Thanksdueling! - November 8, 2025

Arvala-7

There was a quiet air around the board as we awaited Thanksdueling! to begin.  Perhaps tensions were high, knowing this was the last chance to qualify for the 2025 Championship.  Perhaps folks were nervous about which character they were going to pick.  Or perhaps the Duelers knew mom and dad were going to fight and wake the baby!!!

Grogu, is that you??

It's hard to believe it had been over a year since the married duo of Joe and Michaela had graced the table with their chaotic energy (ok - to be fair - it's Joe's chaotic energy, lol...), but they were back with their new padawan in tow!  And just as you would expect, Joe was fighting every urge to immediately attack his better half and mother to his first born!  Curtis/Fennec and Jonah/Obi convinced him to hold court with the light side, though, enabling the good guys to outmaneuver the "chill corner" and use a Force Control to pull Justin/Count Dooku into a light side kill box!  Justin countered by Force Pushing Joe's Saesee Tiin back to the dark side!!

Meanwhile, Nayshaun/Cad Bane made his own big play, turning against Eric/Moff Gideon and hoping Junior/Jod Na Nawood would join him.  It was all a whirlwind, especially when Junior didn't immediately follow suit.  But when the dust settled, it was poor Eric who was gone first, as Rob's Sabine Wren rushed through an alleyway to hit him with a Mandalorian Warrior attack.  Justin fell next, and give him credit - he tipped his hat to the light side for their tactics!  Jonah landed the parting shot.

The "chill corner" seems to be anything but...

Though the dark side was in tough shape, they still had Joe trapped...until James/Darth Maul turned on his alliance partner, Jordyn/Emperor!!!  Jordyn had just dumped Michaela/Sol's hand with You Will Die, making the betrayal that much more bitter.  Junior/Jod Na finally found his nerve too, landing the final blow on poor Jordyn.  She was gone in tenth, but this did mark her turn to the professional ranks.  Congrats, Jordyn!!!

Things were very topsy-turvy after that, as sides were in flux all over the board.  James took advantage and returned his focus to Joe's Saesee Tiin.  Joe chose not to defend an Athletic Surge, and that was all James needed to park the new dad in ninth.

James the big, bad, Sith.

It was Rob/Ahsoka's turn and Nayshaun was making it clear he wanted Maul off the board.  But he wasn't going to be able to immediately help in that pursuit.  Junior liked that idea too, but pressured Rob by turning one of the timers on him!  That made Rob very cranky, so he used both Jar'kai attacks on Jod Na Nawood!  Junior ran away...right into the blade of Jonah's Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Junior was done in eighth and hopefully learned a lesson or two in just his third career Duel.

With Jod Na Nawood eliminated the focus returned to Darth Maul.  Curtis used Black Krystalmeth Krrsantan to start hits on Maul.  But when James didn't defend the second attack...Curtis used CANNONBLAST for eleven points of damage!!!  Maul was blown off the board with a smoking hole through his sternum!!!

Sneaky Shooters

That left six Duelers in the game, and it slowly turned into the three shooters (Ally/Lando, Curtis/Fennec, Nayshaun/Cad) versus the three blades (Rob/Ahsoka, Jonah/Obi, Michaela/Sol).  Michaela was still reeling from the You Will Die and the clock striking 10PM, and decided to use every card as she got them.  That left her under-carded for Ally's Lobot attacks.  She was mercifully eliminated in sixth.  But not by her husband!  So, you know...improvements!

At this point we should give a shoutout to Nayshaun, who could easily have been the first Dueler out after his coup against Moff Gideon didn't go as planned.  But his luck finally ran out in the final five.  Sabine and Obi were done with him, and Sabine got the final blaster round.  Nayshaun has certainly impressed this semester - he'll turn pro early next year!

Curtis' favorite board.

