Birthday Surprise - December 8, 2018

Carbon Freezing Chamber

Everyone in our league, minus one poor bewildered soul, knew the 2018 Championship was NOT our last Duel of the year.  No, Grant's wife wanted to throw a surprise Duel for her husband's birthday, and who are we to deny our top ranked Dueler a memorable gift like that???

So we gathered at Grant's house while he was out on an errand and we invaded his living room.  Soon enough he was home, believing the glut of cars on the street were for a party at his neighbor's house.  As he rounded the corner his worst nightmare came true - eleven ruthless Duelers had invaded his home, were eating his food, and wanted to ruin his Saturday night!

We gave Grant the honor of picking the board, and he picked the Carbon Freezing Chamber.  It was a nice bit of revenge for showing up at his house unbeknownst to him!

Happy birthday, Grant!

It was a night of mixed blessings for Chris W.  The Birthday Surprise was his sixth Duel, meaning he's turned professional!  But he also got stuck with Luke Skywalker, right in the middle of the board.  And Rob's Zam Wessell drew two Sniper Shots in his first four cards, so he decided to drop them on poor Chris for a combined eight points of damage before it was even his turn.  It also produced a couple of defections as Kaleb's Obi-Wan moved to the dark side of the board and Grant's Anakin eventually Wrathed in too.  Ian's Super Battle Droid rolled forward to take additional shots on Skywalker and then Ryan's Emperor used Force Lightning to register the first casualty of the night.

Andrew's Mace Windu was starting to take hits, so Charlie's Han Solo tried to defect to the dark side too.  Except the dark side wasn't having it.  He was immediately attacked by Chris K.'s Greedo.  Ian would eventually swing in his Count Dooku to drop the final hit with a Taunt.  Poor Charlie!

Before Chris W. had died, he did manage to play an I Will Not Fight You on Ben P.'s Darth Vader.  He literally had to drop all eight of his cards.  As he was frantically trying to restock the rest of the dark side could smell the blood in the water and descended on him.  Ryan's Emperor claimed his second victim of the night when he laid the final shot, a four point attack.  It was rough luck for Ben P.

But Ryan wasn't done there!  He advanced one of his Royal Guards into firing range of the light side, where he had Andrew's Mace in his sights after Mace had moved in on a suicide run.  Andrew was gone too and the light side collapse was nearly complete.

Ben H., winner of our last two Duels, was piloting Yoda and trying to figure out a way to turn the tides.  It was slim pickings but he forced himself next to Kaleb's Obi-Wan clones.  Kaleb started getting nervous about his spot in the pecking order and took a hit and run shot on Rob's Jango, which he was none too pleased by.  That skirmish subsided and the rest of the Duelers agreed to finish off Yoda.  It took a concentrated effort, but Kaleb did land the last blow.

"I'm coming for you, buddy!"

JD's Darth Maul didn't like Kaleb's lack of commitment to pursuing Yoda, and didn't want to see Rob's Jango off the board either.  Rob used that to his advantage, hitting Obi-Wan with a Wrist Cable.  The other Duelers followed suit as Kaleb tried to find a safe haven on the board.  But Rob and Ian had boxed Kaleb out from the rest of the group, making him an easier target.  Eventually Ian used a Force Push to kill Kaleb in seventh, his second Duel in a row with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

That left six Duelers:  Rob/Jango, JD/Maul, Ryan/Emperor, Chris K./Boba, Grant/Anakin, and Ian/Dooku.  It was JD's turn and he was fully loaded with cards, but he agonized over what to do next.  At one point he indicated he would go after Grant or Ian, but after long debate, he switched tactics and went for Boba Fett.

Chris K. was ticked!

Boba planned to go after Ryan's Emperor but had to switch gears and tussle with JD instead.  It left the Fett badly injured and Ryan once again mopped the body, using his Royal Guard to put in the final shot.  However, that also left Ryan exposed and the remaining Duelers decided Emperor should go next.  Poor Ryan didn't have his You Will Die card or many of his Force Lightnings.  He did have two Meditations, though, which made eliminating him painfully long, especially as he kept calling them "Mediations."  He couldn't hold out forever, though, and Ian dropped him in fifth.

And then there were four!  Grant/Anakin and Ian/Dooku were both in good shape, while JD and Rob were less so.  JD started in on Padme, who was still Force Lifted from Yoda earlier in the game.  Rob's Jango didn't want to commit to a side quite yet, leading Ian and JD to think they needed to stick together.  They did in killing Padme, but then Rob and Grant reminded Ian that Maul was his biggest threat moving forward.  It pained Ian, but he stepped aside as Jango and Anakin tag-teamed Maul.  Maul was within an inch of his life when he promised to join Rob and Ian in now going after the birthday boy.  Sadly, Rob saw no reason to keep Maul around.  JD launched into a 10 minute diatribe, some of which Kaleb captured below:



There are many reasons JD is so fun to play with this, and that video is just one of them!  (And JD did shake Rob's hand a couple of minutes later...)

Ian vs. the Birthday Boy

With three to go Rob told Ian he was all in on helping him attack Grant's Anakin.  The two worked together...until they didn't!  Out of nowhere Ian dropped two Tauntings on Jango!  Rob survived and Rocket Retreated back to Grant, but he was too damaged to do much good.  Ian moved in and finished him off in third.

That left a classic set up as the two top ranked Duelers squared off!  Ian was card strong after playing his special card that allows him to draw three at a time.  But Ian was especially crafty in setting up a kill box with his two remaining Super Battle Droids.  He Force Pushed Grant into the kill box, a bold an unexpected play, straight out of Curtis' playbook.  Grant did manage to escape by Wrathing out, and even dropping an Anger on Ian.  It was just about all he could do in the situation.  But Ian saved one last Taunting to kill Grant on his surprise birthday Duel!  Second place wasn't too shabby for Grant, who didn't even know he was playing that night!  And a big congrats goes out to Ian - why did we all forget Dooku was his favorite/best character???  That's career victory number six, which moves him into third on the all time list.  Here's the final order of finish:

12.  Chris W./Luke Skywalker
11.  Charlie/Han Solo
10.  Ben P./Darth Vader
9.  Andrew/Mace Windu
8.  Ben H./Yoda
7.  Kaleb/Obi-Wan Kenobi
6.  Chris K./Boba Fett
5.  Ryan/Emperor Palpatine
4.  JD/Darth Maul
3.  Rob/Jango Fett
2.  Grant/Anakin Skywalker
1.  Ian/Count Dooku

Ok, for real this time, that was the last Duel of 2018!  We'll get back at it in January for...A NEW HOPE.  Stay tuned!

