An intro…kinda…
Well well well. Another week passes Another game night is attended. I really feel like I have a rhythm now. Like with every game I play with this list I’m just a little bit better with it, like I know more what I’m doing and have a plan.
It’s a strange feeling.
I like it.
But there’s an issue. This week I played 2 games. I clearly can’t keep it short enough to do both in this blog but I also have other blogs planned and partly written so I don’t need to save it either. I mean, that’s not a terrible problem to have of course, I’m just always paranoid that I’ll eventually miss a game night and then not have anything to fall back on.
Although, while I think about that, this here is my 24th published post. Not factoring in months with 5 Tuesdays, etc, that means that I have posted something every week (except for the 2 weeks I was on holiday over the summer)(but I did post 2 in 1 week a few weeks back which makes up for one of those) for 6 months. I have to be honest, I didn’t think I would be able to do that. When I first started I got all excited and wrote about 5 blogs at once, flitting between them, finishing some, re-editing others and then forcing myself to wait to publish it until the following Tuesday. At that point I felt like I had set myself a release schedule that would be impossible to keep. It turns out though that I have. It’s funny what you can achieve when you set a target. A friend of mine (who takes live music requests on Twitch almost every day. Bonkers) set himself a challenge a few years back to write a song every week, record it, edit it and put it out on Youtube. He did it. 52 songs. Set the target, don’t give up. Simple.
At some point I’ll revisit some of the stuff I’ve talked about and see if I can measure how I’ve changed. But not today. Today I will batrep. (JARGON ALERT!!)
The preamble…
Getting back to the point. I played 2 games. Here I shall recount the first one (and if I remember once I’ve published the second one, I’ll come back here, change this text and put a link in. This of this as a placeholder for the future. Or something). Cai and I turned up to game night to find a few of the guys already around and the tables set up. A couple had already started games while some others were still milling about. I offered Alex a game.
Alex had a new list to try out which was a different style than he normally plays. Since starting to play early this year he has almost exclusively played Republic and more specifically Jedi. He’s very good with those repositioning force users and I’ve fallen foul of them several times. Today he was trying something different. Still Republic but this time it’s beef (JARGON ALERT!!).
What was more different for him was that the highest initiative he was running was 4 and with ships that couldn’t easily reposition. On the plus side (for him) he reads this blog and knows my list, how it works and what I’m trying to do with it. There is part of me that now thinks making this information public isn’t the best idea. Ah well, whatever!
Anyway, Alex’s list in full is:
“Wolffe” (50)
Crack Shot (1)
Clone Commander Cody (3)
Ship total: 54 Half Points: 27 Threshold: 5
“Matchstick” (43)
Ion Cannon Turret (5)
Veteran Turret Gunner (8)
Ship total: 56 Half Points: 28 Threshold: 4
“Broadside” (36)
Ion Cannon Turret (5)
Ship total: 41 Half Points: 21 Threshold: 4
Ahsoka Tano (47)
Calibrated Laser Targeting (2)
Ship total: 49 Half Points: 25 Threshold: 2
Total: 200
View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Galactic%20Republic&d=v8ZsZ200Z342X116WWW225WWY365XW138WW90WWWY364XW138WWWWWY276XWW200W&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron&obs=
And me? Unsurprisingly I’m unchanged. I did consider trying Predator on Jake instead of crack Shot just to try it out but when discussing it before the game I talked myself out of it. Mainly it’s because I think I’ve been struggling to shoot with Jake, let alone line up the bullseye and then the chance of doing that more than once is very very slim. Incidentally, I heard a similar discussion on a podcast this week (though I can’t remember which?!) discussing the maths behind both upgrades and quite simply the possibility of maybe re-rolling a blank into a hit doesn’t measure up to guaranteeing a damage.
So Crack Shot stays. I also consider dropping Rigged Cargo for an extra 4 point bid since I didn’t use it last week but kept it on more by default than anything. Maybe I just need to try harder to use it. Sounds like a challenge to me.
And so my list is:
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
Jake Farrell (36)
Crack Shot (1)
Outmaneuver (6)
Proton Rockets (7)
Ship total: 50 Half Points: 25 Threshold: 2
Total: 199
View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v8ZsZ200Z39X124WW77W54W165W157W96Y50X116W126W102&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron&obs=
I’m at 199 while Alex’s comes in at the full 200. Without really thinking about it I take first player to put down the first obstacle, completely missing the fact that we both have I4’s on the table. If I’d taken more time on that decision it would have been better to go second to move Jake after Alex’s I4’s. Instead I came to that realisation during turn 1. Oops.
