Commander Frost's X-Wing TMG

Old School All-Star Cards

We made the 2 hour trek down to Newington Connecticut for our second X-Wing Regional of the season. There were a ton of great players in the building, and I was happy to see so many of our New England X-Wing shirts being worn with pride. After registration, they announced that we had 93 Players, this meant we would have 6 Swiss Rounds with a cut to Top 16. 

I am flying Triple Defenders with Swarm Leader

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Triple Defenders (Swarm Leader)

100 points

Pilots

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Delta Squadron Pilot (28)

TIE Defender (30), TIE/x7 (-2)

Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Colonel Vessery (36) 

TIE Defender (35), Swarm Leader (3), TIE/x7 (-2)

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Round 1 vs Matt K. - NYC X-Wing

I am excited when I see Matt putting his list on the table, as it appears to be one that I was testing for a while. I ask him about it and find that it is only one card off - he swapped in C-3PO instead of Recon Specialist for Miranda.

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Expertise Rey

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100 points

Pilots

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Rey (62)

YT-1300 (45), Expertise (4), Finn (5), Kanan Jarrus (3), Millennium Falcon (Segnor's Loop Version) (1), Engine Upgrade (4)

Miranda Doni (38)

K-Wing (29), Twin Laser Turret (6), C-3PO (3)

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My testing with this list paid off in this game. I was able to get the jump on Rey and get her off the board in two rounds of shooting, while avoiding that nasty front arc of hers. Miranda proved to be tougher to catch, but thanks to multiple SLAM's to stay out of arc, I avoided a lot of combat rounds as well. I eventually catch her for the 100-0 win. A strong start against a good player. Win 100-0

Record 1-0

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Round 2 vs Ray L. - Top cut finisher at the last BG Regional.

Ray and I got to know each other a bit at the last regional we hosted, and it was nice to see him again. A strong player with a strong list. He is running HOTCOP RAC with Vader

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HOTCOP RAC with Vader

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100 points

Pilots

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Darth Vader (37)

TIE Advanced (29), TIE/x1 (0), Proton Rockets (3), Adaptability (0), Engine Upgrade (4), Advanced Targeting Computer (1)

Rear Admiral Chiraneau (63)

VT-49 Decimator (46), Veteran Instincts (1), Hotshot Co-pilot (4), Emperor Palpatine (8), Engine Upgrade (4)

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Ray sets up semi-mid field across from me, and I am in the corner with all three Defenders. I advance slowly, and he comes roaring out of the gates at me! I was surprised. I am able to get a lot of damage into RAC on the first round of shooting, including two vital crits - white maneuvers that give him stress, and all hard turns are red. This really limited what he was going to do. He was diving into the rocks, where Vader has the advantage, so I turned away from combat to regroup. He seemed surprised by this and really came after all three Defenders with Vader - I do some damage, and we disengage. I get the Decimator off the board the next round, but Vader proves to be a tough customer, putting a lot of damage into my guys and taking my Delta off the board. I get Vader at the end for a 100-28 win. Win 100-28 Record 2-0

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Round 3 vs Evan G.

I didn't know Evan previously, but he was a nice opponent. He was flying a list I flew for a long time: Palpatine with Inquisitor and Countess Ryad. He opted for the Sensor Jammer variety on the Shuttle instead of the Proton Rockets, which is mostly a style choice.

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Palp Aces : Inq & Ryad

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100 points

Pilots

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Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Omicron Group Pilot (33)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Sensor Jammer (4), Emperor Palpatine (8)

The Inquisitor (31)

TIE Advanced Prototype (25), Push the Limit (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

==========================

Evan jousted with all three of his ships in formation on the left side of the board, which I do not believe was in his favor. I was able to circle around the back of the shuttle and take it off the board quickly, but he was able to get my Delta on the same turn. All of the dice went my way at this point and I was able to keep both of my remaining Defenders for a 100-28 win. Win 100-28 Record 3-0

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Round 4 vs John D. - NYC X-Wing, finalist 2015 MA Regional, Winner 2016 NYC Regional

John is a very accomplished X-Wing player and a true class act. I am always glad when we get to meet up. I knew this would be a tough match regardless of what John brought with him, however he made it particularly difficult with Parattani - The Mind Link list.

This is identical to the list that (Local Player) Bob had been running with great success lately, and it has gained a lot of steam in the larger meta, winning several Regionals this season.

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Parattani

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100 points

Pilots

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Fenn Rau (32)

Protectorate Starfighter (28), Attanni Mindlink (1), Concord Dawn Protector (1), Autothrusters (2)

Manaroo (28)

JumpMaster 5000 (27), Attanni Mindlink (1)

Asajj Ventress (40)

Lancer-class Pursuit Craft (37), Attanni Mindlink (1), Latts Razzi (2)

==========================

This was a tough loss for me. I was only able to get half points on Ventress, and not quite enough for half points on Manaroo. I learned a lot here, but I know this list is a bad matchup, and in the hands of a skilled player, it is even tougher. Loss 20-100. Loss 20-100 Record 3-1

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Round 5 vs Brendan M. - Local Player

I met Brendan a few weeks ago when he came down to BG to get some practice games in. Great guy, and a strong player. Brendan is flying "Commonwealth Defenders" the Palpatine, Vessery, Ryad combo. It is a proven list for sure, and I’ll have my hands full.

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Palp Defenders

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100 points

Pilots

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Omicron Group Pilot (29)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Collision Detector (0), Emperor Palpatine (8)

Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Colonel Vessery (35)

TIE Defender (35), Juke (2), TIE/x7 (-2)

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This was a VERY tight game with a lot of back and forth. He got my Delta and my Ryad off the board, and I got his Palpatine and Vessery off the board. We tie at 74 points even - a Final Salvo! We each roll dice, and I am lucky enough to have one more hit than him in the end. The fist pump I did was pure emotion. Win 74-74 - Final Salvo Record 4-1

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Round 6 vs Jason W. - CT X-Wing Player - He has come up to many of our BG events.

Jason is a great guy and a great player. I look over and see that he has three Defenders as well, and I am mildly surprised that we will have a mirror match. He wins the initiative bid and keeps it.

