Jacob and Spears had already agreed to split the prize money, but this game was no joke. “He wants another trophy, and I really want my first,” explained Spears. A $10K win for Dave Spears has been a long time coming, and he clearly wanted it.

Both players started joshing each other. “Those Game of the Galaxies might backfire, ya know, man. I have multiples of cards too!” Jacob grinned. These men were 1-1 in money events—Jacob had defeated Spears in $10K Chicago, but Spears had defeated him at PC Indy.

Spears won the roll and, predictably, took the odd initiatives. He kept his hand while Jacob mulliganed his away. He had no turn 1 drop and got pinged by Radioactive Man, Chen Lu. On the next turn Jacob recruited Melter, but Spears surprised him with Foxfire.

“What? Oh, come on . . .who does that?” Jacob was amused. The 2-drops traded off, Radioactive Man attacked directly, and turn 3 began.

Spears recruited Growing Man. “What?!” Jacob was again surprised and entertained. “Well, you said you hate him,” explained Spears, referring to an earlier conversation. Jacob played Helmut Zemo ◊ Citizen V, Tactician, and formed up to give Melter and Radioactive Man the +3 ATK bonus. Foxfire took down Citizen V with a Windstorm, and Growing Man wrecked Radioative Man, KOing him at the turn’s end.

“Visible 3-drops, man, what IS that? What is the plan . . . the plan, the plan . . .” Jacob mused. “You’ve got better plans, I think.”

“Plans Within Plans?” Spears grinned at his pun as Jacob recruited Dallas Riordan, Mayoral Aide to the visible area, as well as Bulldozer. Citizen V took a front-rank position to give all three of his allies his ATK bonus.

Spears recruited Kang, Master of Time. Bulldozer attacked Growing Man to trade stuns. Citizen V socked Foxfire in the face for 5 endurance loss total, and Melter attacked for an additional 5. Dallas activated to let Jacob draw a card, and Kang stunned Citizen V. “I draw 2,” Spears announced, taking his draw for Master of Time.

“Yeees, you do. Almost as good as me!” Jacob grinned. Quips were being traded faster than stuns. It was 24 to 34 for Jacob, and he had Melter, Citizen V, and Dallas Riordan to Spears’s Kang, Master of Time and Growing Man.

On turn 4 Spears recruited Kang, Ultimate Kang, while Jacob recruited Yellowjacket, Rita Demara to search out Melissa Gold ◊ Screaming Mimi with her boost effect. Mimi hit the field, followed by Radioactive Man, Chen Lu, and Jacob started laboring over formation. Dallas protected Mimi, Radioactive Man protected Citizen V, and Yellowjacket protected Melter. “That looks sooo perfect,” Jacob remarked, proud of his setup.

“Yes it does,” agreed Spears, discarding for Master of Time.

“What a perfect formation. I am so good at this game. Michael Jacob is so amazing.” He smiled cheerily.

The Master of Time attacked Radioactive Man, and Citizen V reinforced. “WHAT?” Jacob couldn’t believe how Spears was prioritizing his attacks. Growing Man took down Yellowjacket, again to Jacob’s surprise. Ultimate Kang then socked Melter, prompting Jacob to fling another quip: “You’re really not killing me too fast, are you?” He activated Dallas and passed, losing Yellowjacket and Radioactive Man.

Next turn he recruited Beetle, Armorsmith, Blizzard, and Nathan Garrett ◊ Black Knight before burning with Screaming Mimi. The game was 11 to 22 in his favor.

Spears recruited Tempus, placing him in the visible area protecting Growing Man. Kang, Ultimate Kang completed the L, sitting to Growing Man’s right in the support row. Jacob seemed hopeful for and end to the game this turn.

Beetle and Mimi attacked Tempus—a second Faces of Evil and The Wrecking Crew bumped the total ATK of the team attack to 14. Spears then activated Tempus to move Tempus and Growing Man into the hidden area. Blizzard brought Ultimate Kang to the front row, and Dallas, Citizen V, and Melter attacked Ultimate Kang for 17 ATK total. Spears flipped Kang Kross-roads in response, then flipped The Time Keepers. He played a second from his hand, discarded four Kangs to power up to 18 DEF, and Jacob used Wrecking Crew in response. Spears exhausted Master of Time for Psyche-Globe to get a power-up, but Jacob responded with Combat Maneuvers.

