Merry Christmas, Epic Duelers!

2015 Championship - December 5, 2015

Carbon Freezing Chamber

It only made sense for the most intense Duel of the year to take place on the most intense board in the game - the Carbon Freezing Chamber!  A chill went down the spines of all 12 top ranked duelers, especially Stephen and Rob, who had Luke and Darth Vader, respectively, starting in the middle of the board.  Those are arguably the two worst starting spots on any playing surface.

The best of the best.

The game began with Stephen retreating to the light side and Rob to the dark, and it looked like folks were aligning with their sides of the board.  Rob/Vader and Grant/Emperor started inflicting long distance special cards on Ian's Yoda while a number of dark side minor characters were taking shots on Alex's Han Solo.  Nathan/Dooku played a "Dark Side Drain" on Han, taking two of his cards at random.  And wouldn't you know it, one of them was the bowcaster!!!  That was a tough blow for Alex, and as he was bleeding out, he was surprisingly eliminated first when Daniel's Mace Windu finished him off, the first crack in the light side alliance.

Not long after that Ian's Yoda, unable to rally an attack against the dark side, bowed out after a final "Wrath" from Rob's Darth Vader.  JD's Boba Fett managed to land a thermal detonator on a trio of Jedi, including Stephen's Luke Skywalker.  Banged up, Nathan and Curtis (Darth Maul) had an amusing sequence of attacks.  Nathan used a "gentleman's" force push on Maul, sending the double-bladed Sith next to Luke.  Curtis made short work of Stephen, and Luke was done in tenth.  JD and Chris/Obi-Wan had been exchanging blows since the thermal detonator, and despite an attempt by Chris to join the board against Rob and Ryan/Jango, Boba shot Kenobi into ninth place.

mmm...cookies!

It looked like the dark side was going to make a clean sweep of the light, with Daniel's Mace and Sakina's Anakin as the next targets, but the backstabbing started early!  JD's Boba, loyal in his ranged attacks against the light side, was eliminated by Grant/Emperor.  Then in another surprise move, Nathan/Dooku and Curtis/Maul flipped on an unsuspecting Rob/Vader, who landed in seventh but did end his streak of last place finishes.

Though it appeared obvious Dooku and Maul were together until the end, the other remaining duelers didn't join together to change the tide. Sakina was soon gone in sixth place, which was a nice rebound from her last Championship match. #neverforget.  The remaining four duelers not using Mace Windu converged on poor Daniel, including Grant dropping the "You Will Die" card on him.

It's not who has the most trophies - it's who has the last!

This left a final four of Nathan/Dooku, Curtis/Maul, Ryan/Jango, and Grant/Emperor. Grant believed he was on equal footing with Nathan and Curtis, but was soon confronted with the hard truth that he was on the outs when both Dooku and Maul began attacking. Ryan kept his Jango on the periphery while Maul put the death blow on Grant.  Grant continued his impressive streak of high finishes as he left in fourth.  Ryan commenced with his powers of persuasion, trying to convince both Nathan and Curtis that they needed him to finish off the other.  Neither took the bait, so Ryan started unloading on Curtis, significantly weakening Maul who couldn't heal because he still had a Battle Droid on the board.  Even as Curtis went in for the kill, Ryan offered one last promise to align versus Dooku, but Maul stayed loyal and chopped Jango to pieces.  Ryan made a great run at defending his Championship title, but fell just short in third.

Darth Maul was on a kill spree, having delivered the death blow against five major characters, while Nathan's Count Dooku hadn't eliminated a single character yet.  But the Count and his lone remaining Super Battle Droid had the health advantage and after a short skirmish were able to make Curtis the runner up.  Big congrats to Nathan, our 2015 Championship winner!!!  He's just recently reached professional status but has won the last two duels!

The final order of finish was:

12.  Han Solo - Alex
11.  Yoda - Ian
10.  Luke Skywalker - Stephen
9.  Obi-Wan Kenobi - Chris
8.  Boba Fett - JD
7.  Darth Vader - Rob
6.  Anakin Skywalker - Sakina
5.  Mace Windu - Daniel
4.  Emperor Palpatine - Grant
3.  Jango Fett - Ryan
2.  Darth Maul - Curtis
1.  Count Dooku - Nathan

This represents the first ever league win for Count Dooku, so that's another feather in Nathan's cap.  Nathan also leaps into third place in the dueler rankings, which are now updated.  Interestingly, this is only the second last place finish for Han Solo over twenty league duels.

The Championship match is usually the last duel of the calendar year, but we might try to arrange one more 12-way on the day The Force Awakens opens (December 17).  Stay tuned for more details!

As always, thanks to all of you who dueled in 2015!  We couldn't do this without your interest and support.

Preview: The 2015 Championship - December 5th, 2015

If you're still new to the league, the Championship match is a bit different than other 12-Way Duels.  Typically the last game of the calendar year, the invitations and seat assignments go out to the top twelve ranked duelers.  In other words, it's the most competitive duel of the year, and for the first time ever, all twelve duelers playing in the Championship are ranked professionals!  Super Bowl, World Series...the 2015 Championship is our equivalent battle.  And this will be the toughest fight in 12-Way Duels history!

HISTORY:  Ryan won the 2014 Championship with Boba Fett of all characters!  He used a tight three-way alliance with Rob/Maul and Kristen/Jango on the Kamino Platform to take home the inaugural plaque.

LINEUP:   We'll do a little something different with this Preview - I'll review the dueler sitting at each chair and pick the character that would best suit them.

Chair #12 - Daniel.  The 12th ranked professional, Daniel isn't afraid to do the bidding of others and is at his best when he is the loyal sidekick in an alliance.  For that reason, his perfect character is JANGO FETT.

Chair #11 - Stephen.  Before the CL Retreat Stephen had never even played Epic Duels before.  He is a quick learner but can sometimes get in over his head in a battle.  For that reason, his perfect character is HAN SOLO.

Chair #10 - Chris.  Few Duelers have played in as many matches as Chris, though he is still looking for his first victory.  He is a loyal, warrior monk who often charges into battle first.  For that reason, his perfect character is LUKE SKYWALKER.

Chair #9 - JD.  Another veteran of the Epic Duels scene, JD finally secured his first victory at the Birthday Surprise Duel.  He is wise and decisive, and not afraid to move across the board.  For that reason, his perfect character is MACE WINDU.

