The Five Main Game Stages - Advanced X-wing Miniatures Aspects - Part 4

                Good day, pilots. I wish to express thanks for your patience. These last few weeks have been busy as I've been getting ready for school. I am also dedicating more writing towards editing as I am working on possibly making a Poor Grey Pilot book.  So we'll see how that goes, wish me luck.

Intro

                In today's article, I want to cover the game stages of X-wing Miniatures. I am not referring to phases of each round, but rather the stages a game of X-wing goes through, start to finish. While I'm not the sole proprietor of X-wing terminology, I have yet to find an FFG guide that states official stage names. So please allow me creative license to explain this topic. I do not wish for my terminology to become canon, only for my thoughts to be properly understood.
                There are five main stages of an X-wing match: Pre, Early, Mid, Late, and Post. In this analysis we will break down the stages, find out what they contain, and look at which upgrades are strong in each.

Pregame - Plan & Prepare

                While not part of the actual match, the pregame stage is nonetheless important. X-wing Miniatures isn't a game of pickup basketball. Before you break out the playmat, I hope you've taken the time to find or create a squad based on your likes. Squad creation is the first part of every game. When playing competitively, research the meta game and plan appropriate counters to what most people fly.

                Then comes the (not so) secret of the Pregame: practice! It can be an alluring to think you know your squad well enough, but if there is one thing I've seen the top level players do, it's beat their squads to death with practice! Know your ships inside and out. That way, you won't forget ability time windows and won't self-bump.

                The final parts of the pregame are when you meet your opponent and see their list. You want to understand the cards your opponent brings and hopefully glean their overall strategy. The pregame finishes when you roll for initiative. Remember to fly causal.

Early game - Set Up & Jockeying

                A mistake newer players make is misinterpreting when an X-wing game has truly "started". It's easy to think that it begins when you enter combat. After all, that is where the excitement resides! However, this mindset places no value on all the things before that moment. The game has truly started the moment the first asteroid is placed. If you haven't put thought into this part of the game, then you're already at a disadvantage. Instead, have a plan for game set up and make adjustments as needed, giving you the chance for better board positioning.

                We start with obstacle placement. Part of your pregame was picking your obstacles and obstacle deployment plan. Learn which obstacle deployments favor you and hurt your opponent. Then you set up ships. Here, you construct ship formations and mentally plot out initial vectors across the board.

                However, initial placement isn't as important as the next part of the early game: jockeying for position. Select your maneuvers and the mental battle is on! You must walk a fine line of guessing correctly what your opponent will do while not giving away hints of your strategy. It is common in the first few rounds for squads to move out cautiously, allowing more time to get an idea of enemy movement. Remember to keep your formations tight and don't self-bump.

                There are also several strategies for the early game. The first is stalling. Ships with 1 forward maneuvers and barrel rolls excel at this. Stalling helps you keep good positions, forcing enemies to come to you. Another tactic is Fortressing, where run ships headfirst into each other to prevent movement. This sacrifices your action economy but there is good chance you won't need it that early.

                Stalling also allowing you to charge upgrade batteries. A battery is an ability that stockpiles actions for later use. This can be Kyle in the Moldy Crow or Dengar with his Gonk Droid. It can even be Keyan Farlander with the Hera crew. The longer you can stall in the early game, the bigger your battery can get. Once things get crazy in combat, you won't have as many chances to charge.

                Another strong early game upgrade is mines. Bomber ships like K-wings and Punishers are mobile enough to traverse the map before combat, allowing you to lay mines and optimize board position for your squad. A well-placed mine forces enemies into less-favorable positions.  

Midgame - The Alpha Strike & The Joust

                The early game immediately ends when you enter combat range, the point of no return. Jockeying is over and now action economy and dice take control of the game. The first part of the midgame is the alpha strike, defined as the initial pass the sides will make.

                There are 3 main things that determine alpha strike strength: positioning, formation, and action economy. The first two are determined by the early game. If you out-guessed your opponent movement, then you will be in good firing position. If you didn't bump your own ships, or asteroids, then you will still have good formation, allowing you to reduce your squad's size while centralizing its firepower. (Exceptions are large-based and Scum ships, which dislike flying in formation). Enough of the alpha strike is affected by the early game that it can cause a snowballing effect. If your opponent lost the early game, then they can easily lose the midgame and spiral quickly to defeat.

                However, one aspect of the alpha strike that is determined right then: action economy. The ability to modify dice removes some bad luck from the game and makes ship performance more consistent, hence why midgame action-economy upgrades are powerful. Cards like Push the Limit and Experimental Interface give you the dice modification needed to keep ships alive. Certain pilots, like Howlrunner and Biggs, are influential because of their ability to shape the alpha strike.

                The next part of the midgame is the joust stage. When the alpha strike ends, all good planning goes to mush. Your starships dance in circles, continuously closing in for the kill. However, don't think that the joust is only for jousting-class ships. These ships are called Jousters because they excel during this stage, but all ship classes take part in the joust. Arc-Dodgers and Bombers cut tight circles and rely heavily on movement actions for positioning. Jousters love K-turns, S-loops, and T-rolls to keep enemies in sight. Turrets fly on wide, sweeping vectors to remain evasive while firing outside of arc. Support ships fly on easily-predicted patterns based off the parameters of their abilities. Concentrated firepower is much harder to achieve during the joust and players must coordinate what's left of their squad.

