Begging Experimentation - My Thoughts of the K-wing Preview

                I don't normally do day-of articles but this exception is for a good reason. My two favorite parts of the X-wing Miniatures Game, Ordnance and Turrets, are receiving a buff from the K-wing Expansion Pack. You can read the article and see these upgrades for yourself here. The biggest thing that stood out to me was when they said: "In the end, the K-wing almost begs experimentation." As someone who tries to think about things differently I immediately started applying these new upgrades to the strategies and tactics that I love. So here are my thoughts on how to apply these new aspects and how the meta will change because of them.

The Twin Laser Turret will be popular because it is new but will stay because it works

                 When the TLT was leaked early by Spanish Distributors I saw a lot of negativity, mainly that it is too expensive and is too weak. But FFG doesn't release something in their games without hours of play testing beforehand. And I am of the optimistic mindset that a game is more fun when we focus on making things work rather than complaining that they don't.

                  The Twin Laser Turret is the first turret upgrade to reach Range 3. This means ships with it can now stay out at range 3, not give a defensive dice to their opponent, and receive the defensive dice for themselves. And since this turret isn't limited in faction it means that both Rebel and Scum Warthogs can use it. This creates Y-wings that can shoot three times at range 2-3 for a possible total of 4 damage, which is the same as a Heavy Laser Cannon.

                Taking things in a different direction, we can look at the turret paired with pilot abilities. The K-wing article talks about how well the TLT works with Miranda. What they didn't mention though is that with her ability she can more easily break through autothruster ships. In fact, not only is she a good counter to autothrusters, she actually costs the same to build as the legendary Soontir Fel. That's a fight I would pick any day. Another pilot that works really well with the TLT is Horton Salm. Give him this turret and the R7-T1 droid and you have a Y-wing that can be both evasive and hit hard. Finally, all Rebel Hawks equipped with the TLT can both fire and use abilities out at range 3. Because of this we can be sure to see an return of Rebel Hawks in the meta game and I am excited for that.

                The TLT it is also the only turret upgrade that isn't severely hindered in its use. It doesn't need heavy action economy to be efficient like the Blaster Turret. It can give double the damage output as the Ion Turret. And it has wonderful range unlike the Autoblaster Turret. What about the range 1 blind spot? The K-wing itself doesn't have it with its natural primary turret. But the Y-wing can take a bomb upgrade and enemy ships will be hesitant to try to get behind it.
                So yes, the Twin Laser Turret will be the most expensive turret out there. But I am confident that people will catch on quickly to how powerful it is, either when they fly it or fly against it. I can't wait to try out all of these new builds.

Y-wing w/ Thug - 26 Points
                Twin Laser Turret
                R4 Agromech
                BTL-A4 Title

Y-wing w/ Horton - 36 Points

                Twin Laser Turret

                R7-T1 Astromech

                Ion Bomb

K-wing w/ Miranda - 35 Points

                Twin Laser Turret

               

Tie Interceptor w/ Soontir - 35 Points

                Push the Limit

                Royal Guard Title

                Autothrusters

                Hull Upgrade

Plasma Torpedoes will become the new Flechette Torpedoes

                No seriously. Forget about the shield damage part and just look at the point cost. If you can convince yourself that 2 points is cheap for a torpedo then 3 points won't be a hard transition. Moreover, for that one additional point you get an additional attack dice, a fair cost.  In my opinion it is so cheap that I actually will now consider putting ordnance on low PS ships like Rookies, Golds, and Scimitars.

                But it doesn't end there. Ordnance has always been fun because of the extra goodies each missile brings: clusters get two attacks, flechettes give stress, etc. It is icing on top of the cake that Plasma Torpedoes give an additional shield damage if they hit. Honestly, this is the exact opposite of a Proton Torpedo; one used against heavily shielded enemies and the other to give early criticals to un-shielded targets.

                The applications of this ability are far reaching. A Rookie with a Plasma Torpedo has a strong chance of burning through the shields of a Decimator in one hit. A B-wing or Bomber with both Plasma Torpedo and Extra Munitions has the potential to do more damage to shielded targets in an alpha strike than a ship with a Heavy Laser Cannon. It is more of a risk but it's a good one because both Rebels and Scum rely heavily on shields for defense. Also, when facing a Chewbacca crew upgrade, a Plasma Torpedo can nullify the shield recharge ability. Your opponent will use Chewbacca to discard a damage you gave him and then recharge a shield. But now that the damage has been dealt the Plasma Torpedoes again activates and will take off that shield. This means your opponent has to use Chewy inefficiently or not at all against your missile. And those applications are just the tip of the iceberg.

                Just as a side note, the Plasma Torpedoes now make the PT shorthand useless for Proton Torpedoes. What would you use for shorthand? Let me know in the comments.

X-wing w/ Rookie - 24 Points

                Plasma Torpedoes

B-wing w/ Blue - 27 Points

                Plasma Torpedoes

                Extra Munitions

B-wing w/ Blue - 29 Points

                HLC

Bomber w/ Scimitar - 21 Points

                Plasma Torpedoes

                Extra Munitions

There will be a decline in 2-Ship Arc-Dodging Builds

                I will admit that my experience with this type of squad was limited before my last tournament. But ever since then I have been following regionals and games online and I feel I have a better grasp of how they work. Usually in the X-wing game you have to choose between defensive, offensive, or movement bonuses. But there are certain ships that can do all three. An Outrider with Corran Horn or a Decimator with Soontir Fel are the classic examples of a 2-ship build that can move into good position and have offensive and defensive strengths as well. One ship is the bait and hits the enemy from afar while running and the other waits in the background until it is safe enough to join in for the mop-up. It is clean and efficient.

                However, I won't say that these builds are over powered because well, they aren't. If I picked up a 2-ship build right now and tried to fly it in a tournament I would lose horrendously. This is because you must fly your squad so carefully and intelligently that one mistake can ruin it for you. That is the main reason why this type of build appeals to advanced and tournament players.