Chair #8 - Sakina.  Few play Epic Duels with the intensity Sakina brings to a game.  She is passionate and lethal, and doesn't lack confidence.  For that reason, her perfect character is DARTH MAUL.

Chair #7 - Alex.  He is the first Dueler to ever win twice, but hasn't secured a victory since 2014.  He thrives on chaos, destruction, and game-shifting.  For that reason, his perfect character is BOBA FETT.

Chair #6 - Curtis.  Curtis has won twice in 2015, and is always up for a side game in the Penland cantina.  He prefers leading ironclad alliances based on his knowledge of the cards and gets grumpy when folks don't follow his lead.  For that reason, his perfect character is YODA.

Chair #5 - Nathan.  Nathan started the school year as a mere Padawan, but is now a full-fledged Master after his Thanksdueling! victory.  He's at his best when he can hang back and manipulate game changing actions.  For that reason, his perfect character is DARTH VADER.

Chair #4 - Grant.  Grant is one of three duelers with multiple victories in 2015.  Previously known for a patient, methodical, and loyal approach, he has been experimenting with a more sinister style of play as of late.  For that reason, his perfect character is ANAKIN SKYWALKER.

Chair #3 - Ian.  Few duelers spark as much fear and dread from their competitors as Ian.  He has shot to the top in the rankings, but is unsatisfied with his empty trophy case.  For that reason, his perfect character is COUNT DOOKU.

Chair #2 - Rob.  The crazy old wizard who introduced Duels to Waco won an obnoxious five times in 2015.  His strong strategic approach can, at times, come at the expense of his ability to read the emotions of those around him.  For that reason, his perfect character is OBI-WAN KENOBI.

Chair #1 - Ryan.  For two years in a row Ryan enters the Championship in the first chair.  His win at the Double Header was a perfect example of how he can orchestrate the social environment and bend others to his will.  For that reason, his perfect character is EMPEROR PALPATINE.

JAR JAR AND OBI-WAN PREDICT THE WINNERS:

"Meesa so excited!  I be predictin' boom-bad Emperor wins!"

Well, we know who Jar Jar likes.  Obi-Wan, please pick a winner besides yourself for once.

"That isn't the prediction you're looking for"

That isn't the prediction I'm looking for...

"Obi-Wan will win, he has the high ground"

Obi-Wan will win, he has the high ground.

"Move along..."

Move along, move along...

Wait, what?  What the heck just happened?  Oh well - we'll see you Saturday night!!!

Thanksdueling! - November 7, 2015

Geonosis Arena

Cut the turkey and pass the yams - "Thanksdueling!" came early this year!  Let's gobble up another recap with the story below...

Twelve folks gathered, once again, in the newly renovated North Village Community Center to commence with a cornucopia of deceit, treachery, and strategy.  I'm growing more suspicious with every match that Curtis commissioned the former Sushi bar for the specific purpose of Dueling.  And that's why we all love Curtis - he gets it.  Duelers need a home for the Dueling holidays, a place where friends can come to argue, back stab, and treat each other poorly...just like real families on Thanksgiving!

What?

That's not your typical Thanksgiving experience too?

I'm oversharing?  Ok, let's just move on...

Grant made the Cohenour Run
 in less than 12 parsecs

This Duel was special because Nathan and Stephen reached professional status.  It was also the first ever Duel for Leslie and Nate.  Nate played the side game at the CL retreat and Leslie is simply a long time CL&L employee whose resistance to playing the game has eroded over time due to the constant bombardment of Epic Duels propaganda that plagues the department.  In other words, our recruiting tactics continue to work!

Geonosis Arena was the board picked by Nate, who had the #1 chair.  As folks settled in a strange thing had occurred, the seats around the table were nearly perfectly divided between those playing on the light side and those on the dark.  But that didn't stop Grant from implementing the "Cohenour Run," a move made famous last year when Ryan ran his Mace Windu to the dark side of the Geonosis board.  To the chagrin of the light side, Grant had flipped. Tommy moved his Dooku to the same corner, and the sides were set...or so Rob/Jango thought!  Jango fired up his jet pack to the light side corner where he promptly wrist-cabled Ryan's Han Solo and then shot him in the head with his Rocket Retreat.  Stevie's Luke ran behind the columns after Leia made an early exit, leaving Han unprotected.  Zam took two more shots at Han, who was down to one point of health.  And that's when Grant flipped on Rob, assisted by Daniel's Emperor.  Just as it appeared Ryan would die first, Rob was out in twelfth place for the second game in a row!  But he's not bitter!  No way, it's not slowly eating away at his insides, consuming his spirit with rage.  It's just a game.  It's just a game...

"Psst, Nate, I'm going to flip to the light side
and kill you next..."

Ryan went our next when Nathan's Vader wrathed him to death.  Ian made a bold play with his Obi-Wan, including using the Force Balance card.  This moved a number of players around the board, and ended up trapping Nate's Boba Fett within a circle of bounty hunter-hating Jedi.  But the ultimate betrayal was Nathan, who was invited to ditch the now crumbling dark side and join the light.  He made the switch, just as Nate had secured a thermal detonator to throw at the Jedi posse.  Nathan killed Nate right before his turn to roll, sending the rookie out in tenth place.  The Force Balance play left Anakin exposed in the alley behind the columns, though, and Stephen couldn't withstand the barrage of attacks.  The newly professional dueler went out in ninth at the hands of Leslie's Darth Maul.  It should be noted that, by this point in the game, Leslie was clearly enjoying herself and personally committing herself to future duels.  I may or may not be trying to use a Jedi Mind Trick as I type this.

The dark side was down to Leslie/Maul, Grant/Mace, and Daniel/Emperor.  Tommy's Dooku had flipped by this point too.  The light side targeted Maul, and Leslie was gone though she put up a heck of a fight on the way out.  Daniel dropped the "You Will Die" card on Tommy, who ran away to try and card up.  Grant's Mace chased after him, leaving Daniel alone with the gaggle of Jedi.  Needless to say, Daniel finished seventh.

Things got a little chippy as Tommy continued to run away from Grant's Mace.  Stevie, playing with Luke, became consumed with paranoia and convinced himself Tommy wasn't pulling his weight. He vowed to take him out next, even before Mace.  This caused a lot of turmoil within the alliance, and Grant and Tommy continued to attack each other throughout.  But David P., playing with Yoda, seized an opportunity and struck down Tommy in sixth, whose major crime was having the "You Will Die" card played on him.  Ian's Obi-Wan finally ended Grant's night in fifth.