2018 Championship - December 1, 2018

Kamino Platform

Friends, Duelers, Countrypersons-becausewe'resensitivetogenderdynamics, lend me your Jar-Jar sized ears.

What a night!

For the first time in league history we had the top 12 ranked Duelers able to play in the Championship, as it was meant to be.  Indeed, as it should be!  That also meant it would be the toughest.

The night started off with an epic roll-off for who would go first, as both Grant and Rob rolled a 5 three times in a row before Rob choked with a 2-all.  Grant, sitting in the only padded chair around the table, picked Kamino, still one of only two boards to be played for a Championship.  He also chose for us to open our character envelopes all at the same time, for an extra dose of tension.  Well played, Grant!

There will be blood.

As is custom and tradition in Championship Duels, this recap will feature a post of the dead Dueler with the card that did them in.  An extra brutal way to rub defeat into eleven Duelers faces!

12th Place Dueler:  Chris K.

Character:  Darth Maul

How He Died:   2 point attack from Mace Windu's Clone Trooper

This was one of the quickest 12th place finishes in Championship history.  Woof!  His Darth Maul allowed a lane at the start of the game for JD's Han Solo and Chewbacca to defect to the dark side of the board.  Instead, Chewbacca Wookie Tossed him to the light side, Ryan's Luke played I Will Not Fight You, and Chris' night was done.

11th Place Dueler:  JD

Character:  Han Solo

How He Died:  4 point attack from Greedo

JD broke the game wide open when he Wookie Tossed Maul, but that also meant his Chewbacca was deep in enemy territory with a potential Bowcaster.  Grant's Vader and Rob's Emperor began raining down distance attacks to neutralize the threat (and maybe exact a little revenge).  Ian's Greedo landed the kill shot.

 10th Place Dueler:  Ian

Character:  Boba Fett

How He Died:  5 point attack from Anakin

Hand it to Ian, he stayed loyal as the dark side collapsed.  Curtis' Dooku and Ben's Jango both peaced out, leaving Ian, Rob, and Grant with a daunting future.  Ian did manage a sweet thermal detonator that took out Padme and a pack of clones, but as the Jedi marched forward there was nowhere left for Boba to go.

9th Place Dueler:  Grant

Character:  Darth Vader

How He Died:  Anakin's Anger

Grant and Rob got stuck behind Jango's ship, praying for a miracle that never came.  As the Jedi descended they chose Vader before the Emperor and it resulted in an unfortunate exit for the top ranked Dueler.

8th Place Dueler:  Rob

Character:  Emperor Palpatine

How He Died:  Jango's Missile Launch

Rob grew a special, disgusting handle-bar mustache for the Duel and his creativity was awarded with an early death.  He rocked the boat before he left, though.  He dropped a You Will Die on Kaleb's Obi-Wan, hoping his alliance would stab him in the back.  His Force Lightning on Mace proved helpful too.

7th Place Dueler:  Joel

Character:  Mace Windu

How He Died:  Yoda's Force Strike

Joel faced a stunning fall from grace as his nearly fully healthy Mace, side by side with Anakin and Obi, moved to take out Yoda.  But Luke (the person, not the character), had a couple of tricks up his sleeve.  He double Force Lifted Mace and Obi and Ryan's Luke (the character) played a double I Will Not Fight You.  Alex's Anakin stood up Obi-Wan, which made Joel the unfortunate target.

6th Place Dueler:  Luke R.

Character:  Yoda

How He Died:  3 point attack from Jango

Luke was ducking and diving as his seeming partnership with Curtis' Count Dooku deteriorated.  His double Force Lift of Mace and Obi was brilliant, but he misplayed a Force Rebound which left him weak and exposed.  Despite a logical plea to spare his life as the strong characters planned to attack each other, Ben felt more comfortable eliminating the defensive wizard.

 5th Place Dueler:  Kaleb

Character:  Obi-Wan Kenobi

How He Died:  5 point attack from Luke

Kaleb's fifth place finish was somewhat miraculous given the enormous misfortune he face throughout the game.  When Rob played You Will Die on him he lost ALL THREE 12 point defense cards!  He then lost his 6 and 7 point attacks when Ryan played I Will Not Fight You.  He talked his way a couple of spots up the order of finish but he was too weak to withstand Ryan's Luke attack.

4th Place Dueler:  Curtis

Character:  Count Dooku

How He Died:  5 point attack from Luke

Curtis made an early defection to the light side work for a deep run in the Championship as he pursued his second title.  Once it got to the final four, though, he ran out of partners.  He had a shot at attacking Jango but instead tried to rally the board against Alex's Anakin.  It didn't work for him and Ryan rolled in for his second 5 point elimination in a row.

3rd Place Dueler:  Ryan

Character:  Luke Skywalker, because of course

How He Died:  3 point attack from Anakin

There was a moment in time that it looked like Ryan might pull his second Championship title, but ultimately, Jango and Anakin teamed against him.  The crucial play might have been his Justice play on Anakin, who used his Counterattack to neutralize the 10 points of damage.  Still, Ryan played an outstanding Duel.  He pulled off four I Will Not Fight Yous and escaped a Force Lift/Push combo.

2nd Place Dueler:  Alex C.

Character:  Anakin Skywalker

How He Died:  4 point attack from Jango

Alex played a masterful game!  The Trey Rey pick might have been cursed, but you couldn't tell from the dominance he displayed throughout.  Ultimately, his attacks from Dooku and Luke left him a little too weak to survive a shooter.

First Place Dueler:  Ben H.

Character:  Jango Fett

How He Won:  pew pew!

Ben played an outstanding game!!!  His early flip made a huge difference as he sneaked behind the light side and made his distance attacks count, always staying in the majority partnership.  Plus, how cool is it to win with the number one character on his home court board???  Congrats to Ben!!!

Well friends, that's all for now - we'll be back to kick off 2019 with A New Hope in January, stay tuned for more details!