                One more aspect of jousting that requires attention: blocking. Positioning and dice modification are crucial at this stage of the game, meaning it is devastating to have a ship blocked and action-less. Here, low-skilled pilots shine if you can get them in the correct places to block enemy ships.

                There are many upgrades to chose for the midgame. I've already mentioned action economy, but other strong abilities include ones that shirk damage, such as Determination, the R7 Astromech, and the Sensor Jammer. Or, perhaps you like guaranteed results with Palpatine, Feedback Array, and Autothrusters. There are plenty of others, so be sure to explore!

Late Game - Mop Up & Chases

                It is best to look at the early, mid, and late games as best 2 out of 3. If you beat your opponent in the early and mid then you shouldn't have trouble cleaning the board in the late game. Vice versa, if you lost the first two stages. But the late stage can also be a tie breaker if neither player has gained the advantage.

                Here is where we find another mistake that new players make: how long a game of X-wing will last. Players sometimes think that games will have epic dogfights over large sections of the map. While this happens in some games, most games have jousts that burn out quickly and occur over one small spot of the map. This shortness makes set up and the alpha strike that much more important.

                I call the late game the mop up stage because one of two things happen: either the joust finishes with one player eliminated, or else the losing side breaks off and flees. Either way the winner is clearly established.

                The length of the late game depends on whether the match is casual or competitive. When I play casually, I try to be considerate of my opponent's time. If a winner is clearly established, I am fine finishing. That way time is saved, meaning time for additional games!

                But it is different for competitive. The chase stage is actually crucial because of the Margin of Victory. Put simply, the MoV is how many more squad points you destroyed than lost in all your games combined. While a win is a win in a tournament, there is a good chance players will tie in number of wins. Who breaks the tie is determined by the MoV, therefore each point matters. If you're in the joust stage and know you'll lose, it is wise to break. While you may not win the match, you can save some MoV points overall.

                In regards to upgrades, I would advice that you double check yourself before investing in late game squad points. It's usually more beneficial to pick early or midgame upgrades and defeat your opponent there. That being said, there are some good late gmae upgrades that are worth looking at.

                Health regeneration upgrades are very powerful in the late game. Cards like R2-D2, Salvaged Astromech, and the R5 Astromech reverse ship damage, giving you better squad strength while your enemy is crippled. However, this has the liability of drawing enemy attention. If your opponent can destory your ship in the midgame, then your squad points are wasted. Overcome this weakness by complementing your squad with a strong midgame ship, giving your opponent the tough choice of which ship to focus fire on during the midgame.

                Another strong late game investment is pilot skill. When in formation during the early game, pilot skill only helps you kill enemies without return fire. But during the joust and chase stages, high PS lets you slip behind enemies and stay there. Arc-dodging ships excel at this and terrorize low PS ships with bad dials.

Postgame - Pack up and Analyze

                No matter the outcome, its good sportsmanship to thank your opponent. Then, remember to determine the Margin of Victory.

                These things should be obvious, but there is one part of the postgame that many people forget. After a match or tournament is over, it is beneficial to introspectively analyze your performance. Perhaps you like to discuss games with family and friends. For me, I love writing about my games. That way I capture the exciting memories and have a chance to reflect. (And, of course, I can share them online with you!)

                No matter how its done, this analysis is where you grow the most. What went right or wrong with your squad build? With your action economy? With your ability to outmaneuver your opponent? Find answers to these questions and prepare better for the next match.

Conclusion

                These are the five main stages of an X-wing game. I hope you learned a thing or two about the structure of X-wing Miniatures. With that knowledge, you can improve yourself, your gameplay, and your overall X-wing experience. Which stage of the game do you excel at? And are there any stages that I missed? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for reading and best of luck fighting for the galaxy! Poor Grey Pilot out.

Subterfuge and Mind Games - Advanced X-wing Miniature Aspects Part 3

                Good morning, PGP fans. This week I am happy to present part 3 of my article thread discussing some of the more advanced X-wing Miniature aspects. Click here if you'd like to review Part 1 and Part 2. Today's article will cover the use of Subterfuge & Mind Games. First, we'll look at how subterfuge applies to X-wing game play. Then we'll discuss how to use it in both squad building and facing your opponent. I hope by the end that you will have a couple new ideas on how to add some flavor to your game play and how to catch unsuspecting opponents flat-footed.

Subversive Tactics

                X-wing is not overtly a game of subterfuge. If it were then you would be able to hide your cards from your opponent and both of you would have to enter the battlefield blind and cautious. While hiding your cards would make for some hilarious casual play, it is against the rules to do so in competitive play. But here's the catch. This doesn't mean you have to tell your opponent exactly how you plan on using your cards. I've said it before and I'll say it again: subterfuge in X-wing is being able to pull a fast one on your opponent even after they have seen all of your cards.

