by Patrick Yapjoco
We go back to tour hotel and get some shut eye as I know have to focus on the Top 4 of Nationals on Friday. The Top 4 isn’t until 4pm so I go to the convention hall and look around, buy a gift for my fellow writer Tiago (he writes all of those great Clix O’ the Week articles), who flew all the way from Brazil. I also decide to play the new Epic Card Game (they got me good). I bought the whole set and entered a World Championship Qualifier at noon for a spot at the $100,000 tournament in November. I barely know what I am doing, and I make my deck as I am opening my packs/boxes. Luckily there is one guy there who helped me a little as he tossed my trash and told me what to put in my deck. These guys have been playing since last August so I know I am outclassed, but it’s ok, I like the challenge and I want to learn. I end up going 1-2 (but I did win a game in each of my losses, which gave me hope against these guys with a non-optimal deck) and I had to drop since my Top 4 match was about to begin. I go over to the booth and I get ready for the Top 4.
Top 4 – Easton Brock
Quinjet 140
-Resource Dial 5
Jarvis 40
Atomica 25
Ultron-6 Drone 30
Ultron-18.2 30
9 ID Cards 30 (Captain Marvel, Batman, Black Canary, Iron Man, SHIELD Level 7, The Atom, Captain Cold, Green Arrow, ?)
Things just don’t get any easier as I now have to play against the Prince of the ROC, Easton Brock. We are both running a Quinjet build with slight differences, and we are both undefeated throughout the two days thus far (we both didn’t lose in Sealed either!), but somebody’s 0 must go! He wins the Map Roll and we go to the Technodrome. He Calls In Nightwing and drops a Tony Zucco. He goes into the room on his side and passes. I move to the room on my side of the map as well. We both clear.
Top 4 – Easton Brock
On his next turn he busts through the wall with Ultron-6. He Calls In Green Arrow, then uses Running Shot with the jet to break my wall. After some Perplexes he shoots my jet with Green Arrow, using Energy Explosion to hit basically my whole team. I am able to Super Senses out of it with HENRY, but Atomica goes down, and the Drones take 1-damage. The jet takes 2-damage. Next, he brings in Captain Marvel Prime with the Resource Dial and he takes a shot on the jet. He has Energy Explosion and Penetrating Blast and it would be brutal to my team. However, he already used up his PC and he misses a 5 to just annihilate me. I counterattack with Nick Fury KO’ing his Ultron-18.2. I also bring in Nova to Pulse Wave his team, removing Captain Marvel, KO’ing Tony Zucco and hitting Jarvis and his Quinjet for 2. I then Colossal Retaliate with my Atom, but miss.
He returns fire with his own Atom Call In, and hits my Ultron, HENRY, Nick, and the jet. He then Sidesteps away to remove Atom from being retaliated himself. He then brings in Batman for free and KO’s my Atom. It’s my turn to counterattack and I bring in Winter Soldier and KO his Batman with 1-shot (with the help from the Ultron-18.2’s Enhancement!).
It’s getting really bloody at this point and after some maneuvering, he KO’s my Drone and starts working on the jet itself, with Nick Fury doing some work. Since I KO’d his Batman, I am up a bit on points. I regroup and have Iron Man come in for free and pilot my jet. I am able to bring in The Atom and hit his team with a Retaliation yet again. He Calls In Captain Cold for more Enhancement and is starting to do some real damage to my jet. I am able to bring in Peggy Carter and I eventually get his Jarvis via Energy Explosion. I am firmly ahead at this point and I retreat to the corner. The Atom is providing some cover for me as his Atomica is not able to KO him for the jet to get through. My jet is on click 14 at this point while his jet is on click 4. He finally gets Black Canary out for free, but cannot single target Pulse Wave as Atom is in the way. He misses the Pulse Wave attack. Whew. I bring in Red Tornado and Force Blast his Atomica into oblivion against a wall. Peggy Carter turns off Super Senses and Red Tornado KO’s Black Canary. He KO’s my Atom. I retreat even further into the corner as time is called. I barely pull out the victory. The Batman was the key in all of that as the 85pts was enough of a cushion for me to win.
Finals – Scott Cramton
Zombies Team Base 300
-Mole Man
-Super Skrull
-Magneto
-Morbius
-Skrull
-Gladiator
Scott is longtime player and is one of the best to ever play this game. He has made it through to playing the boogeyman of the format, Zombies Team Base. I overhear from other players that he has been testing this matchup a lot and has found the perfect map and strategy.
U.S. Nationals Finals
He wins the Map Roll and we go to Attilan. He passes his first turn. I move and re-orient the Quinjet so that is facing straight ahead towards him. It’s somewhat of an awkward position as The Atom and one of the Drones is not adjacent to the Quinjet for Defend sine they are on different elevations. He uses Working Together and in comes the horde. He moves up as far as he can, then pops out Super Skrull and Magneto. He Perplexes up Magneto’s Attack +1 and he double targets Atom and HENRY. He needs a 6 and hits it. Both go down and The Atom comes back to life. Super Skrull comes in with a heavy object and bashes Ultron-6. It too, comes back to life. He uses the last action to hit my Ultron-18.2 with Ultron-6 and KOs it.
I have to pass, and on his next turn he just focus fires on the Quinjet. He pushes everyone and with Working Together he is able to get 4 attacks in and really do a number on my jet. Super Skrull pushes and fails the roll, putting him on click 5. On my turn I Call In Nick Fury and turn off Invincible on Super Skrull. I attack and roll doubles, which actually KO’s him and he doesn’t revive since the knockback KO’d him and not from an attack. I then bring in Nova for free and Pulse Wave the Ultron Drone and The Atom, KO’ing them as well.
It’s grim, but at least I got rid of a lot of threats. I now have to survive through Super Senses rolls against a double-attacking Zombie Team Base and a Magneto… which didn’t happen. I get crushed next turn and he wins. I finish 2nd Place in US Nationals, but more importantly, I am secured for Worlds now. Afterwards, we chat a little bit and Scott tells me he has been really practicing for this event and it showed. He deserved it as the hard work paid off. We both had a plan, but his plan was better than mine. Congrats to Scott for a well-played game.
With the Heroclix gaming finished for me for the day, I meet up with Jason Collins and we go for some dinner at Double Comfort Restaurant across the street. We have the best Chicken and Waffles I have ever had. It was DELICIOUS. We catch up, have some drinks, and I think the waitress is a little bit smitten with Jason as she is just amazed that he is from Canada and has that “Canadian accent.” Naturally, he hams it up a bit. Tom and Mike, his teammates for the Team Sealed also join us, as does my friend, and Boss Monster creator, Chris O’Neal and teammate Justino Jimenez. After some time, Chris and I go back to the hall to play some Epic Card Game (I’m hooked!).
I meet up with Justino and Ronnie Malina of Team Ragnarok at Brothers Bar and we shoot some pool and have more beers. Easton isn’t able to get in as his fake ID isn’t real enough, but it’s ok since he wants to get some rest anyway for the next day. At about 1am, I head back to the hotel to get some rest as I know Saturday will be a LONG day.
