This weekend was the Ontario ChampionClix Open Tropical Regional at Game Time Collectibles. I can’t say enough about how much I love these events. I’m thrilled with the turnout of 23 players and a bunch of them stayed after the cut to play Battle Royals.
It took me a while to decide what I wanted to play for this. Initially, I was planning to play something with mainforce Betelgeuse as a last hurrah before it was banned. So on the hunt I went for something new and landed on wanting to play Loki, Sorcerer Supreme. The team went through a few iterations and the final version decided on just days before the event and never put on the map to test out – so I didn’t feel all that confident on how it was going to do.
The final version ended up being a Mystical theme team of Loki, Sorcerer Supreme with Destroyer Armor, Freyja with Bloodstone, Legacy Juggernaut with Animal Man, Fenix pog and 3 Legacy Tri-Sentinels. Here’s the link to the full team with sideline and maps and such. The version before had Dr. Strange (ST001), but Freyja made what he was doing for me useless and he turned into 2 of the Tri-Sentinels + Fenix pog. The version before that didn’t have Juggernaut on it and had pegasus Cap. So ya, lots of changing things up on this team to have it land where it did – which was clearly the best version in the end.
I know, I know, without looking too close, it feels crazy to build a Mystical theme and so much equipment in the world of the Orb – but Freyja helped counter it (if it was on the map ever, which it wasn’t as I went 1st in every match that my opponent had it and I just had a Tri-Sentinel blow it up turn 1). Everyone was cosmic energy (or safeguard outwit), so no outwit. Come close to Freyja and you can’t prob. Play the War of the Realms Storyline marker, you also can’t perplex us. Every game I started Freyja on the Ragnarok click with outwit and the Storyline marker giving +1 Defense, then if she got hit, I went to the safeguard opposing perplex and prob Storyline marker. My typical 1st turn – keeping 1st turn immunity and blowing up whatever terrain they had with the Tri-Sentinels.
So with 23 players, that meant 4 rounds of Swiss with a cut to top 8. As always, these are my memories of the games with no notes – so if any opponents are reading this and I’ve misremembered anything, feel free to let me know and I’ll correct it!
Round 1 was against Aleister playing this Collector team. I went 1st and he put us on The Batcave. I started with moving up a Tri-Sentinel, moving through a piece of blocking to ping away his Sinestro. He moved right up to engage and put collection tokens on Loki. I worked my way through Spider-Ham (who took out 2 Tri-Sentinels before I got him out). He tried to collect Loki but couldn’t roll high enough to hit my 22. I started to make some attacks on Collector and time got called before either of us could take out anything else. I won 95-30, 1-0.
Round 2 was with Justin, playing a Wonder Woman team (ignore the Cramtorium map, it’s not on the legal map menu and he never used it, just not caught when building and his force wasn’t uploaded to the event before it got started to catch it). I went 1st and he put us on Asteroid X. He stayed back, so I moved up Tri-Sentinels to be within range to ping people off their top clicks (Reverse Flash, Wonder Woman and Diana), so they’d each have a lower attack value. He moved in to try and strike but missed. Over the next few turns I was slowly able to pick his pieces off between Juggernaut attacks and mind controls, in addtion to pings. He took out 1 of the Tri-Sentinels and I flipped Fortify on one of his attacks. I managed to finish off his last piece just before time was called and I won 300-20, 2-0.
Round 3 opponent was Chris, playing Teen Titans. I went 1st and he put us on Kord Industries Lot. After practice last week, I knew I was nervous to play against this team. I kept 1st turn immunity, he did some Beast Boy swapping and Teen Titan shenagagans. I started the turn flipping Burgle to take away his Venom’s Axe for the turn and then I knew I had to play aggressive before he double mind controlled my whole team, so I had a Tri-Sentinel carry up Loki to be in range to free mind control and unfortunately missed. He had a great round of double mind controls with the Cyborgs and took out all 3 Tri-Sentinels, Juggernaut, Fenix and moved Freyja back to the starting area so I couldn’t get her in position for Loki prob. He then charged in with Donna Troy to help keep me in place. I went for both a costed and free mind control with Loki and missed both attacks – one of them a crit miss, so I brought in Gleek, who successfully hit Donna Troy down a few clicks. Next turn he took out Gleek with Cyborg. I again missed both attacks with Loki, time got called and I lost 10-180, 2-1.
