Game 1
Nick and Luke started off with some small talk about their Draft decks as they shuffled up before the match. Apparently, Luke isn’t too happy with his Draft deck, but he doesn’t like a lot of cards in this set, so he said that would be why. “Do you play fast?” Nick asked Luke as they continued to shuffle. “Yeah,” Luke answered back. “Good; me too.”
Nick flipped a coin and Luke won and chose to take odds. Both players drew their starting hands and kept them. Luke led off play by setting a resource and passing with no recruit; Nick followed suit with the same play. “With five 1-drops in my deck, I can’t get a hit,” Nick said as the two started drawing for the next turn.
Turn 2 saw Nick recruit Brainiac, Earth 2, followed by Luke’s Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl. Both players passed into combat. Nick announced Brainiac, Earth 2 into Chay-Ara and passed, Luke passed as well, and both characters became stunned. Play moved to the recovery phase and then onto the next turn.
On turn 3, Luke set a resource, recruited Huntress, Earth 2, and passed to Nick’s build. Nick followed up with a resource, recruited Ahmed Samsarra in the hidden area, and passed to Luke’s attack step. Luke announced his characters into Nick directly for 8 endurance loss and then passed to Nick’s attack. Nick announced Brainiac, Earth 2 into Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl and passed. Luke passed back and Chay-Ara became stunned. Luke chose to KO Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl to search his deck for Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero, and then passed back. Nick then announced Ahmed Samsarra into Huntress, Earth 2 and Luke responded with Death from Above. Both players passed and both characters stunned. Nick chose to send Brainiac, Earth 2 to the KO’d pile and recovered Ahmed, and onto turn 4 they went.
Nick set a resource and recruited Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite from his resource row to his front row, hidden, and passed to Luke’s build. Luke set a resource and recruited Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero in his front row protecting Huntress, Earth 2. He then passed back to Nick’s attack. Nick announced Charles into Katar Hol and passed with no effects. Luke stared at his resources for a minute and then flipped Deflection, exhausting both his characters to give Katar Hol +2 DEF, and then passed back to Nick. Nick used Ahmed Samsarra to KO Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific from his resource row, then searched his deck for a copy of Rann and placed it in the resource row. He then activated Rann to give Charles +1 ATK and passed back. Both characters stunned and Nick passed his attack step. Luke passed as well, and into the recovery phase they went.
Luke led off turn 5 with a resource and recruited Wonder Woman, Earth 2 in his front row, and then passed to Nick’s recruit. Nick set a resource and recruited Hourman III ◊ Hourman in his support row, and then passed to Luke’s attack step. Luke announced a team attack with Huntress, Earth 2 and Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero into Hourman and passed with no effects. Nick flipped up Justice United to team-up JSA and Checkmate and then flipped up Secret Checkmate HQ to give his characters +2 ATK before passing back to Luke. Luke passed as well, and Hourman III ◊ Hourman and Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero both stunned. Luke flipped Watch the Birdie! from his resource row targeting Ahmed Samsarra and brought Ahmed into the visible area. Luke then announced Wonder Woman into Ahmed, and Nick responded by activating Dr. Mid-Night to bring Ahmed back to his hidden area. Luke then chose to swing in directly with Wonder Woman instead, bringing Nick down to 16 endurance to Luke’s 30.
Nick set a resource on turn 6 and recruited Power Girl, Earth 2 in his front row protecting Hourman III ◊ Hourman, then passed. Luke set a resource and recruited Amanda Waller in the support row, announcing “no boosty,” and then followed up with Deadshot, Dead Aim in his support row in the hidden area. Luke formed with Hawkman and Wonder Woman, Earth 2 in the support row and passed to Nick’s attack step. At the start of the combat phase, Nick’s Secret Checkmate HQ replaced itself, and then Nick started his attack step. Nick announced Hourman into Wonder Woman and chose to use Hourman’s effect to make him 11 ATK / 11 DEF, then passed. Luke passed back and stunned his Wonder Woman. Nick then announced Power Girl, Earth 2 into Hawkman and passed with no effect; Luke passed back and stunned, taking 11 endurance loss. Nick then attacked in with his hidden characters on Luke directly. Once legal, Nick activated Rann to add +1 ATK to the combined attack and Luke took 13, taking him down to 3 endurance. Nick passed his attack step, and Luke passed as well with no attacks. Endurance totals saw Nick in the lead with 16 to Luke’s 3.
Luke started off turn 7 with a resource, then recruited Mr. Freeze, Brutal Blizzard and Talia, Beloved Betrayer and formed with Mr. Freeze protecting Talia. Nick flipped Brother I Satellite and discarded a card to search for Black Adam, Ruthless Hero, recruiting him in his support row. Nick formed with Power Girl protecting Hourman III ◊ Hourman, and adjacent to Hourman was Black Adam. Nick then passed to Luke’s attack step, and Luke started joking about Nick’s formation as he scooped up his cards.
Game 1 Winner: Nick Little
Game 2
Both players shuffled their decks as they talked about how they did yesterday and told stories about their first day. Luke chose to take odds again. Both players drew their opening hand. Luke kept his first hand and Nick chose to mulligan.
Luke led off turn 1 with a resource and then passed with no recruit. Nick set a resource and recruited Surveillance Pawn in the hidden area, then passed. Luke passed back and Nick attacked with Pawn directly for 2 ATK.
