The intro…
Hello! Welcome to this week’s blog!
It seems I’m back to ‘not enough time’ at the moment so there’s not really anything for me to go in-depth about for an intro, let’s get on to…
Patreon Update…
So Q3 has now ended and the acrylic has arrived from Cog O Two (wooo!) so I’ll be prepping and shipping gifts over the next week or so.
Since I didn’t get a photo of it up last week, here’s one now!
The batrep… (JARGON ALERT!!)
If you’re into X-Wing enough to be reading a blog then it’s VERY likely that you’re already aware that the XWA recently announced some changes which included a new way to score and also a brand new scenario!
Last week I played out a game of Salvage Mission using the new scoring and this week it’s time for me to try out the new scenario – Ancient Knowledge.
I’ve extracted the relevant page fromt eh scenario document so that it’s here for easy reference but if you want to get the full PDF then it’s available here: https://www.xwing.life/resources/xwa-content
On the surface it looks somewhat similar to Scramble in that there’s 3 objectives on the board. Unlike Scramble (and more like Salvage) it’s potentially easier for low initiative pilots to claim the objectives without being trumped by higher initiative ones afterwards, however the ability to ‘spend’ the objective charge as a mod (offensively or defensively) means that your ship isn’t left as vulnerable.
I had a bit of an idea as to what the scenario was about before turning up to play but I didn’t know all the ins & outs and hadn’t fully read the document so there was no advantage for me there.
I was playing against Steve Boulton and, since he made me play the list in the first place, I was going again with the beffy Rebel self-damage list:
Luke Skywalker – T-65 X-wing (5)
Plasma Torpedoes (7)
Servomotor S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (7/7) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 3
Wedge Antilles – RZ-1 A-wing (3)
Predator (3)
Hopeful (1)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (4/4) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 2
Evaan Verlaine – BTL-A4 Y-wing (3)
Dorsal Turret (3)
Concussion Bombs (5)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 4
Wullffwarro – Auzituck Gunship (4)
Trick Shot (4)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (4/4) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Saw Gerrera – UT-60D U-wing (5)
Tactical Officer (3)
The Child (7)
Contraband Cybernetics (3)
Pivot Wing (0)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (13/13) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 20
You kick off by dropping a Concussion Bomb onto Saw and Wulf, activating their abilities and boosting your offense. I played it once, it went well, I liked it, so I brought it back.
Steve was still on the FO train, bringing a slight variation on last week’s list:
DT-798 – TIE/fo Fighter (3)
Predator (3)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (3/4) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 2
Commander Malarus – TIE/fo Fighter (4)
Fire-Control System (2)
Concussion Missiles (7)
Shield Upgrade (10)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (19/19) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 2
“Scorch” (EoD) – TIE/fo Fighter (3)
Determination (EoD) (0)
Fanatical (0)
Threat Sensors (EoD) (0)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 2
Kylo Ren – TIE/wi Whisper Modified Interceptor (5)
Instinctive Aim (2)
Brilliant Evasion (2)
Concussion Missiles (7)
Sensor Scramblers (1)
Enhanced Jamming Suite (0)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (12/12) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 2
Major Vonreg – TIE/ba Interceptor (5)
Daredevil (4)
Mag-Pulse Warheads (7)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (11/11) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 2
Total: 20
Zeta 5 was out and DT-798 was in.
We set objectives, obstacles and ships and, only having a vague idea of what we were doing, we got started!
Turn 1
Looking at where Steve’s ships are set up there’s a couple of things I want to do. First, turn Wedge in. I’m not jousting that! Second, bring Luke up the flank quickly to make sure he’s not irrelevant for too long. Third, figure out whether to go straight with my central block or turn.
I opt to go slow and straight. Keep it simple.
ROAD 1st Player – Steve
Evaan drops the bomb and my slower ships go 1 straight to make sure it hits while Wedge turns in, Evaan hard turns and reloads (to make sure I don’t keep dropping bombs) while Luke closes foils, goes 4 straight and boosts straight.
