“This game is going to suck so much.”

 

“Yup.”

 

As a feature match writer, these are not the words you want to hear while you are looking for something funny to write about in a Control mirror match. Instead, I'm looking for something closer to the "more Doctors than a . . . ” joke. Maybe by the end of the match, I'll be there.

 

Zintis won the roll and chose to play on the even initative. Both players started with mulligans and an Alfred Pennyworth on turn 1.

 

For turn 2 there was a little more action, though the term is very much relative when talking about the early turns in the mirror. Zintis recruited Shimmer, while David had a more traditional GCPD Officer and a re-recruit of Alfred Pennyworth, after fetching Utility Belt, a card that he has cited as being very important in this exact match. The officer got a Belt so that he could hold up his trousers in addition to the power of the law.

 

Zintis's Alfred Pennyworth tried to take out its doppelganger, and both players had a power-up. After much tray-bashing, David played Bat-Signal to fetch yet another power-up, stymieing Zintis's attack. Shimmer then went in to finish the job the butler had started, and got a good measure of revenge.

 

On turn 3, “Flashbanger” used Alfred Pennyworth again, fetching a Fizzle, and re-recruited him, along with a Shimmer of his own. Zintis had a Boris, but nothing more. His three characters were all on different teams, and all were up front ready for a fight. David's Shimmer attacked and successfully pounded Alfred Pennyworth, and the New Yorker passed. Boris then attacked a GCPD Officer, and both players had a power-up. Zintis also had a power-up for his Shimmer, when the girl fight was initiated. All in all, turn 3 was about the beatdown, and it would appear that Zintis was in the lead in that regard.

 

Zintis's first play on turn 4 was to team up his characters. He then attempted to activate Alfred Pennyworth, only to have him negated by Utility Belt. He re-recruited and passed. Flash had Alfred Pennyworth do his thing, with somewhat more success, fetching The Underworld Star. He re-recruited, then played the plot twist to fetch Shimmer. With neither player recruiting Dr. Doom, it was all about the beatdown once more, albeit for miniscule amounts of endurance loss.

 

On turn 5, Alfred Pennyworth got Fizzle for David, before entering play for the fifth consecutive turn. There were no further recruits for him, though. Four recruit points of characters in play on turn 5 was not what Fashbinder had in mind for this point in the game. Zintis's Alfred Pennyworth was negated again, then Zintis went for his own The Underworld Star. David responded to this with Have a Blast! on Zintis' teamup, effectively negating much of the utility of its effect. Rather than being able to fetch Commissioner Gordon, instead it was forced to be Dr. Light, Arthur Light that went to his hand.

 

On turn 6, the first doctor of the game came out, and it was Dr. Light, Arthur Light for Zintis. Fashbinder used Alfred Pennyworth to fetch Bat-Signal, and went for a Robot Sentry, teamed up his characters using Metropolis and used his Bat-Signal to fetch a doctor of his own—Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius, flipping down the Bat-Signal. One is bigger, but it's not clear which is better.

 

When Reign of Terror bounced Zintis' board with the exception of Dr. Light, Arthur Light, it looked like Doom might be the way forward. Dr. Light did do some good work beating up Shimmer, though, keeping Zintis in the damage race. The final play of turn was Bat-Signal for Dr. Doom, Lord of Latveria by Fashbinder.

 

Turn 7 brought Dr. Light, Arthur Light for Fashbinder, while Zintis went for Shimmer, Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon. Fashbinder's response to "the Commish" was for his Dr. Light to stun Alfred Pennyworth. A couple of GCPD Officers joined their boss, with Shimmer being exhausted by Robot Sentry in response to the last one.

 

Fashbinder teamed up his motley crew with Metropolis, and used Shimmer to exhaust his opponent's team. It took two attempts for Commissioner Gordon to KO his opponent's Utility Belt, and Dr. Light, Arthur Light then stunned Zintis's Shimmer, while Zintis stunned his opponent's Alfred Pennyworth.

 

Press the Attack from Zintis met a Fizzle from Fashbinder, and it was on to turn 8. Dr Doom, Lord of Latveria was the play from Zintis, and he turned Press the Attack face down. David initially went for an Alfred Pennyworth activation, fetching Mystical Paralysis.

 

“Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . . yeah.”—Zintis

 

His big Doom was duly exhausted, then Fashbinder "leveled-up" his evil doctor, recruiting his own 8-drop and flipping down a large amount of plot twists with which to terrorize his opponent.

 

Dr. Light, Arthur Light then stunned Zintis's Commissioner, and David's GCPD Officer exhausted to fetch Psimon. This was enough to elicit a scoop from May-Krumins.

 

Once again, Fashbinder had the initiative for game 2. With 26 minutes left in the round, Zintis would be hard pushed to win two straight in time, but Fashbinder was keen to point out that he had reached turn 9 in three minutes in an earlier round, so it is very much possible.

 

Both players mulliganed into turn 1 Alfred Pennyworths.

 

Turn 2 brought the classic GCPD Officer, Alfred Pennyworth for Utility Belt (given to the Officer), and a replayed Alfred Pennyworth for Zintis. Fashbinder retorted with a Robot Sentry. The GCPD Officer beat up Alfred Pennyworth with the help of a power-up, and it was on to turn 3.

 

Fashbinder played GCPD Officer and attempted to use Alfred Pennyworth, only for Zintis's officer to lay down the law with his Utility Belt. Zintis's turn was a little more productive, with his Alfred Pennyworth fetching a Fizzle. He got replayed, and Boris came along to join him. David's Robot Sentry beat up Boris, but David's GCPD Officer had less luck against Alfred Pennyworth when his attack was met with a power-up.

 

Both players recruited Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius, but Zintis had the advantage of the initiative, allowing him to Reign of Terror both Robot Sentry and a GCPD Officer. Zintis played Mystical Paralysis on David's Dr. Doom and it was on to turn 5.

 

Fashbinder made a Robot Sentry and attempted to exhaust Boris with it. These sorts of shenanigans were not going to fly, though, as Zintis opted to use Boris in response to fetch a Bat-Signal. David spent the remainder of his resource points on GCPD Officer and a Power Compressor for his Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius. Alfred Pennyworth fetched a Fizzle and was played, costing the final resource point.

 

Zintis had a Robot Sentry, and played Bat-Signal, exhausting his GCPD Officer to fetch Commissioner Gordon. The commish was played, along with Alfred Pennyworth. Commisionar Gordon ate the Power Compressor, then Zintis' Robot Sentry exhausted David's GCPD Officer in response to it being attacked by Dr Doom, Diabolic Genius. Zintis' Doom cracked back into Fashbinder's Robot Sentry, getting some damage in before turn six.

 

Zintis started turn 6 by using his Robot Sentry on Alfred Pennyworth before using his own to fetch Bat-Signal. Commissioner Gordon then used Bat-Signal to fetch Lacuna. Alfred Pennyworth came back, and a GCPD Officer joined him. Fashbinder's recruit was somewhat simpler, with simply Dr. Light, Arthur Light, hitting the board.

 

Zintis had no attacks, but Fashbinder was happy to enter the fray with his 6-drop against Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius. His Robot Sentry then attacked Alfred Pennyworth, doing a little bit more damage. His Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius then went after Robot Sentry. Lacuna fetched Marvel Teamup for Zintis (the third shuffle effect of the turn) and the game moved to turn 7.

 

Fashbinder recruited Psimon. “Any responses? I'm sure you have plenty,” asked Fashbinder.

 

Zintis's only response was to scoop up his cards. It turns out that in the Evil Medical School mirror match, the foil deck wins.