Canadian Nationals 2022 – I won!!

Here we go! It’s been way too long since I’ve done a tournament report. It’s so nice that we finally had a competitive Heroclix event in person after these last few years. Hang tight because this is going to be a long one!

About 3.5 weeks ago, it was announced that we were going to get Canadian Nationals. Not a lot of time to prepare, but I was instantly hyped. I was having a lot of love for prime Vision and really wanted to make him work, but after some practice, I found that he’s way too susceptible to the plentiful outwit that’s being played. Jay encouraged me to try out the cosmic Thanos team that he put together that he and Dan had been playing in some Bradcast events (Legacy Thanos, Collector, Star Sapphire rare at low points, Sprite rare at low points, Molecule Man, Cloak of Levitation and Aunt Petunia’s map bonus – I forgot to take a picture of my build sheet. If I can get a copy of it, I’ll add it here). After a few practice games that went well, I decided to go for it. After a week or so of practice, up goes the watch-list and 2 of the figures I’m playing are on it. Yikes! It was stressful waiting to see if a decision was going to be made that was going to affect Canadian Nationals or not to know if I needed a new team. Thankfully, after another week, just 1 week before the event, the decision was made and they put the caveat that the errata’s wouldn’t be in effect until July 11 – the day after Canadian Nats. So everyone could continue using any pieces as they had been practicing. Whew! 

I’m very much the type of player that needs to see what stuff does on the map and lose to it to learn what I need to do against it, so I did a ton of practice and had brainstorming conversations with those who had also been piloting it or similar teams. I truly appreciate every single person who helped me prepare along the way!

Saturday was qualifiers and Sunday was the main event. I was fortunate enough to be already qualified from winning a 2019 WKO and they were honoring those unused qualifications. I asked if those already qualified could play in the qualifiers for practice and just have the qualification spot get passed down so as to not take a seat from someone not qualified (as they had done in previous years) and they said yes.  I used those games to get a feel for the field and got to see stuff in action that I hadn’t yet played against – going 1-2 but learning a whole bunch. You see, this team is opposite of my usual playstyle, so it took a whole lot of getting used to. I’m much more of a strike first/strike hard kind of player that’s in your face – not hanging back, protecting and waiting for the right moment to align. So while it was a little deflating to have gone 1-2, I certainly got the lessons I needed. 

Let’s get into the main event. We ended up having 16 qualified players so they did 3 rounds of Swiss with a cut to top 8. I usually take way better notes between rounds of what happened in each matchup but I didn’t take very many this time – so I apologize if I leave anything out or mix anything up. I also don’t really remember many of my gem rolls or what I chose – but it was mostly a mix of Mind/Time/Space and Soul if I’d gotten hit. I was also constantly smoking and converting with Molecule man as well as using costed barrier with either Star Sapphire or Molecule Man for added protection. My goal for the matches was to try and score at least 125 points and keep Thanos alive. That way, even if they KO all my support, I still win with Thanos on the map because they’ve only taken 120 points from me because of the map bonus. The team is also built with Collectors +1 damage trait – this means when I mind control, their figure now has +1 damage while under my control and that helped do some amazing damage output. 

Round 1 was against David C. He played a +8 Scientist team of Valeria Von Doom, Beast, Puppet Master with Radioactive Clay, Teen Lantern, The Flash x2 (charge and TK), Sakaarian Iron Man, Molecule Man, Cloak of Levitation and Emotional Modifier. He won map and put us on Hank Pym’s Lab. He got the Cloak to Sakaarian and Emod to Valeria and equipped them. I got my Cloak to Collector, equipped and barriered up. He moved up a bit and I was able to one shot Valeria with Thanos and then mind controlled Sakaarian to take out TK Flash. I couldn’t get Thanos back, but Molecule was in range of him to barrier around him and then smoke in front of the back line and protect them by switching it to barrier. He brought up his Molecule Man to turn the barrier around Thanos to water and he charged in with Flash who was carrying Beast (wildcarding Green Lantern TA). He was successful with an attack from Flash but I believe ended up missing with Beast. I outwitted Beast’s Super Senses with Sprite and MC’d Beast and Sakaarian. Beast tried to punch Flash and crit missed. I chose to not prob it to hit (and he didn’t prob me out of it), knowing that I could power action punch with Thanos for the KO after the MC resolved with him 1 click down. I had Sakaarian shoot Flash for the KO when he missed his super senses. From there I was able to pick off most his pieces with just Sakaarian and Puppet Master on the map when time was called. He wasn’t able to KO any of my figures and I won 215-0, 1-0.

