SoL Rnd 1: Looney Bin vs Pate de FOE-IGras

Looney Bin (Spud) vs. Pâté de FOES IG-ras (Pablo)
(write-up by Spud)

Spud wins the roll and takes odds.

Turn 1, both players pass with no recruit.

Turn 2, Pablo brings out IQ. Spud plays Tally Man and passes. Pablo goes into Tally Man with a Chain Lightning (fearing a Smiles on the return attack) for an early 4 damage.

On 3, Spud recruits Julia Carpenter, and Pablo counters with Time Trapper behind IQ. Spud doesn’t have the pump to put Tally Man into IQ and then Smiles the Trapper, so he takes the easy route– Julia into IQ, flipping a team-up to exhaust IQ, and playing Smiles, Everyone! from hand to exhaust Trapper and KO IQ. Tally man can’t hurt the exhausted Trapper, so it’s on to 4.

Pablo’s 4 is the preferred Felix Faust, but Spud counters with DCX Hush, eliciting a groan from Pablo. Not wanting to risk Felix into Hush (and wisely, because Spud is holding a Nasty Surprise), Felix goes into Julia, and Trapper follows by diving into Tally Man. On his init, Spud runs Hush through Time Trapper. Seeing that his “make the opponent search, discard, and burn” combo is about to be shut down, Pablo plays two Secret Files and a Call In A Favor to burn Spud for 6; both players fix their curve up to 7. Trapper stuns and KOs, and it’s off to turn 5.

Spud puts down Sasquatch protecting Julia, with Hush 96 columns to the left of them. Pablo plays Computo and forms him behind Felix. Spud sends Sasquatch into Felix, flipping a No Man’s Land to get the exhaust. Pablo chains an Engine of Change to replace it, and Spud elects to lose the location rather than discard from his dwindling hand.

Once that resolves, Spud plays a Smiles, Everyone! on Felix, getting a counter on Sasquatch at the same time. Despite the 4 break he’s taking, Pablo elects not to reinforce in the hopes that Spud won’t be able to exhaust Computo for the KO with Hush. As it turns out, though, Spud teams Hush and Julia into Computo, and burns a Usual Suspects (his only currently-playable plot twist) to get the exhaust and complete the board wipe. Spud goes into 6 with his 3, 4, and 5… it seems the writing’s on the wall at this point.

Pablo’s not happy with his options on 6, and ultimately elects to play Ol-Vir. Spud counters with DOR Bane, forming everybody but Julia in the front row. Pablo thinks for a while to see if he has any way of dodging Ol-Vir’s KO this turn, and reasons that since most of my KOs trigger off combat, he might be able to avoid it if he trades with Bane. He flips Khundian Warship for a little pump, and sends his 13/11 into Spud’s 12/11 for a dual with break. Unfortunately, Spud has the Kidnapping to execute another wipe, and after the rest of the Looney Bin piles in, it’s 27 to 12 for Spud.

On 7, Spud gets Two-Face; Pablo has Universo, but there’s no way for him not to lose (he’s been drawing mostly characters), so he scoops.

First blood to the Looney Bin!

Quick hit: Green ‘rine (Eponymous) wins over Rebellion in New Jersey (Gdaybloke)
(write-up by Gdaybloke)

Despite getting some sincere milling action in nice and early (including milling two X-Men Assembles and two Acrobatic Dodges off Green ‘rine’s deck by 3), missing their team-up meant that the Manhunter/Marvel Defenders deck couldn’t pay for Manhunters Are A Myth to counteract Kyle’s Chopping Block, nor could they fuel the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak when they needed the stall. Add in having to underdrop on multiple turns and New Jersey was promptly overrun by Green Lanterns and their mutant pals. Game MVP for Green ‘rine was definitely Kyle Raynor and his Chopping Block, KO’ing members of the Rebellion and keeping them from gaining any momentum.

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