Jacob and Shi were both representing RIW Hobbies, and both were undefeated going into this round. Michael Jacob had a gleam in his eye that I’d never seen before, and though I suspected something was up, I didn’t expect the truth.

Michael Jacob had gone from mild-mannered quiet guy to channeling Josh Wiitanen. Read on to see what I mean.

“Good luck,” invited Shi.

“I’ll need it! This deck needs a loooot of luck.” Jacob beamed a huge grin and opted to keep it his opening hand.

“He’s got a Faces of Evil in hand!” declared Shi.

“I do! I got a really good draw! You’re finished!” Jacob grinned even wider, stuck with the even initiatives.

He dropped Blizzard on turn 2 and pasted Falcon across the road. “Take 2. I don’t have to take 2. I’m not as bad as you. What a good deck this is!” Grin, grin, grin.

“Not a leader!” he cried hopefully as Shi dropped his turn 3 character . . . Quicksilver, Mutant Avenger. “Not a leader, YES! That was not a leader card! What can I get going on here . . .” Jacob perused his hand. “What a decision. Ah well, I can just do it next turn. You’re gonna wreck me if you got one though. WRECK!” The one-sided banter didn’t stop coming. Jacob recruited Scorpion, Fatal Sting, protected Blizzard, and passed.

Quicksilver attacked Scorpion for the mutual stun, costing each player 3 endurance. “That it?” Asked Jacob. Shi shook his head, and Falcon swung at Blizzard with a Repulsor Ray. Jacob chained Faces of Evil. Each player was left with a 3-drop, and Jacob noticed Shi using his pen.

“Use your own pen!” he laughed, kidding, but he still took it back from Shi when Shi was finished jotting down the endurance totals—44 to 43.

After some deliberation Jacob dropped Mammomax for turn 4. Shi laughed. “You’re not reinforcing this guy, are you?” he asked as he flicked Scorpion. “Nope! He’s got PLANS, Mammomax does. Big plans.” He then started an emphatic chant of “No Whammies!” while paying a resource point for Scorpion’s effect.

Shi recruited Power Princess, Zarda. “Power Princess?!” exclaimed Jacob in disbelief: all characters were in their controller’s attack row. Mammomax smashed Power Princess for the double stun, and Scorpion, backed by Call Down the Lightning, took out Quicksilver. “KO’d!” said Jacob cheerily. Not that it wouldn’t’ve been KO’d anyways, a fact Shi pointed out. It was 31 to 41 in Jacob’s favor.

Shi recruited Amenhotep, the absolute beast that had been tearing up the entire tournament. “What’s the plan?” mused Jacobs. “31 endurance . . . darn, I can’t deal that much!” He recruited Shape, Joystick, and Foxfire, dropping his hand to two cards in the process and keeping Shape and Joystick nice and beefy. He formed up with Mammomax protecting Shape, Foxfire and Joystick flanking him, and Scorpion next to Joystick.

Power Princess attacked Scorpion. He was stunned, and Joystick reinforced. Amenhotep smashed Mammomax, and Shape reinforced there as well. Jacob lost Scorpion and readied himself for his next turn.

He dropped his hand. He set a resource, recruited Jolt, Beetle ◊ Mach 1, and Beast, Furry Blue Scientist. Shi let loose with an expletive. “Jolt!?”

“Yeah, he’s like a 13 ATK or something,” stated Jacob casually.

Shi recruited Helmut Zemo ◊ Citizen V, Warmonger and formed up with him behind Power Princess. Jacob flipped Hard Sound Construct . . .

“What does that do?”

“It brings back Blizzard,” Jacob stated pleasantly, tossing him back onto the field into the front row and contemplating his attacks.

“Come on, you know what’s in my deck,” said Shi.

“I didn’t memorize what’s in your deck . . . dummy . . .” Jacob grinned at his teammate, still figuring out how he’d approach combat for the turn. With seven characters on the board, it was no small job.

Beetle and Joystick attacked Power Princess. she went down, as did Joystick. “I’m at 29, you’re at 27,” announced Jacob.

Jolt traded off with Amenhotep, who bounced to the hidden area. Foxfire and Shape then attacked Citizen V, and a Windstorm swept Foxfire into the fray: “I so don’t want to lose to System Failure.” Shi had a power-up, but it made no difference—he didn’t even play it. Blizzard attacked with a Call to Arms, and Beast and Mammomax finished the game!

Michael Jacob moves on to an undefeated 5-0 record!