                Some tactics are straightforward and that is both their strength and weakness. For example, if you take Assault Missiles then it is very clear that you want splash damage. Your opponent will know this and will have to split up his formations or suffer the consequences. But other upgrade cards are a little more...sneaky. What do you plan on doing with that Proximity Mine? Lock down a lane between asteroids? Dump it on the face of a higher PS enemy? Or trap a chaser trying to flank you? To be subversive, you want to take upgrades that can fulfill multiple roles.

TIE Bomber w/ Scimitar Pilot - 21 points

                Extra Munitions

                Proximity Mines

Versatile Strategies

                I really like the pilot Serissu. This Bothan has somewhat become my Scum Champion as the Gray Squadron Pilot became my Rebel Champion. There are so many interesting ways to build her ship. I've talked about her with Juke, a combo where she can be both evasive and deadly. I've talked about her with Expert Handling so that she can get the most out of her barrel rolls and be a slippery target.

                But now let's look at her with Veteran Instincts. We have a PS 10 Scyk Interceptor that actually can fulfill an Arc Dodger role. However, that role is in stark contrast to her pilot ability. She can't be coming in on a wide, flanking vector and also protect an allied squad at the same time. But let's capitalize off of this fact. If you put her in the back of a squad formation then she will blend in. VI will look like a cheap upgrade to make sure she gets to attack first. But when the alpha strike comes you can split your formation. That way your ships can cover more area with your firing arcs and Serissu can get to a safe place off to the side. Then the next turn she can move into position behind an enemy ship and start to chase it. And it is the same on the reverse side. You can put Serissu far away from your Scum swarm, which 'tells' your opponent you picked her for high Pilot Skill and not her ability. Then when the alpha strike comes you can trick your opponent by cutting her flanking vector short. Instead, fly her right into the fray and she now can provide protection for her allies. Your opponent now has to chose between shooting at their original target or switching entirely to take care of Serissu first. And this can be especially devastating if enemy ships now have taken Target Locks on the wrong ship.

Scyk w/ Serissu - 24 points

                Veteran Instincts

                Stealth Device

                Versatile strategy that can't be predicted by your opponent draws heavily from the use of overlapping Ship Pillars. Let's use the example of my favorite B-wing build. I really can't stand flying un-upgraded B-wings. Every time it feels like my ships just sit there, relatively speaking, waiting to be outflown by enemy aces. But I absolutely love them when they are equipped with Advanced Sensors. I don't pair the two together because I'm afraid of bumping. Advanced Sesnors in conjunction with the Barrel Roll action is so powerful that it frees up the B's very slow dial. But it also does more than that. It lets the ship fulfill Arc Dodger roles, which is crazy because the ships is very much a Jouster in the mind of the meta. In an Escalation Tournament, I flew my favorite Advanced Ion Strafe B-wing and its movement dial was strong enough allow me to keep it out of arc of an enemy Whisper.

B-wing w/ Blue Pilot - 28 points

                Advanced Sensors

                Ion Cannon

                The main point of having a versatile squadron is that you have more options. You want to be able to react to what your opponent has brought to the table, rather than just stubbornly going ahead with what you already planned. And if you play your squad correctly - as well as your tells - then you can convince your opponent you are flying rigidly when instead you are fluid and can catch them off guard.

Mind Games

                And this brings us to the second main point of subterfuge: playing mind games. If you can get into your opponent's head then you gain the advantage and use it to win.

                Let's start off by discussing one-shot items. These upgrades are some of the best for mind games. The reason for this is that even though you only get to use it once, it is always a threat while you still have it. If you equip Adrenaline Rush then your opponent knows that you will be making a surprise red move at sometime. But when? Since they don't know they have to answer a question: is it safe to fly aggressively and hope for the best, or should I be more conservative until the one-shot is used?

                You can build a whole squad around the premise of wanting your opponent to act a certain way. For example, flying a Talonbane Cobra with Crackshot (or Carnor Jax for that matter) can make your opponent reconsider putting evade tokens next to their ships. Why would they waste their action since you could just bypass them? But that is the trap because now your supporting squad of Headhunters or Y-wings have a much higher chance of punching through the enemy defenses. By forcing your opponent into a lose-lose choice right at the beginning of the game, you can turn the tide of an alpha strike into your favor.

                And the same can be said of Lightning Reflexes, Advanced Homing Missiles, Boba Fett crew, and many others. Use them to strike fear into the heart of your enemy! Find a combo that appeals to your tastes and gives you an advantage in-game. Then practice it long and hard so you are confident you can pull it off in the competitive scene.

A-wing w/ Tycho Celchu - 28 points

                A-wing Test Pilot

                Wired

                Lightning Reflexes

                Autothrusters

                Chardaan Refit

                The next part of playing mind games is doing things that make your opponent work harder. If we put a Targeting Astromech on Hobbie then we have a powerful combo. But it is quite easy for your opponent to guess that Hobbie will pick K-turns and so they will plan accordingly. To get some subterfuge going we need to create combos that really make our opponents think.

