This match pitted seasoned TCG professional Gerard Fabiano against local deckbuilder Stephen Silverman. Gerard is playing “whatever,” and Stephen is playing the much-heralded Dr. Light combo deck that this reporter has been waiting to see in action.

 

Stephen won the coin flip and chose to go first. He took a mulligan and Gerard kept his opener. Stephen had no turn 1 play, while Gerard recruited Boliver Trask for Sentinel Mark V, signaling Hounds of Ahab in his hand. “This is the worst draw ever,” remarked Stephen.

 

Gerard played the predictable Hounds of Ahab on turn 2, while Stephen recruited a lonely Rama-Tut. Gerard sent his Hounds into Rama-Tut and hit for another 1 with Boliver. Stephen thought for a moment about whether or not he would recover his Rama-Tut—very interesting—and eventually chose to keep it and end the turn.

 

Stephen kicked off turn 3 by recruiting Dr. Light, Master of Holograms, which he played behind Rama-Tut. Still in his recruit step, he used Signal Flare to get Valeria Richards. He discarded that same Valeria and used Dr. Light to put it into play. Gerard recruited the predictable Sentinel Mark II and set it up behind Boliver Trask. Matt declared an attack of Rama-Tut into Boliver Trask. Gerard played Nasty Surprise on his Boliver and then Acrobatic Dodge. Rama-Tut was stunned. Matt passed his attacks, and flipped a Doomstadt, and moved Valeria into the hidden zone. Gerard team-attacked Dr. Light and used his Hounds to take down Dr. Light for good.

 

Gerard recruited an unexciting Sentinel Mark V on turn 4, completing the standard curve. Stephen recruited Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius, turning nothing down. Gerard attacked his Sentinel Mark V into Dr. Doom, currently at 9 DEF, and powered up twice. Stephen flipped Devil's Due and Gone but not Forgotten, then sacrificed Rama-Tut to gain some endurance and put a counter on Dr. Doom. Gerard had the Reconstruction Program, Dr. Doom was stunned, and the Hounds took him out.

 

Stephen began turn 5 with a Dr. Light and a Signal Flare for Lacuna. “That was a topdeck,” he remarked. Lacuna went to the discard pile, and Stephen attempted to use Dr. Light to retrieve it. Gerard thought for a while on whether or not to use his Sentinel Mark II to counter Dr. Light's ability, and finally decided to counter it. Stephen flipped a team-up, teaming up Emerald Enemies and Fantastic Four, and then played Cosmic Radiation, readying Dr. Light. He activated Dr. Light targeting Rama-Tut. Rama-Tut came into play, and because he controlled Dr. Doom, he retrieved a plot twist—the Radiation. He played Kristoff Von Doom, KO'd Rama-Tut to Devil's Due, and put a counter on Kristoff, gaining two endurance in the process. He then played Cosmic Radiation and began the infinite loop.

 

Gerard interrupted by using his Genosha to attempt to draw out of the loop. Unfortunately, he drew neither a Search and Destroy nor an Overload, and Stephen gained thirty-eight billion life while giving Kristoff nineteen billion +1 ATK/+1 DEF counters. With no way to win, Gerard conceded.

 

Stephen Silverman wins and remains undefeated!