X-Wing - Happy New year! (Excelsior, Bristol)

Just the week-end after the Cardiff Regional, Rich is proposing the first X-Wing event of the year in Excelsior and I'm looking forward to some fun games.

I don't want to play the same list as for the Regionals, but still want to keep Ryad. I decide to get Palp on his shuttle (he's still good, even after his nerf), and Anthony let me borrow his Quickdraw (I haven't bought, nor played with a Tie-SF so far!).

I decide to make Ryad super tanky and the list I come up with is:

PALP AND THE LADIES (100)

“Quickdraw” (34)

Special Forces TIE (29), Veteran Instincts (1), Fire-Control System (2), Lightweight Frame (2)

Countess Ryad (37)
TIE Defender (34), Lone Wolf (2), TIE/x7 (-2), Stealth Device (3)

Omicron Group Pilot (29)
Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Collision Detector (0), Emperor Palpatine (8)

Game 1: Paul
Autocorrect & autoblaster PS10 Nym with bomblets
Thweek (copy Ryad's ability)
PTL Fenn & title

I know Nym is the main danger for my list (which relies massively on defensive mods and dice). So he's my priority right from the start. I need to get him down quickly.
I put the shuttle on my left and QD center right. Nym is positioned on the side of Ryad which I don't like. It's my first game with this list (actually, first game at all with QD); and I don't have it worked out yet. So I move straight with Ryad and QD, thinking about trying to get behind with Ryad while QD puts some damage (even at the price of loosing her shields).

Imperials ladies facing some scums

But on the second turn, I double-think myself and, instead of going straight (afraid of getting into the range 1 bubble of Nym), I bank in with Ryad, while Fenn finds a nice block on QD.

Oh, oh: Ryad is not (yet) in the range 1 auto damage bubble...

This doesn't go too bad as it gives me a chance to put damage into Nym (but, not enough; as we will see!). If I remember well, Thweek unmodified shot doesn't do anything.
But now, Ryad should go away from the auto damage... Instead, I commit further, thinking I should be able to kill this pesky 1 agility ship easily...

Ryad is really in bad shape now. Thweek and Nym aren't fairing well either

A couple of turns later, Ryad has eaten a bomblet with Genius (at least, it's now off Nym), QD has done some damage on both Thweek and Nym, but, even with the help of Ryad and the shuttle, not enough to kill Nym.

The shuttle managed some nice blocks on the 2 ships chasing her, to keep the Emperor alive!

At the end of game, Ryad has been blown by the autoblaster. Nym is still alive (on 2 hulls I think, with 2 crits that just didn't do anything - original damage deck). Thweek is limping and the shuttle is on half points.

Loss: 0-51



Game 2: Rich G. (best TO ever!)
Rich is playing XXXXZ, all with the new Flight Assist astromech.

Rich creates a big line with all his ships to make sure I've got nowhere to hide.

Wow! That's a lot of guns pointing at my troops!

I dial in a stop for the shuttle, a 3 forward with QD and 5 foward with Ryad. What I'm thinking is that I'll k-turn the 5fwd with Ryad, so I can 3 k-turn here after and get her in line with the shuttle.
But Rich goes way too fast with his X-Wings and I'm already in range with Ryad, so decide to keep the straight. QD removes 1 shield and acquires a Targel Lock. Ryad doesn't do anything, but she also manage to get attacked by 4X and a Z at range 3, for no damage at all! Rich dice weren't bad at all, but range 3 with Sealth Device is 5 greens; with Focus, Evade, Lone Wolf and Palp on the defense, Ryad is SO tanky!


Next turn, Rich goes for the shuttle and block my k-turn with Ryad.

Ryad isn't going anywhere and the shuttle is in for a beating!

The shuttle is going to get a real beating.
But QD ends-up range 1 of the damaged X with focus and TL:

Everyone loves a range 1 shot with TL and focus!

This X-Wing is the first casualty of the battle.
Then, Rich creates a nice kill-zone on QD who explodes.. not without having dealt loads of damage (some doubles shots from front and back: beautiful)!
Then, it's a full health Ryad, still with her stealth device who can finish the last X-Wings and the Z.

