*cheesy voiceover type voice*
“Previously on Dylan’s Blog….”
I got to game night for a 4th week IN A ROW and played 2 GAMES! 2!!
Since I’m not used to that and don’t know how to batrep (JARGON ALERT!!) without splurging ALL the details I decided to split the 2 games over 2 posts.
This entry is for the second game. If you want to know how the first one went (and there’s information there which has quite an important bearing on this blog so I’d recommend it), take a look here.
*END OF RECAP*
So with time at a slight premium but still too early to leave I ask if anyone wants a quick game (we set the timer for 60 minutes) and we all shuffle around to match up with new opponents. This time I’m up against Russell. We’ve played a few times before and he normally prefers First Order but this week has brought along some Imperials. Russ is another of our local players who has only started playing this year but has a great understanding of the game and some interesting tactics up his sleeve.
Inquisitor (35)
Supernatural Reflexes (8)
Fire-Control System (2)
Concussion Missiles (6)
Ship total: 51 Half Points: 26 Threshold: 2
Inquisitor (35)
Supernatural Reflexes (8)
Fire-Control System (2)
Concussion Missiles (6)
Ship total: 51 Half Points: 26 Threshold: 2
Inquisitor (35)
Supernatural Reflexes (8)
Fire-Control System (2)
Concussion Missiles (6)
Ship total: 51 Half Points: 26 Threshold: 2
Inquisitor (35)
Fire-Control System (2)
Concussion Missiles (6)
Ship total: 43 Half Points: 22 Threshold: 2
Total: 196
View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Galactic%20Empire&d=v8ZsZ200Z171X74W113W99Y171X74W113W99Y171X74W113W99Y171XW113W99&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron&obs=
Inquisitors. Bloomin squirrely horrible things. I’ve hardly played against them, let alone 4 of them but I have heard about them on various podcasts. 3 agility makes them tricky to hit. Supernatural reflexes makes them tricky to predict. Token stacking every turn makes them tricky to not pick up from the table and launch them across the room. This will be an interesting game.
Now, as I mentioned in last week’s blog. I made an error in my list. To recap:
Jake Farrell (36)
Crack Shot (1) (but had Snap Shot out on the table)
Outmaneuver (6)
Proton Rockets (7)
Ship total: 50 Half Points: 25 Threshold: 2
Dash Rendar (98)
Lone Wolf (5)
Bistan (14)
Perceptive Copilot (8)
Shield Upgrade (6)
Outrider (14)
Rigged Cargo Chute (4)
Ship total: 149 Half Points: 75 Threshold: 6
Total: 199
View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v8ZsZ200Z50X116W126W102Y39X124WW77W54W165W157W96&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron&obs=
At least, that’s what it should have been. In my confusion I swapped Snap Shot in for Crack Shot (which puts the list at 205). In practice Snap Shot didn’t trigger at all in this game so it didn’t really matter so while I’m clearly an idiot at least I’m not a great big cheating one. Well, not on purpose anyway.
Heading to game night this week I had fully intended to play the first game with Jake and then the second game with Y-Wing Norra since I still felt she was a strong choice for the list and hadn’t played her in a while.
Off the back of the first game of the night going as well as it did (see, spoiler right there! Did you make sure that you read last week’s blog first?) despite abandoning the game plan of keeping Jake tight to Dash (and the factor of time being short) I kept the list as it was. Actually I *almost* made the list inadvertently legal by dropping the so far very ineffectual Snap Shot but Russ had already told me his points total and I didn’t want to look like I was dropping it just for the bid (despite it not making any difference once obstacle placement was done).
Anyway, Russ has brought 2 rocks and a debris, takes first player and places a rock right in the middle of the board. Placement continues and we deploy like this.
Like I said before, I’ve not played against Inquisitors like this and I’ve also not faced anything with Supernatural Reflexes (which from here I will abbreviate to SR because I’m lazy). After the first turn my brain was already starting to melt trying to figure out all the places these things could end up. Deep joy.
I found after the first turn of movement that Russ had clearly practiced this opening, accounted for the one inquisitor without SR (the one out on it’s own to the left of the others) and got them in a rather nice, neat formation. He was going to try and gently shuffle up the board, slightly heading towards Dash’s side. I had taken the slightly bolder move than usual of taking a 3 bank with Dash while Jake took his time, aiming to catch him up just when he’d start wanting the free focus tokens.
Next turn I decided to take it a little slower, hoping to avoid being in arc of all of the TAPs and possibly drop the rigged cargo in a really awkward place. The ties angled in towards Dash and started taking their locks. Yuck.
Jake came up behind Dash, hid behind the rock and handed off the focus. Dash took a 2 forward. Looking at the ranges I decided not to drop the cargo but take a red barrel roll to get away from some of the shots. Meanwhile I have also overlapped a debris which lets me discard a red token so I ditch the lock from the closest inquisitor.
Dash takes a shot at the only ship in range, nothing gets through. Jake shoots at range 3 through a rock at a focused up inquisitor. Unsurprisingly, nothing gets through.
Now at the time we moved on to the next turn but looking again at the pictures I think at least one, maybe two of the Ties actually could have shot at Jake. I don’t really know why that didn’t happen?
