So remember how in XvT you could call for reinforcements? But if you did, there would be a point penalty to your final score?

What if there was something to that effect in X-wing? Say you get 35 extra points to build with that are inaccessible to your list (i.e., no building a list at 105 and then having 30 leftover).

-Reinforcements must total no more than 35points.

-Reinforcements are deployed within range 1 of the initial force's starting location & within range 1 of the edge as per usual.

-Deployment occurs at the beginning of the following round's activation phase.

-Reinforcements are called by burning the action of your list's highest remaining PS.

-Reinforcements may be called while stressed (for fluff's sake) but earn another stress.

-The earliest reinforcements can be called is the third round (meaning the earliest they appear is the fourth).

-Reinforcements must be small based ships.

-If your primary list is destroyed before reinforcements are deployed, the game is over and your reinforcements do not come into play.

-Reinforcements may only be called once in a game.

*For tournament purposes, calling for reinforcements results in a point penalty that somebody with math skills can determine.

I don't really mean this as a serious tournament suggestion, but from what I understand about the points system --namely that there is one-- I have to imagine there is a way to penalize people for calling for reinforcements. It should be possible that, in a game that times out into a draw, the person who didn't call for reinforcements has a chance at the better score. This makes calling for reinforcements a risky call, you need it to finish them off or survive but you better do it -- otherwise you handicap your score. This would need to be reasonably serious so as to prevent calling for reinforcements an auto-tactic. Also, the point penalty makes an appearance in a loss or draw especially to preserve the integrity of a timed game. If you don't get it done with extra, then you aren't going to get more time. It should have a desperation quality.

Other random ideas I'm not sold on but were fun to think about:

-Reinforcements must be hyperdrive capable? (But this would screw Imperials).

-Reinforcements cannot be called by a PS of 4 or lower? (But this would screw classic generic lists).

-Reinforcements cannot be unique ships? (Wouldn't the elite pilots already be there..?)

-Reinforcements cannot be called when only one ship remains? ("No sense throwing good money after bad.")

-In tournaments you can only call for reinforcements a limited number of times? Once? If your reinforcements are destroyed, they cannot be called in later games? (Adds to desperation and keeps it form being abused?)

Finally, I think it would be kind of neat if the 35 point reinforcement list was kept secret but obviously recorded somewhere. Adds to the "oh sh*t" factor of seeing enemy ships appear. Ultimately I mean it as more of an idea for at home amongst friends but I'm curious to what people think. Is there a way to make it balanced enough for competitive play? What about just as an idea amongst friends? Should my proposed guidelines be tweaked at all?

EDIT: Added some guidelines, text fonts.

It originated in TIE Fighter. The manual for the original game said that there was no shame in sending for reinforcements as it would crush the Rebels that much more.

Those were the days :-)

May want to specify that reinforcements may be called in only once.

I like the idea overall. I really don't have any idea on how to make it fair in a competitive enviroment(you probably cannot really) That being said,I definitely think that in order to make some attempt at fairness and before you can call for reinforcements, you should have to wait till certain requirements are met(number of turns, losing a certain number of ships or certain percent of your total points, a certain point in time, etc) and also will have a limited window after these requirements are met(again a certain point in time or another factor) to call for reinforcements or you lose your chance to do so. And once you call for reinforcements, you have to destroy every ship of your enemies in order to get even a modified win. At that point it is all or nothing. I feel like that would definitely make calling for reinforcements a risky behavior and not an auto include tactic. Maybe.

I'm not sure it even needs to be that complex, plenty of games give you the option to keep units in reserve. To avoid victory points being problematic (imagine your opponent keeping a fat Han in deserve) just cap it for tournies.