Round 4 match was with Connor playing a Killoseum team. I went 1st and he put us on Kord Industries Lot. He placed his arena such that it blew up Freyja’s Storyline terrain marker. He moved up into the arena. I was close enough that Loki was able to walk into the arena, carrying Freyja to get a free mind control off, using the empower on his Hal to my advantage and positioning them for Juggernaut to go through them all, also ending in the arena. I think the only thing I managed to KO that turn was Wally, who he tried to save with Valerie, but I had enough Tri-Sentinel pings to finish him off. He was able to get through Juggernaut with Cap (I really should have used a ping on Cap to take him off the special move power). I’m having trouble remembering the rest of the back and forth, but it came down to my only having Loki left on the board when I finally took out Cap, winning 300-220, 3-1.
This put me at 2nd seed going into top cut.
Top 8 is a re-match with Connor. I won initiative and after the conversation we had over the lunch break, I knew I had to pick map this time or he was going to put us on the Tangle after the last game. I put us on Syndicate’s Ascent. He chose the indoor side of the map, which later reflection gave him struggles not being able to fly over the walls. It took him some extra effort to get into the arena the way he wanted, but he placed in such a way that I had to extend further than last time to also be in the arena to not get the negative effects from it, so I used a Tri-Sentinels to carry Loki and Freyja into place and got a great free mind control off. Keeping Juggernaut alive this time helped me get through the team, winning 300-35. Connor, it was great meeting you and fantastic showing, making cut at your first bigger tournament on your first time out to us!
Top 4 is a re-match with Justin. I went 1st and he put us back on Asteroid X. Instead of staying back this time, he moved up. This time I used the free mind control before pinging his main attackers off top dial, and then had Juggernaut run through them all, seeing as they were close enough. His goal this game was to KO Freyja out of spite, because she was annoying him so much. Even after she was KO’d it was fun that her Storyline markers still messed with the game. My getting to use his figures with the mind control at top dial before the pings made a big difference with chewing through his figures easier this game. I won 300-85.
Top 2 was with Mike, playing Rogue and Captain Marvel. I went 1st and he put us on Thousand Ocean Voyager. This was a hilarious game that was much closer than the final score says. Black Panther took away both of my one shots. He stayed back near his starting area, just doing some positioning. I had a Tri-Sentinel carry up Loki and another Tri-Sentinel carry up Freyja. Both Tri-Sentinels pinged Black Panther. Loki did a free mind control and only after I’d rolled dice, did I realize I mispositioned Freyja and had her 1 square back from where she needed to be and Mike would be able was able to prob my Loki. If only I had Freyja one closer and he wouldn’t have been able to prob. After all re-rolls I was unsuccessful in my mind control. He came in with a pulsewave from Captain Marvel, knocking Loki off shape change and Freyja off outwit. His follow-up took out a Tri-Sentinel. My mind controls were not productive and I sidestepped Juggernaut and Fenix up on to the ship to help for better positioning next turn. Here’s where he’s the 1st one of the day to go after Loki and hits him to his Stop click. No special powers or team abilities for anyone! Other than the Tri-Sentinels, I’d built with the no special power part not affecting me at all. I made an attack with Loki but wasn’t able to KO anything and then was finally able to come in with Juggernaut, but his attack wasn’t successful, so we’re still sitting at 15-0. Next turn he attacks Loki, I don’t get my senses and he takes him out, right as last action gets called. Losing 100-0. Congrats Mike! What a fun and low pressure game for top table.
Super fun day, great matches, loved seeing everyone who travelled and came out to play and it thrilled me that the players kept telling me they were having a good time. Thank you to CCO for putting on these events, including participation prizes to encourage people to come out. Thank you to Will at Game Time Collectibles for hosting and giving us space to play. Thank you Jay for judging.
As always, I can’t wait for the next one already!
Until next time, xoxo