Robert is from the nearby town of San Jose, while Alex hails from Simi Valley in Southern California. Neither of these players has had a great deal of success in professional Vs., but as they’re both 4-0 going into this round, they’re poised for good finishes today. Robert won the die roll and chose to take the odd initiatives. Both players kept their opening hands.

Neither player had a recruit on the first turn of the game. On turn 2, Alex led off with Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective. Robert recruited Puppet Master, and shut down attacks for the turn. For turn 3, Robert had nothing to play. Alex recruited Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal, Sharpshooter. With the recruit on the chain, Robert used his Puppet Master to exhaust Tim. Alex flipped Tamaran, and dealt the first five points of endurance loss of the game.

Alex had the initiative on turn 4, and flipped and used USS Argus before recruiting. Robert used Puppet Master to take out Tim, and Alex brought Terra into play. It was time for Robert’s recruit, and he used Secret Origins to fetch Gambit. One card-slinger recruited another, and Robert set Gambit in front of Puppet Master before passing. Alex’s first attack proposal was a team attack of his characters into Gambit. Before it was legal, Robert used Gambit to stun Roy Harper. With only one character left, Alex made the only attack available to him, and took down Gambit with Terra. At the end of the turn, Alex led 47-41.

Turn 5 was Robert’s initiative, and he went into the tank to mull over his recruits. Before he set a resource, he chained Puppet Master’s ability, and then used Gambit’s ability to stun Roy. Puppet Master’s ability resolved after Gambit’s, and Tim was exhausted. “I have to do this, I guess,” said Robert. He recruited Sunfire and passed. Before recruiting, Alex used Argus. After flipping through his cards a few times, he decided to bring out Garth ◊ Tempest, and passed. Robert attacked Sunfire, his only available character, into Tim Drake. Alex had the Titan’s Tower, and discarded Cassie Sandsmark ◊ Wonder Girl to give Tim +5 ATK. Both characters stunned. Robert played Pleasant Distraction on Garth, and Alex took down Gambit with Terra once again. Before recovery, Alex exhausted Garth to KO Sunfire with Finishing Move. The endurance totals stood at 37-31 in Alex’s favor. In the recovery phase, Alex lost Roy.

Alex once again began turn 6 with an Argus activation. He thought long and hard about his choice of cards, and eventually picked one and brought out a boosted Hank Hall ◊ Hawk. Oddly, Robert had no response to the recruit. Dawn Granger ◊ Dove came into play. Next, Alex paid 3 endurance to bring back Roy from his KO’d pile. Roy was recruited, and again, Robert had no response. Alex passed. Robert used Slaughter Swamp, discarding Imperiex, to retrieve Sunfire from his KO’d pile. He formed with Gambit in front of Puppet Master, and Sunfire next to Puppet Master in the front row. Robert passed back, and Alex went into the tank to decide on his attacks. He eventually decided to send everyone except Garth into Sunfire. Robert had something to say about that, though, and attempted to stun Roy with Gambit. In response, Alex exhausted Dove to Roy, and Robert let that resolve. Next, Alex exhausted Tim to pump Roy. Robert responded with a Sunfire activation, targeting Hawk and Dove. In response to that, Alex exhausted Hank to pump Roy. In response to that, Robert chained Puppet Master. In response, Alex exhausted Terra to pump Roy. Alex used the now 8 ATK / 3 DEF Roy to KO his Argus and stun Gambit. At this point, Puppet Master’s effect was the top one on the chain. Alex exhausted his lone ready character, Garth, to play Finishing Move on Gambit. He then allowed the rest of the chain to resolve. Neither player had anything else to do. When all was said and done, Gambit, Hawk, and Dove went to the KO’d pile. Alex’s lead had slimmed to 28-27.

Robert wasted no time in kicking off turn 7 by using Slaughter Swamp to retrieve Professor X, World’s Most Powerful Telepath. He recruited the giant mutant, and Alex had no responses. Robert set up with the Professor in front of Puppet Master, and Sunfire next to the Professor in the front row. It was on Alex, and he flipped up and used another USS Argus. Instead of recruiting, he paid 3 endurance to return Ka-Boom! from his KO’d pile to his hand—an odd move, since he had already played his resource for the turn. Alex had no recruit, and Robert went to town. He used Puppet Master, and in response, Alex used Terra to stun Puppet Master. Next, all three of Alex’s characters were exhausted to pump Roy. Robert let all of these pumps resolve. “I smell Press the Attack,” said Robert. He declared an attack of Sunfire into Roy Harper, and Alex did indeed have the Press. Roy activated to stun Sunfire. Robert played Pleasant Distraction on Garth, with Professor X still ready, and passed. Alex had no attacks, and in recovery, Robert burned Alex for 10 with the Professor. Robert now led the endurance race, 20-15. Robert chose not to recover either of his stunned characters.

Time had been called at this point, so this was the last turn. Before Alex laid a resource, Robert fetched Jean Grey, Phoenix Force from his KO’d pile with Slaughter Swamp. In his recruit step, Alex paid 3 endurance to Garth to bring back Hank Hall. He was recruited, with boost, and Dove came out to play as well. Alex had no other recruits, and passed. Robert simply recruited Jean Grey. Alex proposed an attack of all of his characters into the Professor. In response, Robert KO’d Jean Grey, and with her effect on the chain, exhausted the Professor to exhaust Roy Harper. Realizing that his situation was hopeless, Alex conceded.

Robert Kraftschik wins!