                But all of this changes with the K-wing and Punisher expansions. These two ships are actually fast enough to circle around a moving 2-ship build and flank it. Plus, they have the upgrade capability to carrying multiple Conner Nets. This creates a scenario that even Dash Rendar can't escape from: a running ship that has to either fly into a dropped Conner Net, hit the blocking bomber itself, or turn to face a chasing swarm.

                This leads me to believe that the meta will change, that most 2 ships builds will evolve so that they have a bit more supportive firepower. Paul Heaver's 2014 Fat Han & Talas squad is a perfect example of this. I am sure that many players will still be skilled enough to use a 2-ship build to take on a flanking bomber and so it will still be a part of the meta. But I believe this change is enough to prevent the 2-ship build from dominating the meta like is does right now. We'll see what happens.

                All in all, I am very excited for the new changes to the X-wing game. My predictions might be horribly off but that isn't important. What is important is that I, and many other players, will have plenty of fun with the new ordnance and turret toys. So, what are you going to do with the new wave expansions? Have fun and fly casual.

Advanced Ion Strafing - A Hard Counter to Range 2 Turrets

Range 2 Turrets
For many waves, the X-wing meta game has included turrets. Even with the introduction of Autothrusters, turrets are still effective because of their small margin of flying error. That plus new upgrades, like the Mangler Cannon for the Outrider, make for safe and consistent, tactics that are easy to learn.
The Ion Turret was always a Rebel staple in many matches until the introduction of large ship turrets. Afterwards, the Ion Turret was only ever seen on support ships, not on a main ace like Horton. Most of the time Range 2 turrets are a problem since they have been around so long; we've learned how to fly against them.
But things have changed with the Most Wanted Scum pack and the Y-wing Title card. A BTL-A4 Y-wing, or "Warthog", has its turret is locked in the forward firing arc and can shoot directly after a primary attack. This modification takes the average Y-wing and makes it an efficient jouster. Moreover, it revitalizes the strategy of ion drifting an opponent ship.
That is why I want to talk about range 2 turrets. When facing an Ion Hawk, Y-wing, or Warthog you have to be cautious. If circumstances allow, your low agility ships can be ion drifted off the edge of the board.
So I started practicing counters enemy turret and came up with a whole list of versatile strategies. I wrote these in my Anti-Turret article. However, I wanted to take the idea further. Rather than a general strategy that is good against turrets, I wanted something to completely shut them down: a hard counter. After much trial, I have finally found it! I call it the Advanced Ion Strafe. Let me guide you through my thought process.

The Advanced Ion Strafe
The only way to absolutely guarantee you won't be hit by an ion turret is to staying out of range. This works well when you are behind the ship and can chase it. But even then, a well timed K-turn or sharp 2 turn from the enemy could catch you by surprise. Even though an ion turret doesn't punch hard, it can hit consistently, and one ionization easily leads to ion drifting.
My solution to avoiding getting ionized is to use ionization myself. Ion Missiles and Cannons outrange the turret, giving you an advantage. A B-wing, TIE Bomber, etc, with ion power can sneak behind a range 2 turret and ion drift it. However, you will lose if you attempt to joust from the front. Even if you ionize the enemy turret at range 3, it will drift forward next turn: straight at you. Next round, you will be at range 2, no matter where you turn. So you choose to move forard and both ships get ionized. Then the next round, you drift past each other and you won't get a shot but the turret will. And with that you are being ion drifted.
But what if you don't have to fly forward when you ion joust? What if you wanted to fly sideways?  After a lot of hilarious play-testing I found that I actually could fly sideways under very specific circumstances: you need a ship that has a system upgrade, a barrel roll, and has ion power.

270* Flanking Arc Vs Range 2 Turret

  Here's what you do: place an Advanced Sensors System on your ship and approach the enemy turret. You want to fly into combat at an extreme range 3, meaning you barely want the range rule to touch. You take a target lock and shoot an ion attack at the turret. Next round you use Advanced Sensors to barrel roll out and away from your target and then do a curved or straight one back towards the turret. If you set it up properly you'll be facing the enemy again at range 3. While this type of flying requires more practice and work than ion drifting, it isn't restricted by the need to chase an enemy from behind. In fact, you can approach the turret from the side and still stay at range 3 as long as you enter range 3 outside the enemy ship's forward firing arc. That is a 270 degree flanking arc on range 2 turrets!

AIS Details
  The Advanced Sensors are absolutely needed. Barrel rolling before moving is what flings your ship sideways, out of range. Move first and you won't get far enough away. Also, you must control the enemy ship's positioning, so if your ion shot didn't work, immediately break off. If unionized, the range 2 turret is going to do a sharp 2 turn towards you and your strafe will not work. Next, your first shot needs to be at extreme range 3. Successfully strafing in a circle requires no margin for error. Your first action should be a target lock. If you don't use it right then, you can use it in the coming rounds. However, if you need a barrel roll to initially get out of the firing arc then do it. You will still have a good chance of ionizing in the next rounds, especially against low agility Hawks and Y-wings. Finally, practice so you know when to use the forward or curved 1 maneuver.
And there you have it: the Advanced Ion Strafe. You won't use this strategy in every single game but it is a wonderful ace to have up your sleeve. An AIS ship off the side of your jousting swarm can be a hard shutdown to an enemy squad with a Warthog. It can be modified to fit many situations and isn't limited to range 2 turrets. You can use the AIS to ion drift any small ship with low agility.
So here is the question now: based off of the technique requirements, which ships can do the Advanced Ion Strafe? The answer is only 2 ships can do a full, consistent AIS: the B-wing and the Aggressor. In addition, there are several ships that can do a modified AIS: the Tie Advanced, E-wing, Phantom, and Viper. Details for each ship below.

Builds
B-wing:
The B-wing was really my brainchild in my thinking process and it turned out that it became the best ship in the whole line up to do the technique. It is the only ship that has a barrel roll, system, and cannon. The cannon is important because, unlike missiles, it stays the whole game rather than being a one shot. This allows for the B-wing to AIS any time and against different ships throughout a match. And to top it off, it is the cheapest AIS ship to build.

