2023 Championship - December 2, 2023

Eravana Cargo Hold

The Championship match should be a hard-fought battle of expert Duelers with surprising moves, tactics, and game play.  This Duel did not disappoint!  Read the pictorial recap of eliminations to find out who the winner was!

12th Place - Isaiah

Character - Supreme Leader Snoke

Card that Killed Him - 4 point Princess Leia attack

The best rookie of 2023 came into the Championship looking to turn professional by winning his first league title.  In-fighting on the dark side and the constant trample of rathtars limited what Isaiah could do.  Princess Leia eliminated him in last...but congrats on turning pro!

11th Place - Riley E.

Character - Jango Fett

Card that Killed Her - Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Attack

Riley tried to flip sides once Julia's Boba Fett Rocket Retreated to the middle of the board.  She attacked her own sister (Darth Vader) before getting pulled into a kill box by Isaiah.  She survived the onslaught...only to be killed moments later by her dad (Obi-Wan)!

10th Place - Penny

Character - Darth Vader

Card that Killed Her - 3 point Princess Leia attack

Penny was left reeling when Julia/Boba Fett used a Rocket Retreat on Vader to move to the control panels in the center of the board.  Isaiah/Snoke nearly turned on her too, but she survived temporarily to keep fighting.  In the end there were too many in the light side alliance and she was done in tenth.

9th Place - Kat

Character - Cad Bane

Card that Killed Her - 4 point The Mandalorian attack

Kat did a great job staying out of the path of the rathtars, and she wisely evacuated the dark side of the board when the alliance crumbled.  However, she couldn't get any inroads with the light side alliance and her Cad Bane soon found himself in a kill box after an Obi-Wan Force Control.  There weren't enough Rocket Boots to survive.

8th Place - Curtis

Character - Yoda

Card that Killed Him - 3 point MagnaGuard attack

Curtis was one of the vocal leaders for the light side, giving orders on how to use the walls to move rathtars towards the enemy.  But when Michael/Rey and Miguel/Lando's characters were fully carded with nobody to attack, Curtis unexpectedly found himself the target.  He deployed a nice Force Rebound but nobody came to his side in his time of need.

7th Place - Grant

Character - General Grievous

Card that Killed Him - Cara Dune's Heavy Weapon

Grant was left with few options when his dark side teammates collapsed against each other almost immediately.  He did manage to sneak his General Grievous to the middle squares to help control doors.  But once he retreated when the light side alliance advanced, his only other major success was brining his minor characters back on line.

6th Place - Evan

Character - The Mandalorian

Card that Killed Him - 3 point Rey attack

Last year's 2022 Champion hoped to retain his Vader trophy.  He started off strong, as his Mandalorian character established dominance and chased down opponents like General Grievous.  But he also picked up some damage.  When the dark side alliance was eliminated, he became the target thanks to Rob/Obi-Wan.  

5th Place - Michael

Character - Rey

Card that Killed Him - 4 point Obi-Wan Kenobi attack.

After helping take down Curtis' Yoda earlier in the game, he next put a big target on Rob's Obi-Wan Kenobi.  He lost any hope of future partnership when he successfully played Rise of Skywalker twice!  Everyone was terrified of Rey, so the rest of the board united and Rob's Obi-Wan scored the knockout punch.

4th Place - Julia

Character - Boba Fett

Card that Killed Her - 3 point Obi-Wan Kenobi attack

The most influential move of the game was Julia shooting Darth Vader to Rocket Retreat to the safety of the inner squares of the cargo hold.  Julia managed to roost there for most of the game.  But when she opened a door to direct the rathtars towards Ian's Princess Leia, she acquired a huge target on her back.  Rob and Ian eliminated her before she could drop her Thermals.

3rd Place - Ian

Character - Princess Leia

Card that Killed Him - Obi-Wan Kenobi's Force Control

Ian played masterfully, ruling a corner of the board in the early going and teaming with Miguel to eliminate Rob in the final three.  But just as Rob was on the cusp of dying, a false promise from Rob prompted Miguel to attack Ian.  Ian and Rob then joined forces, but Miguel's Lando made it hard for Leia and Rob eliminated Ian after he lost both I Know cards.

2nd Place - Miguel

Character - Lando Calrissian

Card that Killed Him - 5 point Obi-Wan Kenobi attack

The retired Dueler, birthday boy, and current Ivy League grad student flew into Waco to play his best personal board - the Eravana Cargo Hold.  Just like the 2022 Valentine's Duel, it got down to Rob, Miguel, and the rathtars.  Rob was just a couple of health points away from dying, but the nimbleness of Obi-Wan allowed him to slowly heal as Miguel's Lando desperately tried to finish off Rob...but he couldn't!

1st Place - Rob

Character - Obi-Wan Kenobi

How He Won - by being a survivor!

Miguel and Ian nearly eliminated Rob, but Rob managed to drop everyone's hands in his most desperate hour.  The redraw saw Rob's Obi get all three Jedi Blocks very early from his new deck.  He slowly healed to stay out of danger of the rathtars, and a late alliance split between Miguel and Ian created the crack Rob needed to win his second-ever Championship!  Rob joins Ben H. as the only Duelers to ever repeat as Championship winners.  Rob also becomes the first Dueler to win a Duel four times with the same character.  The win also moved Obi-Wan Kenobi into a tie for second place for career wins among characters.

What an incredible night of Dueling!!!  Exceptional play from start to (a very late) finish!  You can't ask for much more from a Championship.

We'll kick off 2024 (!!!) with the January Duel - A New Hope - on Friday, January 12th, 7PM, to avoid overlap with a men's basketball game.  Thanks to everyone who sat at a table in 2023!!!  This league continues to thrive because of invested Duelers like you!!!