And then there were four!  Curtis and Ally both had their minors still in the game, meaning they had four shooters against Jonah and Rob's blades on a shooter's board.  That put Jonah and Rob in a tough spot.  They made the call to concentrated on taking out Black Krrsantan, knowing Curtis would continue to use him to retreat behind the single space passageways around the center of the board.  It took a lot of maneuvering, but they pinned Lando and Fennec in a corner and got Fennec down to her last two points of health.  That's when Rob proposed a crazy deal!  If Ally/Lando would finish off Curtis/Fennec, Rob would go after Jonah/Obi!

That was a little too out of the blue for Ally, so she passed.  Rob was using that as a bit of a red herring anyway, hoping to save shots on Curtis, but went after him anyway.  Jonah took more damage than he anticipated, so he played the tried and true Force Balance, dropping all cards.  Curtis some how top-decked his two 7-point attacks against Rob!!!  Rob went from full health to half dead.  He luckily pulled an additional attack card to finally knock out Curtis in fourth, though.

Epic Drooler!!!

Rob went from likely first place to the most vulnerable in the blink of an eye.  To save his backside, he told Ally he would join her against Jonah's Obi-Wan.  Jonah was aghast, but he was so far away he started healing up Obi-Wan to a point where Obi-Wan really was the primary threat again.  Rob recovered to a degree he could be helpful again, so he joined Ally in taking down Obi-Wan.  Jonah fought valiantly but finally succumbed to his wounds in third place.

The nuance of the next hour of Dueling is hard to describe in this recap, but Ally turned the tide of near certain death to flip the tables on Rob.  Everyone knows how hard Lando is to beat one on one, let alone on Arvala, but Rob got her to within two points of dying.  On his reshuffle, he top-decked his 8 point attack (I Am No Jedi).  He felty guilty as he played it, assuming he had just won.  But Ally had just drawn Evacuation - completely blocking it!  She spent the next dozen or so rounds slowly recovering while whittling down Rob's health and cards.  The absolute backbreaker was when she played Hello, What Have We Here?  She was able to discard BOTH of Rob's I Choose To Live defense cards!!!  A few turns later, she attacked and Rob couldn't defend...Ally won her first career Duel in just her fourth game played!!!  JUST IN TIME TO QUALIFY FOR THE 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP!!!  Way to go, Ally!

The final order of finish:

12.  Eric/Moff Gideon

11.  Justin/Count Dooku

10.  Jordyn/Emperor Palpatine

9.  Joe/Saeasee Tiin

8.  Junior/Jod Na Nawood

7.  James/Darth Maul

6.  Michaela/Sol

5.  Nayshaun/Cad Bane

4.  Curtis/Fennec Shand

3.  Jonah/Obi-Wan Kenobi

2.  Rob/Ahsoka Tano

1.  Ally/Lando Calrissian

We'll have more info coming soon on the December Duel - the 2025 Championship!  Those spots are reserved for the best and the brightest from the past year - stay tuned.  Congrats again to Ally on her first career win!!!

Preview: Thanksdueling! - November 8, 2025

Gobble gobble, fellow Duelers!  It's that special time of year...THANKSDUELING!  How in the world galaxy is it already November!?!  

This will be the 12th annual Thanksdueling!, and as it has in its previous eleven iterations, this marks the last Duel before the annual Championship match!  The December Championship is for all the marbles - the biggest Duel of the year!  You earn a spot at the table either by winning during that calendar year or being a top ranked Dueler.  Thanksdueling! is the last chance to qualify, so things should be extra spicy at the table on Saturday!

HISTORY OF THANKSDUELING!:

2024 - Ian won with Anakin Skywalker in the Geonosis Arena

2023 - Julia won with The Mandalorian in the Naboo Reactor Pit

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:

It's customary in our Thanksdueling! post to list what each of our Duelers is thankful for this year.  What a great attitude to have right before the carnage and backstabbing, amiright???

Ally - she is thankful for...Ki-Adi-Mundi!  In her three career Duels, her highest finish was Doubleheader #1, where she piloted the newly added Jedi to her best-ever showing - third place.  Perhaps she'll do even better at Thanksdueling!?

Curtis - he is thankful for...the 12x12-way weekend!  This summer we took a long weekend and cranked out 12 Duels in a row, and the mighty Curtis won two of the battles.  You should ask him about the table he made for it...

