Concerns about the popularity of Dune were unfounded, as we rebounded back to normal attendance levels with an influx of players new to the tournament. We again played nine qualification games, this time with a mean duration of 7.1 game turns in 3.7 hours.

Almost all of the games were won by alliances, but with a big change in the balance of power: The Fremen, long considered the Faction Least Likely to Succeed, leapt from the bottom to the top with three wins out of seven games, including one default victory and the single best faction performance on record! The BG followed with five victories in nine games, but almost all as the "weak sister" (pun intended) in 3-player alliances. The Guild, another perennial underdog, also made a good showing with four wins, including the only solo victory this year. The other victories were evenly spread among the Atreides, Emperor, and the Harkonnen (taking a significant tumble from their usual spot as most winning faction). Ironically, we had been considering the introduction of house rules this year to help improve the Fremen's chance of winning - good thing we didn't change anything just yet!

Best Faction plaques were awarded to the players who gave the best single-game performance with each faction during the preliminary heats, measured in terms of strongholds controlled per turn. Bill Dyer received Best Atreides; Matt Fagan, Best BG; Stephane Dorais, Best Emperor; Joe Harrison, Best Guild; Joe Abrams, Best Harkonnen; and newcomer Athena Padouvas took home Best Fremen.

Five of the six finalists were new to the WBC Dune final: long-time players and Quebecois compatriots Stephane Dorais and Benoit Groulx both found their way to the Final, drawing Atreides and Bene Gesserit respectively. Joel Tamburo got a chance to replay the Guild after parlaying his Guild solo default victory to a seat at the final table. Joe Harrison played the Harkonnen, and Matt Fagan, the only plater with formal Final experience, played the Emperor. The last chair was filled by our first alternate and fresh face at the tournament, Anne Marie Dilworth, who drew the Fremen.

The early game was fairly stable, with the Atreides and Harkonnen retaining control of Arrakeen and Carthag respectively, the Emperor making a fairly typical landing in Habbanya Ridge Sietch, and the Atreides ejecting the Guild from Tuek's Sietch. The Fremen began the game with control of Sietch Tabr and held it for the entire length of the game! In Turn 4, the Atreides made a move for the win by taking H.R.S. from the Emperor, but by doing so, they were unable to defend Arrakeen from the Guild. By Turn 6, the Atreides had been forced off of Arrakis entirely, and control of H.R.S. had changed twice more, leaving only three strongholds occupied. After this the Shield Wall came into play as the sixth stronghold, and by Turn 9, the Fremen, allied with the Guild, controlled three strongholds single-handedly! Finally, in Turn 10, a key Nexus arrived and the Fremen switched their alliance from the Guild to the BG, securing the victory.

Congratulations to all, especially our new champion, Anne Marie Dilworth. It was especially gratifying for me to see so many new players join us, bringing with them a new energy and some fresh ideas on how to play and win the great game of Dune.