B-wing w/ Blue Squad Pilot - 28 Points
Advanced Sensors
             Ion Cannon

Aggressor:
Although the Aggressor doesn't have a natural barrel roll this is easily made up for with the Expert Handling card. And you don't need to worry about the stress it gives to your ship because of the Aggressor's green maneuver dial. It also has a cannon slot and so has a consistent ion shot. The one drawback is that the bigger base means the already tiny window of error is even smaller for this ship so make sure to practice a lot before tying to pull it off in a match. But honestly, the Aggressor is already such an evasive ship that you don't really need to strafe to keep it safe. If you want to have some fun, or to surprise your opponent, then try it out.

Aggressor w/ IG-88 - 44 Points
Expert Handling
Ion Cannon
Advanced Sensors

E-wing, Tie Advanced, & Star Viper:
These three ships have barrel rolls and system slots but they don't have enough ion ability. They can take an ion torpedo/missile which is good for one shot but this is both expensive and short lived. But while the BR action and the AS upgrade are essential for this technique, constant ionization is not. Approach from the front, use the Advanced Strafe to get behind and then close in to finish the job. The three named pilots I list below excel at this, especially when parried with cards like Outmaneuver. Moreover this approach is a such a different tactic for these ships that your opponent won't suspect it
Another option is to fly one of these ships with ion support. Consider taking a couple cheap Z-95's or a Tie Bomber as missile boats. They can move in to give the ion damage and then veer off the next round. Though your support ships will enter range 2, at least you know that the ion turret can't hit all of you.

E-wing w/ Corran Horn - 42 Points
Push the Limit
Advanced Sensors
R2 Astromech

Tie Advanced w/ Darth Vader - 35 Points
Predator
              Ion Pulse Missiles
              X1 Title
Advanced Sensors

Viper w/ Guri - 37 Points
Outmaneuver
Virago Title
Advanced Sensors

Phantom:
Last but not least is the Phantom. Like the ex-planet Pluto, the Phantom has been going through a rather rough time of life. But here's some good news because it can do an Advanced Strafe! Unlike the other ships I've mentioned, the Phantom doesn't even have an option for ion attacks. And because of its decloak action there hasn't been much need to take the advanced sensors upgrade. But now there is: A Phantom can decloak to the side, away from the turret. Then with the Advanced Sensors upgrade it can barrel roll further away. This double barrel roll is enough to compensate for the fact that the Phantom's slowest bank or forward move is a speed 2. Now instead of flying your Phantom in a wide flanking vector, you can have it up and close in the action. And if your opponent tries to go for it you can strafe past and get in behind them. Pair this with ion supporting ships and this could make for a very intriguing alpha strike.

Phantom w/ Whisper - 40 Points
Veteran Instincts
Advanced Sensors
Advanced Cloaking Device

And there you have it. This is a really fun build to fly! Plus it can be invaluable when integrated into a squad and the need to use it arises. So try it out and let me know in the comments what kind of crazy things you were able to pull off! Happy flying.

Edit: Check out this battle report where I used the advanced ion strafe.

Store Tournament Battle Report - A Beginner's Guide to Tournaments Part 3

                This tournament was hilarious, like so ridiculously crazy that I can't help but laugh. I guess you could call it situational irony because what I expected to happen at this tournament wasn't even close to reality.

                I'll start off by saying that life is more than numbers. Numbers can be a strong indicator of success but it should never thought of as the success itself. I had the wonderful experience of serving as a missionary and when I think back on those memories I don't count numbers, I count faces. So yeah, I scored a win-loss of 1-2 at this tournament. That means no improvement from the first tournament, right? Not even close.

                Throw the numbers aside for a second and let's look at the experience. Probably more things went against me in this tournament than the first one, but I had fun. In fact, I was having a blast. I arrived happy, made a few new friends, and left enriched both socially and intellectually. And that is a huge step of progress from the memories and emotions of my first tournament experience. But emotions aside, I promised you a battle report. Along with having fun I learned a lot of things, so let's discuss them.

                First off, let's take a look at my squad in the same way I did for my first tournament build:

Grey Knight Squad:

Y-wing w/ Horton - 37 Points

                Proton Torpedoes

                Flechette Torpedoes

                Auto-blaster Turret

                R2-D2

X-wing w/ Rookie - 21 Points

X-wing w/ Rookie - 21 Points

X-wing w/ Rookie - 21 Points

4 Ship Rule - Check

Strengths - Strong alpha strike & jousting, giving early criticals, formation flying, dog-fighting, focusing fire on high agility targets.

Weaknesses - Essentially the opposite: squads that avoid an alpha strike, heavily shielded ships, low agility targets.

                This build is actually the second version. The first version had no turret and 2 B's with 1 X. But in my practicing, and with some good feedback from a friend, I made some changes. I wanted to fly this squad in formation with the 2 B-wings on point for cover. But I found that it was impossible to do this with 2 and 4 K-turn ships both flying in box formation. So instead I took 3 X-wings which allows for much easier flying. Also, after the initial strike I found that Horton was dying too soon so I gave him an auto-blaster turret as a deterrent. I honestly didn't even plan on using the thing, it was just a well-priced protection policy to prevent Horton from being swarmed close range. That way he could perform strafing runs under less pressure.

                Since I built this squad to specifically fly in box formation I practiced long and hard on it. And boy I got pretty good! I could plan a few turns head and learned to properly measure distances in my mind. This allowed me to get that box to where I wanted to be at the right time, especially around asteroids. I felt sure in my skills and in my squad and I had a good attitude going in. So let's look at my competitors.

Game 1 - Loss

                You probably guessed the bane of my squad just from reading the weaknesses section. As luck would have it, the first game I played was against an Outrider with a HLC turret. I didn't realize it when I entered the game but I was in for a hard time. I didn't know because I don't have an Outrider myself and so I still had yet to learn how they really worked. But I sure did learn fast! My opponent's Outrider was flown so smoothly and delicately out at an extreme range 3 that Horton never got a lock on him and I didn't get to use my ordnance that game. Moreover, he was able to engage my X-wings on a one to one basis which meant the dice trading was always in his favor.