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Mirror Universe!

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100 points

Pilots

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Delta Squadron Pilot (28)

TIE Defender (30), TIE/x7 (-2)

Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Colonel Vessery (36)

TIE Defender (35), Swarm Leader (3), TIE/x7 (-2)

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Another VERY tight game - lots of maneuvering, and lots of green dice that come up hot on both sides. We both take away one of the "Aces" He gets my Ryad, and I get his Vessery - time is called and we both have 36 points. - FINAL SALVO II - ELECTRIC BOOGALOO!! We both roll dice, and I once again have one more than my opponent! Incredible luck, and I know that it puts me into the final cut. I am overjoyed. Win 36-36 - Final Salvo Record 5-1

The day ends and they announce standings, I am so excited to see so many of the BG regulars in the top cut, besides myself, Dereck, Mike, and Parker all make it in. As well look at the standings we come to realize that Parker and I will meet in the first round of elimination.

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Day 2

There are no bad players in the top cut. All of them have played in top cut matches previously and all of them have the skills to make it to the top. I look at the Bracket and see that John D. is in the next table, and the winner of his game will face the winner of my game with Parker.

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RD1 elimination (Top 16) - Parker B. - Battleground Regular, Top Cut finisher at Danvers Regional

Parker is an incredible player, and he put a wallop on me at the Danvers Regional with essentially the same list. He has Zuckuss crew on his party bus, and I know NOT running into that all day at swiss is a big reason why I am here today. Manaroo, Contracted Scout, and Trandoshan Slaver coming up!

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Parker's Torpedo Circus

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100 points

Pilots

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Contracted Scout (31)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Attanni Mindlink (1), Guidance Chips (0)

Manaroo (35)

JumpMaster 5000 (27), Attanni Mindlink (1), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), R4 Agromech (2), Guidance Chips (0)

Trandoshan Slaver (34)

YV-666 (29), 4-LOM (1), Zuckuss (1), Dengar (3)

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I have my hands full with this match. I get a lot of damage into one of the scouts and he gets my Delta off of the table. I am lucky enough to get a good crit on the scout - Stunned Pilot - So that if he lands on any ship or obstacle he takes a damage. We slug it out for many more rounds, and Parkers dice just go on strike. The crit ends up mattering as time runs out. The scout ends up in a bad spot and has to land on a rock in the last turn, and he only has one hull remaining, killing the ship, and putting me ahead … by three points. In a game that could have gone either way, lady luck was on my side here.

After the game I look over to see John D. packing up after his game - he lost to Dengaroo, so our rematch will have to wait for another day.

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RD2 elimination (Top 8) - Danny T. -  NYC X-Wing - Grim Brothers crew.

I had met Danny once before, but we have never played against each other previously. Dengaroo is typically a bad matchup for me, because of the Zuckuss crew. Danny has swapped things up though, and has included 4-LOM instead of Zuckuss and moved things around on Manaroo as well. He also went for an AGGRESSIVE bid at 95 points. ================ Dengaroo Variant ================ 95 points Pilots ------ Manaroo (41) JumpMaster 5000 (27), Push the Limit (3), “Gonk” (2), R5-P8 (3), Feedback Array (2), Engine Upgrade (4) Dengar (54) JumpMaster 5000 (33), Lone Wolf (2), 4-LOM (1), Overclocked R4 (1), Glitterstim (2), Punishing One (12), Counter-Measures (3)

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This was a long game, and ultimately the reason I won was all of the practice I have gotten over the last several months with our local crew. Knowing how to deal with Dengar is 75% of the match. We meet up in the middle of the board, and I am able to get some quality shots onto Manaroo almost immediately, as he brought her right into the meat of things. Dengar plinked away at my Defenders, but my green dice were keeping me in the game. I take Manaroo off the board shortly after, but not before Vessery is taken down to one hull. There is a lot of time on the clock, and I know that if I shoot Dengar in-arc, I lose this game. So I run. For nearly 50 minutes. In what must have been a very frustrating game for my opponent, I avoided giving him any quality shots, and refused to shoot him in arc, which meant many, many turns of no attacks back from my side. Eventually time starts to run out, and I feel more comfortable - Manaroo is worth more points than one of my Defenders, so even if I lose one, I am OK. But I don’t, we squeak through to the end and shake hands. It was a mentally exhausting game. It is worth noting that I had some abnormally good Green Dice rolls here and he had some abnormally bad Red Dice rolls for about 50% of the game.

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RD3 Elimination (Top 4) - Will D. - CT X-Wing Player. Made the top cut at the last BG Regional.

Will is a VERY good player, and we have faced off in the past. At the NYC Regional last year, I had to face Will to make the top cut. Will is flying Parattani, identical to John D’s list. =========

Parattani

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100 points

Pilots

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Fenn Rau (32)

Protectorate Starfighter (28), Attanni Mindlink (1), Concord Dawn Protector (1), Autothrusters (2)

Manaroo (28)

JumpMaster 5000 (27), Attanni Mindlink (1)

Asajj Ventress (40)

Lancer-class Pursuit Craft (37), Attanni Mindlink (1), Latts Razzi (2)

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We place rocks and joke about how this will be an annual tradition of facing off once a year at a big event. Will sets up on the opposite corner from me and I start to set up a kill box for Fenn Rau - I want to get him off the board asap. I have a tremendous stroke of luck when Will lands Ventress on a debris field sending stress to all of his other ships. This left Fenn Rau without tokens. I am able to capitalize quickly, and take Fenn off the board in two turns with a monster Swarm Leader shot. I take Ventress off the board a few turns later and Will concedes. We will undoubtedly face off again in the future! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RD4 Elimination (Final Table) - Solomon L.

I had never met Solomon before, but I saw that he had beaten Jeremy Howard (national player, NOVA local) one round previously, so I know he is clearly very skilled. Solomon is playing Ketsu with two TLT Y-Wings. A simple build that is very strong - knock off all of your agility, and dump unmitigated damage into your ships. Strong, effective, scary.