                Let's use the example of Poe Dameron with Wired. This combo requires your opponent to put some thought into guessing your moves. Poe's ability means you want to get the focus token but Wired means that you want to pick red moves. Which will you go for in the heat of battle? Let's just make it a little crazier by giving also equipping R2-D2. Now your T-70 wants to go for the green moves as well, making a ship that desires three different things! Poe's movement and actions are now things that your opponent will have to question on each and every turn. And hopefully when they are using precious brain power to deliberate this, they aren't making as strong choices in other aspects of the game.

               

T-70 w/ Poe - 38 points

                Wired

                R2-D2

                Autothrusters

                Whichever way you go about it, whether in the way you fly or the upgrades you pick, mind games can really thrown other players. The name of the game of X-wing is to outmaneuver enemy ships. But more often than not that process starts by you first outwitting your opponent.

Good Sportsmanship

                A small caveat before I finish. Playing mind games in X-wing does not mean that you rudely hinder your opponent, for example by rushing them. This kind of conduct is expressly stated in X-wing rules as both cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct. If your opponent makes a mistake it should be from their own error. Perhaps they are nervous in a game and forget to use an ability in its designated time window. That's fine. But players shouldn't push the game forward with the intention of rushing opponents past time windows. Remember to be competitive but to ultimately fly casual!

Conclusion

                As I've said before, it is important to remember that advanced skills, like subterfuge, are minor compared to essentials ones like ship flying and squad building. If you are just starting out, make sure to get your head square on your shoulders with the basics and then try branching out. Once you do, these subtle mind games can add a great fun and flavor to your X-wing matches. It is one of the main reasons why I keep playing. What are some of your greatest moments of pulling a fast one on your opponent? Let me know in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed this article and have a great week of flying!

Obstacle Deployment - Advanced X-wing Miniature Aspects, Part 2

                Today I present part 2 of a series where I talk about some of the more advanced aspects of X-wing Miniatures. Last week we took a look at the Pillars of X-wing and how they affect players' game tastes and squad building. In this article I want to delve into some of the nuances of how one wants to place obstacles during a match. We will go over how obstacles play a role in competitive tournaments. Then we will take a look at how certain build types, pilots, and upgrades work best when paired with a specific obstacle deployment. Let's jump right in.

Overview of Obstacles

                For beginning players, here is a review of the use of obstacles in competitive tournaments. Each player picks three obstacles along with their 100 point squad. These obstacles are locked: you cannot change them and you have to use them in each match of the tournament. Your pick of three can come from any of the obstacles found in the New Hope Core Set, Force Awakens Core Set, Decimator Expansion, or Outrider Expansion. Obstacles that come with Epic expansion packs are not tournament legal.

                There are two types of obstacles that you can pick: asteroids and debris fields. Both are themed very well with the game mechanics they provide. Asteroids act like what they are: really big rocks. If your maneuver template clips one then you must roll an attack die to see if you take damage and have to skip your action phase as you "swerve" to miss the obstacle. If your final base position lands you on an asteroid then you can't attack for that round. Debris fields act as stationary flechette stressors. If your final base position or maneuver template touches a debris field then your ship immediately receives a stress token and you roll an attack die. You are only worried about critical results here as your ship passes through a cloud of deadly space shrapnel. The biggest difference, though, is that you can still attack even when your base is on a debris field. So while asteroids are big death traps you want to miss, debris fields can actually be tactical positioning tools.

                The next thing I want to review is Initiative. Usually the player's desire to take Initiative is based off of Pilot Skill. But it also applies to obstacles. The player with Initiative places the first asteroid and it goes back and forth till both players have placed their three. Now if your obstacle strategy is more casual or flexible then you're not really going to care who places first. But if you have a strict, specific deployment planned then it can be very advantageous to get Initiative and place first.

                One last thing before I move on. Since all players can take three of any of the obstacles to a tournament, there is a good chance that there will be repeat obstacles on the playmat. You can save a lot of time and stress by marking the back of your asteroids in a distinct way. I place a blue, circular sticker on each of mine. That way at the end of a game you can flip the asteroids and easily pull yours out. This eliminates any need to memorize obstacles as well as reduces risk of getting them mixed up.

Obstacles Paired With Squad Builds

Beginners

                The first obstacle deployment is the simplest: Beginners. If you are still working on mastering the basics of X-wing Miniatures then you probably don't want to be fussing too much over obstacle deployment. So the best thing you can do is pick the smallest obstacles you have and get them out of your way. I would greatly recommend picking the three smallest asteroids from The Force Awakens Core Set, including the "mustache" shaped one. Then take your three obstacles and place then at the minimum distance of Range 2 away from the edges. That way they will be out of the way and less likely to bother you. You will only have to worry about your opponent's obstacles as you deliberate your squadron's moves. Once you get some more experience and are feeling comfortable, try branching out to a different style of obstacle deployment.

Jousting K-turns

                This deployment is very popular among players with Jousting ships that rely on Koiogran Turns, especially Rebel fighters. In this deployment you place your three obstacles in three of the four corners of the board. (Corner being defined as the asteroid is at Range 2 of two of the playmat's edges.) The reason for this is because of the length of the range ruler. Range 2 on a ruler is longer than a 4 straight forward maneuver template. This means that if your X-wing or Y-wing is facing the edge but is behind your corner asteroid, it can successfully perform a 4 Koiogran turn. If your ship is facing the edge and is beyond your corner asteroid, then you need to pull a hard turn instead to not go off the board.