Daniel could have left two hours ago when this
picture was taken.  

That left a final four of Luke, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Darth Vader.  That's kind of an awesome final four, don't you think?  Stevie played "I Will Not Fight You" cards on both Ian and Nathan when he realized he was next to go.  It was a valiant effort, but not enough to survive Darth Vader's deathblow.  With three to go Ian/Obi-Wan and Nathan/Vader made the difficult decision to align with each other and go after Yoda, who was still pretty strong at that point.  David P. put on a clinic of why Yoda is so awesome in this game, but even he couldn't withstand the constant barrage.  Vader maintained his health as Obi and Yoda were bleeding out.  As they were both near death, Nathan made an awesome combo attack.  With one swing of his red light saber Yoda was finally out in third, and with a "Throw Debris" card on the same turn, Obi was done as well.  Nathan reached professional dueler status in the best way possible - by winning his first ever Epic Duel!!! Congrats Nathan!  He really played well.  His early flip was the biggest move of the game, and Nathan got the kill shot on SEVEN main characters.  That's right, it was Vader doing all the dirty work in this Duel.  And of course, that increases Darth Vader's lead in character victories to five.  Obi-Wan is next closest at three.  Congrats to Ian and David P. too, who both played very strong games.

Here's the final order of finish:

12.  Rob - Jango
11.  Ryan - Han
10.  Nate - Boba
9.  Stephen - Anakin
8.  Leslie - Maul
7.  Daniel - Emperor
6.  Tommy - Dooku
5.  Grant - Mace
4.  Stevie - Luke
3.  David P. - Yoda
2.  Ian - Obi-Wan
1.  Nathan - Vader

And now... the exciting news!  As is customary, December is our annual Championship Match.  Instead of being an open invite, the Championship Match is reserved for the top 12 ranked duelers.  It's the toughest, most competitive Duel of the year - our version of the Super Bowl.  You can check the rankings on the Duelers tab near the top of the page.  I'll send out official invites and work on a date for the Championship in the next couple of weeks.  In the meantime...thank you everyone for your continued interest in Epic Duels!!!  And congrats once again to Nathan on a big win!

Preview: Thanksdueling! - November 7, 2015

Well friends, I was worried we weren't going to get 12 for tonight's Duel, but alas, we've reached the necessary amount of Duelers to partake in the madness!  Some of our regulars had family obligations this weekend, so we'll get to see a couple of rookies make their debut at our annual Thanksdueling!

HISTORY:  Alex became the first ever two-time champion in 12-way Duels history when his favorite character, Boba Fett, survived the Geonosis Arena last year.

LINEUP:  

Daniel - He needs a good finish at this Duel to guarantee his spot in the 2015 Championship match next month.

David P. - He's playing his second career match and first since the CL Retreat in August.

Grant - He's coming off back to back third place finishes with Anakin Skywalker.

Ian - His successful ouster of Rob in 12th place last match came at the expense of his own worst ever finish in tenth.

Leslie - That's right folks, the K-not hall director is making her 12-way Duel debut!

Nate - He was supposed to make his rookie debut last month, but better late than never.

Nathan - After this match Nathan will be at professional Dueler status, which should secure him a spot for the 2015 Championship.

Rob - He was forced to do a lot of soul searching after his first ever last place finish.  Did he like what he found?

Ryan - He regained the top dueler ranking last month and has four top four finishes in his last four Duels.

Stephen - He goes to professional status too at this duel, and wants to improve upon his back to back sixth place finishes.

Stevie - He has played twice and finished seventh twice.  Can he move into a top half finish?

Tommy - His role in this Duel will be a game time decision.  If he's out, Sakina will jump into his spot.

JAR JAR AND OBI-WAN PREDICT THE WINNERS:

It's time for everyone's least favorite blog segment:
Jar Jar and Obi-Wan predict the winners!!!

Ok Jar Jar, who do you like winning tonight's Duel?

Meesa da winner with this turkey costume!

You don't even have a character in the game!!!  *sigh*  Obi-Wan, lemme guess...

I will win Thanksdueling, the Duelers should pick me.
I have the high ground.

And on that note...see you all tonight at Thanksdueling!

Card Appreciation Vol. 3

CARD:  "Sudden Arrival"

CHARACTER:  Greedo

WHAT IT DOES:  Creates dramatic entrances and exits.

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  Well, "awesome" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but Greedo's Sudden Arrival cards do come in handy.  The card is based on the scene from Star Wars when Greedo surprises Han in the cantina.  When you play it you can drop Greedo anywhere on the board as long he's adjacent to another character.  That means no matter how guarded another player might be, Greedo can always slip in behind them.

BEST USED:  There are three ways this card is used best.  First, it's a good way to keep Greedo close to Boba Fett after the bounty hunter uses his "Rocket Retreat" card.  This enables Greedo to maintain his human shield function as Boba's minor character.  Next, it's a great way to give Greedo a clear shot at a character he doesn't have line-of-sight for.  It works even better if that enemy is far across the board.  Greedo has a seven point attack, along with a couple of four point shots, so even though he doesn't get a ton of respect from your rivals he can still make life complicated for them.  Finally, Sudden Arrival is a great way to box a character in or separate them from their alliance or minor characters.  And in all of these instances of use, it never counts as an action, which is a huge advantage when you're navigating a shooter during a 12-way Duel.

WORST USED:  You see Sudden Arrival used sometimes when a player has ten cards in their hand and they don't want to attack somebody.  I think that's a shortsighted approach to the flexibility it provides. Another thing to be mindful of is the character you "Suddenly Arrive" next to.  If you land next to Yoda you can get force lifted, and you'll never discard three to stand him up again.  Place him next to a major character who gets nervous about his close proximity and he can be killed pretty quickly.

FINAL THOUGHT:   Greedo is a bit of a walking punch line in Epic Duels, so have fun building the suspense when playing this card.  But remember, he can be useful...anywhere on the board!

What do you all think about Sudden Arrival?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Fight Night - October 10, 2015

Emperor's Throne Room

This past Saturday night twelve noble warriors once again descended upon the North Village Community Center to do battle in this game we call Epic Duels.  Nate and JD had to cancel, so in their place Chris and Alex stepped in.