============= Ketsu's Thugs ============= 100 points Pilots ------ Ketsu Onyo (50) Lancer-class Pursuit Craft (38), Expertise (4), Dengar (3), Burnout Slam (1), Black Market Slicer Tools (1), Shadow Caster (3) Syndicate Thug (25) Y-Wing (18), Twin Laser Turret (6), Unhinged Astromech (1)

Syndicate Thug (25) Y-Wing (18), Twin Laser Turret (6), Unhinged Astromech (1)

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He sets up his ships across from mine on the right side of the field. I want to charge into Ketsu and get behind her quickly. I was surprised that he placed her there to my advantage. I scoot forward a bit to see if he commits to the joust, and he does. My follow up turn is all guns blazing into the fray. I immediately cripple one of the Y-Wings and follow up with a massive shot into Ketsu that sets the entire game in my favor. He is able to knock Vessery down to 1 agility with no tokens … and by some stroke of luck none of the TLT shots land. He got one hit per shot, and I rolled hot fire with that one little die. My survival there all but sealed the game. I looked at him and said “I don’t think I’m eligible for any Christmas presents after that” and he agreed. I flipped behind Ketsu, and finished her off, then took the crippled Y-Wing off the board. I had to chase the last Y-Wing for some time, but I eventually was able to set up a kill box that allowed for a monster Swarm Leader shot that ended the game. We shook hands. It was over.

From here on, it was kind of surreal. Lots of hugs and high-fives, and this disbelief that there wasn’t “one more game”. This was my first Regional win, and a highlight of my X-Wing “career”.  Thank you to everyone I played, you were all amazing opponents. I’ll see you at NOVA for Nationals!

“We have no choice, General Calrissian! Our cruisers can't repel firepower of that magnitude!”

“She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”

The 2016 MA X-Wing Regional breakdown continues with upgrades!  Rather than breakdown each individual upgrade, I went with a broader number - how many lists included the upgrade at least once? This way, we avoid the artificial inflation of swarms that take an individual upgrade. Both numbers have value, I just wanted to explain my thinking. 

2016 X-Wing Regional - Massachusetts

The collected infograpfics from the 2016 MA X-Wing Regional. More to come this week! 

You can see the individual posts for these infographics here:

Attendance 

Rebels

Empire

Scum & Villainy

Tell Jabba that I've got his money.

“Your overconfidence is your weakness.”

The 2016 Massachusetts Regional breakdown continues!

Faction breakdown: The Rebels! This faction was the very essence of “Never tell me the odds!” this year. Rebels were the least represented with only 22 players total, and only ONE of those Rebels made it to the top 16 cut. That player had what it took to battle the odds, and his opponents, to take the final spot home for the Rebellion. 

The winning list was a double Lothal Rebel with a Y-Wing. 

Double Lothal Rebel & Y-Wing

Lothal Rebel + Autoblaster Turret + Fire-Control System + Zeb Orellios

Lothal Rebel + Autoblaster Turret + Fire-Control System + Chopper

Gold Squadron Pilot + Autoblaster Turret + R4-D6

It’s the final countdown!

Preregistration closed last night for the Massachusetts X-Wing Regional. We have 90 people preregistered, and I would love to hit that “magic” number of 100. Everything is shaping up to be a great event! Saturday and Sunday are going to be a blast.  I have been collecting and approving all of the preregistered lists and I am excited to break everything down after the event. I’ll post all of that data and breakdown here next week. 

Selden, NY - Regional Recap

Erich, Max, and I met up early on Friday morning to travel to New York for the X-Wing Regional. I had volunteered to drive us all down, and I was a bundle of nervous energy already. I was excited to play in my first Regional, and to use my bye from the Store Championship season. We have a really great drive down, and there are many laughs along the way. It goes a long way towards relieving the nerves. I am so lucky to have met so many great friends through the X-Wing community.  My goals for the weekend are pretty simple: 

1) Have fun and play well. I am going to get at least 5 games in, and I want to enjoy every one of them. 

2) Top end goal: make the cut. I would love to place well.

We wake up early the day of the event and make it on time for registration. The Brothers Grim crew are super friendly! When they find out that I am the judge for the Massachusetts Regional they go out of their way to plug the event all day, and they interview me on Twitch to get the word out even more. They totally didn’t need to do that and it was really appreciated.  

I did stay with the Inquisitor build of my aces. 

Palpatine Aces - Soontir/Inquisitor - 99 points

Omicron Group Pilot (30)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Electronic Baffle (1), Emperor Palpatine (8)

Soontir Fel (35)

TIE Interceptor (27), Royal Guard TIE (0), Push the Limit (3), Autothrusters (2), Stealth Device (3)

The Inquisitor (34)

TIE Advanced Prototype (25), Push the Limit (3), Proton Rockets (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Round 1 - Regional Bye

I have used my Regional Bye card, so my first round is an automatic win. Those 5 tournament points are so valuable. I enjoy being able to sit and watch one of my friends that happened to land on the “feature” table. 

Win

Round 2 vs. Matt 

Matt is running the “Pocket Aces” or “Wampa Aces” that has been a thorn in my side for a long time. 

Wampa Aces - 100 points

“Wampa” (14)

The Inquisitor (31)

TIE Advanced Prototype (25), Push the Limit (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

“Omega Leader” (26)

TIE/fo Fighter (21), Comm Relay (3), Juke (2)

Omicron Group Pilot (29)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Emperor Palpatine (8)

Matt is a really great opponent, and his Wampa has an awesome repaint on it, with some vibrant stripes - his list is pictured in the header image for this post.  I start my shuttle in my right hand corner with Inquisitor set to allow the shuttle to bump. Soontir sets up just left of center. He sets up his shuttle mid field, with Wampa directly across from my shuttle, and Omega Leader and his Inquisitor set up in the far left corner.  After a turn of stalls to see where each other are going, and minimal commitment, we begin to advance the field. Soontir streaks to the right of the field, hoping to combine fire with my Inquisitor on Wampa. Wampa is streaking to the center along with his Shuttle. His aces are moving down the left side of the field. My shuttle is diagonally moving to the center of the field. Things are shaping up for a combat in the center of the map, which is a scenario I am ok with.  Wampa is destroyed on the next round of combat by a range 1 Proton Rocket from my Inquisitor. I am very happy to get that ship off the board right away. My shuttle takes much more damage than I had been hoping for, and is in trouble right off the bat. All of the aces wheel around, and I have a good line up on Omega Leader, but he simply would not die!  The evade dice on both sides of the game are really very good, and the attack dice disappeared. He is finally able to drop my shuttle, and I get half of his off the board. We end the game with him ahead of me by 2 points and time called. A modified win for him, but a full loss for me. 