Preview: The 2018 Championship - December 1, 2018

Dear friends, it is happening.  Across the galaxy forces are gathering.  Starships are setting their coordinates for the North Village Community Center.  Combatants are preparing for the final, EPIC, battle of the year.

Oh yes friends, it is nearly upon us.  THE 2018 CHAMPIONSHIP 12-WAY EPIC DUEL.

If you are new to this league you deserve a brief explanation about how the Championship works.  Normally the first twelve volunteers for a Duel get a spot guaranteed at the table, but the Championship is different.  For the Championship the top 12 ranked Duelers in the league get first opportunity to play.  And their spot around the table is determined by their ranking.  It is the toughest Duel of the year and not for the faint of heart.  For the first time in league history, the top 12 ranked Duelers for the Championship are all in for the December battle.  They are the best of the best, and one of them will walk out of the Community Center with a big ol' honkin' Darth Vader trophy for their effort.

HISTORY:

2017 - Austin won with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Carbon Freezing Chamber
2016 - Curtis won with Mace Windu on the Kamino Platform
2015 - Nathan won with Count Dooku in the Carbon Freezing Chamber
2014 - Ryan won with Boba Fett on the Kamino Platform

MEET THE DUELERS:

This preview post will maintain the Championship tradition of assigning a Duel Character most like their real life counter part!

Chair #12 - Luke R. - Luke hasn't finished below seventh place in 2018 and had a career best second place finish at January's A New Hope Duel.  He's the newest professional at the table, and because he also shares a name with this character, Luke's perfect avatar is... LUKE SKYWALKER.

Chair #11 - Curtis - Curtis took half a year off in 2018 and the league was fearful they had lost him forever.  Turns out he was just secretly growing a clone army of mini-Odle Duelers for the next Singles Tournament.  He has four top five finishes in 2018, he's cantankerous, and he has the beard to match his perfect character...COUNT DOOKU.

Chair #10 - JD - Nobody had a better fall semester than JD.  Four of his five Duels were top four finishes, including victories at CL Training and Fight Night.  It was a good rebound for JD after a disappointing start to 2018.  He's an incredibly consistent Dueler with strength and wisdom to match.  That makes his perfect character...MACE WINDU.

Chair #9 - Ben H. - Poor Ben nearly suffered a crisis of confidence after his wife won her first Duel in just her fourth game played.  But after an incredible eight top-five finishes in 2018 he finally brought home his first trophy at last month's Thanksdueling! battle.  He's a confident scoundrel, not particularly trusting, and has a magnet in his hand when it comes to picking his perfect character...HAN SOLO.

Chair #8 - Chris K. - A founding member of the league, Dueling with us ever since 2014, Chris only got into four games this year.  He's turned into a bit of a hermit, but look out when he plays.  Three of his four games featured top five finishes, including a second place at Twin Sun Slam #2.  He's a warrior poet, an elder statesman, making his perfect character...YODA.

Chair #7 - Alex C. - We don't have an official award for this, but Alex could easily be described as the rookie of the year in 2018.  He turned professional this calendar year and notched four top-three finishes, including victories at Twin Sun Slam #1 and Doubleheader #1.  It's almost like he plays better when there are clone Duels on the same night!  His moral flexibility on the board makes him the perfect...BOBA FETT.

Chair #6 - Joel - By sheer force of will Joel has established himself as an elite Dueler in the league.  He has five top-three finishes in 2018, including victories at the Birthday Surprise and Doubleheader #1.  He's young, confident, talented, but sometimes forgets he needs the high ground to succeed.  That makes him the perfect...ANAKIN SKYWALKER.

Chair #5 - Kaleb - He's a literal Hall of Famer who returned to the league in 2018 when we thought he might be gone, and he's maintained his dominance.  He had five top-five finishes this year and has still never finished last place in a Duel, which is insanely talented.  His ability to outlast his opponents makes him the perfect...DARTH VADER.

Chair #4 - Rob - The originator of the 12-Way Duel had a real up and down 2018, almost like he was wearing a malfunctioning jet pack.  He logged seven top-five finishes, including victories at The Imperial March and May the 4th, but also placed dead last in three Duels.  2018 also marked the debut of his daughter Riley in the league, making his paternal pride the perfect...JANGO FETT.

Chair #3 - Ryan - He ended an epic winless streak in the league when he won the Valentine's Duel back in February.  It was his first victory since the 2014 Championship.  He didn't play as often as usual in 2018 but he still tagged on two third place finishes this fall.  Nobody is better at the evil machinations of the game than Ryan, making him the perfect...EMPEROR PALPATINE.

Chair #2 - Ian - Everyone thinks of Ian as the enforcer on the board, making sure play is timely and words are honored.  His strong play makes him perfect for the role, with six top-five finishes in 2018 including a victory at Duel of the Fates.  I don't think there's anyone who enjoys making a kill more than Ian, making him a good...DARTH MAUL.

Chair #1 - Grant - ...and you're number one ranked, number one seated Dueler is Grant!  Nobody had a better 2018 than Grant.  He had six (!) top four finishes this year, including wins at Let the Wookie Win and Twin Sun Slam #2.  His lowest placing this year was at last month's Thanksdueling!, where he "only" finished ninth.  He is a quiet grinder, a logical thinker, and has a knack for making the right call at the right time.  The number one ranked Dueler deserves the best character...OBI-WAN KENOBI!

Wow - that's quite a list!  One of these fine folks will become the fifth ever Championship winner, which one will it be?!?

TREY REY PREDICTS THE WINNER:

Let's move on to our favorite three-headed prognosticator, Trey Rey.  Trey Rey, who you got winning the Championship???

Big Rey:  SILENCE YOU FOOL!
Lil' Rey:  we're under attack!!!
Lego Rey:  oUR PoOr PicKs haVe uS In daNGeR!

I'm so sorry!  Who on earth would want to attack the three of...

Big Rey:  TOO LATE - THE NEW ORDER XMAS AT-AT FOUND US!  RUN!!!

Good Lord!!!  That's terrifying!  It's so much bigger than the three of you!  But wait, before you retreat, I really need your pick...

Lil' Rey:  you fool, we don't have time for this!  fine, we like anakin to win it all...

Thanks Trey Rey!  Good luck escaping that monstrosity, let's take a closer look at this XMAS AT-AT!