                The second ship in his squad was a B-wing with a very incredible build: Keyan with Navigator and Stay on Target. I had never heard of this build before but it is quite amazing. For the price of taking a stress on himself, Keyan can switch his maneuver dial to any other movement he wants during his activation. Then using his pilot ability, Keyan can use the stress as an offensive focus. The build is essentially a pilot skill grab: the only way to beat it is to have a higher pilot skill than Keyan so that he has to move before you. And my Horton did beat his Keyan with PS 8 to 7 but shucks if Horton could do anything about it. He was built for strafing runs, not for chasing ships. And we all know how unmaneuverable Y-wings are. Here is the mistake I didn't catch while squad-building: I had made an unconscious play for the highest pilot skill and didn't back up that move. I chose Horton because of his ability, not because of his pilot skill. But it is a package deal and since I didn't use his higher pilot skill those spent points were wasted, just like my unfired ordnance.

                The third thing that caught me off-guard in this game was my opponent's target priority. Apparently I misjudged the impact of the Auto-blaster Turret. I thought it would just keep enemies away from range 1 but it did more than that. The two enemy ships completely ignored Horton and focused instead on the X's. That is how I learned that the meta game hates auto-blasters. In fact, I believe most players hate it more than they do dice variance and I can understand them. It's one thing to have the dice give you blanks but it is another to have dice forcibly taken from with an auto-blaster or similar ability. I'll remember that in the future.

                All in all, I didn't lose to horribly, I will say that. Despite being heavily bombarded from afar and being drastically outmaneuvered I was able to get through half of the Outrider and take Keyan down to 1 hitpoint. But that didn't matter to me. What did matter was that I had fun and I learned a lot. My opponent was a great guy, just like the kind of player I described in my tournament etiquettearticle. We joked, laughed, talked strategy, and congratulated each other on good moves. In fact, he told me after the match ended that he was impressed with my formation flying and that he had to play a lot less aggressively because of it. So all that practice didn't go to waste!

Game 2 - Bye

                I came to this tournament for fun and not to win. So please understand me when I wasn't happy that I received a tournament bye in the second round. Other players saw me sitting there and asked me if I had a bye and with no exception every single one of them congratulated me for it. By no means am I saying that I was ungrateful for the free win or for other players being nice to me. But I came to play and not being able to that round was more of a letdown for me than my first loss. And since this was just a 3 round tournament it meant that I got 1/3 less worth on my time and money.

                However, it was a good opportunity to put into practice being happy and having a good attitude. If I didn't get to play at least I got to do another one of my favorite hobbies: people watch. And I probably learned just as much about the game in this round as in the first. To be polite to the other players I won't describe them so as to maintain their anonymity.

                The first thing I noticed is dice rolling. Some players were rolling dice at the exact same time as their opponents. Now I'm not sure if they meant to do it or not but either way it gave themselves a disadvantage. If you roll your defensive dice at the same time as your opponent attacks then you give them the advantage by making their choices easier. Suppose your enemy is deliberating to use a focus on a Blank-Focus-Hit roll but you roll right then and get an Evade-Evade roll. So of course they don't spend the focus and save it for thier defense. When you reveal your defensive roll before the opponent has made their choice then it removes risk for them and can really expose you. Since we don't want that, here is a step guide to the order of dice rolling:

1) Attacker rolls his attack dice.

2) Defender can chose to use an ability to affect attack dice, if he has one.

3) Attacker chooses modifications to apply to his own dice and declares the result of his attack.

4) Defender rolls his defense dice.

5) Attacker can choose to use an ability to affect defense dice, if he has one.

6) Defender can choose to modify his defense dice and declares the result of his defense.

                The second thing I noticed was players' attitudes and how it affected the game itself. I observed an interaction between two people in a match. A player got defensive when their combination of cards was questioned. Instead of just calmly explaining how the rules worked in this situation they arrogantly down-talked their opponent. And while this player's combo was indeed legal in the game, their treatment of their opponent was rude and an angry tension followed both of them the rest of the match. That's not what I call fun or good sportsmanship. We are all learning in this game and head-to-head competition like this should invoke comradely, not bitter feelings.

                The final thing I want to mention is keeping track of action tokens. I saw a game where target locks kept getting mixed up and lost because they did not follow ships when they moved during activation phase. Not only did it confuse both players, it wasted valuable match time as they sorted out the actions. So here is the question: whose responsibly is it to maintain target locks? I really don't have an answer because it could go either way. You could argue that those who take actions need to make sure that those actions are maintained. Or you could argue that it is rude for the activating player to leave the enemy's target lock behind when moving a ship. I more lean toward the later of these two arguments but, either way, the point is that someone should take responsibility. When I activate a ship I speak aloud as I perform each step so that I don't miss anything. For example: "I reveal a 3 forward for my Rookie. Your target lock follows him. And he'll be taking a focus action."

Game 3 - Loss

                With the second round over, it was time to get back into the action and learn by experience rather than observation. But fate wasn't done with me. In its cruelty I found that in round 3 I was facing another HLC Outrider build. Lol. Man, what are the chances!? Actually the chances are pretty good, that's the cold hard truth of the meta-game. But instead of focusing on the negative I focused on applying what I already learned in round 1. To have any chance of winning this match I mentally noted the things that needed to happen:

1) Not make any movement mistakes or lose actions

2) Catch up to and corner the Outrider

3) Block it and focus it down at range 1

4) Be able to fire my ordnance and make good use of those points

5) Have enough firepower left to be able to take on Corran Horn

                I actually did really well on actions with only 2 lost the whole game. The first was a minor bump at the very beginning due to my a mistake in my formation. But it was early enough that there was no combat and the missing action didn't cost me. The second was near the end when I knew that I had already lost. I accidentally put a bank in the wrong direction and ended up on an asteroid. Good times, haha.

                Where I shined the most this match was in the initial engagement. I pushed my formation fast and cornered his Outrider on his side of the map. I gave a good spread of firing arcs with my X's so even with his barrel roll he couldn't evade me entirely. And I played a wonderful feign with Horton. The round before I took a target lock on his E-wing even though I knew Corran was going to move out of range. I wanted my opponent to think I was splitting my Y-wing off to chase. But instead on the next turn I slipped Horton right back into formation and he had a perfect shot on the Outrider.

