by Mike Rosenberg

It’s Final time! Brad Watson and Phillip Martin are two of the more experienced players from the top 16 of Darkmoon Faire Los Angeles. Brad has stormed the tournament with Grand Crusader Rush, and Phillip has battled through with a Suncaller Haruh deck capable of accelerating out some fearsome allies ahead of schedule. Brad is fresh off a victory against a somewhat similar deck in the hands of Chad Dirks, while Phillip took down the Top 8’s lone Hunter, Seth Miner. Can Brad lock up an unbelievable sixth Darkmoon Faire title, or will Phillip manage to claim the crown for himself?

Brad won the die roll and chose to go first. He looked at an interesting hand that lacked Grand Crusader, and decided to keep it. Phillip, however, chose to mulligan. Brad led off with Kor'kron Vanguard and Rosalyne von Erantor, while Phillip announced 2 to Brad's hero with a Sava'gin the Reckless Stash. Sure enough, the effect dodged Rosalyne and put Brad to 5. Brad sent Rosaylne across to start evening up the scores, then dropped Trade Prince Gallywix, readying a resource and using it to power out Telor Sunsurge.

Another Sava'gin Stash from Phillip hit Telor Sunsurge on the second turn, with a chuckle from the Vegas player, as he passed with two open. Brad drew, and looked at a hand of Korlix Grimvik, Abysswalker Rakax, and two Bronze Drakonids. He attacked with Rosalyne, Telor, and Trade Prince Gallywix, putting Phillip to 10 damage. He then played Korlix Grimvik and used Gallywix's effect with Korlix to activate Kor’kron Vanguard twice, sending Rohashu into Suncaller Haruh for 2 more points. Phillip flipped at the end of Brad's turn.

Phillip drew and played Devout Aurastone Hammer. He gave it an heirloom counter with a Stashed Discerning Eye of the Beast, but again passed with no action and one resource open, clearly representing Dispel Magic. Brad made attacks with his Trade Prince and Rosalyne, putting Phillip to 18. Korlix and Telor also attacked, bringing Phillip to 21. Finally, Edwin VanCleef gave him a threat that could not be easily dealt with. Phillip had an end-of-turn Power Word: Barrier to pad his hero's health total for his big fourth turn play of Gnash, wiping all but Edwin from Brad’s board.

Brad drew and contemplated his choices. He attacked with Edwin and his hero to get the Power Word: Barrier off the table. He then played Bottled Light, returning Trade Prince Gallywix, and passed. Phillip was at 21 damage on his hero, but it looked as though he may have stabilized against Brad's onslaught.

Phillip took out Edwin with Gnash, and then he played Cairne, Earthmother's Chosen, to hopefully keep any improvements to Brad's army at bay. He passed back to Brad, who drew into his own Cairne. He had a Bronze Drakonid in hand, but virtually no way to trigger it with his combination of resource sinks. He gave his hero some Kor'kron Vanguard Assault 1 action in order to finish off Gnash, and then Gallywix went into Phillip's hero, putting the Priest at 24 damage. Brad Stashed his Cairne for a Tauren token and passed with resources open to flip his hero.

Phillip, looking at Brad's hero with 9 damage, chose to race with Cairne rather than spend more time trying to control the board. A freshly played Mazu'kon put Brad to 21 damage, leaving him on a one turn clock. Brad flipped at the end of Phillip's turn, putting him to 27. Did Phillip have the Power Word: Barrier to stay alive, and would Brad be able to force his way through it?

The tricky part about Brad's predicament was Cairne's effect, which gave his hero War Stomp. It left Brad with few options. He only had one option: make Trade Prince Gallywix fatal with Kor'kron Vanguard, and hope that there was no Power Word: Barrier in Phillip's hand.

He made the play, made the attack, but Phillip had the barrier to keep himself alive. Once the smoke had cleared, and he could only get Phillip's hero to 31 damage, Brad picked up his cards and moved on to the second game.

Brad – 0 Phillip – 1

Brad chose to go first for game two, as both players paid their dues to some Party Rock Anthem "Every Day I'm Shufflin'", with each taking a mulligan.

