This match pits Maximilien Bouchard of Team AttaQc against Michael Jacob of The Donkey Club. They are running two of the most successful decks to see play in San Francisco, and each is hoping to walk away with a win. When the two met earlier in the tournament, Michael won a close game. Incidentally, if Michael wins this match, it will be his fourth $10K victory—a new Vs. System record.

Maximilien won the die roll and selected the odd initiatives. The players wished each other luck and drew their opening hands. Maximilien mulliganed and Michael kept. Maximilien had no first turn play, and Michael played a Hope that attacked for 2. On turn 2, Michael played Deadshot, Floyd Lawton, while Maximilien recruited Captain Boomerang, George Harkness. The 2-drops traded stuns, and Hope got to attack directly again.

Turn 3 was Maximilian’s initiative, and he recruited Sage, Xavier’s Secret Weapon in front of Boomerang. In response, Michael flipped both Slaughter Swamp and Phantom Zone. Michael recruited Yellowjacket with boost in the visible area, getting Beetle, Armorsmith. When Beetle came into play, The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero was discarded to search for Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose. Michael replaced the Phantom Zone to remove his Stranger, and in response, he returned the Stranger to his hand by exhausting Hope and Deadshot. Michael set up with Hope protecting Yellowjacket and Deadshot protecting Beetle, then passed. It was Maximilien’s turn to attack, and he sent Sage into Hope. Michael powered-up twice with help from Slaughter Swamp. Rather than allow the attack to complete, Maximilien used Boomerang to return Hope to Michael’s hand. Sage readied and came back on Deadshot. In recovery, Maximilien led 43-42.

Michael began turn 4 by laying a resource and repeatedly saying, “This doesn’t look good.” He returned The Phantom Stranger by exhausting Yellowjacket and Deadshot, then recruited Poison Ivy. He used Slaughter Swamp to discard the Stranger, getting back a Hope. Yellowjacket was KO’d to Poison Ivy, and Michael KO’d his exhausted Slaughter Swamp to get a fresh one. He discarded Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern to the Swamp to bring back Yellowjacket. The 1-drop was again recruited with boost, picking up another Beetle. Michael used his final resource point to re-play Hope, and then passed. Maximilien surveyed all of this with a contemplative look, and then played Enemy of My Enemy. He discarded Boomerang for Fatality, Flawless Victory. Rather than recruit her, though, he brought out Professor X, Headmaster behind Sage. It was Michael’s attack step, and he went into the tank. It would be very much in his best interest to get another six cards into his KO’d pile to get Deadshot online, but it was unclear whether or not he could accomplish this. After a few minutes, Michael passed. Sage took down Hope (this time without resistance) and Professor X took out Deadshot. In recovery, Maximilien drew a card and Hope was KO’d. The endurance score was now 43-29 in Maximilien’s favor.

Maximilien had the initiative on turn 5. He under-dropped with the Fatality he had searched for on the previous turn, and passed. Michael had a slightly more complicated turn in store. He played Enemy of My Enemy for Dr. Light, Master of Holograms. Michael recruited the Doctor and thought a bit. He eventually used him to bring Kyle Rayner back into play. Kyle searched for a copy of Hard Sound Construct. Kyle was KO’d to Poison Ivy, netting Michael a Birthing Chamber. He recruited Hope, and with 1 resource point left, used Birthing Chamber. Michael drew two and discarded a Beetle, the seventh card in his KO’d pile. Beetle and Hope were exhausted to return The Phantom Stranger to Michael’s hand. He pitched it to Enemy to search for Archangel, Angel, which he recruited. He discarded Hope to get X-Corp: Amsterdam. With nine cards in his KO’d pile, he formed up and passed. In combat, Michael used his Slaughter Swamp, targeting hope. In response, he used Deadshot to KO Sage. Maximilien declared an attack of Fatality on Dr. Light. Michael flipped Justice League of Arkham, teaming-up Emerald Enemies. He reinforced, and Light was KO’d. Maximilien played Enemy for Mikado and Mosha, which he discarded to KO Archangel. Michael flipped another Justice League, teaming-up Arkham Inmates and Revenge Squad. Hope targeted the Emerald Enemies Team-Up, and Maximilien replaced it with War of Attrition. Professor X attacked Yellowjacket, who was also KO’d. In recovery, the endurance scores were 43-19 in Maximilien’s favor.

