The intro…
Welcome to this week’s blog!
There’s not really much in the way of general X-Wing news
LAST SECOND EDIT!!! Crikey. Just as I’m getting ready to publish, AMG releases images from the upcoming Hotshots and Aces 2 pack which includes…. TYCHO CELCHU! AND CORRAN HORN IN AN X-WING… WITH THE FORCE!!!!!
I grew up (ok, fine, turned 18-20ish) on the X-Wing Rogue Squadron books and having these things really connects me to Star Wars and pulls on my nostalgia very heavily. I really can’t wait for this pack to release!
I’ll probably write a bit more on this next week once I’ve got my brain together and have had some time to look over things properly. Ok, back to the regularly scheduled programming!
There’s not really much in the way of general X-Wing news but, straight off the back of the event I’ll be talking about today, I want to let you know about the next tournament at Firestorm Games in Newport!
Yes, we’ll be having a 4 round swiss tournament (with NO cut) on Saturday the 26th of November. Tickets will be available from Firestorm’s The Battlefields website and will go live TOMORROW (at time of publishing, anyway, that’s Weds the 28th of Sep). In the meantime event info can be found on the Facebook event page (the ticket link will go up there once live too).
We have a set of Louis Leong’s BEAUTIFUL Holocron metal objective tokens as participation prizes (yes, EVERYONE will get AT LEAST 1 of them!) plus some of our own Exiled theme swag and, of course, a trophy for the winner!
It would be awesome if you’re able to make it to our last event of 2022!
Alright, there’s a LOT to talk about in terms of games this week so let’s dive straight in!
The preamble…
In case you’ve not been reading my recent posts (no judgement here!), there’s a fair amount of backstory as to how I ended up playing with sort of almost partially retired Dan ‘Eggs’ Xuereb as my partner which I won’t go into again because it’ll just take too long! Check out this post if you are interested.
We also needed to provide a team name and so we went with – Eggsiles. You see what we did there….?
So, the premise of the tournament is this:
Players in each team must use the same faction and are not allowed to duplicate any unique cards or exceed limited limits between squads. For example if using CIS they would only be able to use a maximum of 3 fearsome predators between both squads, or if using imperials only one of the 2 players could use Darth Vader.
So essentially we a playing a 40 point squad cut neatly into two halves.
In terms of the games themselves, each team’s score would be added together. So for example if the scores went like this:
Team A Player 1 21 – 13 Team B Player 1
Team A Player 2 17 – 16 Team B Player 2
Then Team A win overall by 38 – 29
But let’s say it was:
Team A Player 1 20 – 19 Team B Player 1
Team A Player 2 12 – 16 Team B Player 2
The even though there was a win for each team, the total mission points give Team B a 35 – 32 win.
Got it? Alright.
Now, what were we going to fly?
After a LOT of changing of partners in the build up, I’d been prepping Imperials to fly with my son Cai. After Cai dropped out I carried on with the list and as it happened, Dan had been looking at an Imperial list that would fit with mine (i.e. he was already using unique cards that I wasn’t going to be using) and so we ran with this:
(My list)
Captain Oicunn (7)
Trick Shot (4)
Seventh Sister (9)
Agile Gunner (3)
Seismic Charges (3)
Dauntless (0)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (19/19) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 8
“Howlrunner” (4)
Swarm Tactics (5)
Disciplined (2)
Targeting Computer (1)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 1
“Mauler” Mithel (3)
Disciplined (2)
Jamming Beam (0)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (2/4) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
“Scourge” Skutu (3)
Disciplined (2)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (2/3) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
Iden Versio (3)
Disciplined (2)
Heavy Laser Cannon (4)
Precision Ion Engines (2)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
(Dan’s List)
Darth Vader (TIE Defender) (9)
Malice (4)
Juke (6)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Ship Cost: 9 Loadout: (14/14) Half Points: 4 Damage Threshold: 3
Moff Gideon (3)
Ruthless (1)
XX-23 S-Thread Tracers (4)
False Transponder Codes (3)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
ISB Jingoist (2)
False Transponder Codes (3)
Ship Cost: 2 Loadout: (3/3) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
ISB Jingoist (2)
False Transponder Codes (3)
Ship Cost: 2 Loadout: (3/3) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
“Vizier” (4)
Emperor Palpatine (12)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (12/12) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 40
With regards to my list, I debated over Crack Shot vs Disciplined on Scourge but in the end I felt they were much of a muchness. If Howlrunner dies first (a distinct possibility) then Disciplined still gives me locks for mods once she’s gone. The biggest issue that I’ve experienced in my last few games with it is my TIEs simply dying to shots you’d sort of expect them to survive.
