Whenever I meet with or speak with Rob Leander, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s one of the humblest and friendliest pros I’ve ever met. It’s hard to believe that this guy is such a champion player—he just seems like one of the guys ’round the club playing Vs. System for fun, rather than for the thousands of dollars he’s won.
However, the simple fact is that Rob is not just another Vs. System player, as he tries so hard to make you think. While he may want to be seen as just an average player, and he may act as though he’s just another face in the crowd, he is a special talent. And his humbleness about his success is part of what makes him so special.
The numbers say it all. Rob is a champion card player, and he makes it clear that being number one isn’t enough for him. He won’t be satisfied until he’s won the Big Title—his first PC. He’s only too happy to share his goals and his thoughts about the game with anyone who asks, and to dish out advice—Rob feels that any good player should mentor others and help them to better themselves. “I actually try to help people because I love the competition, so I want them to bring it on so I can have some fun. If [there’s one thing] I love the most, it’s the [competition] that I can’t beat. [It] gives me something to look forward to, you know?”
The problem is, even with Rob’s help, there just doesn’t seem to be too many players who can beat him.
The Line on Rob Leander
Rob is currently ranked 1st in the world in Constructed play and 21st in the world in Sealed Pack play. He’s placed:
14th, Wizard World East $10K, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
56th, Origins $10K, Columbus, Ohio
13th, Origins X-Men #1, Columbus, Ohio
24th, PC: Indy, Indianapolis, Indiana
1st, Wizard World Texas $10K, Arlington, Texas
14th, PC: Los Angeles, Anaheim, California
1st, New Jersey $10K, Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Rob cut his teeth on the “other” major Upper Deck Entertainment game, honing his skills at Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments. He is fortunate enough to live in Florida, which may well be the center of the American Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament scene. “Florida is a very big Yu-Gi-Oh! state. Our events used to get 150–250 people [at] each Regional. I played the Regionals here in Florida, and qualified for the National Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament three times.”
However, the 2004 Yu-Gi-Oh! National Championships were being held at Origins, and as Rob puts it, “I signed up to play Nationals, but my interest in Vs. was far greater, and I dropped Nationals to play in the Origins $10K.” He finished 56th in the $10K, and then he finished13th in the X-Men #1 tournament the next day. That was all it took—Rob was hooked. He set goals for himself to better his skills and his record, and to get to PC Indianapolis.
Karma is a Beautiful Thing
Things often have a way of simply working out. Rob couldn’t seem to get the qualification he needed for the PC, but then along came Team Realmworx and a golden ticket to the finals. “One day I was at a PCQ, striving to qualify and failing, and the next moment I’m playing at PC Indy under the Realmworx banner.” Rob was the recipient of a fifth golden ticket that VsRealms.com received from Upper Deck Entertainment—a “staff choice” qualifier. The staff chose Rob, and what a great choice he turned out to be! “I’ve always wanted to be a part of something big in a TCG. My only real experience was with playing Yu-Gi-Oh!, and we had a small team here that played. It made me want to be a part of something bigger. So far, it seems to have worked out.”
Rob has continued to get bigger and better, becoming the number one–ranked Constructed player in the world. He has also recently become the first player to win two $10K tournaments—a feat that won’t easily be duplicated. Nor is Rob stopping. He’s hoping to be the first player to win three $10Ks, and four, and on and on. “Hopefully, I can extend it further . . . lots of $10K’s to go! My goal is to catch up to Josh Wiitanen and the others who have [made Top 8 in] three or more $10K events, and then fall into the ranks of those like Ryan Jones and Brian Kibler and hopefully win a PC . . . or at least Top 8.”
If there’s one complaint that Rob has, it’s that there isn’t a huge local environment for him to play in. Spoiled by massive Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament participation, he is saddened that there aren’t more tournaments (and more tournament participants) in his area. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t really played since New Jersey, because we have no real local environment in my area. I play maybe once or twice a week [online], and maybe [twice] a month with actual people in between PCQs, $10K events, and PCs.” Rob has quite an impressive record for someone who barely plays outside of the majors! How does he do it? “Well, I usually run a gauntlet before a big tournament and make changes accordingly. I rely a lot on my teammates to provide me with the latest tech when I’m not hammering away at it.”
