In one of my previous posts (here) I talked about ways to get better at X-Wing and among those was self reflection. Being able to look back at a game and honestly and objectively assess what you could change to alter the outcome (because let’s be honest, most people are not doing this after a win).
Since I’m using this blog to track my own development and history and also because I find that I’m better able to coherently construct my thoughts when putting them down on (virtual) paper I’ve decided to do this here.
Also, this week I lost and losses make me sad (to an acceptably proportionate level. I mean, I’m not losing sleep or anything. I’m fine. Seriously.)
In recent games that I’ve played, having decided to fully invest in playing Dash Rendar (in a YT-2400) and (inset other ship(s) here) I have found myself asking a question. But first, a prologue.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I love flying Dash. I’m *pretty* sure I’ve decided on my preferred build for him (Outrider title, Trick Shot, Perceptive Co-Pilot, Bistan gunner weighing in at a hefty 138 points) but am still fully undecided on what to use the other 62 points for and, for the most part, I enjoy the games I play with him, win or lose.
Question Time
So, here is the question – should I still fly him when I know it’s bad?
Ok, maybe bad is not the appropriate word here. Let me give some back story.
A few weeks ago I played against Peter, one of the guys at my FLGS. He was trying out a new list he had put together. I can’t remember the result (I *think* I won but if so it was close and it’s entirely possible that I didn’t) but it was definitely an interesting and close game.
Here’s my list:
Dash Rendar (98)
Trick Shot (4)
Bistan (14)
Perceptive Copilot (8)
Outrider (14)
Ship total: 138 Half Points: 69 Threshold: 5
Norra Wexley (Y-Wing) (41)
Ion Cannon Turret (5)
R2 Astromech (3)
Spare Parts Canisters (4)
Veteran Turret Gunner (8)
Ship total: 61 Half Points: 31 Threshold: 4
Total: 199
His list was:
“Deathfire” (34)
Barrage Rockets (8)
Seismic Charges (3)
Ship total: 45 Half Points: 23 Threshold: 3
Tomax Bren (36)
Swarm Tactics (4)
Barrage Rockets (8)
Seismic Charges (3)
Ship total: 51 Half Points: 26 Threshold: 3
Captain Jonus (43)
Swarm Tactics (3)
Barrage Rockets (8)
Ship total: 54 Half Points: 27 Threshold: 3
Major Vynder (41)
Crack Shot (1)
Fire-Control System (2)
Ion Torpedoes (6)
Os-1 Arsenal Loadout (0)
Ship total: 50 Half Points: 25 Threshold: 4
Total: 200
Afterwards we briefly discussed the game and his list and the fact that he wanted to do some more tweaking to it and try again against my list.
This week we knew we would both be at game night and so I threw down the gauntlet in the group chat and offered up the rematch. I hadn’t had any table time since that game but I felt like I had a preferred wing-man for Dash (Norra Wexley in a Y-Wing, so wing-woman) and had flown the list on Fly Casual quite a bit to make sure I had a half way reasonable strategy.
Here’s Peter’s new list:
“Deathfire” (34)
Cluster Missiles (5)
Seismic Charges (3)
Ship total: 42 Half Points: 21 Threshold: 3
Tomax Bren (36)
Swarm Tactics (4)
Cluster Missiles (5)
Seismic Charges (3)
Ship total: 48 Half Points: 24 Threshold: 3
Captain Jonus (43)
Swarm Tactics (3)
Cluster Missiles (5)
Seismic Charges (3)
Ship total: 54 Half Points: 27 Threshold: 3
Major Vynder (41)
Composure (1)
Fire-Control System (2)
Ion Torpedoes (6)
Advanced SLAM (3)
Os-1 Arsenal Loadout (0)
Ship total: 53 Half Points: 27 Threshold: 4
Total: 197
It went…..not great.