For example, this is what I rolled on my green dice in two consecutive attacks in the same turn, one a range 2 shot, one a range 3:
One. Paint.
These weren’t isolated incidents either and I lost 3 of my 4 TIEs in two consecutive engagements. Feels. Bad.
Still, if I’m taking low health, 3 agility ships then I guess I should be expecting these worst case scenarios.
Now feels like a good time to go over my tournament expectations:
- My primary goal in a tournament is to have fun.
- My minimum expectation of myself is to be a good opponent.
- My hope is to break even.
- My dream is to make the cut (or, with no cut, win?!)
So with prep all done (well, a few more reps might have been nice!), it was time to rock up to Firestorm and throw some dice around!
The batrep(s)… (JARGON ALERT!!)
With tables all sorted and (most) players unpacked, Dan and I waited for the first set of pairings to be announced.
Ok then, let’s get on with the show!
Game 1 – Assault at the Satellite Array
vs
Better Womp Rats – Dan Barringer and Chris Fraser
In the first round pairings choice would be made by ROAD roll with the team who win the roll being able to pick which list they each face.
Dan managed to lose his first roll (a good start eh!) which gave Dan B and Chris the choice. Dan chose to have a ‘Dan off’ vs Dan Eggs while I would face Chris’s list.
Chris and I have played before, around 2 years ago when covid was starting to receed and we all played in masks! What I specifically remember from that game is that it was all going spectacularly (and embarrassingly) in my favour until I accidentally 4K’d (JARGON ALERT!!) a full health Ghost off the table and eventually lost. Not exactly one of my finest moments but it was a very fun game nonetheless and one we both remember vividly!
Anyway, what nonsense was he flying today? (My apologies, I didn’t get a record of Chris’ full list here so I’ve done what I can remember and filled in a few blanks. Chris, if you’re reading and it’s wrong, let me know and I’ll update it!
Darth Vader (TIE Defender) (9)
Malice (4)
Juke (6)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Ship Cost: 9 Loadout: (14/14) Half Points: 4 Damage Threshold: 3
Seventh Sister (5)
Brilliant Evasion (2)
Elusive (2)
Fire-Control System (2)
Concussion Missiles (5)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (11/14) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 2
Grand Inquisitor (6)
Malice (4)
Brilliant Evasion (2)
Elusive (2)
Fire-Control System (2)
Mag-Pulse Warheads (4)
Ship Cost: 6 Loadout: (14/17) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 2
Total: 20
View in YASB 2: https://yasb.app/?f=Galactic%20Empire&d=v9ZhZ20Z469X418W123WWW98WY170X199W119WW113W99Y169X418W199W119W113W311&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron&obs=
Oh goodie. Defender Vader. All high initiatives interesting. I’ve got a ship number AND a big base advantage though which will help on this scenario to get some points since killing any of these 3 agility ships with force and evades will be tricky.
We place objectives, obstacles and ships and we’re ready to start.
I already don’t like my TIE position in relation to Chris’ ships but taking a little longer to get to engage means I could pick up some objective points on the way I suppose. I just need Oicunn to survive until they get there.
Oicunn steams into the middle while the TIEs drift in. Grand Inky looks to semi-joust with Oicunn while Seventh Sister and Vader look to flank.
Oicunn is just millimetres away from denying Chris a point when we hit the first meaningful engage.
