The first round of the Top 8 saw a battle between David Xu and Luke Bartter. To account for the possible advantage gained by scouting the judges allowed each player to view their opponents’ decklists before the game commenced. However, this case it was irrelevant, as David and Luke are both from Sydney, playtested together, and both knew the other’s deck well. Luke came with Big Brotherhood while David was playing Common Enemy.
Game 1
Luke had the odd initiatives for the first game. The game started slowly, with David dropping Boris and She-Thing over the first two turns, with Luke only being able to muster a Toad. Turn 3 saw Darkoth for David and a Rogue, Anna Raven for Luke. Xu had the initiative and used Rogue to stun Boris, and Toad to stun She-Thing, then Bartter chose to return Toad to his hand. David decided not to retaliate with Darkoth, provoking soft mutterings amongst the spectators.
Turn 4 saw David using Signal Flare to get a Ghost-Rider, and then dropping Dr Doom, Diabolic Genius. Luke responded with Sabretooth, Feral Rage, and discarded the Toad that he had just bounced. The key play of this turn saw David playing Reign of Terror to return Rogue to Luke’s hand. The start of turn 5 saw Luke on 35 endurance and David on 32. Luke recruited Rogue, Power Absorption, and the David commenced to utilise the clever tricks built into Doom-based decks, using Boris to fetch Mystical Paralysis in order to exhaust Sabretooth. David then used a ploy that he had used many times, recruiting another 4-drop Dr. Doom to KO the one in play, flipped Mystical Paralysis face down, and then played a Reign of Terror on Rogue. With that maneuver, the endurance totals stayed the same.
With the sixth turn came a turning point in the match, with David playing Signal Flare for Hulk and recruiting him in front of Dr. Doom. Luke responded by bringing out Sabretooth, Victor Creed. Hulk commenced the beatdown on Sabretooth, enhancing his stats to 19 ATK/15 DEF. Luke then proceeded to do what Big Brotherhood does best, flipping Lost City, powering-up Sabretooth, and then flipped Avalon Space Station and used it to get 2 Sabretooths back from his KO’d pile to power up twice more, making him a 22 ATK/20 DEF. David was heard to curse under his breath as Hulk became stunned. With Xu sometimes called “Silent Bob,” you know something has gone wrong when he makes any sort of sound!
Mystique, Shape-Changing Assassin hit play for Luke on turn 7, which meant he didn't have access to his 7-drop Magneto. David replied with a Faces of Doom, dropping another Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius, and turned Mystical Paralysis face-down again in his resource row. With Bartter having the initiative, Sabretooth attacked Hulk, and after multiple power-ups Hulk became a casualty of the Brotherhood. David was now down to 19 endurance, while Luke was still on a very healthy 35. In order to protect his hand, Xu paralysed Mystique.
Turn 8 brought a familiar sight in this metagame, with both players recruiting Apocalypse. David KO’d Luke’s troublesome Lost City with his Apocalypse, while Luke tried his luck at two face-down resources. The first attack of the turn had Hulk attacking Mystique, causing both to be stunned. The crucial play of the turn then involved David’s Apocalypse attacking Sabretooth. Luke managed a Shape Change for +5 DEF, then used Lost City to power-up Sabretooth four times. With Sabretooth not stunned and David now down to 13 endurance, he saw the writing on the wall and scooped up his cards.
Shi Wei (David) Xu 0, Luke Bartter 1
Game Two
The second game, like the first, was played at a breakneck pace, which was indicative of the familiarity both players had with their decks and matchup. Luke began with the initiative and with no mulligans, the first play of the game had David Xu recruiting She-Thing with no reply from Luke. Mystique, Raven Darkholme brought Luke’s recruitment drought to an end, but all she did was exchange with She-Thing. With Boris being David’s only fourth turn play compared to the merciless Sabretooth, Feral Rage for Luke, things seemed to be going downhill for Xu.
After Luke recruited Scarlet Witch on the fifth turn, Dave responded with a flipped Doomstadt, used Boris’s ability to fetch a Signal Flare, and avoided burning for 5 endurance. After flipping Common Enemy, Sabretooth was targeted by Mystical Paralysis, and before the end of the turn, Luke flipped Avalon Space Station. At this point David was at 34 endurance and Luke was at 37. Turn 6 saw David once again playing Signal Flare for Hulk, New Fantastic Four, and Mystique, Shape-Changing Asssassin was Luke’s play. Hulk then attacked Sabretooth and with breakthrough, inflicted 12 endurance loss to Luke, dropping him to 25. Scarlet Witch then took down She-Hulk, and but Mystique was the victim of another Mystical Paralysis after trying to attack Dr Doom.
The optimal Big Brother play of Magneto, Master of Magnetism came for Luke, while David was forced to only recruit Dr Doom, Diabolic Genius in order to flip Mystical Paralysis face down again. Doom Paralysed Magneto, but the unlikely team of Sabretooth and Scarlet Witch attacked Hulk, who became stunned, and due to Magneto’s effect would not recover in the recovery step. Mystique took down Scarlet Witch, and Luke then forced David to discard an Apocalypse, even though David had two in hand. With Luke dropping his own Apocalypse on turn 8, combined with Magneto, Scarlet Witch, and Sabretooth, Dave extended the hand to his friend.
Shi Wei (David) Xu 0, Luke Bartter 2