SoL Bouttoniere Conference Final

Summer of Love Rnd 4: Bouttoniere Conference Final

NEW BIRDS vs ADAMANTIUM SKRULLMATE

Hello, poppets. You’ve all been so good and patient this last week, making your picks with only two games to choose between… but it’s worth it, isn’t it, my little ones. Such joy in your beaming smiles, those twinkles in your eyes, that maddening froth collecting at the corners of your mouths as you heft your torches and pitchforks and propose to visit ungodly agonies upon me if I don’t shaddup and get on with the match report….

Oh, who am I to deny you, my cherubic little blossoms…

Captain Spud takes the helm for the New Birds, while Adamantium Skrullmate falls into my (Gdaybloke) own greedy little green mitts.

Winning the dice roll, I opt for evens in the hope of getting the most out of Wolverine: Skrunucklehead.

Turn One
Spud follows the Summer Of Love tradition by not playing a 1-drop. Of course, his deck doesn’t run any. Skrullmate, however, runs Connie Webb, who comes out to play and kicks Spud in the teeth, and we move on to turn two.

New Birds: 49
Skrullmate: 50

Turn Two
Deciding that a body is better than none, despite the potential waste of a search, I play Brother I Satellite to hunt out Sarge Steel. For the record, I already had Cap and Wolvie in hand. Spud responds with Gypsy.

With no visible defenders to stop them, Sarge Steel and Connie Webb swing to the face. 

Gypsy’s average attack is no threat to Sarge Steel’s alloyed butt, so the turn ends there.

New Birds: 45
Skrullmate: 50

Turn Three
The furry dude himself, Big Bear, strolls out for the New Birds and brings a New Gods presence to the field. In response, Skrullmate brings out its own hairy dude with the critical Wolverine, hiding behind Sarge Steel.

Big Bear, cosmically 6/6, tramples over Sarge Steel to clear the charge lane to Wolverine. Act of Defiance flips up, and Wolverine reinforces his new teammate.

Gypsy’s eager to brawl herself, and pops a Blinding Rage as she charges into Wolverine. This time Connie does the honours, reinforcing the hairy mutant… who promptly displays his Healing Factor to recover before the combat phase ends, ensuring his cosmic counter in the Recovery Phase.

New Birds: 43
Skrullmate: 48

Turn Four
Connie goes hunting for an Ethan for a later turn if needed. Captain America, Skrull Imposter that he is, comes out to make Wolverine unstunnable, and a new Connie Webb comes into play from hand.

In a similarly productive build phase, Royal Decree teams up the New Gods and Birds of Prey; Vixen hangs out in the hidden area with Gypsy… who promptly leaves play as a new Gypsy is subbed over her.

Unfortunately, it’s not as dramatic a turn Skrullmate usually prefers. Wolverine carves up Big Bear unpumped, while Sarge Steel and Captain America kick Spud in the face.

Vixen runs over Sarge Steel in response, and Gypsy drops a Birds of a Feather to stun Captain America as well, stunning back herself.

New Birds: 26
Skrullmate: 37

Turn Five
Having kept Big Bear, Spud switches him out for a substituted 3-drop Barbara Gorden, and then recruits Cassandra Cain.

For Skrullmate, despite having a Paibok in hand I opt for the Annihilation Protocol OMAC – larger ATK and a KO effect. Mmkay.

Cassandra Cain unleashes a flurry of blows on Sarge Steel, who is promptly reinforced by the OMAC.

This brings the robot to Barbara’s attention, who hits it with an insidious computer virus (with two Birds of a Feather for 11 ATK).

Vixen tries to bring about an end to Wolverine’s threat level, but Connie Webb reinforces once more and Wolverine uses his Healing Factor to recover before the end of the Combat Phase to keep his Cosmic Counter fresh.

New Birds: 19
Skrullmate: 27

Turn Six
Not having another 4-drop OMAC in the deck to make it worth boosting the one I had in hand, I opted to recruit Huntress.

The Source promptly nuked the remaining Healing Factors in my deck, replacing itself into a Royal Decree for more card draw, but it doesn’t help Spud hit the right drop. Big Bear and Beautiful Dreamer return to play.

Wolverine finally gets to enter a Berserker Rage with his Adamantium Claws, and Beautiful Dreamer is the first casualty. Cassandra Cain reinforces.

The Annihilation Protocol OMAC um… annihilates… Big Bear; Spud plays a No Man Escapes The Manhunters on his own hidden Vixen to move her visible to reinforce.

Huntress swings into the now 6/6 Vixen in a straightforward biff, and Wolverine puts the nail in the coffin by going after the exhausted Cassandra.

Despite ditching four characters to get Cassie to 13/13, its not enough to hold back Wolverine at 6 ATK + 4 (cosmic) +1 (Act of Defiance) +4 (Adamantium Claws).

New Birds: -4
Skrullmate: 24

Despite their amazing run, the New Birds have finally met defeat. Adamantium Skrullmate wins the Bouttoniere Conference title and
moves on to the Summer Of Love Final Match!