PEW PEW!

 

Preview: The 2023 Championship, December 2, 2023

He sees you when you're winning,

He knows when your hands shake,

He knows if you Duel bad or good,

So Duel good for the Championship's sake!

You better watch out...you better not DIE...you better be renown...I'm telling you why...'CAUSE THE 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP IS COMING TO TOWN!!!

LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

This the biggest Duel of the year, where only the best of the best from the past eleven months are invited to engage in fantasy combat with characters from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away!  The first chairs are given to those who claimed a trophy during the calendar year.  The last remaining spots are parsed out to the top ranked professionals.  The cream of the crop!  

And we saved the most complex game board in the league for the 12 savants trying to win the Vader trophy:  the Eravana Cargo Hold!  That's right - besides a dozen murderous Duelers, there will be two RATHTARS wandering the board that can't be killed but have NO PROBLEM devouring any character that moves.  *chef's kiss*

The 2023 Championship will be, simply put...EPIC!!!

HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP DUELS:

2022 - Evan won with Count Dooku in the Emperor's Throne Room

2021 - Rob won with Jango Fett in the Carbon Freezing Chamber

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 CHAMPIONSHIP DUELERS:

The Duelers and seating during a normal match are randomized by who can respond to the invite fastest and a pick a wooden spool out of a too-small box, but not the Championship!  You have to play your way in, and Duelers are seated based on how well they Dueled this year.  Let's meet them!

Chair 12 - Riley E.  This high school sophomore Dueled 9 times in 2023 but barely made the cut despite a respectable ranking.  Her best finish this year was third place at the Imperial March.

Chair 11 - Evan.  Evan scored one of the most amazing first-career-win's in league history by winning the 2022 Championship last year.  He's defending his trophy from the eleventh chair.  He played six times in 2023, with three 4th place finishes.

Chair 10 - Curtis.  With so many various winners in 2023, Curtis was sweating whether he'd make the December table.  He played eight times this year, with his best finish in second place at the Fall Brawl.

Chair 9 - Grant D.  He's one of just three Duelers at the table to appear in the first Championship match.  This league veteran played six times in 2023, with his best finish in second place at the Valentine's Duel.

Chair 8 - Penny.  She only played once this year, as an emergency backup.  But in just her fourth career Duel she won Fight Night, her second ever victory.

Chair 7 - Miguel.  This Ivy League Dueler retired in May but is coming back to Waco to claim his rightful seat at the table thanks to his win at the Valentine's Duel.  He played three times in 2023.

Chair 6 - Michael.  He played nine times over the past eleven months, but he was the first person to punch his ticket for the 2023 Championship when he won A New Hope.

Chair 5 - Kat.  She stayed out of the spotlight for most of the Fall, but a win at Twin Sun Slam #2 already guaranteed her spot in the December Duel.

Chair 4 - Julia.  Julia was on the bubble for making the Championship until she took home a victory at Thanksdueling!  She Dueled six times this year.

Chair 3 - Isaiah.  The rookie sensation will turn professional at the Championship.  His outstanding debut included wins at CL Training and the Fall Brawl.

Chair 2 - Ian.  Across eight games played in 2023 Ian secured wins at Twin Sun Slam #1 and Doubleheader #1 and was just one of three Duelers with multiple wins.  

Chair 1 - Rob.  He played in twelve Duels, plus a guest appearance as the rancor, this year.  He was the only Dueler to win three times (The Imperial March, Duel of the Fates, and Doubleheader #2).  

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

Similar to the Duelers for the Championship game, the best characters of 2023 will be featured too.  These are the 12 characters (six light side, six dark side) who either won a Duel or were top ranked.  The dark side actually had more than six winners, so we decided based on ranking of those who won.

Light Side - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, The Mandalorian, Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia, and Rey.

Dark Side - Supreme Leader Snoke, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, Darth Vader, General Grievous, and Cad Bane.

If that doesn't get you hyped I'm not sure you read the blog all the way to this sentence.  Everyone is free to come and watch the Championship Duel this Saturday at 7:30PM in the North Village Classroom.  One person will be named the victor!

Thanksdueling! - November 11, 2023

Naboo Reactor Pit

This was our 10th annual Thanksdueling! Duel, and our 137th match in league history.  Let's take a moment to give thanks for these past ten years!  If you had told me ten years ago we'd be going stronger than ever in the year of our Lord 2023, and there were 12 boards, 12 trophies, and 32 characters...I wouldn't have believed you.  OK, maybe I would have believed you a little because this game is so awesome, but still!!!  Look at all we've done!  Way to go, Duelers!  If you're snacking on deviled eggs or candy corn this Thanksgiving, feel free to consume it in honor of Star Wars Epic Duels.  

Rob's in the picture!?!

Thanksdueling! 2023 was special right out of the gate because it was the debut Duel for Michaela and Joe!  We're so excited to have them on campus, and hopefully their first Duel wasn't too scarring.  We played in the Naboo Reactor Pit, which is our cool color-changing board.  Unfortunately, the battery to the remote was shot, so Grant had to keep plugging/unplugging the chord to produce the desired effect.  Did they have to deal with that kind of tech on the Deathstar!?

It was obvious at the start the characters in the reactor pit side of the board were going to try and stay united against the players in the hallway side of the board.  Riley E./Moff Gideon and Elliot/Anakin were stuck on the front line of that battlefront, so they both tried to flip sides.  Elliot got their first and minor characters started taking damage.  