Turn 6 was Michael’s initiative. He exhausted Beetle and Ivy (his only two characters) to return The Phantom Stranger. He used the Swamp to bring back Archangel, which he recruited. He declined to use Archangel’s ability. He replayed Hope, and flipped and activated and X-Corp for another Justice League of Arkham. He flipped the Team-Up, naming Arkham and Masters of Evil. Michael exhausted Archangel and Hope to return the Stranger once again, then KO’d Hope, targeting the Masters of Evil Team-Up. He flipped it again, once again naming Masters of Evil. Hard Sound Construct was played on Hope. After Hope came into play, Michael used Birthing Chamber to draw a card. He flipped and re-flipped the Team-Up again, getting another card form Maximilien’s hand. Michael used Enemy of My Enemy to get another Hope, which he recruited. He KO’d Beetle to Poison Ivy, replacing a Light in his resource row with a fresh Amsterdam. The Amsterdam immediately got another Arkham. Michael played yet another Hard Sound on Beetle. When it came into play, he discarded Cardiac to get Wesley Dodds ◊ The Sandman. Michael re-flipped Arkham with Hope, naming Masters of Evil again. He recruited Wesley Dodds and played his third and fourth Hard Sounds to get back Hope twice and hit Maximilien for another two cards. A fresh Justice League of Arkham got the last card in Maximilien’s hand. Maximilien had no resource or recruit. At the beginning of combat, Professor X was exhausted to Wesley. Maximilien KO’d Beetle with Fatality and drew a card with the Professor in recovery. He still led, 43-12.

Maximilien was up on turn 7. He played Jean Grey, Red in front of Fatality and passed. Michael recruited The Phantom Stranger and used Birthing Chamber. He set up with all of his characters in the support row in this order: Archangel, Ivy, Stranger, Wesley. Maximilien’s first attack sent Jean Grey into Archangel. In response, Michael used Poison Ivy to KO Wesley and get an Amsterdam, which in turn got UN Building. Before it was flipped, Maximilien used Mikado to KO Archangel. Jean Grey readied. Maximilien declared a team attack on The Phantom Stranger, and the 6- and 7-drop traded stuns. Michael used Slaughter Swamp to get Wesley back. In recovery, Maximilien had a lead of 37-4.

Michael began turn 8 by shuffling through his KO’d pile. He used Slaughter Swamp to bring back Hope, who was recruited. Wesley joined her, as did Beetle. When Beetle came into play, Michael discarded the last card in his hand—an Archangel—to search a Coach out of his deck. Coach was recruited in the hidden area, and Michael used Birthing Chamber. He set up with Hope protecting Ivy, The Phantom Stranger protecting Wesley, and Beetle alone in the support row. In formation, he used Hope to flip the Masters of Evil Team-Up face down, getting a card from Maximilien. In Maximilien’s portion of the build, he exhausted Jean Grey to Memory Probe. Boomerang was discarded to Enemy of My Enemy, picking up an Exodus. Maximilien set up with Exodus protecting Professor X and Jean protecting Fatality, then passed. At the beginning of combat, Fatality was exhausted for Wesley. Michael, seeing that he couldn’t stun Exodus, conceded.

Game 2

Michael took the odd initiatives, and both players mulliganed. Neither had a first turn play, and Maximilien made the first impact on the board on turn 2 with Captain Boomerang, George Harkness. Michael recruited Beetle, Armorsmith, discarding another Beetle to search out Wesley Dodds ◊ The Sandman. Rather than engage in combat, Maximilien simply returned both characters to their owner’s hands with Boomerang.

Turn 3 was Michael’s initiative, and he re-recruited Beetle. This time, he discarded Deadshot, Floyd Lawton for Archangel, Angel. When Archangel came into play, he discarded a third Beetle for an X-Corp: Amsterdam. Maximilien played Enemy of My Enemy for Sage, Xavier’s Secret Weapon, which he recruited. In response, Michael flipped up both Slaughter Swamp and another Amsterdam. When Sage attacked Archangel, Michael gave it +1 DEF with the Amsterdam. In recovery, Maximilien led 50-46.

Maximilien’s turn 4 recruit was a powerful underdrop: Cardiac. Michael, looking especially grumpy, laid a resource and went into the tank. He used his Amsterdam to get a Justice League of Arkham, then used Slaughter Swamp to return Deadshot to his hand. He recruited Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose and Deadshot. He set up with Beetle in front of Ivy and Archangel in front of Deadshot, then passed. Before combat, Maximilien stunned Deadshot with Cardiac. He attacked Archangel with Sage and then passed back to Michael, who KO’d Deadshot to Poison Ivy. Slaughter Swamp was replaced with another X-Corp, and that was the turn. Maximilien’s lead had widened to 50-39.