Brad's second hand was much better, with a curve of allies, Grand Crusader, some Delve action, and Dagax the Butcher. He led off with Seeds of Their Demise and Telor Sunsurge, while Phillip had his own copy of the Delve quest on turn 1. Brad Stashed Cairne, Earthmother's Chosen on turn 2, attacked for 1 with Telor, and played Korlix Grimvik, ready for a big third turn. Phillip used Seeds of Their Demise, leaving both cards on top.

When he passed on turn 2 with no Devout Aurastone Hammer, it became clear that he had Dispel Magic. Brad, not wanting to give Phillip the advantage of using his resources, attacked with Korlix for 2. He then used Alethia Brightsong to set up the Enrage on Faceless Sapper, revealing another copy of Alethia. Attacks from Brad's allies put Phillip's hero up to 9 damage.

Phillip flipped his hero at the end of Brad's turn. He then played two Bronze Wardens, one healing his hero for 3. A Stashed Sava'gin the Reckless after that blasted Brad's Tauren Warrior token, and Phillip once again passed with one resource open. Brad's Faceless Sapper and Korlix took out the two Wardens, while Telor and Alethia went to Phillip's hero, bringing him back up to 9 damage. Another Alethia Brightsong found Brad an Edwin VanCleef and a Sava'gin the Reckless, with both left on top and the Sava'gin set to be drawn on the next turn. Kor'kron Vanguard let Brad's hero get in for another point of damage.

Phillip drew, and then passed with four resources open and five cards in hand. Brad Stashed Sava'gin, and then finally pulled the trigger on Grand Crusader, prompting the Dispel Magic from Phillip. Attacks put Phillip to 22 damage, as Phillip readied up and Stashed a Cairne token to feed his Shadowfang Keep to play an early Gnash. Brad drew and played the Edwin VanCleef he left on top with Alethia's Delve, and he passed back. Phillip attempted to clear away Edwin with Gnash and Mazu'kon, but when he exhausted out, Brad revealed Dagax in hand with Edwin to put Phillip at exactly 32 damage.

Brad – 1 Phillip – 1

Phillip looked at his opening hand and decided to keep. "Are you gambling?" Brad asked, to which Phillip immediately responded with, "YES!" Brad promptly took a mulligan with a fairly unexciting hand.

Phillip led off with Shadowfang Keep, and Brad's turn 1 play was Telor Sunsurge. Brad's mulligan had netted him two Dagax the Butchers and Bottled Light, which could lead to some explosive turns later. Phillip tried to hit Telor with a Stashed Sava'gin the Reckless, but it landed on Brad's hero instead. He passed with two open, which had Brad a bit confused. "You kept a 'no stone' hand?" An attack from Telor was followed up by Trade Prince Gallywix from Brad.

Phillip's second Sava'gin in the resource row put 2 damage onto Telor Sunsurge, but an Obsidian Drudge was a fairly unexciting follow-up. Brad played Korlix Grimvik and used his Gallywix-enhanced power to double up on Kor'kron Vanguard, allowing his hero to take out the Drudge. Brad's allies smacked Phillip to 8 damage before he shipped play back. Phillip exhausted out for Edwin VanCleef, making two Defias Thug tokens.

Brad drew for his fourth turn. He dropped Grand Crusader into play, and sent his allies into Phillip's hero, putting him to 21 damage. Phillip readied up for his turn, and used Dispel Magic to get rid of Grand Crusader. Edwin took our Brad's Korlix, and one of the Thugs finished off the wounded Telor. Finally, Phillip played Vanessa VanCleef (thanks to Shadowfang Keep), taking out Trade Prince Gallywix and netting him a clear board. He passed with 21 damage on his hero.

Brad looked at Phillip's health total. He confirmed it, and played his cards out. Dagax for 5, a hero attack with Kor'kron Vanguard for 1, one face-down resource, and Bronze Drakonid to ready Dagax locked things up for Brad.

Brad Watson defeats Phillip Martin! Congratulations to Brad, winner of Darkmoon Faire Los Angeles, his sixth DMF title!