I’m Back, Poozers!

To say that my Blog has been somewhat neglected recently would be somewhat of an understatement. So the heading is somewhat apt for that reason but also because the addition of the DCX card was the main change in my GLC deck from the version played at the UK Nationals.

Traditionally our GDI (Grinning Demon Invitational) events are Golden Age events with the unwritten rule of no broken decks allowed. However this week, just to mix things up, we had settled on running a Golden Age Random Punks event, akin to the one held in Luton over the weekend. To be honest, this meant very few changes for my GLC deck as it was only Oa, Sinestro (6), Two-Face and Anti-Monitor that were lost so I concentrated on the off-curve aspect of the deck, changed out helping hands for Cover Fire’s and Guardians Reborn for the excellent Welcome Back Poozers. My eventual decklist looked like this……

2 Arisia, Green Lantern of Graxos IV
1 Brik, Green Lantern of Dryad
2 Salakk, Green Lantern of Slyggia
2 G’Nort, Green Lantern of G’Newt
1 Sonar, Dastardly Discord
4 Kyle Raynor, Last Green Lantern
3 Olapet, Green Lantern of Southern Goldstar
1 Tomar Tu, Green Lantern of Xudar
1 Black Hand, Dark-Hearted Villain
2 Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Earth
1 Kreon, Green Lantern of Tebis
1Ch’p, Green Lantern of H’lven
1 Rot Lop Fan, F-Sharp Bell of the Obsidian Deeps
1 Malvolio, Lord of the Green Flame
1 Katma Tui, Green Lantern of Korugar
1 Guy Gardner, Strong Arm of the Corps
1 Remoni-Notra<>Star Sapphire, Obsessed Warrior Princess
1 Boodikka, Green Lantern of Bellatrix
1 Alan Scott, Keeper of the Starheart

3 Birthing Chamber
2 Book of Oa

2 Battle of Wills
4 Cover Fire
2 Guardians Reborn
3 I’m Back, Poozers 
3 No Man Escapes the Manhunters
2 Rain of Acorns
1 Sweeping Up
4 The Ring has Chosen
2 Uppercut

1 Catchers Mitt
1 Chopping Block
2 Green Lantern Ring
1 Light Armor

We had a smaller than expected turnout this week as neither Vince, Ben nor Jack made it up, so we had just the seven players. Entrants were punched into Mantis and I got paired up with Wayne for round 1.

Round 1 vs Wayne Hepworth (Brotherhood Reservist)
Waynes deck didn’t lose a huge amount by switching to Random Punks apart from a couple of top end characters. This is a deck he has played for a while now with considerable success so I was apprehensive at the outset but had a good opening hand so went with it.
I played G’Nort, Tomar Tu and Hal over the first three turns, whereas Wayne missed on 1, Crimson Commando on 2 and Rem Ram and Chrome on 3. However as I had dropped a Chopping Block on Gnort on turn 2 we went into turn 4 with my board consisting of all three of my recruits whereas Wayne had nothing.
From this point onwards I ran into difficulties, underdropping Kyle on 4 along with a Light Armor on Hal and a catchers Mitt on Kyle. Wayne hit Anne Marie Cortez who swung into Tomar Tu, only for Kyle to do Rem Ram and Hal do Anne MArie. The chop block followed, my board remained at 3, Wayne was down to a clear board again. I had the initiative on five and recruited nobody, now I was beginning to worry. Wayne, surprisingly, went on curve again, meaning a team attack and a chop block lef the board 3 characters plays 1 once again after Polaris had been ‘blocked’. Turn 6 saw the dangerous Harry Delgado hit the table, I had the, not so dangerous, Sonar. I took a beating from Waynes one attack as he hit Sonar with Harrys effect plus a Wondagore activation plus a Kill the Flatscans. Kyle and Hal saw the back of Harry as the chop block did its job once more.
Going into turn 7 with the initiative, any mid range character would have done the job. I however hit nothing, whereas Wayne was able to fetch Fabian Cortez with a Sovereign Superior. With No Man’s available to me though, once again the two GL’s of earth teamed up taking down their bigger foe with Gnort on sweep up duty with the Chop.
Turn 8 and I was getting worried, an 8-drop would have done for me, but Harry Delgado was all that Wayne could muster. I dropped Arisia and Salakk, enabling a birthing chamber, which drew me a game winning Cover Fire. Harry swung into Kyle with his effect activated, but with two Cover Fires now at my disposal for a +16 increase in DEF thus the attack bounced. With a full board benefitting from Arisias effect the final few points were knocked off Waynes END total and the game was secured.