Michael/Obi-Wan took bold action when he used a Force Control to pull Riley/Moff and Jordann/Ahsoka forward into kill boxes!  Riley managed to stay behind a laser wall while Jordann was trapped with no escape.  It didn't take long to whittle her down, and she received the Golden Jar Jar when Joe's Night Trooper shot her off the board.  That was a rough finish for Jordann, who finished third in both of her previous Duels.

General Kat rallies the troops.

Kat was piloting Reva - the Third Sister in the hallway, and tried to coordinate a charge with her remaining alliance.  But Riley/Moff Gideon was finally given an invitation to join the power alliance.  Kat was in trouble after that, especially because Isaiah/Vader was hesitant to move forward, and Bekah/Qui-Gon were stuck in the back chamber, which affectionately became known as the VIP Room.  Joe, playing in his first ever Duel, came down with a common symptom during a Duel:  trophy blood lust!  After knocking off Ahsoka he wanted more kills.  In a bold move, he charged in with Morgan Elsbeth and used the Blade of Talzin to eliminate Kat/Reva in eleventh.  Kat maintained a great attitude throughout.

Isaiah, who has won twice this year and isn't even a professional Dueler yet, was in deep trouble.  His Vader was all alone.  As the big alliance depleted his health indicator card, Grant/Boba used Greedo's Desperate Shot for a dramatic end to Vader's night.  Isaiah was out in tenth.

Clone Wars vibes with Obi, Sky-Guy, and Snips.

Bekah/Qui-Gon was the presumed next target, but she was still chilling in the VIP room, and Elliot made a coded suggestion to other Duelers at the table that Joe's Morgan was a scary threat to deal with.  After Joe had taken down Reva he was vulnerable to attacks from multiple angles.  Bekah used the opportunity to bargain for advancement by joining in on the attacks.  Qui-Gon played a Prophecy, and Joe was suddenly out in ninth!  He had quite the trophy collection for his first Duel, well done Joe!

While Michaela didn't object to Joe (her husband's) death, she hadn't used her minor character to shoot him either.  Rob/Jyn Erso and Julia/The Mandalorian both noticed, so they started attacking Michaela's Cad Bane.  She used Rocket Boots twice to try and escape, but she was surrounded without help.  It was a fast death when Julia played Disintegration!  Michaela was smoked in eighth place.  We sure hope she and Joe had fun - they were a great addition to Thanksdueling!

Guess who's holding a thermal detonator...

Riley/Moff, Julia/Mando, and Grant/Boba hatched a plan to go after Elliot's Anakin next.  Elliot played an aggressive game all night, but the remaining shooters weren't crazy about leaving the melee characters on the board.  The biggest moment of the night was when Michael/Obi, Elliot/Ani, and Bekah/Qui-Gon sniffed out what was going on, and decided to align against the four shooters still in the game.  They also concentrated their attacks on Riley's Moff Gideon.  If Riley was killed, it would be 3 vs. 3, and the shooters would be in big trouble.

It all came down to whether Elliot could move his Anakin out of the Reactor Room and into the hallway where Obi and Qui-Gon were.  Unfortunately for Elliot, his roll activated the laser walls!  He was trapped!!!  He went down to one card after playing an Anger, and Grant assassinated him in seventh with a Kyber Dart.  Elliot played a heck of a game for sure.

The Qui-Gon/Obi/Anakin family tree!

Riley's Moff Gideon was still trapped with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, and she was no match for that combination.  Riley was gone in sixth, but considering her starting position, that was a major accomplishment.  She stayed in the crucible of that first chamber almost the entire game.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon retreated to the VIP room, and Rob sent his Cassian Andor back there too after Michael played Force Balance, dumping everyone's hand.  Qui-Gon was taking a lot of hits when the walls were down, but Bekah was hanging tough.  She eventually fell when Boba Fett used Deadly Aim.  This was just Bekah's third game and she pulled a fifth place finish.  Bravo!

Michael's Obi-Wan had nobody left to work with, and he was still stuck in a room with Cassian.  Rob finally drew Looks Like A Killer, and used it to park Obi/Michael in fourth.  Michael played Obi-Wan beautifully...had Elliot escaped, Michael would have been a good bet to win it all.

Mandalorian Armor fans.

The final three was Julia/Mando, Grant/Boba, and Rob/Jyn Erso.  The three of them were happy they managed to stick together and finish off the blades, but now it was a new game.  They immediately pledged to work together to eliminate Rob, which shocked nobody.  However, Rob pointed out to Grant that Julia's Mandalorian was certainly stronger than Boba Fett, and by this point, Jyn Erso was banged up and Cassian had been eliminated too.  Grant reluctantly but eventually agreed to work with Rob to try and kill Julia/The Mandalorian.  

When Rob was finally healed all the way again, he snuck into the reactor room with Mando.  Julia used a combo of Grappling Line and Amban Shock to drop three of Jyn's cards, though!  Grant's eyes got wide as saucers once the two of them were adjacent.  He quickly chucked double Thermal Detonators, doing 8 points of damage each to Mando and Jyn!  Rob and Julia's only hope was to align and attack.  Rob played two attacks on Grant and then Julia lowered the boom with her second Disintegration of the night!!!  Grant was so close to ending his winless streak, but nobody could blame him for the Double Thermals.  Good job, Grant!

Rob and Julia were both hurting, so Rob attacked with his first action on his next turn.  It damaged Mando.  Rob had to decided between using his last attack card and go for the win - which would leave him with only one defense card - or drawing and hoping to survive to a second turn.  Since Julia/Mando only had five cards left he went for it...and The Mandalorian deflected it!  Julia attacked twice on her turn, killing Rob in second.  Julia won her first career Duel!!!

