Consider this scenario: you and your opponent are tied for points, but you have no Pilot Skill ties. You win the die roll to choose initiative. In the past, the natural decision was to take initiative so that you get to place the big rock.

But now, in the age of big obstacles, is it still worth it to place the first one, or would you rather be able to react to the other player's placement? Personally, I'm starting to lean toward the latter, especially when there are two or four big obstacles. When you know where the first obstacle is going, you have a lot more options -- you can start a cluster of asteroids near the other one, put one straight across the field, set up a clear flight lane, etc, etc.

What are your thoughts?

I'd rather play the last rock.

I always go with last. It let's you finalize the obstacle layout and not be surprised by the oponent blocking your best lane.

It depends on what you're fielding and what they're fielding.

1.) In equal pilot skill fights generally I want my opponent to have it so I can better react to their initial placement. I'd rather you set down your 3 feedback array Black Suns before I set down Tarn Mison. It also depends, if you're running the 3x ORS, 3x Intel Agent,3x Navigator, 3x Anti-Pursuit Lasers troll build and your opponent has a bunch of PS 1s and you lose the initiative bid your game is over right then.

In equal pilot skill fights you generally don't want initiative unless you want to block.

2.) If PS is irrelevant then I want initiative so I can place a small obstacle within range 1 of the center in order to prevent some obnoxious big obstacle getting plopped down in the center.

The last obstacle is typically the least relevant one.

In my experience putting the first rock has the biggest influence over how the asteroid field looks like. Not how many lanes there are and where they're placed, but the general archetype (can I say that?). I prefer having that instead of having last say over a single lane. I'd rather have the big picture suit them than the fine details. But I have been playing a lot of 2 ships lately..

Well with the new changes such as bringing in your own obstacles it could be well worth it. Perfect example would be facing against Super Dash with 3 large debris clouds. You might want initiative just to place 2 out of 3 of his debris clouds just to keep him from messing up your lanes too much and giving him the advantage. If they are taking large obstacles and you have small. Then clearly they are depending on playing around the obstacles so taking those large ones away from the player and placing them where you want the big ones to go would be the turn 0 strategy.

I give the initiative to my opponent, if I can, almost always. Dash is a good example. If I want a solid four rock field or better, I can't guarantee it unless they place the first and I then play the diagonal, then the two corners of range one pocket. And hope they carelessly place close to that. Usually they just place their last two at the 2x2 in opposite corners though.

1.) In equal pilot skill fights generally I want my opponent to have it so I can better react to their initial placement. I'd rather you set down your 3 feedback array Black Suns before I set down Tarn Mison. It also depends, if you're running the 3x ORS, 3x Intel Agent,3x Navigator, 3x Anti-Pursuit Lasers troll build and your opponent has a bunch of PS 1s and you lose the initiative bid your game is over right then.

In equal pilot skill fights you generally don't want initiative unless you want to block.

2.) If PS is irrelevant then I want initiative so I can place a small obstacle within range 1 of the center in order to prevent some obnoxious big obstacle getting plopped down in the center.

The last obstacle is typically the least relevant one.

I don't agree with any of this. In equal pilot skill, unless I have a build that prefers not having initiative (read: bombs), then I will always take it. I want first crack at those pilots so I can hopefully dish out debilitating crits, such as Blinded Pilot, Injured Pilot, or Munitions Failure. When the PS is irrelevant, then I take initiative so I can initial rock placement that sets the tone for the rest of the formation (though there is a good argument for last placement), but if we each get Damaged Cockpit, I still want initiative.

I give the initiative to my opponent, if I can, almost always. Dash is a good example. If I want a solid four rock field or better, I can't guarantee it unless they place the first and I then play the diagonal, then the two corners of range one pocket. And hope they carelessly place close to that. Usually they just place their last two at the 2x2 in opposite corners though.

assuming they bring rocks. Now these days Dash will just bring 3 big debris clouds because dash can go on top of them and not get affected.