                It can also help with other lengths of K-turns. Since a small base is equal to the 1 forward template, you can use the base of your own ship to comparatively calculate its K-turn in relation to your corner astroid. A Headhunter is able to do a 3 K-turn so it can be 1 small-base-length past your corner asteroid and still make it. B-wings, with its shorter 2 K-turn, can be 2 small-bases beyond. And a TIE Bombers or Interceptor trying to do a 5 K-turn has to be 1 small-base in front of the corner asteroid to not go off the board. Take some time to practice these lengths and get comfortable using corner asteroids to help your Jousting K-turns.

Maneuvering Power with Obstacle Clusters

                Apart from ditching your obstacles at the edges, there are two other ways to position your asteroids: in clusters and in lanes. An Obstacles Cluster is defined as having three obstacles together and you CANNOT draw a straight line through them. To create a cluster, and to prevent your opponent from creating lanes, you want stagger obstacles so that they are never forming perfectly straight lines. You also want to pack obstacles tightly at the minimum distance of Range 1 away from each other. This creates weaving paths that give greater power to ships with strong dials and movement actions. You want to create clusters if your ships have better dials than your opponent, if your ships have access to Boosts and Barrel Rolls, and if you want to make it hard for enemies to fly in formations. That way ships like Arc Dodgers can capitalize more off of their advantages and have a greater chance to outmaneuver the enemy.

Non-Maneuvering Power with Obstacle Lanes

                The opposite of Obstacle Clusters are Obstacle Lanes. An Obstacle Lane is defined as having three obstacles together and you CAN draw a straight line through them. To create lanes, and to prevent your opponent from creating clusters, you want to place your first two obstacles randomly so your opponent doesn't see what you are doing and try to stop you. Then place your third in the middle to create the Tic-Tac-Toe, three in a row. You also want to place your obstacles between Range 1 and 2 of enemy obstacles. That way your opponent cannot fit another obstacle in between the two. Overal, this makes obstacles more spread out on the board. And this creates wide open lanes that give power to ships with weaker dials and no movement actions. It also gives more maneuverable enemies less places to hide. That way ships like Jousters,Turrets, and Supporters have less chance of being outmaneuvered and more chance of forcing the enemy to meet them where they want them.

Bombers

                Obstacle Deployment that benefits bombers is actually a lot more fluid. It all depends on what your opponent is flying and how you want to deal with it. If you opponent has non-maneuverable ships then you need to capitalize off that. You can create Obstacle Clusters and place bombs on the edges. That way enemy ships have to either go through the cluster or else skirt far around the edges to avoid the bombs and possibly be away from the action. Or perhaps you want to do the opposite, create lanes that would benefit the enemy ships but then clog the lanes with your mines. That way you mess up enemy movement and also have a bit of surprise up your sleeve.

                And it is the exact opposite when your enemy has highly maneuverable ships. You can lure them into Obstacle Clusters that they like and then block the exits with bombs. Or else you can make wide lanes and then force even more strict movement with your mine placement. Since Bomber effectiveness is based on bomb placement, your obstacles will play a huge role. So if you like flying Bombers be sure to practice long and hard on getting your Bomb & Obstacle placement synergy right.

Obstacles Paired With Specific Cards

Stress Loving Ships

                Now let's apply obstacle strategy to certain cards. Let's start with ships that love stress. Even though stress is meant to be a negative game mechanic that players are to overcome, there are certain pilots out there that thrive on stress tokens. These pilots, by extension, prefer to have debris fields deployed during games. For example, Tycho Celchu or Soontir Fel can use debris very effectively. The former doesn't care about the stress he receives and the latter still gets a focus token assigned to him. That way these pilots aren't limited in movement options and can take unsuspecting opponents by surprise.

                Another example is flying a B-wing piloted by Keyan or Ibtisam. These aces don't worry about getting stress because it triggers their pilot abilities. And since B-wings are very slow, running through a debris field means that enemies chasing you will be less likely to follow.

                One of my personal favorite pilots is Eaden Vrill. He loves when there are debris fields because of his pilot ability. He gets an extra attack die when enemies are stressed and that makes your debris punish enemy movement mistakes even more.

                Other abilities that like stress include Wired, 4-LOM, Captian Yorr and Jek Porkins. And there are plenty more to choose from so have fun exploring and picking what you like.

Barrel Roll Before Moving

                Another interesting obstacle deployment is using abilities that let you Barrel Roll before you move. This includes using Advanced Sensors, Expert Handling, and/or BB-8. This combo allows a ship to move right up in front of an obstacle for cover and still not run into it. While both you and the enemy receive an extra green die from the obstacle, it can be in your favor as your Ace pilot is probably facing more than one enemy and therefore gets to roll more green dice. Then the next turn you can do a barrel roll before you move and therefore not hit an asteroid or debris. You can really gain the advantage over a surprised opponent who didn't expect that sort of move. This strategy can be used by a list of ships with the right builds. And that is longer than you might imagine: B-wing, E-wing, T-65 X-wing, T-70 X-wing, Rebel Y-wing, Aggressor, TIE Advanced/x1, Mist Hunter, and Star Viper. So learn to place your obstacles to give you excellent opportunities to fire, especially when you are directly facing them.

