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Editor: James Paraha. Sunday 26th December 2004.

Feature Article

“VS Across the Tasman”

Just a little introduction of myself, my name is Enchante Chang and I am the Head Tournament Organizer for VS in Auckland. My TCG history is in Magic the Gathering (MTG) - nationals team 2003, 17th at GP Melbourne, 40th in Brisbane. As for VS, I loved it straight off the bat, the chance to play another good card game drew me in.

A couple of week ago, Auckland had it's first VS Pre-release Tournament ever. Sadly the week it was running was not optimal, Duelmasters leagues were finishing up and a lot of people had no hall passes. We had a turn out of 11 people for the first flight and 12 for the second.

Superman was on everyone's lips before and after the pre-release. Previews had been everywhere on the internet and even VSParadise got a few. It seemed to me that this set is very good to play sealed with, lots of synergy and power levels were good, unlike the bad things I have heard from WoS.

I got some quick interviews from the people who played in the pre-release these were the questions I asked:

1) What team did you play? What teams did you think were best overall and best in combination?
2) Which card was great for you, can you name a couple?
3) What makes this game fun to play - its association with comics, it's a good game or you like attacking with creatures that are huge?
4) Which cards do you think are going to be good in constructed?
5) Give your opinions on a pure Superman deck? good? timmy? or dreaming?

I got to interview Cole Swannack first. If you guys don't know Cole, he was the youngest player ever to win a MTG nationals in any country at the astounding age of 12. He then rampaged worlds with a 17th placing, followed that up with membership on the national team for 2 years after that and came 11th at worlds this year, missing out on a top 8 placing on resistance! He should be a force to reckoned with in VS. This is what he had to say about Superman.

1) I played 5c madness (all the teams) but I think that Team Superman was gas.
2) The team up cards were really good for me, Metropolis and Royal Decree.
3) The game requires a lot of thinking but the cards are fun too.
4) Superman!
5) I think there might be a Superman deck in the format, since there are so many Supermen in every drop.

Next up was Terrance Kailuo, who won the 2nd flight.

1) I used Team Superman, which was great because I am a newbie.
2) Superman Red and 6 drop Superman was great for me.
3) Easy to play, fun in general.
4) New Gods.
5) Not sure...maybe.

Answers from Shaun Hayward, an up and comer in the VS game, already one of the best MTG players in Auckland.

1) Played New Gods/Team Superman flight 1, and New Gods/Darkseid 2nd flight
2) Trok was awesome, always huge. Narrow Escape (lack of better alternative) and Gog!
3) Strategy is high, decisions are high impact and mistakes are very costly. Love those flavour texts.
4) Hopefully New Gods can make a showing but it seems Marvel teams are stronger.
5) Undecided . . . it is definitely timmy, its Superman! But that doesn't stop it from being good. However I don't think they have what it takes across the drops to currently make it good as a pure Superman deck.

Michaell Woodhall is a big fan of VS, he is the Teen Titans person in Auckland. Michael also has a brother and 2 cousins which come along to tournaments. Nothing like making VS a family affair.

1) New Gods and Revenge Squad.
2) Metropolis and Mark Moonrider.
3) The game is fun in general, relating back to the comics is good too.
4) The Source, The Exchange - both are overpowered.
5) Possible but having no search could kill it.

Finally Obaida Ali, in my respects one of the top 3 VS players in Auckland. He won the 1st flight easily and has respectable results in PCQ's.

1) I played Revenge Squad/Darkseid's Elite, and Darkseid's Elite/Superman/Revenge Squad for the 2nd flight. the teams were fairly balanced and the games came down to what support you had, than characters out-classing each other.
2) Satanus owned, you need even initiative but most players want odds so you get it anyways. I Hate Magic was awesome, if I had 4, I would play all 4.
3) This game was so balanced when it first came out compared with other TCG's that I've come across. Being a fan of the comics and their characters was also a big draw.
4) Too many to state.
5) A pre-Superman deck is viable. The control elements with cards such as Perry White, and Daily Planet combined with the Superman beatsticks gives this deck good flexibility.

These are a good indication of what's on people's minds, some are from casual players, some from the extremes of tournament players.

In my own opinion, this set doesn't have that much to excite me. There are some powerful cards e.g. The Source but on the whole I wasn't that excited. I think from the old teams, League got the biggest boost, Merlyn, Bronze Tiger and The Demon's Head is great. This set for constructed ain't so good but for Limited either booster or sealed it is amazing.

Hope this article will give you a grip on what is on some peoples minds about this set.

Hope you enjoyed the read.

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