Michael was up again on turn 5. He used his new Amsterdam to get another Justice League of Arkham. Enemy of My Enemy was played, and Hope was discarded to finally get Michael a Dr. Light, Master of Holograms. He played and used the Light to return Deadshot to play. His remaining 2 resource points were used to recruit Wesley Dodds ◊ The Sandman. Michael set up with Ivy in front of Light, Archangel in front of Beetle in the middle, and Wesley in front of Deadshot in the final row. Michael passed to Maximilien, who quickly recruited Emma Frost, Friend or Foe. Maximilien set up with Emma in front of Sage and Cardiac next to Sage in the support row. Deadshot was stunned before combat began, and in combat, Sage was exhausted to Wesley. Michael passed his attack, and Maximilien attacked back with Emma into Wesley. In recovery, Michael used Poison Ivy to KO Wesley and pick up a copy of Birthing Chamber. He flipped and used the Chamber, drawing a card. Michael also used an Amsterdam to get a Justice League of Arkham. After this play, he played Straight to the Grave from his hand to put Evil Star and Breaking Ground into his KO’d pile. Slaughter Swamp allowed Michael to trade a Coach for Evil Star. Maximilien flipped over his Enemy of My Enemy with Emma. Neither player had additional effects, so that was the turn. Maximilien led, 50-29.

Maximilien was up first on 6 and played his Enemy of My Enemy to get Jean Grey, Red. He recruited her, used Cardiac to stun Poison Ivy, and passed. In response to the stun on Poison Ivy, Michael played Enemy of My Enemy for The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero. He discarded it to Slaughter Swamp to return Hope to his hand. He used Poison Ivy to KO Beetle and pick up a new Slaughter Swamp, then allowed the stun to go through. In Michael’s recruit, he played Hard Sound Construct to bring back Beetle. Archangel and Beetle were exhausted to recur The Phantom Stranger, and the Stranger was discarded to Beetle’s power to get Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern. Michael discarded Kyle to the Swamp to pick up Coach, then exhausted Dr. Light to bring Kyle back into play. Kyle got another Hard Sound Construct. Michael exhausted Kyle and Deadshot to return the Stranger to his hand, and then used Birthing Chamber to draw two and discard one. He recruited Evil Star, set up, and passed. Jean Grey was declared into Deadshot. Michael removed Deadshot from the game to KO Cardiac. Maximilien next declared Emma Frost into Dr. Light. Michael flipped a Team-Up, teaming-up Arkham and Emerald Enemies. A second Justice League of America named Masters of Evil, and a third named X-Men. Michael used Evil Star to KO his remaining characters and KO Emma Frost. In response, Maximilien played War of Attrition on the Masters of Evil Team-Up. In response to that, Michael flipped UN Building. In response to that, Maximilien re-flipped his War of Attrition to get the Emerald Enemies Team-Up. The UN Building flipped for no effect, and the MoE Arkham was also replaced. Emma was KO’d, and both players moved on to the next turn. Maximilien still led, 39-21.

Turn 7 was Michael’s initiative, and he went into the tank. He starting things off by playing Hope, then went into the tank again. Finally, Hard Sound Construct brought Beetle back into play. With his ability on the chain, Michael exhausted Hope and Beetle to return Phantom Stranger to his hand. The Stranger was discarded to Beetle, fetching Michael a copy of Poison Ivy. He played Ivy, leaving him with 4 resource points. He flipped and used an X-Corp to get his final Justice League of Arkham. He flipped it, naming Arkham Inmates and Revenge Squad, forcing Maximilien to discard down to two cards. Michael used Slaughter Swamp to return Dr. Light to his hand and to play. He activated the Doctor to return Kyle to play, searching him out another Hard Sound Construct. With six characters in play, Michael exhausted Ivy and Kyle to get the Stranger back. He activated Birthing Chamber to draw two and discard the Stranger. Michael used Hope to re-flip a Team-Up, this time naming Masters of Evil. Michael used his last resource point to recruit Hope from his hand, and then KO’d her to re-flip his Team-Up once again. In response to this final discard, Maximilien played No Man Escapes the Manhunters from his resource row on Evil Star, then discarded his final card to use Jean Grey to replace three resources. Michael set up and passed to Maximilien, who, with no cards in hand, passed both his resource and recruit. He set up with Jean Grey behind Sage and passed back to Michael. Evil Star smashed into Sage, and Maximilien took the full amount. Jean Grey attacked back into Kyle Rayner, and Michael took 12. Beetle was KO’d in recovery due to Hard Sound Construct. Maximilien led, 28-9.

On turn 8, before Maximilien played a resource, Michael used a Hard Sound to get Hope back into play. He KO’d it, targeting a Team-Up, and in response, brought Hope into play again. The first Hope’s ability resolved and Michael flipped his Masters of Evil Team-Up face down. Michael got Maximilien’s hand. Maximilien passed, and Michael used Ivy to KO the Psycho-Pirate in his resource row. Maximilien conceded.