Eric - he is thankful for...turning pro!!!  Rob somehow missed it when Eric played his sixth career Duel at Doubleheader #2, landing him in professional status.  Does Rob still feel guilty for not properly celebrating Eric's achievement?  Yes.  Yes he does.

James - he is thankful for...2025!  It's been a banner year for James, who won at both the Valentine's Duel and CL Training.  With two wins he'll be one of the top seated Duelers at the December Championship next month!

Joe - he is thankful for...baby padawans!!!  The Dueler known for his penchant of chaos at the table welcomed his first child into the world this summer, and the rumor is the midichlorian count was quite high!  This is also his first Duel since Fall Brawl 2024, so welcome back Joe!

Jonah - he is thankful for...R2-D2!  When Jonah played new character combo Old Ben Kenobi/young Luke Skywalker at the Fight Night Duel last month, he became the first Dueler in league history to play a character - R2-D2 - that doesn't have a damage indicator card!  Alex had a chance to do the same with BB-8, but you probably shouldn't ask him why that didn't happen...

Junior - he is thankful for...strong starts!  Junior started playing two months ago, and in his two Duels he's finished second (Wampa!) and fifth!!  That's an impressive way to launch your Dueling career.

Justin - he is thankful for...the fall!  It's been a good semester of Dueling for Justin.  He nearly defended his trophy at Doubleheader #1, where he landed in second.  He also scored a solid fifth place at the Fall Brawl.  He'd love to secure Thanksdueling! for his second win.

Michaela - she is thankful for...baby padawans too!!!  Michaela is now Dueling with super Force-sensitive mom powers.  You've been warned!  Joe might need to watch out, because she still owes him from the debacle at the 2024 Fall Brawl...

Nayshaun - he is thankful for...Dueling fever!  The rookie Dueler has already clocked four career Duels and he only wants more!  The only cure?  Winning Thanksdueling! to earn a spot at the Championship, where he would turn professional!  Can Nayshaun author that dream scenario?  

Rob - he is thankful for...teaching a section of Introduction to Leadership this fall.  How does that relate?  He's glad you asked!  He used the 12-way Duel league as his example of the three tiers of organizational culture with his class of freshmen on Thursday.  This is a credited class, people.  Dueling is now subtly imprinted on diplomas, bwahahahahaha!!!!!

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

Here's who's playing Saturday night!  This is a friendly reminder, the blog has a tab now where you can review the decks and even download them yourself to cut and play.   The page doesn't load well on phones due to the volume, but it works just fine on laptops.  

And the characters for Thanksdueling! are...

This is a powerful dozen characters to throw down!  We're playing on the Arvala-7 board, which is always guaranteed for some increased tension.  We play at 7PM on Saturday in the North Village Fine Arts Studio, swing on by to root for your favorite turkey!  GOBBLE GOBBLE!

 

Thanksdueling! - November 9, 2024

Geonosis Arena (via the Hoth 3D board)

Ok folks, before we jump into the Thanksdueling! recap, we have a couple of important public service announcements for our Epic Duels league.

First - you're taking too long on your turn.  We all our.  Let's speed it up, people!  Think of your move ahead of time, etc.  There will of course be crucial moments in the game where prolonged discussion is appropriate and even encouraged.  But if you're moving one space and drawing two cards...that should go quickly.  Thank you for your help.

Second - you don't have to hit "reply all" when RSVPing for a Duel.  Just reply to Rob - you'll be ok!  Unless you like driving Curtis crazy.  Then, by all means, hit "reply all" or at least "cc" him.  Thank you for your help.

We now return to our normal blog recap schedule... 

11 turkeys about to get basted...

Our 12 Duelers donned their parkas for the Geonosis via Hoth board.  If you're new to the league, the Hoth board is the exact same layout as the Geonosis map that came with the original game.  In other words, it's a classic!