                Now remember that I picked Horton for his ability to mitigate the ineffectiveness of ordnance. But statistics didn't work on my side this time as I took the one ordnance shot I got for the whole tournament. I rolled a Blank-Blank-Focus-Focus. Ugh. Using Horton's ability I rerolled the blanks for a result of Blank-Focus. So all in all, my shot only got the one Critical Hit from the proton torpedoes themselves. No matter how much you prepare there is always a bit of risk, that is just a part of the game. And since I understood that I was ok with the miss. It was a great opportunity. I just hope my opponent understood that as well and didn't reinforce in his mind a wrong opinion of ordnance.

                Even with a bad miss like that I still could have won the game. My biggest mistake - and the game turner - was the very next round when I forgot that Dash was flying that Outrider. I set up my X-wings for the block but Dash just flew the other way right through an asteroid. My opponent was gracious about it and told me that the best thing to do against Dash is to place the asteroids in the corners so there are less places to hide. At this point I had hurt his Outrider but it was now free to play another round of catch-me-if-you-can and my ships weren't able to keep up the fight. The match was over pretty shortly and thus led to my win-loss of 1-2. 

                Now that we have taken a deeper look at this tournament I hope you can understand when I say that it was a win for me. I learned a lot about the X-wing Miniatures game and I am excited to start applying that wisdom in the future. I have already started on a couple of ideas to improve my squad and if you want to stick around for the afterwards then you can read about my musings. But this article is already long enough and I thank you for reading. I hope you learned as much as I did. So keep practicing, keep trying new things, and fly casual.

Afterwards:

                The first thing I did was fix my mistake with Horton. If he is going to be my high PS on the board I need him to be able to deal with other Aces. I considered giving him an engine upgrade but that would take away his action and decrease his efficiency as a ordnance heavy hitter. After a lot of searching I found the perfect fit: the R7-T1 astromech. This gives Horton both the boost and target lock allowing him to shoot torpedoes and dodge opponents. Moreover, it makes it possible for him to take on higher PS ships. The boost action frees up a lot of the error of making a wrong move and gives me better blocking power. And honestly, it is a much better investment of points than R2-D2. Y-wings' low agility and 2 green moves mean you won't get many shield recharges.

                The other thing I have look at is the composition of my other ships. Three X-wings are wonderful in general but not so much against Outriders. A much better investment of points would be three Headhunters. Assume both the X's and the Headhunters chase an Outrider and spread their firing arcs so at least one ship gets a shot. That means for 63 points the X-wings get to throw 3 dice at the Outrider. On the other hand the Headhunters throw 2 dice for 36 points, which is a much better investment of points. Concentrated attack dice on X-wings are great against high agility targets, especially Imperial ships. But it is not as effective when the targets are low agility because 2 dice can also do damange. However, I only own one rebel headhunter and don't like to fly it as much. But if they are your cup of tea then consider flying a Rebel Swarm of 3 Headhunters and 2 Prototype A-wings. Keep these ships in your box formation and fly Horton off to the side, giving him better approach vectors for his strafing runs.


Series
Click here for Part 1 & Part 2

Masters Rhymer and Jonus - Imperial Aces of Ordnance

                Ever since I started playing X-wing Miniatures I have loved the play style of Ordnance. As exciting as dogfights are, they get somewhat old for me. I also really enjoy flying patterns that involve strafing runs and weaving chases. I was attracted to the idea of extended use of ordnance and so the Tie Bomber was the first expansion I bought for my Imperial set. However after several failed attempts on my part - and some research online - I learned that if I wanted to use missiles I would need to make it cost effective. So began my journey of finding effective ordnance builds. And I must apologize somewhat for my previous posts because of my heavy use of the Extra Munitions card. Wave 7 has not yet come out so it's not doing us a whole lot of good right now. I do hope that you can see my excitement for the Extra Munitions upgrade and can see how it will really make torpedoes and missiles cost effective. But until it arrives we need to work with what we have now. And with genuine excitement I wish to present to you the Tie Bomber. People generally think of the Tie Bomber as only bulky and difficult to maneuver. It is my desire to cast the Bomber in a new light, specifically the light of being the only ship that doesn't need the extra munitions card in order to be cost effective.

                The first reason why the Bomber itself is effective with ordnance is because it has the Elite Pilot Talent slot. To create a strong missile platform we must overcome the lack of dice modification. One way to do this is to equip a dice-modifying talent and the naturally occurring EPT on a relatively low cost ship is the specialty of the Tie Bomber. So let's look at some talents we could equip to boost our ordnance game.

                I will start off by eliminating both Veteran Instincts and Push the Limit. Not only are they overused and expected by opponents, they just don't complement the Bomber's style. Also on my list of no-go's is Opportunist and Lone Wolf. So which EPTs will work? Here are some that perhaps you overlooked for your bombers:

                The first one I wish to talk about is Predator. It's reroll ability is traditionally thought of as used for primary attacks but nowhere on the card does it exclude secondary rolls. A Bomber with Predator gets to reroll one attack dice on its ordnance and gets a whopping two rerolls against pilot skills 1 and 2. This makes those low pilots not just vulnerable but squishy, especially if your ordnance shot is followed with concentrated swarm fire.

Predator Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 33 Points

                Predator

                2 Concussion Missiles

                Another great talent we can look at is the Outmaneuver card. Yeah, yeah, I know, when the crap is a Bomber going to outmaneuver an enemy? The answer is around turn 3-4. Most bombing builds involve strafing in, firing a missile during the alpha strike, dropping a bomb and then veering off or K-turning. But Tie Bombers have the wonderful 1 forward maneuver which is allows you to arrive late for the party. What if instead of sending in your whole force, you have your bomber and an escort lag behind and give covering fire from afar? This means after the initial engagement your opponent is in a pincer and has a really tough choice. They can fly forward to go after your bomber and thus expose their backs to your swarm which just K-turned. Or the enemy can K-turn himself wishing to dogfight your swarm and now your bomber is behind them. In the first situation, the bomber can drop a bomb and zoom off to meet up with its allies. But in the event of the second situation, you have successfully gotten your bomber behind enemy lines without any effort on your part. Then to top it off, why not shoot them from behind with a Flechette Torpedo or Ion Missile, locking in the choice they made to stress their own ship? Since this EPT is not a one-use item you can enjoy playing non-stop mind games with the enemy fighters. All it will take is one good pot-shot in the backside and they will be hesitant to K-turn the rest of the game.