Before this recap goes any further, I wanted to take a moment to discuss the history of 12-Way Duels.  The very first 12-Way occurred back in 2002.  It was my birthday, and I got Yoda.  And I won.  I won the first 12-Way Duel ever.  It was quite exciting and insanely fun.  Hence the reason I've kept holding 12-Way Duels.  I don't think there's a more exciting feeling when winning a board game than taking home a victory in Epic Duels.  This Fight Night was the 45th 12-Way I have stats for (I've played a couple of others but didn't save the results).  I've had leagues in Muncie, IN, Knoxville, TN, Grand Rapids, MI, and here in Waco.  And in the 44 duels before Fight Night, I had never finished last.  I had a couple of scares in eleventh place, but never last.

These eleven did what no others had before.

Until Fight Night.

That's right folks - my streak of non-last place finishes is over.  The dark side betrayed my Darth Maul, even though Chris' Obi-Wan was nearly dead and it was a clear light vs. dark dynamic on the board.  I have to hand it to them, they did me dirty.  Jerks.

Chris was indeed next to go, falling at the hands of Ian's Count Dooku.  The mathematician who can figure out how Ian keeps drawing Dooku and Tommy keeps picking Boba will surely win the Nobel Prize.

Let's just say the next segment of the game took a long time.  I mean, a loooooong time.  Like, at least an hour and a half.  The chatter and strategery was incessant.   The action was random and constant.  Minor characters were whittled down.  Alliance strengths were tested.  Eventually, Curtis' Chewbacca wandered towards the dark side while he played the search for the Bowcaster card.  Strangely, he used that as his second action, meaning nine Duelers had a chance to kill Chewie before he cranked those eleven attack points.  Some folks took advantage of that opportunity, and soon Chewie was down to three health points left.  But Ian, who had the proximity and capability to finish him, didn't!  That permitted Curtis too shoot Alex's Emperor Palpatine.

This is Alex's cranky face.

There were other strange plays besides that.  Tommy had a communication breakdown with Ian and used his Boba Fett to throw a thermal detonator on their dark side alliance, further crippling them.  Ian, Tommy, and Alex ended up being the next three to go.  That wasn't a coincidence!

That left seven duelers still in the hunt.  It was around this time Daniel's Mace decided to pay a visit to Stevie's Yoda, who was still sitting in the back corner of the Throne Room.  Stevie was able to block most of Mace's attacks, but he left himself exposed to a long distance attack position by Curtis' Han Solo,  Sure enough, the smuggler hit him with multiple blaster shots, sending Stevie packing in seventh place.  Stevie has played twice and finished seventh twice.  #consistency

...and JUSTICE for all!

Stephen's Darth Vader had managed to lay low while the dark side crumbled, but his back line mate, Ryan/Jango, put the finishing attack on him with assistance from others, including Grant's Anakin and the Wookie.  That left five folks in the game:  David/Luke, Grant/Anakin, Ryna/Jango, Grant/Anakin, and Daniel/Mace.  It had been eleven months since David had played last, but he was making very strong moves.  One of the most exciting moments of the night occurred when Daniel moved in against him just after Leia had been killed.  Experienced duelers know what that means - Luke's "Justice" cards increase in attack value from four to ten.  After Mace attacked, David dropped BOTH Justice cards, dealing Daniel a successful twelve points of combined damage.  And David made another strong play.  Facing an attack by Curtis, David wisely mentioned that he should use one of his "I will not fight you" cards on Grant, since Anakin was in full health and best position to win.  But Curtis disagreed with that strategy and attacked Luke anyway, placing him within one point of his life!  David did use the special card on Grant, dumping most of his hand with the notable exception of two "Counter Attack" defense cards.

The four players not named Grant decided it was time to end Anakin's reign of leadership within the alliance, but Curtis' Wookie toss inadvertently sent Grant away from the remaining shooters, including Ryan's Jango and both of Daniel's clone troopers.  As the attacks came at Grant, some infighting broke out among the gang of four, resulting in Mace finishing off Luke in fifth place and then Daniel being flame throwered by Ryan/Jango for fourth.

Never tell Curtis the odds.

Grant withstood a ton of punishment, but his number was finally up when Curtis moved Han into position to play the "Never tell me the odds" card on both Jango and Anakin.  Grant bowed out in third for the second game in a row...with Anakin both times.  That left a shooting match between Curtis and Ryan.  Little did Curtis know, but Ryan was frustratingly holding mostly Zam cards.  Zam was the first character dead in the game, courtesy of Chris' Obi-Wan.  To add to Jango's misery, Han had pulled many of his four point attack cards.  It wasn't long before Jango ran out of defense and Curtis navigated Han to victory in one of the screwiest 12-Way Duels I've ever seen.  Congrats to Curtis, who becomes the third Dueler to reach three career victories, tying him with Grant for second place on the career victory list.  And lets make sure Han freakin' Solo gets some credit too.  That's win #2 for him, which is two more than Anakin, Emperor, Dooku, and Luke combined.  #makesnosense

November will be the annual Thanksdueling match - stay tuned!  Thanksdueling will also be the last qualifying match before December's 2015 Championship.  The Championship game is reserved for the top twelve ranked Duelers.  More details to come as we look towards the end of our calendar Dueling year...

Final order of finish:

12.  Rob - Darth Maul
11.  Chris - Obi-Wan Kenobi
10.  Ian - Count Dooku
9.  Tommy - Boba Fett
8.  Alex - Emperor Palpatine
7.  Stevie - Yoda
6.  Stephen - Darth Vader
5.  David - Luke Skywalker
4.  Daniel - Mace Windu
3.  Grant - Anakin Skywalker
2.  Ryan - Jango Fett
1.  Curtis - Han Solo

Preview: Fight Night - October 10, 2015

October...a time of seasons changing, pumpkins, and brutal take-downs in 12-WAY DUELS!!!

That's right friends, October means it's time for the annual Fight Night Duel!  Whether you're playing or just want to come and watch, we'll be in the North Village Community Center at 8PM this Saturday night.  Put up your dukes or you won't last long.

HISTORY:  At last year's Fight Night, the mighty Grant won his first ever Duel, using Darth Vader to will his way to victory.  It marked the second career win for Vader.

LINEUP:

Duelers.....LET'S GET READY TO RUMMMMMBBBBBLLLLLEEEEE!!!!

Curtis - If you're looking for Rob's light saber, you can find it buried in Curtis' back.  Will Curtis seek revenge for his unexpected ouster at the Fall Brawl?

Daniel - In six career Duels, the now-professional Daniel has picked Jango three times and Luke twice.  Can he draw a new character?

