The intro…
Hello and welcome to this week’s blog!
So it’ been fairly quiet for new in X-Wing recently…
Yeah, ok, that’s joke, obviously. In case you missed it the tl;dr is that AMG have stopped development of X-Wing.
The next thing that happened was that a group of people got together and formed the beginnings of a community council/government/band which would pick up and continue work on the game.
Since then that group has taken a vote and selected three people who will head up the (currently named) X-Wing Alliance.
The Sith Takers podcast from this week goes into far more detail about how the group will be run and things but basically this ‘triumvirate‘ will, rather than make all decisions, debate and offer out to vote on things and generally coordinate plans. That’s my understanding anyway. The position will be held for 1 season (Adepticon to Adepticon) and then a new vote is taken. People can be voted back in, there’s no maximum term length but it gives scope to grow and change.
The three people who have been selected are:
In case you don’t know, Filippo is the main driver behind running XTC (as well as being a TO and judge), Louis Leong is a member of the 186th squadron and runs Pewtinni Parts and, in my opinion, is the main driver for OP continuing while it wasn’t supported by AMG and lastly, Stephen Kim is often better known as Raithos, creator of YASB.
I don’t know what next steps are but these are people I trust with the running of the game and I look forward to hearing what comes next!
Is there any other news? Well I guess I should probably mention:
We are now less than 2 weeks away from this year’s Welsh Open!
Plans are coming together very nicely, we have our alt arts, 3D printed prizes and the acrylic from Cog O Two is winging its way by courier at time of publishing!
We also have the official prizes being provided by AMG and, of course, this beauty which is being picked up later this week:
We’ll have some streaming going on as well with Nicki ‘The Best’ Burnett having linked up with Firecast Focus and figuring out a solution for us. Yay!
So there will be hot food included on the Saturday, TONS of participation, a stack of bounty prizes and plenty of fun and pew pew for the whole weekend!
So if you’re thinking of coming and STILL don’t have your ticket you can get if from here: https://www.thebattlefields.co.uk/events-at-the-battlefields/star-wars-x-wing-welsh-gt-2024-cardiff
Right, I think that’s about it for the moment. Let’s go on to some content shall we?
The batreps… (JARGON ALERT!!)
So, this past week I played two games. Yay!
The bad news is that that’s because only 2 of us made it down to casual night!
Yes, Steve Boulton and I turned up nice and early, unpacked our stuff and played 2 games back to back.
Now, since Steve is prepping for the Welsh Open (whereas I, being a TO and judge, am not), I offered to play whatever list he wanted me to play for him to get some practice in. We discussed me maybe flying ARCs (which Steve had played last week) but in the end he said I should just fly what I’ve been flying the last few weeks:
Braylen Stramm (BoE) (4)
It’s A Trap! (BoE) (0)
Homing Missiles (0)
Proton Bombs (0)
Delayed Fuses (0)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Gina Moonsong (BoE) (5)
It’s A Trap! (BoE) (0)
Juke (0)
Proton Torpedoes (0)
Ion Bombs (0)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Hol Okand (BoY) (3)
Dorsal Turret (0)
Adv. Proton Torpedoes (0)
Precise Astromech (BoY) (0)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 4
Gemmer Sojan (BoE) (3)
It’s A Trap! (BoE) (0)
Precision-Tuned Cannons (BoE) (0)
Chaff Particles (BoE) (0)
Target-Assist Algorithm (BoE) (0)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 2
Wedge Antilles (BoE) (5)
It’s A Trap! (BoE) (0)
Predator (0)
Adv. Proton Torpedoes (0)
R2-A3 (BoE) (0)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 3
Total: 20
It’s good, it’s solid, lots of health, lots of damage output. That said, Steve did rinse this list last week when he flew the ARCs at me.
This week Steve has brought something different.
Darth Vader (BoY) (6)
Marksmanship (0)
Hate (0)
Afterburners (0)
Ship Cost: 6 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 3
Colonel Jendon (BoE) (7)
No Escape (BoE) (0)
Push The Limit (BoE) (0)
Proton Cannons (0)
Computer-Assisted Handling (BoE) (0)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 3
Tomax Bren (TBE) (3)
True Grit (TBE) (0)
Plasma Torpedoes (0)
Ion Bombs (0)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 3
“Vizier” (4)
Emperor Palpatine (12)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (12/12) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 20
Ewww. I played this a few times in Chicago and it is nasty. Vader and Jendon are going to hurt you, Tomax will throw a good amount of damage for ship that’s only 3 points and Vizier will just pootle around the outside backing everyone up with that Palp force point.
Let’s get into it!
Game 1
Pre-Flight checks:
Scenario – Salvage Mission
Target/Objective Priority – preferably Vizier but whoever m slow ships can catch I guess!
Obstacles – hmm… interesting. I feel like tight obstacles bothers me more than Steve’s ships with the exception of Vizier. Then again, the wider I can force the Reaper, the less it’ll be in the actual fight.
