2022 Championship - December 3, 2022

 

Emperor's Throne Room (Mustafar)

What a great night of Dueling!!!  The attacks came early, the first two hours were an absolute grind, and then Duelers started getting eliminated left and right!  As always, the Championship Duel recap is told in the pictures of those who were vanquished, holding the card that eliminated them from the game.  Is it brutal?  Absolutely.  Is it funny to see?  YES.

12th Place - Jillian

Character - The Mandalorian

Card that Killed Her - The Last Jedi

The Championship started off with near immediate tumult when Penny's Anakin Skywalker started attacking Kevin's Jyn Erso.  The light side was confused by the play and, sensing Jillian was partnered with Penny, they worked together to eliminate her in last!

11th Place - Penny

Character - Anakin Skywalker

Card that Killed Her - Jedi Attack

Penny tried to get the drop early by attacking Jyn Erso and entertaining overtures from the dark side alliance.  She didn't anticipate the quick unification of the remaining light side, and she eventually met her demise in eleventh place.

10th Place - Ian

Character - Lando Calrissian

Card that Killed Him - 5-point Imperial Guard attack

It was Ian who led the quick elimination of Jillian's Mandalorian, but that ultimately left his light side alliance outnumbered and outgunned by dark side minor characters.  Despite his valiant efforts and intimidation tactics, his Lando finally bowed out in tenth place.

9th Place - Kat

Character - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Card that Killed Her - Blinding Surge

Kat was like a cat in this Duel, as she seemed to be playing with nine lives.  Just as she would be close to death, she would be able to heal or get healed by teammates.  She and Riley formed a tight bond, and they decided to go out swinging by targeting Duncan's Maul.  Though she landed a Force Control for seven points of damage on Maul, his Blinding Surge defense offed her.

8th Place - Riley E.

Character - Rey

Card that Killed Her - I Rebel

Those present at the Duel could argue Riley was playing better than anyone, just under dire circumstances.  She managed to land two The Last Jedi attacks, eliminate cards from opponent hands, and even healed Kat at one point.  But teammate Kevin inadvertently killed her with Jyn's I Rebel attack on Duncan's Maul - the bonus point of damage caught her in the crossfire.

7th Place - Duncan

Character - Darth Maul

Card that Killed Him - Force Lightning

Duncan was a loyal dark side alliance member throughout, and he stayed aggressive as her pursued Kat's Obi-Wan Kenobi.  But he did not anticipate Kat and Riley's blaze-of-glory last stand.  Once Kevin's Jyn hit him with I Rebel, he was down to two health points.  Rob's Emperor saw that as the right time to eliminate the scary Darth Maul.

6th Place - Kevin

Character - Jyn Erso

Card that Killed Him - 5-point Darth Vader attack

It was somewhat of a miracle Kevin made it to sixth place, as he was betrayed out of the gate by Penny and suffered attacks from the dark side alliance throughout the game.  Once it got to the final six, he couldn't find anyone willing to take him further, and Grant's Vader sent him packing.

5th Place - Grant H.

Character - Cad Bane

Card that Killed Him - Force Lightning

Grant once again won "best dressed" with his Clone Wars era Obi armor.  He also pulled Cad Bane for the third time this year!  He played a fantastic game all night, but Rob perceived he wasn't as loyal to him, so Emperor tried to turn everyone else against Grant.  There was a LOT of arguing and, in the end, Rob used his last gasp of cards to fry Grant in fourth.

4th Place - Curtis

Character - Tobias Beckett

Card that Killed Him - All Too Easy (!!!)

The dark side alliance stayed strong until the final five, but that was when Curtis wanted Rob's Emperor off the board.  There was a lot of chaos after that.  Rob had promised You Will Die for Cad Bane, but he switched it to Curtis once he was attacked.  Grant got lucky in his card draw and movement and pulled the wombo-combo on Curtis!!!

3rd Place - Rob

Character - Emperor Palpatine

Card that Killed Him - 3-point attack from Super Battledroid

There was an audible groan when Rob got Emperor Palpatine for the Championship Duel.  Despite that uphill sledding, his dark side alliance stayed strong until the final five.  At different points Evan, Grant H., and Curtis were attacking him.  It proved to be too much, though he did claw his way to third by the end.

2nd Place - Grant D.

Character - Darth Vader

Card that Killed Him - 4-point attack from Count Dooku

It sure looked like Grant might finally end his win drought.  He expertly piloted Darth Vader to the end of the game.  He was particularly effective in the final five, when he could start swinging his big light saber attacks.  But as he faced off against Evan's Dooku, the superior character advantage was too much to withstand.

1st Place - Evan!!!

Character - Count Dooku

Card that Killed Him - none, he won it all, baby!!!

For just the third time in league history, a Dueler won their first trophy at the Championship Duel!  Evan deserves a huge congratulations!  He played his Count Dooku flawlessly, navigating the chaos of the first half of the game and establishing himself as the person everyone wanted to align with in the final five.  Way to go Evan!!!

Well 2022 proved to be an outstanding year for Dueling!  When the calendar turns to 2023 we'll still have five Duels remaining for the current academic year.  Right now it looks like the January Duel, A New Hope, will be played on Friday, January 13th.  More information will be coming your way about that after the New Year.  Congrats again, Evan!  Let's take one final look at the top 12 Duelers of 2022!!!