Loss - 28-30 Tournament Record: 1-1

Round 3 vs Peter

Peter is flying a Whisper Crackswarm! I am very glad that Ron got a game in with me this past Thursday so that I could see a variation of this at the least. I have certainly played against swarms, and I have played against Phantoms, but the Ace+Crackswarm build has not been super popular in our area.  Whisper & Crackswarm - 98 points

“Whisper”

 [Fire-Control System, Veteran Instincts, Advanced Cloaking Device] (39)

Black Squadron Pilot [Crack Shot] (15) x 3

“Wampa” (14)

He sets up his swarm in the far left, with Whisper. My Lambda and Inquisitor are in the bottom left, and I set up Soontir with them, facing the left. Soontir is set to advance slowly out, and so is the Inquisitor. With most swarms, I want them to commit to an angle, so that I can pincer the weak rear of it, and hopefully target an ace or high value target.  He ends up shifting almost everything so that it is facing right, and cloaking the phantom, to move out. I keep everything very wide from the phantom, in hopes to mitigate the advantage all of that movement gives him. After two more rounds of maneuvering, things start to come into focus on the right/center of the field. The phantom has taken up position behind a rock, with a shot on the shuttle, so it will have it’s cloak next turn - BUT! There is so little maneuvering room for that decloak that I know that I will be able to tell where it lands if used. Soontir takes a pretty serious shot and is left with one hull point, Whisper dodges some fire, but loses a shield.  The Phantom, Inquisitor, and the Shuttle end up in a bit of a log-jam. Soontir shifts into the combat to give the Phantom a strange choice - does he shoot a one hull remaining Soontir, or a full health Inquisitor? My gambit is that Soontir will at least get simultaneous fire back at the Phantom at range one, with all of the tokens and Palpatine available. - The gambit worked better than expected - He shoots soontir, and gets one hit, which Soontir avoids with natural dice. Soontir shoots back, with four crits! The Phantom dies, and with it the game shifts dramatically. I am able to start ripping Tie Fighters apart, and I aggressively block with the shuttle to protect it from mass-fire. 

Win - 69-0   Tournament Record: 2-1

Round 4 vs Todd

Todd was running a Boba Fett and Dengar list. Boba Fett had Adaptability so that both ships could fly at PS9. 

Dengar and the Fett - 99 points

Dengar (54)

JumpMaster 5000 (33), Predator (3), 4-LOM (1), R5-P8 (3), Glitterstim (2), Punishing One (12)

Boba Fett (45)

Firespray-31 (39), Adaptability (0), Feedback Array (2), Engine Upgrade (4)

A lot of things went my way in this match. I set up in the bottom right hand corner with both the Inquisitor and the Shuttle. He sets up Fett just right of Center, and Dengar all the way right, to match the Shuttle. I am concerned mostly that he is going to just pile drive into the shuttle and topple it before I can take one of his out. Dengar can be a tough match for the Aces if your opponent is good at whipping that arc around on you. I set Soontir up Left of Center, an obvious ploy to hint that I am going to hit the broadside of Boba Fett - I want him to chase Soontir, and think that he is lonely.  I get really lucky. He chases Soontir with both ships after taking a couple pot shots at the Shuttle. Fett ends up tangled on a rock, and I am drilling damage into him, he dies on the next turn. Dengar is able to get the Inquistor off the board, but he already did plenty of damage. My Shuttle and Soontir chase down a wounded Dengar that never turns back on me. R5-P8 did some serious work for Dengar, but ended the game for us as well. Soontir remains on the field unscathed, and I win.  Win - 100-64 Tournament Record: 3:1

Round 5 - vs Scott

I was getting pretty tired at this point of the day. It was getting late. Scott was a really nice guy, and I got to chat with him during round one, when we both had the bye. 

Yorr Aces - 99 points

Captain Yorr (36)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (24), Sensor Jammer (4), Emperor Palpatine (8)

The Inquisitor (34)

TIE Advanced Prototype (25), Push the Limit (3), Proton Rockets (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

“Omega Leader” (29)

TIE/fo Fighter (21), Comm Relay (3), Juke (2), Stealth Device (3)

This was an incredibly close game that had a ton of movement and little action. He was able to pin my Inquisitor in a corner and crush him, but it allowed my Shuttle to wheel around and do some damage, along with Soontir. He ended up losing Omega Leader and Captain Yorr to my OGP Shuttle and Inquisitor, making for a 1 point difference in my favor, and a Modified win. The Mod win only nets me 3 tournament points instead of the full win’s 5. I am concerned about my placing with a loss and a modified win. 

Modified win. 65-64 Tournament Record: 4:1 (one modified win)

Round 6 - vs Will

Will is a strong player from the Connecticut group that I got to know better this past Store Championship season. He is flying a Crack Swarm. Exhaustion is kicking in all across the store. Players are dropping out to head home, and I am feeling the pressure. If I win, I give myself a chance to make the cut, and to meet my top goal for the day. 

Crackswarm - 100 points

“Scourge” (18)

TIE Fighter (17), Crack Shot (1)

“Howlrunner” (19)

TIE Fighter (18), Crack Shot (1)

“Mauler Mithel” (18)

TIE Fighter (17), Crack Shot (1)

Black Squadron Pilot (15) x 3

TIE Fighter (14), Crack Shot (1)

Will sets up in the top left of the board. I set up in the bottom right. I set up to stall as long as possible with the shuttle, and hope to drag him down into the asteroids so that my aces can wheel around them and do some damage. 

