Vidianto Wijaya needs no introduction. This man is already a legend, with triple PC finals finishes and more money than any other player — ever. Masami Ibamoto is that hotshot Japanese player from a couple of rounds ago. Both players came into this round with one loss. Ibamoto defeated Vidi’s teammate Kim Caton in round 5; will he dominate Vidi as well?

Vidi opened with some classic Vidi banter: “Which deck do I play? My WoW deck and start at 25 life?”

Both players shuffled each other’s decks thoroughly. Vidi low-rolled with a 1 and got stuck with odds.

Turn 1

Vidi slammed the Boris, Personal Servant of Dr. Doom beats. Ibamoto recruited Archangel, Angel and searched out an X-Corp: Paris. The players traded stuns and moved on to turn 2.

Turn 2

Ibamoto played Sage, Tessa; Vidi had Silver Surfer, Skyrider of the Spaceways. Ibamoto declared Angel on Surfer. Vidi flipped up a Doomstadt, activated his Boris, and found a Faces of Doom. He then activated Surfer and placed a Reign of Terror on top of his deck. After all that, both characters stunned. Sage came in for 3 direct.

Turn 3

Vidi played the Faces and grabbed a Dr. Doom, Richards’s Rival. He brought Doom into play and found a Crisis on Infinite Earths Team-Up to put on top of his deck. Masami matched the 3-drop Doom with a Doom of his own, but instead of a team-up, he fetched the game-breaking Have a Blast!. Vidi gave a slight groan.

Surfer smacked Angel, and then Doom attacked Doom, but Ibamoto had the Acrobatic Dodge to save his board. Vidi smiled and groaned again. Ibamoto passed on the attack back and instead KO’d his Angel to replace into the Have a Blast! on top of his deck.

Turn 4

Ibamoto recruited Professor X, Headmaster and passed. Vidi played and flipped a resource: the Crisis Team-Up. Vidi then tried to recruit Dr. Doom, Diabolic Genius, but Ibamoto had a response—he flipped the Have a Blast! from his row to replace the Team-Up. Vidi KO’d the 3-drop to replace his Faces before the 4-drop came into play. When the 4-drop hit play, Vidi chained his effect by flipping a Meltdown to replace a resource and then flipped it back down. Finding nothing useful in the new resource, he flipped the Meltdown again. Nothing.

It was Ibamoto’s attack, but he chose to pass to Vidi. Vidi smiled coyly and play another Meltdown from his hand replacing the same resource for the fourth time that turn. Nothing again.

Vidi: “Man.”

Vidi sent his Doom into Professor X with a power-up. Ibamoto flipped a Cover Fire, but Vidi responded by playing a Reign of Terror targeting the opposing 3-drop Doom. Ibamoto shrugged and then powered-up the Professor for the brickwall. It was not looking good for the former champ.

Turn 5

Vidi played a Human Torch, the Invisible Man; Ibamoto played an Emma Frost, Friend or Foe. Torch and Surfer teamed into the Professor, but Ibamoto had an answer again with another Acrobatic Dodge. Surfer stunned, and Vidi had no choice but to pass. Ibamoto sent Emma into Doom, but Doom exhausted to Mystical Paralysis Professor X, thereby saving Vidi’s meager board.

Before the end of the turn, Ibamoto turned down Have a Blast! courtesy of Emma Frost.

Turn 6

Ibamoto flashed Vidi the Jean Grey, Red. This seemed to be enough to force a smile from Vidi and a concession. “This is such a bad matchup for me,” sighed the perennial PC finalist.

Ibamoto wins!