Steve pushes the right hand ship quickly up the board while the two TIE/FO’s in the middle split up.
No shooting, no scoring, on to turn 2!
Turn 2
I wasn’t expecting the split from the middle TIEs. I will bank with Luke to get distance on the TIE but also stay in range of the objective to flip that. Wedge will hard turn again since, if I was Steve, I’d be looking more at Saw or Wulf than the A-Wing so I’m hoping I can start a late flank there. In the middle, I’ll bank right with Saw (he can always stop and rotate if he needs to) while Wulf will go straight (I’m pretty sure it fits?). Evaan… now, I make a mistake here. In order to be able to use the ability to give an extra green dice, I bank him left.
ROAD 1st Player – Steve
Evaan 1 banks left and focuses. I’m happy with that right up until I realise Kylo’s Sensor Scrambler decloak means he could be right on top of me and, of course, that’s what happens, Kylo zooms in, takes a focus and jams off Evaan’s focus. Balls. No shenanigans and I didn’t rotate my arc.
Before that, Saw banks and focuses, Wulf goes 1 straight and VERY narrowly makes it and does the same. Wedge right turns and takes and evade. When Kylo moves I’m pretty happy with that until Vonreg cruises down my right hand board edge (he outflanked my flank!) and he takes a lock on Evaan.
Malarus has slotted in behind Kylo, activating the objective, while DT heads in at Luke and Scorch sails up the middle.
Luke faces off with DT and while the lock is VERY tempting for a double modded range 1, I opt to pick up the objective since DT wasn’t in range to do that himself.
Pretty much nothing happens here. I do’nt have a photo of damage and while it seems VERY unlikely that none was done, I do remember that it wasn’t much. What’s important is that Malarus launched a Concussion Missile at either Wulf or Saw and hit so both had to flip their damage cards. Saw got a Loose Stabiliser but I don’t remember Wulf’s
We both hold 1 Ancient Knowedge token so it’s 1 point each.
End of turn score: 1 (me) – 1 (Steve)
Turn 3
Ok, so having done very little damage, what now? I look to get my lower initiative ships into Kylo’s way. If I can block him in place and prevent a jam then that’s the ideal situation.
Luke will hard turn around the rock and will hopefully have a free run at something.
ROAD 1st Player – Steve (again!)
Evaan kicks things off by hard turning at Kylo and rolling right. Scorch and DT move next with the former banking in to the middle and focusing and the latter leapfrogging Luke and claiming the recharged objective.
Saw and Wulf both go straight and focus while Wedge turns in and just barely doesn’ t bump Evaan. Some of these moves are FAR too close!
Kylo scuppers all my plans by going 5 straight over the top of my ships and doing a focus & rotate. Balls. Malarus goes 2 straight into the hole that Kylo left and takes a lock on Wulf. Luke 3 hards around the rock and locks Malarus before Vonreg turns in, takes a strain to lock Wulf and then focuses.
This ended up being a particularly bloody turn.
Vonreg shoots at Wulf and puts on 2 damage. Kylo and Malarus follow up at i5 and BOOM, Wulf is dead before shooting. Eesh.
Luke fires a Plasma at Malarus and Steve rolls all paint which, with Malarus’ ability online means no damage. Ugh.
Scorch fires into Saw and my poor green dice mean that Saw’s shields are down and Steve gets half points.
Things start looking up as Saw puts 2 hits into Mal and strips shields (damn you Shield Upgrade!!!) while a cheeky range 2 shot from Wedge into Kylo scores 2 kits and gets me half points. Evaan then levels things up further by bringing Malarus below half point threshold too.
We both hold objectives but as Steve now holds 2 he scores 2 points to my 1 BUT he has to pick a ship to loose the condition. DT drops.
