Much like today’s second playoff round matchup between the Colts and the Patriots, it is hard to imagine that today's $10K finals could get much better than this semifinal showdown. This is quite a pairing—no matter how it plays out, the winner will be the odds-on favorite to win the whole shebang. Both players already have a $10K trophy on their mantle. Each won with a deck similar to the one they played this weekend, and their three Pro Circuit experiences have yielded an 8th, 14th, and 24th place finish. Matt Boccio earned the Top 8 at the first Pro Circuit in Indy.

Leander, who keeps the cards that cost him the Top 8 in his first two PCs on display inside his deck case to drive him toward greater success, was envious of Boccio’s accomplishment. “Your Top 8 trumps my record at the PC.”

Boccio shrugged and replied graciously, “I am sure you have way more points than I do, though.”

Game 1

Both players kept their initial hands, and Leander led off with Optitron for Terra. Boccio played Destiny. “Two?” asked Leander. Yup—Boccio had the TNB. He followed with Phantazia on turn 2, while Leander used Optitron for Dove. Boccio flipped up Savage Land and bashed for 7.

Leander boosted out the yin and yang duo and pushed them up front. Quicksilver arrived for Boccio, and Destiny gave Dove a bad reading. Quicksilver was protecting Phantazia, and Destiny hung up front, as well. Dove came after Destiny, and Leander powered up with Tamaran. Hank came after Pietro and they both stunned. Phantazia went for Dawn, but when Boccio activated Savage Land, Leander had the Overload.

Sabretooth, Feral Rage was the 4-drop from the New Yorker. The Tampa native activated the Argus and recruited Terra. She protected Hank, while Dawn chilled in the support row—both of Boccio’s guys were up front, natch. Quicksilver went after Dove, and Terra ate the Argus. Sabretooth went in for Terra and they both stunned. Leander Ka-Boomed Savage Land at the end of the attack phase.

Red Star joined the active roster for Leander, and Sauron landed on Boccio’s side. Hawk and Dove were up front protecting Red Star and Terra, respectively. Sabretooth was in front of Sauron. Red Star launched a powered-up assault on Sabretooth, and Terra came after Sauron. Boccio had A Death in the Family for Terra.

Magneto and Garth came down, with the score at 26 to 16 in Leander’s favor. Boccio flipped Genosha and entered his attack step. He used Magneto’s ability to exhaust Dawn, who was in the back between Garth and Red Star. Garth was protected by Hank. Magneto went after Garth and had no additional effects. They both stunned. Sabretooth came after Hank, and Boccio flipped up a Flying Kick and a Savage Beatdown, with a power up for good measure. It brought Sabretooth’s ATK to 22, leaving him right on the brink of Overloading. Leander pushed him over that brink with his own Savage Beatdown, and quickly followed it with the Overload.

That was enough for Boccio to pack in game 1.

Robert Leander - 1, Matt Boccio – 0

Game 2

Both players mulliganed. Neither of them had a turn 1 play. Boccio had a turn 2 Pyro, while Leander played Tim Drake <> Robin. Boccio passed and Leander swung in, but Boccio was slow-rolling the TNB to get in some extra damage. Leander activated Tamaran to get in a little extra something, himself.

“C’mon, nothing!” pleaded Boccio from behind a middling hand.

Leander had something—two somethings, actually, after boosting out Hawk and Dove. Boccio had Rogue, Anna Raven. Dove traded with Pyro, Hawk traded with Rogue, and Timmy got in for 3 with some help from Tamaran.

Sauron came down for Boccio to fight side by side with Rogue. Roy Harper was Leander’s turn 4 play. Rogue took down Roy, and Sauron went after Tim. Leander powered up with Tamaran, then flipped Titans Tower and discarded another Roy Harper to force another trade. Boccio used Death in the Family to KO Roy. The score was 27 to 24 in Leander’s favor.

Leander recruited the Atlantean sorcerer with the twinkle in his eye and left him behind Hank. Tim Drake hung on the front lines with Hank. Boccio cracked Genosha in the hope of finding Magneto, but instead had to play a horde of weenies—Thornn, Toad, and Destiny.

Leander mowed down the whole team with a Titans Go and an Overload. He returned the Overload to hand at the end of combat, and all Boccio had left was Sauron. He replayed Toad with a boo-boo face, and Leander played Roy and pumped him with Tim Drake before playing another Tim Drake.

Boccio made a token effort to mount an attack, but his heart wasn’t in it and instead of playing things out to their inevitable conclusion, Matt took a knee.

Final score: Robert Leander - 2, Matt Boccio - 0