The intro…
Hello and welcome to this week’s blog! It’s pretty action packed if you ask me (though I’m highly biased!) so I guess I should get started!
*Last minute edit* I know I don’t have to but I’m going to do it anyway. I’m sorry for being a day late! We took advantage of a random inset day for the boys and booked a hotel for a night away on Sunday evening. We went to London, met some friends, had food, watched a movie, went shopping and generally had fun spending quality time together. The blog is a day late but it was totally worth it!
I’ll kick off by giving a HUGE thank you to Levi Schadt!
Why am I thanking him? Well, as I mentioned last week, he has put together a ridiculously useful document with tips and tricks and links and stuff. We had a chat and he very kindly offered up the contents of the document to be published on here!
But it doesn’t end there! Not only has he taken on the editing and updating of several pages on the blog, he’s actually done it in a stupidly short amount of time! Seriously, I’ve been meaning to get some of the non-blog post pages on the site updated for months now.
So, there’s been a HUGE overhaul on the Player Resources and Dylan’s Picks pages, a good number of updates on the Jargon Buster and, the pièce de résistance , a NEW PAGE!
Yes, some of the content in Levi’s document was so good (and detailed!) that it needed its own page – Tips and Tricks!
It’s full of little titbits of X-Wing knowledge, some of it very publicly known (like the rule of 11) and others perhaps less so (like how to set up at 22.5 degrees or that a bank turn won’t EVER hit an object that’s not inside its firing arc).
Levi, I honestly can’t thank you enough for your work on this page. You’re a total hero!
XTC Update…!?
Ok, I left last week on a little bit of a cliff hanger. That was partly down to adding some tension but mostly down to not actually having full confirmation.
But now I do.
Let’s go from the beginning…
On the last Saturday of the XTC group stage we won our match against Ireland 4-1 and having come one Direct Hit from winning it 5-0.
Had we won 5-0 we’d have had the same win/loss record as Ireland (12 wins, 8 losses). Since there’s no Strength of Schedule in round robin style events (because everyone plays everyone).- The second tie breaker would have been the head to head result which, having just beaten Ireland, we would have won.
So yes, Had Steve Boulton not drawn a Direct Hit on Lulo in the last turn of the game, it’s entirely possible that we’d have defied the odds (and the predictions, I’m looking at you Oli Pocknell and Liam Baker!) and qualified for the finals in second place.
Still, having started poorly and brought ourselves that close I was incredibly proud of the team. Not just how they’d played but how well we all supported each other in the highs and lows as we’d progressed through the group.
But then I got a message. Rich Polley, Sith Taker Podcast host and Team Ireland captain, got in touch with me.
I had to sit on this information for TWO WHOLE DAYS while Rich went around his team before I could talk to my team about it. That wasn’t fun.
It turned out that everyone could, with some juggling of things, make it.
A few days, much speculation and a lot of gifs and memes later and we got the news that it was confirmed…
WE MADE THE FINALS!!!
Given the teams who HAVENT made it through (Spain, Poland, Pirates, Netherlands, the list goes on and on!) it still feels a bit bonkers. Of course, what this does mean is more homework (finalising lists, rating matchups) and one crazy weekend with 9 rounds of X-Wing.
How will we do? That’s anyone’s guess really. A LOT of rounds haven’t gone as expected in many of the groups so I think it becomes difficult to predict. Still, we will do our very best!
The batrep… (JARGON ALERT!!)
Alrighty then, time for a game!
Being that life is moving at 1000mph at the moment I am STILL running my Resistance list because repacking my bag just doesn’t seem to happen.