After stalling out for 3 turns, Will makes a diagonal cut down into the center of the map with his swarm. I anticipated that this turn would generate some action, and have Soontir and the Inquisitor run up the right side of the map, and start to turn in toward center, on top of the swarm. I have Howlrunner in range three of the Inquisitor, and take a shot - I get incredibly lucky, Howlrunner dies. This really takes the steam out of the swarm, I start to pick off pieces, and Will’s dice kind of fall apart as well. I get lucky with a full win to help elevate my chances and MOV. 

Win. 77-0 Tournament Record: 5:1 (one modified win)

The waiting is the hardest part....

It takes what seems like an eternity for the final postings to get put up. But when they do, I am in 6th!  I did it! I made the cut! I am so happy. This was the big goal, and what I put all the work into. I get the pack of dice in my hand, and they look great. I am overjoyed.

Top 8 Elimination Round vs Sam

It is now well after midnight. We have been up and at the event since 8:30. Sam looks every bit as tired as I feel. They place us at the feature table, and it is being streamed on Twitch. I find myself wishing I had dressed to be on TV :P

Wampa Aces - 100 points

“Wampa” (14)

The Inquisitor (31)

TIE Advanced Prototype (25), Push the Limit (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

“Omega Leader” (26)

TIE/fo Fighter (21), Comm Relay (3), Juke (2)

Omicron Group Pilot (29)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Emperor Palpatine (8)

The Wampa list. It beat me earlier today. It beat me weeks ago. It beat me again, here in elimination. I am not sure if the matchup is just *that* bad, or if my approach is all wrong, but I cannot seem to edge this list out with my double aces. I acknowledge that the Wampa list has a few answers for things I do. Wampa being a big huge part of that.  Both of us made a number of play mistakes in the game, and after this many hours on our feet, I am not surprised. I get a nice Procket off on Wampa to kill him, but I am not really able to get any additional damage on the table to matter. I congratulate Sam on his win, and pack my things.

It’s only the beginning. 

I am very happy with the results of the day. I get some fancy dice and I played awesome games with great opponents. My road trip companions were awesome. To everyone that helped me practice, play, and laugh through this journey, thank you.  I now get to switch gears completely. Next week is the Massachusetts Regional, and I will be the head judge again this year. We still have a lot of prep to do this week, and I am going to enjoy every bit of it. 

ROAD TRIP! 

The New York Regional is tomorrow. We had our regular Thursday Night X-Wing last night, and I got two great games in. I don’t have time to recap them both, but I will leave you with this:  Round 1 vs. Dave - Double B-Wing Ordnance and Dutch.  Round 2 vs. Ron - Tie Swarm.  Final prep for the trip is underway - I am nervous, excited, and as prepared as I can be. My goals for the weekend are:  1) Have fun and Play Well. I am going to get at least six five (I have the first round bye) competitive games in. I am pumped. 

2) Top end goal: make the cut. I would love to place well. 

Saturday Practice with Erich. 7 Days to NY Regional! 

After Thursday Night’s mixed results, I was eager to hop right back into things on Saturday morning for a couple of practice games with Erich. Erich has narrowed down his Regional list to the Zuckuss & Torpedo Boats list from the other night, but I had questions in my mind, and wanted to try some new things.  Throughout the Store Championship Season, I flew Palpatine in the Shuttle, along with the classic 35pt. Soontir and Darth Vader with ATC, Engine Upgrade, and either Crackshot or Veteran Instincts. The Crackshot build won two store championships, and the Veteran Instincts build had won one. I attended and placed well in three others with the Veteran Instincts build. When you combine this backstory, with the mixed results I was getting out of the Inquisitor, you can see my desire to work with Vader again. So for Saturday morning, I brought the following list: 

Vader's Aces - 99 points

Darth Vader (35) 

TIE Advanced (29), TIE/x1 (0), Veteran Instincts (1), Engine Upgrade (4), Advanced Targeting Computer (5) 

 Soontir Fel (35) 

TIE Interceptor (27), Royal Guard TIE (0), Push the Limit (3), Autothrusters (2), Stealth Device (3) Omicron Group Pilot (29) 

Lambda-Class Shuttle (29)

Emperor Palpatine (8) 

Erich’s list remains unchanged, but we did have some conversation about his choices - mostly the decision to go with K4 Security Droid, instead of swapping out for Fire Control Systems and one of the 1pt Bounty Hunters, such as 4LOM to make Zuckuss an even more deadly Ace Hunter. Erich had hesitation moving away from the freedom granted by the K4 Security Droid to swap to targets that are presented to him, rather than FCS that encourages repeated turns of shooting on the same target. 

Zuckuss & Scouts - 100 points

Zuckuss (33)

G-1A Starfighter (28), Veteran Instincts (1), K4 Security Droid (3), Mist Hunter (0), Tractor beam (1)

Contracted Scout (33)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), R4 Agromech (2), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0)

Contracted Scout (34)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), R4 Agromech (2), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0) 