David  - What's this???  David returns to the Duels arena for the first time in eleven months.  He won the 10 player game at the Retreat.  Can he shake off the rust and win it all?

Grant - He's on a roll with first and third place finishes in his last two Duels.  Can Grant defend his Fight Night title?

Ian - He made a splash by debuting in the professional rankings in third place, but he's finished progressively worse in his last three Duels.  Can Ian reverse the trend?

JD - The hottest Dueler in the land just might be JD.  He has four top five finishes in his last four Duels, including winning the Birthday Bash.  Can he keep his streak alive?

Nate - We have a 12-Way Duels rookie in our midst!  Nate got a taste for Dueling at the Retreat, playing in the side game.  Is this HRC whiz kid smart enough to conquer eleven competitors?

Rob - Rob has played with Obi-Wan Kenobi twice this season, and won both times.  That brings his career total victories to six.  Can he run the gauntlet a seventh time?

Ryan - He missed the last Duel due to a ghastly bout with food poisoning.  Despite not playing, his average finish stats still improved due to new handicaps.  Can he take back first in the rankings?

Stephen - Stephen is the first ever Dueler to leave a comment on the blog.  This will be his last Duel as an amateur.  Can he finally enter the victory circle?

Stevie - Stevie has wanted to play again since his first Duel at the Retreat, where he finished in seventh place with Han.  Can this raw talent go deeper into the game?

Tommy - He has played three times, and improved his place of finish in each duel, including fifth place with Yoda at the Fall Brawl.  Can Tommy tower over the rest of the board?

Who will win?  Only time will tell.

Or these two:

JAR JAR AND OBI-WAN PREDICT THE WINNERS:

Ok guys, who you like to win at Fight Night?

Jar Jar:  "Meesa scared of da' Dooku!"

 Jar Jar thinks Dooku will win.  I guess.  Obi-Wan?

"I told you I would win last time and I did."

That's true.  I'm sure you're picking yourself again, right?

"No, I believe Master Windu will win.
He has the high ground this time."

Really!?!?  That's a surprising pick!

"No, not really.  I'm joshing you.
I will win once again.  I still have the
high ground."

Punk.

Well folks, we'll see who's right on Saturday night - FIGHT NIGHT!  Make your predictions in the comments below...

Card Appreciation Vol. 2

CARD:  "Precise Shot"

CHARACTER:  Padme Amidala

WHAT IT DOES:  Pierces your soul.

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  Do me a favor, and read the number in the red semi-circle at the top of the card.  No, it's not an upside down six.  That's a big, fat, fear-inducing nine attack points.  And when Padme aims her blaster at your dome, you better be ready to move your damage indicator down a row or two.  Besides being one of the largest attack cards in the game, it has the added bonus of allowing you to discard a card to draw a new one.  Precise Shot is the gift that keeps on giving...pain!

BEST USED:  Anakin and Padme are the most nuanced, complicated characters to control in Epic Duels.  Some characters are balanced, others are more offensive, and still others are defensively oriented.  But these two fit their own category - chaotic.  And nothing introduces potential chaos quite like Padme shooting at you.  There's only one Precise Shot in the deck, but you have to defend for it every time she fires at you.  That means it's to your advantage to fake its presence in your hand a couple of times before laying waste to an opponent.  I prefer to use it long range, so in a 12-way Duel, your best bet is often to fire it towards the dark side.  The Fetts, with their perpetually low defensive cards, are a good bet to extract maximum damage.  If you combine it with Padme's "Shot on the Run," an attack card with a value of six, that's 15 total hit points in one turn (and you can retreat after firing).  Nobody wants to face that.

The true Dueling expert, though, will also utilize the discard feature.  This is crucial for keeping Anakin as nimble as possible.  His "Anger" and "Calm" cards are used best in tandem, so Precise Shot helps you dig for them.  Anakin can be a bit light on defense, too, so you get an extra crack at guarding yourself.  She sure takes care of her major character!

WORST USED:  You know what's not fun?  Using a nine attack and having it completely defended.  So beware of characters with high defense cards that can neutralize its value.  Also, there are a few characters who can do exclusive damage to minor characters.  Shooting them with Precise Shot is an open invitation to ending Padme's game early.

FINAL THOUGHT:  Padme is a character who can go unnoticed in a 12-way Duel.  Don't make that mistake, or you'll find out just how Precise her Shot is.

What do you think of Padme's Precise Shot?  Let us know in the comments below!

The Fall Brawl - September 19, 2015

Carbon Freezing Chamber

For the first time this season, we played in the Carbon Freezing Chamber!  Tommy drew chair number one, so it was up to him to pick the field of battle.  He couldn't have selected a more intense environment.  There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no matter where you stand on the board you feel too crowded.  In other words, it was the perfect setting for the Fall Brawl!

This match featured several milestones before the first card was even drawn.  Ian made his debut as a professionally ranked dueler, meaning he was playing in his sixth duel.  Nathan, playing for his fifth time, will be a professional in his next match.  And we had a rookie at the table!  That's right, Julio was playing a 12-way for the first time.  We also had two last minute subs - Ryan and Mackenzie were struck down by a stomach bug, so Elysa and Tommy came to our rescue so the duel could go on.

The last moment everyone was still friendly...

The first couple of rounds of play were uneventful as folks carded up, but JD caused a stir early, as he's prone to do, by sneaking a diagonal shot with his Jango against Sakina's Darth Maul.  He then used his "rocket retreat" card and moved all the way to the back row of the light side half of the Chamber.  His minor character, Zam Wessel, got off another shot in a similar way and Sakina was getting damaged early.  Ian decided to move away from the middle of the board, the tricky starting spot of his Darth Vader, and join the light side as well.  This left Julio's Emperor quite exposed to a wall of light side shooters.  It wasn't long before Julio faced the harsh realities of a 12-Way Duel - somebody has to finish 12th, and in this case, it was the rookie.  We hope Julio will join us again soon, though!

Keep your head down and don't make eye contact, Stephen!

Sakina and Elysa were the next two to go, and it appeared they were resigned to an undetermined fate, as they did little to defend themselves and made curious moves which seemed to expedite their deaths.  This left Stephen/Dooku alone on the dark side of the board, and the assumed next victim, but multiple folks conspired to take down Ian's Vader next.  Curtis/Luke played his "I will not fight you" card to dump him of his attacks and, as it turned out, all of his defense too.  But when he revealed his hand he was loaded with "Special" cards he got to keep.  Nathan/Mace moved in to take advantage of the situation, but Chris/Han positioned his Chewbacca behind Mace and unloaded the "bowcaster," rocking Nathan's world before Ian died in ninth place.