I dial in a 1 bank to the right with Dash to clear the stress while Jake, expecting the TAPs to chase Dash takes a slightly ropey 2 bank around the rock intending to boost in left and hopefully take an outmanoeuvre shot on something.
Russ took the very unexpected move of turning in on Jake.
Crap.
3 of the ties turn on Jake while the non-SR ties heads out towards Dash.
I move Jake the 2 bank and have a dilemma. I’m at range 1 of all 3 ships. They have all moved their locks to Jake meaning that concussion missile shots are possible. I can roll then boost but not the other way around. I can evade but then can only boost for reposition which still leaves me in range 1. I ponder for a minute before doing a roll, give myself a focus and red boost. Got to try and get away!
Dash shoots at the lonely inquisitor and… nothing gets through. This is going to be a long game!
Jake doesn’t have any shots so it’s time for Russell’s TAPs to shoot.
Long story short, Jake tanks every shot. Every.single.one. He has literally dodged a bullet. What a hero.
The single inquisitor turns on Dash but with no reason to need two shots Dash barrel rolls forwards to just escape the arc. The other 3 ties start to chase Jake who can only 2 hard turn (to clear the stress) and then roll and boost again to give himself a free focus. Still no shot on for Jake though.
Even though tokenless, Dash manages to put a damage onto the lonely TAP while Jake tanks the worst of the incoming concussion missiles shots, losing 2 shields in the process.
Russ continues to press after Jake but this time I have space. Full ‘run away’ mode is engaged and Jake goes 5 forwards, roll and boost, putting him out of arc of all but one of the chasing pack. He still can’t shoot but he is leading them a merry chase!
Meanwhile Dash banks left to try and start getting into range to take double shots (since that’s what this build is all about).
He shoots at the lone tie and puts on another damage and then fires at the single modded (but unobstructed) tie and puts 2 damage onto that one. This is slow going.
I missed a photo on this next turn but the inquisitors turn in while Jake takes a 2 hard turn, clears the stress and boosts to hand Dash his free focuses. Dash takes a 1 hard turn, landing on the debris and dropping another target lock while taking his own lock on one of the TAPs.
This time Dash manages to wipe out the 2 health inquisitor and take 2 shields from another. With the lone TIE gone Jake no longer has a shot but the TIE’s all shoot at Dash and drop a couple of shields between them.
With time running out on our shorter than usual limit we take 1 more turn.
Jake wiggles around Dash to end up in a poor position but still able to pass off a focus action to Dash while escaping to range 2 of the only enemy who has him in arc.
Dash pulls out a 3 bank to avoid both ships that tried to block him and takes a lock on the furthest TIE.
So with our final positions set we start rolling dice.
Dash fires first at the most vulnerable TIE. 2 damage gets though, not enough to kill it but at just 1 health it’s on half points. Dash’s second shot is a range 1 3 dice shot and takes just 1 shield from an otherwise healthy ship.
Jake tries a range 3 obstructed shot on the only ship he has in arc (which has an evade token). I bet you can guess how that went.
The TAPs returned fire but Jake escaped any damage and Dash lost 2 shields, avoiding being taken to half points.
I’ve taken out one inquisitor and taken half on another.
Dash hasn’t lost any points and Jake is a half.
I’ve destroyed about 75 points and lost 25. Not bad.
So, 2 games, 2 wins.
Dash not only survived in both games but didn’t get taken to half points in either. Not too shabby!
Russ mentioned as we packed up that this is the most damage he has taken while playing with this squad. Interesting.
In looking closer at Dash it is now VERY clear that Lone Wolf has paid for itself many times over. Across the two games I’ve used it in both attack and defence (though mainly the latter) and have reaped the benefits of that reroll. My mind is made up, Trick Shot is out, Lone Wolf is in.
For the other upgrades, as I mentioned earlier, Rigged cargo is an unnecessary luxury at 4 points. If I get the opportunity then dropping it can help but if not then it doesn’t ruin my game plan. Shield upgrade however kept me above the half points threshold in both games. 6 points isn’t a small investment (on an already very expensive ship) but the value in taking it has been proven to me today.
And now to Jake.
Jake, Jake, Jake.
The build still needs some tweaking I think and I very clearly need practice to make the most of him but there is definitely something in this.
One of the reasons I picked Y-Wing Norra was to be a distraction. She did nothing to help Dash in terms of support other than draw fire away and last as long as possible while doing it.
Jake, however, can perform both roles.
If I can keep him close to Dash and hand off that free focus action then Dash has the freedom to target lock for double mods, (if I slightly screwed up) barrel roll for better position or (if I really screwed up) rotate arc to make sure I get shots.
If I can’t or don’t want to keep him close to Dash then he can threaten from the flank or draw fire away while repostioning, giving himself a focus and generally be difficult to kill whilst Dash can take advantage and also trigger Lone Wolf.
He’s doesn’t make as obvious a tough target choice as, let’s say, Wedge or Luke might but can you really ignore the possibility of a modded range 2 outmanoeuvre Proton Rockets shot? No, I didn’t think so. If I can get better at positioning him then I think this list might have some legs. And if I can’t? Well, it’s still super fun to fly.
So have I reached the end of my journey of finding a wing man for Dash? Maybe. Possibly. Probably. But if so, it’s only the first part of a much bigger journey.