“We’re even right now,” he announced. Spears took one last look through his options and scooped, unable to do anything to save Kang and thus unable to win. Play moved to game 2.

Both players decided to mulligan, and Spears laughed loudly at his new hand. “HA!”

“The nuts?” asked a spectator.

“Oh, it’s not the nuts. It’s nutty.”

Spears recruited Ogre and attacked directly: Jacob had no 1-drop! “Nutty nutty nuts nuts!” Spears was thrilled.

A turn later, though, Jacob recruited Yellowjacket, Rita Demara to the visible area with boost, and contemplated his choice while Spears started singing to the tune of “Hush Little Baby . . .”

“If Mike misses a drop right here,
I’m gonna stand on my chair and cheer.
I’ve got a two and a three and four,
And the four’s gonna get me so much more.”

The last line of course referred to Kang, Master of Time. Clever.

Jacob pulled Dallas, recruited her, and Spears recruited Foxfire. Foxfire slammed Yellowjacket, Ogre attacked directly, and Dallas activated to relocate a card.

Kang, Kang Cobra was Spears’s next recruit. Jacob played Bulldozer behind Yellowjacket and braced for the inevitable attack.

Kang attacked Yellowjacket, Foxfire attacked Bulldozer with some help from Ogre, and Spears passed. Jacob had a surprise, though, and Dallas busted out some Combat Maneuvers to safely attack Ogre. Faces of Evil gave her a bit more oomph. Bulldozer and Dallas faced down Foxfire and Kang at the turn’s end. The endurance scores were 40 to 44.

While Jacob figured out his next move, Spears sang an amazingly bad rendition of “Trust and Obey” that somehow became “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child halfway through. Jacob recruited Blizzard and Melter, and Spears brought down Kang, Master of Time. “Ready to wreck me?”

“I’m workin’ on it,” replied Jacob.

Bulldozer mauled Foxfire to bring Spears down to 38, and Jacob then team attacked with the rest of his board after exhausting Master of Time with Blizzard. Psyche-Globe got Spears access to Kang, Ultimate Kang, and play moved to turn 5.

Spears contemplated a bit, and then opted to play a second copy of Kang, Master of Time instead of Kang, Ultimate Kang. He gave Foxfire a Framistat with his remaining resource point and passed. Jacob recruited Beetle, Armorsmith, Melissa Gold ◊ Screaming Mimi, and then burned with Mimi. Dallas activated, and Jacob formed up defensively.

Kang, Kang Cobra took out Blizzard, and Jacob sighed. “I messed up.” One Master of Time pounded on Beetle, and Screaming Mimi promptly exhausted to reinforce. The Framistat-pumped Foxfire hammered Bulldozer, and the second Master of Time mauled Melter. Spears drew four cards for the Masters’ effects, and turn 6 began with the endurance totals at 21 to 23.

Jacob recruited Helmut Zemo ◊ Citizen V, Tactician, followed by Beetle ◊ Mach 1 and Radioactive Man. Spears recruited Tempus, gave Foxfire +1 DEF and reinforcement with Framistat, and hid her behind Tempus.

“Why would you play Tempus over the 5-drop Kang?” asked Jacob idly, unable to determine why Spears had done so. Dallas, Beetle, and Radioactive Man attacked Tempus with The Wrecking Crew for a total of 12 ATK. The Time Keepers seemed set to defend Tempus, but another copy of The Wrecking Crew ensured the stun. Citizen V attacked Foxfire, and Screaming Mimi was lifted by a Windstorm to attack directly. Techno gave her an additional +2 ATK, and Blizzard activated to exhaust one of the two Master of Times. “Nope,” said Spears flatly, seeing that victory wasn’t a possibility. He scooped his resource row and shook Jacob’s hand with a smile.

Michael Jacob wins his second $10K Championship, and RWI Hobbies takes first, second, and third place!