Both of these high-profile TCG players are one win away from locking up a day 2 berth, with 6-3 records. Ryan Jones is one of the most consistent players on the Pro Circuit, with multiple PC and $10K Top 8s. His opponent, Craig Krempels, is one of the most well-known American TCG players, whose most memorable Vs. finish is his Top 8 finish at the first PC, held in this very venue last year. A win for either player will put him in great position to add another Top 8 to his resume.

Ryan won the choice for initiative and selected odds. Both players sent their first four to the bottom of their decks. Ryan started the action with a Shadow Creatures, while Krempels missed his 1-drop entirely, a bad sign for his off-curve GLEE deck. Ryan sent the Shadow Creatures in for 1 point of endurance.

Krempels made his first play of the game on the second turn, with Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern to fetch Breaking Ground. Ryan added two more Shadow Creatures to his side. Krempels attacked directly, and then Ryan sent a team attack back at Kyle. Ryan had a bit of a whiff on turn 3, adding only a Qwardian Watchdog, although he did have a Birthing Chamber, which let him draw a card. Krempels had both Tomar Tu and G’Nort, and formed with his 1-drop behind Tomar. Ryan team attacked Kyle with his three Shadow Creatures, with both Kyle and Shadow Creatures becoming stunned. He then sent the attack to Krempels, who couldn’t do anything productive in the face of the huge Watchdog. Krempels and Jones recovered their two stunned characters.

On the fourth turn, Krempels recruited Hector Hammond and Major Disaster. Ryan continued to lock things down with Malvolio. Krempels mulled his attack for a little while before teaming up with No Evil Shall Escape Our Sight, sending Kyle and Hector Hammond into Malvolio and flipping Prison Planet, putting their combined ATK at 10. Ryan tried to stop the attack with a Helping Hand, putting Malvolio’s DEF at 13. Krempels discarded a Light Armor to try to force the trade again, but Jones had Men of Steel to blunt the attack. Krempels declared, “I’m moving all in,” and turned up the remainder of his face-down cards, turning over Shock Troops and No Man Escapes the Manhunters. If Jones had another defensive trick, he would stop the attack cold and stun back, possibly ending the game right there. However, Jones had nothing left, and Malvolio and Kyle went down. Krempels then attacked Qwardian Watchdogs with Major Disaster, with both characters stunning each other, but not before Jones flipped Qward and exhausted his Watchdog to give -1 DEF to G’Nort. Now with all of Jones’s visible characters stunned, Krempels sent in two direct attacks with G’Nort and Tomar-Tu. Jones simply used his remaining Shadow Creatures to Qward Hector Hammond. Krempels kept Major Disaster around during recovery, while Jones lost his Watchdog.

With the game well in hand, Jones could have locked it up on turn 5 with Element Man. Unfortunately, he didn’t have it, but he still had two Shadow Creatures to add to his side. Krempels dropped Dr. Light, Master of Holograms, who got back Kyle Rayner. Kyle searched up an Ole!, and Krempels followed with Henry King Jr. ◊ Brainwave. Ryan sent Malvolio into Major Disaster, who Krempels used to replace Qward. Jones lowered the DEF of Tomar Tu with some of his Shadow Creatures, and then Malvolio stunned Disaster. Jones then sent one of his other Shadow Creatures into the weakened Tomar, forcing a double stun. Krempels didn’t have a productive return attack into Malvolio, and ended the turn, losing Tomar.

Krempels needed a big turn 6 with Two-Face, Split Personality lurking on turn 7, and tried his best with Myrwhydden and G’Nort, along with Dr. Light activating to return Hector Hammond. Jones returned with Sinestro, Green Lantern of Korugar. Krempels was unable to team attack due to his own Prison Planet, so he had to try to go at it solo. Krempels sent Hector into Malvolio, and used Ole!, along with bonuses from Prison Planet and G’Nort, to try to trade. The attack went through, and both characters were stunned. Krempels then tried to stun Sinestro with Myrwhydden augmented by his pump ability. Jones had Men of Steel waiting, and the attack was ineffective. Krempels was unable to attack with his small characters due to Prison Planet and the size of Sinestro—the writing was on the wall. An attack with Sinestro, along with a seventh-turn Two-Face from Jones, was enough to take the game.

Ryan Jones wins and advances to Day 2.