The intro…
Hello and welcome to this week’s blog!
I’ll admit that there’s not a hue amount of X-Wing news for this week*. There’s been a few events recently but in all honesty I’ve not paid all that much attention to what’s going, mostly because things are busy at work and home but also because of today’s main subject matter.
*ok, fine. Since I wrote that and then things at work conspired to prevent me from posting on time, there has, in fact, been some news.
Yes, the XWA now has a head of playtesting and the feedback form is live! The XWA continues to impress in how it’s handling running the game as a community effort. I would encourage anyone who is using XWA points to fill it out. The points look good so far but as they’re technically still in beta information from the feedback can be used to inform further points decisions. And let’s face it, that’s pretty cool.
Alright, short detour over, lets get to it, shall we?
XTC Upd…. The batrep… (JARGON ALERT!!)
Yes, today will be about the XTC!
For those who don’t know, the XTC is a global team X-Wing event where countries are represented and try to qualify through a group stage to reach the finals and become the best team in the world. Think of it as the FIFA World Cup of X-Wing.
I’m the captain of the Welsh team and have been for the past 3 tournaments now.
One thing that I’ve tended to to each year is to put myself down as a substitute rather than as one of the main faction players. There are three main reasons for this.
Firstly, the time. Being captain involves setting the pairings each week with the respective captains of the teams we play. On top of this there’s various admin work, making sure that matches are arranged in good order and making sure that I’m generally available for questions or rules things or whatever. It’s also rather stressful waiting for each result to come through!
Secondly, the time. On the whole I do actual X-Wing once a week on a Wednesday at casual night. Outside of that night the only thing I normally do is write the blog which, by its nature, can be done in several different sessions as and when I have the time. Unlike a game of X-Wing. In order to maintain a happy and healthy marriage and relationship with my kids I mostly don’t play online unless I’ve gone a while without in-person play.
Thirdly, the opportunity. Getting involved in XTC is a big commitment and so if I’m asking someone I feel they deserve the opportunity to be fully involved. With the other factors mixed in, I feel like it’s best for me to be a sub and let others enjoy the full XTC experience.
That said, I do like to sub in for a game during the group stage. Ideally I’d like everyone to have at least one game. This past weekend my wife was workng away and so, while I’d normally wait for the last week or cover someone being absent, I saw a chance to get a game and asked my players if anyone had any scheduling issues or maybe just wanted a week off.
Mark Packer-Hughes duly obliged and so I would be flying our Resistance list against the US Islands’ Empire.
Now, while I am familiar with Empire, our list isn’t exactly something I’m totally familiar with…
(DISCLAIMER – as official AMG points have changed since XTC started, these links are using the OLD AMG points which is what XTC is continuing with)
Lando Calrissian – Scavenged YT-1300 (7)
C-3PO (Resistance) (7)
Rey (10)
Contraband Cybernetics (3)
Rey’s Millennium Falcon (0)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (20/20) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 5
Ello Asty – T-70 X-wing (5)
Marksmanship (1)
Heroic (2)
R6-D8 (4)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Jamming Beam (1)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (8/12) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 3
Shasa Zaro – BTA-NR2 Y-wing (3)
Dorsal Turret (2)
Wartime Loadout (2)
Concussion Missiles (5)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (9/6) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 4
Lega Fossang – BTA-NR2 Y-wing (3)
Diamond-Boron Missiles (5)
Wartime Loadout (2)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (7/6) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 4
Corus Kapellim – BTA-NR2 Y-wing (3)
Dorsal Turret (2)
Wartime Loadout (2)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (8/7) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 20
Ello I know, Falcon I know and Y-Wings? Well, I’ve flown Zorii a fair bit. So moving ships around is fine. The complication is the abilities. There’s a good amount of triggers to stay on top of though between Lando and the Y-Wings.
Thankfully I managed to re-pack my bag and got an in-person practice game in against Steve Boulton (who was using the list he’d be flying against later that week). That game went well for me which was nice. The following day I played a second practice game on TTS against James Humphery (our other sub player) with Mark in attendance as an observer. James was using the list I’d be facing in the real game.