This game was a real slobber-knocker in that the light and dark sides, at least initially, would not flip on each other.  The board got even more gummed up when Justin's Torbin took the Barash Vow, blocking the side lane from the dark side advance.  This turned the action to the middle, where the light side was quickly eliminating dark side minor characters, including Rob's Han Solo using a Bowcaster on his first turn to destroy one of James' Super Battle Droids.  A couple of hours later Rob was rewarded by being Tied To A String by Curtis' Supreme Leader Snoke.  Han had no chance in the dark side kill box, and the Godfather won the Golden Jar Jar for the second month in a row!

It looked like the light side might be in trouble, but Kiera's Yoda decided to be the true leader of the alliance by charging into the dark side to try and help Ian's Anakin.  She Force Pushed James' Count Dooku into the light side corner and tormented others, allowing Ian to retreat and Riley E.'s Mandalorian to fire Disintegration at Jonah's Maul!  Jonah couldn't block it and he was shockingly gone in eleventh.

Kiera quietly plotting while the dark side debated.

Despite Kiera's heroics, she quickly became the target and poor Yoda was down to his last two points of health.  Sam proved how sneaky Cad Bane could be, and used Flame Gauntlet to destroy Kiera's night in tenth.  It was one of the most selfless moves in recent league history though, Kiera!

Sam/Cad and Jordyn/Jango joined forces with James' Dooku, who despite saying he was joining the light side, flipped once again and had Justin's Indara pinned against the still sleeping Torbin.  But Justin was able to use Jedi Prowess to extend his life.  Meanwhile, Caden was using the double-minor character combo of Chirut and Baze.  Before Baze died he unleashed two Staccato Lightnings to eliminate three dark side minors.  A couple of rounds later Chirut used double Blind Lightbows to finish off Cad Bane.  Sam checked out in ninth!

You can't see, but James was wearing flip-flops under the table.

With eight Duelers left in the game, the light and dark sides were still locked against each other and dead even.  James flipped YET AGAIN and sweet talked himself back into the good graces of the light side, but before the ink had even dried on the new contract his Dooku Force Pushed Justin/Indara to an eighth place death!  And Torbin had just woken up and changed his galactic diaper, too!

This became a key turning point in the game, because instead of the dark side now having the distinct advantage, James/Dooku and Alex G./Grievous started acting as independent contractors.  The long term effect was they left Curtis/Snoke out to dry and open to shots when they wouldn't make room for him behind the snow drifts.  Curtis was justifiably cranky.  He inflicted some damage on his way out the door, but Ian's Padme laid down the final hit.

The Thanksdueling! trophy looming in the background...

Things were still chaotic and unsettled.  Alex/Grievous and James/Dooku looked to be in a solid alliance, but Jordyn/Jango was starting to waffle on them and was having sidebars with Riley/Mando.  Riley and Ian/Anakin looked tight with Caden/Chirut along for the ride.  Give Caden credit, navigating double minor characters on that treacherous of a board was daunting, but James/Dooku moved in and punched Chirut's card in sixth.  

Alex had a Magnaguard protecting Dooku, but moved him on his term (on purpuse?), leaving James exposed to The Mandalorian.  Riley had already reshuffled and, for the second time that night, laid wasted to a dark side character with Disintegration!  James flipped more times in a single night than I can ever recall in a game - hat tip to him for making it work all the way to fifth place!

The Mandalorian Armor Twins

That left four Duelers, and Riley made a shocking declaration by suggesting the three of them focus on Ian's Anakin and Padme, who were both in good shape.  That's how it played out for several rounds, but Ian/Anakin proved to be elusive as they darted around the snow drifts and Riley and Jordyn didn't want to commit their shooting characters to up-close attacks on Anakin.  That forced Alex/Grievous to do a lot of the heavy lifting, and he eventually grew tired of that and instead offed Jordyn/Jango in fourth.  Well done, Jordyn!  That was just her second career Duel.

Riley and Ian patched up their differences at that point and agreed to go in on Grievous.  Alex was fully healthy and had just reinstalled his Magnaguards.  Riley was drawing nothing but deceased Cara cards at that point, though, so Ian was having to do most of the work.  Alex bluffed it well, but he couldn't draw a Grievous card to save his life.  His luck finally ran out when Padme (still alive!) used a Precise Shot.  The 2024 unofficial rookie of the year was finally out in third.