What a horrifying, but majestic creation.  What kind of Dueling lunatic would actually put one of those up in their front lawn!?!  Wait a second, is there something...or SOMEONE...riding that thing...?

Kylo Ren:  You're so lonely... So afraid to Duel... At night, desperate to sleep...
You imagine a victory... I see it... I see the character you pick... Han Solo...
You feel like he's the father Trey Rey never had. He would have disappointed her.

Get out of my head!!!

TO BE CONTINUED...!

(Trey Rey is 0-5 in predictions this year)

Well fellow Duelers...the biggest Duel of the year is this Saturday night at 7PM - come on out to the North Village Community Center to see history made and a new champion crowned!

Thanksdueling! - November 10, 2018

Geonosis Arena

The first surprise of the night came when Ryan brought all three of his 3D boards for us to play on!  And it just so happened that all three would be eligible for use since the Carbon Freezing Chamber was played last time.

He also brought brownies, which would prove to be a vital lifeline of energy for those of us who died early and had to endure watching the longest Duel in league history.  This is nothing any of the Thanksdueling! Duelers should be proud of. 

(And before we move on, Ryan showed me a sneak preview of the new board he's working on - a facsimile of Carbon but on a whole new world - and level - of insanity.  I can't wait to see the finished product...)

Ian forgot to say "cheese."

For the second game in a row Rob drew the #1 chair and the Trey Rey pick for the win, this time being Jango Fett.  Kaleb was pumped to have Han Solo for his second consecutive Duel as well.  That's sarcasm if you can't tell.

Geonosis was the board we selected so we brought out the Hoth 3D version.  It's amazing how much the color of the figurines pop against the stark snowy background.  Bryant, a rookie Dueler sitting by his wife in his first ever game, won the honor of rolling first and before we knew it, we were off and running.

Grant's Emperor and Ian's Vader made some initial movements to try and secure their borders, but it had a couple of unintended consequences.  Grant moved an Imperial Guard in front of Ben H./Luke Skywalker, preventing them from being able to flip.  They also didn't give a clear lane for Chris W.'s Darth Maul to retreat backwards.  That slight misplay turned the tide as Chris, in an unusual move based on his previous playing style, made the bold decision to flip to the light side.  Bryant and his Count Dooku followed suit and the remaining dark side of the board was in deep doodoo.

Curtis making a promise to Ryan and then immediately breaking it.

The only glimmer of hope for the bad guys on the board was that the light side alliance were doing a weird square dance with their characters instead of immediately advancing.  The delay in support left Bryant exposed, and his Count Dooku got chewed up by Rob's Zam Wessell and ultimately died when Ian Threw Debris.  It was a rough first Duel for Bryant, but Dooku's starting spot on Geonosis is notorious for poor finishes.  Let's hope Bryant comes out again and gets a better character/spot combo!

After Dooku died the light side finally started whittling down the over-matched dark side.  After Rob's Zam was killed his Jango Fett was sitting exposed and open deep in his own territory.  He made an unexpected move by Rocket Retreating directly next to Ben's Luke behind the snow drift.  Ben wasn't too crazy about it and Joel brought his Mace Windu around to begin the attack.  Kaleb's Chewbacca laid the final hit and Rob died in 11th.  His night wasn't nearly done, though...

"Oh the Dueling outside is frightful..."

Ian's Vader was the next target.  Curtis' Yoda Force Pushed him into a kill box and Ian couldn't survive so it was tenth place for them.  From there the alliance converged on Grant's Emperor Palpatine.  He actually hung in there for a bit, but Chris used a volley from Darth Maul to give Grant his worst finish in over two years.  What was especially frustrating for Grant was his best cards were buried  in his deck. 

It looked like Charlie's Boba Fett was next to die, but Curtis suggested Ryan's Obi-Wan instead.  Some of the alliance agreed and started laying some hits.  Ryan was stacked on defense and successfully held off the first wave.  That's when he got Curtis to agree to call of the dogs in exchange for not playing his Force Balance card.  As soon as Ryan's turn ended Curtis reneged  on the deal.  It was stunning and made many folks feel dirty.  Like that dirty feeling that doesn't go away no matter how many times you take a shower.  But Curtis didn't care!  He finally got his Birthday Massacre revenge on Ryan as Obi-Wan died in eighth.

With seven to go Charlie, sporting funny Storm Trooper pajamas, had nowhere left to run.  He tried to rally the board against Katie's Anakin, but he was unsuccessful in getting others to join.  Joel's Clone Trooper capped the final laser round in the bounty hunter's head.  Charlie, a rookie to our league but a veteran of the Martin underground scene, handled himself quite well in his debut.

This game was so long Kaleb, Chris, Joel, Curtis, and Ben all shaved
and grew their full beards back before it was done.

That left six Duelers...and it was midnight.  I wish I was kidding.  A painfully deliberate and overly consultative style of play made Thanksdueling! a death march.  It was decided that Curtis's Yoda was too powerful and thus he was surrounded by a kill box.  But after a round of attacks, Curtis somehow convinced the board he was no longer a threat.  Kudos to Curtis because his argument made zero sense but the others bought it.  Ben threw out Katie's name and everyone got excited to focus their attention on Anakin.  She was able to use a Calm after Ben's I Will Not Fight You and escape to the other end of the board but it only delayed the inevitable.  Katie was done in sixth after Kaleb Bowcasted her.

And then there were five!  Curtis, still running his influential mouth, moved the target to Chris' Darth Maul.  The rest of the board went along with it and poor Chris, the first defector, ran out of gas in fifth.  It was a nice bounce-back performance for Chris, though, and he's only one Duel away from gaining professional status.

"Ring around the rosey, pocket full of Latent Force Ability ..."

The jig was finally up for Curtis.  Ben/Luke, Kaleb/Han, and Joel/Mace were no longer interested in his little green Jedi.  It took a couple of rounds to beat him down, but fourth place was as far as he'd go.  It was a nice comeback performance by Curtis, who was M.I.A. in the league for a few months.

With three to go Kaleb could see victory but had a hard time playing Joel and Ben against each other.  He successfully landed another Bowcaster, this time against Mace Windu, but both Mace and Leia returned fire.  Kaleb made a last plea to Joel to spare his life, but Joel ultimately couldn't count on Han to stay with him so he gutted him in third.  It was great to see Kaleb make a deep run again, especially with a weak character like Han Solo.

