Galactic Credits - May 3, 2019

Kamino Platform

It was a historic day in our Duel League.  We played our newly purchased, league-owned Dueling board.  And as we counted the freshly opened cards, we discovered a bonus!  The Obi-Wan deck came with an extra 5-1 attack card.  I have no idea what we should do with it.  Frame it?  Each Dueler who sat down at the table would be the first to shuffle that character's cards.  What an honor!

It was also a day of goodbyes and welcome-backs.  Courtney was playing her last match while Nathan, the Hall of Famer, came back to the fold.  So many mixed emotions on a Friday afternoon!

"Cash rules everything around me CREAM!
Get the money, dollar-dollar bills yo..."

Grant drew the #1 chair and picked Kamino for the battleground.  With this Duel being our fundraiser for the game, we decided the winning Dueler would get to sign their name on the square they were standing on when they won the game.  You can tell by the lump of cash on the table folks were feeling pretty serious about it.  That signature is forever...who would earn that glory?

The first couple of rounds of play were relatively uneventful until Courtney's Han Solo decided to flip to the dark side.  The light side tried to convince Nathan's Dooku to flip back to them, but he wasn't having it.  However, after Rob's Luke played an "I Will Not Fight You" and Ian's Anakin double-Wrathed Dooku's Super Battle Droids, Nathan saw the light and joined up. 

JD's Maul moved his Battle Droids forward to help protect Han while Courtney managed a Bowcaster on Viktor's Mace.  It wasn't a hot start for the light side and the dark side tried to convince Chris' Obi-Wan to abandon the Jedi ranks.  But Chris is a gentleman of the highest moral fortitude and would not leave his post, which buttressed the courage of Kaleb's Yoda.  He had a choice to Force Push JD's Maul (who also just got an "I Will Not Fight You" played on him) or Courtney's Han into a light side kill box.  Knowing it was her last Duel, Kaleb boldly moved into the dark side territory and sent JD flying to his death in 12th.  JD was required to carry the golden Jar Jar everywhere with him until the next day's Duel.

Viktor before he dropped a Whirlwind on his own alliance.

While everybody was wild for the bold play, the dark side saw a great opportunity to eliminate Yoda.  Troy played You Will Die and dumped Kaleb's entire hand.  Suddenly he was surrounded by all three shooters and a couple of Royal Guards.  He took some hits but somehow used his mouth to convince them all to stop attacking.  It's like he used a real-life Jedi Mind Trick!

When JD got tossed Ben used his Jango to attack the Emperor while he Rocket Retreated to the light side.  But with Maul down and the rest of the dark side in trouble Rob/Luke, Viktor/Mace, and Ian/Anakin used the opportunity to lessen their full hands and kill Jango in a surprising eleventh place.  Ben might have been a little salty.  The next tragic kill was Chris' Obi-Wan.  While it was his early decision to hold true to the light side, he was rewarded with attacks from Nathan's Dooku and Courtney's Han.  It was the Never Tell Me The Odds special card that ended him in tenth.

Shout-out to Troy for being our twelfth!  

The four-way alliance of Rob/Luke, Viktor/Mace, Ian/Anakin, and Nathan/Dooku were planning their advancement on the Vader/Emperor/Boba side of the board when, completely out of the blue, Viktor dropped a Whirlwind on his own team!!!  He promised he wouldn't do it again, and for some reason his alliance believed him.  But as Mace marched across the board towards Coleman's Boba Fett, Courtney had one more trick up her sleeve.  She played her SECOND Bowcaster against Mace!  This time he had no defense and bowed out in ninth.

Coleman's Boba Fett never had a true alliance as he had targeted multiple folks on the board, but he finally had too many enemies when Troy's Emperor eliminated the junior Fett in eighth.  Coleman played well, though, especially for somebody who basically got forced into sitting at the table.

The Three Amigos

With seven to go it clearly became Yoda/Emperor/Vader vs. Luke/Ani/Dooku with Han as the swing vote.  But Courtney was convinced Rob was her true enemy and kept sniping at him.  That forced him to use a Justice card on Han, followed up by a Precise Shot from Padme.  That was all Courtney could take as she retired in seventh. 

That made a very interesting mix for a three on three battle.  Ian's Anakin boldly charged the skinny side of the board behind Jango's ship to engage the Emperor.  Though Troy managed to heal a couple of times he couldn't withstand the barrage and was forced out in sixth.  He played a patient game, though, it was a great rookie 12-way debut!  He also saved our butts by being the last person to help us make numbers.

One of these two were about to add their John Hancock
to the Kamino Platform

Kaleb, who was somehow still in this game, had managed to heal back half of his health.  But Nathan pulled a sneaky move by Force Pushing him into his alliance's kill box and they slowly eliminated his defense cards and hit points.  It was a powerful combo Drain and Taunt from Nathan's Dooku that finally did in Yoda.  That was a well-earned fifth place by Kaleb, who just as easily could have been last.

With four to go Grant's Darth Vader was the obvious target.  He was pretty cranky with the last I Will Not Fight You Rob played on him so he used a double Throw Debris on Luke Skywalker to crush Rob in fourth.  To Rob's credit, he laughed when it happened.  Grant couldn't fight two blades at once, though, and followed soon after in third place.  Another stellar finish for the top Dueler in the league.