End of turn score: 5 – 8
Total score: 6 – 9
Turn 4
At this point I’m feeling a little disappointed. I’m down a ship and while I’ve got half on 2 of Steve’s ships, Mal lived when she could (should?) have died so Steve’s still up on gun count and Kylo has the space to bug out.
I have the option to turn Luke and try to chase Kylo OR try and get Malarus. Had this been a 3 point Malarus in old scoring I’d probably not have bothered but since I’d already got 2 points and had better options for position I figured I’d go for Mal.
I set Evaan a 4-k (JARGON ALERT!!) while Saw, damaged and with a Loose Stabiliser, will have to go straight. I debate whether to go slow (and bump into Mal) or fast but eventually go for fast since I’m expecting Vonreg to turn in and chase the U-Wing as his next target.
Wedge is more tricky but I just set a 2 bank right, planning to gun in for the middle and see what happens.
ROAD 1st Player – Steve (yes, AGAIN!)
We hit the systems phase and I have a thought. Shall I drop a bomb? I slightly forget where Wedge was going and think to myself ‘yeah, why not!’. Evaan drops a concussion bomb and then 4-k’s.
Steve’s i4 TIEs go next with DT turning in to the fight while Scorch turns out. DT picks up the condition again but Scorch opts against picking up the central one. Wedge banks but I hadn’t accounted for the bomb at time of planning so then focuses into a linked boost left.
Saw jumps over Malarus and, after some deliberation, claims to objective. After all, if it comes to life or death I can spend it for an evade.
Malarus unexpectedly (well, to me!) banks left, landing RIGHT on the bomb. Nice. Kylo, also unexpectedly, 3 banks right, fully disengaging. Luke goes 1 straight and, since he already has a lock on Mal and is already holding an objective (so can’t claim again), takes a focus.
Vonreg banks in and while I can’t remember the reasoning, just takes a focus without repositioning, probably as he won’t escape the bomb without being even more in harm’s way elsewhere.
The bomb goes off and Mal and Vonreg are caught. Vonreg takes a strain to prevent flipping the card (since he dies if it’s a Direct) but Mal can’t risk rolling 1 less die so Steve takes the chance. It’s Structural Damage. Harsh.
I can’t exactly remember who shot who here but Vonreg’s dice were not great whoever it was and he did no damage.
Here’s where things get interesting. Luke shoots Malarus and my dice aren’t great with 2 hits after spending the lock. Steve rolls his 2 greens (because Structural) and gets eyeball blank. Mal’s ability is online so she spends the evade and dodges both.
At this point Steve and I discuss that Luke is carrying the Ancient Knowledge and he (very kindly, possibly stupidly) allows me to roll back and spend it, guaranteeing Mal’s death. What’s interesting is that, because Mal is carrying, while I’m reducing my objective scoring by spending Luke’s, I’m also denying Steve scoring with Mal AND scoring 2 more points AND reduce his guns on the table.
Wedge shoots range 1 into Scorch but blanks out before DT fires at Luke and knocks off this last shield. Evaan rolls 2 hits into Vonreg but the sneaky Baron dodges it.
So We’re now even on objective points (both carrying 1) but I’ve finished Malarus for an extra 2 points.
End of turn score: 3 – 1
Total score: 9 – 10
Turn 5
I’m catching up! But here’s the thing. Luke is 1 away from being halved, Saw is bleeding and has a Loose Stabiliser. It’s far from being good but it’s better than it was. So, what now?
I feel that my choices are to either turn in on Vonreg or, with Kylo still so far out, maybe DT. Vonreg feels like the clear answer here. He’s worth more points and is more dangerous to my ships. I decide to bite the bullet and bank away with Saw. It’ll cause a damage but it means that I get range for the shot from Vonreg plus he’s holding an objective so can convert a blank to evade if needed. It also means he avoids the bomb that Evaan HAS to drop. Speaking of Evaan, he will bank in to try and block or killbox Vonreg while Luke will also bank in.