Covering Fire Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 35 Points

                Outmaneuver

                2 Flechette Torpedoes

                Ion Missiles

                Seismic Charges

                Munitions Failsafe

                A card that is frequently overlooked because of potential friendly fire is Ruthlessness. Yes, having it is a lot like playing with fire but if you learn to control it you can greatly benefit. A Bomber with Ruthlessness essentially turns any ordnance into a mini Assault Missile. Heck, if you use Assault Missiles themselves they will give range 1 splash damage plus one more hit. The enemy will be scared to keep close ranks and will give up the advantage of formation flying. You, however, will make sure to stay in formation thus protecting yourself from friendly fire and gaining the upper hand. For only three more points a bomber carrying low-damage ordnance now becomes scary with the threat of splash damage.

Assault Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 35 Points

                Ruthlessness

                Flechette Torpedoes

                Cluster Missiles

                Ion Missiles

                Munitions Failsafe

                The Adrenaline Rush upgrade is somewhat looked down upon because it is only a one time use. But there is a specific reason that this upgrade card is included in the Tie Bomber expansion. Ordnance users are more reliant on actions than other ships so it is crucial you get them. The Tie Punisher coming out in Wave 7 will have a Systems slot and so can take the Advanced Sensors card to ensure actions. But Adrenaline Rush works just as great during that one time you really need it. You can bait ships into chasing you, then K-turn, get an action from AR, and fire ordnance back at them. Or if you are good at planning a few turns ahead you can get a target lock on a ship, do a red maneuver and still take a focus to fire an Advanced Proton Torpedo. Better yet, the enemy does not know when you will use it and that gives you even more power from the card. A bomber with AR can make a surprise move at any moment so the very threat of it can make an opponent play far more defensively than they would want to. So, again, mind games are a good strategy with bombers.

Strafing Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 34 Points

                Adrenaline Rush

                2 Flechette Torpedoes

                Homing Missiles

                Seismic Charges

                The last card that I feel is overlooked is Determination. But it is a wonderful choice for your named bomber. With 6 hull and no shields Tie Bombers are deathly allergic to critical hits, especially early ones. They are beefy enough that things like Direct Hits don't phase them. Instead what really hurts is to get a pilot critical, namely the evil Injured Pilot card. If you are going to invest the points into getting a named bomber then it is wise to include Determination to protect your PS and pilot ability.This upgrades make for great defense and lets your bomber keep flying past the early game.

                The second way that Bombers make naturally effective ordnance users is in their Pilot Abilities. Let's take a look at the two named pilots we have for our Bombers and see if we can't learn something new.

                Major Rhymer is the head of Scimitar Squadron and was code-named Scimitar 1 during the Battle of Endor. He never appeared on screen during Episode 6 but he faithfully defended the Empire and the second Death Star. His pilot ability implies that there is a reason he is the best in the Bomber fleet. He is so good with ordnance that he can successfully fire missiles in ranges where they should be ineffective. With Rhymer, Proton Torpedoes can be shot at point blank range and APTs can be lobbed out at range 2. This greatly increases his attack effectiveness as well as decreases his blind spots. Picking him makes for a fun and flexible play style, though he is a bit more expensive. But his biggest strength, in this writer's opinion, is in his ability to shoot Proton Rockets at mid range. In the lore, Proton Rockets are actually capital ship shells but some crazy, unknown pilot once decided to strap one on to his fighter. They found that if you got to point blank range and fired them straight on course then they could catch fast moving snub-fighters. Of course, the more agile your own ship was the better the shot you had. This lore is reflected in the Proton Rockets card in that in requires a focus rather than a target lock to shoot. And because X-wing players want the highest attack value possible for the rockets the meta has tied them in our minds with A-wings and Advanced Ties. But though Rhymer won't get as much damage out of a rocket, he is the only pilot that can shoot them at range 2. This makes it a very excellent dog fighting tactic and is one of my favorites to fly.

Dogfight Bomber:

Bomber w/ Rhymer - 35 Points

                Determination

                2 Proton Rockets

                Seismic Charges

                Our other star of the day is Captain Jonus. He was also a part of Scimitar Squadron and was Rhymer's second in command as Scimitar 2. Although he was also in the Battle of Endor, Jonus's real claim to fame is when his ship was almost eaten by a giant space slug. Tasked as one of the bombers to find the Millennium Falcon in the asteroid field of Episode 5, Captain Jonus must have dropped one too many bombs and made the natives unhappy. Thankfully he escaped the jaws of death and made it into our X-wing miniatures game. Jonus was known in the Extended Universe to prefer to take point on bombing runs thus providing cover for his squad mates. This makes his pilot ability of giving rerolls to allies with secondary weapons very iconic. A bomber squad with Jonus can be both very deadly with ordnance and tanky enough to outlast the enemy. One way you can consider flying him is with the Squad Leader upgrade and Ion Missiles. That way he can set up shots for his allies next round and then give them both an action and rerolls for their attacks.

Tag-N-Bag Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus -30 Points

                Squad Leader

                2 Ion Missiles

                Before I finish I want to also make a plug for the generic bomber pilot. They have a lot to offer as well. A Scimitar Squadron Pilot with just a Seismic charge makes a cheap tank to fly point and protect your swarm. Or the same pilot with 2 homing missiles makes for a low cost, high damage missile platform. And there are plenty of others good combinations.

