Curve Sentinels have been the defining force of $10K London, with the top players either going with the shiny purple robots or preparing heavily to beat them.
The London-based team “I Heart Britney” has had a reasonable amount of success with the mean machines, with Richard Edbury (winner of $10K Minehead and semifinalist at $10k Vienna) finishing as top seed, and Simon O’Keeffe squeaking in at number eight. Clearly, Edbury must love Britney the most.
The mirror match is said to be all about the coin flip, and with Edbury’s win, he looked well positioned to set the pace of the match. With Simon O’Keeffe proudly displaying his Britney badge for Nimrod, and Richard’s badge cheekily hiding, both players were in good spirits going into turn 1.
Both players chose to keep their hands, and Boliver Trask came into play on turn 1 to give Simon a little bit of beatdown. With Hounds of Ahab coming out for Simon on turn 2, it looked like he might be able to break the serve with some doggy-style beats. Both players recruited Sentinel Mark II on turn 3, but Simon clearly had the advantage when his doggies got rid of Richard’s robot. Endurance scores were 42–43 in Simon’s favor.
Sentinel Mark V joined the fun for Simon on turn 4, prompting an “It’s best of three, I guess,” from Richard, who had a bit of work to do to get out of Simon’s Hound lock. Despite a grip full of characters, one of which had to be relegated to the resource row, Boliver Trask and Sentinel Mark II weren’t the ideal recruits for Edbury. Lots of attacks down the curve left Richard with only Boliver going into turn 5. Without a Nimrod to back him up, Boliver looked pretty sad. Instead, Edbury recruited a boosted Sentinel Mark V (with two “I Heart Britney” badges) to face off against O’Keeffe’s Nimrod.
“You do not have any 6 or 7 drops,” quipped Edbury in true Jedi fashion.
When Richard’s Mark V got hit with Savage Beatdown and Overload on turn 5, things looked bleak for the previous $10K winner.
“This is as savage as any game I have been in today,” Edbury remarked gravely. He was left with only Boliver after another Hounding by Simon.
It turned out that the Jedi mind trick wasn’t necessary, because Simon didn’t have Bastion. He only had a massive horde of robots to get him to the win. With the endurance totals at 22–43 in Simon’s favor, even Edbury’s fresh Bastion wasn’t a concern.
When Richard’s Bastion faced a team attack by Nimrod and two Mark Vs (one of which was 9 ATK/9 DEF), it was time for the universal hand signal of “scoopy scoopy” from Richard.
Score: 1–0 to Simon O’Keeffe
Richard again chose to take the odd initiative, and both players kept their hands.
On turn 1, Richard recruited Boliver and grabbed Sentinel Mark II, which hinted that he already had Hounds of Ahab in hand. The implication elicited an anguished cry from Simon. Both players recruited Hounds on turn 2, which seemed a little redundant, but each threatened big things for later.
The moniker “Curve Sentinels” was rather appropriate, as both players recruited their preferred 3-drops. When Edbury’s Mark II got into a fight, however, things got a little more interesting. Simon played three power-ups on his little robot, forcing Richard to use a power-up and Reconstruction Program so that he could be free to nip in with his Hounds.
Simon had no recruits on turn 4, so Richard attacked him with a Mark V and the team.
“I’m not apologizing in any way, shape, or form,” remarked Edbury.
With a Nimrod for Richard on turn 5, and only a boosted Sentinel Mark V for Simon, things looked good for Edbury. A team attack with Nimrod and a Mark II against Simon’s Mark V prompted him to play Savage Beatdown and Overload, and Richard’s Nimrod lost its counter. After a Hound attack, Simon lost a lot more.
In a bizarre mirror of game 1, Richard played a Boliver for a boosted Mark V, while Simon had a fairly lonely Bastion (it was just him and his dogs). With Richard at 40 endurance to Simon’s 20, Bastion again appeared not to be the defining force in the match.
Bastion attacked Nimrod, vainly trying to beat his way back into the game. Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t enough. Richard hit back with two Mark Vs and a Mark II, and then followed up by unleashing the Hounds, which were a lot more effective. The endurance totals were 28–12 in Edbury’s favor.
When on turn 7, Richard’s pumped up Magneto attacked O’Keeffe’s Magneto, it was on to game 3.
Scores on doors—one game each to both Simon and Richard.
Simon was forced to take the risky mulligan of sending back Hounds because he was backed up by a bunch of plot twists. When Edbury’s Boliver fetched a Sentinel Mark II on turn 1 (telegraphing yet more Hounds), it looked like this might be the fastest Sentinel mirror ever.
Richard duly recruited some foil Hounds on turn 2. Meanwhile, Simon had a trump in Sentinel Mark I, which he hoped would block a Hound lock. Unfortunately, without a recruit on turn 3, it once again appeared that the game would be all about who let the dogs out. 
Both players had a Sentinel Mark V on turn 4, but with Richard’s fully curved board, Simon was under a lot of pressure. A team attack by Richard’s Boliver and Mark V (the no-risk approach) stunned Simon’s only character, and Richard’s Hounds got another meal.
Simon’s Nimrod didn’t get to have a “Britney counter” (as it has now been christened), and it appeared that his deck wasn’t giving him any love as he put down his hand with a sigh.
Nimrod’s attack into Richard’s un-boosted Sentinel Mark V was met with a Nasty Surprise, and after a bit of a Hounding, Richard attacked uncontested.
With the initiative on turn 6 and a Bastion, to boot, it seemed that Edbury had secured a spot in another $10K semifinal. Richard’s team attack on Simon’s Bastion left the London local without hope of a counterattack.
Simon conceded in response to a final attack from Hounds of Ahab.