Preview: 2022 Championship Duel - December 3, 2022

It's hard to even fathom, but here we are at the end of the year ready to crown the 2022 Champion!  It all comes down to this - the battles, the back-stabbing, the does not count as an actioning... Duelers had their chance to secure a seat at the most important table of the season for the last eleven months.  Those with the heart, skill, midichlorians, and dare we even say luck, made it past their peers.  One thing is for sure: the Darth Vader trophy, the most coveted hardware in our Dueling league, will be given to a deserving victor.  The night will be...EPIC!

HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

2021 - Rob won with Jango Fett in the Emperor's Throne Room

2020 - Ben H. won with Boba Fett in the Naboo Reactor Pit

2019 - Ian won with Darth Maul in the Emperor's Throne Room

2018 - Ben H. won with Jango Fett on the Kamino Platform
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

Unlike our other Duels during the year, the seating order at the Championship is predetermined by the performance of those who earned a spot.  Anyone who won a Duel got an automatic seat.  The remainder of spots were given to the top ranked professional Duelers.  Let's meet the dozen best Duelers of 2022!

Chair #12 - Kevin.  Kevin logged eight Duels in 2022, and had some impressive finishes, none more than his second place at the Imperial March with Qui-Gon Jinn.

Chair #11 - Evan.  Evan played seven times in 2022, and finished in the top five in over half of them (four).  He had third place finishes at both the Valentine's Duel and Duel of the Fates.

Chair #10 - Curtis.  The cantankerous Curtis Dueled in eight matches this year, and managed five top-five finishes.  His best game was A New Hope, where finished second with Jyn Erso.

Chair #9 - Grant D.  Grant only played four Duels this year, but don't sleep on this league legend.  He pulled in a fifth place finish at the May the 4th Be With You Duel.

Chair #8 - Penny.  A second Padawan of Rob's joined the league this year, and made a near immediate impact.  In just her second career Duel, Penny won Thanksdueling! with Anakin Skywalker.

Chair #7 - Jillian.  In one of the craziest moments in league history, Jillian, still just a young teenager, won her debut and only Duel, Twin Sun Slam #1, with Obi-Wan Kenobi!

Chair #6 - Grant H.  This veteran student Dueler pulled off one of the coolest wins of the season.  He won Cad Bane's debut Duel with Cad, the best of Grant's six matches this year.

Chair #5 - Kat.  Kat participated in eight Duels in 2022, but her crowning achievement occurred at the Imperial March.  She won it with Darth Maul.

Chair #4 - Riley E. - It's hard to believe, but Riley played in ten Duels in 2022.  Her four top-three finishes were punctuated with her win at Doubleheader #2.

Chair #3 - Duncan.  Duncan played nine times this year, and only finished below sixth place ONCE!  That tremendous consistency peaked with his A New Hope victory in January.

Chair #2 - Ian.  Ian is just one of two Duelers in 2022 with multiple victories.  He finished first at both Twin Sun Slam #2 and The Fall Brawl.  Not bad for eight Duels played!

Chair #1 - Rob.  Rob tied his own record from 2015 when he won five times in 2022.  He is also the defending champion from the 2021 Championship.

PLUSH POE PICKS THE WINNER:

After another failed pick, there probably isn't even a reason to keep doing these, but it's Christmastime!  Why not offer the gift of a new pick!?  Poe...who you got?

What the...?  The Child?  Grogu?  I guess that means Poe is picking The Mandalorian?  Interesting...

Tomorrow at 7PM we'll find out if he's right!  The 2022 Championship is here!!!

Thanksdueling! - November 5, 2022

 

Carbon Freezing Chamber (Dagobah Board)

The night started a bit chaotically as we had a last minute cancel, but we were super blessed to have Jocelyn join the fray and save Thanksdueling!  Thanks Jocelyn!!!

The kid's table!

Jocelyn impacted the game out of the gate by being the first person in ages to question the light/dark side dichotomy we operate with so frequently.  As Rob tries to remind folks, "there are no sides."  Jocelyn's Count Dooku started out in the middle of the board, and was happy to roam there as she got a sense for how everyone was going to play.  Andrew's Zam Wesell started the fighting when she attacked Riley B.'s Qui-Gon Jinn.  That pretty much solidified light vs. dark, as even Jocelyn wandered back to the dark end of the Dagobah swamp.

Bella displaying 50% sense of humor, 50% Dueling anxiety

The game truly busted open when Riley E., playing with the genuinely terrifying Supreme Leader Snoke, used Tied To A String to pull poor Michael's Rey into a dark side kill box.  Jocelyn was appalled by the brutality, while Bella laughed at the chaos.  It was a devastating turn of events for the light side, as Rey was clearly their best character.  The light side tried desperately to kill some minors to enable Michael to escape.  Michael even pulled off a Rise Of Skywalker to stave off elimination, but he eventually fell in last place.  It was brutal!

The light side needed to rally, and rally they did.  Andrew's Jango Fett was leading the front lines of the dark side alliance, but that also left him a bit exposed.  The light side jumped at the opportunity to start whittling him down.  It would be Riley B. who bravely charged into the middle of the board, after an assist from Parker's Princess Leia, to punch Andrew's ticket in eleventh.  

Rob needed a Battlemind!