Its not very often that you bag a win utilising only 5 of your 30 possible resource points over turns 4 through 8. I genuinely believe that if Wayne had gone a couple of turns off curve he would have won, but his inflexibility with regards his strategy seemed somewhat flawed in adapting to my lack of drops.
1-0

Game 2 vs Amy Chizlett (Faces of Evil + Avengers)
T1 – Me = Nothing, Amy = Beetle
T2 – Amy = Beast (getting a team up), Nathan Garrett, Me = Tomar Tu
T3 - Me = Ring for Olapet, play Olly boosted getting Gnort
Amy = Mystic Summons for Captain America

A good combat phase for me. Tomar Tu swung into Captain A getting a mutual stun. Olly did for Nathan Garrett and then after a I’m Back, Poozers! G’Nort did for Beast. Amy’s board reduced to just Cpt. America, me with three dudes.

T4 – Amy =  Joystick and Marcus Daniels, Me = Rot Lop Fan
My least favourite option at 4 but good for this situation as she couldn’t get at him. Amy swung Marcus into Tomar Tu, I responded with a Cover Fire, an action nullified by a Call to Arms in response. Tomar Tu stuns, only to be recovered by a Guardians Reborn. Captain A puts down Tomar Tu for the second time in the turn. Joystick then did for G’Nort.

T5 – Me = Kyle getting a block, G’Nort, Salakk, dropping the Chop Block on G’nort
Amy = Wasp

With Amy underdropping I was in the drivers seat. Rot Lop Fan Attacked into Cpt.A. Amy, wanting to mutual stun discarded Paul Ebersol, to which I replied with a Battle of Wills. Kyle did for Wasp. Olly and Salakk took down Marcus who had used his effect in the build phase. Then Tomar Tu attacked joystick, getting a mutual stun. A chop block activation saw the back of Wasp and I maintained a man advantage losing just a Tomar Tu.

With Amy just hitting Melissa Gold on turn 6 whereas I was able to ring for a Katma the game was pretty much over despite Cpt A doing for Kyle and Melissa taking down Katma with a Mega Blast and Flying Kick. 10 END was gained off Katmas effect before she went down and the block was once again effective, taking out Songbird. Turn 7 saw us both playing top deck Vs. I drew Arisia, Amy drew nothing. Cpt.A became the latest name on the chop block Roll of Honor and we went to turn 8. With no board and drawing into nothing Amy offered her hand in resignation.
2-0

Round 3 vs James Warrener (Cosmic Legionnaires)
The Legion of Superheroes. A seriously good read whilst Dan Abnett was writing it (and I’m not just saying that because he comes in the shop), however, my least favourite team with regards Vs. I got off to an early lead, dropping Gnort, Kyle, Olapet and Salakk over the first three turns, compared to a Apparition and Babs, both concealed for James. My chopblocking on turn 4 was thwarted by a Foiled Assassination, but was effective on turns 5 and 6, each time taking down his three drops and turn 7 saw multiple uses of my Rain of Acorns. The final scores at the end of turn 7 after I protected Alan Scott with a Cover Fire, gaining +14 DEF were 20 to -2. The game was closer than that but I always felt in control whilst G’Nort and Arisia were present, despite recruiting nothing on turn 6 which almost let him back into the game.
3-0

Round 4 vs Andrew Palmer (UW/Kree/Skrull)
To say Andys deck lacks focus is an understatement. It trys to do too many things and ends up doing nothing. The game ended on turn 5 but effectively was over when I chop blocked Wolverine on turn 3. Turn 4 saw Cover Fire bouncing an attack by Morlun into Olapet. Then I got to swing back into a board of 1 New Blood. Despite a What are Friends for it wasn’t pretty for Andy. The following turn I recruited Guy Gardner with a Lantern Ring, utilising him to attack Shathra after using a No Man escapes the Manhunters. Andy conceded at the end of turn 5 with the scores at 42-3.

Game 5 vs David Moakes (SS/JLA)
An interesting build from Dave which suffered in this match for the lack of a team up. He hit curve 1 through 5, yet suffered, as did all my opponents, at the hands of the chop block. The game was sealed when Katma Tui bumped my life on turn 6 and a Cover Fire bounced an attack. Although we went to turn 8 I had stolen one against the head, considering I missed a couple of drops. I also had Kreon with a Lantern Ring just in case he bagged a team up late game.
5-0

The deck performed pretty well, which was a relief after recent weeks dissappoinments, but as we all found running Random Punks does take away search options. I’d definitely drop an Uppercut in exchange for a Emerald Dawn if I ran this deck again.