Fabiano is a member of the prestigious Team TOGIT. He's a relatively inexperienced player, but when you're at the pro level and a member of one of the most feared teams in the game, “inexperienced” is a very relative term.

 

David Fielder is Toronto's number one star player and is looking to redeem himself from his sub-par showing in Amsterdam. Having taken seventh at PC So Cal, Fielder has proven that he has what it takes to be the best. He began with control of the initiative after one of the oddest game-opening rituals of all time.

 

“Okay, what number am I thinking of. It's the recruit cost of Sentinel Mark II.”

 

“Pardon?” Fielder blinked.

 

“The recruit cost. If you know it, you can choose the initiative.”

 

Fielder blinked again. “Three?”

 

“Yeah, go for it.”

 

One more blink. “Deal.”

 

Fielder then reached beneath the table and pulled out a Championship playmat. Still in its urethane packaging, he cracked it open. “Ahhhh! 'Bout time we brought this out!” Fabiano laughed.

 

Both players opted to keep, and Fielder dropped Alfred to open the game. Fabiano had no answer, but he did have a Hounds for turn 2. “Ooh . . . scary,” remarked Fielder before dropping Spoiler ◊ Robin next to Alfred in the front row. “It's the saddest thing, Spoiler Robin. She becomes Robin, she stops being Robin, and then she dies. In the space of half a year.” Fielder's banter filled the time in which Fabiano made his move, whacking Alfred with Hounds. Spoiler slammed into him next. “Good play . . . good play, sir.” Fabiano grinned.

 

Turn 3 saw Fielder use Alfred to search out a copy of Bat-Signal before dropping a resource. He replayed Alfred and hid him behind Spoiler, an oddly passive choice. “No way am I winning this game,” quipped Fabiano. It seemed to be a jest, but when he missed his drop, Spoiler swung directly yet again and the situation suddenly looked very dire. “I wish I knew how to play this game. Man, damn . . . ” He considered his attack. “I have a question.” He stepped away to ask Matt Hyra, who was floating nearby. Fielder then felt obligated to fill the dead air. “These chairs are killing me.” He didn't trust the PC-standard chair, which wobbled beneath him. “Seriously. I'm a lean back kinda guy.” That's David Fielder for you—riveting dialogue all day long. Riveting.

 

Fabiano brought up a Mark V on turn 4 that was matched by Cassandra Cain ◊ Batgirl on Fielder's side. Fielder formed into an L, protecting Spoiler with Cassandra, and the Mark V swung at Cassandra. Fabiano gave her a double Nasty Surprise and then an Overload. Fielder had the Fizzle and tossed an Alfred to play it. Ouch. “I'll use Cassandra Cain's ability once,” announced Fielder, dropping another copy of her. “Pump,” stated Fabiano. The Mark V went down and Cassie stayed up. Next, Fabiano sent the Hounds after Alfred, who promptly ran back to the hand to grab a Nasty Surprise. The Hounds readied but could do nothing. Cassandra attacked directly, and the endurance totals were 32 to 46 in Fielder's favor. During recovery, Fabiano flipped a Micro-Sentinels and then flipped a second. He was surprised to find that he didn't place a second pair of counters immediately, but Spoiler still bit the dust.

 

Fielder brought the tech on turn 5! Dick Grayson ◊ Nightwing, High-Flying Acrobat smacked into the Mark V with his boost effect, stunning it automatically before taking his place in the front row alongside Cain. Fabiano recruited Nimrod, and while he was now drawing all right, he had a harsh early game to compensate for. Fielder sent Batgirl after Nimrod and gave her a pump with her effect before passing. In turn, Fabiano ditched a copy of Nimrod to pump, and that prompted Fielder to play a Savage Beatdown. Fabiano inspected his down cards, lingering over one, but then let the attack resolve. Nimrod lost his oh-so-precious counter. Fielder passed combat. Fabiano opted not to attack, and in the beginning of recovery, Fielder Bat-Signaled with Nightwing to fetch a copy of Azrael, Jean Paul Valley. Fabiano flipped another Micro-Sentinels, which was enough to take down Cassandra. Nightwing sat with four counters, narrowly dodging the last of Fabiano's Micro-Sentinels' KO checks.

