Jason Hager and Adam Prosak are both elite players at the top of their game, and they’ve both been here many times before. They sat down, shook hands, and then just made up where they’re from and what they do.
Adam: “Hey, where’re you from?”
Jason: “Here in San Diego. You?”
Adam: “Omaha, Nebraska.”
Jason: “I’m sorry.”
Apparently Adam has family in West Virginia, which might even be true.
Neither player bothers to carry dice or coins, so Adam came up with the game of “find the Dr. Strange.” (He put two cards from his unused pile on the table face down and had Jason guess which was Dr. Strange.) Jason guessed correctly, and his cry of “YAAAAUUUUSSS!!!” echoed off the rafters for a good ten seconds.
Jason put Adam on odds and kept his opening four. Adam sent his first hand back. Both players played a resource but no character on turn 1.
Jason led off turn 2 with a Dr. Minerva, taking Commander Dylon Cir off the top of his deck. Adam responded with Silver Surfer, Skyrider of the Spaceways with a Mind Gem. Dr. Minerva attacked, and Adam searched for Human Torch, The Invisible Man and set it on top of his deck. Both players dropped to 48 endurance.
Adam started turn 3 by replaying his Mind Gem on Surfer, and then he played Crystal, Elementelle concealed. He searched out an Extended Family, put it down in the row, and passed to Jason, who played out the Commander behind Minerva and equipped Nega-Bands to the smaller drop. Crystal attacked Minerva, and Jason elected not to reinforce. Silver Surfer then attacked Dylon Cir for another mutual stun.
Jason then flipped Penal Colony, discarding Admiral Galen Kor to put Dr. Minerva back into his hand. He flipped Soul World to bring the Admiral back as well, leaving himself at 37 endurance to Adam’s 43.
On turn 4, Jason discarded Pip the Troll to play Frankie Raye ◊ Nova, Optimistic Youth, then discarded Galen Kor to Frankie to draw two cards. His play for the turn was Ronan the Accuser, Starforce, who got no responses from Adam and his mostly character-filled row. Jason put his Nega-Bands back down on Dylon Cir and passed the turn.
Adam dropped Human Torch, equipped him with Mind Gem, and passed.
Jason’s Dylon Cir brought the noise against Human Torch for a mutual stun, and then Frankie and Ronan brought the funk directly for a total of 9 endurance loss. Crystal had neither noise nor funk during Adam’s attack step. Jason used Penal Colony to bring Frankie Raye back to his hand and activated Soul World on Pip the Troll, taking 4 . . . and then gaining 2 back.
Jason: “That’s right!”
Adam: “How lucky.”
Adam had the initiative on turn 5. He replayed the Mind Gem on Human Torch and then dropped Mr. Fantastic, Illuminati. Jason replayed Frankie, discarding Drax the Destroyer, another Infinity Watch character. Adam had no comment. Jason played Korath the Pursuer and Nega-Bands again on Dylon Cir. He formed with Korath in front of Ronan, with Frankie and Dylon Cir to either side of Ronan in the back row.
Adam attacked Human Torch into Ronan. Jason powered-up Ronan from the hand. Adam, having made the attack in desperation, had nothing, and Human Torch stunned. He then sent Mr. Fantastic into Korath, and Jason flipped The Infamous Seven for another stonewall. Clearly in bad position—with his entire turn 5 attack step brickwalled and Jason’s turn 6 initiative coming up next—Adam scooped.
Jason Hager wins!