With ten to go, the dark and light sides were once again balanced.  This was when the dark side decided to launch another kill box.  This time it would be Jocelyn's Count Dooku using a Force Push to send Riley B.'s Qui-Gon to the back row.  Just like in football, might as well run the same play if they can't stop it!  The light side knew it was time to rush, and Rob/Mace, Corona/Yoda, and Penny/Anakin started moving forward.  They identified Jocelyn's Dooku as the key to springing Qui-Gon from captivity.  Riley B. contributed by using a There's Always A Bigger Fish on Jocelyn, but Jocelyn countered with Gain Power.  Touché!  Dooku couldn't hold out forever, though, and Jocelyn had to exit in tenth after Penny's Anakin landed a 5-point attack.

This was the juncture in the Duel when the dark/light factions dissolved.  Grant H.'s Cad Bane made a quiet flip to the light side, but for two rounds, kept throwing Parker's Leia out as a target.  Parker was quite vocal in the attack, but Rob's Mace and Kat's Darth Vader both agreed to go in on the surprise kill box.  Parker's jaw dropped, and he had no help to escape the predicament.  Leia was finally eliminated in ninth by a 3-point attack from Kat's Storm Trooper.  The indiginity!

Riley isn't trapped on the dark side, 
the dark side is trapped with Riley!

We should pause and take a moment to recognize how crazy-good Riley B. was playing with Qui-Gon.  Despite Riley E./Snoke and Bella/Moff Gideon's best attacks, they could not destroy Qui-Gon.  They were essentially doomed when Kat declined to assist.  With Kat and Grant playing on the other side, Riley E.'s Snoke was the next target.  She fell out in eighth when her own sister Penny cracked her with an Anger!

This enabled Riley B. to finally flee his dark side prison, using Jedi Meditations to begin healing himself.  He was ready to let Qui-Gons be Qui-Gons.  But his Jedi robes weren't made of Teflon.  Bella's Moff Gideon chose to attack, and Riley chose not to defend.  Little did he know it was Astute Panic!  That attack was the exact value needed to eliminate Riley B. in seventh!!!  

Decision time for Jedi Corona

Bella pulled off the attack of the night, but she was also left without an alliance when Riley E. was removed from the game.  Penny was still low carded, but she dropped a 5-point attack on Bella to finish off Moff Gideon in sixth place.

That left a final five of Kat/Vader, Grant/Cad, Rob/Mace, Penny/Anakin, and Corona/Yoda.  (Something funny to note - Corona often wears a Yoda t-shirt to the Duels, but for Thanksdueling! he dressed up as Anakin.  But then he picked Yoda to play with!)  Rob sensed Kat and Grant were tight, and that they wanted to target Penny's Anakin, who was a bit injured and low carded.  But Rob feared he could do no better than third place in that scenario, so he suggested to Corona and Penny that their three Jedi stick together to eradicate the remaining dark side characters.  Penny liked it because she was the target, and Corona eventually decided it made sense for him too.  Kat and Grant were cranky for good reason, and they presented good counter-arguments, but the Jedi decided to stay strong.

The Grave Digger

Rob created a wall with his Mace and two Clone Troopers for Anakin to hide behind, while Padme continued to roam the board.  Kat's Vader pursued Anakin anyway, trying to get Rob to reconsider.  It turned out Vader was low on defense, and the attacks from Yoda and Mace did her in.  Corona landed a Force Strike and Kat finished the evening in fifth place.

And then there were four!  Grant was working Rob REAL hard to readjust his alliance.  His logic was sound, but Rob's gut told him his best chance was sticking with the Jedi.  While Kat's parting attacks weakened Penny's Anakin, Grant saved his last damage for Rob's Mace Windu, which was leaving Corona in good position with Yoda.  Cad couldn't withstand a 3 vs. 1 Duel, though.  Yoda's Clone Trooper popped him in fourth place.

The two pros Penny played like a fiddle.

When Cad Bane perished Rob immediately unloaded a Whirlwind on Corona's Yoda.  Corona and Penny had agreed to work together to attack Mace Windu.  Penny was in the worst shape, as she only had about seven points of health left, and couldn't heal because Padme was still very much alive.  Rob's strategy was to tell Penny, just hang back, and let him go head to head with Corona's Yoda.  That's how things started, Rob and Corona chasing each other around the board, spending 5 minutes on each of their turns trying to convince Penny to work with them to eliminate the other.  And that's when Penny used the guise of a new Dueler (this was just her second Duel) to fool two Duelers who should have known better!

Penny started taking pot shots at both Yoda and Mace, weakening them both, and pretending like she was being swayed from one side to the other.  Not once did Rob and Corona stop and say, hey, maybe we should work together?  The night ended with two consecutive actions by Penny.  She moved Padme in a direct firing line of Yoda, who was just two health points from death.  Corona tipped off he didn't have any defense left, but begged to stay in the game to use a Force Lift on Rob.  Padme killed Corona in third with a 3-point attack, which was crushing for poor Corona.  But with Yoda dead, Rob's Mace was no longer protected from Padme.  He had more health left than Yoda, but not by much.  He had enough defense in his hand to survive a smaller attack, but Penny pulled out the...PRECISE SHOT!  Nine points of damage on her dad, and Penny won her first 12-Way Duel in just her second game!!!  Rob couldn't be more proud in second place - his two oldest daughters won Duels in 2022!!!  I'm not crying, you're crying!

