Both of these players are consistent Pro Circuit money winners with multiple Top 20 finishes under their belts. Neither have had much success at $10K events, but they’re looking to change that. Milton won the coin flip and chose to take the odd initiative.

Both players began the game with a mulligan. Milton passed, while Billy had Boliver Trask to fetch Hounds of Ahab. Boliver got in for a point, and play moved to turn 2. Billy recruited his Hounds, while Milton had a late Lorelei. Billy attacked into Lorelei and used No Man Escapes the Manhunters to stun. Billy’s Hounds ate Lorelei, and that was the turn.

Milton led off with Rogue, Anna Raven on turn 3, while Billy had Sentinel Mark II behind Boliver. Milton responded to the recruit with Surprise Attack. Milton used a No Man Escapes the Manhunters of his own to bring Billy’s Hounds to the visible area, and then he reinforced when Milton attacked. Neither player had more attacks, and that was the turn. Milton led 48–42.

Turn 4 was Billy’s initiative, and he played Sentinel Mark V. Milton had Pyro in front of Rogue. The Sentinel attacked Rogue, and Milton flipped two copies of The New Brotherhood. Billy had two power-ups, and Milton had a power-up of his own. A Reconstruction Program from Billy stopped the stunback. Billy next sent his Sentinel Mark II into Pyro for the mutual stun. The Hounds KO’d Anna, and Boliver got in for an additional point. Billy took the endurance lead by a point, 36–35.

On turn 5, Milton played Magneto, Eric Lehnsherr behind Pyro. Billy had a boosted Mark V. Magneto exhausted the boosted Mark at the start of combat, and Pyro attacked into the smaller one. A Savage Land and a Genosha later, and both characters went down. Milton ran over the Hounds with his Magneto, and that was the end of combat. Milton gained a slight endurance lead of 33–30.

Billy had turn 6 Bastion and pushed all of his characters to the front. Milton could only muster a Sauron, flanked by his other two characters in the back row. Billy first sent Bastion into Sauron, an attack that Milton could do nothing about. He reinforced with Magneto. Trask was sent into Pyro, with help from No Man Escapes the Manhunters. Both characters stunned. Finally, Billy sent his boosted Mark V into Magneto, causing another mutual stun. Billy’s remaining Mark V and Mark II faced an empty board, and both characters attacked directly. Billy now had a commanding endurance lead of 22–7.

Milton had Thornn and Mammomax on turn 7, while Billy brought out Magneto, Master of Magnetism. Milton had a Surprise Attack to tighten the endurance gap a bit. Billy played two copies of Null Time Zone naming Flying Kick and Mega-Blast, then passed to Milton’s attack. Milton went into the tank, trying to figure out how he could salvage this game. He finally decided to exhaust the boosted Mark V with Magneto, and then attacked Magneto into Bastion. Billy used Bastion on himself twice to force the Savage Land activation. Before Bastion stunned, Billy used Bastion three times on his own Magneto. When the attack resolved, both characters stunned and Billy took 3 points of breakthrough. Milton’s final attack sent his remaining characters into Magneto, but it wasn’t enough to take the game.

Billy Postlethwait wins!