SoL Rnd 3: Family of One vs Stranger Danger
September 24, 2008
Alright, you mealy mouthed citizens of the Lost Hemisphere, it’s time for another titanic bout! In the red corner, having smooshed Green Weakness and HKKO, it’s KAMIZA’S FAMILY OF ONE! (*cheers, yays*). In the blue corner, having trampled over Qwardian Real Estate and Villain Potpourri, it’s JAXXIN’S STRANGER DANGER! (*Whoops, huzzahs*)
Both decks have proven themselves to get this far, but the Orchid Division can only belong to one team in the end…. LET’s GET IT ON!!!
Gdaybloke (moi) proudly takes Family of One, while CaptainSpud stops trying to lick his elbow for a moment before taking Stranger Danger. Winning the dice roll, I looks over the decklist and opts for Odds. Both players keep their opening hands.
Turn One
… why do I even bother referring to turn one? Yup, neither player played anything.
Family of One: 50
Stranger Danger: 50
Turn Two
Proving that no-one needs beer like a robot in a dragon’s stomach, Spud recruits Aaron Stack for Stranger Danger.
On the other side of the field, Luke Cage: Steel Hard Skin flexes his pecs and discards, pretty sure he can get a stun this turn.
Aaron stack is only too willing to oblige, attacking Luke for a dual stun. I take 1 break, but it’s a fair trade for the extra card.
Family of One: 47
Stranger Danger: 48
Turn Three
Having drawn three copies of Thing: Idol o’ Millions, I was happy to recruit his rocky butt, discarding again for Luke. Spud responded with Kendra Saunders, equipped with an Nth metal.
Clearly not finished beating on Aaron, Luke got a little breakthrough this time to even things up at 45 END apiece.
Thing then went through Kendra, muttering something about it bein’ a revoltin’ development that he had to beat on the goil. Another dual stun.
With both boards face down, both players opted to keep the higher drops – Aaron and Luke hit the KO pile.
Family of One: 42
Stranger Danger: 41
Turn Four
More bird people! Katar Hol soars in for the Stranger Danger, but he’s missing that Nth Metal. It’s no real surprise when Mr Fantastic: Critical Thinker comes out for the Family.
Kendra flies over to lay a Savage Beatdown on Reed, but after going digging for an extra card, a power-up makes it a dual stun.
Continuing the trend, Katar flies into Thing for another dual stun.
Both boards are face down, and once again the lower drops pay the price. Kendra and Thing fly off together.
Family of One: 30
Stranger Danger: 34
Turn Five
Continuing to show no X-Statix presence whatsoever, a Signal Flare brings Thing back in his Heavy Hitter incarnation. Thunderbolt arcs in for Stranger Danger, exhausting and discarding Jakeem to hunt out an Nth Metal for Katar.
Keeping it simple, Reed goes digging for more toys to play with, while Thing layeth the smacketh down on Thunderbolt for a big smash.
In response, Katar soars over Things head to take a poke at Reed, but a powerup dodges the stun completely.
Family of One: 30
Stranger Danger: 26
Turn Six
Finally showing some team-up action, Spud flips Justice United to join JSA and JLA, with the express purpose of getting Jakeem back from the KO pile. Filling his resource points, he recruits Jakeem and Tabitha Smith.
Family of One finally shows some of the “one” part with Zeitgeist. Forbidden Loyalties goes up, and completely brain farting on Tabby’s ability, I discard to give him a counter.
Naturally, Tabby promptly steals it.
Thunderbolt and Katar declare a team attack into Zeitgeist. After it’s declared legal, X-Statix HQ flips up and Thing goes away (+5 END), Mutant of the Year from hand gets Reed off the board (after he goes digging, of course) (+2 END). Zeitgeist vomits his cosmic counter on Katar.
Suddenly without a partner in the attack, Thunderbolt gets enraged enough to launch a Savage Beatdown on Zeitgeist, but a quick stop by the X-Statix Cafe pumps him enough to avoid taking any breakthrough while Thunderbolt takes the stunback.
A quick Spin-Doctoring and Zeitgeist flips back up to block Tabitha’s ambitions. When she passes, Zeitgeist just kicks her himself (he’s a jerk like that), though Jakeem reinforces.
Family of One: 31
Stranger Danger: 12
Turn Seven
Another Signal Flare (I drew three) goes up for the 14/14 Mr Fantastic, while Spud recruits Phantom Stranger. Since I never bloody play the 7-drop Reed, I completely forget about searching out the Mandroid Prototype. (*facepalm*)
Zeitgeist declares into Jakeem, who pops off to find 6-drop Power Girl.
Shrugging, Zeitgeist and Mr Fantastic declare a team attack into Phantom Stranger. No effects, a simple biffing – Reed takes the stunback, and Stranger Danger is left on 5 END.
Zeitgeist blows himself up at X-Statix HQ, allowing for a Spin-Doctoring on Reed. Reed can’t cause any breakthrough, but Tabitha’s a 5-drop, so it’s an easy biff.
Family of One: 24
Stranger Danger: 0
Despite a couple of misplays, having the right cards to blow the board away for Zeitgeist on turn 6 made it a fairly simple win for the Family of One, who also had a Silver Surfer in hand should the game have gone on another turn.
Family of One wins the Orchid Division, and moves on to the Corsage Conference finals.
As people more or less predicted in the Gamblin’ threads, this one came down to the simple fact that while both decks are likely to butcher each other’s boards, Family of One WANTS that, while Stranger Danger is looking to build a numbers advantage.
Not drawing a single powerup all game certainly didn’t help things, but I don’t think it ultimately would’ve helped. :/
bah. shouldve bet on zeitgeist. I got swayed by onyxweapon’s post.
that’s 0 for two now. oh snap.
It could have gone either way but no powerups? that’s just an auto-loss for danger.
Yay for single parent families! Don’t forget to search for the prototype next time [shakes fist]
That was a sweet recount, though I was a little sad about 7 drop Mr. Fantastic. Still a really great job guys.
Actually, had he remembered to search out the Mandroid, he wouldn’ve had a 17/17 Reed to my 14/17 Phantom Stranger; he likely would’ve swung Reed solo into Stranger, but I had a +4 pump from Advance Warning sitting in my resource row and an AAO in my hand, so I could’ve blocked that attack– which means I would’ve survived.
If he hadn’t made a play error, he would’ve likely made a judgment error instead. So be happy for it.
Totally off topic, in response to spud’s comment on my blog, which I responded to over there, but know he will check this first…
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/25/83520/4843
Wild wonderful times.
And the Summer of Love continues…