We joined the as-yet undefeated Michael Pittman for his Day 2, Top 24 draft. We peered over Michael’s shoulder as he sits at the top table for the first time in his Vs. System career to see his picks for the draft, and then sat with him to get an insight into his deck-building strategies.
For the reader’s information, Michael’s selected cards from each hand are on the first line, with his other top considerations on the line immediately below.
Pack 1
1) Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero
Systematic Torture, T-Spheres
2) T-Spheres
Tricked-Out Sports Car, Sasha Bordeaux, Knight
3) Power Girl, Earth 2
Surveillance Pawn, Army, Brother Eye
4) Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific, Golden Age Gold Medalist
Thanagarian Invasion, Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist
5) Richard Tyler ◊ Hourman, Man of the Hour
Laser Watch, Aspiring Pawn, Army
6) Harbinger, Multiverse Messenger
Mourn for the Lost, Nightshade, Shadow Siren
7) Aspiring Pawn, Army
Forbidden Loyalties, Burning Gaze
8) Tricked-Out Sports Car
The Joker, Permanent Vacation (because he loves Arkham!)
9) Christopher Smith ◊ Peacemaker
(otherwise unexciting)
10) Tricked-Out Sports Car
Jacob Lee
11) Checkmate Armory
Surveillance Pawn, Army
12) Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype
Adrian Chase ◊ Vigilante, Street Justice
13) Witchfire
Obsidian, Todd James Rice
14) Madame Xanadu, Cartomancer
Pack 2
1) The Calculator, Evil Oracle
Taking up the Mantle, Checkmate Safe House
2) Dr. Fate's Tower
Sarge Steel, Knight Armor, Checkmate Safe House, Helm of Nabu, Laser Watch
3) Brother Eye
Power Girl, Earth 2, Elimination Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army
4) Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army
Black Adam, Ruthless Hero, Adrian Chase ◊ Vigilante, Street Justice
5) Brother I Satellite
Arthur Kendrick, Power Girl, Earth 2
6) Cloak of Nabu
Justice United, Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype
7) Black Thorn
Ragman, Patchmonger, Sinestro, Villain Reborn
8) Traitor to the Cause
The Penguin, Arms Merchant
9) Justice United
Amadeus Arkham, Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype
10) Graziella Reza
Checkmate Armory
11) Harry Stein
12) Adrian Chase ◊ Vigilante, Street Justice
13) Connie Webb
Nightshade, Eve Eden
14) Stepping Between Worlds
Pack 3
1) Michael Holt ◊ Mr. Terrific, Renaissance Man
Knight Armor, Helm of Nabu, Mordru, Superman, Earth 2, Thanagar, Thanagarian Invasion
2) Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal, Knight
Kendra Saunders ◊ Hawkgirl, Relentless Pursuit
3) Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army
Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Retrieval Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army
4) Black Adam, Teth-Adam
Dr. Psycho, Mental Giant
5) Sasha Bordeaux, Knight
Kate Spencer, Manhunter
6) Ahmed Samsarra, White King
Superman, Earth 2, Atom Smasher, Al Rothstein
7) Rann
Amanda Waller, Queen
8) Amulet of Nabu
Epic Battle, Surveillance Pawn, Army
9) Helm of Nabu
Adam Strange, Thanagar
10) Relentless Pursuit
Secret Checkmate HQ
11) Amanda Waller, Queen
12) The Calculator, Noah Kuttler
13) Dr. Psycho, Twisted Telepath
14) Seiobo's Garden
"I wanted to take a very conservative approach — that's why I went with JSA", began Michael. "I basically need one win for Top 8 so I want to take the team that has the greatest number of characters so I can ensure my curve".
His style is a very conservative approach. He comments that Checkmate kept coming around, and while he thinks that they aren't the deepest, they are the most outright powerful team.
"I knew the Villains and CM would be the preferred teams amongst the Sydney players," comments Michael as he tells how the first pack T-Spheres was a very clear signal to go into JSA.
When prompted about the real value of one-drops in the format, Michael comments, "Once I have Terry Sloane ◊ Mr. Terrific, I’m quite happy to take Aspiring Pawns. A turn 1 Pawn was very good to me today, and with all the concealed in the format, the Pawns can often get up to 3 ATK/3 DEF." With that, Aspiring Pawn is added to the pile of cards.
He notices a lack of blue and considers that this will probably be an issue. "Heh, at least I'll keep them guessing," he retorts.
With 34 cards currently in his deck, he has some tough decisions to make.
The first card to get the axe is Harry Stein, King in Check. "I can’t afford to play both Kings (Ahmed Samsarra being the other) — I don’t have Threat Neutralized or Leslie Thompkins's Clinic." With such strong locations, he considers Ahmed to be a lot more valuable, and sees him as more of a backbone to getting the Fate-tron engine operational. In fact, he seems over the moon about getting Dr Fate's Tower. "It's good even with just the Tricked-Out Sports Car — you don't neccessarily need the Fate-tron engine." His intentions are clear — low priority on plot twists, high focus on character advantage.
Card Count: 33
Checkmate Armory is the next card to get cut. He thinks he has 14 very powerful non-character cards and when compared to his array of equipment and locations, it just doesn’t really stand up.
Card Count: 32
A Sports Car has to go next. Looking at the overall strategy of his deck, he decides that it just isn’t enough: "It just doesn’t compete with the Fate-tron, and I need the Team-Up!" And so the sports car drives away.
Card Count: 31
Relentless Pursuit, T-Spheres, and the second Sports Car are the final considerations to be cut. After having taken Ahmed and Connie Webb, he feels that he can rely on the outright location-based power of Brother Eye. As for attacking the hidden characters, he comments that he thinks the card is excellent but that he will have a formidable visible defense, which will make any opponent's concealed strategy difficult regardless.
In the end there are only 5 JSA characters. He is still happy with the deck but admits that this was because he had to take 2-drops and 5-drops with a great degree of priority in the third pack. "I'm surprised that I didn't get more JSA, but I don't really have too much regard for them as they are somewhat underpowered, anyway."
Really, he feels like his biggest risk (taking an early Cloak of Nabu in the second pack) paid off in the end. He can rely on the stand-alone power of the engine and thinks that this should deliver him his necessary one win.
As for that second pack, first pick Calculator? "Well . . . there was nothing else in the pack! It was mostly a hate draft! I really don't want to see that guy played, across the board."
With that, he's off to play his first round. Stay tuned as we see how the deck performs in round 8 of $10k Adelaide.