Slay!

The final order of finish:

12.  Michael/Rey

11.  Andrew/Jango Fett

10.  Joceyln/Count Dooku

9.  Parker/Princess Leia

8.  Riley E./Supreme Leader Snoke

7.  Riley B./Qui-Gon Jinn

6.  Bella/Moff Gideon

5.  Kat/Darth Vader

4.  Grant H./Cad Bane (Grant got Cad again, lol!)

3.  Corona/Yoda

2.  Rob/Mace Windu

1.  Penny/Anakin Skywalker

  

That was a fun night of Dueling, as the Carbon Freezing Chamber map always produces drama.  And this was the last Duel of the year except for December, which is...THE 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP!  This is the one Duel of the year that is invite only - anyone who won a Duel has an automatic seat at the table, and the top ranked Duelers fill the remaining spots.  This is what we've worked for all year!  The Championship is our Super Bowl.  More details are coming on all of that.  In the meantime...congrats again to Penny!!!  

Preview: Thanksdueling! - November 5, 2022

 

It's November, so that means 12 brave turkeys are off to the slaughter!  And here's the sick thing... they're thankful to do it!!!  God bless these brave Duelers as they enter the Carbon Freezing Chamber for Thanksdueling!

HISTORY OF THANKSDUELING!:

2021 - Kaleb won with Princess Leia in the Rancor Dungeon

2020 - Duncan won with Darth Vader in the Rancor Dungeon

2019 - Alex C. won with Darth Maul in the Geonosis Arena

2018 - Ben H. won with Luke Skywalker in the Geonosis Arena
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 Thanksdueling! tradition for the preview post is to list what each Dueler is thankful for this year.  Here we go...

Andrew - don't look now, but Andrew is slowly approaching professional status!  Duelers turn "pro" once they play six games.  Thanksdueling! will be his fifth battle.  He's thankful for...slow and steady improvement!

Bella - Bella made a name for herself last month when, in her very first Duel, she pulled the trigger with the Bowcaster at point blank range!  She's stepping up again to help us get to 12, so we're adding her to the email for now on!  Bella is thankful for...Wookie minor characters!

Corona - this marks Corona's first game since the August Doubleheader, where he had a couple of slightly disappointing eighth place finishes.  He's hoping for a Thanksdueling! rebound.  Corona is thankful for...chicken nugget key chains.

Grant H. - scheduling conflicts have prevented Grant from joining us this fall as much as he usually plays, so we're glad he's back at the table for the second month in a row.  His victory at April's Duel of the Fates has already guaranteed him a spot in the December Championship.  Grant is thankful for...Cad Bane.

Kat - it's hard to believe, but this is Kat's first game since her awesome third place finish at CL Training.  Don't expect this veteran Dueler to be rusty!  She too has a spot in the Championship already.  Kat is thankful for...that super sweet light saber she got at Disney World this year.

Michael - Michael is flying Han solo this Duel, as his real-life alliance partner Julia can't make it.  He'll be sure to represent the family well, hoping for a finish like his second place at Doubleheader #1 in August.  Michael is thankful for...once again getting to play a game from his youth!

Parker We. - well this might sound insane, but we have two Parker "W's" in the league now that rookie Parker We. is making his Dueling debut at Thanksdueling!  We're pumped to have him join this crazy cabal.  Parker We. is thankful for...playing his first Duel!

Parker Wi. - things didn't go as expected for Parker Wi. last month when his Cad Bane unloaded on Fennec Shand for the grand total of zero points of damage.  It cost him a last place finish to rocket-boot.  Parker can only go up at Thanksdueling!  He's thankful for...optimism!

Penny - no, your eyes don't deceive you.  Rob's daughter Penny is coming back for a second helping of Dueling.  He's just as surprised as you are!  It will cost Rob a trip to a few local stores where Penny is excited to spend some newly acquired cash.  Penny is thankful for...bartering!

Riley B. - while Thanksdueling! will "technically" be Riley's third career Duel, don't forget his standout performance as the menacing Rancor back in September!  Nobody has dove into Dueling fandom as deep as Riley this year.  He's thankful for...great deals on eBay!

Riley E. - the tiny titan of terror came close to victory last month, landing in third place at Fight Night.  She'd love to add a second trophy to her shelf before the Championship too.  Riley is thankful for...completing all of her school assignments on time.  Ahem.

Rob - in what could only be described as gross, Rob tied his own record from 2015 when he registered his fifth win of the calendar year at last month's Fight Night.  That also brought his trophy total to six, which is also a record.  Rob is thankful for...adequate shelf space.

PLUSH POE PREDICTS THE WINNER:

Poe, it's only fair to mention your pick from last month finished in second, nearly giving you your second correct guess on the year.  I'm almost impressed.  Almost.  So...show us something with this pick!

"We've pulled crazier turkey legs than this!"

Snoke!?  Interesting, the Supreme Leader hasn't won in this league.  Yet!

Folks, feel free to come by and watch the carnage in the North Village Community Center Fine Arts Studio!  We play at 7PM.  GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Fight Night - October 8, 2022

Conveyex Train

This year's Fight Night Duel featured an all-shooters battle on the Conveyex Train (the aerial heist from the Han Solo movie).  While the Conveyex board is usually dependent on the tow cables for melee characters, little Wicket, the minor character of Princess Leia, was the only avatar without a gun (unless you count Whirling Rocks).  So we had two dozen shooters, no raised terrain, and generally low health for all major characters?  Sign me up!