And then there were two!  Ben had the health advantage as his Luke Skywalker was still going strong, but Joel wouldn't kill Leia, leaving Luke's Justice cards a pedestrian 5 point attack.  They began to chase each other around the snow bank.  Would Joel land a double Whirlwind?  Would Leia rain down shots???

In the end Mace's previous damage proved to be too fatal.  Joel hung in there but he couldn't withstand the combined attacks of the Skywalker children.  Congrats to Ben on his first ever 12-Way Duel win!!!  His household now displays two trophies as he finally has one to pair with Courtney's.  And let's not ignore another outstanding finish by Joel, who has been second or above in three of his last four Duels.  The final order of finish:

12.  Bryant/Count Dooku

11.  Rob/Jango Fett

10.  Ian/Darth Vader

9.  Grant/Emperor Palpatine

8.  Ryan/Obi-Wan Kenobi

7.  Charlie/Boba Fett

6.  Katie/Anakin Skywalker

5.  Chris W./Darth Maul

4.  Curtis/Yoda

3.  Kaleb/Han Solo

2.  Joel/Mace Windu

1.  Ben H./Luke Skywalker

And that brings us to our last Duel of 2018...THE CHAMPIONSHIP!  The top twelve ranked Duelers will get first invite to play.  The match is set for December 1st.  More details to come!

Preview: Thanksdueling! - November 10, 2018

My faith is refreshed!

Just as I thought interest in the league was waning, lo and behold, we got a huge response for the Thanksdueling sign-up.  We had twelve brave souls step forward on the first day and now I even have an alternate list.

Order has been restored to the galaxy.  Of course, that order will go right out the window once we start playing on Saturday night, but you get the picture!

This is the fifth annual Thanksdueling! Duel in league history.  I like Thanksdueling! simply because I always include an exclamation point even though it's not the end of a sentence.  Sadly, English majors reading this blog suffer silently...  Let's take a look at past Thanksdueling! Duels!

HISTORY:

2017 - Rob won with Boba Fett on the Kamino Platform
2016 - JD won with Yoda in the Emperor's Throne Room
2015 - Nathan won with Darth Vader in the Geonosis Arena
2014 - Alex R. won with Boba Fett in the Geonosis Arena

MEET THE DUELERS:

Our tradition for Thanksdueling! previews is to list what each Dueler is thankful for - here we go!

Ben H. - he's close to the Championship bubble, as the top 12 ranked Duelers get to play in the December match and he's in 11th.  Barring a disaster at Thansdueling! he should be in.  Ben is thankful for...prior success.

Bryant - rookie Dueler alert!  Bryant, newly wed to rising amateur Dueler Katie, makes his Dueling debut at Thanksdueling!  Couples counseling might be in his future.  Bryant is thankful for...being roped into the world of Dueling.  At least he better be...

Charlie - another rookie Dueler alert!  After playing the side game at CL Training and some other outer rim games, he finally gets to make his debut.  Hopefully it will be epic!  Charlie is thankful for...his seat at the table.

Chris W. - a consistent presence this fall, Chris took a break during Fight Night but is back in action for Thanksdueling!  In fact, this will be his fifth Duel, leaving him one Duel short of professional status.  Chris is thankful for...future aspirations!

Curtis - wait a second.  Let me rub my eyes, because I think they are deceiving me.  Is that Curtis!?!  Our old friend who hasn't played since last May at Let the Wookie Win???  The prodigal son has returned!  Quick, give him my finest Jedi robe.  Curtis is thankful for...Return of the Jedi.  Get it!?!

Grant - Benjamin Franklin said there are only three things certain in life:  death, taxes, and Grant finishing well at Epic Duels.  The top ranked Dueler hasn't finished below eighth place since August of 2016!  Bow to the master!  Grant is thankful for...Han Solo.  Seriously, he loves playing with Han.

Ian - he hasn't been playing quite as consistently this fall, but when Ian is at the table, he makes it count.  He's finished in the top five over his last four Duels.  He's the second ranked Dueler and he has visions of that number one chair.  Ian is thankful for...bags of rice.  It's an inside joke.

Joel - at Fight Night Joel had one of the most impressive ninth place finishes we've ever seen.  That's a legit compliment considering he looked like the person targeted to die first.  He's had a strong fall semester of Dueling and has moved into a tie for sixth place in the rankings.  Joel is thankful for...Riley not playing at Thanksdueling!

Kaleb - he's hoping to break out of a mini slump at Thanksdueling!  Kaleb only has two top six finishes in his last six Duels.  Despite that minor setback he's still the fifth ranked Dueler in the league.  Kaleb is thankful for...that phone call from Jeff Probst.  It should be coming any day now!

Katie - if you were to accidentally cut Katie's arm you would see visible proof she has ice running through her veins!  In just her second Duel, Katie made a name for herself at Fight Night with an impressive fourth place finish with Luke.  And now she's offering up her husband for sacrifice!  Katie is thankful for...marital bliss!  Congrats to she and Bryant - here's to many couples Duels in the future.

Rob - just as he was starting to fuss about a recent bad streak, Rob has sneakily reeled off three top finishes in his past four Duels.  The godfather might be back.  He started the year with four trophies in his possession and could be down to two if he doesn't defend his Fight Night title.  Rob is thankful for...Duelers signing up to play!  Seriously, you all had me worried!

Ryan - he hasn't played since the Doubleheader in August...where he finished third in both games.  Coincidentally, he's the third ranked Dueler in the league.  There are rumors in the dark corners of the league that's he's working on new 3D board.  Perhaps it will be available by the Championship?  Ryan is thankful for...compressed styrofoam.

TREY REY PREDICTS THE WINNER:

Trey Rey:  WITH OUR COMBINED MIGHT, WE PREDICT
JANGO FETT
WILL WIN THANKSDUELING!

There you have it.  Trey Rey predicts Jango is taking home the title.  Of course, they're 0-4 in predictions this year so you should bet on anyone else but Jango.

Good luck to the Duelers, and feel free to come on out Saturday night and watch the carnage!

