Daniella Grijalva distinguished herself as a player to be reckoned with by making the Top 8 at $10K Chicago. She was playing a Curve Sentinels build heavy with Micro-Sentinels. Michael Jacob needs no introduction. With three $10K titles under his belt, his recent win at $10K Orlando led to his deck decision today: Avengers Reservist. 
 

Both players shipped their opening hands. Grijalva gave a somewhat bemused laugh. “Wow, I drew right into exactly what I got rid of. Okay, let’s see here. . .” She dropped a resource. “Ba-bam. I’m done.”

“I’ve got a really good hand. Only a pro player can set a resource on turn one and immediately use it.” Jacob smiled, played Rick Jones in his resource row, and recruited him. Next turn, he repeated the process with Dane Whitman ◊ Black Knight.

Grijalva recruited Boliver Trask to fetch a copy of Sentinel Mark V. “I take 4,” she stated after quickly eyeing Jacob’s board. He agreed, and they didn’t even bother playing it out.

Sentinel Mark II was Grijalva’s next recruit, and Jacob brought out Black Panther, yet again from his resource row. “Come on, make him a 7/6,” Grijalva teased him. He revealed Natasha Romanoff ◊ Black Widow, Wonder Man, and She-Hulk, Gamma Bombshell as his resources, bumping Panther up as Grijalva predicted.

However, Grijalva promptly blew Black Panther out of the water with Search and Destroy. “Oh, what a bad play,” bemoaned Jacob of his decision to recruit Black Panther. Grijalva ate four from Black Knight and Whitman just as she did last turn. “I got a terrible hand,” she said casually, but she went on to flip two Micro-Sentinels, putting a counter on each of Jacob’s characters. Black Knight and Rick Jones were KO’d, and it was Sentinel Mark II against Black Panther.

The event’s professional photographer came by to take snapshots, prompting a line from Jacob. “I’ve already lost. There’s no reason to take pictures,” he said, taking some lumps as he missed his drop and recruited Black Widow. Grijalva recruited Sentinel Mark V behind the Mark II, Widow collided with the smaller Sentinel, and Black Panther attacked the Mark V. Grijalva powered it up, but No Man Escapes the Manhunters ensured the stun. Still, Jacob was forced to lose Panther to the Micro-Sentinels.

Next turn Grijalva recruited Nimrod, while Jacob brought out She-Hulk, Gamma Bombshell. The endurance totals were 42 to 35, but Jacob seemed to be watching his game fall apart moment by moment.

The Mark V swung into She-Hulk, She-Hulk’s effect was activated, and both characters stunned. Nimrod then bashed “the little chick” (as Grijalva called Widow), and Grijalva flipped yet another Micro-Sentnels. It was 33 to 31, and Nimrod and Mark V were up against She-Hulk.

Jacob recruited Wonder Man next turn. “Am I taking four?” Grijalva asked. 

“Nope.” Jacob didn’t have the reservists needed to take down her Mark V with Wonder Man’s effect. She-Hulk protected Wonder Man, a fresh Bastion sat behind Nimrod in an “L” formation, and combat began with She-Hulk attacking Mark V. Bastion pumped the Mark V twice. Reconstruction Program brought back three Sentinels, but it was to no avail. Avengers Mansion revealed Wasp, which guaranteed the double stun.

Wonder Man attacked Bastion, and Call Down the Lightning replaced another Wonder Man to give him the full effect. “Gahh…Call Down the Lightning…” Grijalva was less than thrilled. “He’s a 15 [ATK]?”  Grijalva threw a string of three pumps at Nimrod before Bastion went down. It was a great play, as it ensured that Nimrod would be beefy enough to take down Wonder Man in turn. As a result, Jacob was forced to KO She-Hulk, and once the smoke cleared, it was Wonder Man against Bastion and Nimrod.

“I’m dead this turn,” she said.

“What are you talking about?” Jacob grinned in the way only he can. “I have nothing! I showed you Wasp for Avengers Mansion!” 

Grijalva grinned. “Yeah, but you could’ve lucksacked into it or something.” She blew a Genosha and then recruited a boosted Mark V. “That’s a fine play, see?”

Avengers Assemble! brought out Hercules, who promptly stood guard in front of Wonder Man. Grijalva activated yet another Genosha, and the Mark V swung at Wonder Man. “That’s a great play. I’ve got nothing,” said Jacob as Wonder Man went down.

Grijalva debated her next move for a moment. Bastion then attacked Hercules with a Savage Beatdown, bringing Jacob down to 14. Finally, an attack from Nimrod with another Beatdown reduced him to 0 endurance exactly.

Chalk one up for the Sentinels, and add another footnote to Daniella Grijalva’s growing record of impressive wins.