Two of the big personalities of trading card games faced off this round, each on four wins so far. Osyp (a member of Team TOGIT, based in central New Jersey) is playing Curve Sentinels, the Rock of the Pro Circuit, while Team Misunderstood member Gabe has the proverbial Hard Place of Teen Titans, a deck with which he has seen significant success.

 

Osyp won the flip and chose to play first. He made the crucial Boliver Trask on turn 1, fetching Hounds of Ahab. Gabe had a Dawn Granger ◊ Dove on turn 1, telegraphing a potentially huge turn 2 if Hank Hall ◊ Hawk was around. Boliver attacked into Dawn, and it was onto turn 2.

 

Gabe duly played his Hank, and Hounds of Ahab came out for Osyp. Gabe's dream start allowed him to attack Osyp down to 43 on turn 2.

 

When Osyp made Sentinel Mark II on turn 3, things all got a little bit crazy. While it was unclear who had actually got the best draw, apparently it is pretty rude to hit drops for the first three turns in America. Much good-natured banter ensued, resulting in any potential crowd for other feature matches being savagely stolen by the double act at this table.

 

Looking over at Gary Wise playing Zvi Moshowitz, Osyp remarked that with both of them acting up for the crowd, even combined, they didn't have the charisma of either of the players at the table here. Gabe was still in his own little world, looking at his recruits (which weren't as curvy as those of his opponent). For Gabe, it was a turn 3 Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective.

 

Sentinel Mark II attacked Tim Drake, who was pumped with Tamaran. Osyp had Nasty Surprise and Overload to let him attack again.

 

With two copies of Micro-Sentinels from Osyp at the start of recovery, it looked like he was having a pretty good turn. Gabe lost his board.

 

On turn 4, Gabe still had a recruit on curve, with Red Star, to his opponent's Sentinel Mark V. Osyp's Sentinel Mark II attempted to attack Red Star, in response to which Gabe Foiled a Micro-Sentinels. This meant that Savage Beatdowns were not going to happen, and Red Star took another robot down. There was a second Foiled from Walls, and all of a sudden the players were back to turn 3.

 

Gabe had an Optitron with which to fetch Tim Drake, while Osyp had Hounds of Ahab. Oysp's Mk V attacked Red Star, who was reinforced, and there was a mutual stun. Both Hounds of Ahab attacked Tim Drake, getting the stun.

 

“Where'd the fun Osyp I know and love go?” asked Gabe. “All the fun gone now that I'm whupping his butt.”

 

Osyp missed his curve, making a Sentinel Mark II (earning a wah-wah from Gabe in the process), and set up with it in front of his Sentinel Mark V. Gabe had Terra.

 

Terra stunned the Hounds of Ahab, while Red Star Tamaran'd into the Mark V.

 

On the new ‘turn 5' (actually turn 7), Osyp had Nimrod with his repair counter. For Gabe, it was Garth Tempest, who had a KO'd pile replete with targets to return.

 

Gabe Walls: “Don't mess this up.”

 

Osyp Lebedowicz: “I'm pretty sure I will.”

 

GW: “I agree.”

 

Osyp's Sentinel Mark V swung up into Garth, with the help of a Savage Beatdown. Gabe paid 3 endurance to return Finishing Move to his hand and then took his beats, pausing only to reinforce. At this point, Osyp was down to 17 compared to the 32 of Walls. Nimrod attacked and stunned Red Star, and then Terra had a chance to crack back through Boliver Trask, with the aid of Tamaran.

 

With the initiative, Walls used his recruits to bring out Tim Drake and Red Star. Osyp had Bastion, and despite having fewer characters, was looking pretty good on defense. Controversially, though, he chose to put his Nimrod in front of Sentinel Mark V rather than Bastion, a mistake that made Gabe's life a lot easier in doing the final points he needed for the win.

 

All four of Gabe's characters attacked Bastion, and Tamaran powered up Red Star. All of a sudden, none of Gabe's characters were going to get stunned on attack, as stuns could be redirected to Red Star with Tim Drake. Nimrod got pumped nine times (with the help of Reconstruction Program) in response by Osyp, well aware now that he should have protected Bastion initially if he wanted to pull it out.

 

Bastion stunned, and Gabe pondered his next move. He paid 3 endurance and returned a Teen Titans Go! to his hand, promptly playing it. Every character (bar Tim Drake) attacked into Nimrod, only succeeding in removing his counter.

 

Osyp then had the decision of whether or not to swing back with Sentinel Mark V. On just 4 endurance, he could not afford for it to be stunned, but if he didn't get Gabe close to death, he'd have a lot of work to do. Eventually Osyp went for the attack on Tim Drake, to which Gabe responded with a Finishing Move on Bastion.

 

With seven resources and the initiative, Osyp had Magneto, Master of Magnetism; Gabe's recruits looked a little thinner. He used Optitron to find Roy Harper, then played Hawk and Dove. With a Heroic Sacrifice in the KO'd pile, Gabe looked likely to pull it out.

 

Osyp's declaration of Sentinel Mark V on Hawk was met with two Roy Harper pumps and an activation to stun the attacker before combat. Gabe had a Press the Attack to ready his Roy Harper, and any potential for Osyp to win went out of the window. The scoop came shortly after.

 

Gabe Walls wins.