Attendance remains stable for our longest running trial event.	Natasha Metzger vs Steve Packwood
The winners of the last eight tournaments wear their "Loser" brands.	GM McCulloch overcomes his shame to watch the real finalists.

Big Jim Kramer walked into the Marietta Room one stormy Friday and surveyed the land. “This looks like a likely spot for a game of cards,” he thought to himself as he pawed his graying beard. He moseyed up to the table and asked to play a hand or two. The barkeep, an imposing man named Reiff, exclaimed “Whoa there, partner! This here’s the Battle Line tourney. Can’t say as I’ve seen you here before. Don’t you know that for nigh on ten years, this plaque has been the property of the Ohio gang? Do you think to challenge us, sonny?”

Big Jim gave Reiff a steady stare, and said “Mayhap.”

Reiff snorted and said “You’ve got gumption, sonny, I’ll give you that. Your first games are in the back. Escape those, and maybe I’ll see you in the Final.”

Big Jim moseyed to the back, to his first game where he was paired against the GM himself, Sean McCulloch. “Reiff’s the face of the Ohio gang, but I run things now. Let me show you how we do things here, stranger”.

I’m sad to say that it was a dark time for Big Jim. He forgot that a flush loses to three of a kind, and took his beatings. He emerged bloodied, but game for his next challenge. He wouldn’t lose again.

Next up was the bearded menace, Rabid Rob Kilroy who had taken third last year. Big Jim dispatched Rabid Rob with such ease that Rob found new respect for the new gun in town. “I like your style, stranger”, he said. “Tell you what—I’ll take out some of the Ohio gang for you”. And so he did, eliminating that fiend McCulloch in the very next game, allowing Big Jim to defeat Chase Johnson and emerge from the group of four victorious.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, another commotion was heard. As we all know, pride goeth before the fall, and the pride of the Ohio gang took another blow as Reiff was taken down by a young lass named Sara Ward. I wasn’t there to see it, but the stories that are told say that she looked him in the eye, and said in a steady voice “Your Ohio gang has run things for too long!”, and shot him dead with a breakthrough.

Sensing an end to the depravities of the Ohio gang, encouraged challengers emerged from their groups to join Big Jim and Miss Sara in search of the town’s wood. Bjorn von Knorring, Gordon Rodgers, Paul Owen, Brad Raszewski, Lyman Moquin, Michael Sosa, Samantha Berk, Greg Staton, and Thomas Tu all advanced to stake their claim in the coming elimination rounds.

Big Jim met his first opponents: Brad Raszewski, and Samantha Berk, who in past years saw their hopes dashed at the hands of the Ohio gang. The demise of the Ohio gang made no difference…the result was the same, as Big Jim dispatched them in order. Meanwhile, a plaintive cry was heard from the next table—it was young Sara Ward, who had fallen victim to another stranger…Greg Staton. “I’ll avenge ye, miss”, drawled Big Jim, who rose with fire in his eyes. And so the semifinal against Greg was set. Big Jim got his promised vengeance, then had to await his last challeng upon the result of an epic struggle between Sosa and Moquin. Moquin started strong with several high card straight flushes, but Sosa battled back, before falling.

A hush settled over the Marietta room as the two finalists stared at their cards. A tumbleweed blew across the tables. Then, quick as a flash, Lyman drew first blood. But Big Jim was crafty, and saw that in his zeal to score the first hit, Lyman bared his flank Big Jim exposed the opening, forcing Lyman into ever more desperate defensive maneuvers. Lyman threw down tactics cards to escape, but Big Jim calmly responded with the correct counter tactics.  In the end, there was but one man left standing. As Big Jim sauntered off into the sunset to collect his plaque, there were mutterings from the Ohio gang. Before he stepped out the door, he was stopped by a call from that petty black-hearted rogue, McCulloch, who shouted “We’ll see you next year! Don’t you forget it was I who gave you your only defeat!” The journeyman shrugged, and with a twinkle in his eye, silently walked away savoring his first WBC title.

(Thanks to everyone who played, and congrats to Jim Kramer! I’m going to post the transcript of the Final to the Battle Line folder on Boardgamegeek. Hope to see you all next year at the new saloon!)