Fight Night - October 12, 2018

Carbon Freezing Chamber

It was mentioned in the Preview post that it was hard to secure 12 Duelers for this match.  That's so depressing!  Hopefully that's just an anomaly and not an indication that the league is succumbing to the Dark Side...

...but we did have 12!  And they came to kick butt and chew bubblegum...and they were all out of bubblegum.  It was an interesting mixture of veterans (5 professional Duelers) and amateurs (seven Duelers who had fewer than three Duels under their belts).  It just about guaranteed a volatile outcome.

Rob, always serving the role of host before a game starts, was embarrassed to pull the #1 chair.  It makes his job of facilitating the board and character distribution all the more difficult.  And he couldn't turn to chair #2 to make the picks for him because that seat was occupied by his daughter, Riley!  So Rob fanned the envelopes to chair #12, Brandon, who picked the Carbon Freezing Chamber.  This would be the first time in Carbon since the Twin Sun Slam doubleheader back in June.

The "I'm with Riley" fan club.

Brandon was also kind enough to gift Rob with Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Riley picked next and got Yoda.  Right away it was a bad look - father and daughter with the two best Jedi, sitting next to each other, and starting next to each other as well.  And to top things off?  Rob got to go first!

The first major action of the game, though, came courtesy of Jonathan B.'s Darth Vader.  He wasn't about to start stuff with Katie's Luke Skywalker in the middle of the board.  So he flipped towards the light side.  Katie did the same, leaving Leia up front while Luke hung back.  Things only got worse for the dark side when Rob jokingly told Owen to use his Thermal Detonator and Rocket Retreat right out of the gate.  Sure enough...he did!!!  Joel/Maul, Coleman/Emperor, and Matthew/Dooku all got stung with four points of damage.

Joel's last stand.

With those three in major trouble and receiving excessive attacks, Riley's Clone Trooper decided to welcome Owen's Boba, who had landed next to her, with a surprise attack!  Brutal!  What kind of compassion is her father teaching her?  The light side alliance were wincing at Riley's ruthless decision but they all followed suit, most of them pledging loyalty by saying "I'm with Riley."  Poor Owen is still haunted by the words - Grant's Anakin dropped the final attack for the kill.

Things only got worse for the dark side.  Matthew B., playing in his very first Duel, began battling Maul and Emperor!  He felt liberated by his CL's death and decided to go crazy.  He Force Pushed Coleman's Emperor into a light side kill box.  Once again, Riley the Executioner was ready, Force Lifting and then killing poor Coleman in eleventh. 

From there it was a desperate, bloody battle for ninth place between Joel's Maul and Matt's Count Dooku.  Joel was enraged and determined to take out the saboteur as he ignored the gentle heckling from his nemesis, Riley.  He did indeed take down Dooku, ending Matt's first ever Duel in tenth place.  Sadly for Joel, as he looked across the board, all he saw were eight characters staring back at him, chomping at the bit.  Grant's Padme finally put him out of his misery.  Rarely are ninth place finishes so valiantly fought for...

Jonathan's Vader chooses a new path...

There was nobody left outside of the light side alliance (Brandon's Jango had joined earlier as well) so Rob's Obi-Wan thought Kaleb's Han and Chewy were ripe for elimination.  He dropped his first attack on Kaleb but, to Rob's astonishment, Riley was outraged!  She considered Kaleb to be a close ally and declared to the table she was going after Obi-Wan.  Controlled by Rob.  Her actual father in real life.  This is what we've sunk to, Dueling fanatics.  Family bonds are now secondary to alliance partnerships.  And most twisted of all, Rob actually admired the moxie his offspring was showing. 

But that wasn't going to stop him from rallying a new alliance against his own daughter.

He used Force Quickness to give himself some distance as Riley's minions began to probe ways to attack Obi-Wan.  On Rob's next turn he tried to make amends with his old comrades by creating a kill box around Brandon's Jango.  Strangely, nobody really attacked him.  It wasn't looking good for Rob, so he fired up a stump speech to point out how strong Riley's alliance was and how we needed to work against her now or fall to her later.  Jonathan/Vader saw the logic in it, and committed to the alternative alliance.  Katie's Luke Skywalker was suddenly down with it too and she eliminated Kaleb in eighth place.

Riley didn't quite realize it at first, but she was the next target.  The look of shock on her face when JD's Mace, her most trusted partner, went in for the kill...I don't know how JD can look at himself in the mirror.  Riley the rabble-rouser bowed out in seventh.

So...much...pleading...

It looked like JD's Mace was still in deep trouble, but Katie shocked the table by directing her attacks on Jonathan's Vader.  It was a stunning development.  Jonathan couldn't survive the treachery and he finished in sixth.  But that's a career best finish for the up and coming Dueler!

The final five were Rob/Obi, Grant/Anakin, JD/Mace, Katie/Luke, and Brandon/Jango.  Mace and Luke were clearly in league with each other, so Grant finally agreed to work with Rob and both assumed Brandon was down for the cause too.  But he decided to attack both sides on his next turn and the table collectively agreed it was time for the rookie to go night-night.  Still, that was a great debut for Brandon!

The final four took a lot of twists and turns but Katie's Luke and Rob's Obi-Wan were both damaged and weak carded.  That was partially because of the I Will Not Fight You Katie dropped on Obi.  Grant was most fearful of JD, who was vehemently arguing to kill Obi-Wan next.  Grant feared Katie and JD would stay united, though, and eventually eliminated Katie in fourth.  You can't say enough about her night, though.  It's clear the league has a new hot-shot Dueler who will use her knowledge of psychological development to her advantage.

I'm going to skip a lot of the details about the final three, because it was mostly 20 minutes of JD and Rob trying to convince Grant to kill the other.  He ultimately sided with Rob, but as they whittled JD down, Rob had a convenient change of heart and started attacking Grant instead. 

JD accepted the temporary reprieve but didn't trust Rob in the least.  Rob told JD to use his two Whirlwinds on Grant or he was going to use the Force Balance card to dump them anyway.  JD got one of them off on Rob before having to discard his full hand. 