All aboard the pain train!  CHOO CHOO!!!

Once chairs, characters, and starting order were established, Fight Night began.  The players at the table took a couple of rounds to beef up their respective hands.  The first attack of the night came from Penny, playing in her first Duel, as her Boba Fett took a shot at her dad/Rob/Jyn Erso!  No such thing as a family alliance at this table.  Especially after Riley's Wicket went after little sister CJ's Fennec Shand!

Parker joined in on attacking CJ with his Cad Bane, but he soon learned CJ is not somebody you mess with lightly.  She blocked two big attacks with Body Mods, and Parker was stunned when his turn ended with no damage done to Fennec.  CJ was all about the payback after that, which included BK's Electric Knuckles!  Others joined in on that action too, and before Parker could make heads or tails, his Cad Bane was out in last thanks to a 4-point attack from Rob's Jyn!

Though Penny's Boba was the first person to fire her weapon, she soon found herself low-carded and without much help.  She became the next target, and it would be Juan's Zam Wessell that used a Sniper Shot to end her first Duel in eleventh place.  Fett on Fett violence...say it ain't so!!!

Commence negotiations...

While this action was going on at one end of the board, things got heated on the other end as well.  Bella, another rookie Dueler, discovered one of the best cards in the game...BOWCASTER!  She used it at point-blank range against Grant H.'s Tobias Beckett!!  That sent Grant reeling, though he recovered some of the damage when he successfully attacked back with Improvise.  Bella tried to escape by traversing to the other end of the train, but her poor Han got caught in the crossfire.  One of Curtis' Death Troopers made the final hit to retire Bella in tenth.

Though CJ got the sweet justice she was looking for with Parker's ouster, she soon found herself isolated with multiple characters pointing their blasters at Fennec and BK.  It was Andrew's Mandalorian who no longer wished to see his Book of Boba Fett colleague on the board.  Cara Dune rang her bell in ninth.  She's just a kid!  A scary, vindictive kid...but still!!!

Rogue One, represent!

This Duel was moving along quickly, which as a total aside, is a nice development we'd love to see in the future, cough cough, hint hint.  With eight to go the loose alliance of remaining Duelers needed another target.  Evan made the bold move to play You Have Something I Want with The Moff against Grant's Beckett!  That was the signal the rest of the board needed.  Curtis' Death Troopers moved into position.  Grant almost argued his way out of it, but Curtis decided to attack.  Others joined, and Rob's Cassian got the final shot.  Grant was eliminated in eighth.

Once again the board was looking for a consensus kill.  Chatter started moving toward Riley's Princess Leia, but she swayed the board to consider Andrew's Mandalorian.  Some folks were still feeling the sting of his Whistling Birds from earlier in the evening, and that was enough for Mando to be next.  The entire board went in on it, and it would once again be Jyn Erso with the final crack.  Congrats to Andrew, though, because that seventh place finish was a personal best.  He's trending in the right direction!

Juan in the driver's seat.

And then there were six!  The remaining Duelers had made it into the top half of the finishers.  Juan's Jango and Kevin's Lando started to tussle.  Kevin was desperate for the rest of the board to side with him, but was crushed when those surrounding him pointed their weapons at him instead.  Lando is the best defensive shooter in the game, and others were leery about going deep with him on the board.  Juan, fittingly, got the kill-shot with Jango's Missile Launch.

The tension was palpatine palpable with just five to go!  Rob was wigging out, thinking Curtis and Evan were in an ironclad alliance.  But Curtis made it known he wanted to go final two with Rob instead.  Unfortunately, Curtis moved his Krennic towards Rob, believing he was safe.  That placement, essentially in the middle of the board and in the crosshairs of everyone left, gave Rob little choice but to put the target on Krennic instead.  Once Curtis said he was willing to go after anyone else instead, everyone followed suit.  It was a tough and sudden end for Curtis in fifth place after a Sniper Shot from Juan's Zam.

Locked in a death spiral...

Before Curtis was eliminated, he did manage to dump everyone's hand and force everyone to start with four new cards.  Rob sensed Evan's Moff Gideon was weak and exposed, while also still at full health with both Dark Troopers.  Rob stuck his neck out and suggested Evan be next.  Riley's Leia was all for it, but in what turned out to be the key moment of the game, Juan had to decide what to do next.  Rob risked his own standing by assuring Juan he'd stick with him to the final two, especially since their two characters were the weakest ones left.  Juan decided to accept that, and Evan found himself against three characters at once.  He did manage to use It Means More To Me on Riley's Leia before sinking in fourth place, though.

Riley thought Rob might side with her in the final two, but Rob's Cassian began shooting Leia, trying to draw out the auto-damage of Leia's ...I Know card.  That made it clear to Juan that Rob was honoring their deal.  But Riley moved in on Jango instead of Jyn, and seriously wounded Juan before Zam hit her THIRD Sniper Shot kill of the night.  Riley was done in third.

Epic Duel victories are built on hope!

Juan fought deftly and valiantly all night, but there was no surprise in how it would end after Riley's Leia wrecked his damage card.  Rob used Kyber Crystal Luck to land the elimination of Plush Poe's pick to win the Duel.  Rob/Jyn won!!!  This was the first career win for Jyn and Rob's double-dozenth personal victory in league history.  Juan's second place finish is a career-best finish too, great job Juan!!!  And most importantly...the Duel lasted just over three hours.  Hooray for speedy Duels!