 

Fabiano was forced to go off-curve on turn 6 with nothing but a Hounds of Ahab to recruit. While his board position was strong compared to Fielder's, Azrael hit the board on the Canuck's side and it was unlikely that Fabiano would find his fourth copy of Micro-Sentinels any time soon. Nimrod and Hounds of Ahab attempted to attack Azrael, but Fielder responded by exhausting Azrael and discarding a copy of Lady Shiva, Sandra Woosan for Entangle. Nimrod was exhausted. “So, the attack doesn't work?”

 

“Nope,” replied Fielder. “It would be cool if they did, because then Doom would see a lot more play with his crazy magic and whatnot.”

 

“Okay, that's it. No attacks.” Fielder didn't have any, either, and a million tiny Sentinels burst out of Nightwing's bloodstream through his flesh, exploding him in a ball of gore.

 

Fielder busted out even crazier tech on turn 7, recruiting Juggernaut. A certain reporter proceeded to mark out thoroughly. Fabiano recruited Magneto, Master of Magnetism and opted to employ an L formation protecting the Mark V—Juggernaut was so going for that Nimrod. Fabiano again spent some time running numbers, and Fielder again filled the empty void. “Poor Bagari . . . he's probably going nuts without his hair gel.” He was referring to Jason Bagari, a Toronto teammate who had spent most of the morning attempting to find hair gel.

 

“I think I'm getting the hang of this chair now!” Having said that, Fielder promptly lost control and nearly fell off it. Meanwhile, Fabiano had opted to switch up his L, protecting Magneto with Nimrod. Azrael took off after him, and Fabiano blew two copies of Genosha in response. Fielder had an Apocalypse in hand, and the round had five minutes remaining—Fabiano needed to take him this turn or the match would be a write-off. A Reconstruction Program afforded Fabiano the double-stun, but he still lost Nimrod and Fielder had just what he needed—an open smash for Juggernaut.

 

He took it, sending Juggernaut into the Mark V. Savage Beatdown and a Flying Kick made him a 25 ATK monster. There weren't enough Savage/Overloads in the world for Fabiano, as Fielder seemed to be telegraphing a Fizzle. Fabiano fingered his last face-down resource and shook his head at it. He flipped it—it was Search and Destroy, and he sought to blow up his Mark V to prevent the breakthrough even though he had no viable target aside from his own Hounds of Ahab. Juggernaut readied, much to Fabiano's surprise. “Doesn't he not ready?” Only during the recovery phase. Juggernaut blasted into Magneto, and thanks to the Search and Destroy, Fielder knew he didn't have any answers. Mags went down and Juggernaut went into wall mode. Fabiano recovered Magneto but lost Nimrod, one Hounds, and the Mark V. It was 36 to 3 for Fielder.

 

Fabiano recruited Bastion next turn, finally finding one to use, but Fielder recruited Apocalypse, whose version name might as well have been “Gee Gee.” Apocalypse took a shot at the turn's resource and Fabiano's face-up Recon. Genosha was chained in response. Magneto swung into Apocalypse and Bastion gave him four pumps. Fielder Nasty Surprised in response, as it was all just numbers at this point. More Bastion pumps kept Magneto up, though, and Apocalypse went down hard, bringing the endurance totals to 22 to 3. Bastion then pumped himself a few times and whacked Azrael. It was still game on time, though, and Fabiano started talking to Fielder about mistakes he felt he might've made. Fabiano seems highly eager to learn more and will probably be someone to look out for in the near future.

 

“You won, David?” asked teammate Will Thomas from the top of the feature match area. “Yeah? Oh man, I'm buying you a pie!” And thus, Fielder earned his first pie of the day—a Canadian tradition living strong in the Big Apple.