Got together with my neighbor for a quick small (50-point) casual game after our kids went to bed.

My neighbor:

Red Squadron Pilot + Proton Torpedoes

Red Squadron Pilot

Me:

Howlrunner + Swarm Tactics

Academy Pilot

Scimitar Squadron Pilot + Seismic Charge

Asteroids scattered in a line across the middle of the field. I set up in my lower right corner; opponent set up straight across from me, leaving me little room to maneuver.

I start out in a triangle formation (pointed toward my side of the table) and turn left, trying to buy enough time to take the fight into the asteroids where I can pick apart the two X-wings. His faster-than-expected forward movement leaves me exposed without a shot and my academy TIE takes a torpedo right through the cockpit and explodes (one-shotted! perhaps this one should have spent more time in the academy simulator). My mini-swarm is down to a tight pair (points are now an imbalanced 46-38) with the enemy off my aft starboard quarter.

My pair swings toward the asteroids on my far right side of the line, with my opponent making good use of target locks to stick a double damage critical to my bomber while I ping shields on one X-wing. I'm able to drop the seismic charge to pull one shield from the second X-wing and take a good firing position on the other. A near-collision between my ships and a little focused fire drops my opponent's first X-wing and I feel like I have an advantage for the first time in the game.

We take up jousting positions on my opponent's side of the asteroids and charge, Howlrunner too far away to help the bomber but keeping her one remaining hull point out of harm's way. The bomber finally dies, leaving a one-health Howlrunner facing a Red X-wing with one shield and full hull circling the large asteroid on the end of the line.

Both remaining fighters have stress tokens and circle the asteroid for several turns, eventually dropping the stress with the X-wing also picking up a target lock. With our "small" game stretching long past my bedtime, I decide that with nothing ventured, there will be nothing gained and select a 4 koiogran through a neighboring asteroid in hope of surviving long enough to get a nice shot on the X-wing's starboard flank. Of course, I roll a hit on the asteroid, denying myself the victory but also denying my opponent the joy of shooting me down. Game over.

There have been a couple of times in the original trilogy where the Falcon takes on three or four TIEs, you can do it for under 69 points per side, and you and your neighbor might get a kick out of such a battle as well.

Thanks for the suggestion. We play fairly frequently, ranging between single-ship duels and 100-point squads. We're hoping to try an "every ship we own!" melee sometime, but with small kids it's tough to find the time.