On the redraw Rob's luck finally ran out as JD convinced Grant to finish him off.  But having to use two attacks on Obi proved to be fatal for Grant.  JD was reshuffling his draw pile and got a fortuitous sequence of cards and, despite being more damaged than Grant's Anakin, he quickly turned the tide and finished Grant off for the win!  It really seemed to come out of nowhere as all of the spectators assumed Grant would carry the day.  Congrats JD, who becomes the second Dueler in league history to complete his GECK (wins on Geonosis, Emperor's Throne Room, Carbon, and Kamino).  He also moved into a tie with Grant on the all-time win list (seven).

The final order of finish:

12.  Owen/Boba Fett
11.  Coleman/Emperor Palpatine
10.  Matthew B./Count Dooku
9.  Joel/Darth Maul
8.  Kaleb/Han Solo
7.  Riley/Yoda
6.  Jonathan B./Darth Vader
5.  Brandon/Jango Fett
4.  Katie/Luke Skywalker
3.  Rob/Obi-Wan Kenobi
2.  Grant/Anakin Skywalker
1.  JD/Mace Windu

It was a humorous and tense night - let's do it again next month!  Stay tuned for details on the fifth annual THANKSDUELING match in November!

Preview: Fight Night - October 12, 2018

Fight Night, our annual October Duel, is usually one of our more popular battles during the year.  But this month there is a crazy convergence of business, with football schedules, fall break, shampooing of hair, walking of dogs...

Wait a second.  Some of those excuses sound a bit suspect...

But fear not!  We have found twelve!  There will be an interesting mix of noob and experience Friday Night.  May the best Dueler win!

HISTORY:

2017 - Joel won with the Darth Vader in the Emperor's Throne Room
2016 - Stephen won with Emperor Palpatine in the Geonosis Arena
2015 - Curtis won with Han Solo in the Emperor's Throne Room
2014 - Grant won with Darth Vader in the Emperor's Throne Room

MEET THE DUELERS:

Our tradition for the Fight Night preview is to envision our Duelers in a Star Wars themed Halloween costume...so here we go!

Brandon - though he's played in the Singles Tournament before, this will be his first ever 12-Way Duel.  It's his first step into a bigger world...his perfect costume is Tattooine Luke Skywalker!

Coleman - this will mark Coleman's second Duel.  He didn't do too well in the first one, he died early.  So his perfect costume is...Greedo!

Grant - nobody sits higher in our league than Grant...he's the number one ranked Dueler!  And he's also second in career wins.  That kind of success makes him the perfect...Wedge Antilles!

JD - after a few months of sub-substandard finishes JD is back to better results.  His return to form makes him the perfect...Qi'ra!

Joel - nobody has more to lose at this Duel than Joel...it's his trophy we're playing for!  That personal investment in the outcome makes his perfect costume...Rose!

Jonathan B. - we're glad to see Jonathan back after a rough rookie Duel.  He'll need to ramp up his game.  That makes his perfect costume...Dagobah Luke Skywalker!

Kaleb - he finished lower than he would like to have at the Fall Brawl, but Kaleb still has never fallen flat on his face at any Duel.  That kind of craftiness makes him the perfect...Lando!

Katie - she played with us back at the CL Training Duel and now, just weeks before she's getting married, she's ready to let off some steam.  Her perfect costume is...Darth Maul!

Matt B. - rookie Dueler alert!  The word on the street is that Matt, new to our league, is an expert at martial arts weapons.  That makes his costume perfect for...Chirrut!

Owen - like Jonathan, he too got chewed up at his first Duel (The Fall Brawl).  He needs to put himself back together.  Thus, his perfect costume is...Cloud City C-3PO!

Riley - the youngest Dueler in league history will be marking her third Duel.  Her short stature but ferocious attitude makes her costume...an Ewok!

Rob - the oldest Dueler in league history had a nice third place finish at the Fall Brawl but others pointed out he could have done better.  That makes his perfect costume...Dexter Jettster!  (wait, what...?)

TREY REY PREDICTS THE WINNER:

Big Rey:  TRICK OR TREAT!?

Lego Rey:  sMeLL ouR FeEt!

Lil' Rey:  we believe obi-wan is the one to beat

There you have it folks, Trey Rey thinks Obi-Wan Kenobi will win this year's Fight Night  Of course, they're 0 for 3 in their predictions, so don't put all of your candy in that bucket.  Zing!  See what I did there!?!?

Feel free to come out Friday at 8PM to see the bloodbath! 

The Fall Brawl - September 15, 2018

Emperor's Throne Room

The game started with a sense of gloom after our football team got spanked at home earlier in the day.  More than one Dueler bore unmistakable sunburns for their loyal fandom.  You can't teach heart!

It got even worse when Rob didn't bring the right secret envelopes for the board pick and we ended up on the Emperor's Throne Room for the third time in four Duels.  There was nearly a mutiny but Rob quelled the uprising and the Duelers took their seats.

The Usual Suspects

The Fall Brawl featured two rookie debuts, Owen and Jonathan.  They come from Martin, on the Outer Rim.  Playing in your first 12-Way Duel is hard enough, but they got stuck with Luke Skywalker and Count Dooku, respectively.  Those are two tough starting positions in the Throne Room.  Chris W. landed Obi-Wan for the second time on this board and he nearly started hyperventilating.  That was the same for JD, who once again got Mace Windu and aged three years from the immediate stress.

Out of the gate the dark side stayed loyal and the light side started creeping forward.  A big battle was certainly going to take place.  Rob, playing with Darth Maul, kept trying to get Chris and Obi to switch to the dark side but he wasn't biting.  Then, out of nowhere, Ben H. and his Han (yes, Ben picked Han AGAIN) flipped!  His Chewbacca blasted Owen's Luke with the Bowcaster after his Wookie Instincts card.

Many Bothans died using this Force Control.

It looked like the dark side was going to be home free in the advantage department, but JD assumed the role of field general and encouraged Chris' Obi-Wan to use a Force Control to re-balance the board and look for the high ground.  Chris obliged, and after an eternity of consulting on the light side, reconfigured the players in the Throne Room.  In the midst of that shuffling Ben's Han Solo flipped again to avoid dying first or second.  Rob couldn't believe Ben betrayed his welcoming handshake from just a few minutes earlier!

The real victim in the swap was poor Jonathan and his Count Dooku.  Chris had pushed all the dark side major characters to the back two rows while pulling Dooku forward for free hits from all the light side characters.  Jonathan defended as best as he could, but the outcome was inevitable.  The rookie died in 12th place.  He deserved better!