Deployment – Depends on rock formation but, as I’ve been doing recently, keep Braylen and Hol together, Gina a little further out (that range 2 bubble is quite big!) and Wedge depending on where my opponent deploys.
We place objectives, obstacles and ships and we’re ready to go!
I already don’t really like my positioning here. Jendon and Vader are set to flank from either side and while it’s Vizier I want to punch first, his position and the lanes he has means he can go left or right. Given my deployment of Wedge on my right, I be he takes my left. Still, let’s see.
I make headway to the middle with my tanks (Y and B-Wings) knowing that I need to be ready to turn by the time the i6’s reach me. On my right both ships go as fast as possible, shepherding Vizier and challenging Jendon.
Jendon turns away while Vader screams down the flank, leaving Tomax going slow. Vizier’s 2 straight keeps his options open. Smart move.
Now, I screw this up here.
In my mind, Gina’s roll to behind the rock means I can go straight and then roll left or right to match Vizier’s direction. Completely forgetting this, I then send Hol straight into the space Gina needs to roll into. Idiot.
She rolls the other way so as not to smash the obstacle next turn. Hol and Braylen go straight while Wedge and Gemmer will both bank in.
Vizier ailerons to his right, goes fast straight and picks up a box.
Tomax banks in towards the middle while Jendon hard turns again to get Wedge and Gemmer in arc (and picks up a box) while Vader pulls out all the tricks, going straight, afterburners banked boost in and then focus linked to red roll to stay out of Braylen’s arc.
Braylen, who had moved forward and rolled left is now looking a little nervous with Vader in that left flank. Especially after I realised I’d forgotten to trigger the ship ability to pick up a free evade. Oops. Thankfully Vader doesn’t have a lock!
The trade of shots isn’t all that productive on either side. I take 2 shields from Vizier, Steve takes 1 from Braylen.
I really don’t like Braylen’s position though. Also, Vizier is now through my formation and, being that Reapers can ailerons boost while carrying a box, I’ll likely never see him again. Poop.
So, Vizier is gone, Vader is about to strike at Braylen. That leaves Tomax and Jendon to shoot at. Also, I have bombs.
I angle in towards Jendon with Gina and Wedge. Hol banks right, partly to get arc on Jendon in case he goes tot he left of the rock but also to get out of Braylen’s way as he tries to escape Vader.
Braylen drops a bomb to his left while Gina goes straight and then, seeing that there’s just about enough room, rolls in behind the rock.
Annoyingly, Braylen and Gina have been too far away from each other every turn so far so no bonus tokens.
Jendon choses to turn to my right and, since I’m first player, bumps into Wedge. Tomax had slowly advanced and picked up a lock on Gina.
Vader and Vizier come around the rock, right into bomb territory.
The bomb goes off, catching Vader and Vizier (and mot me! Yay!).
Unfortunately that’s about as good as it gets for me this turn. Braylen gets rinsed by Vader, losing the rest of his shields. Gina gets hit by Jendon and Tomax, losing 3 shields. In response, the only damage I do is 1 to Jendon. Oh, no, wait, he spent that shield to hit Gina.
So, just bombs then. Oh dear.
Still, Hol picked up a box so at least I’m not being outscored on objectives now.
In the next turn I take some calculated risks.
First up, Bralyen will drop his second Proton bomb , mostly because I’m expecting him to die soon but still, I’m hoping that it will force Vader to do something silly. It will also keep Vizier honest since he’s down shields and already carrying a Weapons Failure crit.
Braylen will bank in and then roll left to get cover behind a rock.
Everyone else? Well, I’m going to turn on Tomax. Jendon is stressed but still has a lot of decent options open and I’m going to get horribly out of position trying to catch him. Since he’s got 3 agility and is only down 1 shield, I figure I’m better off going for the slower target. Plus I can get nearly all my ships pointed at Tomax whereas everyone else I can’t.
Lastly, my trump card. Gina’s ion bomb.
Vizier banks slowly to stay safe from the bomb but Tomax rolls right into my kill box. Jendon hard turns but is still stressed and is now facing away from teh fight and is about to get ioned. Nice.
Vader, anticipating the bomb, shoots straight past and spends his second afterburners to boost in around the rock. Ginca could be in a spot of bother here, especially as she bumps into Gemmer. There’s no damamge but best of all, it doens’t block onto the rock.
Tomax burns down and, as a bonus of being hit by her own ion bomb, sheds locks from Tomax AND Vader and while she still gets shot, it’s just 2 damage.
Having felt like this was slipping away, I suddenly feel like I’m very much in control with Tomax down, Vizier skirting and Jendon ionised. Just Vader to worry about…
A little jiggling of positions in tight space ends up with me self-bumping AGAIN but while Wedge loses a shield for it, I feel it’s worth it.
A second ion bomb from Gina feels wasted as Jendon chose to ion away from the fight instead of towards it but I’m starting to regroup my ships.
Gina loses 2 hull but Vader loses his last 2 shields in reply.