Julia deserves a special shout-out.  Way back in 2013 we played the first-ever 12-Way Duel in Waco.  This was a game that predated the league.  She was a CL at the time and was one of the first 12 who sat at the table.  All these years later she's back and has her first win!!!  Kudos to Julia!!!  This also marks The Mandalorian's second career win.

The final order of finish:

12.  Jordann/Ahsoka

11.  Kat/Reva

10.  Isaiah/Vader

9.  Joe/Morgan

8.  Michaela/Cad

7.  Elliot/Anakin

6.  Riley E./Gideon

5.  Bekah/Qui-Gon

4.  Michael/Obi

3.  Grant D./Boba

2.  Rob/Jyn

1.  Julia/The Mandalorian!!!

What a crazy night!  Next month is the biggest Duel of the year...the 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP!!!  Anyone who won during the calendar year is invited to play, and the remaining spots will go to the topped ranked Duelers.  More info is coming on that one...

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone, pew pew!!

Preview: Thanksdueling! - Saturday, November 11, 2023

How is it November already!?!?  We're winding down our calendar year, and this weekend's Thanksdueling! is the last chance for Duelers to qualify for December's 2023 Championship match, the biggest Duel of the year!  But don't sleep on Thanksdueling!, it has a long history of EPIC battles and outcomes.  Whether you prefer light side meat or dark side meat on the turkey, this Duel will have something for everyone.  

HISTORY OF THANKSDUELING!

2022 - Penny won with Anakin Skywalker in the Carbon Freezing Chamber

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

Every year we use the Thanksdueling! preview to list what our Duelers are thankful for!  Gobble gobble...

Bekah - Bekah is thankful for...a chance to get back at the table!  She debuted at the August Doubleheader but couldn't play again until now.  Thanksdueling! will be her third career match.

Elliot - Elliot is thankful for...being so close!  He holds the league record for most Duels played without a victory, but this Fall he's come close multiple times.  Will this be the Duel!?

Grant D. - Grant is thankful for...no Han Solo at the Thanksdueling! Duel.  New folks to the league may not understand this, but Grant is equally blessed/cursed by the Han Solo character...never wanting him but winning with him three times!

Isaiah - Isaiah is thankful for...back to back wins!!!  The last two times he's played - CL Training and the Fall Brawl - he brought home trophies!  He hasn't even turned professional yet!

Joe - Joe is thankful for...his first time Dueling!  This Star Wars fan is getting his first taste of Epic Duels!  And what does that taste like, exactly?  Candy corn.  In other words, DELICIOUS.

Jordann - Jordann is thankful for...third place!  Jordann has played two career Duels and finished third both times!  That's an incredible start to her Dueling journey, but she wouldn't mind placing higher!

Julia - Julia is thankful for...a free calendar!  A true OG of the Dueling league, Julia's busy schedule has kept her away from the table this Fall, but now she's here and ready to rumble.

Kat - Kat is thankful for...Bethany!  Though Bethany refuses to join our cabal, she did recruit Kat to play in Thanksdueling!  Kat will use this as her warm-up to next month's Championship.

Michael - Michael is thankful for...January!  That's when he won the first Duel of 2023, meaning he had the most stress-free year in the league, knowing he was already good for the Championship.

Michaela - Michaela is thankful for...being back in Waco!  Our newest RHD is finally playing her first Duel, despite previously being a CL for three years!

Riley E. - Riley is thankful for...the top five!  She's landed in the top five four times in 2023.  She'd love to win Thanksdueling! to secure her spot in December, she's right on the bubble!

Rob - Rob is thankful for...new characters!  The league added a few new characters in 2023, and Rob got to be the first Dueler to ever play Morgan and her zombie troopers.  Brrrraaaiiiinnnssss!!!!

GUESS THE EPIC DUELS CARD VIA EMOJIS

We skipped this last month, but we're back with a new installment!  So far we've had Boba's "Thermal Detonator" and Mace's "Whirlwind Attack."  For Thanksdueling...which card is this???

🐟<🐠

The answer is below!  Feel free to come and watch Thanksdueling! in the North Village classroom on Saturday night, starting at 7PM!

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Answer:  Qui-Gon Jinn's "There's Always a Bigger Fish"

Fight Night - October 21, 2023

 

Geonosis Arena via Hoth

History was made in a few different ways during this Duel, and we'll get to more of that later, but one cool "first" was that eight of the main characters were female!  Adding Ahsoka and Morgan to the league, along with the randomly selected Princess Leia, Bo-Katan, Jyn Erso, Fennec Shand, Captain Phasma, and Reva, the Third Sister, helped us tip the scales.  The original 12 main characters that came with the game were all male.  It's nice the new characters have helped us balanced things out a bit!

Trick or treat...

The game was tight right out of the gate, especially with the weird placement of the light side starting characters on the board.  Parker's Fennec was invited to flip sides out of the traditional Mace Windu starting spot in the elbow of the snow columns, but he retreated deeper into his light side alliance instead.  That left his minor BK the Wookie all alone, and the dark side immediately started shooting him until he was off the board.

That wasn't the only advantage the dark side alliance gained.  Atticus' Count Dooku was feeling spry, so he charged down the narrow side of the columns and engaged Jackson's Mace Windu!  They were both taking damage but Atticus showed a flare for the dramatic when he Force Pushed poor Jackson into a dark side kill box!  Rob, playing the new character Morgan, used an enhanced 4-point attack to finish off Mace in last.  It was a brutal turn of events for Jackson - there was nothing he could do.

There really IS a wampa in there!

Parker's Fennec was alone and shivering in the cold, and the dark side didn't hesitate.  Parker managed a couple of Body Mods, but it wasn't enough to withstand the onslaught, especially after Rico's Reva pulled a nifty Grand Ambition kill and then used a Honing Beacon to jump back to his dark side alliance.  Parker cratered in eleventh.