Sadly no pictures this time but I’ll summarise it as best I can. Peter quickly started using the Seismic Charges to wipe out obstacles and actually damaged me with them twice (which wasn’t his intention, just a bonus) and once Norra got hit with the first Ion Missile from Vynder she got stuck in an ion/bump kill box and even her free evade didn’t help for long.
In the end I had destroyed Tomax Bren and Deathfire (with my last shot of the game) and apparently (although I can’t work it out from what I remember of the list) scored 120 points while my list was totally destroyed.
I think my strategy had been ok (get rid of the Initiative 5 with swarm tactics and then try to stop the obstacles being eliminated) but Peter had basically achieved his goals first (start knocking out obstacles to remove Dash’s advantage and ). We didn’t have a clock running but I did have a deadline for leaving that happened to give us 75 mins for the game and we finished at almost exactly that time.
Initially I was a bit annoyed at losing but having had some time to think it over I’ve certainly lost games worse than this and with a ‘better’ list.
I mean, I’m very sure Peter didn’t tech against my specific list (nobody else flies Dash so why would he?!) but it certainly felt like it due to the Seismic Charges doing their job so well. My main strategy both for damage output and defence is to hang out behind rocks and throw lots of red dice twice per turn with Dash (and Bistan gunner) and removing the obstacles definitely hurt that. I think that in this game having a cagey opening with slow approach gave Pete time to start destroying obstacles. Probably need to think about that in future.
Question Time: Reloaded
So…
Maybe a better (but longer and less catchy) question is this: when I have a choice of lists available, should I intentionally pick a list that I recognise is a bad match-up?
So with knowledge of the list and with other lists already prepped in my case should I have:
a) played Dash cos he da man (well, to me and actually not really against this list)
b) recognised this as a bad match-up and (since it was a casual game) used a different list to try and win?
I normally carry 2/3 lists in my case and on this occasion I did have everything I needed to fly what I call my Rebel 4’s list (as discussed here). I’m still working on how best to fly it but I think it may have performed better against Peter’s list.
Now on this occasion I had already agreed to fly this list as Peter wanted to try his hand against it a second time and see how he fared so the choice, while still there, wasn’t perhaps as obvious as it sounds. If you take that consideration away I suppose it comes down to a more basic point.
Why am I playing? Am I playing for fun or am I playing to win? Do I want to take the easy route (if anyone knows what that is, could you let me know? Jedi/Imp aces don’t suit my play style!) or do I want to push myself to get better with the list I have?
Inconclusive Conclusions
Clearly I do not have a solid answer for for many of these questions. Part of me thinks I should be able to get good enough with this list (or whatever variation of it I finally settle on) to at least challenge, if not beat, any list out there against a similar level player to myself. I’ve played Peter a lot of times and I *think* we’ve come out fairly even over the games we’ve played. I think perhaps part of my issue is the variation in lists I’m facing combined with the amount of table time I’m getting. For example, I could play this list against a TIE swarm one week (the 6 ship swarm tactics version) and then not play against it again for 2 months or if the points changes drastically, maybe ever. How am I supposed to get better at facing it if I hardly ever practice that?
Maybe I’m over thinking things. Maybe I’m taking it too seriously. Maybe I should just chill out and enjoy pushing plastic space ships around and rolling dice.
Maybe I should just look at how much time I can/could/do put into this hobby that I enjoy and set my expectations accordingly.
Wow, this reflection is getting deep!
When it comes down to it, I like this ship, I like the style and want to see what happens if I put the time in to be better with it. I already know I’m not a ‘pick up any list and start smashing things’ kind of player. I’m ok with that. I need time to figure out best strategy, remember triggers, judge different base size for manoeuvres.
So, I guess, I’m ok with how things are going. No need for massive overhaul of list or strategy. On the day o think that Peter simply played better than I did.
So after all this typing, was there any point? Well, after writing it all out and thinking things over I feel more at peace with myself so for me, yes.
For you? Well, I can’t really say. I may have enlightened you in how to process your thoughts following a bad result. On the other hand I may just have wasted 10 minutes of your day. Sorry!
