Doubleheader #2 - August 29, 2026

Death Star

We were starting the second Duel almost three hours late (poor Michael showed up on time, too!), and the grousing about the unusual layout of the Death Star of course started immediately.  Suck it up, Duelers!  Warfare isn't always symmetrical!!!  

They're doomed.

The map was a bit odd in that there were only three narrow passages running the length of the board.  With that kind of congestion, the light side decided to turn on one of their own.  Poor Eric/Yord was the target as he was in a friendly kill box.  Scratch that, no such thing...  Anyway, folks were fully carded and Yord needed to put his clothes on.  Multiple people contributed but CJ's Clone Commando made the final shot.  In a way Eric was the real winner, because he got to go home before midnight...

Miles/Mother Koril, playing his second creepy Night Sister of the evening and turning pro in his sixth career Duel, Possessed one of CJ's Commandos.  CJ didn't like that and moved to try and shoot Koril.  But the light side wasn't too keen on an Order 66, so they all attacked the Commandos!  CJ was gone after James/Jar Jar threw an Oopsa Bomb Bad on the last Commando and Rob's Saesee Tiin.  Ouch!

Curtis loves sitting on the corner spot.

There was mythical talk about starting in one of the four corners of the board, but that fairytale ended quickly when Rob's Saesee (he's bringing Saeseeeeee back ((yeah)) took more shots.  A stalemate had formed so, to mix things up at some prompting by Rob, Mason's KX Security Droid Crowd Dispersed Sam's IG-88 into a mini kill box!  But Sam got ruthless and played Security Protocols - self-destructing and killing Rob in tenth in the process!

Curtis also sacrificed his main character for the sake of his minor when he played Force Ghost, making young Luke Skywalker the main.  Mason's actions won him no favors (guys - it was just his third game - relax!) and they took KX down in ninth.  Mason has played just three times but has already played KX and K2 - weird!

 

James on a Jar Jar murder spree

Though Sam was still on the board with danger Dengar, his options were limited.  James, who was having the time of his life as everyone's least favorite Gungan, used Accident Prone to auto-damage Sam out in eighth!!  Talk about your low blows!!!  Sam took a Dr. Pepper and made the long drive back to Dallas...

Riley/General Grievous was fairly spry in the middle of the board, but Jonah's Grand Inquisitor finally got loose and jacked up the first year Brooks student.  Riley couldn't survive, especially with Ian's Phasma New Recruiting one of her minors.  The game one winner would have to settle for seventh this time.

Half done, half to go...

That left just six Duelers at the table.  Ian/Captain Phasma and Curtis/Old Ben had been beefing all game long, especially after Ian killed R2-D2.  But with just young Luke left Curtis' hand was half Old Ben.  Phasma used On My Command and Luke couldn't defend.  That just seems wrong!  Curtis rested in sixth.

And then there were five!  Despite being booted into a kill box earlier in the game, and having Kelnacca destroyed before he could do real damage, Miles had hung in there with Mother Koril.  But once again the rest of the Duelers had the heebie jeebies about the Night Sisters.  Jonah used a Ringed Lightsaber to off Miles in fifth.  Congrats on turning pro, Miles!

How is Ian still alive?

There were just four Duelers left:  James/Qui-Gon & Jar Jar, Ian/Phasma, Michael/Commander Cody, and Jonah/Grand Inquisitor.  Michael had laid low through a lot of the game after taking spalsh damage from Jar Jar.  But he was healing up and starting to shoot folks.  Ian was really banged up with Phasma and couldn't heal.  So James/Qui-Gon and Jonah/Inquisitor locked horns.  But Jonah played Ready To Die, which lowers numerical defense values by two.  It just so happened James' only had two point defenses in his hand!!!  Jonah sliced through him like butter and Jar Jar, I mean Qui-Gon, was finally out in fourth.  That was a great day of Dueling for James!

Ian was down to his last two health points, while Michael was fully healthy again.  Somehow Ian convinced Jonah not to off him!  It would prove to be Jonah's undoing, as the shooters combined to blast the Grand Inquisitor off the board in third place.  

Slow motion car wreck in 3...2...1...

With just two Duelers left it was Michael with the fully healthy but not particularly great character Commander Cody up against Ian and his two points from dying Captain Phasma.  The only thing that could change the tide would be an undefended, 8-point Make Them Suffer bluff by Ian AND OH MY GOD THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!!!  Cody took eight points of damage and was suddenly on tilt!!!  Ian pulled his last Backup Pistol for two more points too!!  It was absolutely sickening to watch as poor Michael went from a near win to a second place finish!!!  Ian pulled it out!!!  Poor Michael!!!

This marks Ian's twentieth career victory!  He's just the second Dueler in league history to reach that milestone.  It's also Captain Phasma's first win too.  

Here's the final order of finish:

12.  Eric/Yord

11.  CJ/Clone Commandos

10.  Rob/Saesee

9.  Mason/KX

8.  Sam/Degnar (IG-88)

7.  Riley E/Grievous

6.  Curtis/Luke (Old Ben)

5.  Miles/Mother K.

4.  James/Qui-Gon

3.  Jonah/Grand Inq.

2.  Michael/Cody

1.  Ian/Phasma

Here's something cool - we haven't had a repeat winner in 2026!  That means nine Duelers have already secured a spot in the finals with three Duels remaining before the Championship!

Congrats again, Ian!  12th place in game one to 1st place in game two is a special kind of torture...