So, what are you doing tomorrow?

If you’re reading this column, then you have few (if any) acceptable answers besides, “Going to my local Sneak Preview tournament for Marvel Knights.” There’s a $10K in Las Vegas that makes a perfectly reasonable alternative, but if you’re a serious about Vs. System (serious about having fun, anyway), then you need to attend one of the many first looks at  Marvel Knights taking place this weekend.

This article is the last in a two week series of previews designed to tempt and tantalize you not only to purchase Marvel Knights, but also to take the plunge and play in a tournament setting. It is an excellent opportunity to experiment with the new cards, regardless of whether you play Sealed Pack or Constructed.

My preview card for this week, a hoser for some of the game’s better 1-drops, seems to lend itself to the latter. Crime Lords will now have a solid answer for everything from Alfred to Longshot when the recovery phase of turn 2 rolls around.

There are not many 1-drops whose stats inspire fear in the heart of a Vs. System player. If a 1-drop is played, it’s generally because it has a potent—if not degenerate—effect. So now, you get to do things the Kingpin way. You can still try to rub out the competition, but why kill the talent when you can simply give them a lucrative no-show job on one of your many construction projects?

Here are some of the guys on the Kingpin’s “to bribe” list:

5 - Dawn Granger ◊ Dove: Not the most exciting card you can steal, but you do get to break up half of the Hawk/Dove tandem that has been wreaking havoc on beatdown decks since they first debuted at Pro Circuit Indy. Left with a 2 ATK/2 DEF 3-drop, Titans players won’t be able to completely dominate the board with their above drop–optimum stuff on the next turn. They’ll get around to completely demolishing you eventually—they are playing Teen Titans, after all—but at least you will have slowed them down.

4 - Mirage, Miriam Delgado: Miriam Delgado is the glue that binds the Brave and the Bold together. She’s sure to pop up in other Titans team-up decks as the metagame evolves. If you can get her before the team-up is flipped, you can keep your opponent from hitting characters who have a deeper-seated loyalty than this potential turncoat does.

3 - Longshot, Rebel Freedom Fighter: By the time you get to take him, your opponent will likely have drawn eight cards, but that doesn’t mean you give in, right? Instead, you lure the poor freedom fighter with the ill-gotten gains of a life of crime and try to recoup some of that card advantage for yourself. It would be nice if you could get him in a deck that was already designed to play with Longshot. It would allow you to have two in play at the same time. What are the odds?

2 - Phat, William Reilly: I don’t know if any X-Statix player will ever drop Phat against a Crime Lords deck. Even if they boost him out for any amount, you can still steal him with this card . . . and that would be phat.

1 - Alfred Pennyworth, Faithful Friend: Bruce Wayne’s manservant is the flywheel that makes so many current combo decks tick. The trick to stealing him will be catching him while he’s exhausted. I would suggest a little caution, though, as your opponent could ready him with a plot twist and use him in response. Rigged Elections, Advanced Hardware, and Cosmic Cops will all need to do a serious background check on their hired help as soon as this card becomes Constructed legal.

You can hope to open this card in one of the five boosters of Marvel Knights that you get to build your deck with at the Sneak Preview tournament. If you don’t open one, you could always try to trade for the card. This will be the perfect weekend to get a jump on the new cards and practice for upcoming PCQs that utilize the Sealed Pack format. Inspiration for Constructed decks always comes to me when playing Sealed Pack events. Sometimes, I even pick up a couple of the cards I need along the way.

You can find the locations for Marvel Knights Sneak Preview tournaments right here If you find yourself in the New York City area this weekend, be sure to stop by my event at Neutral Ground. If you’re still just lurking around the websites but haven’t learned to play yet, that’s all the better. There will be people on hand to demo the game for new players and to get everyone prepared for a cool Sneak Preview experience.

Hope to see you there!