Team FTN’s Kim Caton, of PC: San Francisco fame, heads into the feature match area to face one of Japan’s top players, Masami Ibamoto. After making the Top 8 in San Francisco, Kim was a bit disappointed with her feature match record at Indy earlier this year.
“I lost five matches all weekend. Four of them were in the feature match area.”
Masami Ibamoto was all smiles. Last year, the Japanese contingent was a relatively small three players. This year, they have arrived in force, nearly tripling their numbers.
Kim won the die roll and chose the even initiative. Kim chose to keep her hand, flashing me the 3- and 4-drop Dr. Dooms. Masami played an Archangel, Angel and searched out an X-Corp: Paris. Kim missed and took 2 from Masami’s Angel.
On turn 2, Kim drew her 1-drop Boris a bit late but hit the all important San, searching Doomstadt to the top of her deck with his effect. Masami missed his recruit and got smashed by San. Masami flipped up the X-Corp and activated it, but missed.
On turn 3, Masami played Dr. Doom, Richards’s Rival and searched for a Have a Blast! for the top of his deck. Kim recruited a Doom of her own and fetched a Reign of Terror. During the combat phase, Masami declared his Doom into the opposing Doom. Kim flipped up Doomstadt, hoping to brickwall. Masami responded by KO’ing his Angel to replace into the Have a Blast! He then played the Blast, blowing up the Doomstadt and forcing the Reign of Terror into Kim’s row.
Kim: “Oops.”
Masami got the double stun and passed.
On turn 4, Kim played an Enemy of My Enemy from her row, searching out a Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius. She then KO’d her 3-drop Doom to his own effect and flipped the Enemy back down. She played the 4-drop Doom, played the Enemy again for a Kristoff Von Doom, Pretender to the Throne and then flipped the Enemy down . . . again!
Masami was impressed. He activated his X-Corp and hit a Professor X, Headmaster. Kim sent Doom into the Professor with a power-up. They traded stuns and passed into the next turn.
Masami hit with X-Corp again on turn 5, netting him his 5-drop: Emma Frost, Friend or Foe. Kim played Kristoff. Masami sent his 3-drop Doom with a Savage Beatdown into Kristoff. Kim flipped a Cover Fire to push his DEF to 13. Masami flipped the Savage Beatdown back down with Emma and replayed it on Doom to get through the Cover Fire. Kim shrugged and reinforced. Next, Masami sent Emma into the Diabolic Genius for the one-sided stun. The Professor came in for a direct 7 damage.
San sat quietly in the hidden area.
Masami leads, 38-16.
On turn 6, Kim played Enemy for Dr. Doom, Sorcerous Savant and recruited him. Masami missed with his X-Cop but still managed to recruit Jean Grey, Red. Masami had a commanding board with his 3- through 6-drops still in play. Kim sent Dr. Doom into Emma—Emma went down. With Kristoff locking down the row, Masami’s hands were tied. Kristoff took out Professor X, and Kim passed. Masami smashed Kristoff with Jean, passed his attack, and played Phoenix Rising to recover Professor X before the recovery phase to draw an extra card.
When Masami played Magneto, Master of Magnetism on turn 7, Kim looked worried and took a minute to think. She flipped Crisis on Infinite Earths and placed a 3-drop Doom recruit on the chain. Masami responded by turning his Have a Blast! down with Emma and re-playing it, targeting the team-up. Kim played Mystical Paralysis, targeting Magneto and exhausting her 6-drop Doom. She allowed the Blast to resolve, and her Doom came into play, KO’ing the 6-drop. She searched out another Mystical Paralysis and placed it on top of her deck. She flipped a Meltdown to replace into her new Paralysis, which she flipped, targeting Jean Grey. She then recruited a Boris, Personal Servant of Dr. Doom and immediately searched for yet another Paralysis. Kim played Faces of Doom for another copy of the 3-drop, KO’d her old Doom to his effect, flipped down the Mystical, and recruited the new Doom to fetch a copy of Enemy for the top of her deck. She played the third paralysis, targeting Masami’s 5-drop.
With most of the board exhausted, both players passed.
Turn 8 . . . finally. Kim played Enemy, getting Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas. Masami used Red’s effect to replace three cards and then recruited Exodus. Before combat, Kim played Betrayal, and Masami realized he forgot to place his Brotherhood characters adjacent to Professor X. He stunned the Professor. Kim let Aquaman’s effect resolve and got back the Betrayal and a Mystical Paralysis.
During Kim’s attack step, Aquaman smashed Jean. Kim then team attacked into Magneto with her 3- and 5-drop, but realizing that Exodus could still attack for the win, Kim conceded to Masami.
“It’s yours.”
Masami Ibamoto Wins.