Played in my first tournament this weekend and had a blast, but the results has made me need to readjust my list. Overall, I was happy with the basic design concept and I enjoyed playing it, but it needs adjustment.
List: 299 – Opening Salvo, Contested Outpost, Minefields
VSD2 w/ Motti, Warlord, Gunnery Team, H9 Turbolasers – 132
GSD2 w/ Demolisher – 72
GSD1 w/ Insidious, Engine Techs – 67
TIE/x1 (Advanced) x1– 12
TIE/ln (Fighter) x2 – 16
Game 1: Rebels, Bel Iblis, Twin Whales w/ Flight Controllers & Expanded Hangers & Fighters (X, Wedge, Dutch, bunch of Y-Wings)
I had choice (299 vs 300) and chose to be second, figured my objectives would suit me better vs. likely fighter strong objectives, he chose Opening Salvo (didn’t realize I’d be getting black dice). I killed the flag whale, he killed my VSD. I did not have enough squadrons/AA (first indication of issue). Also, Insidious spent nearly the entire game out of range trying to flank the enemy and barely fired a shot (also first indication of issue). He managed to take down my VSD on the last fighter shot of the game. This was a narrow loss 6-4.
Game 2: Rebels, Dodonna, Whale, Neb-E (Yavaris), CR90b & fighters (Luke, Wedge, Dutch, 3 Awings, maybe another X or Y)
We tied a 299 so we flipped coin and I got to choose, I chose initiative this time. He was running Contested Outpost so went right for that. I slaughtered his CR90 and took down his Assault Frigate by mid game, only for loss of my Demolisher. At this point he almost wanted to concede… however turn 5/6 he killed my VSD with fighters (did I mention issue?) and I just couldn’t get the last hull point off his Nebulon-B as once again Insidious took the scenic route (issue?). That said a slightly better roll with my last shot would have tabled him but since I didn’t kill any of his fighters the points were not in my favor. Large loss 8-2.
Game 3: Mirror match, Imperials, Screed, VSD2 w/ XX9 turbolasers, GSD2 w/ Demolisher and Engine Techs, GSD1 & and an advanced, Fel, and two ties.
He got to choose and chose initiative, he chose Contested Outpost from my objectives. He overshot his demolisher (only got 2 decent shots on my VSD), and his other GSD was distracted by my Insidious and Demolisher (Demo was shooting at his VSD though). Our two VSDs eventually head-on crashed over the station, his did not survive the encounter. I had a pretty solid lead in tokens and killpoints but almost ran my near dead Demolisher back into range of his two circling GSDs. This match Insidious did not laze about and unloaded into the back of his VSD. I did kill his advanced and plink a damage or two onto his ships with my fighters, but he still “won” the squadron battle. Decisive victory of 9-1.
Was only a 4 player tournament, two Rebels and two Imperials and both rebels took 1-2, I took 3rd, and other imperial took 4th. I had a blast, but I need to modify my list somewhat. I had fun playing around with Insidious and engine techs in a game leading up to this tourney… so I crammed it in, which was a mistake I think… my alternatives had a regular GSD2 and an additional TIE fighter, maybe switch Motti for Screed. I think if I’d gone for an extra squadron or two and didn’t try to get cute with Insidious I would have a good shot at winning the first game and maybe the second. Logic being I would have kept both my GSDs closer to my VSD and the extra fighter hopefully would have tied up opposing squdrons for that one or two extra shots.