I like the idea overall. I really don't have any idea on how to make it fair in a competitive enviroment(you probably cannot really) That being said,I definitely think that in order to make some attempt at fairness and before you can call for reinforcements, you should have to wait till certain requirements are met(number of turns, losing a certain number of ships or certain percent of your total points, a certain point in time, etc) and also will have a limited window after these requirements are met(again a certain point in time or another factor) to call for reinforcements or you lose your chance to do so. And once you call for reinforcements, you have to destroy every ship of your enemies in order to get even a modified win. At that point it is all or nothing. I feel like that would definitely make calling for reinforcements a risky behavior and not an auto include tactic. Maybe.

I try to get at creating such a "window of opportunity" with the point limit, need for an action to call them in (making the caller vulnerable/less effective), and requiring it to have been at least round 3 just to make the call, among other things. All the requirements are fairly commonsensical once you gloss over them. I do like some of my more unsure ideas, like saying in a tournament environment you can only call them in once.

I'm not sure it even needs to be that complex, plenty of games give you the option to keep units in reserve. To avoid victory points being problematic (imagine your opponent keeping a fat Han in deserve) just cap it for tournies.

Hence the "must be small ships only" requirement.

Echo + VI + FCS

Every single time.

Echo + VI + FCS

Every single time.

Hiss hiss, boo.

-Reinforcements must total no more than 35points , I mean, 25points...

Easy then, i would choose a Royal guard + Push the limit.

And a Biggs for rebels. Pornstache to the rescue.

That's fine. Though that is why I was considering it being generic only.

Although it may seem harsh the "penalty" for Calling Reinforcements could be that you DOUBLE the value of all of your killed ships. To put it another way that Academy Pilot may normally just count as 12 points when determining MoV but if reinforcements are called it now counts as 24 points! It could become possible to win the battle but have your opponent who doesn't call Reinforcements out score you.

^

I like this though somebody who understands the MoV rules and mathwing would need to vet it for me.

I think you'd only want generics to be called in, and only once you've suffered 50% losses or x amount of turns have passed.

How about...

1. Everybody starts with a set amount of points (could be 100... 125... 150... whatever), lets say 150 points.

2. Create squads, play games as normal*.

3. Victory points are determined by...

a. Points value of stuff you kill ( half points awarded for ships that disengage (yes, there should be a reason to not fight to the death ... as if starfighters and trained pilots were nothing but but game pieces to be thrown away or otherwise wasted. ..)

b. Plus any unused points you have remaining (from original points total)

* Reinforcements- Initiative is determined at start of game; reinforcing ships are worth double their normal points value.

I very much want to see a tournament where ships that are destroyed stay dead for the next round. Needs to be an incentive for both players to actually fight, as it would be far too much of an advantage if 2 players decided to dance around until time was called and then took their 100 list against a 30 point list!

I like the idea but I think fluff wise you don't need to just make it hyper drive capable only

I can imagine an imperial officer standing hands behind back watching the battle and calling in reinforcements with his English accent in a stern way to a man standing just behind him.

three tie's then launch into the fray.

Historically reinforcements are a massive part of all sorts of wars so their was a tactical advantage to keep some of your forces back it would be a cool mechanic in XWing

In 40k there were reserves however they were not as reliable as a dice roll determined if they arrived on the board or not.

But that is also ground combat. This is starfighter combat and I can imagine coordinating reserves through hyperspace can have some complications that is why in the battle of endor all ships jumped to Endor including the transports which provided no offensive capabilities.

Now if we get some of the bigger ships in epic we could have a docking bay that can house starfighters as reserves and then launch them. That could be something to do.

Now if we get some of the bigger ships in epic we could have a docking bay that can house starfighters as reserves and then launch them.

We need a star destroyer.

This is part of the reason why I want Assault Gunboats so badly. Gunboats were very often used for reinforcements precisely because they were hyperspace capable, cheap, and strong enough in a fight. A few of the scenarios I've created do allow for reinforcements. Right now all the Empire can count on is the ineffective TIE Advanced or the pricey TIE Defender. Phantoms were usually too high-caliber to be loaned out on reinforcements.