Round 1 - 75 minutes timed practice

I give him initiative due to our matching pilot skills at 9. The asteroids are set up fairly even around the board, with a tight angle set up on the right hand side, toward his end of the play area.  I set up the shuttle to the far right on an angle, so that I can bank across my side of the board, or up toward his side depending on where he places the scouts.  He places both scouts opposite the shuttle on the right hand side. Zuckuss gets placed mid field. I place Soontir center, and Vader just left of center. Vader and Soontir have a lot of open field in front of them. I plan on being VERY aggressive on Zuckuss, and hoping a couple of Torpedoes go toward the Lambda.  The opening is pretty aggressive on both sides. I bank my shuttle across my side of the board (I plan on aggressively turning back into the scouts to try and catch them a bit unawares turn 2). The aces both do 5 forward, and I am lucky enough to have a target lock on Zuckuss with Vader on turn 1. The Scouts shot down the right hand side of the board, but they are unable to take shots on anything due to range. Zuckus and Vader trade shots - Vader loses a shield and Zuckus gets hammered, losing all of his shields from the combined attacks of Soontir and Vader.  The next turn ends up not allowing Vader to follow up on Zuckuss due to angles/arcs just not working out, which I think ends up being pretty pivotal. Zuckuss is also unable to follow up on Vader. Soontir has a range 1 shot on Zuckuss.  The Scouts and the Lambda line up to put a hurt on each other. Vader has a valid shot on one of the scouts. The entire field has shrunk to a 1/2 foot area of space on the right hand side of the table, littered with asteroids. It is VERY tight maneuvering, and the fact that nobody ended up on a rock here just from bumps or some other thing is remarkable. Soontir is able to dodge everything Zuckuss sends his way, but he isn’t able to capitalize, only doing one more damage to Zuckuss. Somehow, the Lambda survives the combined fire of both Scouts, but not by much. I know I need to make the most of the shuttle in the next turn.  The third engagement ends up seeing the end of the Lambda Shuttle, and some minor additional damage done to Zuckuss, but I am just unable to put the last hit into him! Soontir and Vader wheel around for better positions. Soontir ends up on the far end of the table, and Vader ends up on my side, both of them making their way left to try and spin around without giving the scouts or Zuckuss shots.  Two more turns of maneuvering, and we have another meaningful engagement - We end up trading Zuckuss and Vader on the turn - Zuckuss absolutely UNLOADS on Vader. Vader has no luck on Dice, and gets demolished. Vader was able to pump serious damage into a Scout before he left. Soontir gets the final blow on Zuckuss.  We are left with one scout that has a couple shields left, and one that is a smoking wreckage, limping along. There are no torpedoes left, and Soontir is unhurt. I really like my chances here to finish these guys off, and then it happened. 

.... The timer went off. Half Points for a Scout, and Zuckuss for me. 49 points. A Lambda and Vader for him. 64 points. So, a loss.  I leave the game feeling a bit vindicated, I know I had the tools on the table to win the game, which is better than how I felt leaving Thursday night. There are a couple of turns I wish I could have dialed in a different maneuver, but it was a solid game.  We didn’t get much past an opening engagement of a second match and we ended up having to break for the day. I have some findings about the day that fuel my decisions moving forward. 

Follow up:

Vader is really strong on offense, but he is just too much of a soft target. I really felt like the loss of Autothrusters (from Inquisitor) is HUGE. The automatic crit from ATC just doesn’t make up for it. 

I love Vader, but with so much damage needing to be avoided, I simply need to move on for now, at least in this Aces build, and in this Regional run. I am still very glad I ran this practice run, I would have questioned whether Vader was my answer forever if I didn’t do it. The Inquisitor can take on multiple positions on the table easier. He can fight in close, he can take on a sniper role at range 3. Prockets hammer anyone that wants to try and push range 1 on me. 

I am seeing Regional results from around the world, and the meta is really varied. Aces, Triple Boats, Swarms, Ghost Builds, it’s all out there. I like my chances against a varied field with Aces, and the Inquisitor. 

Together, the Inquisitor and I will FINISH WHAT HE STARTED. 

It was finally X-Wing night at the FLGS last night, and we had a pretty great crowd - 15 total players and several fresh faces, some of them that had just been introduced to the game at PAX East via my demos! 

It’s always nice to bring some new players into the fold, and especially players that are converts from other game systems. When I handed out Alt-Art Poe Damerons and dice bags for all of the first timers their faces lit up. It’s a great introduction to what a different beast X-Wing is in the Tabletop Wargaming world. 

We had a Spring Kit ready to go for the night, and people are really locking in for the Massachusetts Regional. My eyes are squarely on New York in just 8 days. 

The format for the Thursday night Tourney’s is locked in at 3 rounds of swiss, with 60 minute rounds. While we do shave 15 minutes off of each round, it let’s people get home at a reasonable hour and still get some structured gaming in. 

I am continuing to focus on my list from the past few articles: 

Palpatine Aces - Soontir/Inquisitor - 99 points

Omicron Group Pilot (30)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Electronic Baffle (1), Emperor Palpatine (8)

Soontir Fel (35)

TIE Interceptor (27), Royal Guard TIE (0), Push the Limit (3), Autothrusters (2), Stealth Device (3)

The Inquisitor (34)

TIE Advanced Prototype (25), Push the Limit (3), Proton Rockets (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Round 1 vs Erich. 

Yes, the same Erich from the other day. Erich has swapped up his list! The Wampa Aces had him in a bad mental state after a couple of matches against Ghost/Rebel lists, and he wanted to branch out a bit. He ultimately went with a variation of the Zuckuss/Scouts list that took the Steele Open this year. 

Steele Open Zuckuss  - 100 points 

Zuckuss (33) 

G-1A Starfighter (28), Veteran Instincts (1), K4 Security Droid (3), Mist Hunter (0), Tractor beam (1) 

 Contracted Scout (33) 

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), R4 Agromech (2), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0)

Contracted Scout (33) 

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), R4 Agromech (2), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0)

This game was not pretty for Team Frost. Have you ever had a game where so many things went wrong that you just don’t know where to start? I’ll try to break this one down a bit. 

I set up my Lambda in my Left hand corner, and he predictably matched with both scouts directly across the board from the Lambda. I place the inquisitor center board, and after he matches with Zuckuss center, I place Soontir just to the right of center, hoping to flank. 

We have a few rounds of maneuvering, but ultimately, I have the Inquisitor engaged with the Scouts, and Soontir is attempting to flank Zuckuss. The shuttle is tethered just out of range of both scouts. This round goes ok. the inquisitor unloads a 4hit/1crit P.Rocket on one of the scouts, and Soontir does some shield damage to Zuckus. He is able to get both shields off of the Inquisitor. 

The next turn is where it really all goes wrong. My anticipation is that Zuckuss is going to advance on, and attempt to do damage to, the shuttle (I was right) I also thought that both Scouts were going to follow him in to unload (I was half right). 

In this turn I made what I think is one of the worst flying mistakes I have ever made with Soontir. I decided to get aggressive (Almost NEVER the right decision) and I do a 3-K turn behind Zuckuss, hoping to continue dumping red dice into him, and in my thought, both scouts would have advanced toward the Lambda. I was wrong. One of the scouts peeled off, and as a result, had a stressed, one focus Soontir in range 2. Soontir did not survive the engagement, but he did some damage to Zuckuss. The Inquisitor was stuck re-positioning, and the inevitable happened to the Lambda as Zuckuss and the other Scout combined for a massive attack to remove it from the table. 