Wedge is more tricky. If he chases ones of the TIE/fo’s he’s at risk of being caught by Kylo later. I decide to disengage and pick up the middle objective.
ROAD 1st Player – Steve (seriously?!?!?)
Evaan drops the bomb and banks in, clearing his stress and taking a focus. Scorch blasts 4 forwards and flips the objective while DT cruises up into that space and takes a focus. Saw 3 banks left, triggering the Loose Stabiliser to take a damage and takes a focus. Wedge hops over Luke with a 2 hard turn, flips the objective and links to a red boost right.
Kylo is next, banking around the rock, trying to get back into the game before Luke 1 banks to his left and locks Vonreg.
Steve reveals a hard turn for Vonreg who clips the front of Evaan. Unlucky. He takes a red focus.
Vonreg kicks things off by taking a long range pot shot at Saw, getting a Fuel Leak onto him. Luke goes next and goes full rage mode with 4 paint out of hand. Vonreg blanks and dies. Oof.
DT takes a shot at Luke but misses while Evaan plinks a range 3 shot at the TIE which also misses.
At this point we are BOTH holding 2 objectives and so we both score 1 point each and nobody drops any!
End of turn score: 7 – 1
Total score: 16 – 11
Turn 6
Just after we pick up dials the timer goes so we know this is the last turn. What do I need to consider? Well, Saw is safe. I set him a 2 straight, no problem.
Luke is in danger of being halved. I think about the 4-K to threated DT but Evaan’s bomb causes an issue there so I change it to a 3 Talon Roll (JARGON ALERT!!) to his right. Wedge will turn around the right hand rock. It’ll give cover is he’s chased or if DT goes in hard for Luke he can maybe threaten a shot.
Evaan… hmmmm… I wonder about just going straight but then, if DT is chasing Luke, maybe I could dive in and go for the middle objective? I set a 3 bank.
ROAD 1st Player – Steve (wow. Just. WOW)
Evaan kicsk things off by dropping the bomb and then 3 banking and claiming. Scorch doesn’t have much choice and 3 hards and evades. DT, however, turns into the middle but has been gazumped by Evaan for the claim.
Wedge and Saw both take their, now largely irrelevant, moves with Saw focusing and Wedge boosting out of DT’s arc.
Kylo finishes his turn around the rock and, since I’m now holding 3 objectives and it amkes no difference, doesn’t claim and takes a focus while Luke Talon Rolls.
There is ONE ship that can take a shot. Evaan winds up, maybe he can take DT out? He’s already a shield down so maybe just halve him at least?
Oh. Maybe not then eh?
I’m up 3 to 1 on objectives so that’s 2 points for me and 1 for Steve and with that, we’re done!
End of turn score: 2 – 1
Final result: 18 0 12 win
The conclusion…
I’m not going to focus too much on the game or the result here because the most important (and interesting!) thing was the new scenario.
First of all, because it’s using tokens to identify which ships have the condition and because a lower initiative ship can beat a higher init ship to claiming, it feels a bit like salvage. Because of this it then feels REALLY nice to be able to reposition ships even when they’re carrying.
The use of the charge to mod attack or defence didn’t come into it as much as I thought it would but I think there’s a big element of that being pretty situational. Having to decide whether to use up the charge to mod is a very interesting extra decision point and one that, like that one shot from Luke, could turn out to be quite important. Weighing up whether to keep an objective advantage versus guaranteeing a ship dies (or lives) has a tangible impact on the game.
I think that the design team have done an excellent job here. One complaint about objectives when they were first introduced by AMG was that the scenarios were a bit bland and basically could have been lifted from any tabletop/strategy game. The ability to keep/spend these charges plus the fact that they regenerate their charge each turn makes this far more interesting.
From a TO perspective it’s nice to now have a 5th scenario so that in a 5 round even there’s no repeat which could give advantage/disadvantage to certain lists.
Overall, I think it’s a great addition to the game!
That’s it from me this week, I’ll catch you next time!
The outro…
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