Dash Rendar

                Dash Rendar gets his love for asteroids from the Shadows of the Empire video game. Technically Han Solo also traversed an asteroid field but he received a pilot ability that deals with his smuggler's luck. Dash Rendar, on the other hand, brings a unique ability to X-wing by being able to ignore obstacles. When piloting the Outrider he wants to have an asteroid cluster in the middle and to lead enemy ships on long chases around the cluster. Then when he runs out of room on the board he wants to swing over an obstacle to have another clear lane while his opponents get stuck. All the while he is blasting away with an HLC or Mangler turret. It is essentially the opposite when you are flying against him. You want to place your obstacles in the corners and edges so he has no places to run away. Then you can hunt him down easier.

                While Dash the pilot deals with the Activation and Action phases, Dash the crew deals with  the Combat phase. Crew Dash isn't obstructed when attacking past obstacles and can even allow your ship to still shoot when on top of an obstacle. This allows any Rebel ship with a crew to be less restricted. You can place big asteroids and debris in lanes where you ship can shoot unobstructed while enemy ships have to take obstructed shots back. Or perhaps you put a huge cluster in the middle and have no fear overlapping it and still being able to shoot.

                For some extreme fun, try putting Chopper and Dash on the Millennium Falcon. You now have the Rebel version of a Darth Vader Doom Shuttle. It is a ship that destroys itself in the attempt to gain advantage over the enemy. And there are plenty of other fun builds out there.

Red Ace

                This is a fun little trick you can use when flying a Red Ace combo with R2-D2 and the Comms Relay. Already your T-70 X-wing is a tank and can absorb a lot of shots. But we can start out with an even stronger alpha strike. Place an asteroid in front of your starting edge. Then in the first few rounds of movement, fly Red Ace right over the asteroid. You roll a red die and have a 50% chance of taking a damage. If you take a damage you will lose a shield and that will activate Red Ace's pilot ability. Comms relay will then hold onto your evade token and the next round you do a green move to recharge the shield. Play it right and all of this can happen before the alpha strike happens. That way your X-wing can go into battle with the an Evade token already attached.

Advanced Targeting Computer

                While there are very few upgrades that allow you to directly ignore obstacles, there are many that don't care that obstacles exist. The most notable of these is the Advanced Targeting Computer. Normally, shooting at an enemy through an obstacle is a hassle because they get the extra evade die. But this is a favorable trade when your TIE Advanced is shooting at an enemy with its Advanced Targeting Computer. Your opponent gets one more green die, which gives a 33% chance of adding an extra evade result (without a focus token). But your Advanced Targeting Computer is already giving you a 100% chance of adding an extra critical result, so you'll win most statistical exchanges. This means the TIE Advanced is a Jouster that doesn't need Obstacle Lanes to properly dish out its damage. It can instead prey on ships across obstacle clusters.

                And it is the same for Secondary weapons at Range 3. They don't care as much if the opponent gets an obstruction defense die because they already aren't getting the Range 3 bonus die. So if you are running ordnance, Cannons, or Twin Laser Turrets, consider making Obstacle Clusters and getting cover for yourself without giving cover to your opponent

TIE Phantom

                TIE Phantoms aren't like other Arc Dodgers because they don't want tight Obstacle Clusters. The reason for this is because the decloak action uses the 2 straight rather than the 1 straight. To accommodate the cloaking action and allow your TIE Phantom the option of decloaking with a barrel roll, you will want loose obstacle deployment. In fact, you'll want your obstacles to be almost Range 2 away from each other. On the flip side, if you are facing a Phantom, you'll want to pack asteroids and debris in tighter formations in order to limit the movement of your enemy.

Conclusion

                These few examples we've covered are good ways to think about how Obstacle Deployment applies to your squadron. But in no way are they the only ones out there. There are plenty of other applications so be sure to follow the basic patterns of placing obstacles and then experiment to see what works best with the ships you fly. I hope you enjoyed this look at using obstacles in the bigger picture and I wish you the best of luck in your games this coming week. Happy flying!

Afterwards:
For further study of obstacle placement, check out this article by Paul Heaver and this video by YouTube's X-wing Strategy Tips.

The 5th Pillar - Advanced X-wing Miniature Aspects, Part 1

                You know the drill. Build a viable squad, understand what your enemy is doing, and then outmaneuver them. That is the way you win a game of X-wing Miniatures every time. But that is much easier said than done. All of these skills - effective squad building, correctly reading your opponent, precision in your own flying - require time and practice to get right. However, these aren't the only aspects of strategy in X-wing. Once you have mastered the basics of building squads and flying them into combat, there are other aspects of the game that can draw your attention. These higher game skills can turn a mediocre game into an exciting one, as well as brings wins when you would have had losses. Whether you are a beginner who feels they are ready to move on from the basics or a veteran looking to mix up their normal play, these aspects can be a blast to learn and implement.

