So I've got a tourney coming up on the 18th May and I was just wondering if you guys have any tips for playing quicker.

Whenever I have had a 100 point game they have lasted a couple of hours, the last one if had been a timed game I would have lost. In a tourney will I get penalised for taking too long over a move?

What else can I expect from my first tourney?

Well the games usually go 1hr each in a tourney so either practice to speed up or maybe simplify your list. It can be a lot quicker when you are flying a few ships together as a formation, I know it makes flying any sort of swarm a lock quicker to do, I always find it's the big hitter ships you agonise over where they are going.

Define 'too long'. If you take minutes per ship each and every time I might smack you.

My tips:

-Do not take a swarm. This takes time, even if you usually are fast. (just the moving, let alone the planning!)

-Make a plan for the opening moves. Speed sup those precious first 2-3 turns!

But whatever you do; fly casual.

Well the games usually go 1hr each in a tourney so either practice to speed up or maybe simplify your list. It can be a lot quicker when you are flying a few ships together as a formation, I know it makes flying any sort of swarm a lock quicker to do, I always find it's the big hitter ships you agonise over where they are going.

I disagree with the swarm thing. Moving multiple ships takes more time and planning moves if you are not proficient with a swarm takes even MORE time. (IMO)

Practice timed games. Our play got faster doing this, and it's also good for training you to remember your actions after moves etc.

Wasn't saying he should fly a swarm, just fly in formation. Flying 2 or more ships using the same moves is quicker than 2 coming from different directions.

Really the best way to speed up is to play more, and get a feel for what you like to do in certain situations. Some basics that I see people forget/not use is 1) not following turn order correctly (backing up to fix things takes a lot of time), 2) not knowing the rules in general (discussing how something works takes longer than most people think), and gabbing too much.

Now there are some things that just take longer, a few that come to mind are swarms, lots of moving parts (synergy), and generally having a well-matched opponent that makes you think. These things just take time and that is part of the game. And again the more you do it the faster you will be.

There are good suggestions here, but don't sacrifice the rules, or the fun for speed. Yeah, it's a tourney and you are there to compete, but having fun trumps the rest. Also it makes you more desirable to play against.

Wasn't saying he should fly a swarm, just fly in formation. Flying 2 or more ships using the same moves is quicker than 2 coming from different directions.

Fair enough. I fully agree with this.

don't think so much. Often, the very 1st move that jumps into your head is the best available move already.

Be decisive and don't second guess your instincts.

Start thinking about where you're going to move your ships in the next turn as you get towards the end of the current one. It will help you pick targets as well as speed up the next round as you will already have a decent idea of where most of your ships need to go.

Fly stuff that's the same PS. It simplifies things immensely.

What part takes a long time. Is it planning? Is it the fact you just play more defensively? Are you running swarmy lists or tanky lists. Do you have ships frequently blasting out of combat for a few turns?

Any or all of those slow you down, and not all of them are playing slow. Some are just strategic thinking.

Be decisive and don't second guess your instincts.

This.

Plus take some time while your opponent is going through his combat attacks to study the map. Use the time he's checking firing arcs to look at where you are now and where you want to be next turn. I've seen a lot of people on the defense spend tons of time double-checking firing arcs and second guessing the opponent, rather than spend that time thinking about what they are doing instead.

*wrong thread, post deleted*

I will often start spinning dials while my opponent is working through the end of their turn. This lets me work through some kinks in my plan and get a feel for how turns will play out before we even hit the planning phase.

Also, fewer ships means fewer choices. And the same with less maneuverable ships. Also, the better you know the ships on the table, both yours and your opponents, faster you can figure out the options available.

You'll get faster as you get more experience playing. You'll spend less time hunting around for the right maneuver -- you'll just know what your ships can and can't do, and it's a matter of spinning the dial until you find the one you're looking for, rather than spinning the dial and considering the options. It is legal to use the ship maneuver cheat-sheets, so I recommend keeping those handy during play.

You'll also find that there are lots of no-brainer decisions, such as whether to take a target lock, evade or focus action.

Have a plan, and practice it by playing solo games. When you play solo, play quickly and don't think about things too much. You'll learn what does and doesn't work, and you'll naturally avoid those mistakes later, making for quicker decision-making and better play overall.

Try to think about where you are going to go before it comes times to pick up your dials. One mark of a good player is that when they put down a dial, they have somewhat of an idea of where they are going to go next turn as well. You still need to adapt as you see where you opponent goes. But you should at the very least start planning your next moves as you see where you opponent goes.