The nitty gritty…
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Obstacles went down and ships followed to look like this.
We both start off a little cagey with Alex’s forces shuffling 1 forwards while both Jake and Dash take hard right turns.
Alex pushes the slower ships another 1 forwards while he starts to send Ahsoka towards the centre of the board.
For me both Jake and Dash push forwards, away from Alex’s forces and aiming to draw them into the obstacles.
Alex finally starts turning in with the slower ships while Ahsoka joins back up with the main force.
I continue my long trip around the board with Jake moving forwards and Dash starting to turn.
Finally, some action!
Alex moves his forces further into the middle of the board with Ahsoka looking to cover Dash if he attempts to bug out. We are still quite far apart though.
Jake takes a 2 forward and boosts to hand off a double focus while Dash 1 banks to straighten up. With a focus in the bank I attempt a Lock with Dash and (slightly unexpectedly) get one on Wolffe. We’re off!
Dash fires a 4 dice shot, gets 3 hits. Wolffe rolls 2 greens and gets blank, focus. He spends the focus to take just 2 hits.
Wolffe returns fire and with no mods left rolls… 2 hits. Dash rolls 3 greens and gets blank, blank, focus. Typical! I guess I came off best in that exchange but it doesn’t feel like it when I’ve still got 27 more health to take off the board.
Nobody else has any shots so we move to the next turn.
Alex tries to press the attack on Dash by turning in with Ahsoka and Wolffe while the Y-Wings weave through the obstacles.
Jake takes a hard turn and rolls to hand off another double focus. Still out of the fight but making a difference. I call the turn by Alex and Dash punches in a 4 forwards and, with the double focus already in hand takes the opportunity to drop the rigged cargo. Boom! Challenge complete!
Dash puts in a range 1 (so 1 less die) shot on Ahsoka and does 0 damage. Slippery Aethersprites! With the second Bistan shot I fire at Wolffe and this time get 3 hits past that single green die. Jake is still out of the fight so no shot.
Alex’s turn.
Wolffe is the only ship with a shot and takes the range 2 on Dash, getting 2 hits through. Stupid variance!
I know I’m still technically ahead in terms of damage done but percentage wise I’m taking more than I should be if I want to take some ships off the board that aren’t mine!
So with a rigged cargo to contend with, Alex has a tricky choice to make.
This turn is where my choice of initiative came in to play. If Jake moves AFTER Alex’s I4’s things would be much easier. Hindsight.
Ahsoka YOLO’s over the debris, uses Fine Tuned controls to reposition and links a focus to potentially block an escape by Jake. Broadside takes the long way around.
Jake takes a 2 hard turn in, rolls (getting a free focus) and boosts ready to potentially fire Proton Rockets at Wolffe but taking a stress in the process.
Matchstick turns in to the middle while Wolffe turns out towards Jake, getting blocked. Hmmm. There are pro’s and con’s for me here. Jake doesn’t have a shot but then also can’t be shot back by Wolffe. He’s also dodged Ahsoka but is in range for a shot from Matchstick (he’s just outside of range 2 for an ion shot from Broadside).
Dash takes a 1 hard turn, focuses up and takes aim.
Dash fires at Wolffe and it’s brutal. 2 crits 2 hits and Wolffe blanks out, taking down his last 4 health. 1 down. Who needs Prockets or Jake anyway? Dash fires a second shot at Ahsoka and unsurprisingly no damage gets through. Again.
Matchstick takes a shot at Jake and, against all odds, gets a hit through. I mean, it’s not all that unlikely, it just feels like it.
Now here’s a dilemma. What now? With Jake moving before Matchstick I still can’t arc dodge and lining up a bullseye will be impossible. But I should try.
Ahsoka turns in while Broadside swings around the rock to catch Jake in his side arc. Jake pulls out a 2 hard turn and rolls away (trying to get away from Broadside) and gets his own free focus.
Matchstick goes 2 forwards (not the 1 I was expecting), dodging Jake’s arc while catching him in his own side arc. Hmmm.
Dash continues to circle the fight with a 2 bank and double focus.
