Doubleheader #2 - September 1, 2024

Trash Compactor

Thank the maker, the first half of the Doubleheader ended on time, allowing for game 2 to start on time too!  We had a few folks cycle out from the matinee and new blood to replace them in the nightcap.  The Trash Compactor was the board for this one, so wall deaths and dianoga chaos was on the menu!

The Teal guys before the sugar hit their bloodstream...

The Trash Compactor is a densely populated board, and the bevy of newer Duelers weren't concerned about a traditional light vs. dark approach.  That was aided in part by Riley, playing the debut of double minor characters Chirut and Baze from Rogue One.  She moved to the middle of the board to attack Kiera's Lobot, but became a target on both sides of the board.  Kiera, playing her first Duel, made a huge move by sending Lobot to the middle of the board and using Disarmed, which dumped cards from a lot of folks, including 4(!) for Ian's The Stranger.  

Not long after, there was a coup on the dark side.  Elliot/Reva and Alex G./Darth Maul turned on James' Emperor Palpatine!  James took major damage but paid Elliot back by using You Will Die on him!  That sent Elliot scurrying to a far corner to hide.  Unfortunately for James, though, that left the Emperor exposed to light side attacks, and it would be Jonah's Mandalorian who did the final damage.  James was first out.

Why so serious??

Riley's shenanigan's with the fallen heroes of Rogue One became the next point of focus.  She couldn't find a safe space on the board.  Connor, the first Dueler to ever use Sol from The Acolyte, dropped a Noble Intentions on Riley and she was a goner.  But in other news, she was cast in her school play, so it was still a good day!

The erratic play and energy of the board continued as, with just one death away from the closing of the walls in the trash compactor, a new victim needed to be named.  Atticus, turning pro after playing five games last year, was having fun with Paz and The Armorer, but he was surprised to find himself in a kill box.  Ian/The Stranger and Michael/Morgan Elsbeth were the ringleaders, and it would be an attack from Morgan that sent the new professional home in tenth!

Connor in the lab, working on sick beats...

Atticus' death meant the walls of the trash compactor moved forward...but Kiera's Lando Calrissian was stuck on the back row!  She was one turn away from being able to move to safety, but the surprise offing of The Armorer meant the board ousted in her ninth!  It's a brutal way to go, but Kiera showed a lot of promise in her first Duel, we'll look for her to rebound next time!

There was a lot less room in the trash compactor after that, and the dianoga, the vicious creature that looks to do two points of damage each round of play, was starting to rack up the hit points too.  Jonah's Mandalorian was caught low carded and was soon surrounded.  This time it would be Connor's minor character, the padawan Jecki, who used Loyal Pupil to bump Mando into eighth.

Why is the dianoga so mean??

Once again, the Duelers were one major character death away from the walls closing a second time.  Elliot/Reva and Ian/The Stranger were nervous because they were in danger of getting crushed.  Rob/General Grievous made room for Ian, and Connor's Sol started taking hits from the dark side.  He couldn't last forever, and Michael's Morgan claimed his second kill of the night.  Connor was seventh.

That triggered the walls...where Elliot's Reva was still standing!!  Poor Elliot never fully recovered from the You Will Die, forcing him to hide.  That ultimately left him in the wrong spot as the trash compactor claimed him in sixth place.

The Ian/Michael alliance in full effect.

Suddenly we were down to the final five:  Rob/Grievous, Ian/Stranger, Michael/Morgan, Sam/Luke, and Alex/Maul.  All Duelers not named Rob managed to land their major character in the final protected row of the trash compactor.  It was still going to take two more deaths to close the walls a final time, though.  Ian took charge and put the target on Rob, seeming to confirm he and Michael/Morgan were a tight alliance.  Alex/Maul had maintained good connection with both Rob and Sam, though.  I'll save you all the haggling, but in the end, Ian started taking attacks, and Sam's Luke Skywalker crushed the Acolyte villain with Justice.  Ian was out in fifth.

Alex subtly taking the driver's seat with Darth Maul

Rob's Grievous was still on the outside looking in because Michael resurrected his Night Troopers, and those freaky zombies are hard to kill!  I'll fast forward an hour or so...but after grueling, back and forth trench warfare, Rob's Grievous finally made his way to the inner four squares.  Nobody was going to move off the center with the walls about to close.  In the end, it would be Sam's Luke that eliminated.  He was fourth and the walls closed to the final four squares!  Sam also turned pro thanks to the Doubleheader - congrats Sam!

Grievous was caught in between Alex/Maul and Michael/Morgan.  Rob was low carded fighting his way into the final four squares, but after taking a couple of hits, he used Spider Crawl to move past Michael/Morgan, letting Alex attack Morgan too.  But that vicious dianoga attacked Rob twice, and with those hit points, Michael used his Beskar Spear to pierce Rob into third.  Not a bad day of Dueling for Rob...but there would be no trophies.

No room left!

And then there were two!  Michael was running a clinic on how to use Morgan, while Alex's social game and threat of a Darth Maul whooping to any who opposed him left a compelling final battle.  Alex had an early advantage on attacks, but then Michael resurrected those darn Night Troopers again!  Maul had to methodically chop them down, all while Michael was carding up.  By the time Alex did they tangled again.  Even though Maul got Morgan down to two health points, Michael's hand was still loaded and Alex looked like he was in trouble...until it was time to roll for the dianoga!  In one of the most crushing second place finishes in league history, the DIANOGA dragged Michael's Morgan Elsbeth to a water grave!!!  Alex won his second game in just his third career Duel!!!  Are you kidding?!?  Poor Michael - just a brutal end to a fantastic night of play.  Well done to both Duelers!!

Final order of finish:

12.  James/Emperor

11.  Riley E./Chirut & Baze

10.  Atticus/Armorer

9.  Kiera/Lando

8.  Jonah/Mandalorian

7.  Connor/Sol

6.  Elliot/Reva

5.  Ian/Stranger

4.  Sam/Luke

3.  Rob/Grievous

2.  Michael/Morgan

1.  Alex G./Darth freakin' Maul!

That was a great day of Dueling, people!  Our next Duel is the Fall Brawl, which we're tentatively scheduling for Saturday, September 21st.  Rob will send out more info soon on that one.  Until then...pew pew!!