                When I first got into X-wing Miniatures, I was slightly overwhelmed with how much there was to learn past the simple basics of the Core Set. Things didn't really start clicking into place until I had gone to my first tournament, and had read an article about the three "Pillars" of X-wing by Paul Heaver. It was a big discovery to me to learn that the ships I liked to fly were Jousters and Turrets and to understand why I disliked being beaten by Arc Dodging ships so much. And when Wave 7 was introduced, FFG released an article talking about a new, fourth Pillar: Bombers.        

                Today's will be the first in a series where I talk about some of the more advanced, and somewhat less mentioned, X-wing game aspects. I want to cover three things in this article. First I want to give an overview of the 4 different Pillars in X-wing Miniatures. (And for further learning I would greatly recommend studying the two articles I linked above). The second thing I want to cover is Support-class ships, what I believe to be the 5th Pillar of X-wing. It is a ship role that is very much a part of the game but rarely addressed directly. And third I want to I talk about ways to apply the knowledge of X-wing Pillars to Squad building. I hope by the end that you, whether a beginner or experienced veteran, will have some new ideas as to what kinds of ships you like to fly and how to counter the inherent weaknesses associated with each.

4 Pillars + 1

                A "pillar" in X-wing Miniatures is the main role or class a ship can have. I assume that the designation of "pillar" was chosen because these ship classes are the core of what drives X-wing game mechanics. Before Wave 7, there were three distinctly defined ship classes: Jousters, Arc Dodgers, and Turrets. Let's look at the details of each of these three.

Jousters

                Jousters have the best cost for their raw stats. They are the cheapest ships to buy but that discount comes at a cost. Generally, they have little or no movement actions and are required to fire inside their forward firing arc. This means that they have the hardest time lining up shots at enemies but when they do, they do the most damage. Torpedoes, Missiles, and Cannons all fall underneath this category. Dogfights are straight forward with Jousters: if you can get consistent shots on your enemy then you will win. If you can't get consistent shots then you will lose. Because of this, Jousters are very strong versus Turrets and very weak versus Arc Dodgers.

Examples: B-wing, TIE Fighter, Headhunter, BTL-A4 Warthog

Arc Dodgers

                Arc Dodgers have the opposite story of Jousters. These ships usually trade durability for strong maneuver dials, strong movement actions, and high agility. Their best defense is not getting shot at and they are well equipped to do just that. If they can consistently get shots on their enemy without getting shot back at then they will win. And if they are consistently getting caught in enemy arcs then they will lose. Because of this they are strong against Jousters but not against Turrets.

Examples: TIE Interceptor, A-wing, E-wing

Turrets

                Turreted ships don't care about their bearing when it comes to shooting. Because of their ability to fire outside of their forward firing arcs they generally have slower dials and fewer movement actions. And because so many squad points go towards paying for weapons that shoot outside of arc, they are more expensive to field than other ships. Turrets have only one job to do in battle: kill the enemy before it kills them. Because of this Turrets are strong against Arc Dodgers and weak against Jousters.

Examples: Y-wing, Decimator, Falcon

                Like Rock Paper Scissors, these three X-wing Pillars form a triplet of hard counters to each other that continuously make the game new and fresh for players. However, things were somewhat thrown for a loop with the introduction of strong bombing tactics.

Bombers

                Bomber class ships have been around since Wave 3, when the TIE Bomber was introduced. But it wasn't till until Wave 7 that many new bomber upgrades were brought to the game and allowed Bombers to be considered their own Pillar. Bombers are quite strange when compared to the first three pillar ships. They have the same desire to arc dodge as Arc Dodgers but they don't care where their forward firing guns are pointed. This is because bombs are deployed from the rear guides of a ship's base, rather than the front (with the exception of Deathrain). For the most part they are more costly ships, like Turrets, but have action movements to help them get into the best positions to get the most out of their ordnance. A Bomber's success is based off the skill of its bomb-laying. Whether Jouster, Arc Dodger, or Turret it doesn't matter: if it gets caught by enemy mines then it is going to be having a hard time. Because of the strangeness of this class compared to the other three it makes sense to me that it is taking a long time for it to affect the meta game. It will take longer for players to master the mechanics of the Bombing Pillar, as suggested by the fact that no strong Bombing lists made it into the finals of X-wing Worlds 2015.

Examples: K-wing, TIE Punisher, TIE Bomber, Y-wing, Firespray

                And that is the 4 Pillars of X-wing. However, what is surprising to me is that there is not much talk of one other X-wing mechanic and ship class. And this class was introduced in Wave 3, the same time as Bombers. I am speaking of Support ships.

Supporter

                Support ships were introduced via the Hawk and Lambda Shuttle expansions in Wave 3. If Bomber ships are strange then Support ships are even stranger. They are distinctly noted by their bad stats and bad dials. However, they aren't usually the first ships targeted because their allies are so much more powerful. They are much better at giving support fire rather than destroying the enemy themselves. Their pilot abilities don't help themselves but rather help their allies. And in that same context, Support ships usually have one or more Crew slot, the upgrade type with the most helping abilities. In regards to counters, there is no contest. In most one-on-one fights, any other ship class will beat a Supporter.