Final order of finish:

12.  Parker/Cad Bane

11.  Penny/Boba Fett

10.  Bella/Han Solo

9.  CJ/Fennec Shand

8.  Grant H./Tobias Beckett

7.  Andrew/The Mandalorian

6.  Kevin/Lando Calrissian

5.  Curtis/Orson Krennic

4.  Evan/The Moff

3.  Riley/Princess Leia

2.  Juan/Jango Fett

1.  Rob/Jyn Erso

Thanks everyone for a great Fight Night, and especially Bella, CJ, and Penny for allowing us to play on what turned out to be a big vacation weekend.  It looks like our November Duel, Thanksdueling!, will be played on Saturday, November 5th.  That's not finalized yet, but go ahead and pencil it in.  More details to come.

And for one last time...PEW PEW!

Preview: Fight Night - October 8, 2022

 

Trick or treat, smell Wookie feet, give me eleven Duelers to defeat!  Yessiree, it's October and that means it's time for Fight Night!  This is the only Saturday of the month we could fit the Duel in, and several regulars are out of town so this particular affair feels wilder than normal.  Fight Night is also the designated "all shooters" Duel for the 22-23 season, so this one is shaping up to be a good ol' shootout.  Pew pew!!!

HISTORY OF FIGHT NIGHT

2021 - Kat won with Rey in the Emperor's Throne Room

2020 - Duncan won with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Naboo Reactor Pit

2019 - Rob won with Boba Fett in the Emperor's Throne Room
2018 - JD won with Mace Windu in the Carbon Freezing Chamber
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 "meet the Duelers" is to describe which Star Wars costume would best suit each Dueler!  Here we go...

Andrew R. - if we learned one thing at last month's Fall Brawl, it's that Andrew loves to play a big card as soon as he has it.  That makes his perfect costume...pre-George Lucas re-edit of Han "shot first" Solo!

Bella - new Dueler alert!  Bella is doing us a solid and saving the day by bringing our table to 12 Duelers.  That sort of sacrifice makes her perfect costume...Vice-Admiral Holdo!

CJ - lord have mercy, look who's back at the table!  The last time CJ played she shot at anyone who looked at her funny.  Her hot-headedness makes her perfect costume...Migs Mayfeld!

Curtis - word on the street is that Curtis is STILL worried he might not qualify for December's Championship Duel.  That bothered energy makes his perfect costume...C-3PO!

Evan - after a top-5 finish at the Fall Brawl, Evan is still teetering on his first career victory.  He'd love to get to the finish line in this one.  That makes his perfect costume...Pod-Racer Anakin!

Grant H. - why am I even bothering listing a proposed costume for Grant when he consistently shows up in his own Star Wars-themed wardrobe?  I'm hoping to see...The Baylorlorian!

Juan - the league benefits when Juan's girlfriend has other plans on a Saturday night!  We're happy to have him back at the table.  His perfect costume is...that Ewok who lovingly strokes Chewbacca's hair!

Kevin - true story, Kevin is organizing a nationally endorsed Catan tournament in Martin!  Imagine if we could take Duels to that level?  His perfect costume is...Luthen Rael!

Parker - few Duel performances in league history were as topsy-turvy as Parker's Fall Brawl.  That chaotic energy is a nice shot in the arm.  His perfect costume is...IG-11!

Penny - the rumors are true.  The only daughter of Rob's to never play a Duel is making her debut tonight.  And she extorted him before agreeing.  Her perfect costume is...DJ!

Riley E. - the tiny titan of terror is going to have to fend off her little sisters at Fight Night.  That sort of familial infighting makes her perfect costume...Inquisitor Reva!

Rob - the old man's record streak of high finishes came to a crashing, eleventh place finish at the Fall Brawl.  That fall from grace makes his perfect redemption costume...(The Book of) Boba Fett!

PLUSH POE PREDICTS THE WINNER:

Well...Plush Poe's winner pick last week was killed first.  That brings his record to 1-2 on the season.  Let's see who he's...oh dear.  Poe is wearing his own Halloween costume this month.  *sigh*  Who you got, Poe?

"So who talks first?  You talk first?"

Ha-ha, Poe.  Hilarious.  I see you've picked Jango Fett.  We'll have to see how that pans out for you.  I'm betting it won't be pretty.

We fire things up at 7PM tonight in the Fine Arts Studio in the North Village Community Center!  Pew pew!

The Fall Brawl - September 24, 2022

 

Rancor Dungeon

Perhaps the most easily overlooked aspect of this year's Fall Brawl was that it marked our return to the North Village fine arts studio as our on-campus Dueling spot.  It was the first time since COVID that we had Dueled there, since it was used as a testing center the past couple of years.  No place on the face of the earth has hosted more Duels than the fine arts studio, and it was good to be back in the friendly confines!

The Baker's Dozen

We also played in the Rancor Dungeon!  This meant one Dueler would be randomly selected to play with the Rancor, and amateur Dueler Riley B. got the lucky honors!  Everyone else picked their seat and characters and we were ready to do battle.