That one went less well. It was close though and gave me cause to re-think my original game plan.
I was going to be playing against Alan Camacho who was flying this:
Rear Admiral Chiraneau – VT-49 Decimator (7)
Ruthless (1)
Death Troopers (4)
Darth Vader (12)
Agile Gunner (1)
Electronic Baffle (2)
Dauntless (0)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (20/10) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 8
Tomax Bren (TBE) – TIE/sa Bomber (4)
True Grit (TBE) (0)
Plasma Torpedoes (0)
Ion Bombs (0)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (0) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 3
“Vizier” – TIE Reaper (4)
Emperor Palpatine (12)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (12/10) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Lieutenant Lorrir – TIE/in Interceptor (4)
Lone Wolf (3)
Targeting Computer (1)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (4/13) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
Major Rhymer – TIE/sa Bomber (4)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Seismic Charges (3)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (7/10) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 3
Total: 20
My initial plan had been to basically rush RAC. He’s expensive and between his main gun and Vader crew puts out a good amount of damage. I’d use Lando to double mod an initial salvo from the Y’s while Ello would jam off the reinforce. In the game against James it didn’t really go that way and I mainly managed to stay outside of range for Vader and picked off bombers.
As we discussed the game afterwards I started to think about just how much damage, even in the very best case, I could put into RAC and while I could probably take him out in 2 rounds of fire it would mean he gets to fire twice (probably at good range for him). I’d definitely lose at least 1 Y-Wing, possibly two by the time RAC was dead. That’s a 1 point trade up for me but would put me at a disadvantage in numbers and in future damage output against what would be left.
The thing is, could I do the game without engaging him?
Let’s see shall we?
First up, let’s get those Pre-Flight checks:
Scenario – Salvage Mission
Target/Objective Priority – Get some boxes and hopefully pick off some ships early with double modded shots
Obstacles – avoid allowing lanes for RAC to sail through is vital but while still allowing room for Lando to stay relevant. Tricky.
Deployment – Being that the Y-Wings are low initiative they kinda need to stay central and then place Ello and Lando accordingly.
One thing that was clear fromt he practice game was that, with 2 ships each at i5, the ROAD roll would be pretty important.
We placed everything and were ready to start.
I was first player. That was not ideal. My plan had been to use Ello to scare off Lorrir while Lando banked left to stay around the edges of the obstacles. Looking at RAC’s position he’d be able to head into the middle fairly soon and threaten big damage into the Y-Wings. Eeesh.
I went 1 straight with everyone except Ello who went 4 straight and boosted. Alan sent Vizier and the bombers straight as well as Lorrir (who bendy barrel rolled) while RAC slowly banked in behind the bombers.
I don’t love Lando’s position here. I could hard turn out but leaving the Y-Wings without Lando being range 2 for the shenanigans is just not acceptable. He will go 1 straight and pick up the bottom left box. I’m wary of going too fast with the Y’s but want to get them where they can bank right if needs be. I opt for the 1 straight and Lega will pick up a box.
Ello will bank slowly and pick up as well.
Annoyingly I forgot to screenshot this turn but Lorrir hard turned at Ello and focused, Vizier banks left and manages to get range to claim the middle objective.
Rhymer and Tomax both 3 bank and leave space for RAC to bank in behind them again.
The shooting this turn was, well, rather one sided.
Ello shoots at Lorrir unmodded and does nothing and when Lorrir shoots back it’s a full string of paint with a crit that forces Ello to drop his crate. Ouch.
On the other side, Tomax and Rhymer both shoot at Corus and take 3 shields while I’ve missed arc so have no return shot.
Yuck.
Even with Ello dropping I’ve got 2 boxes to Alan’s 1 so I’m ahead.
The next turn is a bit bonkers.
Corus banks fast, hoping to get the bump on Tomax. Vizier then ailerons right and goes 3 straight right at my ships. Lego goes 1 straight which bumps Vizier but the 3 bank with Shasa clears. Woo!
Rhymer and Tomax go straight which confses me as I’d assumed RAC would carry on straight towards me. He didn’t. He hard turned, presenting his flank to me.