Examples: Hawk, Lambda Shuttle, E2 B-wing, Rebel Transport (Epic)

Applying Pillars To Squad Building

                So here is the question: are Bombers and Support ships viable? Clearly the other three pillars have proven themselves over the years. It is this author's opinion that these other two are viable, but not in the way you think. Thinking of a 4th and 5th pillar does not necessarily mean that the game is now Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock. The way I see it, it is still the same triplet mechanic but Bombers and Supporters turn things on their head.

                Let's think about a Support Lambda Shuttle giving covering fire with an Ion Cannon. This Supporting ship can ionize enemy Turrets and then your fragile Arc Dodgers are safer to go in for the kill. Or perhaps consider Kyle in the Moldy Crow. He can give out a focus to allied Jouster who got outmaneuvered by an Arc Dodger. That way your Jouster can boost its defense to try and withstand long enough to get the shots it needs. And it is the same with Bombers. Take a TIE Bomber with your TIE Fighter swarm and your Bomber can clog up the asteroid lanes with mines. That way your Jousters can more easily find and kill Arc Dodgers with no movement options.

                Essentially, there are two ways to prevent enemy ships from hard countering the pillar you choose for your squad. You can pick the third pillar in the triplet or you can pick a Bomber/Support ship for assistance. For example you can fill your squad with Jousting Warthogs but they will be very vulnerable to enemy Arc Dodgers. So you can take away one of the BTL-A4 titles and make that Y-wing a Turret. That way he provide protection against Arc Dodgers while your Warthogs provide heavy hitting. The second option is to take a Supporter or Bomber. You could possibly take Palob Godalhi so he can remove an action a potential Arc Dodger would try to use. (And he can equip a turret as well). In both ways you are using a different pillar to shore up the weakness of your squad and be ready for any type of enemy build.

                Apart from composing your squad, referencing ship classes can also help you with upgrades. There are two different ways you can pick upgrades: to bolster your current pillar or to provide a complementing one.

                For this scenario let's use the popular X-wing pilot Wedge Antilles. Wedge's pilot ability is very strong offensively and this lets him be a better Jouster. But what upgrades are best on Wedge? It depends on what you want him to do. Give him Predator and the R2 Astromech and he is more powerful offensively. Or give him R2-D2 and Determination and he is very durable. Either way you are making him stronger in the Jousting pillar. But that is not the only thing you can do. On a completely different vein, consider giving him BB-8 and Stay on Target. Now we have a PS 9 X-wing that can barrel roll and change course when it isn't stressed. Wedge is now part Arc Dodger and he still is a well-priced Ace.

Offensive Wedge - 33 points

                Predator

                R2 Astromech

                Integrated Astromech

Defensive Wedge - 34 points

                Determination

                R2-D2

                Integrated Astromech

Arc Dodger Wedge - 33 points

                Stay on Target

                BB-8 Astromech

                Integrated Astromech

                Bolstering your current pillar or providing a complementing one is about risk vs reward. Picking Jousting upgrades on Wedge means he now has double the jousting power but it also means he is doubly delicious to the Arc Dodgers that hunt him. If you pick Arc Dodging upgrades instead it means that he won't be as powerful of a Jouster but he can respond favorably to more situations.

                There are many examples in the meta game of how two complementing pillars in the same ship build can be very powerful on the playing mat. Fat Han with an Engine upgrade is both a Turret and an Arc Dodger. The build is very strong and helped Paul Heaver win X-wing Worlds in 2014. Currently, a Lambda Shuttle with an Omicron Pilot and Palpatine is very popular and powerful in the meta. The combo is both a Support ship as well as a Jouster, especially if you attach a Cannon upgrade. The ship can hit hard it its forward firing arc and then use Palpatine anywhere on the board. A final example that is worth mentioning is the yet-unreleased Rebel Ghost and Phantom. They are the first ships that can just be plain Jousters but can also take a Turret upgrade. That way they can provide their own defense against Arc Dodgers.

Conclusion

                Although there aren't as many options for Support ships, the Support Pillar still has a strong impact on gameplay. And practicing this less know semi-pillar can perhaps give you an edge over other players in your region. I enjoy flying my Hawk and am really excited for the introduction of TIE Bomber Shuttles in the Imperial Veterans expansion. My hope is that FFG will continue to release more Support class ships in the future and the Supporter can officially become the Fifth Pillar of X-wing Miniatures.

                In regards to which pillar you should fly, it all depends on what you prefer. X-wing Miniatures is a deep game that can meet the needs and likes of many players. What matters is how well you fly the pillar you chose and how you plan to counter the inherit weaknesses of each. You can bolster your ships' current pillars and rely on your own skill to outmaneuver your opponent. Or you can complement your build with different pillars. It's all up to you. What kind of squads do you like to fly? And what preferences do you have in squad building? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks so much for reading and have a great week of flying.