Hello all! I don't usually post much, but it was such a great day I figured I'd clue everyone into my experience at the Colorado Regional.

I started this a while ago, at the first Store champs. I flew a rebel swarm and took 1st! The important thing here was the regional bye card, which came in handy today. I turned it in and took the first round pretty easy. I looked around, made sure some friends were doing well, and tried to prepare. This is also the 1st regional I've ever played in and easily the most competitive I've had to be - I heard there were 84 signups from 7 states and 14 regional bye cards were used! The list I flew today:

Soontir/PTL/Royal Guard/Autothrusters/TC

Whisper/VI/FCS/ACD/Intelligence Agent

2x Academy Pilots

98 points

I don't have a pic handy but they're all painted. The academies are kinda silly with blood stripes and another one looks like the alt art soontir card as he's KILLED LOTS. Soontir and Whisper are painted candy lime green (like the Lamborghini), as are all my bases. Got lots of compliments on the fleet today

Strategy: I always try and give up initiative (unless they have a PS9, and even then its situational). I try and setup the asteroids in the tightest cluster I can with small based ships. I also setup my ships at 22.5 degrees on the back edge. This gives me some options on my initial movements, and means those 1st turn shots just don't happen.

Round 1: Regional Bye. Woot! 1-0

Round 2: Up against BBBBZ. I setup equally across the back of my side all facing slightly inward. Split up my guys seeing who he'd go after. He barely split, after a few rounds of fighting I was down to Whisper and he still had 4 B's left. All the fighting was in the middle of the board, he probably took 3-4 damage going across asteroids.Whisper is a beast, and managed to knock out 2 of the B's before time was called. I still lost, but I guess with about the best MOV you could hope for at 56-54. He got a modified win. 1-1

Round 3: Another fellow modder with two seriously bad ass looking firesprays. The asteroids were placed, and after 2 rounds it was BUMP CITY with all my ties on his. Kath was melted in 2 rounds of fire, and Boba wasn't too far after, maybe another 5 rounds. He didn't get ANY actions after round 2 and intelligence agent is HUGE against 2 ship lists. He actually pulled the crit that bumps cause damage, Boba died ramming Soontir Fel. 2-1

Round 4: Brobots B/C. Kitted out similarly, with HLC, this one was really tough to figure out how to go against. In the end, I had Whisper going into Range 1 for shots and banking on him using his focus token for defense, then Whisper was cloaked with a focus for the range 1 return shot. It seemed to be the safest place! Again, Intelligence Agent for the WIN. Figure out where to decloak for a good shot, make it happen. Soontir was destroyed, I believe both Academies were one-shotted. Bumping doesn't do much against something with advanced sensors, unfortunately.

Round 5: Scum - two BTL Ion cannon y-wings, Guri, and a Z. Really cool list! Guri is a monster, kitted out with advanced sensors, VI, and some other stuff (I'm really tired, sorry). The memorable thing about this match was that I went after Guri first. Got her down to one hull remaining, then the player made a split second decision to advance sensor barrel roll putting Guri on a rock after she moved, then she blew up. That sucks to see, but at this point its mistakes that are dealing the worst deals.

Round 6: Scum - 3 Hawks and a Z. I flew Soontir and danced him around the far side of the asteroid field, it worked as he split his list up. Palob went after Soontir, the other 3 after the Academies and Whisper. We are both making a fair amount of mistakes, but trying to keep things as light and casual as we can. It goes to the WIRE - last shot, I bring in Soontir for a R1 TL+F shot and he wiffs both ion shots (Fel is a 0) Time was called after 2 of the 3 dials were set. The shot was initially one hit, 3 blanks. I spend the TL, 1 more hit and 2 crits. The place erupted and I barely beat him - by less than 12 points. I get a modified win and 3 tournament points.

Onto the top 16, 8th and 9th are tied for tournament points, and I had 35 more MOV points than the other guy so onto top 8 I go!

Top 8 round vs #1 seed: Chewie/Corran

He kept them real close, and actually Corran only got 1 shot in the first 7 rounds due to arc dodging. I couldn't drop chewie, Soontir bumped chewie with 1 hull left, and Corran melted Soontir. I was so tired and brain friend, but that guy is also currently fighting for 1st place. I don't feel too bad about this loss. Great games all day, and I can't believe I got this far.

As an afterthought... the FFG software took a digger so we started the tournament 1 hour late. Many thanks to Total Escape Games (And John) for running such a tight ship otherwise. We had 84 people, they upped it from 64, got extra promos, etc. Also, everyone got a full size range ruler for attending! Medals were printed for top 8, etc. Very well done and I hope TEG gets more of these large tournaments!