With eight to go Rob/Obi-Wan was feeling nervous that he was at the bottom of the current alliance, so he made a fateful decision.  He back-stabbed Curtis.  Though they had been working well together, Rob knew Curtis had no defense left due to the "I will not fight you," and he wanted to get away from Tommy/Yoda and his force lifts.  So Rob used a hit and run attack on Luke, then ran over to Mace and finished Nathan off in eighth.  That last card let him move everyone on the board, so he surrounded Luke with shooters and no way out.  Grant brought his Anakin into that mix and Curtis was soon gone in seventh, a better finish, as Curtis said, than all of last month, but a disappointment Rob will have to pay for someday in the future.

JD and Grant, respecting Tommy's final moments.

Stephen was finally put to rest in sixth place, which was no small feat considering how quickly his side of the board had disintegrated.  With five to go folks knew what had to be done:  kill Yoda.  Tommy was stunned to find out he was next on the hit list, but as Grant proved at the last double header, Yoda is hard to eliminate late in the game. Chris double Wookie tossed the small green Jedi to start the bloodletting, and Tommy would bow out in fifth.

That left four to go:  Rob/Obi-Wan, Grant/Anakin, Chris/Han, and JD/Jango.  Rob proposed a deal to Grant - he would kill Jango and Grant could eliminate Han, and then they would meet in the middle of the board for the final showdown.  Grant agreed...but he didn't!  He attacked Obi-Wan instead!!!  Rob still killed JD in fourth, but with three to go, he switched tactics and appealed to Chris'reason.  The only way Han could win is if he helped Obi-Wan take down Anakin.  Grant refused to accept that fate, and continued his press against Rob.  Rob was in good position, though, because he was loaded with defense cards and largely hidden from the ranged attacks of Han and Chewey.  As things started to look grim, Rob played the "Force Balance" card that forced everyone to discard their hand and draw three!  That agitated Grant, who in a rare demonstration of emotion, slammed his cards to the table, including Padme's "Precise Shot," which would have been a nine point attack.

He really DID have the high ground!

Rob's board manipulation had forced Grant towards Chewbacca, and after the redraw Chris soon had the "bowcaster" again.  Unable to target Rob, who still had his clone troopers as a human shield, he lowered the laser boom on Grant.  Grant wasn't able to recover, and finally finished in third.  That left Chris/Han/Chewey against Obi-Wan and Clone Trooper #1.  Chris and Rob were both low carded, and spent every attack they had on each other.  Since their minor characters were still alive, there would be no healing at the end of this game - the first to red would be dead!  Obi started closing in on Han, while the smuggler and his furry sidekick brought him within one point of dying.  But with a miraculous luck of the draw, Rob got both of his six point attacks, and swung them both at Chris.  Han was dead, and the Fall Brawl was over!  If your memory is strong, you'll realize Rob/Grant/Chris was the same final three from the last duel, Double Header #2!  That's two straight second place finishes for Chris!  Rob won his league-leading sixth title, while Obi-Wan grabbed his third victory, good for second place on the character list of victories.  This match was also the first time Emperor has finished last in this league.  Only Mace and Vader have avoided the bottom spot in 17 Waco duels.  Chris' excellent finish with Han brought him out of the bottom three characters, with Boba taking his place now in tenth place.  As for Ian, now a professional, he debuted in third place - nice going, Ian!

Thanks to everyone who came out!  Our next duel will be in October, the annual "Fight Night" battle!  Stay tuned for more details soon.  Stats and rankings will be updated on this page over the next couple of days as well...

Final order of finish:

12.  Julio - Emperor Palpatine
11.  Sakina - Darth Maul
10.  Elysa - Boba Fett
9.  Ian - Darth Vader
8.  Nathan - Mace Windu
7.  Curtis - Luke Skywalker
6.  Stephen - Count Dooku
5.  Tommy - Yoda
4.  JD - Jango Fett
3.  Grant - Anakin Skywalker
2.  Chris - Han Solo
1.  Rob - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Preview: The Fall Brawl - September 19, 2015

Can you believe we're already playing our fifth duel of the season?  That's what happens when you play THREE duels in one day, which happened at the end of August.  The influx of matches has accelerated the learning curve for some of our amateur ranked duelers, making for increasingly competitive battles.  There are no easy paths to victory, and the lineup for our second annual Fall Brawl, which occurs every September, is rife with danger.

HISTORY:
Last year's Fall Brawl took place on the Kamino Platform, and was won buy D. Coy, who still ranks as the only amateur to win a Duel (others have won as an amateur but later achieved professional status).  The now retired Coy won with Darth Maul.

LINEUP:

Chris
The eighth ranked professional dueler experienced highs and lows at the Double Header.  He followed a disappointing 11th place finish in the first game with a near victory in the second, almost landing Mace Windu a win before falling to Grant's Yoda.  Word on the street is Chris is sick and needs Wookie Healing.

Curtis
Curtis was left with a lot of soul searching to do after a devastating trio of duels on August 29.  He finished 12th, 10th, and 9th and plummeted from third place to seventh in the dueler rankings.  Don't count on this two-time victor staying down for long, he's ready to Force Rebound.

Grant
He came to the double header just to watch the action, but got a seat at the table in game #2 when Alex left early.  And wouldn't you know it, Grant won with Yoda!  The victory, his third, puts him in second place in career victories and third in the dueler rankings.  For Grant this game has become All Too Easy.

Ian
Ian played the surprise birthday duel last month and had a career low finish in seventh place with Obi-Wan, but not before eliminating birthday-boy Rob.  The Fall Brawl will be Ian's sixth duel, meaning he'll reach professional status.  He's the topped ranked amateur and could take over the top spot on the professional rankings, blowing up the standings like a Thermal Detonator.

JD
August 29th is a day JD won't soon forget.  He won the surprise birthday duel with Darth Vader for his well deserved first career victory, and followed it up with nice tries in fourth and fifth place during the double header.  Can his Force Lightning strike twice?

Julio
The popularity and pool of duelers continues to grow as Julio will make his league debut this Saturday.  He played the 10 person game at the CL retreat, but has yet to experience a fully operational 12-way duel.  We eagerly await his Sudden Arrival in the standings.