Dash shoots at Matchstick and with 1 shot strips his 3 shields. Not bad. Jake doesn’t have a shot so Matchstick returns fire.
Alex was a bit torn at this point. Fire at Jake range 1 (but Jake has more green dice) or Dash at range 2. He picks Dash and gets 2 hits with the Ion cannon. I blank out, meaning Dash takes 1 hit and 1 ion token. It’s at this point that Alex realises that Dash would need 3 ion tokens to be affected. He has the ‘decision regrets’.
Broadside can’t quite reach Jake for an ion shot and so we move on.
Alex takes Broadside 1 forwards but, by his own admission later, doesn’t really know what he’s doing with Broadside.
Ahsoka moves boldly in towards the middle.
Jake decides to disengage, taking a 4 forwards, roll, focus boost.
Matchstick also disengages (or tries to) with a 3 bank around the rock.
Dash slams over the debris (without a care in the world) with a 3 bank and takes a double focus. Ahsoka suddenly looks potentially rather well placed. Or badly placed, depending on your point of view. And on dice rolls.
Now I can’t quite remember what range this engagement was at. With how the results went I’m inclined to think it was range 2 but only just.
Dash takes the opportunity to fire on Ahsoka and finally, something gets through. 3 hits in fact. Taking Ahsoka to just 1 health. With a focus still in the bank to enable the Bistan shot, Dash shoots at Matchstick and puts a single hit through, taking him to half too.
Ahsoka shoots back and pushes 2 damage through onto Dash which now puts Dash at half points. Interesting.
I don’t remember doing this at the time but a quick scores tally puts Alex on 75 points (half of Dash) and me on 99 (Wolffe and half of Ahsoka). It’s pretty close. One more hit on Jake (who has lost 1 shield) would put Alex on 100.
So now what?
Well, Ahsoka takes a 4 K and then Fine Tune’s a boost in an attempt to block Dash. Broadside takes a hard right to try and do something while Matchstick hard turns to keep his side arc on Dash.
Jake takes a hard turn roll and boost to hide behind the rock. Dash, having expected the block, takes a 1 hard turn. Now, there’s a choice. sit in Ahsoka’s arc at range 1 (but not bullseye) with no shot on her (or maybe rotate arc for my action) or dodge it altogether with a red barrel roll. I plump for the roll. No focus this turn so only 1 shot but it still minimises the potential return shot. It’s a red action but I’ll deal with that later. Stress is just one more thing Dash doesn’t care about. Mostly.
Dash fires at Ahsoka. No damage. Those bloomin Aethersprites!!
Matchstick fires at Dash who is just barely in range 2 of his side arc and gets 1 more damage through.
Ahsoka fires at Jake who evades it and Broadside, well, he’s just chilling over by the board edge.
So as time is called (by my alarm) we plan the last turn.
Broadside turns in to hopefully get a shot on Jake.
Ahsoka turns and repositions to try for a block or shot on Dash.
Matchstick swings around the rock with arcs spread wide.
Jake takes a 2 bank towards Broadside and rolls to get bullseye and a focus. Yay!
Dash blasts 4 forwards, lands on the rigged cargo and (with the title ability) removes the stress to enable him to take a double focus.
Dash fires at Matchstick and gets 2 more damage on. Not enough to get any extra points though.
Dash takes a second shot at Broadside who is unmodded. 4 reds yield 3 hits and Alex blanks out, wiping out shields. Jake rolls for Proton Rockets and gets 4 hits. Broadside evades one but the damage is done and that’s half points on another ship.
Matchstick fires at Dash and misses. Ahsoka fires at Dash and (with no focus or Force left) misses. Broadside fires at Jake and gets a hit though, taking Jake to half points.
Totalling up at the end, Alex scored 75 points for half on Dash and half on Jake. I scored half on Ahsoka, Matchstick and Broadside while getting full points for Wolffe for a total of 128.
Conclusions…
So, another game another win. I don’t know how much I can conclude from this with Alex experimenting with a new list and style of ship. I think if we were to rematch after he’s had some more games with it then the outcome may be quite different.
As I mentioned at the start though it is another rep of this list and the more I play it, the more comfortable I feel with it. Knowing where I can go, what I can do with it and even eventually doing more damage with Jake! I won’t go on too much here since it’s already a long post and there’s another game for me to write up before I forget what happened!
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