All opposing ships are in the front half to the reinforce does it’s job well. The flankers might be scuppered by the rock though which may work to my advantage.
The TIEs bank into the middle (except Howlrunner who banks left to avoid the gas cloud while still being R1 for rerolls) while Oicunn floors it and takes a 4 straight.
Chris makes a misplay with his ships. Seventh Sister banks and then rolls which unfortunately puts her here Vader was going to be and he bumps the 4K. Oh dear.
The TIE X1’s both fire on Iden and force the Iden charge spend but don’t do much more than that.
Then Oicunn fires at Grand Inky who has no tokens and used both his force. I roll 4 hits out of hand. Wow.
Chris rolls 1 evade and the Grank Inquisitor goes down to 1 health. Nice.
I turn my ships guns onto the v1, ignoring Vader and Seventh Sister. Oicunn bumps into Grand Inky and uses the title to take a red reinforce to rear but not before dropping a Seismic charge.
Grand Inquisitor takes a 4K over the top of Oicunn and I trigger my own Seventh Sister and swap the stress for a tractor token and roll the ship into range of the soon to explode rock. It feels harsh.
Chris’ Seventh Sister and Vader both come in but all my ships at far away and Vader can’t turn in enough.
The rock explodes. Oicunn loses a shield, Grand Inky dies and I bank 6 points to put me 15-3 up.
I now enter full ‘run away’ mode, picking up objective points as I go over the next 2 turns while staying as far away as I can from Chris’ guns.
Result: 20 – 7 win
Yay! I’m very pleased with that, particularly since I felt like my TIE placement wasn’t the best. I walk over to Dan’s table as they are still playing. He asks how it went. I ask if he wants to know or if he’d rather not. He wants to know and breathes a sigh of relief when I tell him we’ve got a 13 point advantage. He goes on to win 21-16 anyway.
Total result: 41 – 23 win
Alright! We’re half way to my hope of breaking even. A great start!
Game 2 – Chance Encounter
Vs
Womp Rattle and Roll – Iain Gardiner and Andrew Robinson
Now that the event was in progress, the team lower in the ladder gets to pick the pairings. Since we had quite a large win margin in game 1 Iain and Andrew got to pick and I would be taking on Andrew.
Chatting with Andrew, it turns out that he is the brother-in-law of Lewis Darmanin who I played against in the July tournament and actually mentioned Andrew!
Anyway, what would I be facing off against then:
Bossk (7)
Trick Shot (4)
0-0-0 (5)
Kuiil (4)
BT-1 (2)
Hotshot Tail Blaster (2)
Ablative Plating (4)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (21/22) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 6
Boba Fett (9)
Fearless (3)
Cluster Mines (5)
Deadman’s Switch (2)
Delayed Fuses (1)
Slave I (Separatist) (0)
Perceptive Copilot (8)
Veteran Tail Gunner (3)
Ship Cost: 9 Loadout: (22/22) Half Points: 4 Damage Threshold: 5
Kanan Jarrus (HWK-290) (4)
Proximity Mines (6)
Cloaking Device (3)
Delayed Fuses (1)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (10/10) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 2
Total: 20
Right. Scummy nonsense. My TIEs want to joust with Bossk. Kanan is annoying but if I can clear Bossk and then turn on Boba then that should net me a fair number of points.
The obstacle placement has given me a HUGE free space for deployment and Andrew ‘wins’ the ROAD roll meaning I can place Oicunn in the middle and then place all my TIEs with knowledge of where the YV-666 will be.
We place and then, we joust! (JARGON ALERT!!)
Am I worried about Boba getting the flank? A little bit but I’ve got to fully focus on Bossk before worrying about that.
I do manage to achieve the peak first engagement> Well, almost. It could have been better with EVERYONE at range 1 and without Kanan taking a dice away from Mauler’s shot.
Still, with the help of a very fortunate/unfortunate (depends on which side of the table you were playing on/rooting for!) Direct Hit, I manage to burn down Bossk in one round of fire in exchange for spending Iden’s charge and a couple of Oicunn’s shields.
