The first ever Risky Riddles competition is over and it was more fun than we could ever have expected! Over sixty successful entrants completed the extremely challenging assignment. They recruited

In theoretical games like these, card drawing is one key to making the plays necessary to meet conditions. Over 80 percent of the entries used Mystic Chain for this purpose. Speed Demon and Goblin Glider were the second highest utilized cards—75 percent of the entries included them. The most powerful tricks, however, were only discovered by one third of the entrants. Lilith proved very strong by stealing the 1-drop Crash Dummy, and Unexpected Mutation was found to be the biggest pump in Marvel Modern Age.

Without further ado, I present to you the three lucky winners. Enjoy!

Second runner up and winner of eight packs of Marvel Knights:

JJJ Spirit (with added purple*)

By Joel Haslam

4 J. Jonah Jameson
4 Lilith
4 Shelob
2 Speed Demon
2 Rocket Racer (would have worked just as well as Speed Demon)
4 Hounds of Ahab
4 Electro
4 Shang Chi
4 Mysterio
4 Dracula, Lord of the Damned 

4 Doc Ock’s Lab

4 Team Spirit
4 Hell’s Fury
4 Midnight Sons
3 Marvel Team-Up
4 Penance Stare
1 Sinister Salvo (It is possible to use this to win with Speed Demon instead of Penance Stare. Penance Stare is cooler, though.)

*Purple here may actually look black. However, I would like to assure our readers that it is in fact purple. Furthermore, I’d like to add that no robots were harmed in the creation of this deck . . . or painted black.

Here we go:

I choose to start with the initiative.

Opening Hand:

4 J. Jonah Jameson

After a short while of contemplation, I decide to mulligan and receive the following hand:

Lilith
Marvel Team-Up
Midnight Sons
Mysterio 

Turn 1

Draw:

Shang Chi
Dracula, Lord of the Damned

I play a face-down Midnight Sons and a Lilith. My opponent plays Dummy 1. At the beginning of combat, I reveal Dracula, KO Lilith, and take Dummy 1 as my own. I attack with Dummy 1, laughing evilly through the entire process. Score 50 to 48.

Turn 2

Draw:

Electro
Doc Ock’s Lab

My opponent plays Dummy 2. I play Marvel Team-Up face down, recruit Shang Chi, and flip Midnight Sons naming Underworld. I place Dummy 1 behind Shang Chi, and the opponent attacks Shang Chi with Dummy 2—the best possible move. Both characters stun. Both characters recover. The score is 48 to 46 in my favor.

Turn 3 

Draw:

Hell’s Fury
Shelob 

I play Doc Ock’s Lab to the resource row and recruit Electro and Shelob. Shelob mills four Hounds of Ahab off the top and I gain 4 endurance. I place my characters so that they all may attack. The opponent recruits Dummy 3 and puts the characters in any possible formation—how is irrelevant. I flip Marvel Team-Up and name

Sinister Syndicate and Underworld (I could also name Marvel Knights, but in either case, all of my characters apart from the dummy possess each others’ affiliations). I activate Electro, discard Dracula, and stun Dummy 3. Shang Chi attacks Dummy 2. Both characters stun. Shelob attacks, I flip Doc Ock’s Lab and boost Shelob’s attack. Dummy 1 attacks. I recover Shang Chi, and the opponent recovers Dummy 3. The score is 47 to 33 in my favor.

Turn 4

Draw:

Hell’s Fury
Speed Demon 

The opponent recruits Dummy 4, putting everybody to the front. I place Hell’s Fury in the resource row and recruit Mysterio paying the boost. I place the twins in the back row with Shelob and Dummy 1 protecting them, while Shang Chi protects Electro. Nobody will reinforce anybody this turn, so it is irrelevant which characters are next to each other. Furthermore, it is irrelevant how my opponent attacks, as none of my characters are able to stun his, and he will only be able to stun one character with an (effective) attack of four. For the sake of the problem, we will assume that my opponent wishes to inflict maximum damage. Thus, Dummy 3 stuns Shelob, and Dummy 4 stuns a Mysterio. Shang Chi attacks Dummy 4 and I use Doc Ock’s Lab to boost him up. I attack with Dummy 1 into Dummy 3 and play Hell’s Fury on my Dummy, choosing to replace the plot twist. I place Team Spirit from the top of my deck into my resource row. Both characters stun. The score is now 28 to 26 in my favor. Electro and Mysterio both attack my opponent directly. Non-stunned Mysterio evades. I now have five stunned characters (2 Mysterio, Shang Chi, Dummy 1, and Shelob). I play Team Spirit and recover both copies of Mysterio. I evade with the Mysterio that has not evaded this turn. During recovery, my Mysterio recovers automatically, my opponent recovers Dummy 4, and I recover Shang Chi.

