Gabe Walls is a world-renowned professional TCG player and the $10K Columbus champion. He is running an innovative Teen Titans deck teched out for the current metagame—sort of an “old-becomes-new” deal.

 

Cory Eisenhard is playing Fantastic Fun this weekend.

 

Gabe won the flip and took the even initiative. His opening hand was a mitt full of blue, so he had nothing to go up against Cory's turn-1 Invisible Woman, The Invisible Girl. Walls recruited Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective on turn 2. Eisenhard got another sweet drop to match him though, recruiting Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards and using his effect immediately to nab Flamethrower. Both players passed on combat, and play moved to turn 3.

 

Richards nabbed Eisenhard an Unstable Molecules on turn 3. He then recruited Thing, Ben Grimm. Gabe had nothing for the turn, and Ben Grimm laid the smack down on Tim Drake. Gabe sighed as he looked at his hand. It looked like he needed Terra to remedy the situation.

 

He got her on turn 4. In response, Eisenhard nabbed a Fantasticar with Richards and then flipped Thinking Outside the Box—one of the cards he had placed at the bottom of his deck was the crucial Cosmic Radiation. Unfortunately, Eisenhard forgot to chain Antarctic Research Base, which was face down in his resource row. When he drew a card anyway, acting judge Brian Kibler issued a warning to Eisenhard for looking at extra cards.

 

Eisenhard wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, so he flipped the ARB immediately. He then recruited Personal Force Field for Invisible Girl and gave Thing some Advanced Hardware, drawing for each. He used Unstable Molecules's effect, and Gabe paused him before resolution. But there was nothing that Gabe could add to the chain aside from perhaps the totally superfluous Terra. It was a pure control move, and Gabe's years of experience as a pro player were showing. Richards got a Flamethrower, and that was the build phase for Cory.

 

Ted Knutson meandered by and asked about whether a ruling was still being sought for the previous issue.

 

“No, this guy's just the slowest player in the world,” said Walls

 

“Well, at least I'm not the scummiest player in the world.” Eisenhard was not taking anybody's crap today.

 

Both Titans team attacked Thing, and Walls used Teen Titans Go!. In response, Eisenhard popped A Child Named Valeria, a great move that brought Tim Drake down. Walls FoiledThinking Outside the Box, and Terra then got mauled with heavy artillery, forcing the KO on Tim Drake.

 

On turn 5, Eisenhard announced his intent to chain Richards's effect to the draw. Walls flipped Optitron and chained Terra in response, and because Richards was armed with a Flamethrower, he exploded. Walls went to draw, but Eisenhard made him wait.

 

“I could still have effects.”

 

He didn't. He was just playing the same game that Walls had been playing the moment he took his seat.

 

Eisenhard opted to recruit Human Torch, Johnny Storm, giving him Unstable Molecules. With only eight minutes remaining in the round and endurance totals at 31 to 48 in his favor, Eisenhard looked confident. Walls recruited Red Star (behind Terra) and passed control of the turn to Eisenhard.

 

Armed with Advanced Hardware, Thing attacked Terra for the double-stun. With five minutes remaining, Eisenhard was looking to keep Walls as pinned down as possible. In order to give himself a decent final turn, Walls Finishing Moved Invisible Girl. But Johnny Storm burned him severely, and the endurance totals were 21 to 45.

 

Walls had the initiative on turn 6, and he used it to Optitron for Dawn Granger ◊ Dove and recruit her with boost. He formed up with Hank Hall ◊ Hawk and Dove in front of the other two characters, and then he passed to Eisenhard, who promptly Signal Flared for Mr. Fantastic, Stretch and brought out Invisible Girl. Walls used Red Star's ability and then stunned Invisible Girl with Terra's effect. He started a team attack, but after a long bit of consideration, Eisenhard revealed his two copies of Cosmic Radiation, and that was the game.

 

Cory Eisenhard wins!