Wow.
In the next turn I go all in on Boba. Engaging him at range 1 isn’t ideal since I’m allowing him rerolls on, well everything, but the volume of fire is too much. Boba goes from full health to below half, banking me another 4 points while not losing any. This is crazy.
Turn 4 ends up being the last turn. Boba turns in after Oicunn after dropping cluster bombs. Oicunn hard turned and now has Boba at close range while my TIEs are slightly scattered.
Boba puts some damage onto Oicunn and uses Veteran Tail Gunner but can’t do enough damage to score points.
Scourge has a range 0 shot which puts one hit on, Maulter puts another and then Oicunn comes in with a range 1 haymaker and Boba is dead. That triggers the Deadman switch on Boba which puts Oicunn and Iden over the half points threshold, giving Adnrew 4 points (though I realised afterwards I could have spent Iden’s charge on herself to prevent one of those!)
Kanan fires at Howlrunner but can’t do any damage and with Boba gone and Kanan outside of the range 2 buble of the objective, I’ve hit 20 points and the game is over.
Result: 20 – 6 win
Holy cow. This is actually going pretty well! I go over to see Dan. The game is tight and goes on until time is called (and a little longer as they’d started a turn).
There’s a little confusion over points scoring with the scores being reported as an 10-11 loss for us although we later realise that it was actually a 10-9 win since one of Dan’s dead TIEs had already been counted. Either way, with my win being by 14 points, it makes no difference.
Total result: 30 – 17 win
Wow. This is going pretty well! I’ve now hit my break even target and I’m having fun.
We take a break for lunch and while we are sat chatting, the next round is announced.
Game 3 – Salvage Mission
vs
Pinkhammer – Paul Westwood and Mark Beor
With the team name coming from Paul’s TTT/Discord handle (Pink Princess) and Mark’s squadron (Swansea Hammerheads), Pinkhammer and ourselves were the only unbeaten teams so far. Looking at TTT, we had less mission points (by around 4) but were above them in the ladder based on SoS (JARGON ALERT!!) which meant that they could pick the matchup.
I had played against Paul a few weeks ago using pretty much the same list as I had today while Paul had something different. Did that give him an advantage? Is that why they chose for him to fly against me? Who knows. It’s probably what I would have done in their position though.
So what was Paul flying this time?
Rey (8)
Heroic (2)
Novice Technician (2)
Rose Tico (9)
Finn (9)
Engine Upgrade (3)
Rey’s Millennium Falcon (0)
Ship Cost: 8 Loadout: (25/25) Half Points: 4 Damage Threshold: 5
Zizi Tlo (5)
Heroic (2)
Lone Wolf (5)
Proton Rockets (8)
Ship Cost: 5 Loadout: (15/15) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 2
Poe Dameron (7)
Heroic (2)
R4 Astromech (2)
Proton Torpedoes (12)
Overdrive Thruster (5)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Black One (0)
Mag-Pulse Warheads (4)
Ship Cost: 7 Loadout: (25/25) Half Points: 3 Damage Threshold: 3
Total: 20
View in YASB 2: https://yasb.app/?f=Resistance&d=v9ZhZ20Z244XW172WW53W173W174WW107W193Y387X172W124W102WWY231X172W5WW136W345WW175W171W311&sn=rey%20list%202&obs=
Ok. Well, at least I’ve again got a ship advantage. Plus he’s got ships that want to reposition and can’t do that while carrying an objective so may that will help. Maybe.
We get set up and we’re ready to go.
I’ve got Poe and Rey ready to smash me up, sure, but I’ve also got both of them close together. I’ve got one eye on Zizi out on the flank but I’m hoping that the objective placed right on Paul’s edge keeps her out of the fight an extra turn.
We joust, of course. In the first engagement Poe puts torps into Mauler (or was it Howlrunner?!) forcing me to spend Iden’s charge. In return I drop Rey’s shields and put some damage in.
The following turn both Paul and I make some mistakes.
