So yesterday I went to my first tournament for x-wing. By far one of the best experiences I had. Id like to thank the store owner and the TO for running this event as it was a blast and I surprisingly did well.
I started playing X-wing late summer last year, with just a friend and sometimes id force my Girlfriend to play. But this recent month I started attending my LGS to play more frequently.
Enough about me on to meat of this thread.
I ran 4 X-wings, As they are my favourite ship and fit my play style very well. (My play style being rolling really bad for defence dice, and I find 2 evade a good sweet spot.)
The List:
Luke Skywalker - R2-D2, Shield Upgrade, Veteran Instincts
Rookie Pilot
Rookie Pilot
Rookie Pilot
As I said above I ran this list because its the ship I'm most familiar with and i just like the way it looks. A hardened veteran leading his rookies in battle. One opponents asked why I went with Luke over the far superior pilots (Wedge and Biggs). My answer was that I just like Luke, and its fluffy that he's with R2. Just kinda made sense to me.
19 People showed up and one of the regulars I think decided to opt out so we could have a even tourney.
My first match turned out to be a guy I've played at my LGS. This was a good match up for me as i was nervous being my very first tournament and competitive game of xwing.
I cant remember exactly what he had, Wish I had written it down. But i think it was something like this
Dark Curse
Academy
Saber Squadron - Push the Limit
Saber Squadron - Push the Limit
Saber Squadron - Push the Limit
Playing this opponent once before I knew he was very familiar with the game and was very good at manoeuvring. I started in a block formation 2x2 facing horizontal instead pointing right towards my enemy. This game was pretty long as I believe we started a little earlier then when they actually started the timer. I lost my 3 rookies around half way and it was all up to Luke untouched against 2 Sabers and dark curse. The one saber was damage and lost his PtL from a crit which was very handy. I knew i couldnt kill dark curse and if i wanted to get the modifed win id have to kill the more expensive sabers. A very lucky roll of 4 hits wipes out the full health saber with only 5 minutes to go, i turn to face the weaker saber scoring one lucky crit on him and turns it and gets minor explosion he rolls scores an additional hit and he pops. game gets call.
84-63 Modified win. Wow what a crazy game once i lost all my rookies i thought i was in for that just spurt of lucky rolls let me just pass him in points. So first tourney and first games a win. Great start.
Second Game
His list:
Howlrunner
Black Squadron - Draw their fire
Black Squadron - Draw their fire
Academy Pilot
Avenger Squadron
Avenger Squadron
I was scared that was a lot of ships and I knew those interceptors would pack some punch as i just experienced their thrashing from last game. I set up with my three rookies facing towards him and luke on the flank pointing towards the rest of his ships. For some reason i thought i could joust him and take a few with me. Boy was I wrong. First pass left one of my rookies dead and 1 interceptor to 2 hull and a black with a crit. The draw their fire card really helped him keep those interceptors alive that game every single one of my rolls against them was 2 hits and a crit. and hed always either roll 3 evade oe 2 evade and pass the crit on to a black. Near the end of the game it was just my rookie and luke. the Academy and Black were still up as well as both interceptors. Crap lets see if luke can pull this off again. Luke finally takes out the last point on the interceptor and the rookie finished off the other with some very impressing rolls on both side i came out on top with another modified win
72 - 42. what a great game, my first 2 games versus very simlair lists and both times luke payed off and got that devastating blow at the very end. geez. so great start to my first tourney 2 modified wins.
Third Game
My first rebel opponent. I was pretty surprised how even the factions were between rebels and imperial players. turned out to be a pretty fun and no list was identical I do believe. No Lambdas and no HWK's. anyways on to the third match.
His List:
Dutch Vander - Ion Cannon
Garven Dries
Green Squadron - Concussion
Green Squadron - Concussion
First off let me say this was one of my more relaxed and enjoyable games me and this guy just shot the **** more then we actually played. He was running one of my favourite combos that i actually was going to bring my changed at the last minute. I didnt realize how dirty that alpha strike would be with the passing of focus and target lock to those a wings.
