We had a smallish event I suppose with only 7 players there, but for a store event It was great turn out for a not prerelease month.
On to the list/players.
First place was an Imperial player running Double Firespray with an Echo with ACD. He mangled most lists he played again with the durable firesprays.
Second place was an Imperial player running Echo with ACD, a OMG shuttle with ST321, and Vessery with a HLC. He was 2-1 and placed on MoV.
Third place was me running a terrible list that didn't work at all really except in the final round. Hobbie R3A2 Flechette Torpedoes, Airen Cracken, Garvin Dreiss, and Blue Squadron with FCS.
The rest of the players in no particular order.
A Horton with proton torp, a Blue squadron Bwing with fire control and HLC, and a Tien Numb with Marksmenship.His list was different and I didn't get much time to see it in action.
An Old school imperial list, Rocking a Krassis, two ties and a Soontir fell.
The list that got unlucky with a first round bi due to how MoV decided second place. It was Something like Soontir with PTL and Targeting Computer, Yorr with Vader, and Whisper with Advanced CLoaking device and Veteran Instincts.
Lastly a list I've seen on these boards a bunch of times that just couldn't get anything going with Corran Horn at like 54? points and a Han Solo running somewhat slim.
Now onto the games I observed or played in. My list XXZB took on the Vessery, OMG, Echo. I won a squeaker with a one hull Xwing chasing down a full health shuttle for about 15 turns. He couldn't shake me and I didn't hit an asteroid.
My list then flys against double firespray Echo. I lose. If it had gone to time and I had been incredibly luckier for a few more rounds I might have won a modified victory. but it came down to a 1 hull Garvin and a 1 hull Airen Cracken against a 8 health Firespray, and I just couldn't do it. It was a convincing win and the second game in a row Hobbie hadn't managed anything.
Round three for me was against Soontir PTL TC, Yorr with Vader, and Whisper.
This match was incredibly fun, and was decided basically on turn two. The board set up had my block in the middle with his soontir on one edge and the shuttle and whisper on the other. I move forward one. his fast ships move forward hard on either flank and the shuttle toodles along behind them.
Turn 2, sees my entire team soft and hard turn to build an intricate web on arcs on the space I expect soontir to fly into at range 3ish. Most of my guys have to take focus because he isn't in range. Soontir takes a two forward and turtles on 2 focus and an evade. Range 3 with 4 defense dice against my attacks looks solid. His other flank gets my lead X (garvin) in range 3 with the shuttle and whisper both I think. Garvin ends up on two hull then gets hit by Vader with a crit which doesn't kill me. Soontir proceeds to throw his 16 defense dice and comes up only with blanks and evades and dies with both focus unused to the BWing who had Focus and target lock for my last shot of the combat round.
Turn 3. My formation is totally facing the wrong way. Half my guys Kturn to try and get something going. The other half turn into the enemy formation and hope to get arcs. This shooting phase sees Hobbie finally do something epic, dropping 2 stress on the phantom that is in a bump fest area. Garvin buys it against Vader The phantom gets killed by the Bwing who loves shooting at stressed uncloaked targets.
I now proceed to play semi poorly asteroids were not my friends and only keep hobbie chasing the shuttle and Cracken flying through an asteroid losing his action pots the shuttle's last health with one hit.
I also watched Han Solo plus Corran in a situation where I never approve of. Taking a list you haven't play tested to a tournament even if it is a TOP list from the meta doesn't always work. It just felt like he was swimming through mud and was sight reading the board with no idea how the pieces should work together.
Phantoms scythe through players when they don't have good initiative numbers. My list was hurting against them every match. I missed the Wedge or Wes Janson I'd usually run if I play rebels or Roark.
Horton with a proton torpedo was a surprisingly good phantom counter as his 8 trumped the low init named phantoms that most of the Imperials brought to the table.
Double firespray plus a Phantom combines amazing health with a maneuverable piece you can't ignore. they just ran over me. by being an effective wall. They run over most opponents. Two agility isn't as good as a defenders 3 but the extra health was devastating to chew through.