s
Battle of the Bounty Hunters:
Archive Note: The Archive Crew has purposfully left both Jango Fett and Boba Fett out of this tournament because we basically feel it would be unfair to the other participants. We all know that both Fetts would ultimately end up in the finals and Boba Fett would win because, well...he's Boba Fett! The guy wears Wookie scalps on his armor for Heaven's sake! You may also note a few other hunters have been excluded from this list. Since we couldn't include every hunter, we chose those we felt were best suited for combat in this tournament. Let's be honest, any hunter would take down Greedo in the first round!
Opening Round: (Match One)
IG-88 vs. Aurra Sing
What both hunters have in their favor in this match is the fact that they're heartless, cold, and completely uncaring towards anyone but themselves. The question then becomes, "Can a ruthless, killer robot overcome a Force adept assassin also known for being a Jedi killer?" Honestly, we're talking about a battle between two smart bounty hunters who aren't stupid enough to simply walk up to each other and start fighting. Picture IG-88 trying to pick off Aurra Sing from a distance with a sniper-like rifle. This fact ultimately buys IG-88 enough time to at least put Aurra Sing in serious jeopardy. Yet, we all know that those Force senses would kick in and prevent a telling death blow and get Sing back into the fight. The Archive Crew can certainly see Aurra Sing taking a couple of shots that would probably take down a lesser foe, but of course, we aren't talking about a lesser foe, we're talking about Aurra Sing! Sing hasn't lived this long without being able to absorb a serious beating and come back fighting mad! This battle ends with Sing slowing IG-88 down with the precise blaster shot perhaps aimed at crippling a limb. Given IG-88's vast arsenal, he may reply with a volley of blaster fire which will all be deflected by Aurra Sing who has quickly ignited a lightsaber. The death blows come with Sing using said lightsaber and effectively cutting IG-88 to pieces. Knowing Sing, as we all do, she'll probably save a limb or the head as a trophy and perhaps even sell IG-88 off to the highest bidder.
Winner: Aurra Sing
Opening Round (Match Two):
Dengar vs. Zam Wesell
This is an interesting battle to say the least! Here, we're featuring two bounty hunters whose actions as a hunter are often overshadowed by the hunters they've been paired with. Dengar has often been associated with Boba Fett, among others, while Wessell has exclusively been paired with Boba's father, Jango Fett. Zam Wesell's shapeshifting talent known among her species would be a definitive advantage, but it's that same advantage that would ultimately lead to her downfall. Zam, without Jango's guidance, would try to attack Dengar in a crowded area under the guise of perhaps a simple bar patron. Dengar, with his highly advanced neurosystem (installed by Imperial scientists) would be easy prey. These heightened senses will be working overtime in a crowded area such as a shady cantina. This simple fact, which Wessell never accounted for, turns the battle over in favor of Dengar. The fight gets nasty at this point and turns into a hand-to-hand combat encounter. Although both combatants display uniquely impressive fighting styles, the battle ends with Dengar choking the life out of Wessell or perhaps snapping her neck. Wessell is ultimately left dead on a cantina floor while Dengar calmly walks out leaving a generous tip to compensate for the mess he has left behind.
Winner: Dengar
Opening Round (Match Three):
Bossk vs. 4-LOM
Any bounter hunter looking for a fight with the Wookie known as Chewbacca, must be a pretty gutsy dude! Bossk will perhaps be remembered as one of the most feared and celebrated Trandoshian warriors ever. This fact alone is Bossk's biggest advantage.
4-LOM, much like IG-88, has the advantage of being cold and uncaring. Killer droids often have a habit of being calculating and deadly unpredictable. All those traits which make Trandoshian warriors incredible hunters can essentially be tossed aside when facing a droid. A new game with new rules will force Bossk to abandon his hunter instincts and actually use his brain for a change. This will give 4-LOM the first strike and apparent death blow...or will it? This reptilian species has been known to live without a limb, and just because 4-LOM blows off one of Bossk's legs away doesn't mean the battle is over! Bossk chooses to play possum as 4-LOM to inspect his bounty. This gives Bossk the opening he needs to disarm the deadly droid and take the fight to the ground. Once on the ground, Bossk's animal instincts kick into overdrive as he takes 4-LOM into an apparent death-roll type maneuver. Bossk eventually disables 4-LOM by ripping into vital wiring and eye sockets. In a twist of irony, Bossk is electrocuted and almost eliminates himself as he continues to try to eat his prey. In the end, a battered and bloody Bossk roars in triumph over the now decapitated form of 4-LOM.
Winner: Bossk
Opening Round (Match Four)
Vilmarh "Villie" Grahrk vs. Jodo Kast
We here at the Archive find it ironic that these two hunters got paired against each other, given the fact that neither hunter will be remembered for their intelligence. Jodo Kast must be the biggest dummy in the galaxy for trying to pass himself off as Boba Fett! Let's be honest, Greedo could probably give ole' "Villie" a run for his money. The one advantage Grahrk might have would be his ship, the Inferno. Although ships didn't come into play in previous bounty hunter battles, they may come into play in this scenario. The Inferno, a self-aware ship, may very well be Grahrk's savior in such a fight. However, Grahrk will probably show his cowardly side when encountering a warrior in full Mandalorian armor. Chances are, before any physical confrontation takes place, Grahrk would try to convince Kast that they can work together and be buddies...or something stupid like that! At this point in the confrontation, we truly see the mischievious ole' "Villie" is as he attempts to pull a miniblaster hidden in his glove. The attempt is too little, too late as Jodo Kast has already identified the hidden blaster before it even had been pulled and so, was fully prepared for a counter attack. The counter attack came in the form of a hidden blade in the wrist of Kast which was targeted right under the chin and straight through Grahrk's skull.
Winner: Jodo Kast
Archive Note: Here at the Archive, we probably enjoyed working the battle between Dengar and Zam Wesell the most. A cantina assassination attempt gone bad...ending with a cool and calm Dengar leaving after tipping the barkeep was more than we could have asked for!