The Inquisitor did enough damage to the other scout to get half points, but it was over very quickly after that. So many mis-plays on my part. This is not the kind of result I was looking for. I am left doubting my list and abilities. Do I go back to VI Vader? I don’t think that would have helped here. 

Loss: 100-17

Round 2 vs Argo. 

Argo is a newer player, but a long time 40K player from the store. He has a Jumpmaster list. 

Triple Jumpmaster - 99 points

Contracted Scout (35) 

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), Boba Fett (1), R4 Agromech (2), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0) 

 Contracted Scout (32)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Overclocked R4 (1), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0) 

Contracted Scout (32)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Overclocked R4 (1), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0) 

Argo ended up in some serious rock trouble for most of this game. I was able to take advantage of his inability to shoot to set up my aces for solid turns of shooting. We talked for a while after the match about some things he can do to improve his flying and general tactics, such as how bringing three smaller asteroids will benefit him a great deal more than the three larger asteroids he was using. 

Win: 100-15

Round 3 vs Parker.

Parker is new to the store, but he plays a lot on Vassal from our conversation. Parker was flying HLC Dash, Regen Poe and a Z-95 Blocker/Filler.  HLC Dash / Poe / Z95 100 points

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12) 

Poe Dameron (PS8 Version) (35) 

T-70 X-Wing (31), R2-D2 (4) 

Dash Rendar (53) 

YT-2400 Freighter (36), Lone Wolf (2), Heavy Laser Cannon (7), Recon Specialist (3), Outrider (5) 

Note:  I know Parker was flying 100 pts, but I cannot remember what the last 3 were. I have added Recon Specialist because I think it was a crew there, but regardless, it did not come into play in this game. 

Tournament Prep! 

What do you do to get ready for a day (or multiple days!) of gaming? Well, for me, preparation goes a long way to making sure it is a good time. Everything I do is based on either reducing my stress on that day, or ensuring that I am happy, healthy, hydrated, and fed throughout the day. All of this comes into three big categories that I will break down further : Physical Preparations, Mental Preparations, and Game Day. Physical Prep is anything I need, or should bring with me. Mental Preparations is everything I can practice and learn before hand. Game Day is executing all of the Physical and Mental Preparation stuff, all the way through just being a decent person, and understanding that not everyone I meet will be.

It’s a lot of stuff to keep in mind, and when I look at the list it seems like I am more preparing to run a marathon rather than tabletop gaming. I tend to over prepare for things: If I bring a sweatshirt and don’t need it, I am happy. If I don’t bring the sweatshirt, and I am cold, I tend to be pretty mad at myself.  This list is going to look LOOOONG, but don’t be scared away - it becomes second nature, and you are probably doing a lot of it already!

Physical Items Prep:

Travel & Directions. None of the other stuff we are going to talk about will matter if you can’t get there, or if once you have gotten there, you can’t get into the event. Nobody wants to be the person rushing in the door five minutes after dice have started to roll and hear “I’m sorry…” from the T.O. Be prepared, and give yourself plenty of time to travel to and register for the event.

Where is the event being held? Is it somewhere you have been before? Do you have the address and directions? How long will it take to drive/travel there?

How much will the event cost? Do I need to preregister? Do I need to submit my squadron list ahead of time? Are there additional costs? (parking etc.)

Being a Healthy Human Supplies. Most gaming stores and event venues are not known for their healthy food selection, and may not have any snacks at all. Be prepared to feed and care for yourself throughout the day.

Food - Bring some healthy snacks and beverages. Soda and Candy are great treats, but they aren’t going to get you through 10 hours of marathon strategic gaming … not with “Wins” anyways. The following stuff will get you through a long day:

A few bottles of water. Stay hydrated!

A sandwich (or other lunch) that you do not need to refrigerate. Most stores don’t have a refrigerator for you to use, and not every place has a restaurant or take-out place near by for a lunch run!

A healthy(ish) snack. I try to bring some baby carrots, trail mix, or granola bars with me. I don’t want a ton of sugar that is going to burn out and leave me in a lurch 20 minutes later.

Medicines

Ibuprofen/Aspirin/etc. Headaches happen. Don’t let them sink your day.

Band aids. Nobody plans to get a cut.

Any prescriptions you might need throughout the day, or if the day runs into the night, etc!

Clothing - dress for the weather, but plan to be indoors, and surrounded by people. In my experience, a lot of Game Store Air Conditioning units struggle to keep up with the demand of that many people in one place. As a result, I dress to stay cool.

For a really long day, bring a change of clothes

Comfortable shoes. Nothing wears you out quite like tired feet.

Being a Stress Free Gamer Supplies.Gaming Gear - Ships, Cards, Cardboard Bases, Maneuver Dials, tokens, Squadron list, etc. This is the basics. What do you need beyond this? How are you getting from table to table? Do you just throw everything in a shoebox? This is how I do it. 

Tournament Tray. There are lots of options available to you out there. Laser cut wood and plastic, used lunch trays from a high school cafeteria, and of course, ye olde’ shoe box.  I went with craft foam. It’s relatively cheap (around $1 a sheet), and it’s pretty easy to work with, I use an exacto knife. 

Base Layer

I think pretty much everyone that has dabbled in X-Wing either owns this tray or has at least seen it. My collection has long outgrown the Plano, but it is pretty perfect for Tourney Day. The top section holds all of the tokens, spare dice, maneuver templates, and asteroids I might need. The bottom section easily holds my ships for the day, spare bases, spare pegs, laser pointer, all of that. I also keep a couple of “Emergency” things in there, like glue for bases and pegs that snap through the day etc.  That’s all great for getting to the event, but when we start the event, I use two trays on top of this to keep the day moving. 

Middle Layer

This was the first tray I made for myself. It Keeps all of the maneuver templates neat and organised between rounds and during a game. As a bonus, there is really no chance that you leave one table and head to another without all of them.  This sits right on top of the plano without any issues. 

