A New Hope - January 11, 2020

Emperor's Throne Room

One thing we didn't really discuss in the preview for A New Hope is that, with this now being the year 2020, our league of Dueling scum has traversed two decades!  I know, I know, this is just season six...but it's crossed two decades!  We're getting up there in age.

Thanks for being part of this insanely silly game and league.  It really is a special thing to get to play with everyone, award trophies, record stats, etc.  Just think...in ten years we'll be in decade #3!

You can almost tell who is going out in 12th...

The new year got off on the wrong foot when Rylie, who got the first chair, picked the Emperor's Throne Room.  I don't know why we can't stop picking this board, but it's one heck of a statistical anomaly at this point.  With the way the league plays, it's almost certain doom for light side characters.

Best friends.

Grant figured his fate as Luke Skywalker was doomed, so he was the first to flip.  However, he couldn't get far enough away from JD's Obi-Wan and got blasted with a six point attack.  His streak of 57 Duels without a last place finish looked like it was in serious jeopardy of ending, but the attacks on the board suddenly shifted to Ben's Yoda.  That was because JD decided, after promising "light side strong," to flip too!

Ben was none too pleased.  He might of mentioned something like dancing on JD's grave.

His Yoda was surprisingly low on defense cards, and thus he was completely helpless when Ian moved his Greedo into position for a Desperate Shot.  Ben died at the suction-cupped hands of Boba's minor for last place.  You could call him Mr. Pretzel because he was...salty.

That left Kaleb's Mace and Jordan's Anakin all by themselves, especially after Delaney's Chewbacca started shooting Ani.  You have to hand it to Jordan, when the chips are down, he's not afraid to go out light saber blazing.  And he didn't want Grant to go unpunished for being the first flipper, so he Wrathed Lucas' Royal Guard to stand next to Grant and drop an Anger.  It was enough to do the trick and Grant finished an unfortunate eleventh for the second game in a row.

Kaleb, all by himself.

Jordan made Lucas cranky and got attacked by the remaining Royal Guard.  Everyone else on the dark side took shots and it was Ian's Boba whose three point shot ended Jordan's night.  Also...this is Jordan's third time in five games playing with Anakin.  That's nuts!

You would think Kaleb's Mace was doomed at this point, but with Curtis' Darth Maul and Rylie's Darth Vader fully loaded...they went after Lucas' Emperor!  Lucas was shocked and displeased, especially as Rylie started things off with two 5-point attacks.  Curtis eliminated Lucas with a Super Sith Speed (does NOT count as an action).  That unfortunate finish for Lucas sent him down a few spots in the rankings.  Rob's Count Dooku was similarly fully loaded, and coordinated with Rylie to launch another sneak attack...this time on poor Natalie's Jango Fett!  They made quick work of her and Dooku's Taunt sent her packing in eighth.

Plotting and scheming.

With the infighting subsiding, the attention finally returned to Kaleb's Mace.  He valiantly tried to align with others, but it was Boba's Deadly Aim that finally eliminated him. 

It got nervous on the board after that, as the remaining six had been loyal to each other and didn't know who to turn on first.  Rob's Dooku, fearing the Bowcaster, meekly suggested Delaney's Han Solo.  Others agreed and Delaney found herself surrounded with nowhere to go.  Rob used another Taunt to remove her in sixth (her best finish - yay!), and then used a Give orders to move away from the rest of the board, not knowing if he would be the next target. 

And then there were five!  Nobody was eager to name the next victim, and Curtis, fully loaded with Maul cards, started making eyes at Rob's Dooku.  Not kind, suggestive eyes, more like fire and destruction eyes.  Ian heartily endorsed the concept, and Curtis made the call to move in on Dooku.  He thought JD's Obi, who was standing nearby, would join in, but instead he turned on Maul!  He used a Force Balance, and everybody had to drop their cards.  Then he used Force Control, and pinned Ian's Boba behind Rylie's Vader and Storm Troopers, while also putting Maul in a kill box on the other end.

It looked dire for Curtis' Maul, but Rob pitched a plan.  He, Curtis/Maul, and JD/Obi were the three strongest characters but pretty banged up.  Rylie/Vader and Ian/Boba were both full health and clearly aligned.  Rob proposed the three of them take on Vader and Boba.  Curtis tentatively agreed, so Rob moved away from Maul and Obi, towards the other end of the board.  Curtis was next...and attacked JD!  Betrayal!!!  JD got gutted with an Athletic Surge, and his night was done.  Fifth was pretty good for somebody just "testing the waters."

Rob thought this was a true blunder on Curtis' part, and begged him to work together.  Curtis declined again, and Storm Troopers and Greedo started peppering Dooku, all the while Boba moved in for the final attack.  But Rob convinced Rylie to move a Storm Trooper and allow him to go after Boba.  He laid two big attacks, and once again tried to get Curtis to help him finish off the Bounty Hunter, but Maul carded up instead.  Rob had one last trick up his sleeve, a Force Push to carry Vader away from him, but it was two 1-point attacks from Maul's Battle Droid that gutted Rob in fourth.

New Year's resolution achieved!

Curtis and Rylie had a semi-alliance at that point, but really it turned into everyone against everyone.  As Boba's health continued to take hits, it was Rylie dropping a bad-@$$ All Too Easy that blew Ian off the board. 

Rylie had the health advantage but Curtis was pretty loaded.  Rylie's Vader tried to take Curtis' health down in order to use a Throw Debris/Wrath combo, but unfortunately, that left her open to attacks from Maul and she didn't have the defense to hang.  Curtis slayed Vader and won his first Duel in over two years.  Congrats Curtis!!!  And Rylie finished with a career-best second place finish and is just one Duel away from going pro - well done Rylie!  And...this is Maul's third victory in four Duels - whoa!!!!

Final order of finish:

12.  Ben/Yoda
11.  Grant/Luke
10.  Jordan/Anakin
9.  Lucas/Emperor
8.  Natalie/Jango
7.  Kaleb/Mace
6.  Han/Delaney
5.  JD/Obi-Wan
4.  Rob/Dooku
3.  Ian/Boba
2.  Rylie/Vader
1.  Curtis/Maul

This was an awesome way to start the new year!  And even better, we won't play on Throne Room next time!  Stay tuned for details on February's upcoming Valentine's Duel.