Riley E. tried to keep the spirits up of the light side, but Riley B. saw the writing on the wall and defected to the dark side alliance!  That left Curtis/Leia, Riley E./Jyn, and Bella/Ahsoka all by themselves.  Curtis had seen enough and engaged in one vs. one battle with Atticus' Dooku.  Atticus was stunned by all of the auto damage and he was gone soon after, thanks to a Camouflage attack from Curtis.  Atticus was out in tenth, but give him credit, he always gets his money's worth!

Bella, Curtis, and Riley scrambling...

Curtis was lucky to unload so many of his good cards on Dooku, because Kevin ruined his night when the Emperor played You Will Die on Curtis' Leia.  A host of dark side characters took shots down the alley on a defenseless Curtis.  Penny's Beckett used an Improvise for the K.O.  Curtis was gone in ninth.

Bella's Ahsoka Tano was the next target of an air-tight dark side alliance.  She got off some cool shots with her minor character Sabine, but caught on her heels and with dwindling options, Bella couldn't perform any of the cool new attacks Ahsoka brings to the league.  Bella was kaput in eighth.

The Emperor betrayed!

Riley E.'s Jyn Erso was the last remaining non-flipper from the light side, and she was dug in tight behind the snow columns.  Rob's Morgan wandered down, only to see the major character status flipped to Cassian!  The dark side was loaded, and that's when Elliot's Captain Phasma put the target on Kevin's Emperor.  Kevin didn't realize everyone else at the table was ok with it.  He was loyal to the end, but Penny's Beckett put the final nail in the coffin in seventh for a saddened Kevin.

Riley E. was tickled by the stay of execution, but her time was up after Kevin's exit.  Rico moved a Purge Trooper into position and layed a vicious 5 point attack to oust Cassian and Riley in sixth place.

Bo-Katan abandoned!

Rico deserved a comedy award for his less-than-subtle table talking in this match.  He made it known Riley B.'s Bo-Katan was next on the chopping block.  Riley had been whole-hearted in his new dark side alliance, but they didn't return the favor!  Elliot had New Recruited one of Rob's zombie (Rob Zombie?!)  Night Troopers (the new Morgan deck is spooky!), and the zombie trooper ate Riley's brains - figuratively - in fifth place, much to Riley B.'s chagrin.  

There were four left:  Rob/Morgan, Penny/Beckett, Elliot/Phasma, and Rico/Reva.  It was Rob's turn, but the other three were deadly silent.  Rob assumed they were waiting for him to pick the target, but unbeknownst to Rob, the three of them were already aligned to take down his Morgan in fourth place!  They almost got away with it, but at the last second, he caught Elliot winking to Rico after Rob had said he thought they should aim their efforts at Reva!  

Our league does not endorse the dark arts of the Night Sisters

Rob was kicking himself for forgetting one of the golden rules of the league:  if you don't know who's next, it's you!  He pivoted and told Rico they ought to stick together to avoid a final three with two shooters.  Elliot attacked Rob regardless, but Rico chickened out on attacking Rob too after Rob had dumped one of his better cards.  That was all the crack Rob needed to drive a mile-wide wedge between Rico and Elliot.  Penny was also grumpy that Rico had put a homing beacon on her Beckett, implying she was next after Rob was gone.  The combined efforts of the board, but really a double dose of Double Blasters from Penny, sent Rico packing in fourth.  He played great with Reva!

Rob's Morgan and Elliot's Captain Phasma were both battered, especially after Val played a It's Been a Ride, Babe, on Phasma.  They finally held off on attacking each other, but it was too little too late as Penny had reshuffled and pocketed another Double Blasters to off Elliot in third.  Elliot was once again so close to his first win!!!

All in the family.

The final two was a daddy-daughter dance between Penny and Rob...just like Penny's first career victory at last year's Thanksdueling!  Rob Reincarnated another zombie Night Trooper for some extra protection, but down to his last health point, he knew he needed to go on the offensive and try and knock Penny off before her second Double Blasters emerged from the new draw pile.  He definitely put damage on her, but he couldn't risk more attacks in fear of not being able to defend himself.  Luck was on Penny's side as she Double Blasted Rob into second place!  Penny won her second Duel in just four career matches!!!  That ties the record Kaleb and Isaiah have both achieved.  Wow!!!  Rob hates finishing second, but it hurts a lot less when it's your offspring claiming the trophy!

Final order of finish:

12.  Jackson/Mace

11.  Parker/Fennec

10.  Atticus/Dooku

9.  Curtis/Leia

8.  Bella/Ahsoka

7.  Kevin/Emperor

6.  Riley E./Jyn

5.  Riley B./Bo-Katan

4.  Rico/Reva

3.  Elliot/Phasma

2.  Rob/Morgan

1.  Penny/Beckett

Congrats again, Penny!!!  She currently has two trophies in her possession.  Crazy!!!  

Our November Duel, Thanksdueling!, will likely be held Saturday, November 11th, at 7PM.  Save the date now!  And for those who qualify for the 2023 Championship in December, we're looking at Saturday, December 2!!!  I can't believe how close we are to that...

Preview: Fight Night - October 21, 2023

 

For years our younger Duelers have asked when...when will we get an Ahsoka deck!?!?  And for years the reply was "once there's a live action appearance."

We're finally here!  

At Fight Night we'll debut Ahsoka Tano, with Sabine, and Morgan Elsbeth with the Night Troopers.  And if you've made it to the last episode of the Ahsoka series...those Night Troopers will be a lot of fun!

