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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
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!!!
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