Tank Bomber:

Bomber w/ Scimitar Pilot - 18 Points

                Seismic Charges

Assassin Bomber:

Bomber w/ Scimitar Pilot - 26 Points

                2 Homing Missiles

               This combination of the cheap EPT slot and pilot abilities allows the Tie Bomber to not need Wave 7's fix to be cost efficient when using ordnance. So give the Tie Bomber a run. Try out some of these builds and see if they appeal to you.  It make take a little more work on your part to create the right build but it is definitely worth it. Have fun building and flying!

Afterwards:
As promised, all the Bomber builds I have presented here are cost effective with ordnance points. But that doesn't mean Bombers won't benefit from the Extra Munitions upgrade. In fact, every build I have described here will become even more cost effective and a bit cheaper. So keep practicing flying great bombers now and when Wave 7 comes out they will become even more amazing.

The Spelling of Grey - A One Vowel Revolution

                I chose the Gray Squadron Pilot as by blog's mascot for two reasons. The first is that the Y-wing has always been my favorite Star Wars ship in the movies and video games. Fantasy Flight Game is amazing at game creation they were able to capture the essence of the Y-wing perfectly, making it my favorite ship in X-wing Miniatures. But the second reason I picked the Gray Pilot is a little less obvious. I wanted an icon.

                When I initially started writing, yes, I did spell the color wrong. I have always preferred grey to gray and therefore didn't give it a second thought as I wrote it out. But when I discovered my mistake I decided to keep it. It is not enough for me to just accept something for the way it is. In a complicated game like X-wing Miniatures, it can be easy to fall into set definitions to streamline our learning. But once we learn the game we shouldn't stop our progression and stick to set ideas. Mastery of a skill does not involve checking off a list of tallies. It means becoming so good that you can take all the parts around you and know how to blend them together to make something new and beautiful. It means creating the trend of the game, not just following behind a wave of what other people have done.

                By no means do I intend for my ideas to set the trends of X-wing. Instead, what I want is for my writing to spark a creative outlook in readers and help them in their process of mastering this game. Hence the Gray Pilot. I kept the initial mistake because it embodied my desire to look at supposedly useless pieces in a whole new light. The Gray Squadron Pilot may be an overpriced squad ship that never sees competitive play but the Grey Pilot is a revolutionary man. With a little bit of ingenuity and practice the Grey Pilot can move from being just poor to being a team player with an actual purpose.

                I guess you could call me an idealist both in the way I live and in the way I play games. But idealism isn't passively wishing that things were better. It is actively working to help others and yourself reach the best state that we can be in. And it is my firm belief that we will make it there eventually. So what kind of ships do you fly in X-wing? Set ships with rigid roles and rules or ships bursting with untold potential? And for that matter, what kind of person are you? The difference could just be in how you spell the color grey.

Etiquette & Gameplay - A Beginner's Guide to Tournaments Part 2

                There is an upcoming store tournament in my area this weekend. In light of this, and to help prepare myself, I have written the second half of my Beginner's Guide To Tournaments. In the first half I talked about what necessary preparations one should do before even paying for admission and walking in. In this section, we will discuss a player's attitude, etiquette, and the general gameplay needed to have a good tournament experience. This week will also be a good chance for me to put my money where my mouth is and actually use the advice I provide. After this tournament I will give a battle report comparing how it I fared versus the first tournament I attended.

                The first thing I want to talk about is time dedication. In my previous post I explained how my first squad had a 1-2 win-loss ratio. I only got to play three games because that's all the time I had. There was a previous engagement for that evening and an hour drive home so I left early. While I know we all have busy schedules I would strongly recommend you try to give the whole day to a tournament.

                The first reason why is because of time delays. Just like with LAN parties, there are many things that can go wrong in a tournament. For example, if more people attend than the store is prepared for then set up will take much longer. If you plan to be there anyways, you won't be pressured for time and can be stress-free while you play (always allowing yourself to take actions, right?). The second reason is because it provides the best experience. The best way to burn calories is long, sustained exercise. And the best way to solidify rules, strategies, and game skills in your brain is for dedicated, sustained mental focus. Give yourself a tournament day and you will improve far more than if you play a game here or there. Finally, you should stay the whole time because most store tournaments are Swiss style. When you lose a game you aren't kicked out of the tournament. Yes, you move to the losers' bracket but you still get to play and get your money's worth. Moreover, if you do well in the losers' bracket, your point score still might be good enough to get you into the finals.

                Staying for a whole tournament is where squad composition and practice play a huge role. You can't alter the build you have or change over to a new one during the tournament. If you are flying a weak squad and you don't know, you will find out real fast while playing others. The same goes if you have a good squad but you just didn't practice it enough. If you find yourself in this situation you probably will want to leave after just a few games. In addition to this, the longer you stay at a tournament, the more other players will see your squad. And because you can't change it, they can start mentally planning counters to use if they end up facing you. But you can be prepared for this if you've had plenty of squad practice. You can switch from flying in formation in one game to swarming from all angles in another. Or you can use the same ship in a different role in order to convert your whole strategy. Having a fluid build like this will allow you still throw surprises and catch others off guard.

                The next topic I wish to address is player etiquette. Tournament games should be treated like any other sport and so good sportsmanship should be applied. This means playing fairly and having respect for your opponents. Etiquette is a central part of tournament success because it affects so many parts of the game. Let's look a couple of them.

                The very first thing you will do when you start each round match is meet your opponent. Be happy and friendly towards them. Shake their hand, say good luck and be sincere. Remember that they are human beings too, not just obstacles in your way of claiming the title of Store Champion. They want to win just as much as you. But more important than being your enemy, the person across the table is also your forgiver. If you forget to take an action or completely space having one of your ships shoot, you cannot go back in the game and change it unless your opponent approves. In this sense, being rude to others actually hurts yourself and diminishes game enjoyment for both players.

                However, what if your opponent is the rude one? The motto of X-wing Miniatures is to fly casual. This means being friendly and forgiving to your opponent, even if they aren't to you. Don't cause contention but also don't be a softy. If you are timid in your playing then rude players will try to walk over you. Voice your opinion on the call of a range or shot you think is unfair, but make sure you are justified and are not just being contradictory because you can. If the two of you disagree on something try to resolve it between yourselves. Roll an attack dice for a 50/50 toss, one player choosing hit/crit and the other focus/blank. But there are some crucial moments in a game, in my opinion, where a simple dice roll won't cut it. Don't be afraid to call over a tournament officiator to get an official call.

