Doubleheader #1 - August 26, 2017

Kamino Platform

Everything was set.

The "tie-fighter ties" were warm and ready for consumption, the wookie cookies were lined on their plate, and the yoda soda flowed in its frothy goodness, blessing each Dueler who consumed it.

But something was missing.

A quick headcount confirmed it - we only had eleven Duelers!  Where the heck was Elijah?!?  His fellow Duelers quickly contacted and reminded him of where he was supposed to be.  As he raced to his car we drew seats and characters without him and only half-jokingly talked about killing him first.

Elijah not pictured.

Austin got seat number one and he picked the Kamino Platform.  It was the first time we played Kamino since February, so the rainy launch pad seemed appropriate given the storms.  Elijah finally showed up and was not surprised to learn it was already his turn!

The light side and dark sides stayed pretty tight, and it looked like it was going to be a real slug fest.  Andrew, playing in his first 12-Way Duel, drew first blood when his Obi-Wan Kenobi killed Rob's Zam Wessell.  But Andrew over-extended himself and soon discovered he was in attack range of multiple dark side characters.  Many took shots but it was Stephen's lil' old Battle Droid that ended Andrew's first game in a disappointing last place.  The silver lining?  He got the travelling Jar Jar trophy for finishing last!  The other silver lining?  He only had to own it for another three hours!

Elijah pictured.

The dark side continued their press as Curtis' Darth Vader dropped a double Choke on Kerri's Padme.  Kerri was stuck in the back row, unable to attack the bad guys and unwilling to stab her alliance in the back.  But it was Austin who was next to fall.  For the third game in a row he got Han Solo, and despite early thoughts about flipping, he stuck to the light side.  His loyalty was rewarded by repeated blows from Stephen/Darth Maul's double bladed light saber.  We didn't realize it at the time, but this was Austin's sixth Duel - he's reached professional status!  Congrats Austin!  Hopefully one day you'll pick a character besides Han!  Two-thirds of his characters have been bottom three ranked combatants.

JD reads the writing on the wall.

With two light side characters down the mass exodus commenced.  First Nathan/Mace and then Ethan/Yoda scooted over to the dark side.  That left Kerri/Yoda and JD and his Luke Skywalker twisting in the wind.  Kerri didn't want to go down without a fight, so she Wrathed in, killing Grant's Greedo in the process.  But Wrist Cables from Rob/Jango and Grant/Boba left Kerri all tied up (pun!).  It was Rob's Jango that finally shot her off the board.  A tenth place finish wasn't the greatest way for a rookie Dueler to make her debut, but Kerri would strike back later in the night - #foreshadowing.

I can't remember how, but JD was flying solo and deep in the dark side territory.  Kat, also a rookie but playing the Emperor at an expert level, finally ended his night in ninth place.  That left eight Duelers in the game, who were supposedly all on the same "side"...

Elijah/Dooku and Ethan/Yoda kept having on and off again conflict with each other, but perhaps the biggest moment of the game occurred when Nate/Mace suggested to Rob/Jango that they go after Stephen's Darth Maul.  Stephen was stunned, thinking they were good.  Rob left Nate hanging by telling him he was loyal to Maul.  Nate apologized and picked cards instead, but the social gaff hung in the air.  On Rob's next turn he Wrist Cabled Nate and then Rocket Retreated over to Curtis/Vader behind Jango's ship.  Others followed suit but it was Grant's Boba Fett, firing his deadly Kyber Dart, that killed Nathan in eighth place.

Those Athletic Surges sting are no
laughing matter!

The obvious choice after Nathn was Ethan's Yoda.  Nobody was excited to face the defensive wizard late in the game.  Ethan tried his best but bowed out after Dooku Force Pushed him into a kill box.  Curtis/Vader delivered the final blow.  That meant an all-dark side final six!

With six to go everybody remembered they hadn't taught Elijah a lesson about showing up late.  Dooku fought valiantly, retreating to the opposite side of the board and forcing the Fetts, Vader's Storm Troopers, and Maul's Battle Droids to corner him and take multiple shots.  Jango finally got the deathblow and Elijah was done in sixth place.

That left a final five of Rob/Jango, Curtis/Vader, Kat/Emperor, Grant/Boba, and Stephen/Maul.   Kat ended up being the odd Dueler out.  Darth Maul dropped multiple attacks, including a final shot with Athletic Surge.  Kat laughed out loud, having never experienced an eight point attack before.  She survived they volley but lost the war - Darth Vader Wrathed her and Kat was out in fifth.  But that was an amazing debut for the rookie!  Folks were impressed with her wits and instincts.

Betrayed by the Fetts!

Curtis assumed they would all go after Boba Fett next...but Curtis was wrong!  Rob was tightly aligned with both Stephen and Grant, so when Rob began to fire upon Curtis, Vader got angry!  He Threw Debris and Wrathed Grant's Boba, and hid for a time behind Jango's ship.  But once he peaked his head out Grant was ready, dropping a double Thermal Detonator!  After the smoke cleared Vader's charred body was swept off the platform and Curtis had to settle for fourth place.

Though Stephen assumed (and with good reason) that Rob/Jango was his ally to the end...Stephen was wrong!  Grant and Rob had made a secret pact from the very beginning to stay together to the end!  The father and son combo began to rain down shots on the dark lord of the Sith.  Stephen wasn't going down without a fight, though.  While Rob had multiple Rocket Retreats to keep his distance, Grant got caught too close and Stephen swooped in.  After a flurry of "does not count as an action" cards, poor Boba was gone in third place.  Rob moved in after that to land a two point attack and then another Rocket Retreat.  Stephen survived - but was down to zero health points.  He couldn't heal either because both (!!!) of his Battle Droids were somehow alive.  While Maul hid behind the ship Rob flew to the opposite end of the board.  He already had a Fire Up The Jet Pack, so he only need to wait and draw a Wrist Cable or Flame Thrower.  The Cable came up first, so he flew in and wrapped Maul and Stephen to death.

pew pew!

After holding all the previous trophies in his office without being their rightful owner, Rob finally got his first piece of hardware.  And in a stunning coincidence, he won the Jango-on-Kamino trophy with Jango Fett...on the Kamino Platform!  Stephen's second place finish with Maul was awesome in that his last three Doubleheader games were all second place or above!

The final order of finish:

12.  Andrew/Obi-Wan
11.  Austin/Han Solo
10.  Kerri/Anakin
9.  JD/Luke Skywalker
8.  Nathan/Mace Windu
7.  Ethan/Yoda
6.  Elijah/Count Dooku
5.  Kat/Emperor Palpatine
4.  Curtis/Darth Vader
3.  Grant/Boba Fett
2.  Stephen/Darth Maul
1.  Rob/Jango Fett

Well, until next time...wait?!  Next time was like five minutes later!  On to the next post...

Interior decorating provided by JD