Lando then hard turns in and does the nonsense from the Y-Wings to all be double modded.
I struggled with Ello, knowing that Lorrir would want to pick up the box he made me drop. The question was, do I white Talon roll (JARGON ALERT!!) and try to shoot him? Or do I forget about him and head in to the middle. I went for the latter. And it was the right choice.
That turn was brutal. First off, Ello doesn’t have arc on RAC for the jamming beam. Balls. I put 4 shots into RAC which strips shields, gives a Hull Breach crit, a Weapons Failure and leaves him on 5 hull. Not bad. There’s also 2 damage onto Tomax from Corus using Cluster missiles on RAC. Very not bad.
In response I lose 2 shields on Shasa, 3 on Lega (and drop the box) and Corus goes down to just 1 hull.
No ships died though but Alan now has 1 more box than I do which leaves us at 3 points each.
I need to kill RAC and quickly.
Now the bombs start dropping.
I talon roll with Ello now to prevent RAC escaping but he’s gone slow anyway, meaning he will eat his own ion bomb. Corus will take it as well but if he isn’t getting shot he doesn’t care.
Lorrir has come in slowly and sits close to Lando but is rather close to the debris for next turn. Lega and Shasa both turn at RAC but it doesn’t go as well as I’d have liked.
Lando bumps into Lega which prevents me doing any actions. Ouch.
Alan goes all-in on Lando here and brings him down to 2 hull as my green dice blank out repeatedly.
Worse than that, though, even with the Hull Breach in play, Shasa has missed arc on RAC but even with three other range 1 shots, I only manage to do 3 more damage to the Deci, leaving him on 2 hull. Crucial.
Ello tags Lorrir and makes him drop the box which helps but is it enough?
The time is very low so it’s clear the next turn is the last.
Given Lando’s position he’s very likely to die. I can kill RAC and quite likely Lorrir. Is that enough?
Corus banks and focuses. Shasa banks left and focuses. Lega bumps RAC and red focuses. Vizier has 1-slooped (JARGON ALERT!!) while Rhymer has done a 3-k but also dropped a seismic. Lando is nervous.
Tomax had bumped into Londo and took a red focus. He also dropped an ion bomb.
The seismic explodes and Lando, Vizier and Tomax all take a hit. That leaves Lando on 1 and Tomax on 3.
RAC shoots Lando and Lando dies. Ok. Not unepected. Tomax shoots Ello and spends his focus for 2 hits. Ello is fine.
Lando shoots Tomax, range 1 with calculate and a Force and…. it’s 2 hits and 2 blanks. Tomax rolls and takes 2, leaving him on 1 hull.
Ello shoots and Lorrir dies.
And then… I’m out of shots. Tomax lives and Alan has 2 boxes and I’ve got none.
Final score: 13 – 14 loss
The conclusion…
Wow. That was close. In the end, on reflection, I think it was, at one point, my game to lose and while there was a bit of bad luck with my dice and the damage output, it was my decision to bank with Corus and/or not rotate with Shasa and get arc on Tomax that cost me. Leaving Tomax on 1 hull and holding no boxes in that last turn are what swung it.
To be fair Alan played a good game and while he objectively shouldn’t have spent Tomax’s focus on that shot into Ello in that last turn, the seismic bomb from Rhymer and his play with Lorrir in general put him in a good spot to get the win.
It also helped that he was lovely to play against!
So, what did that mean for XTC?
XTC Update…
Sadly it was the deciding game for the round with the US Islands already being 3 – 1 up when we started. After Kevin getting us on the board early in the week, Elliott did pick up a win on Sunday evening to pull one back but we finished at 2 – 5 and the US Islands took the round.
While Elliott was doing that, I was online with captain of Germany (and world champ!) Illy doing pairings for week 3.
Being that I’m a bit late getting this out we have actually played 3 games already and we are currently 2 – 1 up! Can we keep it going? Time will tell I suppose!
If you’re interested in keeping up to date with group D then you can check the Longshanks link here.
That’s it from me this week, I’ll be back next week with some more!
The outro…
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