Paul banks in with Rey but opts not to boost, leaving her at range 1 of Iden (who she has a lock on) but also of Oicunn. I manage to block Poe to prevent another Proton Torp but I make 2 mistakes here.
The first is not using Howlrunner to Swarm Tactics Iden up to i5 so when Rey kills her, she doesn’t get to shoot with simultaneous fire.
The second is that I forget to trigger Disciplined when Iden dies.
Dammit.
Thankfully though, Paul’s mistake turns out to be more important as Rey melts under fire from Oicunn and two of my TIEs, netting me 8 points to the 3 I lost for Iden. Nice.
Oicunn turns at Zizi while the TIEs disengage to regroup. I make ANOTHER mistake here, forgetting that Scourge is stressed and so the 5 straight doesn’t clear it and she can’t collect an objective. Balls. I’d moved the unstressed Howlrunner first but hadn’t collected since I wanted Scourge to have it. What a fail.
Then things get crazy. In the same turn, Oicunn drops a Seismic and hard turns, just barely clipping a rock. He takes 2 damage, no action and can’t shoot.
Not only that, but Scourge’s 2 bank to clear stress lands RIGHT in front of Zizi in her bullseye, primed for a Procket (JARGON ALERT!!). I roll right, forgetting that I’d dropped the Seismic…..
BOOM goes the rock. Scourge takes a hit and Zizi easily finishes him off at range 1. Crucially though, Zizi loses a shield.
Meanwhile Poe sends Protorn Torps at Oicunn and wrecks him with full paint. Oh dear.
Now things get even crazier. Oicunn, losing health fast, hard turns around the rock for cover while I turn the two remaining TIEs back into the fight.
Poe and Zizi chase down Oicunn and take him down to just 3 hull remaining.
Then, perhaps the most incredible, unfortunate, amazing, unbelievable, heart-wrenching sequence of events I have ever personally experienced at an X-Wing table.
Oicunn drops a Seismic charge and 3 hards right, right to the edge of the board and reinforces to the rear.
My two remaining TIEs (Mauler and Howlrunner) have one objective between them and move up behind Zizi and focus.
Paul reveals Zizi’s dial and realises he’s made a mistake. Zizi goes 2 straight and bumps into the back of Poe. Rolls but doesn’t take a damage.
Poe banks around the rock. Poe is relatively full health so probably doesn’t care about the seismic. Paul takes a focus and then, after some deliberation, take a 2 bank template out and does a ‘Poeverdrive’ boost (from Overdrive Thrusters) in behind Oicunn.
I can’t quite believe what I’m seeing. I look at the board, I look at my cards, I look back at the board.
‘I’ll trigger Seventh Sister and spend a force to give Poe a tractor token and boost him 1 forwards’.
Paul’s face drops.
Not only does Poe no longer have arc on Oicunn this turn, there is now no way that Poe can’t go off the board next turn, giving me 7 guaranteed points and, since I’m on 14 already, the win.
It’s one of those real ‘feels good but also feels bad’ moments. I’m chuffed at what I’ve just pulled off but a part of me feels a bit guilty about it. Only a small part though.
But we’re not done.
After we compose ourselves from what just happened, we now move to the engagement phase. Zizi’s bump means that Howlrunner doesn’t have arc on Zizi but Mauler does at range 2 (plus a Howl reroll).
Mauler rolls his 2 dice. Hit, crit. No need for Howl’s reroll or even the focus. Disrespect.
Paul roll’s Zizi’s 3 green dice. It’s 3 eyeballs. He’s no focus because of the bump. Zizi loses a shield and takes the crit.
It’s a Direct Hit. Zizi is dead.
Wow.
That, added to the two crates I’m carrying, means that I hit 20 points even without Poe flying off the board.
Result: 21 – 10 win
WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!? Paul and I are both stunned by what’s just happened. We roll dice to see what would have happened had Poe just boosted forwards and not banked. He rolls 4 paint out of hand. Oicunn would have died. We work out that, given what happened to Zizi, I’d still have won but it would be 20 – 17 and not 21 – 10 and in a format where mission points are added, that can be huge.