The score is very tight. Taking out Tomax has put me just ahead but the next ship loss will swing it.
Vader isn’t working with much spece so I opt to go for a block with Gemmer, run with Gina and turn in on Vader with everyone else. Jendon can’t get back in quickly enough and I’m expecting Vizier to stay out of the way.
Well, I was wrong.
Vizier swings in, intending to coordinate Vader a boost and allow him to complete a 4-k (JARGON ALERT!!) and basically dodge my kill box.
Here’s a list of reasons that didn’t work.
- I won first player meaning that Gemmer has already done a 2 hard into the space Vader needed to boost
- Vader’s only boost option is afterburners which, if I remember correctly, had already been spent
- Vizier’s ailerons move mean that a 3 straight placed him here:
Oof.
Even worse, Vader’s 4-k now lands him on the rock, right in between Gemmer and Braylen.
Needless to say, Vader dies this turn. Not from Wedge’s range 1 shot though….
I don’t manage to finish off Vizier but it’s now 18 points to 10, Jendon is WAY out of the way, I’m still carrying 2 boxes and Vizier is on 1 hull. Also, time is just about up.
Result: 18 – 10 win
Mini conclusion…
Not bad. I was concerned after the initial failed engagement but managing that block on Vader is what swung the game. Steve and I chatted about the pros and cons of the lists and matchup and while Vizier is often not in the fight with this Imperial list, my taking Jendon out of the fight with the ion is what probably had the biggest impact on the game. Vizier needed to be contributing firepower as well as the Palp force.
Anyway, we re-rack and get straight on to the next!
Game 2
Pre-Flight checks:
Scenario – Chance Engagement
Target/Objective Priority – Again, Vizier ideally but it depends.
Obstacles – Last time I gave Vizier too many lanes, I want to limit that this time if possible
Deployment – It’s largely dependent on initiative, rocks and Steve’s placement but similar to before, 3 tanks together, Gemmer wherever and Wedge somewhere to flank.
No starting positions this time (I forgot to take a pic!) but this is how we look at the end of turn 1.
What I like is that there’s a nice big open space in the middle. Vizier has stopped in turn 1 but basically has to decide whether to go ALL the way around the outside or come into the middle.
What I don’t like is that there’s a big open space in the middle. Once my ships get in there only Gemmer is nimble enough to not get clogged up. I think I’ve managed Gina’s approach better although she’s now very predictable. Wedge is further out so should leave enough space for Hol and Braylen.
My mistake here was the 3 bank with Gemmer. Jendon placed after Gemmer (obviously!) and I just thought ‘it’s fine, I’ll pre-boost and 3 bank’, forgetting that 3 banks are white and not blue.
Gemmer 3 banked and rolled but still get shot by Jendon turn 1. Thankfully, I nattied (JARGON ALERT!!) out of damage. Phew!
No photo of turn 2 either (what a n00b!) but the only thing to report was that Braylen lost a shield to match Jendon’s lost one. Pretty even.
Turn 3 was a doozy though…
Gina self bombs but feels like it’s worth it to scare off Jendon. Vizier dives right in but I’ve gone slow with my ships and hit all my triggers.
Gina takes a thumping but so does Vizier. A fair-ish trade given the circumstances.
Next turn both ships bite the dust but I force Vader to roll out of position to avoid Hol’s APT (JARGON ALERT!!). Steve’s made a mistake with Jendon, dialling in a 1 hard turn which is red, leaving him stressed, in range of a proton bomb and facing a rock. Ouch.
Braylen is next to take a beating but while he drops quickly and gives up 2 points, I’ve picked up half points on Jendon (all of Steve’s doing!) which is worth more.
With time running low Steve bugs out with Vader while Tomax and Gemmer both speed out of the centre while Jendon has no option but to bank. I come to regret my choice of a red focus with Wedge who has to cruise out of the fight.
In the end it doesn’t matter as Jendon suffers the humility of getting finished off by Hol and Gemmer picks up half of Tomax right at the end.
Final score: 17 – 14 win
The conclusion…
Well, that’s pretty unexpected!
Steve is very much experimenting with this list and how best to run it. Clearly what I’m running is one of the top meta (JARGON ALERT!!) lists at the moment and so anything going into it will have a tough time. That said, I have had a few losses with this list and messed up a fair few times so it doesn’t exactly fly itself to victory every time.
Looking past the games it’s always nice to play Steve. He’s a lovely bloke (despite the grief he gives me!) and always an amazing opponent.
Overall there’s not a lot to really say at the end of that!
Now, as much as I’d like to have something going on right up to the Welsh Open, I’m actually on holiday next week (great timing, eh?) so there won’t be a blog (probably?!) and so the next time I’ll see you it will all be done and dusted!
Remember, it’s not too late to get a ticket and come along it’s going to be great!
https://www.thebattlefields.co.uk/events-at-the-battlefields/star-wars-x-wing-welsh-gt-2024-cardiff