L’ulo L’ampar (4)
Marksmanship (1)
Predator (3)
Shield Upgrade (8)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (12/12) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 2
Jessika Pava (4)
M9-G8 (5)
Electronic Baffle (2)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (7/7) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 3
Temmin Wexley (4)
Heroic (2)
Ferrosphere Paint (3)
R6-D8 (4)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (9/9) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 3
Ello Asty (4)
Swarm Tactics (5)
Heroic (2)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Jamming Beam (1)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 3
Zorii Bliss (4)
Dorsal Turret (2)
R4 Astromech (2)
Wartime Loadout (2)
Plasma Torpedoes (5)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (11/11) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 20
View in YASB 2: https://yasb.app/?f=Resistance&d=v9ZhZ20Z239X125W127WW165Y296XW197W106W175WY297X172W198W359WWW175WY299X132W172WWWW175W12Y477XWW137W5WWWW409W234W&sn=XTC23%20-%20STEVE%20BOULTON%20-%20WALES%20-%20RESISTANCE&obs=coreasteroid0,coreasteroid5,core2asteroid0
I’m not going into detail on the list or what it does as I’ve covered it a lot recently. Suffice to say, it likes punching things.
On arriving at Firestorm there were a few of us around and, since I’ve played the senior Boulton twice in a row, it only seems fitting I should take on the junior one!
Alex has been running a really neat list of late and I was looking forward to going against it.
Han Solo (7)
Trick Shot (4)
Perceptive Copilot (8)
Bistan (8)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (20/20) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 6
Lando Calrissian (7)
Hopeful (1)
K-2SO (6)
Nien Nunb (5)
Agile Gunner (1)
False Transponder Codes (5)
Engine Upgrade (3)
Millennium Falcon (0)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (21/21) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 6
“Leebo” (YLF) (6)
Trick Shot (4)
Mag-Pulse Warheads (4)
Rigged Cargo Chute (3)
False Transponder Codes (5)
Outrider (0)
Ship Cost: 6 Loadout: (16/16) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 5
Total: 20
HOLY COW there’s a lot going on here. Three large bases, two trick shots, two false transponders, free actions all over the place. Madness!
First and easiest is Han. A pretty standard build. Then Lando with K-2SO for free calculates as well as Lando’s ability and then a YT-2400! Yes, it’s Leebo and not Dash but still, it’s lovely to see one on the table! Leebo will be infinitely calculating while also toting a missile and will punt 5 dice at me if obstructed at range 3. One to avoid then.
Time for some Pre-Flight checks:
Scenario – Assault at the Satellite Array
Target/Objective Priority – A ship. Any ship. Take one off the board ASAP. Probably Leebo since he definitely won’t be moving after me.
Obstacles – This is tricky. Two Trick Shots plus Han’s ability would mean a wide spread of rocks is best but three large bases kinda wants narrow lanes hard to navigate. Eesh.
Deployment – Normally a block with Lulo flanking but since I ‘win’ ROAD, Jess goes down first. The rest will be a response to Leebo’s position.
We place objectives, obstacles and ships and we’re ready to go!
Now, as I’m writing this it’s almost midnight and the blog is already over 12 hours later than usual so I’m going to try and keep this relatively brief.
Aside from Jess being way out of position (slightly unavoidable due to ROAD but still…), I’m relatively happy with deployment here. I should be able to hit Leebo without him getting the range 3 Trick Shot 5 dice banger since his angle makes it unlikely he’s turning in. Lando will help him with action efficiency but Han will likely be out of the way for a little while which I’m fine with.
I do think that I’ve made a bit of a mistake here already. I should have angled Jess in towards my other ships. A 3 bank would have put her next to Temmin and then next turn she can 4 straight & boost over the top to put her in front of everyone. AS it is, I’ve pretty much committed her to go around the big central rock.
The first engagement isn’t ideal for me. Ello is too far out but Lulo, Zorii and Temmin sort of make up for it by producing almost all paint on each attack. Leebo’s dice are a little shaky and I end up stripping shields and putting 1 damage to hull. In exchange, Lando and Leebo take 4 of Zorii’s shields.
The next turn is… eventful.
I commit to the kill on Leebo but overshoot with Temmin as Alex sends Leebo right into my face. Lulo turns at Lando and rotates to rear to catch Leebo while Ello bumps into the back of Zorii.
Lando jumps teh rock to come into the middle while Jess, attepting to block Han onto the rock, blasts forwards but just ends up squarely between the two YT-1300’s
No mods? No problem. Ello rolls 4 prefect dice into Leebo who, after Zorii’s range 0 shot and Lulo’s rear arc shot, bites the dust.