HISTORY OF FIGHT NIGHT DUELS:

2022 - Rob won with Jyn Erso on the Conveyex Train

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 preview is to introduce each Dueler with their ideal Star Wars Halloween costume!  This year will stick to the Ahsoka series specifically.  Here we go...

Atticus - with his long flowing hair, Atticus would be the perfect Force Ghost Anakin!

Bella - Bella knows how to keep her cool in a fight, she should be Hera Syndulla!

Curtis - he's not afraid to fight hard when the going gets tough.  Curtis should dress as Marrok!

Elliot - he's wise and not afraid to tell it like it is.  Elliot's costume should be Huyang!

Jackson - Jackson has only started Dueling this year, but he's quickly growing in experience and talent.  He ought to be Jacen Syndulla!

Kevin - now that he's enrolled at Truett, his spiritual maturity makes Kevin the perfect Baylan Skoll!

Parker - sometimes Parker finds himself scrambling at the Duel table.  His attempts at diplomacy make his best costume Senator Xiono!

Penny - she was reluctant to join the game as our 12th Dueler, but she's also won before so don't take her for granted.  Penny should be Sabine Wren!

Rico - he loves a good board game and has a great sense of humor while we play.  That makes him the perfect Ezra Bridger!

Riley B. - he's scrappy, funny, and not afraid to mix things up.  Riley's perfect costume is Chopper!

Riley E. - the former tiny titan of terror has grown and matured through years of battles.  That makes her an ideal young Ahsoka!

Rob - I think you know where we're going with this one...the master strategist?  The experienced Dueler always a step ahead?  Rob's costume is Grand Admiral Thrawn!

It should be a wild one tonight!  We're playing in the North Village Classroom at 7PM!

The Fall Brawl - September 30, 2023

Rancor Dungeon

A crazy kind of history was made at this year's Fall Brawl.  For the first time in 135 12-way Duels, Rob was not one of the official 12 Duelers playing the game!!!  And that's because his lucky number was picked to be...the Rancor!

I guess when you wear the shirt of the monster on the board, you're destined to pull his deck!  Most folks looked relieved to not play the Rancor and quickly began worrying about how they would avoid it once the game started...

First 12-Way w/out Rob among the 12!

The Rancor doesn't appear until the first character dies.  Riley E.'s Darth Vader wasted no time on that, as she quickly used a Choke to eliminate one of Kevin's Death Trooper!  With that, the gate was raised, and Rob's Rancor was ready to wreak havoc!  He played two straight Sheer Terrors, which forced each Dueler at the table to reveal the top card of their deck and discard it.  The Rancor was VERY lucky as a whole host of iconic cards were wasted before they were played.

Folks got cranky about that and began whittling down the Rancor's health.  The rest of the table didn't know Rob no longer had defense cards, so he risked 12 points of damage by standing underneath the gate and using two Tastes Like Gamoreans...which means he could eat two minor characters!  He made those count, as the Rancor ate both Evan's Black Krrsantan and Rico's Cassian Andor!  Atticus finally had enough, and he sent Val via a Grappling Line to the gate control panel, doing 12 points of damage and a kill shot on the Rancor.  It was a short but chaotic life for Rob's Rancor.  RIP.

Why scoot away from the Rancor???

With the Rancor gone, the infighting really took off.  Kevin couldn't shake the blood-in-the-water stink from losing his Death Trooper early.  He started taking shots from everyone, and Parker's Obi-Wan eventually ended Krennic in last.  Brutal.

Atticus' Tobias Beckett wasn't fairing much better.  After he took a crack at Jordann's Luke Skywalker, others responded by putting the target back on Beckett.  Atticus couldn't withstand the multi-pronged attack, and Jordann's Princess Leia got revenge for her brother by outing Atticus in eleventh.  That was not how Atticus wanted to break his ninth place streak...

Riley B.'s The Armorer, meanwhile, decided to play The Forge, adding +2 to all attacks and defenses until his next turn.  He lined up Paz Vizsla against Evan's Fennec Shand and used multiple Blaster Cannons to eviscerate poor Evan in tenth.  Evan didn't have a shred of luck in this one.

Bella talking trash to Parker.

Rico wasn't doing much better than Evan.  Both of them lost their awesome minor characters to the Rancor (*burp*) and Rico found himself in a kill box courtesy of Bella/Kylo and Parker/Obi-Wan.  Grant H.'s Moff Gideon wasn't sure what to take of that unsteady alliance, so he Kidnapped Rico's Jyn Erso to the other end of the dungeon, placing Jyn in a new kill box.  That group complied with the fresh meat, and Riley E.'s Vader stabbed Rico for the last time.  Jyn was out in ninth.

Most people assumed Parker's Obi-Wan would be next, especially with the public knowledge he held Force Balance.  But in one of the early surprises of the night, Curtis' Mandalorian put the target on Grant's Gideon instead.  It was just like a real episode on Disney+!  Grant had little room to negotiate, and he was frustrated when Parker - granted amnesty for a round by the other Duelers - put him down in eighth.

Kylo's last stand.

Moff Gideon was gone, and Bella found herself the next target, especially after tangling with Jordann's Luke.  But Kylo is a tough customer, and Bella swung I Know What I Have To Do - a 12 point attack! - on a stunned Skywalker.  Kylo and Luke really need counselling.  Bella could exit knowing she left an impact, and that's just what Isaiah's Cad Bane arranged, using Faster Than You to fell the sequel Sith in seventh.

Somehow Parker's Obi-Wan was still alive, despite being the preferred target for most of the game.  Riley E. played a Your Skills Are Not Complete to neutralize the Force Balance, and Parker was in scramble mode after that.  He started taking multiple attacks and Isaiah once again eliminated a Dueler, this time with There's No Shame In It.