GULP!

It was past 2AM for the final two, and it looked like it was going to be an epic showdown.  Anakin was banged up but still had Padme.  The Mandalorian was healing up while Ian was tracking down Grievous.  Riley came out firing with This Is The Way, which she had held back to use against Ian, and then miraculously top-decked it on the DRAW A CARD when she had to reshuffle her deck!  But Ian used a Counterattack...and then another a couple of rounds later when Riley played her third Disintegration!  Riley hit a terrible run of luck as her hand was soon almost entirely made up of Cara cards.  Ian stayed persistent and finally used an Anger to end Riley/Mando in second place...denying Riley a chair in the Championship match!  Congrats to Ian - who added to his career win total (16!), still good for second place all-time in league history.  Kudos to Riley too, who had a heck of a night with the Mandalorian.

Ani and Padme winning on Geonosis - how appropriate!

FINAL ORDER OF FINISH:

12.  Rob/Han

11.  Jonah/Maul

10.  Kiera/Yoda

9.  Sam/Cad

8.  Justin/Indara

7.  Curtis/Snoke

6.  Caden/Chirut & Baze

5.  James/Dooku

4.  Jordyn/Jango

3.  Alex G./Grievous

2.  Riley E./Mando

1.  Ian/Anakin

This win gives Ian three for 2024 - which means he'll occupy the #1 chair for the Championship next month!  More details are coming on that one.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday everyone!

 

Preview: Thanksdueling! - November 9, 2024

Gobble gobble, you Dueling Turkeys!  It's November and that means it's time for THANKSDUELING!!!  There's nothing like taking time with friends over the holidays, telling them how much you appreciate them...and stabbing them in the back!  Or shooting - we're equal opportunity ruthless in this league.  PEW PEW!

This Saturday at 7PM in the North Village Fine Arts Studio we're throwing down on our Hoth board, which is really the Geonosis map from the original print of the game.  It will be nice and snowy!

HISTORY OF THANKSDUELING!:

2023 - Julia won with The Mandalorian in the Naboo Reactor Pit

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:

Our tradition for the Thanksdueling! preview is to list what each Dueler is thankful for this year!

Alex G. is thankful for...two trophies!  Are you kidding me!?  The rookie of the year is turning pro at Thanksdueling.  Could he land a third win??

Caden is thankful for...a second chance!  We haven't seen Caden at the table since his unfortunate last place at CL Training.  Welcome back, Caden!

Cate is thankful for...attacking twice on a turn!  Seriously, I can't think of another Dueler in league history who loves inflict damage on others.

Curtis is thankful for...Championship tune-ups.  He's only played a couple of times this fall and looks to shake the rust off at Thanksdueling!.

Ian is thankful for...top five finishes!  He's placed in the top five in six of his last seven Duels!!

James is thankful for...consistency!  This will mark his fifth consecutive Duel, and if he wins Thanksdueling!, he'll get to turn pro at the December Championship!

Jonah is thankful for...Sol!  Jonah, still a Dueling rookie, took down his first win last month with the relatively new character from The Acoloyte!

Jordyn is thankful for...Star Wars puns!  Rob had the pleasure of working the same group process room with Jordyn this week and she had him rolling!

Justin is thankful for...a free Saturday!  Since winning at the Doubleheader in August we haven't seen Justin back in action until now.

Kiera is thankful for...the Brooks Bounty Hunter Guild!  The BRC has become a wretched hive of Duelers this year, and that is most definitely a compliment.

Rob is thankful for...this bumper crop of CL Duelers!  We have nine CLs playing Saturday night, how cool is that!?!

Sam is thankful for...top half finishes!  Sam has finished sixth or higher in his last three Duels.  Can he score his first trophy at Thanksdueling!??

The Geonosis/Hoth board is a classic!  We're throwing down promptly at 7PM - if you need a rules refresher come a few minutes early!  Until then...grab a turkey leg and get ready!

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???