Lando puts a little more damage into Zorii while Jess trades shots with Han. Overall, it’s looking pretty positive right now!
Aaaaand I spoke too soon.
Ello’s while Talon Roll (JARGON ALERT!!) means he only has a range 3 shot into Lando while Temmin’s 2 turn puts him closer tot eh rock than I expected meaning he can’t boost. In turn that means that Lulo bumps Temmin, takes a damage and, crucially, can’t rotate his arc.
Balls.
Han can finally roll dice at 2 targets, putting some more damage into Zorii (including a rather important Panicked Pilot crit) but also hitting Ello pretty hard. Lando follows up on Ello too and he’s down to 3 hull. Ouch.
Lando is now a couple of shields down but is very much leaving the fight. I’m going to have to get better position than this to take Han out.
Another turn, another misjudgement with Temmin that ends up costing Lulo. I get Jess out of the way only for her to not be able to shoot. Temmin bumps Han and Lulo hits the back of Temmin. Again. Ello talons again while Zorii is bravely running away. Somewhat in vain though as Han chases her down.
Just two shots in to Han here (again) and while they’re decent, his return shots are also pretty tasty, leaving both Zorrii and Lulo on 1 hull each.
Lando fires at Ello from long range and it’s also brutal, taking him out.
Oh dear.
Having been 12-6 up, the loss of Ello plus being an objective down brings Alex right back into it, just 1 point behind me as he claims 2 objectives to my 1.
It’s all on this last turn.
I could lose Zorii and Lulo here, giving up 8 points. If I kill Han (who has 4 hull remaining) then it doesn’t matter since I’ll score 7 plus I’ll claim an objective xto win me the game.
Han. Must. Die
I rather overthink Zorii’s move here, opting to turn right instead of left, hoping that Alex turns right and needs to either boost or rotate (and therefore can’t Bistan). But alas, Alex guesses correctly and focuses.
At least he isn’t range 1 of a rock. Maybe he’ll whiff? (JARGON ALERT!!)
Han fires at Zorii. It’s 4 paint out of hand. He spends the focus and Zorii dies.
Ok. No problem.
Han takes his second shot. Range 3 at unstressed Lulo who has a focus.
He rolls 3 dice. It’s all paint out of hand. He spends for 3 hits.
I roll FOUR green dice for Lulo. One. Paint. Lulo dies.
Ok, so I’ve now got 2 shots into Han. A range 2 from Temmin with one reroll from Jess’ bullseye (but no focus since he had to Talon roll) and Jess has a range 1 shot with 1 reroll from Temmin being at range 1 of her but with no focus as she boosted- to dissuade Han from being there.
Temmin rolls 3 dice. 2 hits, 1 blank. He rerolls the blank into… another blank. Balls! Han rolls 1 evade.
It’s all on Jess. She MUST do 3 damage. She rolls 4 dice. It’s 2 hits, one blank and one eyeball. She spends her charge and rerolls the blank into… a hit!
Han rolls…. 1 evade. He lives! Bah!
Final result: 14 – 22 loss
The conclusion…
Wow, that was bonkers. Early on it looked like I was going to take this and with some degree of safety as Leebo went down and I had punched a little damage into Lando.
Once Alex cycled his YT-1300’s though it became much closer as my dice cooled and Alex’s warmed up, culminating in that crazy exchange in the end.
A really exciting game and a very enjoyable one too!
In the end, Jess being out of formation ended up being a MASSIVE factor here. The extra shots into Leebo early on and then being able to better focus fire- would have maybe sealed Han’s fate as well. Still, lessons learned and experience gained! Of course, putting Temmin in Lulo’s way TWICE didn’t really hemp me either!
That’s it from me for today. I will just give a little notice though, there won’t be a blog next week. I’ve got another bonkers busy weekend coming up plus I won’t be able to make it to casual night this week so between all that plus prep for the XTC finals I’m going to take a week off and get ready for a mega post off the back of XTC!
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you back here in two weeks time!
The outro…
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