Turn 5 

Draw:

Team Spirit
Mysterio 

I place Hell’s Fury into my resource row. I recruit Speed Demon and Mysterio with boost, placing my old Mysterios into my KO’d pile. I place my characters so that they all may attack. My opponent recruits Dummy 5. It is irrelevant how he places his characters, as reinforcement will only prevent one point of damage at maximum, which is not enough to prevent death. Lets us suppose that my opponent has Dummy 5 protecting Dummy 4 (ensuring that I will inflict minimum damage after he reinforces). Shang Chi attacks Dummy 5, and I activate Doc Ock’s Lab (I’m now at 19) and play Hell’s Fury, replacing it with another Hell’s Fury off the top while my opponent reinforces. Both characters stun, and the score is now 17 to 15 in my favor. I attack Dummy 4 with Electro, play Hell’s Fury, replace it with another Hell’s Fury, play that Hell’s Fury (the fourth), and replace it with Penance Stare. Both characters stun, and 1 breakthrough is dealt to my opponent. The score is now 15 to 10 in my favor. Both Mysterios and Speed Demon attack my opponent directly, taking him down to 1. I evade with both Mysterios and the Speed Demon. I now have five stunned characters (Speed Demon, two Mysterios, Shang Chi, and Electro), and thus play Team Spirit, recovering both Mysterios. I evade again with both Mysterios (just to make sure I have truly fulfilled the requirements for the puzzle while ensuring that I cause the maximum endurance loss possible regardless of who’s taking it, since that was not specified in the conditions). I play Penance Stare, KO’ing one of my Mysterio and targeting my opponent, dropping him to -2. During the recovery phase, my Mysterio and Speed Demon recover (Mysterio actually attempts to recover twice, because he evaded twice this turn). I am a little unsure of whether I evaded or not, and so I take no risks by evading again.

Final Endurance:

Me: -1, Opponent: -2

And it’s Mysterio!

First runner up, winner of twelve packs of Marvel Knights:

Mary’s Mutated Gravediggers

By Delmair 

1 Lilith
1 Rocket Racer
4 Speed Demon
2 Blackout
3 Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch
4 Mysterio    
1 Tombstone
1 Mary Jane Watson
1 Shelob
1 Vulture
1 Hammerhead  

3 Team Spirit
1 Strength of the Grave
1 Hypnotic Charms
3 Unexpected Mutation
1 No Fear 

1 Doc Ock’s Lab

2 Mystic Chain
1 Goblin Glider 

First Turn:

Hand: (Odd Initiative)

1 Tombstone
1 Shelob
1 Mystic Chain
1 Lilith 

Draw:

1 Doc Ock’s Lab
1 Hypnotic Charms 

Opponent’s Build:

1. Opponent plays 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy in the front row

1. Play Hypnotic Charms to resource row
2. Recruit Lilith (place in front)
3. Flip Hypnotic Charms
3. KO Lilith, Reveal Shelob, steal 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy
4. 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy attacks 

Endurance: 50 to 48 in my favor. 