Best Side-Eye in Duels History

The final five was tense because Riley B. (mistakenly?) accused Jordann of putting the target on Isaiah, and Riley B. ratted it out to Isaiah.  Jordann was emphatic in saying that wasn't what happened.  When the dust settled, Curtis once again named the target, and put it on Riley B.'s Armorer.  No sooner had he done that when Riley B. pulled A Mandalorian No More, dumping Curtis' entire Mandalorian hand!!!  Jordann was also weak because she had just played double I Will Not Fight You's.  In the end it would be Riley B.'s turn to bow out.  Isaiah's Cad Bane once again got the kill shot.

Final Four Machinations

The final four took a looooooooong time to play out, and alliances switched several times.  It started with Curtis' Mandalorian surprisingly naming his alliance-mate Riley E./Vader as the target.  Jordann initially agreed but flipped to join Riley.  Isaiah tried to play Switzerland throughout.  Eventually everyone was taking shots on Riley and, despite a late re-alliance with Curtis, Riley's Vader was blown away by Leia's Latent Force Abilities in fourth.  Daddy issues for sure!

Curtis popped Jordann's Luke with a Disintegration, mortally wounding the Skywalker twins.  He used a Rising Phoenix to get two 4-point shots on Luke, which Jordann couldn't successfully defend.  Jordann was done in third.  This new Dueler has played twice and finished third twice!!!  Well done, Jordann!

It was more or less a miracle Curtis made it to the final two considering all the great cards he had to drop along the way, be it Rancor or The Armorer.  Meanwhile, Isaiah's Cad Bane had been stockpiling his best attacks, and another No Shame In It killed Curtis in second!  Isaiah won his second Duel in just his fourth game played!!!  Only Kaleb has done the same thing in the history of this league!!!  It also marked Cad Bane's second career win.

The final order of finish:

(13.  Rob/Rancor)

12.  Kevin/Krennic

11.  Atticus/Beckett

10.  Evan/Fennec

9.  Rico/Jyn

8.  Grant H./Gideon

7.  Bella/Kylo

6.  Parker/Obi-Wan

5.  Riley B./Armorer

4.  Riley E./Vader

3.  Jordann/Luke

2.  Curtis/Mandalorian

1.  Isaiah/Cad freakin' Bane!

Well played, everyone!  And congrats to Isaiah's truly historic night.  The October's Duel, FIGHT NIGHT, will be played on Saturday, Oct. 21st, at 7PM.  Mark your calendars now.  The official invite will go out in a couple of weeks.

Preview: The Fall Brawl - September 30, 2023

 

This is the latest we've ever played the Fall Brawl in the month of September, but it's worth the wait!  That's because we're playing in the Rancor Dungeon, and that means we have 13 Duelers at the table!  Once the first character dies, the Rancor emerges, and we're all in big, BIG trouble.  It takes 30 points of damage to eliminate that beast.  Will the Duelers work together to defeat it...or attack each other as it randomly eats minor characters?!?  We'll learn soon enough...

HISTORY OF THE FALL BRAWL:

2022 - Ian won with Tobias Beckett in the Rancor Dungeon

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:

Atticus - Newer Dueler Atticus has played in three straight games, and so far he's finished in 9th place each time.  He'd love to break the streak in the Dungeon.

Bella - Bella is doing us a solid and stepping in for the Fall Brawl.  Her last match, Duel of the Fates in April, saw her finish in second place with Cad Bane!

Curtis - he's coming off a nifty third place finish in Doubleheader #2 last month, where he made that cruel "ON PROGRAM!" joke that still has us jittery.

Evan - Evan had a crazy Doubleheader last month, playing with Moff Gideon for the 683rd time and debuting Reva's new character too.  He finished fourth in both.

Grant H. - Cad Bane will indeed be one of the 12 characters tonight...can Grant pull him yet again!?!?  We hope so for his vocal impersonations alone...

Isaiah - the last time Isaiah sat at the table he took down first place with Supreme Leader Snoke at the CL Training Duel!  What will his encore be?

Jordann - Jordann made a huge first impression by finishing in third place in her first-ever Duel at CL Training.  This noob knows what she's doing!

Kevin - Kevin is also doing us a huge favor and taking up one of our chairs tonight.  He finished in second place back in January and would love to notch his first career victory.

Parker - There's no easy way to say it, but Parker has five straight bottom-two finishes.  He's looking for a change in fortune at the Fall Brawl.

Rico - It's been a year and a half since we've seen Rico at the Dueling table, though he did make a nice run at the single's tournament in July.

Riley B. - It was a tale of two Duels for Riley at the Doubleheader, where he finished second and last.  He's also one of only a few who has piloted the Rancor before.

Riley E. - The secret is all but out that Riley, despite her youth, is a Dueler to be reckoned with.  She's finished eight or better since winning last year's Doubleheader #2.

Rob - Rob has rebounded in a big way since his eleventh place finish at CL Training.  He finished third with the Mandalorian and first with Yoda at last month's Doubleheader.

GUESS THE EPIC DUELS CARD VIA EMOJIS:

Last month we had Boba Fett's "Thermal Detonator," and now it's time to guess a new Dueling card!  Here you go:

🔄💨💥💥💥💥

The answer is below...looking forward to our match tonight!

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Mace Windu's "Whirlwind Attack"

Doubleheader #2 - August 26, 2023

 

Conveyex Train

There was absolutely no break between the first and second games since it was already 10PM.  Fortunately Curtis and Grant whipped up a second batch of Padawans in a Blanket to fuel us with the snacks we'd need to carry into the night.  That, and the case of Dr. Pepper in the fridge, got our brains re-stimulated...

Loco on the space locomotive...

