Alex is a well-known TCG professional and also owns the Kings Games store in Brooklyn, New York. He has come to the table with a hybrid Marvel Knights/Sentinel build that abuses the strong Hounds of Ahab, a card that has appeared in a significant number of Curve Sentinels builds in Golden Age. Nick Little hails from the U.S. Midwest and made the Top 8 of the very first Pro Circuit event. He was part of the team comprised of Gabe Walls, Neil Reeves, and Brian Kibler that dominated the first Pro Circuit. Nick is playing a straight Marvel Knights deck that is sure to be well tested.

Alex won the roll and chose for Nick to have the first initiative. Alex was off, quickly recruiting Dagger, Child of Light and Hounds of Ahab, with Nick’s first reply being Blade, Eric Brooks with a Jetpack. Alex sent his Hounds into Blade and discarded another copy to power-up, causing both characters to stun. Alex then attempted to attack with Dagger directly, but after she was exhausted, Nick discarded Mikado and Mosha to end her attack. Alex maintained board presence by playing Quick Kill on Blade before he had a chance to recover.

Both players recruited Elektra, Elektra Natchios on turn 3. The combat was like two ships passing in the night as the hidden area bared its teeth at each player. Turn 4 had more interaction, but both players continued to match drops by playing Luke Cage, Street Enforcer. The power of the Hounds was much more significant this turn, when Alex traded his Luke Cage for Nick’s Luke Cage and then attacked with the dogs directly to KO him.

The game was starting to go downhill at this point, so Nick attacked with Elektra and played Swan Dive to stun Alex’s Hounds, thereby forcing him to make the choice between his 2- and 4-drop. Alex wisely chose the 1970’s comic icon.

Nick searched for Punisher, Executioner with Wild Ride, but he was already resigned to defeat, because his board was decimated. Alex replied with Daredevil, Matt Murdock, and when Nick tried to attack him with Punisher, he paid 3 endurance and moved Daredevil to the hidden area. The Executioner was forced to attack Alex directly, and when Daredevil counterattacked with Crushing Blow, Nick was forced to concede in the face of the incoming onslaught.

Alex Shvartsman wins!