Second Turn:

Hand:

1 Tombstone
1 Shelob
1 Mystic Chain
1 Doc Ock’s Lab

Draw:

1 No Fear
1 Mystic Chain 

Opponent’s Build:

1. Opponent plays 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy in the front row 

Resource Step:

1. Place No Fear in resource row 

Recruit Step:

1. Recruit Shelob (2 ATK/2 DEF dummy is Underworld due to Hypnotic Charms). Trigger top four cards to KO’d pile—Rocket Racer, Speed Demon, and two Blackout. My endurance: 52 (gained 2 from Shelob), opponent’s endurance: 48. (KO’d Pile: Lilith, Rocket Racer, Speed Demon, and two Blackout.
2. Recruit Tombstone
3. Recuit Mystic Chain on Tombstone
4. Recuit Mystic Chain on 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy 

Formation:

1. Tombstone, Shelob, 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy in front

Combat:

1. Opponent attacks 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy on Shelob. Play No Fear on Shelob. My endurance: 49, opponent’s endurance: 46
2. Tombstone direct attacks. Mystic Chain draw: Speed Demon
3. 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy direct attacks: My endurance: 49, opponent’s endurance: 41. Mystic Chain draw: Mary Jane Watson

Recovery:

1. Recover Shelob
2. Opponent recovers 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy

Third Turn:

Hand:

1 Doc Ock’s Lab
1 Speed Demon
1 Mary Jane Watson

 Draw:

1 Hammerhead
1 Goblin Glider

Resource Step:

1. Place Doc Ock’s Lab in resource row Recruit Step:

1. Discard Speed Demon for Tombstone: (KO’d Pile: Lilith, Rocket Racer, two Speed Demon, two Blackout)
2. Recruit Hammerhead
3. Recruit Mary Jane Watson, who is Sinister Syndicate via Hypnotic Charms
4. Recruit Goblin Glider on Hammerhead 

Formation:

1. Tombstone, 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy, Shelob, Mary Jane Watson
|2. Hammerhead behind Tombstone

Opponent Recruit and Formation:

1. 5 ATK/5 DEF dummy in front, and 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy in the support row behind the 5 ATK/5 DEF dummy

Combat:

1. Hammerhead and Shelob team attack the 5 ATK/5 DEF dummy
            => Mary Jane draw: Team Spirit
2. Tombstone attacks the 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy
            Flip Doc Ock’s Lab => Activate targeting Tombstone. Tombstone attacks 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy
            => Mystic Chain draw: Speed Demon
3. 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy direct attacks 

My endurance: 44, opponent’s endurance: 31 
            => Mystic Chain draw: Unexpected Mutation

Recovery:

1. Recover Hammerhead
2. Opponent recovers 5 ATK/5 DEF dummy 

Fourth Turn:

Hand:

1 Speed Demon
1 Unexpected Mutation
1 Team Spirit 

Draw

1 Mysterio
1 Team Spirit

Opponent’s Build:

1. Opponent plays 7 ATK/7 DEF dummy, place both in front row.

Resource Step:

1. Place Team Spirit in resource row

Recruit Step:

1. Discard Speed Demon for Tombstone: (KO Pile: Lilith, Rocket Racer, three Speed Demon, two Blackout)
2. Play boosted Mysterio

Formation:

1. Tombstone, Mysterio, Mysterio, 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy, Mary Jane, and Shelob in front
2. Hammerhead behind 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy

Combat:

1. 7 ATK/7 DEF dummy attacks Mysterio. My endurance: 36, opponent’s endurance: 31
2. 5 ATK/5 DEF dummy attacks Mysterio. My endurance: 30, opponent’s endurance: 31
3. Hammerhead team attacks with Mary Jane on the 7 ATK/7 DEF dummy
            =>Mary Jane draw:Unexpected Mutation
4. Shelob attacks 5 ATK/5 DEF dummy
5. Tombstone attacks 3 ATK/3 DEF dummy Activate Doc Ock’s Lab targeting Tombstone. Tombstone attacks 5 ATK/5 DEF dummy. 
            =>Mystic Chain draw: Speed Demon
6. Play Unexpected Mutation (top card: Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch) on 2 ATK/2 DEF dummy: +8 ATK/-8 DEF. 10 ATK/0 DEF dummy direct attacks: My endurance: 23, opponent’s endurance: 13. (KO’d Pile: Lilith, Rocket Racer, three Speed Demons, two Blackouts, 1 Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch) 
            => Mystic Chain draw: Vulture
7. Play Team Spirit from resource row: (Stunned: two Mysterios, one Tombstone, one Shelob, one Hammerhead). Recover Mysterios.
8. Evade Mysterio. My endurance: 20, opponent’s endurance: 13.
9. Evade Mysterio: My endurance: 17, opponent’s endurance: 13.
10. Play Team Spirit from hand: (Stunned: two Mysterios, one Tombstone, one Shelob, one Hammerhead). Recover Tombstone and Hammerhead

Attack resolves, opponent loses 2 endurance.
 
