Kyle is from Kansas City, Kansas and Mike is from Gurnee, Illinois. Kyle is playing the venerable Teen Titans, and Mike is playing the veteran New Brotherhood deck, which has regained some popularity since $10K Los Angeles.

Mike won the roll and chose the odd initiative. Kyle kept his hand, as did Mike. Mike played a Lorelei and attacked into Kyle’s empty field for 3 endurance loss with the help of The New Brotherhood. On the second turn, Kyle recruited Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective and Mike recruited Pyro. Kyle passed his attack and Mike attacked into Tim Drake, dealing Kyle 3 endurance loss from the attack followed by an additional 3 endurance loss from Lorelei.

Turn 3 began with Mike recruiting Phantazia and Toad. Kyle recruited Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal and positioned him behind Tim Drake. Mike sent Lorelei to stun Tim Drake and Toad to stun Roy Harper, flipping a second copy of The New Brotherhood. Kyle flipped up and used Tamaran, and an Overload was discarded from the top of his deck. Mike was at 40, and the beating Kyle had taken left him at 16 endurance going into the fourth turn.

Kyle began turn 4 by flipping and using Optitron to get Dawn Granger ◊ Dove and played it boosted, fetching Hank Hall ◊ Hawk. Mike played Mastermind, Destiny, and Toad. Kyle attacked and stunned a few characters, but Mike flipped a third copy of The New Brotherhood and Kyle asked to go to the next game.


Game Two

Kyle decided to take the odd initiative for game 2. He mulliganed, while Mike kept his hand. On turn 1, Kyle used Optitron, discarding Garth ◊ Tempest to fetch Tim Drake. Mike played Lorelei and flipped a Savage Land to swing directly into Kyle’s open field for 2 endurance loss.

On turn 2, Mike recruited Destiny and placed both characters in the front row. Kyle recruited Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective. Mike attacked Lorelei into Tim Drake and revealed The New Brotherhood. Both characters stunned and Destiny attacked for 4 endurance loss with help from Savage Land.

Kyle began turn 3 by flipping and activating USS Argus, and recruiting Hank Hall ◊ Hawk with boost. Mike recruited Thornn. Kyle sent Hawk, Dove, and Tim Drake in to stun Mike’s side while only stunning one of his characters. Mike chose to recover Lorelei.

On turn 4, Mike recruited Sabretooth, Feral Rage, discarding Magneto, Eric Lehnsherr. Kyle recruited Red Star and formed Tim and Red Star behind Hawk and Dove. Mike sent Sabertooth to attack Dove. Kyle paused and considered if Mike played Blind Sided, and then chose to reinforce with Dove with Red Star, losing one endurance. Lorelei attacked Hank and Kyle attempted to Overload, but was met by a Not So Fast. Kyle reinforced and recovered Hank.

Kyle began the fifth turn by recruiting Garth ◊ Tempest, forming Red Star and Garth behind Tim Drake and Hank Hall. Mike opted to not play a resource and played Rogue, Anna Raven and Mastermind. He formed Sabretooth and Rogue behind Mastermind and Lorelei. Kyle team attacked Lorelei with Red Star and Tim Drake, powering Red Star up and transferring the stun to him with Tim Drake. Kyle then played Teen Titans Go! and team attacked Rogue with Tim Drake and Hank Hall, transferring the stun to Hank Hall. At this point, Kyle sent Red Star into Mastermind, stunning. Kyle then played Teen Titans Go! and team attacked Mike’s sole remaining unstunned character, Sabretooth, with Tim Drake and Red Star. Once again, he transferred the stun to Red Star. Garth then came at Mike directly with 14 ATK, aided by a Savage Beatdown. Kyle recovered Hank Hall after paying 3 endurance to get an Overload back. Mike recovered Sabretooth.

