irons ◊ Steel, Steel-Drivin’ Man in front of Jester, giving him a Flamethrower from his KO’d pile, and passed. Steel attacked King Snake for 13, and Yu-Ming passed. Paul powered-up and then used Mikado to stun his own character and empty his hand. Steel attacked Jester, and Yu-Ming powered-up Steel by KO’ing the Hardware equipped to Jester. The 4-drop went down. Paul was simply too far behind, and he conceded the game.
Yu-Ming Mo wins and advanced to the finals!