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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"

Thanksdueling! - November 5, 2022

 

Carbon Freezing Chamber (Dagobah Board)

The night started a bit chaotically as we had a last minute cancel, but we were super blessed to have Jocelyn join the fray and save Thanksdueling!  Thanks Jocelyn!!!

The kid's table!

Jocelyn impacted the game out of the gate by being the first person in ages to question the light/dark side dichotomy we operate with so frequently.  As Rob tries to remind folks, "there are no sides."  Jocelyn's Count Dooku started out in the middle of the board, and was happy to roam there as she got a sense for how everyone was going to play.  Andrew's Zam Wesell started the fighting when she attacked Riley B.'s Qui-Gon Jinn.  That pretty much solidified light vs. dark, as even Jocelyn wandered back to the dark end of the Dagobah swamp.

Bella displaying 50% sense of humor, 50% Dueling anxiety

The game truly busted open when Riley E., playing with the genuinely terrifying Supreme Leader Snoke, used Tied To A String to pull poor Michael's Rey into a dark side kill box.  Jocelyn was appalled by the brutality, while Bella laughed at the chaos.  It was a devastating turn of events for the light side, as Rey was clearly their best character.  The light side tried desperately to kill some minors to enable Michael to escape.  Michael even pulled off a Rise Of Skywalker to stave off elimination, but he eventually fell in last place.  It was brutal!

The light side needed to rally, and rally they did.  Andrew's Jango Fett was leading the front lines of the dark side alliance, but that also left him a bit exposed.  The light side jumped at the opportunity to start whittling him down.  It would be Riley B. who bravely charged into the middle of the board, after an assist from Parker's Princess Leia, to punch Andrew's ticket in eleventh.  

Rob needed a Battlemind!

With ten to go, the dark and light sides were once again balanced.  This was when the dark side decided to launch another kill box.  This time it would be Jocelyn's Count Dooku using a Force Push to send Riley B.'s Qui-Gon to the back row.  Just like in football, might as well run the same play if they can't stop it!  The light side knew it was time to rush, and Rob/Mace, Corona/Yoda, and Penny/Anakin started moving forward.  They identified Jocelyn's Dooku as the key to springing Qui-Gon from captivity.  Riley B. contributed by using a There's Always A Bigger Fish on Jocelyn, but Jocelyn countered with Gain Power.  Touché!  Dooku couldn't hold out forever, though, and Jocelyn had to exit in tenth after Penny's Anakin landed a 5-point attack.

This was the juncture in the Duel when the dark/light factions dissolved.  Grant H.'s Cad Bane made a quiet flip to the light side, but for two rounds, kept throwing Parker's Leia out as a target.  Parker was quite vocal in the attack, but Rob's Mace and Kat's Darth Vader both agreed to go in on the surprise kill box.  Parker's jaw dropped, and he had no help to escape the predicament.  Leia was finally eliminated in ninth by a 3-point attack from Kat's Storm Trooper.  The indiginity!

Riley isn't trapped on the dark side, 
the dark side is trapped with Riley!

We should pause and take a moment to recognize how crazy-good Riley B. was playing with Qui-Gon.  Despite Riley E./Snoke and Bella/Moff Gideon's best attacks, they could not destroy Qui-Gon.  They were essentially doomed when Kat declined to assist.  With Kat and Grant playing on the other side, Riley E.'s Snoke was the next target.  She fell out in eighth when her own sister Penny cracked her with an Anger!

This enabled Riley B. to finally flee his dark side prison, using Jedi Meditations to begin healing himself.  He was ready to let Qui-Gons be Qui-Gons.  But his Jedi robes weren't made of Teflon.  Bella's Moff Gideon chose to attack, and Riley chose not to defend.  Little did he know it was Astute Panic!  That attack was the exact value needed to eliminate Riley B. in seventh!!!  

Decision time for Jedi Corona

Bella pulled off the attack of the night, but she was also left without an alliance when Riley E. was removed from the game.  Penny was still low carded, but she dropped a 5-point attack on Bella to finish off Moff Gideon in sixth place.