It came as a surprise to absolutely no one who has ever Dueled with Miguel before that he couldn't resist killing a character right away to open the dungeon door to let the Rancor out.  His Boba Fett chucked a Thermal Detonator into Mace Windu (JD) and Jango Fett (Rob), instantly killing both of  Mace's clone troopers and releasing the Rancor!

Release the hound!

Riley made his presence known right away, playing Bone Crusher, which reduced everyone's actions on their next turn to one.  He next hurled one of Grievous' (Julia) MagnaGuards across the room to its death.  

Meanwhile, infighting broke out across the board.  Andrew's Cassian shot Rob's Jango with a brutal 8-point attack, severely injuring the elder Fett.  Rob responded by Rocket Retreating to the control panel spot on the board behind the Rancor.  Riley's Rancor had advanced to stand under the gate.  But instead of pushing the button to hurt the Rancor...Rob drew a card!  The board gasped with displeasure as the Rancor moved deeper into the dungeon.

The board finally quieted down a bit and committed to hunting the Rancor.  Though Riley made a valiant stand, the poor beast was no match for the unified front the rest of the Duelers presented.  Riley was done for the night on a 4-point attack from Ian's Beckett.  That won't count against Riley in the rankings, and we thank him for his service in Jabba's Palace.

Curtis explaining how weak Rey is...

Miguel wasn't done being mischievous, though.  He threw his second thermal into one side of the board again, but this time, he didn't retreat afterwards.  Rob's Jango was down to his last point of health as a result, but on his first action, drew his Missile Launch.  He chuckled evilly as he finished Miguel in last place by using it against Boba.  Miguel seemed a little too happy to be reunited with the Golden Jar Jar trophy.

Curtis (Rey) was leading a six-person alliance against the rest of the board, and called out Andrew's Jyn Erso to be the next target.  This was a bit startling as Andrew thought he was part of that group.  Curtis moved Rey in front of Jyn, seemingly trapping her, but Jyn used Jail Break, and in doing so, moved Curtis into a kill box in enemy territory!  That end of the board began attacking him, and he eventually had to use Rise of Skywalker to heal back up.  Just as it was Parker/Fennec's turn to attack him...he instead used Martial Skills to kill Rob/Jango in eleventh!  The weaker alliance was totally confused by the sudden betrayal.

Ian trying to lobby alliances with Parker.

JD's Mace had moved forward to try and eliminate Curtis, but all of a sudden Curtis was still very much alive and Mace was in easy attack range from the dominant alliance.  Poor JD got left hung out to dry, and it would be Finn who got the kill shot of Mace in tenth.

Ian/Beckett, Elliot/Snoke, Andrew/Jyn, and kind of Parker/Fennec decided to keep the pressure up against Curtis.  It proved to be too much for Curtis, who got stuck loaded with a hand full of Finn cards just as Andrew's Kyber Crystal Luck took him out of the game in eighth.  It became Jyn's last hoorah.  After the stronger alliance put Cassian in an unnecessarily large kill box, Michael's Han Solo ended Andrew's run in eighth place.

Momentum shifting...

We were down to the last seven Duelers and a smoldering Rancor corpse at this point.  Parker's Fennec was the keystone, as both sides continually sent overtures to him to remain true to their respective sides.  In that unstable environment Michael's Han Solo suddenly found himself Tied to a String, and placed in a kill box after not being willing to switch sides.  Though he survived the original capture with a nice Wookie Toss for the rescue, Duncan/Dooku and Evan/Leia were suddenly willing to switch sides!  Supreme Leader Snoke landed the final blow, and Michael peaced-out in seventh.

Julia and her General Grievous went from an early favorite to win the match to suddenly being without any alliance partners.  She played Grievous deftly, including regenerating her MagnaGuards, but she could only hold out so long before the piper came piping.  Elliot's Snoke once again scored the final hit and Julia bowed out in sixth.

Final Four negotiations.

Now there were only five Duelers:  previous dominant alliance members Duncan/Dooku and Evan/Leia, free agent Parker/Fennec, and amazingly, the short-sticked Ian/Beckett and Elliot/Snoke.  Evan had been playing so far below the radar I'm not sure everyone even realized he was at the table, but in the final five, the others became keenly aware of him.  Duelers misconstrued previous comments about Leia's card strength and started inventing imaginary cards in Evan's hand that would strike them all down in one fell swoop.  Poor Evan was the target, and a self-healing Improvise from Ian's Tobias Beckett punched Evan's card in fourth place.

A remarkable final three.

With Evan off the board, Parker made a bit of a social gaff by saying those with minor characters should work against those without.  He was trying to put the target on Elliot's Snoke, but Ian was without Val at that point, and he didn't take too kindly to the implication.  Parker was just playing his second Duel, and it's hard to remember a more plot-twisting night than what he achieved with Fennec.  However, he soon found himself the odd Dueler out, and rested in fourth.  Well done, Parker!

And then there were three!  Elliot and Ian had been partners the whole evening, but Elliot was concerned about going against a shooter at the end, so he tried to align with Duncan's Dooku.  However, that proved disastrous, as Duncan ultimately chose to partner with Ian's Beckett instead.  Try as Elliot might, he couldn't get Duncan to join him.  Once his Snoke was on his last line of health, he got a final attack in on Duncan's Dooku, who had been mostly healthy prior to that.  It included using his Force Lightning to push him to Ian's Beckett.  Ian stayed true to his alliance, though, and finished off Elliot in third.  Both he and Snoke were so close to their first-ever victory!

