The last time these two players faced off in a major tournament, John Rich was knocking David Spears out of contention for Day 2 of Pro Circuit Indy. In this final round, Spears could attempt to exact revenge or magnanimously concede to put them both through into Top 8. Spears had other teammates vying for a chance to play tomorrow, however, and could not give away the round.
Spears mulliganed and saw four plot twists in his next four. “You might have this one, buddy.”
He led with a Sentinel Mark III on the second turn, while Pyro came down on the other side. Spears took 5 and Rich took only 2.
Spears rooted for Rich to make no play when he hesitated on turn 3: “No 3-drop!”
Rich shook his head as he debated between cards, “Actually, it’s a choice.”
“Well . . . put down Rogue, Anna Raven, not Quicksilver.”
Rich played Quicksilver, Pietro Maximoff.
Spears put a Sentinel Mark II in the back of another. Rich flipped up The New Brotherhood and Flying Kicked his Pyro into the Mark III. Both of Spears’s fellows stunned and Rich kept both of his. Neither player had an actual 4-drop. It was Rogue for Rich and another Mark III for Spears. One Mark III took down Quicksilver, but when he Savage Beatdowned the other into Rogue, it was swatted away as an Insignificant Threat.
Rich had Magneto, Eric Lehnsherr on turn 5, and it was Nimrod for Spears. Magneto exhausted the Mark III and attacked it. Rich took Spears down to 8—he was at 44—with his two burn creatures and passed the turn. Bastion and a Mark V hit play on turn 6 with the help of an Underground Sentinel Base. Rich played a 6-drop Rogue, Powerhouse.
The Mark V went in after Quicksilver, and neither player had any effects. Mark III went after Pyro, and Spears dipped to 5 from its ability. Nimrod rammed Magneto for 10 and took it down. Bastion went into Mystique, and Spears started pitching. His Bastion went to 17 ATK/17 DEF, and with Avalon Space Station nuttiness, the Rogue eventually fell at 16 ATK/16 DEF.
Rich could only recover his Rogue, while Spears still had his whole robot army. It was 24 to 5 in favor of Rich. Rich played a 5-drop Quicksilver and put it up front with Rogue. He announced, “I am a bad player.” He could have Space Stationed his Pyro, but did not. Spears had no play.
Rogue went after Nimrod. Spears reinforced with his Mark III and double Tag Teamed to make it 13 ATK/13DEF. Rich retrieved two Rogues with his Station and double powered up. Spears took his guy to 15 with Bastion’s ability. Flying Kick from Rich was trumped by Cover Fire from Spears. Rich took 6 when Rogue stunned.
“We’re having an intermission.”
There was some small chance that Spears would concede and still make Top 8, he but decided that he did not like either match-up if he was seventh or eighth and went in for the kill.
David Spears went on to an 8-2 record with his Curve Sentinels deck and was a lock for Top 8. There was the possibility that his team, Realmworx, would put four players through to tomorrow, including two Curve Sentinels.