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!!!