This game started hilariously when Ian/Captain Phasma New Recruited one of Atticus' Knights of Ren, meaning the minor now belonged to Phasma and not Kylo.  From there alliances began to form with a split roughly between the middle of the train.  Grant D. tried to go big with a Bowcaster right out of the gate too, but Rob's Yoda had a 15 defense card ready for it and yes, you read that right.  Grant got Han again!!!  So funny for 11 of us, so frustrating for Grant...

Bekah's Emperor and Atticus' Kylo, with their exposed spots on the train, were getting banged up early.  Rob had made overtures to Riley B.'s Luke Skywalker to flip earlier in the match, but when Riley tried to kill one of Yoda's Clones to make a path for a Children of the Force escape, Rob got cranky.  He comboed a Force Lift & Push to send Luke to the far end of the board into a kill box.  Elliot/Jyn, Jackson/Mace, Curtis/Snoke, and Riley E./Boba were all willing to take shots and Riley B. got stuck with the Jar Jar after almost winning the Jango in Game 1 of the evening.

Parker's Rey was eager to help save his declining alliance and Backflipped to attack Riley E's Boba after she was blackmailing him with a Thermal if Parker didn't finish off Bekah's Emperor.  (Can I just take a pause real quick and have a dad moment - I'm so proud of my daughter that I got to type that sentence lol...)  Parker ended up overextending himself, however, as he got too deep into the alliance and had little cover from the combined attacks.  Ian used On My Command to park Parker in eleventh.

New strategy: align with the person who drove you.

Bekah was still near death but had fallen back far enough the enemy alliance couldn't reach her.  Fearful she'd start pulling Force Lightning, Meditation, or even You Will Die, Curtis' Snoke eliminated the risk by using Tied to a String.  That was enough to end Bekah's night in tenth.  What a crazy first two games of Bekah's Dueling career - let's hope she comes back out again soon!

Atticus was still pretty fired up with Ian's Phasma kidnapping his minor, and landed hits on her.  He also used a Force Freeze on a Greedo attack that killed one of Rob's Clone Troopers when Kylo moved out of the way!  But Atticus couldn't anticipate his alliance partner Evan/Reva - The Third Sister (making her Duel debut!) flipping on him!  Reeva dropped a five point attack and poor Atticus was done in ninth for the second time that night.

Updated Conveyex board courtesy of our friends on Discord!

Ian's Phasma had retreated deep in his alliance after getting roughed up by Kylo.  That's when Curtis/Snoke realized Ian only had two cards in his hand.  That was easy pickings for Snoke - Phasma was gone in eighth before the rest of the alliance could even help!

Elliot/Jyn, Riley E/Boba, and Rob/Yoda started moving in on Jackson's Mace.  Even though they had all been working together, Jackson was fully carded and that made Mace particularly dangerous.  Curtis wasn't excited by that, though, and went after Riley's Boba instead.  She had hoped nobody would notice how low carded she was, but nobody asks for card counts as frequently as Curtis does.  Riley was thrown into the sarlaac in seventh.

Jackson sizing up his options.

Jackson's Mace looked like he might have been able to avoid being next, but Evan's Reva, fresh off flipping from the enemy alliance, swooped in with multiple attacks, including Grand Ambition, and Jackson was out in the top six, also for the second time that night.  #symmetry  

This game was moving a bit faster than the first, but we were well past midnight.  Somehow Grant's Han was still on the board.  Rob's Yoda made the safe play and started attacking him.  The greatest Dueler/Character combo in league history glided into fifth place.  Well done as always, Grant!

The Cassian tug of war.

There were only four Duelers left, and Rob/Yoda became the consensus target for the other three.  However, Rob pointed out to Curtis his Snoke would almost assuredly be the next target after that.  They eventually decided to partner together to take down Evan/Reva and Elliot/Jyn.  It's not every day you see a 2 v 2 in the final four!  Rob was a bit low carded, and Curtis was initially stuck with a hand full of defense.  Still, they managed to force Elliot to switch his main character status to Cassian and kill Jyn.

Though Rob had promised final two with Curtis, he was down to six cards and four of those were Clone Troopers.  He had one Clone left, barely, as it was down to its last health point.  In a Hail Mary play, he started shooting Curtis' Snoke, much to Curtis' chagrin.  Elliot and Evan welcomed it, but Curtis Force Lightninged Evan in fourth...which was HIS second fourth of the night!

I'll spare you all the details, but Curtis and Rob lobbied AT LENGTH with Elliot to side with one of them against the other.  Those sides changed a couple of times, but eventually Elliot and Rob partnered to take down Snoke after Cassian played Looks Like a Killer.  Elliot had a nearly impossible task of winning with his normally designated minor character.  He played his heart out but Rob's Yoda was able to attack Cassian into the fatal damage range of a Force Push.  Elliot got second place and Rob, for the first time in league history, finally won with Yoda!  He's now won with 11 of the 12 original characters in the game.  The win also makes Yoda the sixth character with double digit wins.

Yoda Soda for the Yoda victor!

The final order of finish:

12.  Riley B./Luke Skywalker

11.  Parker/Rey

10.  Bekah/Emperor Palpatine

9.  Atticus/Kylo Ren

8.  Ian/Captain Phasma

7.  Riley E./Boba Fett

6.  Jackson/Mace Windu

5.  Grant D./Han Solo (!!!!!!!)

4.  Evan/Reva - The Third Sister

3.  Curtis/Supreme Leader Snoke

2.  Elliot/Jyn Cassian

1.  Rob/Yoda

Well...by 2AM...we were all done!  Thanks to everyone who played!  Our September Duel, The Fall Brawl, will take place later September.  More details coming soon on that one.

Good night!!!