Round 2 was with Aja B. She was playing a +7 Spider-Man Family team of The Flash x2 (charge and TK), Mary Jane Watson, Miles Miles West, Marvella, Agatha Harkness, Sakaarian Iron Man, Dimensional Watch and Cloak of Levitation. She won map and put us on Fallen Asgard. She got the Cloak to Sakaarian with a Paparazzi and sent out charge Flash to steal my Cloak. I chose Space on one of my gems and had Sprite phase out to outwit the super senses. I used TK with Star Sapphire, shot Flash and Spaced back. Aja was protective the next turn, using barrier and hanging back. Being up on points, I stayed back and barriered up. She sent out Sakaarian Iron Man to take out Sprite, who I should have phased back when I hung back the last turn and she missed both roll outs. I only got a 1 on my next gem roll so I just protected again to wait for a turn with a better result. She used a SHIELD damage bump on Agatha and TK’d Agatha up. Then she had Sakaarian shoot a square of barrier. Agatha took a shot on Thanos, putting me on my 15 attack click. I MC’d Sakaarian to punch her and she didn’t get her senses. I followed up with a damage attack with Thanos to take her out, missing her shape change. Time was called not too long after that and I won 130-40, 2-0.

Round 3 opponent was Daniel L. He was playing a unique +6 Mystical team of Wonder Woman and Jumpa, Dr. Strange (recruiter), Scarlet Witch (common), Felix Faust, Dr. Doom, The Scarlet Witch and Waldo Arms. He won map and put us on Otherworld Castle. He switched out Dr. Doom to Lord Doom, equipped the Waldo Arms to him and also phased up Dr. Strange onto the elevation 2. I equipped Collector and chose to go out with Thanos up to elevation 3 to be in range of him to do a damage attack on Dr. Strange (I believe I had Space and Mind). He came up with The Scarlet Witch and Felix Faust up to elevation 3 across from me to take a shot. I MC’d the 2 of them, sent Felix back to finish off Dr. Strange then used Switch to try and take out Felix but he got his senses. He moved up more of his pieces. I attacked and moved Thanos back to my crew and protected. Next turn he was able come in with a Jumpa retal to forceblast into nothing but have her in place to make an attack and then he a shot on Star Sapphire to KO her with Switch. I outwitted Jumpa’s defense to KO her with one of my little guys, then MC’d Switch and someone to take out Scarlet Witch (common). Time got called and I won 105-25, 3-0 and going undefeated going into top cut.

They announce the top cut and I’m paired with Daniel L again for a rematch. Before going into top cut, we took a 20 minute break where I snacked on some fruit, nuts and crackers, drank some water and had a little time to rest my mind. I’m excited because I’ve now tied my best placement in a previous Canadian Nats with top 8!

Top 8 with Daniel L again. This time I win map and put us on Realm of Death. I tell him to pick if he’s keeping DJ Doom and roll the dice or swap him out and he chooses to swap again, choosing Lord Doom again. I equip Collector with the Cloak and pass. He equips Lord Doom with the Waldo Arms. I didn’t roll well on my gems and barriered up. He perplexed move on Lord Doom and TK’s him up. He walks through a whole bunch of walls to make a path to my side of the map, but is 1 square short still to make it right through to where my figures are hiding. He aims to disrupt my team and moves up Switch and Faust. I decide to try something a little crazy and MC Lord Doom and someone else (either Switch or Faust to try and punch the other, unsuccessfully).  I chose to not have Lord Doom attack anyone and instead moved him through the wall and right in front of Thanos and adjacent to Molecule Man. I risked the Faust roll to outwit his defense with Molecule Man and Faust rolled a 1 – so I got a 2nd use of outwit. Thanos punched him for 4, so he’s got 2 clicks left. I use my 2nd use of outwit to take away the invuln and Faust rolls a 3, so I get to use it. I can’t remember if I used Molecule Man or Star Sapphire to take him out, but I did KO him. He retaled with Jumpa and knocbacked Collector into line of fire of Switch. Dr. Strange pumped up Switch with Mentor in the Mystic Arts who took a shot on Collector and the Dr. Strange trait got through his STOP click to KO him. Then he used Dr. Strange recruiter to bring in Dark Britain and moved him up. I used MC and had Switch take out Faust and then I was able to outwit Jumpa’s defense and take her out with Molecule Man. He used recruiter again and brought in Jimmy Woo and I don’t remember what happened after that but time was called not too long after and I won 180-25. 