That left a final five of Kat/Vader, Grant/Cad, Rob/Mace, Penny/Anakin, and Corona/Yoda.  (Something funny to note - Corona often wears a Yoda t-shirt to the Duels, but for Thanksdueling! he dressed up as Anakin.  But then he picked Yoda to play with!)  Rob sensed Kat and Grant were tight, and that they wanted to target Penny's Anakin, who was a bit injured and low carded.  But Rob feared he could do no better than third place in that scenario, so he suggested to Corona and Penny that their three Jedi stick together to eradicate the remaining dark side characters.  Penny liked it because she was the target, and Corona eventually decided it made sense for him too.  Kat and Grant were cranky for good reason, and they presented good counter-arguments, but the Jedi decided to stay strong.

The Grave Digger

Rob created a wall with his Mace and two Clone Troopers for Anakin to hide behind, while Padme continued to roam the board.  Kat's Vader pursued Anakin anyway, trying to get Rob to reconsider.  It turned out Vader was low on defense, and the attacks from Yoda and Mace did her in.  Corona landed a Force Strike and Kat finished the evening in fifth place.

And then there were four!  Grant was working Rob REAL hard to readjust his alliance.  His logic was sound, but Rob's gut told him his best chance was sticking with the Jedi.  While Kat's parting attacks weakened Penny's Anakin, Grant saved his last damage for Rob's Mace Windu, which was leaving Corona in good position with Yoda.  Cad couldn't withstand a 3 vs. 1 Duel, though.  Yoda's Clone Trooper popped him in fourth place.

The two pros Penny played like a fiddle.

When Cad Bane perished Rob immediately unloaded a Whirlwind on Corona's Yoda.  Corona and Penny had agreed to work together to attack Mace Windu.  Penny was in the worst shape, as she only had about seven points of health left, and couldn't heal because Padme was still very much alive.  Rob's strategy was to tell Penny, just hang back, and let him go head to head with Corona's Yoda.  That's how things started, Rob and Corona chasing each other around the board, spending 5 minutes on each of their turns trying to convince Penny to work with them to eliminate the other.  And that's when Penny used the guise of a new Dueler (this was just her second Duel) to fool two Duelers who should have known better!

Penny started taking pot shots at both Yoda and Mace, weakening them both, and pretending like she was being swayed from one side to the other.  Not once did Rob and Corona stop and say, hey, maybe we should work together?  The night ended with two consecutive actions by Penny.  She moved Padme in a direct firing line of Yoda, who was just two health points from death.  Corona tipped off he didn't have any defense left, but begged to stay in the game to use a Force Lift on Rob.  Padme killed Corona in third with a 3-point attack, which was crushing for poor Corona.  But with Yoda dead, Rob's Mace was no longer protected from Padme.  He had more health left than Yoda, but not by much.  He had enough defense in his hand to survive a smaller attack, but Penny pulled out the...PRECISE SHOT!  Nine points of damage on her dad, and Penny won her first 12-Way Duel in just her second game!!!  Rob couldn't be more proud in second place - his two oldest daughters won Duels in 2022!!!  I'm not crying, you're crying!

Slay!

The final order of finish:

12.  Michael/Rey

11.  Andrew/Jango Fett

10.  Joceyln/Count Dooku

9.  Parker/Princess Leia

8.  Riley E./Supreme Leader Snoke

7.  Riley B./Qui-Gon Jinn

6.  Bella/Moff Gideon

5.  Kat/Darth Vader

4.  Grant H./Cad Bane (Grant got Cad again, lol!)

3.  Corona/Yoda

2.  Rob/Mace Windu

1.  Penny/Anakin Skywalker

  

That was a fun night of Dueling, as the Carbon Freezing Chamber map always produces drama.  And this was the last Duel of the year except for December, which is...THE 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP!  This is the one Duel of the year that is invite only - anyone who won a Duel has an automatic seat at the table, and the top ranked Duelers fill the remaining spots.  This is what we've worked for all year!  The Championship is our Super Bowl.  More details are coming on all of that.  In the meantime...congrats again to Penny!!!