Win: 100-63


Game 3: Philip
Philip is playing a really fun list: Thweek, Talonbane and Dalan Oberos.

I keep Ryad far away from the fight at the beginning (maybe too much away, actually), while QD engages and tries do deal loads of damage.

Ryad and the shuttle are just there to boost QD confidence... from far back!

And QD really gets loads of damage out (again, one beautiful 2 shots front and back, both range 1, doubles as I lost a shield!). I get harpooned as I forgot about Dalan Oberos ability (which give him the TL).

QD is still alone.. but gets a nice and doubled double-range 1 shots (so, 4 shots in a round :))

When QD goes down, both Thweek and Talonbane are badly damaged (Thweek on 2 and Talonbane on 1). Things are looking good, but Ryad manages to miss a range 1 attack (unmodified) on Talonbane (who is on 1 hulll and only one green dice due to a crit). Which means that Talonbane can regen 1 shield, and things are now looking grim. Next round though, the shuttle and Ryad kill both Thweek and Talonbane.
But the shuttle has taken some beating. Dalan kills the shuttle, but gets 3 stress for it (k-turn once, then uses Contraband to k-turn again. Ryad just gets behind to finish the game.

Win: 100-67


Game 4: Rich C.
Rich is playing Backdraft and Vader with missiles and Omega Leader (with juke,relay,SD).

I don't have any pictures of the game.
From memory, I wanted to focus fire on OL before loosing a ship, as I know she'll be really bad in the end game; she can also damage Ryad as she negates all the tokens and Lone Wolf.

But the engagement gives me an opportunity to really get in a perfect position with QD against Vader and backdraft. I only lose one or two shields to remove Vader (2 range 1 shots from QD and a last shot from the shuttle).

Still, Omega Leader seems unkillable. I forget about the harpoon on Backdraft and eat it on QD who goes down, but is avenged by Ryad shortly after.
Then Omega Leader is pursuing the shuttle, with Ryad just behind. Palp not being blocked by OL lock on Ryad means I manage to get some damage through and finally kill the Tie FO.
I've got Ryad and half a shuttle left.

Win 100-43



Game 5: Chris
Chris is really a great player to play against and always bring fun lists on the table.
He's playing Ryad, but with Tie-D and TB, and 2 alpha star wings: Lt Karsabi with title+HLC and wired) and another one with Jamming beam, title, advanced slam.


Going in, the Tractor Beam is what I'm really afraid of. I decide again to leave Ryad away and go in with the shuttle (not much afraid of a TB) and QD.

Not sure sacrificing the shuttle was the right choice of engagement...

This game is SO close and tense: it was a blast. It also was the end of the day and Chris and I made plenty of mistakes. I forgot FCS on QD and blanked out on next attack on the Lt. Karsabi, who escaped with 1 hull left to slam away (making me chase him way too long with Ryad and QD to finish him off). I also forgot about TB and kept my Palp for an evade on the shuttle... Only to see TB removing my only dice and not getting any use of Palp this round.
And Chris forgot to use Tractor Beam in the last two rounds... which may have changed the issue of the game.
But I also made some nice moves with QD, managing to get range 1 shots from the back on Ryad, while being out of arc a couple of times; and Chris flew very well and didn't fall in the trap of focussing on QD, he went for the shuttle and then straight for Ryad. But, even without Palp, Ryad is really tanky with the tokens, SD and LW. Lone wolf being in this case the real winner of the game!
I ended up winning on points with QD and Ryad alive, while Chris had his Ryad and the boat alive.
Qd was undamaged, but both my and Chris' Ryad were on 1 hull, both surviving miraculously range 1 attacks on the last round.

I don't remember the end score, but it was a couple of points...




As a last word, those games were just all so close and tense; with brilliant flying around, it was SO fun. This is exactly what I like in X-Wing and I enjoyed it immensely. My opponents were all real gentlemen, really committed to the games, but still with a flying casual attitude.
The event was perfectly ran by Rich (as usual)!

Post-nerf Palp is really less powerful, that's a given. But he still works and is actually more fun! Instead of passively waiting for the time you'll need him; you have to make a choice. Therefore, it's more tense and way more fun than before!


Special Congrats to Tim who won the first tournament of the year!

Congrats Tim!!!