James is one of the best guys on the Vs. System scene. He is Premier T.O. for Auckland, runs his own games event company, has a very sexy wife called Ci Ci, and can do the Nutbush 9 hours straight in platform shoes (I've seen it). Jason is a young player from Adelaide who brings a Kree / VU deck to the feature table.

Jason wins the roll and goes evens. James mulligans, as does Jason to be social, and they're off.

Turn 1

James drops Frankie Raye ◊ Nova, Optimistic Youth without discarding, and Jason passes.

Frankie bashes (more a tickle really) and passes.

James: 50

Jason: 49

Turn 2

Jason plays Dr. Minerva, misses with the flop, and passes. James plays Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose. He flips a Straight to the Grave, pops out a The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero, exhausts his board to bring The Phantom Stranger to hand, orders an ice cream, KOs Frankie Raye to Ivy for a Soul World, and pays 4 to bring back Frankie. The ice cream arrives and starts to melt; he pitches a Meltdown and the Phantom Stranger to replay Frankie Raye and draw cards, and passes.

Jason passes his attack, as does James, and we go to turn 3.

James: 46

Jason: 49

Turn 3

James plays a Dr. Light, Master of Holograms, and exhausts Frankie Raye and Poison Ivy to bring the Phantom Stranger back. He flips The Ring Has Chosen, pitching a Deadshot, Floyd Lawton, brings back a Deadshot with Dr. Light, KOs Frankie Raye to Ivy to search for Ego the Living Planet, pays 4 to Soul World to bring back Frankie, plays Frankie Raye for free with The Phantom Stranger, pitches something else to draw 2 from Frankie Raye, whistles something in about 4 keys for 3 bars, then forms up with everyone sideways but happy.

Jason is woken up to complete his recruit step. My coffee also arrives, which is not a moment too soon. Jason goes into the tank, has a chat with Randall Hughes, who isn't actually playing in the tournament but is hanging out in the tank anyway, and plays The Calculator, Evil Oracle.

Dr. Minerva starts operating on Frankie, who stuns. The Calculator gets out his pencil and swings at Dr. Light. James passes, and they trade. James uses Slaughter Swamp to bring back The Phantom Stranger in recovery.

James: 36

Jason: 46

Turn 4

Jason is on the initiative and starts working on a way to get through James’ board. He plays Enemy of My Enemy to get The Calculator, Noah Kuttler then grabs Coercion. He then bounces Dr. Minerva to The Calculator, and replays the Doctor, grabbing him another Doctor, making the place look like General Hospital. He then plays Lieutenant Kona Lor, forcing James to lose his Slaughter Swamp drops Commander Dylon Cir, and forms up.

James, who has his KO’d pile fanned out like a peacock who has been drinking (see photo!), lays a resource, and notices the ice cream he ordered just last turn is now a white puddle. He plays Frankie Raye ◊ Nova, Optimistic Youth for free, KOs her to Ivy for a Sinister Citadel, and uses Light to blow some life back into Frankie and draw some cards. He then plays The Ring Has Chosen from hand for Haywire, moves the think tank to his backyard, pitches a Citadel, plays Haywire, exhausts Haywire and Frankie to bring The Phantom Stranger back, and then plays another Frankie Raye for free, drawing more cards. He then plays Hawkeye, Clinton Barton. A species has evolved gills somewhere while all this was going on, but James does it with class, and we think about going to combat.

Lieutenant Kona Lor swings at Ivy, but Hawkeye shoots him in the tummy, and he doesn't like it. Commander Dylon swings into Hawkeye, triggering Dylon’s ability. This moves Soul World into the bin, and both stun. Dr. Minerva swings at Deadshot, who blows himself up to KO The Calculator, Evil Oracle. In response, Jason flops Coercion, teaming Villains United and Kree. He then uses The Science Spire to bounce the would-be KO’d Calculator for some card-drawing goodness. His Minerva then bashes Frankie for a couple, and he plays a No Mercy on Hawkeye, bouncing Kona Lor.