Mackenzie
It's the "Return of the Mack."  Mackenzie is playing her first duel of the season after reaching professional status last year.  She's a quiet dueler who can sneak up on you during a match.  Will she be able to shake off the rust and operate with full Sith Speed?

Nathan
Nathan is another amateur dueler who has drunk the Yoda Soda and committed himself to the life of a dueler.  The Fall Brawl will be his fifth duel, bringing him within reach of professional ranking. His third place finish with Luke at the birthday duel indicates some strong Latent Force Abilities.

Rob
The crazed ring leader of this Duel league had a respectable birthday performance though he made some uncommon mistakes during the three matches that led to some earlier than expected exits.  Now in his fourth decade, he must rely on his Wisdom more than ever to conquer these padawans.

Ryan
Nobody had a better day with the trifecta of duels than Ryan.  He finished first at double header #1, and added second and fourth places finishes to his record too.  His two career victories and consistently high finishes have moved him into first place in the rankings by .01 points.  His rise to the top is a testament to his Force Balance.

Sakina
She now sits in fourth place in the dueler rankings but is still searching for that first career victory.  In the three duels on the 29th, she played with Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and Emperor Palpatine.  Those dark side influences caused her to stage one of the biggest backstabs in Duels history, though she got betrayed too.  What happens when you cross Sakina?  You Will Die.

Stephen
Stephen has a fever, and the only prescription is more 12-way Duels!  The Fall Brawl is already Stephen's fourth duel, though he might be ready for a different character after playing with Obi-Wan in both games at the double header.  Could he pick him again?  Never Tell Him The Odds.

JAR JAR AND OBI-WAN PREDICT THE WINNERS:

Ok Jar Jar, who do you think will bring home the bacon?

"Mesa be pickin lil' Annie the winner!"

Jar Jar, you're holding your card upside down.

"Oopsa!  Here you be going!"

Ok...

Obi-Wan, what say you?  Who will win?

"I will win the Fall Brawl.  The duelers should select my character.
I have the high ground."

There you have it folks.  Feel free to share your own predictions in the comment section below!

Card Appreciation Vol. 1

CARD:  "Taunting"

CHARACTER:  Count Dooku

WHAT IT DOES:  It punches you in the mouth...repeatedly.

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  Though Count Dooku is currently a bottom-three ranked character in this Duels league, it's not because he isn't dangerous.  The heart and soul of his deck are his four, that's right, four Taunting cards.  Good for seven points of carnage apiece, Dooku can potentially drop 28 points of attack in a mere two rounds of play.  Only a couple of other characters in the game can do more damage in such a short span of time.  But the real kicker?  The card replaces itself after each action with the "draw a card" bonus.  So you can drop those 28 points of vengeance and still have ten cards in your hand!  Admittedly, it's hard to hold all four in your hand at one time, but not impossible.  Dooku operates best when you have a full ten cards in you hand and the Taunting attacks help you maintain hand superiority.

BEST USED:  In tandem, preferably when you know your opponent's best defense cards have already been played.  Like it was mentioned above, they play better when your hand is/nearly is full.

WORST USED:  When you're low carded.  Dropping the Taunting card on an enemy when you have few cards in your hand is a quick way to exit a game early.  Dooku's biggest weakness is his defense, and using the Taunting card will almost always produce a counter-attack against you.  The one time you might ignore this advice is at the start of the game, especially if you are one of the first three or four players in the rotation of play.  Everyone starts off with four cards, meaning premium defense cards are less likely to be in play, and the "Draw a card" feature of the Taunting will help you keep pace.  Dooku often starts near the Fetts or Emperor Palpatine, three characters with smaller health point totals that could be half dead with one successful Taunting play.

FINAL THOUGHT:  It feels so right when you land two of these in a row on some poor, unsuspecting competitor.

What do you think of Taunting?  Sound off in the comments below!

Doubleheader #2 - August 29, 2015

Green and Mean

Emperor's Throne Room

The second game of the night and third match of the day didn't get started until well after 10PM.  The players looked like they had been through hell...but they were only half way to the finish line...a finish line only one of them would even reach.

dun-Dun-DUNNNN!!!!

Shockingly, three players redrew the same characters they had the match before:  Elysa/Maul, Tommy/Boba, and Stephen/Obi.  Sakina got the Emperor, after already playing Vader and Maul earlier in the day.  That's an evil head space to have to occupy for such a long period of time!  Alex also decided to give up his chair to Grant, who had come to watch the first match.  Grant would take advantage of the opportunity...  #forshadowing

The Throne Room was selected for the second time this season and we were off and running.  Once again, as has been common in the past few Duels, the light side and dark appeared to gravitate towards each other.  But just as alliances were starting to form, side-hopping started to take place.  Stephen took a page out of Curtis' book and had his Obi-Wan run over to the dark side.  Similarly, Ethen flipped to the light side with Dooku.  What happened next was quite comical.  With Chewbacca holding his bowcaster, JD forced Tommy's Boba to defect as well by threat of 11 points of damage.  Tommy knew what to do - let the Wookie win!

The Throne Room stayed congested and after a lot of shots across the board, Elysa was once again isolated and attacked out of fear of the Sith-Speed wielding menace.  Poor Elysa had a repeat twelfth place finish, a cruel reminder on how vicious this game can be.  That shouldn't be a reflection on Elysa's skills, though.  It was much more circumstantial than anything else.  We hope she'll be back out there the next time we play!

The dominoes continued to fall after that.  Stephen discovered a move too late that his Obi-Wan was exposed to a long diagonal shot from Rob's Padme, and sure enough, she delivered 15 attack points in two actions.  Obi perished soon after.  Ethen, fighting valiantly but stuck in the middle of the board, was next to go as the dark side were too persistent in their revenge on Dooku.  Curtis/Jango were next to fall, marking a day Curtis would just as soon forget.  With the dark side players disappearing, Grant/Yoda and Rob/Anakin sensed Ryan/Luke might have been making nice with the remaining dark side characters.  Despite Ryan's efforts to prove his loyalty by attacking Vader, Grant ultimately "Force Lifted" him and threw him across the board to Sakina.  Sakina, though, decided to make nice with Ryan.  As Chris/Mace marched down to attack Luke, Ryan suggested Sakina discard three of her cards to stand him up.  Sakina obliged!

