Neil Reeves and Dean Sohnle both won the first rounds of their pod to advance to a 9-2 record. Dean is a Canadian who is better known for his skills with the 60-card decks as opposed to 30, with two Constructed $10K championships to his credit. Neil is looking to add another PC Top 8 to his already lengthy resume. You know, after a while, it becomes difficult to say something new and fresh about Neil Reeves.
Dean won the choice, took the odds, and kept his opening four. Neil sent his back. Dean started off with Ape X, which searched out a Thunder Jet. He elected not to equip the Ape. Neil had nothing, and lost 1 endurance.
Neil had Shape on the second turn, while Dean played a visible Tom Thumb, who he equipped with Force Field Belt before giving Ape X the Thunder Jet. Neil passed his attacks, and Dean attacked Shape with Tom Thumb and then Neil directly with Ape X. Dean continued to apply pressure on the third turn with Beetle ◊ Mach 2. Neil had Hank Pym ◊ Yellowjacket, and debated for a while before deciding to put him in the hidden area. Dean made the obvious attacks: Beetle stunned Shape, and the rest of his team attacked Neil directly. Neil then attacked Tom Thumb with his hidden Yellowjacket, stunning the 2-drop.
On turn 4, Neil recruited Iron Man, Tony Stark and placed him in the support row behind Shape. Dean, not to be outdone, recruited Thor, Odinson and revealed Falcon out of his resource row. Dean set up with Ape X in front of Thor and Tom Thumb in front of Beetle. Dean then moved the Force Field Belt onto Thor. Neil started his attacks with Shape on Ape X, which took down the Ape. Hank Pym followed suit, stunning Tom Thumb, and lastly, Iron Man stunned Beetle. Dean cracked back with Thor at Shape, dealing some breakthrough but only revealing a 1-drop to the breakthrough effect.
Dean recovered Beetle and then moved into turn 5, recruiting Black Panther (revealing three reservists) and Falcon. Neil had Whizzer and set up in an “L,” with Whizzer in front of Iron Man and Shape next to him in the support row. Dean attacked Shape with Black Panther, and in response, Neil teamed up with Two Worlds out of the resource row and discarded a team-up and Quagmire targeting Black Panther to force the stun back. Next, Dean sent Thor after Iron Man, but Neil had Heroes in Reserve for four, revealing Wonder Man along with three other reservists. Once again, Neil forced the stun back. Lastly, Dean teamed up Avengers and Thunderbolts to team attack Whizzer with Beetle and Falcon and played Seek Cover to turn Beetle into a leader and force the trade. Neil then sent Hank Pym after Falcon, stunning him. Dean was left with only Thor after recovery, which was stunned on Neil’s next build when he recruited Wonder Man. Dean had The Wrecker, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stop Neil’s avalanche of breakthrough.
Neil Reeves wins 1-0.