Twin Sun Slam - June 28, 2026

Death Star

After a family medical emergency forced the original Twin Sun Slam to be postponed until later in June, the rescheduled doubleheader shrank down to a single game...but it was glorious!  We had a hall of famer come back to battle, three new padawans debut, and a first time winner!  On to the recap!!!

They're smiling because they see the Yoda Soda behind the camera.

The Death Star map was chosen for the Twin Sun Slam, and that's a tricky one because it's a different layout each time we play.  Curtis was convinced Mace Windu had the worst starting spot, so naturally that's who he randomly picked to play with.  He tried to defect to the dark side alleyway immediately, but Rob/Saw Gerrera and Sam/Indara weren't having it.  They started picking off his Clone Troopers and dealing him damage for the betrayal.  Hall of Famer Kaleb (maybe playing his last ever 12-way Duel???) used his Fennec I Don't Miss to off Curtis in last...and Curtis was grumpy.

That didn't help the light side too much because they were still down in numbers to the dark.  Sam's Indara is a naturally defensive character, but he had a weird starting hand and lost Torbin almost immediately.  That made him the focal point of the dark side offensive, and Riley/Vader used a Throw Debris to bump him off in eleventh.  He drove down from Dallas for that!

Who has two thumbs and a Wookie minor character?  That guy!

One of the exciting aspects of this game was having Michele join us.  Not only did she bring delicious wookie cookies, she's also the first faculty in residence to Duel!  She did a great job with Han and Chewie, but as folks who've played know, they aren't the best combo to have in the middle of the board when one of your alliance partners flipped.  She fought valiantly but fellow newbie Jeremy/Aurra Sing used an 8-point Czerka Rifle Shot to freeze her in tenth!

Things were pretty desperate at that point for the light side, and not just because Rob was playing Saw Gerrera with his daughter's asthma mask on.  HOFer Kaleb was doing all he could to reek havoc, but his Fennec could only play so many Body Mods to survive.  In an absolutely cruel way to die, Ian/Grand Inquisitor played Interrogation, which requires you to discard two cards or subtract two health points.  Kaleb only had one card...so he had to subtract two health points and died!  Kaleb is moving to Virginia soon, which is going to make it much harder for him to sub in from time to time.  We love you Kaleb!!

Oh, it's beautiful!

The remaining light side was just about obliterated when the inevitable dark side infighting started!  Jeremy/Aurra and James/Krennic had been stuck in a side alley all game.  So Jeremy, in his first Duel, decided to go big and start shooting Caleb's Emperor!  It looked like James was going to join him, but Caleb retaliated by playing You Will Die on Jeremy!  That definitely changed James' mind, and he used Hero of the Empire to off a defenseless Jeremy.  It was a bold move, Jeremy, we loved the intention!

It looked like James was in good position to go very deep, but when he turned his attacks on Zach's Aayla Secura, she used a defense card to flip across open terrain and land next to Krennic!  She used a few Form IIIs (do not count as an action) and a ten-point attack to knock James from full health to near death!  Riley/Vader didn't waste any time and played the mop-up man, eliminating James in seventh.  It was a stunning turn of events for sure.

Lies!  Deception!!!

Did we mention Rob kept quoting Saw Gerrera all game and fake-huffing Rhydo with his daughter's mask?  Because he definitely did.  He and Zach were the last two light side standing, and the dark side was a bit agitated they hadn't stopped Rob's wheezing yet.  But the dark side reunited and concentrated their attacks on Zach's Aayla first.  He fought valiantly, but there was no stopping them, especially when Miles' Darth Maul ran in.  Zach finished sixth in his first Duel.  Well done, Zach!

Meanwhile, Ian's Grand Inquisitor moved to the back row to confront Rob/Saw Gerrera.  Saw was banged up, just like the character, and desperately pled his case to Ian that he and Riley/Vader needed him to take down brothers Caleb/Emperor and Miles/Maul.  Ian just wasn't having it, though, and spent a LOT of cards trying to take down Saw.  It eventually worked, and the table was relieved that the Saw impersonation was finally dead.

These two are always teaming up...

Just as Rob had tried to warn Ian, the brothers joined together and got to work on Riley's Vader.  It didn't take long before Miles' Darth Maul whittled her down and out in fourth.  The last time Riley played with Vader she won the 2025 Championship, and then she finished fourth.  She does well with her favorite character!

Ian tried to convince Miles/Maul that he needed his Grand Inquisitor to help take down big brother Caleb's Emperor Palpatine.  But Miles stayed loyal to Caleb and that went in on the Grand Inquisitor.  Miles used an Athletic Surge and Ian, playing his first Duel since becoming a father, was out in third.  Way to go, baby-daddy!  (That was weird...)

Cain vs. Abel

With Caleb and Miles in the final two, their father Curtis was suddenly in a much better mood!  This also meant the league would see its 45th unique Dueler win a game.  It looked like Caleb/Emperor had the early advantage, but Miles fought tough, even after enduring a You Will Die.  He had nerves of steel as he refused to runaway on his last points of health.  He drew an Athletic Surge...that Caleb couldn't defend!!!  Miles won with Maul!!!!  What a dramatic finish!  Caleb gave his little brother a big hug and Curtis said he would be happy to finish 12th each time if one of his sons won.  (I may have made that last part up).  The soon-to-be high school sophomore won in just his fourth career Duel, and it also marked the third family in league history to have a parent-child combo winners.  

We should also point out Darth Maul moves back into a tie with Darth Vader for most career character victories at 18 apiece.  That's quite a number!  

Congrats, Miles!

That's the last 12-way Duel until we kick off season 13 at CL Training in August.  BUT - we still have the singles tournament on July 26 coming up!  We'll need 32 Duelers to make that happen and, in a league first, we're using all the new league characters alongside the original 12!!!  Pay attention to your email and the insta page for that sign-up, it's coming soon!

Thanks everyone for 12 great years of Dueling - and here's to 12 more!!  PEW PEW!