That new tech may include a switch from his beloved Teen Titans to something altogether different. “Well, Titans have been good to me, but I foresee myself trying out some new things when I find a new deck type that’s consistent to the point of Titans—or until people pack so much Titans-hate that [the deck’s] not even viable.” So, what will “Mr. Titans” turn to? TNB, perhaps? “Well, there are a lot of great decks out there. TNB is one of the great decks because, while being a bit draw dependent, the power it brings when it draws well or nearly well is consistently formidable. It’s probably the fastest deck in the format right now, in close contention with Vomit.” Rob’s not saying whether or not he’ll switch to TNB, though it is on his list of considerations for future tournaments. And there’s still Marvel Knights to examine.
Rob on Marvel Knights
One type of tournament that does exist in his area is the Sneak Peek tournament, and I had a chance to ask Rob how he did and what he thought of the latest Vs. System expansion. “Well my luck in Sealed Pack events is terrible . . . but that’s another story all in itself. I didn’t have much team synergy, so I ended up playing five team affiliations in my deck, but I think the set will be good for Sealed Pack and will put a whole new view on Constructed play.” I wasn’t too convinced that someone ranked 21st in the world in Sealed Pack could have such awful luck, so I tentatively asked him how he placed. “I won . . . somehow.”
Bad luck, indeed! “Well, let’s just say I tried playing in a Superman Sealed Pack PCQ, and I got a single team-up card, no support plot twists except for one Stopped Cold, and I couldn’t even keep the deck to two team affiliations . . . that’s pretty bad.” Okay, I’ll give him bad luck on that 1-3 performance (with the win coming from a bye), but that is obviously the exception that proves the rule for Rob.
Rob agrees with me that the Marvel Knights set is going to be a killer in Sealed Pack, with a ton of great cards and fantastic distribution. I asked him which cards he thought would shine, and he put forth this list: “Well, in the Sealed Pack environment, cards that I think will rock are Gravesite, Varnae, Hounds of Ahab, 6-drop Ghost Rider, Masked Marauder, and the team-ups (Midnight Sons, Marvel Team-Up, and so on). Gravesite was my MVP—my opponent had the odd initiative and I was feeding the KO’d pile [with] Underworld characters, setting up for my turn 7 Varnae. It also ensured that I drew into Varnae.”
What did he think were the best cards for Constructed? “I believe there are many cards that have the potential to be played. We will see new team-ups—Spider-Friends/Marvel Knights, Syndicate/Crime Lords, et cetera—and a lot of the new teams can stand on their own. Marvel Knights by far seems the strongest mono team, but I have yet to look for the synergies between the new teams and existing teams.”
Rob also believes that this expansion will set off the wave of new decks that was expected from Man of Steel but never came through. “I just believe the cards in Marvel Knights seem to be stronger overall and seem to have better potential.”
The Final Word(s)
Rob is pretty happy with the current state of the game, and he doesn’t have much to complain about. If he has any criticism, it is to echo that which some other players have said since seeing the new concealed keyword. “I think that the game is going great. One thing I have to say is that I wish they would quit with the new keywords and mechanics for a set or two, because it makes the game increasingly harder for new players. I just think that they shouldn’t complicate the game as much until it has a much longer shelf life and a much bigger player base.” However, as an established player, he does like the keyword. “Concealed is an incredibly powerful mechanic that, if used right, could devastate. But it could either slow down or speed up games—it all depends upon how it’s incorporated.”
If it can be abused, Rob will find a way to do it. He hasn’t completely forgotten his roots, however, and has plans to participate in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Regionals at Mega Con. Although Vs. is his favored game, he can’t stay away from Yu-Gi-Oh! for too long. “Personally, I prefer Vs. System. But both games can get repetitive if played consecutively too much, so it’s good to have two or three games to play.” He’s preparing for Regionals, which he is likely to dominate, just as he dominates everything else. In the end, however, even if he performs well, and even when people look up to him as a role model (often to the disdain of others who are obviously jealous), he’ll still view it as just another day at the office. He’s never been one to rub his achievements in others’ faces. After all, as Rob tells me, “there’s always someone better . . . you just need to find them.” If he has one word of advice for other players, it is to mentor. “If you’re a good player, be humble about it. Also, help other people around you.” Rob states emphatically that by helping to raise the skills of those around you, you help to raise your own skills.
Rob once called me a pretty darn good writer. He’s proven to me once again that he’s not only a pretty darn good player, but also a pretty darn good person!