Second Turn:

Draw: Vulture and Mystic Chain.

Opponent Resource Step: Plays blank resource.

Opponent Recruit Step: Recruits Crash Dummy 2.

Opponent Formation Step: Front rows CD2.

My Resource Step: Play Tryks as resource.

My Recruit Step: Recruit Vulture (reveal Chameleon) and Chameleon). Equip Goblin Glider to Crash Dummy 1. Equip Mystic Chain to Vulture. Equip Mystic Chain to Chameleon.

My Formation Step: Everyone up front.

Opponent Attack Step: Opponent declares attack with CD 2 to CD 1.
 
Attack resolves. Both characters stun. I lose 2 endurance. Opponent loses 2 endurance. Opponent passes attack step.

My Attack Step: Pay 1 endurance for Chameleon’s effect.

 I choose X-Men. Flip Marvel Team-Up naming X-Men and Sinister Syndicate.

 Declare direct attack with Vulture.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 2 endurance and discards a card. I gain 2 endurance and draw a card. I draw Speed Demon.

Declare attack with Chameleon.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 1 endurance and discards a card. I draw a card. I draw Black Magic. Pass attack step.

Recovery: Opponent chooses CD2, passes priority.

I choose CD1.

Third Turn

Draw: Hammerhead and Mystic Chain

My Resource Step: Play Black Magic as a resource.

My Recruit Step: Recruit Hammerhead and Speed Demon. Equip Mystic Chain to Hammerhead.

My Formation Step: Chameleon, Vulture, Speed Demon, and Hammerhead in the front row, in that order. Crash Dummy 1 behind Hammerhead.

Opponent Resource Step: Opponent plays blank resource.

Opponent Recruit Step: Opponent recruits Crash Dummy 3.

Opponent Formation: CD 2 and 3 up front.

My Attack Step: Declare attack with Hammerhead to CD 2.

I play Black Magic, putting Lilith on the bottom of my deck, targeting Hammerhead.

Attack resolves. CD 2 stuns. Opponent loses 5 endurance and discards a card. I draw a card. I draw Mysterio. Declare attack with CD 1 to CD 3.

Attack resolves. Both characters stun. Opponent loses 4 endurance. I lose 1 endurance. Declare direct attack with Vulture.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 4 endurance and discards a card. I gain 4 endurance and draw a card. I draw Quentin Carnival. Declare direct attack with Speed Demon.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 3 endurance. Declare direct attack with Chameleon.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 3 endurance and discards a card. I draw a card. I draw Sadistic Choice. I play Sadistic Choice targeting CD 3.

Opponent KO’s CD 3. (No cards in hand.)

Recovery: I choose to recover CD 1 and pass. Opponent chooses to recover CD 2 and passes.

Fourth Turn:

Draw: No Fear, Mystic Chain.

Opponent Resource Step: Opponent plays blank resource.

Opponent Recruit Step: Opponent recruits Crash Dummy 4.

Opponent Formation Step: CD 2 and 4 up front.

My Resource Step: Lay Quentin Carnival as a resource. Flip Quentin Carnival.

My Recruit Step: Play Mysterio, paying its boost cost. Equip Mystic Chain to Mysterio.

My Formation Step: In front, left to right, Mysterio, Chameleon, Vulture, Hammerhead, CD 1. Back row, Speed Demon behind Vulture, Mysterio (equipped) behind Hammerhead.

Opponent Attack Step: Declare attack with CD 2 to Mysterio (Front Row).

Attack resolves. Both characters stun. I lose 4 endurance. Opponent loses 2 endurance. Opponent declares attack with CD 4 to Chameleon.