Top 4 was against Devin O. Last Canadian Nationals winner. He was playing a + 8 Spider-Man Family team of The Scarlet Witch, Monica Rambeau, Sakaarian Iron Man, Mary Jane Watson, Marvella, Venom Magneto, Human Torch, Spider-Pharoah and Cloak of Levitation. He won map and put us on Desert Wedding. He equipped, TK’d up Mary Jane to make Paparazzi’s to destroy my Cloak. I think I just barriered up. He moved up to mid map with his crew and placed people so there were difficult rollouts next to people he wanted to keep alive. This game and the specifics are a bit of a blur as the match went on. I ended up using MC on Sakaarian and Spider-Pharoah. I had Pharoah punch Torch to STOP and I moved her away from the team. I tried to break away with Sakaarian to get to Venom Mags and I failed it after Devin used all his available probs to stop that breakaway. I then used a costed attack with Thanos to shoot both Torch and Venom Mags. He didn’t get senses so I was able to KO both due to Collector +1 damage. He came up and was able to get my Star Sapphire with Sakaarian which gave me a Destroyer roll and it was successful. I outwitted Pharoah’s senses and used her to get Switch to her STOP before taking out Pharoah with damage attacks. He attacked with Switch, targeting both Molecule Man and Destroyer and missed them both. Then he used flurry on Thanos with Sakaarian and missed one of those attacks too. I managed to take out Switch and he was down to Sakaarian and a few little guys. His Sakaarian was double tokened so I outwitted his willpower and there was really nothing he could do. We knew time was going to be called soon and Devin decided to just call it there so I got 300-30. 

Top 2 and my opponent was Tom K. He was playing a +6 Latveria team of Emperor Gladiator prime, Collector, Doom the Annihilating Conqueror, Star Sapphire, Dr. Doom (uncommon) and Scarlet Witch (common). He built with both of Collector’s traits so he’s getting +1 to both attack and damage. He wins map and puts us on Honeymoon Resort. Jay lets us know about the errata to the map that it’s actually an outdoor map and neither of us were aware of that. I choose the side of the map with the blocking coming out further so I have more to hide behind in combination with the barrier I’ll be putting up. He switches to Valeria Doom then TK’s out Gladiator with Switch to steal my object and is able to TK him back with Sapphire. I don’t think I got good gem rolls so I chose Time and barriered up. He took a costed action to destroy my Cloak and stayed back. I still got low gem rolls so I stayed back again. He moved up and shot through a barrier to take out Sapphire. Now everyone was close enough that I had lots of targets. I think I MC Gladiator and Dr. Doom and had Dr. Doom take out a Doombot that he’d generated before and then had Gladiator take out Dr. Doom. I think I took a costed action with Thanos to take out one of the TKers too. I can’t remember the order of things here, but he did end up getting my Collector at some point. I was doing a whole lot of turns using MC on Gladiator to pick off his pieces as he was taking shots at me. I took Soul as needed to keep healing and was going back and forth on either side of the blocking to stay away from him as he moved to try and do more damage on me or moving people (like generated Shi’ar Soldiers) adjacent to limit where I could put barrier, but I kept getting great Molecule Man conversion rolls that gave enough blocking to hide us well enough between the stealth body blocking and barrier markers. I do remember taking out his Collector. The 1st attack hit and got him to STOP. Tom used every prob available on my 2nd attack and the final result ended up being a crit hit! Then it took SO many turns trying to KO Valeria with her crazy shape change that kept pinging me for 1 when I tried to target her, but I FINALLY got her just before time. The final score ended up 275-55 – there were a lot of generated dudes in there!

This really was a blast of a weekend. It has been WAY too long since we’ve had in person competitive play and I enjoyed every second. It definitely filled my heart seeing all my friends after these last few years. I’m still in shock that I won and I’m sure I’ll be here living on cloud 9 for the next while! Every single opponent was a pleasure to play against and so friendly, even though we were playing in a high level event. So much good sportsmanship and attitudes. Thank you so much to the judges – you were both fantastic with quick and accurate rulings and keeping everything running on time – love you guys! I’m very much looking forwards to Worlds in September – I hope to see lots of you there! 

I’ll end with this – DESTROYER! 

Until next time, xoxo