After I featured these two in round 3, they somehow snuck through the rest of the tournament without getting a feature match—all the way through to Top 8. Doug won their first matchup, but Draft is an entirely different ballgame. Doug won the die roll and selected the even initiatives for the first game.
Game 1
Milton mulliganed, while Doug kept. Neither player had a 1-drop. On turn 2, Doug played Pip the Troll, choosing not to search. He played Mind Gem, and then passed. Milton brought out San in the hidden area, searching out Blue Area of the Moon. Pip attacked directly with help from Battleworld, and that was the turn. On turn 3, Milton led off with Iron Man, Illuminati. Doug had Ruul Warrior in front of Pip. At the beginning of combat, Milton used Iron Man’s ability but missed. Iron Man attacked Pip, and the 2-drop stunned. Mind Gem was returned, and neither player had any further action. Doug led, 47-46.
Turn 4 was Doug’s initiative. He began by recruiting Mind Gem onto Ruul Warrior, and then followed it up with Titania, Temper Tantrum. He pushed his team to the front row and passed. Milton recruited Triton behind Iron Man, and the players moved to combat. Pip and Ruul Warrior team attacked Iron Man, and Milton missed on his ability again. Iron man and Pip traded. Next, Titania attacked Triton, KO’ing Pip for +2 ATK / +2 DEF. Milton used Himalayan Enclave to move San into the visible area and reinforce. In recovery, Iron Man was KO’d, and Milton led 45-39.
On turn 5, Milton recruited Alaris and set all three of his characters in the front row. Doug recruited Magneto, Acts of Vengeance behind Ruul Warrior. In combat, Milton sent Triton and San in a team attack into Ruul Warrior. Doug used Battleworld, and Milton used his Enclave to return San to safety. Mind Gem was returned to Doug’s hand. Milton’s next attack brought Alaris into Magneto. Doug flipped For the Glory of Doom! to team-up Doom and Kree, then allowed the stun. In recovery, Ruul Warrior was KO’d to the Team-Up to hit Milton for 2. Triton picked up a cosmic counter. The endurance scores were tied at 37 apiece.
Before recruiting on turn 6, Doug went into the tank. After a minute of thought, he began by recruiting Mind Gem onto Magneto. More thinking, and he discarded and recruited Sentry #459 from his resource row. Doug set up with Titania protecting Sentry and passed to Milton, who recruited Dinu. The 6-drop moved Sentry to the hidden area, and Milton set up with Alaris protecting Triton. Dinu was left in the support row. Doug’s first attack brought Sentry into Alaris. Milton paid 2 endurance to switch the positions of Alaris and Triton, then reinforced Alaris with Dinu. Titania attacked Triton, and the characters traded. Doug played Doom Needs Only Doom, KO’ing Titania to shrink Dinu. Magneto attacked in and traded with Dinu, returning Mind Gem and giving San the opportunity to attack directly. In recovery, Doug led 26-18.
On turn 7, Milton recruited Titannus behind Dinu. Doug recruited Dorma and set each of his characters in the support row. Titannus attacked Dorma, and Milton played It’s Slobberin’ Time! for +3 DEF. Doug played The Infamous Seven for +3 DEF of his own. Starforce Strike was good for +2 ATK, and Battleworld activated for the final point of ATK needed for the brickwall. Titannus was stunned. Dinu attacked Magneto; Dorma reinforced and the 5-drop went down. It was on Doug, and he sent Sentry #459 into Dinu for the mutual stun. Doug used For the Glory of Doom! to hit Milton for another 2, and that was the turn. The score was now 15-2 in Doug’s favor.
Turn 8 was Doug’s initiative and almost certainly the final turn of the game. He chose not to play a resource. Instead, he recruited, in succession: Sintariis, Mind Gem (drawing him the Admiral Galen Kor he searched for), and Clumsy Foulup. He flipped and used Penal Colony to bounce Foulup, which he recruited again. This was followed by Commander Dylon Cir, Admiral Galan Kor, and Ultron ◊ Ultron 11. Foulup, now at 5 ATK, was returned to Doug’s hand. The 63 ATK he had in play would certainly be more than enough, though, and Milton conceded the first game.
Game 2
Milton chose to take the odd initiatives for the second game. He missed on turn 1, while Doug recruited Sintariis for Admiral Galen Kor. On turn 2, Doug recruited Lancer behind Sintariis, as well as a Nega-Bands on the 1-drop. Milton again had San in the hidden area. For the second game in a row, he searched out Blue Area of the Moon. Milton took 7 from Doug’s team, and that was the turn. Milton had Iron Man, Illuminati for turn 3, while Doug recruited Mar-Vell ◊ Captain Marvel, Soldier of the Empire. Milton sent Iron Man into Lancer and missed on his ability. Doug had Starforce Strike to stun the 3-drop back. San attacked Sintariis with Himalayan Enclave. Doug KO’d Lancer for Doom Needs Only Doom, and the characters traded. Nega-Bands returned to Doug’s hand. Mar-Vell was free to attack directly, and the turn concluded with Doug ahead 45-31.
On turn 4, Doug recruited Admiral Galen Kor, who received the Nega-Bands. Milton had Ultimus behind Iron Man. In combat, Doug declared a team attack of Mar-Vell and Sintariis into Iron Man. Milton missed with Iron Man, and the 3-drops traded stuns. Dough went after Ultimus with Admiral Galen Kor, and Milton had nothing. The 4-drop went down. In recovery, Iron Man was lost. Doug’s lead was now 42-23.
Milton’s turn 5 play was again Alaris. Doug terraformed Battleworld before recruiting Magneto, Acts of Vengeance. He set up with Sintariis protecting Galen Kor and Magneto and Mar-Vell flanking the 4-drop in the support row. Milton sent Ultimus into Mar-Vell, and Doug simply reinforced. Alaris went after Magneto, and Doug used Battleworld to attempt a stun. Milton flipped The Substructure and flipped and used Blue Area of the Moon to prevent it. Magneto was stunned. In recovery, Mar-Vell was lost and Doug led 34-23.
Doug had the initiative on turn 6. He dropped Sentry #459 in front of Magneto, and then passed. Milton played Cannibal Tech for Mind Gem, which he recruited, and he followed it up with Maximus the Mad. Doug sent the Sentry into Alaris, and Milton reinforced with Ultimus. Mind Gem was returned to Milton’s hand. Galan Kor went after Ultimus, and Ultimus was stunned as well. Before Doug could declare further attacks, Milton used Himalayan Enclave to move Maximus to the visible area. Magneto attacked Maximus, and before they traded, Milton used The Outside World to recover Alaris. Milton used another Cannibal Tech to grab a Power Gem before the end of combat. Ultimus was lost in recovery, and Doug led 29-3.
Turn 7 was Milton’s initiative. He played Mind Gem, followed it up with Dr. Minerva (he didn’t hit) and Nahrees. Minerva received a Power Gem, and Milton passed with all of his characters in the front row. Doug recruited Dorma and set up with Dorma protecting Sentry and his remaining characters in the support row. Alaris attacked Magneto, and Doug flipped For the Glory of Doom! to team up Doom and Kree. He played The Infamous Seven and used Battleworld (to no effect; Doug neglected to notice Milton’s Enclave). The attack bounced, and Milton conceded.
Doug Tice wins and moves on to the semifinals!