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!