We walk over to the other table to see how Mark and Dan are getting on. Dan is 11 – 9 up as they finish so it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Still. What an absolutely bonkers game.
Not only that, but I’m 3-0 at this point! That’s only ever happened once before!
Total result: 32 – 19 win
I want to give a special thanks to Paul for my swag from this game. Nobody else had items relating to their team names!
Game 4 – Scramble the Transmission
Vs
House Boulton – Steve Boulton & Alex Boulton
Well, well, well! Fresh off the back of dominating (well, Alex at least!) at the Dutch Open a few weeks ago, Steve and Alex were flying Imperials and doing alright!
Dan and I were now the only unbeaten team and so definitely wouldn’t get to pick the matchup (we didn’t all day!) and several teams were 2 – 1 so depending on the scores here could still win the tournament and the Boultons had the chance to be kingmakers. Steve and Alex had a chat and I would be playing Alex.
And it was a sensible choice by House Boulton for a few reasons. Firstly, Alex has played a LOT with Decimators. He knows what they can/can’t do and where they can go. Secondly, he’s got the volume and consistency of fire to take Oicunn out, possibly in two turns of fire. Thirdly, I know that last one for a fact because he did exactly that to me a few weeks ago in exactly this matchup (give or take a few upgrades). It was pretty disastrous for me.
My best hope here would be to keep it close. Hopefully I’ve learned enough from our last game to do that.
“Howlrunner” (4)
Swarm Tactics (5)
Crack Shot (3)
Ship Cost: 4 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 2 Damage Threshold: 1
“Mauler” Mithel (3)
Crack Shot (3)
Jamming Beam (0)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (3/4) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
“Scourge” Skutu (3)
Crack Shot (3)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (3/3) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
Iden Versio (3)
Crack Shot (3)
Disciplined (2)
Jamming Beam (0)
Precision Ion Engines (2)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (7/8) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
ISB Jingoist (2)
Contraband Cybernetics (3)
Ship Cost: 2 Loadout: (3/3) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
“Night Beast” (3)
Crack Shot (3)
Marksmanship (1)
Ship Cost: 3 Loadout: (4/4) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
“Wampa” (2)
Disciplined (2)
Ship Cost: 2 Loadout: (2/2) Half Points: 1 Damage Threshold: 1
Total: 20
We set up and get started. Alex’s Wampa goes down first so I get to see where he will deploy his swarm. I place Oicunn centrally and my TIEs opposite his. He has to decide whether to go in at Oicunn or at my TIEs.
The opening engagement is pretty even.
Despite Alex banking in at the Deci, we end up both spending our Iden charges and both losing our Idens. I’m happy with this since Alex’s Iden had jamming beam and last time he used that to remove Oicunn’s reinforce and ruined my day.
The second engage is messy I lose Mauler but I take out Wampa and Howlrunner in exchange. I’m only 9-6 up but in Alex’s mind, he’s now lost. Losing Howlrunner in particular has made this very difficult for him.
I tell him to keep going and (though I probably shouldn’t!), that I’ve lost games from much better positions than this. Unfortunate but true!
Some of Alex’s ships now refuse to die quickly and I lose Scourge, leaving me with just Oicunn and Howlrunner.
Up to this point, neither of us have claimed ANY objectives. Alex starts, though claiming with ships prevents him from taking actions which, in turn makes them easier to kill.
And so it proves as I take his Mauler, then Scourge, then a Jingoist in consecutive turns. He’s catching me up on points though and as I finally claim my first objective (which Alex steals back a turn later), it’s just Night Beast versus my two ships.
Crucially, I 4 straight with Oicunn when I should possibly have turned, Alex only has 1 ship but he’s got 2 objectives again while I have none and the final nail in the coffin is Howlrunner taking a Panicked Pilot crit, meaning she can’t claim. Alex sensibly runs away with a 5 straight and the game is over as Alex ticks over 20 points.