"The worst" is where the money is.

The final two was quite interesting, as Dooku was the superior character but Ian's veteran status was surely its own advantage.  He and Duncan traded blows, and both characters took their lumps for sure.  But Ian used his second Improvise of the night to heal, do major damage to Dooku, and recover cards for his last stand.  Duncan didn't know it, but Ian only had one non-Val card left in his hand, a 4-point attack for Beckett.  Ian used it and it was enough to finish off Duncan in second!  Ian won!!!

This was the first victory for the character of Beckett.  The win was also Ian's eleventh, moving him into second place on the all-time list!  Ian also moved into second place in the Dueler rankings.  Though Duncan didn't get the win, there's no denying he's on a major role right now with high finishes.  

Let's check the final order of finish again:

Unofficial 13.  Riley B./Rancor

12.  Miguel/Boba Fett

11.  Rob/Jango Fett

10.  JD/Mace Windu

9.  Curtis/Rey

8.  Andrew/Jyn Erso

7.  Michael/Han Solo

6.  Julia/General Grievous

5.  Evan/Princess Leia

4.  Parker/Fennec Shand

3.  Elliot/Supreme Leader Snoke

2.  Duncan/Count Dooku

1.  Ian/Tobias Beckett

Our next Duel is the October FIGHT NIGHT.  Based on the Baylor football schedule, it looks like Saturday, October 8th, will be the date.  Official confirmation and email for sign-ups should go out next Sunday.  Until then...may all your Rancors stay caged.

 

Preview: The Fall Brawl - September 24, 2022

 

Goodness gracious, can you believe we're already deep into September???  The weather is starting to cool (not really), the leaves are starting to turn (what leaves?), and everyone is wearing sweaters (everyone is sweaty).  It must be Fall!  And that can only mean...it's time for the FALL BRAWL!

This year's Brawl will be played in the Rancor dungeon, which also means we'll have 13 Duelers at the table.  One will be picked randomly to play as the Rancor, a four-space occupying, 30-health monster of death and destruction...on one of our smallest boards.  Sounds fun!

HISTORY OF THE FALL BRAWL:

2021 - Natalie won with Anakin Skywalker on the Kamino Platform

2020 - Ryan won with Jango Fett on Arvala-7

2019 - Ryan won with Mace Windu in the Carbon Freezing Chamber                                                
2018 - Courtney H. won with Emperor Palpatine in the Emperor's Throne Room
2017 - JD won with Han Solo in the Geonosis Arena
2016 - Ian won with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Carbon Freezing Chamber
2015 - Rob won with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Kamino Platform
2014 - David C. won with Darth Maul on the Kamino Platform

MEET THE DUELERS:

Andrew R. - The Fall Brawl marks Andrew's third Duel, and he'll be relieved to know Orson Krennic isn't an available character.  He's played him twice with poor results.

Curtis - Word on the street is that Curtis is nervous about qualifying for the 2022 Championship.  He hasn't secured a victory since last year's Doubleheader.

Duncan - Duncan is still on a nice little run, finishing in the top six in his last five Duels, including third place in last month's Doubleheader #1.

Elliot - He finished painfully close to his first career win in last month's Doubleheader #2.  Elliot has three top-four finishes in his last four Duels.

Evan - Some folks might be disappointed to be assigned the Rancor in the Fall Brawl, but Evan is openly campaigning to become the first repeat Dueler to pilot the dungeon monster.

Ian - Ian's streak of four Duels in the top four got snapped - or should I say smooshed? - in the Trash Compactor during Doubleheader #1, where he finished seventh with Han Solo.

JD M. - He took the Doubleheader off, but the last time JD played he finished an impressive second place with Darth Maul at the CL Training battle.  He also hates Rancors.

Julia - She showed absolutely no signs of rust at last month's Doubleheader, which marked her first official league Duels after playing the precursor matches nine years ago.  She had two top-five finishes!

Michael - It was a tale of two Duels for Michael at the Doubleheader last month.  He nearly pulled of a win in his first league Duel, finishing second with Moff Gideon, in the first game, but ninth place in the second.

Miguel - Boys and girls, get excited!  Miguel is back for his first Duel of the school year!  He had an infamous experience at last year's Rancor dungeon.

Parker - We're excited to welcome Parker back to the table!  He made his debut at CL Training, so this will mark his second career Duel.

Riley B. - The league's most excited rookie learned some hard lessons when he made his debut at the Doubleheader.  He's looking for a better finish this go-round.

Rob - Rob grossly won Doubleheader #1 last month, and nearly swept the night when his Luke Skywalker fell in second place to his daughter's Darth Vader.  

PLUSH POE PICKS THE WINNER

Poe...I can't believe I'm saying this, but you were actually 1-1 on your picks last week.  I may have underestimated you.  Who do you have winning this week?

"Happy bleeps here, buddy!"

Ok.  Poe likes Boba Fett to win the Fall Brawl.  Wait a second, do you here something...?

OH GOD - RUN POE, RUN!!!

"RAAWWWRRR!!!!"

Good lord, that got out of hand quickly.  Not sure if Poe or Boba are surviving that Rancor attack.  Well, we're back in the North Village Community Center again for the first time since COVID, feel free to swing on by and take a gander at the carnage!