During the Force Control chaos Joel made overtures to join the light side too, but the dark side wasn't too keen on that.  They knocked a few health points off his Boba Fett to get him in line and Courtney moved her Royal Guard in front of him, half to protect him, half to keep him from running off.  Joel found his nerve again and unleashed a brutal Thermal Detonator on Owen's Luke that also hit Obi-Wan and Han Solo.  Then Boba hit him with the Kyber Dart and Owen was gone in eleventh!  Why is Boba so mean???

Ben P.'s face says it all...

The dark side started giggling because their batch of minor characters were not only protecting all of their major characters, but were also in perfect position to start blasting the light side characters who were suddenly exposed and vulnerable.  Chris W.'s Obi-Wan, still smoking from the Thermal, got pot-shots repeatedly, knocking his health to a dangerously low level.  That's when Joel's Greedo played the Desperate Shot card.  Obi died, Greedo lived, and Chris backed away from the table in tenth.

Rob had been half joking with JD the entire game that his Mace Windu should flip to the dark side when, out of the blue, that's what he did!  The victim?  An unsuspecting Alex and Anakin Skywalker.  He dropped two major attacks to announce to the board that his alliances were realigned.  Alex would have been mad...except he later revealed he was planning on doing the same to JD!  Ian's Jango eventually finished Alex's night in ninth place.

JD and Rob in happier times.

Kaleb, insulated with Yoda's Clone Troopers, unleashed a constant monologue of epic proportions for roughly the next 45 minutes.  He begged and implored the dark side alliance to reexamine their loyalties and dream differently moving forward.  He proposed that he, Ben P./Vader, Courtney/Emperor, Joel/Boba, and Ben H./Han could take out Ian/Jango, Rob/Maul, and JD/Mace.  Initially, nobody was swayed, but the relentless verbal barrage started working with Ben P., who wondered if maybe Kaleb had a point.  That sowed some seeds of distrust with his current alliance.

While that was going down Ben H.'s Han tried to mosey over to the dominant alliance and make friends but Rob wasn't having hit.  Fully loaded with Maul attacks, he quickly dispatched the smuggler in eight place on a final Athletic Surge.  Ben, you have an unhealthy relationship with Han.  It would be best if you started seeing other characters now...

With five characters dead, Kaleb was the last one standing from the original light side alliance.  He began his retreat to run around the drawbridges of the Throne Room, all the while running his mouth.  Through painstaking coordination, the dark side alliance minor characters whittled Yoda down to nothing, with Greedo once again landing a kill shot.

Joel has so many dead bodies he's opening a morgue!

And then there were six!  Ian wasn't impressed with Ben P.'s wavering during the Kaleb filibuster, so he announced his intentions to go after Darth Vader.  The other members of the alliance more or less followed suit.  Even Courtney, whose Emperor looked loyal to Ben, agreed to participate.  Ben couldn't defend himself from five different characters at once and was forced to take a knee in sixth.  He's slowly improved with each of his three Duels, though, good job Ben!

At this point there were five characters remaining: Ian/Jango, Courtney/Emperor, Joel/Boba, JD/Mace, and Rob/Maul.  Joel publicly asked who was next and JD suggested Ian's Jango.  Ian suggested Rob's Maul.  Rob said he was going to go down and take on the Emperor.  Basically, it turned into a big mess.  When Joel eventually took a shot at Ian's Jango, Rob suggested to Courtney and Ian that they team up against Boba and Mace.  All Rob had to do was not roll a "2 all" to take out Boba.  Rob promptly rolled a "2 all" and the plan was wrecked!  Courtney and Ian stayed true to Rob's Maul, more or less, but Ian was wrecked by shots from Joel and JD, both of who were trying to convince Courtney to hop back over to their side.  Boba finally killed Ian in fifth.  He made quite the final stand.

At that point Rob and JD made a quick pact with each other to start working together.  For the second time on the night, out of nowhere, JD attacked an unsuspecting victim - he unleashed the double Whirlwind on Boba, knocking him down to just one point of life!  Rob's Maul started moving into attack position on the Emperor, but in what can only be described as a colossal brain fart, he decided to attack JD instead.  Because he was afraid of the eight points of automatic damage from the Whirlwinds.  The Whirlwinds JD just played.  It wasn't until after his first Sith Speed that Rob suddenly remembered he was safe from those attacks - getting old sucks, people!  Rob finished his volley on JD and he and Mace exited in fourth place.

And just like that, Courtney was in perfect position to win the Duel.  She had yet to play her You Will Die card (because it was the last card in her deck!), Joel was one point from dying, and Rob was starting to card up.  Rob desperately chased Boba around the board, hoping to secure his own second place finish, but Greedo was still alive and Joel continually blocked Maul's path.  When Courtney finally pulled You Will Die she played it on Rob, dumping his beautifully constructed hand.  That gave free shots on Rob from Boba, and before he knew it, Maul was within one point of dying too.  From there it was a race to see who could kill each other first.  A Force Lightning from Courtney dumped Rob's last Athletic Surge, and Boba shot and killed Maul, giving Rob third place.  By then, Courtney had redrawn her You Will Die card.  She didn't need to play it, but for humorous effect, she did with her first action before killing Joel with a Force Lightning with her second action!!!

This is nothing short of a monumental win for Courtney!  The Fall Brawl was just her fourth Duel, meaning the second ranked amateur becomes the first amateur to win a Duel since the first year of the league!  Furthermore, she now tops the all-time list in career win percentage at 25%.  And if that accolade isn't enough...she just became the first female Dueler to win a match in league history!!!  Congrats Courtney!!!  You performance was...EPIC.

Here's the final order of finish:

12.  Count Dooku - Jonathan B.
11.  Luke Skywalker - Owen
10.  Obi-Wan Kenobi - Chris W.
9.  Anakin Skywalker - Alex C.
8.  Han Solo - Ben H.
7.  Yoda - Kaleb
6.  Darth Vader - Ben P.
5.  Jango Fett - Ian
4.  Mace Windu - JD
3.  Darth Maul - Rob
2.  Boba Fett - Joel
1.  Emperor Palpatine - Courtney

What a night!  Stay tuned for our October Duel...FIGHT NIGHT!  More details to come...