Top Layer

This tray is specific to the list I am using. I have a few of them, which is the beauty of using craft foam, it’s so cheap, I have no problem making one for each archetype.  You can see that everything has it’s own cut out spot, and it sits right on top of the maneuver template tray. When it is all assembled like this, Just pick it all up, and move from table to table - no stress ... or at least, no stress that you forgot or lost a piece of your list/gear. 

Mental Preparation:

Know your stuff. This sounds simple, but it is worth mentioning. 

Do you know the rule book? Did you read it? A lot of players get by on word of mouth rules. That’s good for a time, but you need to read that book. It’s not that long, and it is totally worth it. 

Do you know your list? Do you know the strange interactions that your list can produce? A lot of this comes from practice. 

Know their stuff - as much as you can.

Do you know what most of the other cards do? This becomes a more daunting task with each new release, but knowledge is power. “Can a Firespray do a 1 Sharp”? “Which way is the White S-Loop on that Contracted Scout?” 

Know the meta game. What are the top 3 lists running around? 

These are the lists you are almost guaranteed to see at a bigger event. Knowing what they are, and what they do should be a high priority. 

Practice… a lot. I will not bring a list to a tournament that I haven’t flown at least six times in practice. The more you fly a list, the more comfortable you will be in any situation. Fly against the meta. Fly against the wacky stuff. Fly against players “better” or more experienced than you. Don’t be afraid to be the person in the room that knows the least, or is the least experienced. If you are willing to learn, and you are able to analyse your mistakes and missteps, as well as acknowledge solid play on the other side of the table, you are miles ahead of the game. 

Game Day:

Be prepared to learn from your wins and losses, and the event overall.

Only one person is going to go home with the top prize, and the odds are stacked against us with each person that walks through the door. It is going to take a combination of skill, luck, and preparation to get you to the top. If you don't make it to the top of this event, make every one of your games a learning experience to get you that much closer in the next event. Take notes. Take pictures of neat situations. Whatever you do, do NOT go into an event with a “win it all or it was wasted time” mindset. 

Fatigue is going to happen.

This is why we prepared all of the other stuff above. We want to minimize the little stuff, so that we can focus on the “big” stuff when it matters. 

Don’t get frustrated with mental mistakes through the day. The longer the event, the more opportunity there is that you will get tired and make some mistakes, or that your opponent will make a mistake. 

Be a Good Human. 

I’m putting this last, but it should probably be first. Be a good human. This comes in a lot of forms, and some of them even make flashy shirt slogans. “Set a good example”, “Treat others the way you want to be treated”, etc. Ultimately it comes down to this: Be the opponent you want to play against.

Remember it is a game and have fun. It’s why we are all here. 

The road to the Regional Championship - 12 days left

Amy had been wanting to give the Triple Jumpmaster list a try for a while, and I was looking to get more exposure to it. We cooked up a list for her and ran down to Battleground to get a table. This is the list we decided upon: 

Triple Jumpmaster : The Itano Circus 

100 points

Contracted Scout (34) 

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), Boba Fett (1), Overclocked R4 (1), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0) 

 Contracted Scout (33) 

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), Overclocked R4 (1), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0)

Contracted Scout (33)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), Overclocked R4 (1), Deadeye (1), Guidance Chips (0)

So, a pretty standard triple boat layout. I have seen and played some lists with the “Bumpmaster” variant, but I think that they require a bit more practice to make them effective. This list is more of a “point and shoot” variety that will cause havoc for most players, and will minimize the number of play mistakes you can make.  If you aren’t familiar with the Triple Jumpmaster list, I’ll give a brief rundown on how this thing works: Contracted Scouts are an incredibly inexpensive large based ship and they have an Elite Pilot Skill slot. This allows them to take Deadeye. Deadeye gives them the ability to skip grabbing a target lock, and instead unload on the nearest target that happens to float in front of them. Each ship gets extra munitions, and therefore two Proton Torpedoes. The Torpedoes themselves, along with Guidance chips, ensures that you are getting two hits at a minimum, and frankly you are usually getting 4 hits. If you happen to be playing a match where you still have an opponent on the table when you run out of torpedoes, you can always rely upon your two-dice primary attack turret. 

Playing against Triple Jumpmasters is a bit like this for Aces....

Amy had a plan going into the match, she knew that she wanted to focus down the shuttle for the easy kill, and if I provided her with another quality target, she would take it. Amy hasn’t been playing X-Wing for long, but she is a gamer to the core, and knows her stuff. This was going to be a tough match.  I set up the Shuttle in my right hand corner, and she sets up two scouts to my left-center, and one to the right center. This gives her a straight shot to move forward, but she will need to deal with the rock placement on the following turn if she advances forward. I set up the Inquisitor to stall out my Shuttle, and Soontir to the far left, hoping to flank.  The shuttle does stall, and the jumpmasters to a minimal roll forward to see where I am going. I match with minimal movement, and we roll to the following turn. Amy comes out guns blazing with her lead Scout banking into a lane that she hopes will give her a shot on the shuttle. The shuttle ended up being just a bit too far out, but I did scoot the Inquisitor in, hoping to get a decent shot off from range 3, and follow it up with a Proton Rocket. Amy’s torpedo shot on the Inquisitor was AMAZING. stripped two shields from him, and I needed to use Palpatine and an evade to keep it to that. The inquisitor only took a shield from the Jumpmaster - my aggressive play was not working out! Soontir streaked up the other side of the table, and was able to get range one on the broadside of one Jumpmaster. Soontir’s dice had other ideas and gave me a focus and three blanks. I decided to keep my tokens and palpatine due to the incoming fire from two turrets. Soontir easily dodged the incoming fire.  The following turn, Amy surprised me with an excellent block on the Inquisitor, which prevented him from being able to shoot. She was well positioned and stripped three shields off of the shuttle, and she was able to combine a torpedo shot on the tokenless Inquisitor from her other scout, which was enough to kill him - with one of my aces down, I am suddenly feeling the heat! Soontir and the other Scout were stuck trying to reposition.