Game 3

Maximilien selected the odd initiatives. He mulliganed and Michael kept. Maximilien had nothing for the first turn, and neither did Michael. On turn 2, Michel led off with Beetle, Armorsmith, discarding The Phantom Stranger, Wandering Hero to get Wesley Dodds ◊ The Sandman. Maximilien had a 2-drop as well—Captain Boomerang, George Harkness. The characters traded, and Michael flipped Slaughter Swamp in recovery to trade Archangel, Angel for the Stranger.

Maximilien began turn 3 with Enemy of My Enemy, discarding Cardiac to get Sage, Xavier’s Secret Weapon. Sage was recruited in front of Boomerang, and Maximilien passed. Michael recruited Dr. Light, Master of Holograms and activated him to bring Archangel into play. The Phantom Stranger was discarded, netting Michael a copy of X-Corp: Amsterdam. Michael exhausted Archangel and Beetle to return the Stranger to his hand, set up with Dr. Light protecting Archangel, and passed. Maximilien stunned Beetle with Sage and then returned it to Michael’s hand with Boomerang. In recovery, Maximilien led 47-43.

Turn 4 was Michael’s initiative. He discarded Coach to gain 2 endurance, then discarded Beetle to Slaughter Swamp to return Coach to his hand. Dr. Light returned Beetle to play, and Michael discarded the Stranger to search for Deadshot, Floyd Lawton. He recruited Deadshot and Wesley, then passed. Maximilien recruited Cardiac behind Sage, then passed as well. At the beginning of combat, Sage was exhausted to Wesley. Michael passed his attacks, and Maximilien simply stunned Wesley with Cardiac. The endurance totals were still 47-43 in Maximilien’s favor.

Maximilien was up on turn 5, and he under-dropped with Fatality, Flawless Victory. He set up with Fatality protecting Cardiac, and passed. Michael played Straight to the Grave, depositing Breaking Ground and Poison Ivy, Deadly Rose into his KO’d pile. Dr. Light brought Ivy into play. Michael used an Amsterdam to fetch his first Justice League of Arkham, then exhausted both Archangel and Deadshot to get the Stranger back to his hand. He KO’d Beetle to Poison Ivy, trading a Yellowjacket in his resource row for a Birthing Chamber. Slaughter Swamp brought back Beetle, and Michael recruited him. With the ability on the chain, Wesley and Beetle were exhausted to return the Stranger. He was discarded to Beetle, who found Kyle Rayner, Last Green Lantern. Michael recruited Kyle, and in response to his ability, he activated Birthing Chamber. The ability resolved, and Michael found a Hard Sound Construct. He recruited Hope with his final resource point, and then passed. Before combat, Maximilien KO’d Deadshot with Cardiac. In combat, Maximilien attacked Dr. Light with Fatality. Michael flipped a UN Building naming Arkham, Emerald Enemies, and Masters of Evil. Michael reinforced the Doctor with his Poison Ivy, and the Doctor was KO’d. Maximilien still led, 47-39.

On turn 6, Michael went into the tank. If you’ve read this far, I’d like to take the opportunity to express how happy I am that Justice League of Arkham was banned. Upwards of ninety percent of the clock in this match has been used by Michael thinking and searching through his deck. Maximilien mostly just sat here. And I have had the time to type all this. Silly, eh? Anyway, Michael finally flipped a Justice League of Arkham, teaming-up Revenge Squad. Next, he recruited another Dr. Light. He flipped another Justice League of Arkham, teaming-up Masters of Evil. He used his Hope to cycle the Masters of Evil Team-Up, getting another card from Maximilien. A Hard Sound Construct got Hope back, and Hope got another card. Kyle Rayner was KO’d to Ivy, and Michael got another X-Corp and Arkham. In response to the Amsterdam activation, Maximilien KO’d Archangel with Cardiac for no effect (he thought it would counter the activation). Michael used Dr. Light to return Kyle to play, getting another Hard Sound Construct. He flipped his third Team-Up, naming Emerald Enemies. Michael used Birthing Chamber to draw two and discard one, and then went back to the business of getting Maximilien’s remaining three cards. A recruited Hope got another card, and Michael recurred the Stranger to discard to Slaughter Swamp to get back Hope. He recruited Hope again and KO’d it to flip a Team-Up face down. In response, Maximilien played War of Attrition on the Team-Up. Michael used Hard Sound Construct to return Hope to play in response, and then flipped the Team-Up face down again. Both the War and the original Hope payment left the chain with no effect. Michael played Enemy of My Enemy for a final Hope and used it to get Maximilien’s final card. Maximilien had no resource or recruit, but he got to KO Dr. Light in combat.

On turn 7, Michael made Maximilien miss again, and he conceded.

Congratulations to Michael Jacob, winner of $10K Hamilton!