That left the former supervisor/supervisee final two of Ian and Nathan.  Nathan used a Force Drain that jacked up Ian - he lost his 8 attack and his rebound.  Two taunts later and the Hall of Famer Nathan, playing in his return match to the league, won the game!!!

The final order of finish:

12.  JD/Maul
11.  Ben/Jango
10.  Chris/Obi
9.  Viktor/Mace
8.  Coleman/Boba
7.  Courtney/Han
6.  Troy/Emperor
5.  Kaleb/Yoda
4.  Rob/Luke
3.  Grant/Vader
2.  Ian/Anakin
1.  Nathan/Dooku

Thanks to everyone for raising the money to provide a set for future use in the league!

Preview: Galactic Credits (May 3rd) and May the 4th Be With You (May 4)

For the first time in blog history I'm previewing two Duels in the same post!  Unless, come to think of it, you consider the Doubleheader previews two Duels in one post.

Dang it.  Just when you think you broke new ground...

The Friday afternoon Duel will be our Galactic Credits Duel.  This is a fundraiser where each Dueler will chip in $5 so we can buy a league-owned copy of Epic Duels.  This will help prevent the wear and tear on somebody's personal copy of the game.  JD found a never-been-used edition very cheap and we thank him for that.  Ryan is painting up the figures, it should be cool!  Furthermore, whoever wins the inaugural game will get to sign their name on the winning space of the winning board.  It's like our own Hollywood Walk of Fame!

The Saturday evening Duel will be our last of the 18-19 season, our fifth annual May the 4th Be With You Duel!  One last chance at writing your name in the history books.  And, as is our tradition, there just might be an induction or two into the Epic Duels Hall of Fame.  That's always a tearjerker for Rob, come and see him chop onions.  May the 4th - it's the greatest day of the year for Star Wars fans!

HISTORY - MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU:

2018 - Rob won with Mace Windu in the Emperor's Throne Room
2017 - JD won with Yoda in the Emperor's Throne Room
2016 - Chris K . won with Jango Fett in the Emperor's Throne Room
2015 - Rob won with Jango Fett in the Carbon Freezing Chamber

MEET THE DUELERS - GALACTIC CREDITS:

Ben H. - like sand through the hour glass, these are the last days of Ben's Dueling life...

Chris W. - long time Dueler looking for his first career victory.

Coleman - he may or may not have been forced to play in this match.

Courtney - it would be cool for her to win her last Duel.

Grant - his perch at the top of the leader board is slipping.

Ian - he might still be steaming from his previous early exit.

JD - the trophy king and new board scout.

Kaleb - the golden Darth Maul finally returned home.

Nathan - your eyes don't deceive you, the Hall of Famer has returned!

Rob - he has the golden Jar Jar right now, and it sickens him.

Troy - our long time league fan is doing us a solid and playing with us

Viktor - the young padawan continues to grow in his strength

MEET THE DUELERS - MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU:

Alex C. - this kid, out of nowhere, is threatening to take over the leader board!

Ben H. - last one?  Make it count, Ben.

Chris W. - he needs to go big, because he has to go home.

Grant - it would be funny for us (not Grant) if he got Han one more time.

Ian - the Spurs are done in the playoffs so you know he's playing angry.

JD - he'd love to enter the summer break with yet another trophy on his shelf.

Joel - one last run, Joel, no guts no glory!

Kaleb - within the next 48 hours he could become the top ranked Dueler.  Again.

Riley - she turns 11 the next day, so this is a definite birthday treat for her.

Rob - finally, a break from the blog and the stats is at hand!

Ryan - dude, his first pass at our new league board painted figures is sick!

Viktor - this is no joke.  Viktor was born on MAY THE 4th!!!  THIS DUEL IS HIS DESTINY!

TREY REY PREDICTS THE WINNER:

When we last left Trey Rey...

Kylo Ren:  Nothing will stand in my way.  I will finish
what Trey Rey started.
Lil' Rey:  that's where you're wrong, Kylo.  it was never Trey Rey...

Big Rey:  THAT'S RIGHT - YOU CAN CALL US...QUAD REY!!!

Ultimate Rey: The Duel league may need a legend. I need someone
 to show me how to make a correct pick in all this.
And you failed, Kylo. But I won't. 

Quad Rey:  Behold.  We are Quad Rey.  We will finally
make a correct pick.  In honor of Peter Mayhew, we
pick Han Solo to win Friday, and master Yoda to win
on May the 4th.  It shall be so.  We are Quad Rey.

Wow.  What a dramatic, well thought-out, painfully orchestrated ending to our year of Duel picks.  Never saw that one coming.

And to echo Quad Rey, we hold these next two Duels in honor of the late Peter Mayhew, the original Chewbacca.  The ultimate co-pilot and best friend.  Prayers to you and yours, Mr. Mayhew.  We Bowcast in the name of your memory.

Feel free to come and watch the madness, Friday at 2PM and Saturday at 7:30.