Result: 18 – 20 loss
I told him it wasn’t over! I’m frustrated with myself for not claiming objective earlier in the game but if I hadn’t rushed in with Oicunn in the opening turns I wouldn’t have been in position to take out Howlrunner. Still, it was a good, close, fun game.
But more importantly, what is happening on the other table……
They’re still going but Dan is up by 8 points. I tell him the score and the close out the last turn or two. I can’t decide whether I can watch or not.
I don’t. I go and pack up my stuff.
I see the handshake across the table.
He did it! He won by 8 points, giving us a 6 point combined win!
Total result: 36 – 28 win
The conclusion…
OH MY DAYS!
Yes, we won!!!!!!
I apologised to Dan for the loss in that last game and he said ‘it’s about time I did something, you’ve been carrying my a$$ all day!’. I’m not sure that’s quite true but I appreciated the sentiment!
Not only did we win but I came second in the ‘Ace’ bonus bounty as well, getting the second highest number of ship kills over the day.
All in all, a pretty good day!
I don’t think there’s much benefit in reviewing the pros and cons of the list itself since it was built with restrictions although I definitely acknowledge that Deci plus TIE swarm feels fun to fly and definitely has it’s benefits. From memory I can tell you that I didn’t lost the Deci once (and only Paul got close to doing it) and that I think I actually only lost 5 ships all day.
Does this mean…. I’m an Empire player now?!
I want to say a HUGE thank you to Dan ‘Eggs’ Xuereb. He isn’t the biggest fan of the newest version of X-Wing despite a decent number of games under his belt (although mostly before the rules adjustments in May). He’d stepped in to make sure that, first of all Gareth (his first partner) and then myself didn’t have to miss out on being involved in the tournament. Did the day make him re-evaluate his position on X-Wing ‘2.6’? I hope so. He’s a fantastic player but more importantly, a lovely bloke who is always great to be around. We miss you on Wednesdays Dan!
Overall it was a super fun day. I want to thank Richard Otton for organising it and running a really smooth day. We started on time and finished early (well, early-ish! I did stay around and chat for a while!), there were no issues and judge calls were dealt with quickly. I’m looking forward to next year’s Firestorm Doubles Cup already!
I want to thank everyone who turned up to play too. We had players come from Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol which is brilliant but also it was the first competitive tournament for our two newest players Liam and Flora which is awesome.
In case you’re at all interested, here’s the TTT link for the tournament. There aren’t any lists on there though.
Then one last thing to top it all off.
You might remember that a few weeks ago I talked about the Isoplane initiative, a plan to get as many people as possible to Worlds in 2023. I also mentioned that the very incredible Mr Conor Holmes took the X-Wing community to task to get one person in particular (the man, the myth, the legend, Sith Taker Liam Baker) over there with his own plan.
Well, that went spectacularly well as it happened….
Yes, without even needing to dip into Isophane’s bucket of money, Liam’s trip got funded. Ah-mazing!
Part of this was a raffle. I may have entered but I was busy somewhere when the raffle was drawn last Thursday evening. I started getting some messages from people and it turned out, I’d won a prize! Not just any prize mind you….
IT’S A PAIR OF WORLDS 2018 DICE!
Wow.
I’m saying that a lot today aren’t I. It has been a pretty crazy week!
That’s it for me this week. Remember, Firestorm Newport’s next tournament is Saturday the 26th of November, go check out the Facebook page for details and get your tickets when they go live tomorrow!
Time for me to go! Well, alright then, maybe just one more picture…..
The outro…
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Good job!
The tractor rules have changed so that after a tractored ship has been moved by the opponent, you can rotate the ship by 90 degrees, gaining a stress token. And you can rotate even while stressed, there’s no restriction here.
So Poe would have destroyed your Oicunn but, since it wouldn’t change the game’s result, it’s just a thing to remember next time tractor comes into play ?
Loved that Grand Inq tractored into seismic range though ?
Thanks! I was pretty pleased myself! Can’t quite believe we BOTH forgot the tractor rotation although as it panned out it wouldn’t have affected the result thankfully!