Behold!  Ryan's Evil Giggle

What happened next will be a move that lives in infamy.  Sweet, hilarious, infamy.  After Sakina discarded from her own deck to help Ryan...he attacked her!!!  You could argue he was simply reestablishing his commitment to his original alliance, but that picture says it all!  Sakina perished soon after, and then the rest of the board struck down Tommy/Boba, who had stayed loyal to his light side switch.

With five to go a pecking order needed to be established, and that's where Grant/Yoda made the next move.  He went after JD/Han, who had been hanging out near Yoda for most of the game.  JD didn't survive, but he had a heck of a day - first, second, and fifth place finishes.  Amazing!  And well deserved. 

Things got dicey when the final four were left.  Rob left the table for a minute to let his dog outside, and heard the treacherous whispers behind his back.  Saboteurs!!!  That's a big lesson for any of you rookie duelers reading this blog:  NEVER LEAVE THE TABLE.  Rob confronted them immediately and their nervous laughter confirmed his suspicions.  Chris/Mace proposed it would take a unified effort to oust Grant/Yoda, and as everyone agreed he attacked Rob/Anakin!  The conniving continued, but it was Ryan/Luke who fell first.  Like JD, Ryan had a truly epic day, finishing first, second, and fourth in the duels.

Despite Rob's incessant verbal temptations to form a two-on-one alliance with Chris and Grant, neither caved and Anakin petered out in third.  That left two.  Though Chris/Mace looked like he had the early advantage, Grant leveraged incredible dice rolls with perfectly timed card plays.  Mace could never get fully comfortable, and was finally force pushed to his death!  Congrats to Grant, who becomes just the second player to win three duels...and he wasn't even supposed to be playing!!!  It also marks Yoda's second career victory.  Yoda rules.

Thanks to everyone who played two, and in some cases, three duels on the day!  I love that interest in the league continues to grow.  Mark your calendars now, the next Duel, "The Fall Brawl," is tentatively scheduled for September 19th.  More details and official invitations will come out in a few weeks. 

In the meantime, I'm working to update the stat tabs.  I can tell you the most exciting news is that Ryan has eked past Rob by just .01 percent to retake the top ranked player title!  I should also note Daniel became a professionally ranked dueler by playing his sixth Duel at the Birthday Surprise.  Congrats Daniel!  Also, the there's a shakeup in the bottom three characters, as the Emperor has moved up to eighth place and Han has fallen into the bottom three.  That impacts the handicap points for our rankings, but like I said, I'll get that updated/better explained on the blog in the coming days.

Order of finish for this Duel:

12.  Elysa - Darth Maul

11.  Stephen - Obi-Wan Kenobi

10.  Ethen - Count Dooku

9.  Curtis - Jango Fett

8.  Nathan - Darth Vader

7.  Sakina - Emperor Palpatine

6.  Tommy - Boba Fett

5.  JD - Han Solo

4.  Ryan - Luke Skywalker

3.  Rob - Anakin Skywalker

2.  Chris - Mace Windu

1.  Grant - Yoda

Doubleheader #1 - August 29, 2015

Geonosis Arena

As mentioned in the previous post, even though this was supposed to be the first Duel of the day, it was already the second!  Geonosis Arena was the board picked, and the characters were assigned.  Curtis and Alex were surprised to see themselves repeating their use of Anakin and Mace.  One would fair better than the other by the end of the game...

Excitement and tensions were high as the game started.  There seemed to be a natural divide, once again, between the light and dark sides.  However, after some tricky board maneuvers, including JD's Emperor joining Rob's Dooku in the Dooku hidey-hole, Alex's Mace made a bold defection by running down to the dark side.  It was reminiscent of Ryan's same move from last Spring.  Not long after that, Nathan's Luke did the same thing.  The dark side characters were welcoming while the light side had to scramble to try and turn the tide.

That's when the first brutal take down of the night occurred.  The dark side had been slowly advancing towards the Jedi, and doing damage along the way, but out of nowhere Stephen's Obi-Wan played the "Force Balance" and moved all of the characters in play up to three spaces each.  The terrible effect was poor Elysa/Darth Maul being completely surrounded by the light side characters!

She fought valiantly and inflicted damage, but it wasn't enough to escape a twelfth place finish.  Not long after Chris/Yoda and Curtis/Anakin were gone, victims of a blind-side by Ethen/Han Solo.

My memory is a bit fuzzy on what happened next, but I do know Alex's Mace made numerous public declarations that all he was seeking in this Duel was "friendship," going so far as to have his Mace hold hands with Ryan/Jango for numerous rounds.  That was especially ironic given the two characters and the board we were playing on.  Alex was clearly drinking too much Yoda Soda.  Tommy's Boba was next to die, and then Stephen/Obi and Ethen/Han got thrown into the triangle of death by Rob/Dooku.  The triangle consisted of Nathan/Luke, Alex/Mace, and Ryan/Jango, who rewarded each arrival with exits from the game.  Ethen did manage to drop seven points of damage on Dooku with the "Bowcaster," though.  That brought the game down to six players.  Nathan, lacking defense cards for Luke, was identified as next to go, and then there were five.

What happened next was one of the most grueling, painful, un-fun hours in league history.  The final five were stuck in a stalemate.  Rob/Dooku and JD/Emperor were strongly aligned.  Alex/Mace and Ryan/Jango were more or less aligned, but Jango was feeling weak and Sakina's Vader was hard to pin down as far as her alliances went.  The five traded barbs and slowly started whittling each other down.  Sakina eventually bowed out in fifth, but not after hanging on much longer than anyone thought.  Rob became delirious and worried about the start time for the next Duel, so when Alex proposed that they align to take out Emperor and Jango, he agreed.

That didn't go well for either, as they were next out.  That's right, we had the same final two from earlier in the afternoon:

This time, though, it would be Ryan with the upper hand!  Ryan had played the stalemate the most patiently and evasively, giving him a strong hand to finish off the battered Emperor.  Congrats to Ryan!  He won his second career Duel with the victory, which includes the 2014 Championship.  It also marked the second victory for the topped ranked character in the league, Jango Fett.

Order of finish:

12.  Elysa - Darth Maul

11.  Chris - Yoda

10.  Curtis - Anakin Skywalker

9.  Tommy - Boba Fett

8.  Stephen - Obi-Wan Kenobi

7.  Ethen - Han Solo

6.  Nathan - Luke Skywalker

5.  Sakina - Darth Vader

4.  Rob - Count Dooku

3.  Alex - Mace Windu

2.  JD - Emperor Palpatine

1.  Ryan - Jango Fett