Ottawa has many stores hosting AoIA events this weekend, but only one was running on Friday. It's a small store which tried out its first X-wing event and I went to it thinking that the turnout would be small (estimated 6 people) and I thought that I would be good enough to place easily.

I get there early and find out that the turnout was really small. There were 2 of us plus the T.O., who also wanted to play. So, Shaw, Grey and I looked at it for what it was and decided to play a very casual set of round robin games.

(Grey is sitting down and Shaw is standing at his X-wing set. Kuddos to the player that suggested a tray for carrying your stuff. Was really handy!)

My list I designed for a B-wing and Falcon heavy meta for my area. I put ions on every ship to deal with the large ships and B-wings and I would use 3 B-wings to beef up the damage output of my squad if I needed to switch to damage infliction instead.

Gold with ion and R3-A2

Blue squad with ion x 3

I went with a control squad and I talked to Shaw (the other player) and found out that he was running 4 Y's and I laughed my butt off. It would be a control squad versus a control squad.

I told Shaw that I had thought about running this very list but meta-wise it wasn't done for tournaments because Y's usually didn't do well. I also made a suggestion regarding Flechette Torpedoes and R3-A2 and he altered his squad to test it out.

Round 1: Shaw's new Y's

Gold with Ion turret and R3-A2

Gold with Flechette torpedo and ion turret x 3

I originally planned to setup up opposite corner and force him to fly at me through the asteroid cover but I realized that that would make for a longer game if we had to play cat and mouse with ships that were meaning to do one point of damage over time. So I set up for a straight joust.

I started in an box formation and Shaw setup in a line. My first round I had my front two ships barrel roll out to take front corners and slightly ahead so I had outside two slightly ahead and inside two slightly back.

We then approached each other in a line formation vs line formation. When in range my outside right flank Blue clipped an asteroid and lost his shot so one of the Y's didn't get ionized. Everything else did.

(the Magineau line)

We then looked at two lines of ships doing nothing but Ionizing one another (which would take forever) and I decided that I would switch to my main guns and 2 Blues hit his R3 carrying Y and took it down to one hull. My Y finished it off with a rear ion shot.

We then passed and I was now stuck with 2 blues being ionized, my Y was clear to maneuver, and a B wing that had worked off the ionizing effect. I went to K turn my Y and did the worst possible thing. I picked the **** 4 red straight instead of the 4 K! I have flown Y's many times and that is the first time I ever did that, ever. I flew it off the table. Followed shortly after by the two ionized B-wings. The lone remaining Blue crossed over to challenge 3 Y's who made short work with one ionizing and the rest range 1 primary shots on it.

0-1

Grey wanted to play but had borrowed his friends X-wing set to do it so I looked at what faction he was running and helped flush out his squad. He had a Y wing and a X-wing to start so I gave him Han in the Falcon to beef up his squad.

Grey ran

Han with M.F.

Biggs with R2-F2

Grey Squad with ion turret

Grey and Shaw faced off and, by this point in the "tournament" we were attracting kids and gamers who were watching and asking questions about the game.

Grey lost his match against Shaw and it was 8:30-ish by that point so Grey called it and Shaw took first pick, I got second pick, Grey took 3rd and Shaw got fourth pick for coming in first. Shaw picked the Z-95 and got the E-wing for last pick. I took the Phantom for my pick, and Grey took the Tied defender to bolster his borrowed buddies squad.

Grey's friend, who lent Grey the base set, was there and played a game with another new player. Shaw and I stayed around to help out with the new players and their game.

My take away on this was it was a fun time. I met a new good x-wing player in my local area and I watched as 3 new converts got to test out their piloting skills.

Pics now included.