On turn 6, Mike played a resource and recruited Magneto, Eric Lehnsherr and formed both of his characters in the front row. Kyle recruited Terra and used Red Star to burn Mike for 5 endurance loss. He formed with Tim Drake and Hank Hall in the front row, protecting Red Star and Garth, leaving Terra in the back row unprotected. Magneto went to Terra, and Kyle played a Heroic Sacrifice, stunning Hank Hall. He responded to his Heroic Sacrifice by activating Terra targeting his own Hank Hall and USS Argus. Mike then sent Magneto into Garth, forcing Kyle to pay 3 endurance and bring Heroic Sacrifice back to play again, stunning Tim Drake. Kyle recovered Tim Drake and recruited Koriand’r ◊ Starfire on the next turn. Mike scooped, with his endurance total dwindling and no new recruits on his side of the board.


Game Three

In the final game, Mike chose to take odds and both players kept their hands. Mike played a Surprise Attack from his hand and played both Lorelei and The New Brotherhood turn 1. He was met by Dove and Tamaran from Kyle.

On turn 2, Kyle had no characters to recruit, and Mike recruited Toad. Kyle sent Dove into Toad and powered up with Tamaran, stunning both. Mike sent Lorelei to Kyle directly and was met by an Overload. Mike recovered Toad.

On turn 3, Mike played Rogue, Anna Raven and Kyle played Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal. Mike sent Toad and Rogue in and stunned Kyle’s entire side, while only getting Toad stunned. At this point, the endurance totals stood at 44 to 35 in Mike’s favor.

On turn 4, Kyle recruited Red Star and placed Roy Harper in the support row behind him. Mike wasn’t happy as he played a Pyro. Kyle sent Red Star into Rogue and used Tamaran to prevent stunning, then exhausted Roy Harper to Finishing Move Rogue. Mike activated Pyro and play proceeded to the next turn.

On turn 5, Mike recruited Thornn and Scarlet Witch, Eldritch Enchantress, responding to the come into play effect with two copies of The Mutant Menace, each burning for 4 endurance loss. The two Scarlet Witch effects burned for a total of 6 endurance loss. Kyle recruited Terra. Kyle activated Terra on Toad in response to Mike’s attack. Mike returned Toad to his hand and mentioned having no characters in hand, then remembered that he now has Toad. Mike sent Thornn into Terra with a Savage Beatdown, and Kyle responded with a Heroic Sacrifice, stunning Roy Harper. Mike, undiscouraged, sent Pyro to Red Star and offered another Savage Beatdown to ensure the stun. Kyle recovered Red Star while Mike recovered Pyro.

On turn 6, Kyle recruited Tim Drake, and boosted out Hawk and Dove. He spent his last resource point on Red Star’s ability. Mike simply re-recruited Toad in front of Pyro and then recruited Scarlet Witch twice. This left Kyle at 5 and Mike at 24. Kyle managed to stun both Toad and Pyro, but took 3 from a Pyro activation, leaving endurance totals at 2 to 14 in Mike’s favor. Turn 7 is not normally a turn The New Brotherhood wants to see, but Mike seemed relieved as he recruited Sabretooth and Thornn and then played Scarlet Witch to burn for 3. Kyle recruited Koriand’r ◊ Starfire and spent the extra point to burn for 5 with Red Star. Endurance totals were -1 to 9 in Mike’s favor at the start of combat on turn 7. Mike smiled and laughed at his precarious position, mentioning that he would concede if Kyle had even a single location. Mike sent Thornn into Hank Hall, which was protecting Koriand’r.

Mike activated Savage Land on Thornn, boosting its attack to 8. Kyle responded with an Overload, which Mike responded to with Not So Fast, discarding the only card left in his hand—the Scarlet Witch. After a few minutes of deliberation, Kyle decided to pass and take the attack. Mike followed with Sabretooth attacking Koriand’r. Mike activated Pyro to burn for 3, leaving Kyle with Red Star, Terra, Dove, Tim Drake, and -16 endurance. Kyle revealed a Press the Attack from his resource row, and both players realized that the combat math is in Kyle’s favor by a mere 4 endurance. This left the endurance totals at Kyle -16, Mike -20 at the end of turn 7. Kyle Dembinski wins the game and the match, and advances to the finals.

Match Win: Kyle Dembinski