The 2nd Annual Champ of Champs took place recently at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, courtesy of Heroes and Games and owner Doug Simms. Doug put on an incredible event that not only delivered a fantastic experience, but also shattered the attendance record, with 28 players participating in the Qualifier event on Friday night alone. Just a few years ago, having 28 players in the main event would have been considered an amazing turnout—this year, it was just the warm-up!
Doug selected 10 players from the qualifier to advance to the main event, and it was clear that the competition was fierce. The diversity of decks reached an all-time high, with one Max Six deck making it to day two, and an impressive two decks featuring Hobgoblin making it to the final four! OverPower has never seen a meta this healthy, nor so many tournament-ready decks featuring never-before-seen characters.
The Champ of Champs is an exclusive event where players must qualify, and with limited slots available, the stakes are high. The tournament consists of five rounds of Swiss, followed by a cut to the Top 8. With participants including the best of the NAOL tournament winners and the highest-ranked players from the NAOL yearly standings. Players had to bring their A-game from round one, as two losses could knock them out of the running for the top spots.
However, even if you have a bad season the qualifier still gives you a shot at glory. In fact, half of the Top 8 were players who had qualified through the friday event—meaning if you play well enough on the weekend anyone can be the Champ of OverPower for the year. !
The Top 8 Players were:
- Derek Bertrand
- Joseph Gagnepain
- Shawn Sawyer
- Phil Miller
- Justin Sadaie
- Carl Caroffino
- Joe Peters
- David McMillian
After a series of intense and grueling matches, the final showdown came down to Phil Miller, who made a dramatic comeback after starting the Swiss rounds at 0-2 then going on to win every single one of his matches the rest of the day vs. Justin Saidie; one of the hottest newcomers in OverPower, eager to make his mark and claim his first major tournament victory.
The game swung early in Justin’s favor, with a devastating Absorb Sound that forced Phil to discard seven cards and shredded his placing advantage. But in true OverPower fashion, you can never count out the Strangler. Phil held his resolve, slowly clawed his way back into the game, and in one of the most intense finals in OverPower history, managed to finish off Justin, taking home the championship belt in a hard-fought victory.
Full coverage and commentary of the event will be available, including 3 matches from Friday night’s qualifier. You will be able to check out the entire event on our YouTube channel soon, stay tuned to our social media channels.
All in all, the Champ of Champs was a huge success and a perfect sendoff for the old version of OverPower as we prepare for the Edgar Rice Burroughs and World Legends sets launching this April.
Venture well, OverPower fanatics!