Attack resolves. Chameleon Stuns. I lose 7 endurance. Opponent passes attack step.

My Attack Step: Declare attack with CD 1 to CD 4.

I play No Fear targeting CD 1.

Attack resolves. Both characters stun. Opponent loses 6 endurance. I lose 1 endurance. Declare direct attack with Vulture.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 4 endurance and discards a card. I gain 4 endurance and draw a card. I draw Team Spirit. Declare direct attack with Mysterio (equipped).

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 6 endurance and discards a card. I draw a card. I draw Sadistic Choice. Declare attack with Hammerhead direct.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 5 endurance and discards a card. I draw a card. I draw Mysterio. Play Sadistic Choice targeting CD 4.
 
Opponent KO’s CD 4. (No cards.) I evade Mysterio (equipped). I evade Speed Demon. I lose 4 endurance. I play Team Spirit.

I recover Mysterio (front row). I recover Mysterio (equipped). I evade Mysterio (front row). I lose 3 endurance. Pass attack step.

Recovery: Speed Demon recovers. Mysterio recovers. Opponent chooses to recover CD 2.

I choose to recover Chameleon.

Crash Dummy 1 gets KO’d.

Fifth Turn:

Draw: Smoke Screen, Outback Stronghold

My Resource Step: Play Outback Stronghold

My Recruit Step: Recruit Mysterio, paying Mysterio’s boost. Equip Smoke Screen to Mysterio.

My Formation Step: Front row, left to right, Chameleon, Vulture, Speed Demon, Hammerhead. Back row, Mysterio and Mysterio (equipped) next to each other and behind Speed Demon and Hammerhead respectively.

Opponent Resource Step: Opponent plays blank resource.

Opponent Recruit Step: Opponent Recruits Crash Dummy 5.

Opponent Formation: CD 2 behind CD 5.

My Attack step: Declare team attack with Mysterio, Mysterio (equipped) and Chameleon to CD 5.

KO Smoke Screen targeting the Mysterio it was equipped to.

Attack resolves. Opponent assigns damage to the Mysterio behind Speed Demon. Both characters stun. Opponent loses 5 endurance. I lose 3 endurance. Pay 1 endurance for Chameleon’s ability.

I choose Marvel Knights. Activate Quentin Carnival and KO the Mystic Chain equipped to Hammerhead, targeting Chameleon.

Chameleon can’t be the target of effects an opponent controls! Declare attack with Chameleon to CD 2.

Attack resolves. Chameleon stuns. I lose 1 endurance. Awww, but I thought he was safe! He couldn’t be targeted! Declare attack with Hammerhead to CD 2.

Attack resolves. Both characters stun. Opponent loses 2 endurance. I lose 2 endurance. Declare direct attack with Vulture.

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 2 endurance and discards a card. I gain 2 endurance and draw a card. I draw Team Spirit. Pay 1 endurance to ready Speed Demon.

Activate Outback Stronghold and exhaust Speed Demon, targeting the stunned Mysterio behind Speed Demon. Evade Speed Demon. Evade Mysterio. I lose 4 endurance. Play Team Spirit.

I recover Mysterio (behind Speed Demon), and he readies. Recover Mysterio (the evaded one). Declare attack with Mysterio (behind Speed Demon).

Attack resolves. Opponent loses 4 endurance. I evade Mysterio (behind Speed Demon). I lose 3 endurance. Pass attack step.

Opponent Attack Step: Opponent passes attack step.

Recovery: I win. The final score is -12 to 32.

Also, by drawing Outback Stronghold instead of Quentin Carnival on turn 4, I could have put Speed Demon up front and attacked back to take my opponent down to -2, then paid 1 to ready him and activate Outback Stronghold, exhausting Speed Demon and targeting Mysterio. Then I could have attacked with Mysterio to win -6 to 37.

As an aside, if I win and if I get a chance to play in a Marvel Modern Age PCQ, I will play the above decklist to within seventeen cards. (I’d either remove the Underworld cards and focus more on Chameleon stealing good effects, or cut some of that and focus more on Underworld and Sinister Syndicate. I only used both strategies so that I could satisfy the challenge conditions.)