The Evil Empire Goes Down in Flames.... Twice

Yup, Darth Wood and his minion, Sith Lord Kent, went down to defeat twice in this week's battles for galactic domination.  Oaths and epithets were hurled.  Glasses and dice were hurled.  But to no avail.  Hutts and Rebels conspired to keep victory at arms length from him.

Game #1.  Despite an unlucky start in play order, Rebel Leader Karl let Peetza da Hutt start with five resource planets.  The Rebels took off to an early lead and it looked as though they would take that all the way to the bank.  But Hutts and Storm Troopers managed to turn the tide, with Imperial stock then rising. 

Even so, P da H tenaciously hung on and as the Rebels and Storm Troopers bloodied one another, made his move.  Three times he swept the Mid Rim and three times he fell one system short of victory.  Finally, on the eighth turn he managed to take Duro and end the game.   Victory Hutts. 

Game #2.  In an immediate grudge match replay, game #2 set up very differently.  The Rebels managed to hold on to the El'Rood Sector while everyone else fought over the Wild Spaces.  The Emperor used the Death Star to demolish an Ison Corridor system.  The Hutts were kept in check by constant attacks by both opponents.

Gradually the Empire gained strength and the Rebellion shrank to fewer than 12 systems.  Even after the Death Star was destroyed, a new one was raised in its place.

Even with very few reinforcements but armed with a fleet of bombers and capital ships, the Rebels were able to strike at hardened star bases reinforced with up to six legions.  This in turn drove the Force Meter far to the light side, adding more bonuses to Rebel card draws and dice rolls.  In an epic final battle, faction cards let the Rebels assemble another strike team.  The Death Star was destroyed (again) and a large garrison of Storm Troopers were reduced by attrition, leading to the capture of the Emperor.  Victory Rebels.