This was the second “Trans-Tasman” (Australia versus New Zealand) $10K final in a row in this part of the world, following on from the Auckland $10K tournament. Australian Alex was the victor that day, and Kiwi Shaun was keen to level the ledger.
Game 1
Shaun chose to have the odd initiative for the first game and both players sent their first four cards to the bottom. On turn 1, Shaun had no recruit and Alex flipped and used Optitron to get Garth ◊ Tempest. Alex played Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective on turn 2, while Shaun again had nothing. Tim attacked.
Turn 3 saw Shaun construct a Sentinel Mark II, while Alex boosted out Dawn Granger ◊ Dove to also get out a Hank Hall ◊ Hawk. The robot attacked Robin. Alex powered him up for a two-way stun and Shaun flipped Micro-Sentinels, giving Dove the counter in response. Hawk and Dove then attacked directly.
Dove was KO’d from Micro-Sentinels at the start of turn 4. Brown recruited Red Star and Shaun assembled a Sentinel Mark V.
Red Star attacked Mark V and Alex powered-up to stop the return stun with his character’s effect. Shaun responded with another Micro-Sentinels, giving Tim and Hank a counter each. Tim and Hawk then attacked the Mark III, with Alex redirecting the stun via Robin to Hank.
Tim and Hank were both KO’d at the start of turn 5 due to Micro-Sentinels. Shaun then recruited Nimrod, while Brown played Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal and Dove, as well as burning for 5 endurance with Red Star. Alex exhausted characters to give Roy +4 ATK and activated to stun Mark V. Nimrod then attacked Dove.
Alex under-dropped Garth ◊ Tempest on turn 6, while Hayward brought out Bastion. Alex considered long and hard as to how to attack.
Roy and Red Star teamed up on Bastion. Brown then paid 3 endurance with Garth to get a Red Star from his KO’d pile and powered-up with him. Bastion pumped once, which drew the Savage Beatdown from Alex. Shaun realized Bastion was a goner, so he proceeded to pump Mark V three times, played Reconstruction Program, and pumped Nimrod once (making them both 10 ATK/10 DEF). Bastion and Roy stunned.
Alex played Finishing Move to get rid of Bastion. Garth then attacked Nimrod with the help of Savage Beatdown. Nimrod repaired, so only breakthrough affected Shaun’s endurance total. Mark V then counter-attacked into Red Star, and Alex recovered Garth to join Dove on his board.
Magneto, Master of Magnetism hit play on turn 7 after Shaun popped a Genosha for two cards to find him. Alex used Optitron to find another Roy and used Garth’s ability to get Tim Drake back from the KO’d pile, then played both. Shaun then popped another Genosha for four cards.
Mark V planned to hit Garth, but Tim Drake and Dove pumped up Roy, who stunned the robot first. Garth then pumped Roy again and Alex had a Press the Attack to ready him and stun Nimrod.
That was all he could do, though, which left Shaun to send Magneto after Roy. An Heroic Sacrifice by Alex saved him for another turn, with Dove taking one for the team. Alex lost Dove due to Magneto’s effect.
On turn 8, Alex used Optitron to get a Red Star, which he played. Shaun responded with a Reconstruction Program for Bastion. All the Titans then went after Bastion. Shaun played another Reconstruction Program and pumped Magneto twice and Nimrod once before Bastion took the stun. Nimrod attacked Red Star, and then Alex knew the game was definitely lost.
Game 2
Alex chose to take the even initiative and both players kept their hands.
Shaun played Boliver Trask and fetched Hounds of Ahab on turn 1, while Alex had nothing, not even his usual Optitron. Alex played Robin on turn 2, while Shaun unleashed the Hounds. Brown passed on combat, fearing a Nasty Surprise and a subsequent Hounds-lock. Shaun passed on combat too.
Turn 3 saw the arrival of Mark II for Shaun and Arsenal for Alex. The Mark II attacked Roy, who was powered up by Tamaran, with both stunning. Boliver then attacked Tim, with Shaun using his sole copy of Combat Reflexes to do exactly what he said he wanted it to do earlier in the day—help get a Hounds lock.
Before that, though, Alex played Finishing Move exhausting Robin on the Mark II. The Hounds then KO’d Harper. On turn 4, Alex recruited Terra, while Hayward constructed a Sentinel Mark V. Tim Drake and Terra team-attacked Boliver.
“This feels like such a waste,” Alex commented. The endurance totals went to 45 to 43 in Shaun’s favour. Alex then played Teen Titans Go! readying his characters.
Robin and Terra then went after the Mark V, but Shaun saved him with an Acrobatic Dodge. Alex responded with a Tamaran power-up on Terra and another Teen Titans Go!, then used her power to stun the Hounds.
Tim redirected the combat stun to himself. Mark V then crunched Terra. Alex lost Robin and Shaun lost Boliver during recovery.
Turn 5 gave Shaun another Mark V, this one boosted to 9 ATK/9 DEF, while Alex played Garth. The 7 ATK/7 DEF Mark V attacked Terra. Alex paid 3 endurance through Garth to get back Tamaran, which he had previously replaced. The bigger tin can then flew after Tempest, which allowed the Hounds to KO the Atlantean sorcerer.
Alex threw out everything he could on turn 6, which included Arsenal and the boosted Hawk and Dove combo. However, Shaun had Bastion. Alex tried to send everyone into Bastion, but Shaun simply pumped Hawk once and Overloaded him. Seeing no options, Alex extended his hand..
Auckland, New Zealand’s Shaun Hayward, with Curve Sentinels, is the Brisbane $10K Champion!