On turn 2, Nick set a resource and recruited Jacob Lee in the hidden area. Luke set a resource and recruited Talia, Beloved Betrayer in the front row. Before entering combat, Nick activated Surveillance Pawn and then attacked with Jacob Lee into Talia. Both characters stunned. Both players passed to recovery and then onto turn 3.
Luke recruited Zazzala ◊ Queen Bee, Mistress of the Hive in his hidden area and passed to Nick’s build. Nick recruited Huntress, Earth 2 in his front row and then activated Pawn to give all his characters +1 ATK this turn. Nick then passed to Luke’s attack step, and Luke looked over his choices very carefully. Luke passed with no attacks to Nick’s attack step. Nick announced Jacob Lee into Talia, Beloved Betrayer, and both players passed with no effects. Huntress, Earth 2 then attacked into Luke directly to deal him another 5 points of endurance damage.
Next turn, Nick set a resource and recruited Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite. While recruiting, he said, “Who in their right mind names themselves Dr. Mid-Nite. Not even the right way, but with an annoying dash.” Luke followed up Nick’s recruit with Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero in the front row protecting Talia, and then passed to Nick’s attack step. Nick activated Surveillance Pawn again before the combat phase and then announced Huntress, Earth 2 into Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero and passed. Luke responded by powering-up Hawkman and passed back. Nick flipped Justice United face up, teaming-up JSA and Checkmate, and then flipped up Target Acquired and passed back to Luke. Luke responded by discarding Forbidden Loyalties, discarding a card to put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on Hawkman, and then passed back to Nick. Nick flipped Burning Gaze in his resource row to give +1 ATK / +2 DEF and passed back to Luke. Luke flipped Deflection in his resource row, exhausting Zazzala ◊ Queen Bee, Mistress of the Hive and Talia, Beloved Betrayer to give Hawkman another +2 DEF. Nick passed his attacks, and so did Luke.
Luke led off turn 5 with a resource and recruited Wonder Woman, Earth 2 in his front row. “Are there any hidden 5-drops in this set?” Nick asked as he recruited Ragman, Redeemer of Souls in his front row and then passed to Luke’s attack step. Luke declared Wonder Woman, Earth 2 into Ragman and then flipped Watch the Birdie! from his resource row to give Ragman -3 ATK. Nick flipped Brothers in Arms and passed back to Luke, who stared down at the board thinking about how to avoid the stun. Luke passed to attack resolution and both characters stunned. Nick used Ragman, Redeemer of Souls’s effect to remove two cards from Luke’s KO’d and give Ragman a counter. Luke then attacked directly with everyone else and passed to Nick. Nick declared Huntress, Earth 2 into Talia, Beloved Betrayer and passed. Luke and Talia stunned. Nick then declared Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite into Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero. Luke discarded The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero to power-up Hawkman and then passed back “You’ve got me,” Nick said as he stunned Dr. Mid-Night. The score at the end of this turn had Luke sitting at 28 endurance to Nick’s 8.
Turn 6 saw Luke set a resource and then recruit Alexander Luthor, Diabolical Double, drawing two cards. Luke then exhausted both Zazzala ◊ Queen Bee, Mistress of the Hive and Wonder Woman, Earth 2 to return The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero from his KO’d pile to his hand before passing. Nick looked over his hand and resources for a few minutes and then announced “Next game,” scooping up his cards at the same time.
Game 2 Winner: Luke Bartter
Game 3
Both players drew their starting hand and Nick chose to take odds for the game.
Nick set a resource and recruited Aspiring Pawn to his hidden area. Luke set a resource and passed with no recruit. “Ooh, lucky day!” Nick yelled as he attacked directly with Aspiring Pawn into Luke.
Luke set a resource and once again had no recruit. Nick set a resource and recruited Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific and Surveillance Pawn in the hidden area, then attacked into Luke again, gaining another counter on Aspiring Pawn.
Nick set a resource on turn 3 and recruited Ahmed Samsarra in the hidden area, then passed to Luke, who set a resource and recruited Kendra Saunders ◊ Hawkgirl in the front row. Nick announced Ahmed into Kendra and passed. Luke flipped Rann face up and activated it to give +1 ATK to Kendra Saunders ◊ Hawkgirl, then passed back. Both characters stunned, and then Nick announced the rest of his characters into Luke directly. Nick passed to Luke, Luke passed back, and onto the next turn they went.
Luke set a resource and recruited Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero in the support row protected by Kendra Saunders ◊ Hawkgirl. Nick set a resource and then flipped up Brother I Satellite discarding Ragman, Redeemer of Souls from his hand to search for Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite. Nick recruited Dr. Mid-Night in the hidden area and then passed to Luke’s attack step. Luke announced a team attack directly to Nick for 13 and then passed to Nick’s attack step. Nick declared Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite into Kendra Saunders ◊ Hawkgirl and passed with no effects. Luke discarded The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero to power-up Kendra, who got +2 ATK / +2 DEF due to the ally abilities he controlled. Both players passed and both characters became stunned. Nick then announced a team attack into Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero with Aspiring Pawn and Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific for a total of 9 ATK. Luke took 4 endurance. Nick then attacked with Ahmed Samsarra directly into Luke, and then play continued through the recovery phase into the next turn.
Nick set a resource and recruited Wonder Woman, Earth 2 on turn 5. Luke recruited Mr. Freeze, Brutal Blizzard, which brought with it some “Ahnold” impressions from the spectators. Nick announced a team attack with Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific and Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite into Mr. Freeze for 12 ATK. Luke thought about the attack and then quickly conceded the game.
Match Winner: Nick Little (2-1)