                After you and your opponent meet, you will meet each other's squad. You are required by the rules of the game to tell your opponent which cards you have. You can't hide your cards and claim that surprise is your squad's strength. But though you are required to tell your opponent what you have, you are not required to tell them your strategy. This is because each player is expected to know the rules and cards of the game. Hence why you should do your studies on different cards and factions. True surprise and subterfuge happens in this game when you can do something your opponent isn't expecting, even when they have seen all of your cards. But on the flip side of this, be lenient when people don't know about a certain card. Be willing to let your opponents read your own cards if they have questions. And don't be afraid to ask if you yourself don't know.

                The third way to have etiquette while you play is in how you express happiness. If you groan aloud every time the dice are bad for you and cheer every time you blow up an enemy ship then you aren't being a very good sport. Anyone can be happy when something good happens to them, even your enemy can do that. But it takes a better person to be happy when something good happens for others. A good sport can congratulate an opponent on a successful maneuver and doesn't outwardly express joy when an opponent makes a mistake. Moreover, a great player can laugh all through a game no matter what happens. Tournaments should be taken seriously but not too seriously.  

                And that brings us to the end game. No matter the outcome of the match it is good manners to say 'good game' to your opponent. It is customary for the defeated player to initiate the hand shake because it is implies arrogance for the winner to do so. This can be quite humbling for the losing player and I know I don't really like it. However, doing so can really help you get over the loss. In a way it is a lot like prayer: the time you really don't want to do it is the time you need it the most.

                Overall, I want to be a good person having fun in a great game with other good people. So have a great attitude in your thoughts and actions while you play and everyone will benefit.

                The last thing I want to talk about is 2 gameplay rules. I'll begin with what I believe to be the biggest mistake players make: using the range ruler. The ruler is an important tool to help you play the game but there are rules attached to when you are allowed to use it. And surprisingly, the list is rather short. You may measure range when: acquiring a target lock, declaring an attack, or resolving a activated pilot/upgrade ability. Here are some examples:

Times you are allowed to measure:

"I want to attack your Rookie with my Decimator. Is he in range?"

"Combat phase is starting. Is my Academy Tie close enough to Howlrunner for swarm tactics to work?"

"Combat phase is starting. Is Guri within range one of an enemy to get her free focus token?"

"Is my B-wing within range to acquire a target lock on your Firespray?"

Times you are NOT allowed to measure:

"I just moved Mauler. Is he in range 1 of the enemy to get his extra attack dice? Because this will determine my action."

"I just moved my A-wing. Is he in the enemy Tie's firing arc? Because if he is then I will take a boost to get out."

"I've already had my Bomber shoot but how close is he to that enemy Aggressor? If he's close enough then I'll drop a bomb before I move next round."

"I just moved Keyan. I'll measure to see if he can use his Lone Wolf upgrade. If he can't then I'll barrel roll him away."

                In your own casual play it's not as important to follow these rules to the letter. However, this is not the case in tournaments. If you don't follow the rules you can be called out for cheating. You must rely on your own skill to win. Don't get accustomed to having the range ruler as a crutch. Practice measuring distances in your head and if you aren't sure on a distance, know when to play it safe and when to take risks.

                One final thought on the range ruler. Now that you know when you can legally measure, don't abuse it. It is very rude in the game to decide one thing, measure, and then to change your decision. If you declare an attack or an action you must follow through on it unless you can't do it. Learn to make decisions in X-wing like you would in Chess. In the later, your choice is locked when you remove your hand from the piece. In the same sense your choice in X-wing is locked when you verbally declare that it is your choice. If you are a person that thinks aloud - like me - that's ok as long as you are sure to specify when you have made your final decision.

                The other aspect of gameplay I wanted to talk about is the pacing of the game. X-wing Miniatures is intense and exciting and it can be easy to get moving faster through each turn. However don't fall into this trap. Instead, take a breath, slow down, and focus. It can be fun to anticipate a great engagement that is just coming up but it is more important to pay attention to the here and now. When you do you are more likely to correctly guess your opponents moves, not miss any actions or make mistakes in general. You need to take it slow so you have adequate time to think about your decisions and their ramifications. Flying by the seat of your pants can be a crazy ride but this leaves little time for proper decision making and large opportunities for making errors. You can recover from making a mistake every now and again but constant errors will ruin you every time.

                The first game I played at my first tournament was against a guy who was just as new to the game as I was. And our game came down to each of us having a final ship that was almost dead. In that moment the dice "betrayed" me, as the saying goes, and I lost. But I don't blame that one dice roll for my failure. I blame the innumerable mistakes I made along the way because I was nervous and didn't pace myself. Nothing feels quite as bad as losing Wedge because you forgot to recharge your shields with R2-D2, haha.

                In that same sense, you should not purposefully rush your opponent. It is explicitly expressed in the rules that rushing your opponent with the intent of them making mistakes is bad sportsmanship and is cheating. It can be consciously playing dirty or unconscious actions. It can be impatient body language or verbally pushing your opponent. But whatever form it's in, it creates an angry edge to the game that ruins the fun for both of you. If your enemy makes a mistake, such as missing an action, it should be because of their own fault and not because of your meddling. Playing nice and having fun will bring the best experience to yourself and to everyone else.

                And there you have it. There is no possible way for me to cover all etiquette and rules but you now have a healthy understanding of both and can play efficiently and fairly. You are now ready to enter your first tournament. You've built, perfected, and practiced your squad. You've set the day aside and have plenty of time to play. And you know how be a great sport. If you are going to attend a tournament for fun and are not too worried about winning then make sure you have a good time and learn a lot from your experience. And if you are looking for the win then I wish you the best and hope that these tips have helped you. So fly casual, good luck, and I'll see you next week with my battle report. Poor Grey Pilot out.


Series
Click here for Part 1 & Part 3