I started my formation like the first one again and instantly turned to face the awings completely forgetting the payload they were about the drop on me. patiently waiting the inevitably destruction of 2 rookies he rolls all blanks on his fist roll with awing. wow i got lucky, to add on to it i evaded the hit the concussion generates off of blanks. the next awing goes and he rolls 1 hit and 2 blanks and I evaded that as well. After that the game just went downhill for him from there it really just cam down to Hot Hot Dice for me and his stuff cold dice. I think he killed on rookie and i tabled him. I don't want to sound like that guy for saying that my most enjoyable game was the one I utterly destroyed the guy. It was more just because it felt like a fun game between friends rolling dice and one of us was extremely unlucky. Id love to rematch this guy any time.
100 - 21 first full win. I have no idea how the toruney point systems work, I think its 3 for Mods and 5 for fulls. but not certain i went to the TO and was talking to him about the tourney and what not and he goes you get to face the winner of those 2 over there for 1st place.
That hit me like a ton of bricks i never thought i would be going up for 1st place in my first tourney.
Me waiting for those guys to finish to see who i played was nerve racking just thinking about if i actually won would be crazy.
The fourth and final match for all the marbles.
His list:
Chewbacca
Blue Squadron - Heavy Laser Cannon
Blue Squadron - Heavy Laser Cannon
Thats right, Blue chewie. Ive run this list a couple of times for fun and i wasnt a fan of the b wings. But thats just me. I knew how deadly it could be constant 4 attack dice at any range.
My opponent was super nice and had just recently got into the game. After my initail manoeuvre i knew i was in for. I set up like the last game and for some reason i did a 3 bank and all much ships collided putting them all out of formation. I dont know if it was my nerves getting to me or what but i did feel very comfortable during the game. Kinda felt like my last game where we just shot the **** and rolled the dice not really caring even though it was the final match. I was happy that i even got the opportunity to get that far. I remembered my buddy saying that he would always go for the target thats the tankiest because thats when youll do the most damage at the start when all your ships are alive.
so i went after chewie. 7 damage in one turn of shooting not bad. Unfortunately being way out of formation i had to go for the bwings and leave chewie. My advantage was i got initiative. (just remembered i didnt say who got initiative in my other games, It didnt really come into effect at all and this was the first time i got it.) he put down a rookie with focus fire from the bwings. and did luke in with chewie scoring 3 shields and 1 crit (Direct damage.) so it was either take it slow and try and charge up shields or just do a last ditch effort. I went with last ditch and blew up a bwing. with 3 of my ships with a lucky crit (Direct hit) so 2 semi damage rookies(becuase troids.... first asteroid i hit all day) focus turned to the last bwing. i k turn everything cept luke and roll at range three blank blank focus twice for the rookies. Dice went dead cold. chewie shoots at luke range three through a troid 2 crits and a hit. crap. roll all blanks there goes luke. soon after my rookies just died all rolling blanks and that was the game. Probably the fastest game that day. shook hands laughed at how i called at the start of my game my evade dice rolls suck. and commented on his incredibly good dice rolls always scoring 4 hits and getting the rerolls from target lock and focus. It was still a great game and would love to play him again. So my opponent went 4 - 0 all full wins in the end and i went 3 - 1 Not bad for the first tourney. Unfortunately i didnt place and came in 5th. my second game opponent just getting 4th. owell would have been cool to get top 4. Im still very pleased that i managed to even get there.
Final score 100 - 29
Overall this was a great experience and i cant wait for regionals in June. Thanks to my opponents for being awesome players and awesome people and making my time enjoyable. and thanks to whoever reads through this big block of text. any suggestions on how to make a battle report more enjoyable to read let me know and ill try and fix it up a bit.
Sorry no pictures i don't have a great camera but maybe ill try for my next games.