by Colin Wilson
My day leading to up to the tournament was a bit rough. I woke up late, I had a splitting headache, and I was a bit nauseous, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I had been brainstorming team ideas and strategies for the event for months. Even after I built and practiced my team, I continued to think of what other teams might be better, how I could make my current team better, and what I might see at the tournament that would slow me down.
Once I arrived at the event, I saw the usual faces along with some out of towners, which we had expected, after all, the event was only being held at 10 locations across the western region of the country. I sat down with my “crew” and we started talking about what had been seen already, what to expect, the usual pre-game talk. I guess it’s important that you know my team, it was:
(X-Men Themed Team)
90 AoA Jean Grey
75 SR Quicksilver
50 SR Cyclops
25 Moira MacTaggert
12 X-Men: Blue ATA
2 Bat Signal
40 Green Power Battery:
-Green Lantern Ring
-Green Catapult
-Green Net
-Green Axe
-Green Spotlight
5 ID Cards:
-Green Arrow
-Sprite
-Jubilee
Sideline: EW Green Arrow 80, Sprite 50, WatX Jubilee 56
Maps: Wizkids Office, Arcade
My first-round pairing was against a guy I have played before, and always have a fun time playing against. He was playing a Flash, God of Death and a Book of the Skull, with other fillers. The game started out fast, with me winning map roll, I had a full map reach with two of my figures with the ability to pull them back to my starting area with the Bat Signal. I used Jean to Telekinesis Cyclops out after first turn immunity was past, and then he was able to Sidestep, Running Shot and shoot at whoever he wanted. Then on my next turn I would follow up with Quicksilver the same way. It helped that I had the X-Men ATA to boost my attacks when I succeeded on Leadership, as well as the power battery giving Quicksilver much needed Willpower, and cyclops the ability to shoot through hindering.
Having almost complete control of the board state because of my reach and flexibility, the game was over quite fast, and my opponent was good hearted about it. I intended to use that same strategy in my following games, with a +4 to map roll, I was confident I could do it. That is, until I got paired against another theme team in round 2, and I knew if I lost map I would lose the game. Chase Magneto with a Bat-Belt and a Nighthawk Prime to lock my values, I was scared. And then of course, I lost map roll. He was able to pick a map with immense amounts of blocking, and then rip into the center and hide until he was ready to hit. Needless to say, I lost, without making a single attack.
At that point, I was completely downtrodden. I thought I was done, unable to come back and make it to the top. I decided that Top 8 was the best I could do. I moved on to round three and played against another semi-local guy that I enjoy our battles. Title-Harley, Surtur retaliator, another Nighthawk Prime, and Pandora’s Box. I knew that Surtur would be my biggest problem early, and that he needed to be the first to go. I succeeded on one of my two Leaderships after first turn immunity and decided to go for the maximum alpha strike. I assigned Quicksilver, Perplexed up his Attack and Damage each once, and sent him out, my opponent had made the mistake of putting Nighthawk only adjacent to Surtur, so I started my attack against Surtur, hit, and then only had to worry about Nighthawk shape change. He failed and took 4 damage. Then Quicksilver was home, and I was up 25 points. I ended up sweeping by keeping that tactic going and making sure that that Harley couldn’t get her pogs out.
Round four came, and I knew I had the chance to make Top 2 if I got enough points. And then I was against a Uni-Mind and I knew I would get enough points. My opponent did his best, but when I won map roll and chose the Wiz kids Office map, it slowed uni down enough that I was able to hit him to his stop click fast. My opponent proceeded to roll two Impervious rolls in a row and Regen’d uni. But in the end, I was able to pop him and make short work of the Eternals that popped out.
Another sweep down, end of round four, 3-1 and over 1000 points, I waited as the results were put in. I had done it, second place, first being 4-0, but I did it. We had few enough people that it was a hard cut to Top 2 and I was against one of the guys that I always had a hard time beating in the past. Him and I would always come down to the wire in our games. He was playing the old school Invisible Jet, Sam Cap, and a Shredder Clone, with a Wonder Woman to pilot the jet. I knew that Sam Cap was going to be my biggest issue if I didn’t hit her hard early. I won map, and more importantly, first turn immunity. I was able to get myself set up without leaving my starting area, keeping me safe from him coming across the board and wailing on me. On my turn, I Perplexed Cyclops and threw him out, with the intent to hit Sam Cap as hard as I could. I hit, she took 4 damage and I relaxed slightly. My opponent had rolled a 2 on his Super Senses from the jet so it took damage as well.
When he came to retaliate, he could have called in Ali-Supes and hurt me a lot, but he just Barriered and passed turn. My turn, Leadership, succeed with both +2 to Attack, Perplex up Quicksilver’s Attack once and Damage twice, move a theme team prob into position, went for it. I hit both attacks, both Super Senses failed. Sam Cap was dead, Shredder had 2 clicks left and then it was just the Jet. I finished off Shredder and hit the Jet for a few clicks as well. On his next turn, he used the Jet to call in Supes, and went for my Jean Grey. He hit, I theme team Prob’d, he missed, Flurry attack, he missed. After that I knew it was over, I just had to finish the Jet and Wonder Woman. I made short work of it. He shook my hand, and I reeled at the fact that I had won. Now I get the chance to go to California in December and try to do it again.
-Colin Wilson
Utah Majestix Qualifier Champion