On the 22.5 degree thing: Will Sanchez - one of the best STAW players I've ever heard of - posted a GREAT writeup on BGG about the advantages of starting your ships like this (mainly ones with "barrel roll"). I don't think I've seen anyone run something like this, and the advantages in this article are very relevant to arc dodgers (my favorite ships to play). Not only does your opponent have no idea what you're doing, they'll think you know what you're doing. Lanes between asteroids will open up, and a barrel roll may have you outside an arc, and your opponent in yours. It works!

http://boardgamegeek.com/article/14145685

Its worth the read, even though its for Star Trek Attack Wing. And it was posted at least a year ago. I used to play STAW and have always run this strategy with the 22.5. I wouldn't recommend it for those large ships that like to cruise around the outside, but man times I had phenominal arcs on the large

And lastly, there's no way I'll be making Nationals. But I am starting to think about worlds...

On the 22.5 degree thing: Will Sanchez - one of the best STAW players I've ever heard of - posted a GREAT writeup on BGG about the advantages of starting your ships like this (mainly ones with "barrel roll"). I don't think I've seen anyone run something like this, and the advantages in this article are very relevant to arc dodgers (my favorite ships to play). Not only does your opponent have no idea what you're doing, they'll think you know what you're doing. Lanes between asteroids will open up, and a barrel roll may have you outside an arc, and your opponent in yours. It works!

Read the article on BGG, it looks interesting, but when you think about it a bit more, if your opponent is aware of the tactic (or just analyses things fast) you both have the same 22.5 angle offset so it works both ways.

As you said it can benefit arc dodgers and non formation flying squadrons a bit more so it could be useful in some matchups. I'll try it in my next game.

The guys at a Total Escape a Games did a great job with this tournament. After filling up at 64 players they sought out additional space to expand the tournament. They also included their own prizes. With the exception of the FFG software everything was run very well. I am disappointed that FFG would release software that had obviously not been tested. The morning of regionals is not the time a TO wants to see their program crap the bed.

Unfortunately with the delayed start I was only able to play 3 rounds before I had to leave for my sons playoff game. I knew going in I would not be able to complete the Swiss rounds but was hoping I could get in 4 or 5. It was fun to take part in regionals anyway.

I left disappointed in my performance. I went 2-1 playing RAC/Fel. I beat a Chewie/Dash and Chewie/generic 2400 but lost to twin fire sprays. I forgot that my opponent had engine and he set up a nice block causing a bump with Soontir. He went down in a single round of fire.

Congrats to the winner. He and I played a very close game which he won at a SC a few months ago. It was great to see all of the out of state players come in but was glad a local Denver player took home the top prize.

I've actually messed around with 22.5 degree deployments a little bit. Kind of cool to see others thinking about it. Good write-up though. Thanks.

I use 22.5 on HLC-carriers that lack the 1-forward.

I used something more like 15 degrees during most of my six-months-of Vessery+HLC+LW,Echo+recspec,TB games. I would deploy V+TB and Echo both about 1/4th of the way in from the edge, angled in, pointing down a diagonal lane in the rocks. Having straights end up flanking in the middle is pretty nice, and it is pretty easy to make one side or the other stall a bit to allow the opposite side time to get into position. Echo being squirrely on top of it didn't hurt.

I like to think it made it harder to judge where the ships ended up, but I'm not sure if that's actually true. Probably not for good players.

I think the article overstates the approach benefits, since the opponent is also 22.5 degrees off from your ships, just not from the board edges. The only advantage there would be inexperience with those kinds of engagements (vs. the typical head-on), which again, isn't going to be huge against good players.

I use 22.5 on HLC-carriers that lack the 1-forward.

Fishtail approach?

I used an 'angled' deployment with interceptors a lot when I first got into x-wing (thinking I was clever). It does work, BUT! Only in one direction (your opponent enjoys the same benefit in the other direction).

What I mean is, if you deploy all of your ships say, on the rightside of the table and your opponent's are on his right (or your left), but you also angle your ships to the left towards the opponent's ships (up to 22.5 degrees or even as little as 15 degrees), then you will have the ability to avoid firing arcs when you bank/turn to the left (and he banks/turns left towards you). However, later in the match, if you ever need to turn right towards the enemy, the reverse will be true: your opponent's banks/turns relative to yours will put your ships in his arc and yours out of arc (although a barrel roll or even boost can solve this).

Great report! And great job with my 2 favorite ships!