James: 29

Jason: 41

Turn 5

James takes control, but not of his whistling, and I will give anyone $100 if they can identify what song he was attempting. Closest bet so far, some Tibetan Monk death chant. James exhausts Frankie Raye and Haywire to bring The Phantom Stranger back. James then KOs Frankie Raye to Ivy, chaining it to Slaughter Swamp to bring her back. He has accumulated a fistful of cards so far and appears unafraid to use them. He plays Frankie Raye for free, grabbing another couple of cards, exhausts Ivy and Frankie Raye again to bring The Phantom Stranger back from the grave, plays another Frankie Raye for free to draw more goodness, finds an Enemy of My Enemy pitching an Ivy, grabbing himself Darkseid, Heart of Darkness. I noticed that some scientist has started carbon dating the ice cream James ordered on turn 3. He then uses Frankie again (!), and Jason ponders whether he should just concede to make this stop. Darkseid hits the table, and Sinister Citadel gets flipped up, KO’ing Frankie (when will she learn to duck?!). James flips another Citadel and Ivy carks it to Darkseid. Then the Doctor brings her back to life. James plays Frankie again for free, drawing more cards, and Jason may have been frustrated if he had been fully awake. Frankie gets KO’d to the new Ivy, searching out another Sinister Citadel. Jason mistakenly calls James "James Brown," eliciting laughs from all. James replays Frankie again, setting a new record of Frankie recruiting, and plays a Reality Gem on Ivy, replacing Coercion. James then passes . . .

Jason throws The Calculator, Noah Kuttler away to grab a Coercion before setting a resource. He then lays Dr. Minerva to grab a 4-drop, then Lieutenant Kona Lor, who replaces James' Ego. He then terraforms Hala, and plays Deathstroke the Terminator, Lethal Weapon.

James swings Frankie Raye into Lieutenant Kona. Both pass and damage is dealt. Darkseid bashes into Commander Dylon, and, before he passes, James KOs the stunned Frankie to Sinister Citadel to pump up the Dark Heart. Jason reinforces and James passes over to Jason.

Jason plays Coercion, teaming-up Kree and VU again. He then plays Baddest of the Bad from hand, bouncing Dr. Minerva, grabs Colonel Yon-Rogg, and passes.

James: 28

Jason: 36

Turn 6

Jason has initiative and starts getting funky by using the Spire to bounce Dr. Minerva, discarding another Spire and Ultimus. He then replays the Doctor, netting him Shatterax. He plays Kona Lor again, replacing James' Slaughter Swamp. Colonel Yon hits the table, along with Admiral Galen Kor and Shatterax. He forms up everyone in front and passes to Barry White . . . sorry, James Brown . . . sorry James White!

James now has the think tank attached to his kitchen. He goes in to pick up a snack, then plays Frankie Raye for 1, and exhausts Haywire and Frankie Raye to bring Phantom Stranger back. He plays The Ring Has Chosen for Frankie, then KOs Frankie to Sinister Citadel to put a counter on Darkseid. He then brings Phantom Stranger back, with Haywire and Ivy, uses Light to get back Leech, Inhibitor, plays an Enemy for Asmodeus, Duke of Hell, and plays Mephisto, Soulstealer in the hidden area. James searches for another Frankie with Enemy. He then reveals Asmodeus to fire up Mephisto's ability, pumping the Soulstealer to 28 ATK!!! James then plays Frankie Raye for free, on the chain bringing Phantom Stranger back to draw 2 more cards, then passes. This took some time . . .

Jason plays the The Lunatic Legion and starts running the numbers. Shatterax swings into Leech, and James makes it legal. The Lunatic Legion makes him 11 ATK. James plays Funeral For a Friend, which reinforces everyone, and takes a mere 2. Admiral Galen leads by example and bashes the very big Darkseid. James KOs a guy to put a counter on the bad guy, but Jason has the pumps and they swap. Jason then uses Colonel Yon Rogg's funky ability to exhaust the 28 ATK Mephisto and James extends his hand out to concede.

Jason Zhe brings home the bacon.