Saturday 1st August I got the Starter Set.

Today, 5th August I got round to getting ready for action. Including choosing the ships:

24 points

Rookie Pilot (appropriate) with R2-F2

VS

Two Academy Pilots

My first game should be Friday 7th August. Nothing special. Just a straight up fight to the death. After a couple of warm up games I'll play each mission. Until I buy a gaming mat, my games will be played on either a desk or rug so I might just type up a battle report.

Whether I type up, photograph or video my games, I'll do so on this topic thread.

Can't wait to get going!

Test Flight #1

Got a bit spare time for a quick practice. Nothing too grand, just one turn and a second activation round. This is how it went:

The two Ties and X-Wing deployed facing each other across an empty board (aka rug). Both Ties move 4 forward while the X-Wing curved 3 right. Both Ties focused while the X-Wing target locked the Tie who was just in his fire arc.... I flew the X-Wing almost directly into the Tie flight path.

X-Wing shot at the Tie at his 11oclock, using the target lock to reroll a blank. Unfortunately the Tie had rolled an evade and used the focus for another. No hits.

Returning fire, the Tie achieved a hit that knocked out one shield. His buddy failed miserably, despite having a focus token.

Second activation saw the successful Tie move forward 2 while the other turned steadily 2 towards the X-Wing. Silly me had the X-Wing turn steadily 3 towards the first Tie which would have ended up contacting had I not had to finish up.

Verdict: "I can't wait to play a proper game. Definitely easy to learn, hard to master. Best part is, all the ships fired but nobody got hurt turn 1."

Notes to self:

1. Learn to fly dummy! Though there are rules for accidental headbutts.

2. X-Wing had R2-F2 who would have given 1 agility. Much better than a target lock when two enemies can shoot at you.

3. Check rules on shooting, as all the ships were Range 3 and I'm sure that modifies things.

Not bad for a one turn practice session. Even with a couple of obvious mistakes on my part.

Yep, defender gets 1 additional dice if attacker is Range 3.

Test Flight #2

Six Turns and an hour of fun!

DEPLOYMENT

Both Ties deployed on the top left of the board (aka rug) facing diagonally in.

X-Wing faced forward from the bottom center of the board.

TURN 1

Tie 1, closest to the left side of the board, banked 3 to face forward.

Tie 2 moved forward 3

X-Wing moved forward 3

Everyone was out of range so the turn ended.

TURN 2

Tie 1 banked 3 into the board.

Tie 2 banked three into the board.

X-Wing banked 3 and ended facing Tie 1 just over Range 2 distance.

Tie 1 opted for Evade

Tie 2 chose Focus

X-Wing used R2-F2

X-Wing missed with all three shots at Tie 1 who didn't use Evade

Tie 1 was no better

Tie 2 rolled two critical hits, without using Focus, and X-Wing rolled blanks and lost both shields.

TURN 3

Tie 1 did a koiogran turn 3

Tie 2 did a sensible 3 turn

X-Wing banked three towards where the Ties had been.

Tie 2 had its back to the X-Wing and Tie 1 was stressed

With Tie 1 behind him, X-Wing opted for Evade.

X-Wing rolled two blanks and Tie scored a damage hit.

(forgot about Evade, but also forgot Tie was Range 1 so felt it was fair)

TURN 4

Tie 1 did a forward 2, a green manoeuvre to remove stress.

Tie 2 did a 3 koiogran turn.

X-Wing did a 4 koiogran turn.

Tie 2 passed as was too far away from the X-Wing the turn.

Tie 1 chose evade.

X-Wing was stressed.

X-Wing fired at Tie 1 who evaded both hits.

Return fire missed.

TURN 5

Tie 1 banked 2

Tie 2 went forward 2 to remove stress

X-Wing banked 1 to remove stress and ended facing Tie 2

Tie 1 passed as he was 3:15 to the X-Wing.

Tie 2 chose Focus

X-Wing opted for Target Lock on Tie 2

X-Wing rolled 3 focus so re-rolled and got 2 focus and a blank....sigh

Tie 2 rolled blank and focus, changing focus to damage but X-Wing rolled double evade.

TURN 6

Both Tie did a 4 koiogran turn.

X-Wing did a 4 forward that got him away from Tie 1 range but facing Tie 2.

Tie 2 Focused

X-Wing put faith in R2-F2

X-Wing missed Tie 2 without it using Focus

Tie didn't use Focus

Tie 2 rolled two damage

X-Wing rolled 2 focus and blank

BOOM!

Coincidentally

I turned over the face down damage card and it said to add two additional damage to the ship. So only one critical would have given the same result.

sounds like you're enjoying the game good man! all i'm going to say is play as often as you can-enjoy them all, the wins and the losses, and fly casual... you will blank out shooting at a range 1 opponent, and you will be one-shotted by opponents too, it happens to us all... doesn't stop the game being great mind...

Couldn't agree more!

That was a lifetime of awesome in one hour! I've never had so much fun!

My only regret is the years I wasted on Games Workshop when this... THIS....is the best game.

Made hand-break-turn tire-screeching noises with the koiogran turns for some reason. Next time I play I'm going to YouTube, find the Top Gun tune....

"Highway to the danger zone, gonna take a ride into the danger zone..."

Turn up the volume

And next time the Empire are going down.

Reinforcements inbound!

With problems getting RPG books, I put my savings into a YT-2400 and two Ties. Planning a Tie swarm so can always pick up a second starter later.

"Girls like swarms of things, right?"

My wife likes having lots of TIE fighters supported by an ace Interceptor. She's not bad with them and will easily win if I'm making mistakes or using a subpar list.

YT2400 is plenty flashy for the Rebels. Not fond of the ship, but I want the toys so eventually I'll have one. Trying to sell some of my old Battletech minis to support the new game.

Highly recommend that second starter set. Dice and ships are worth the cost alone.

Keep at it. Loads of fun and simple enough to teach.

I've read a lot of posts by new gamers asking what to get next and the answer is always the same: "second starter set and at least one Tie Fighter and X-Wing expansion. I'm hoping to get others into the game and a second starter will help. Giving someone a rulebook, range marker and tokens of their own while gaming should keep them happy until they have their own.

X-Wing forum dating tip: "if you want to impress a girl, show her a Tie Swarm" There is someone special I have asked out and got the "lets stay friends" response, She's beautiful, both inside and out, and I hope she'll change her mind. Perhaps X-Wing is the answer?

Yeah, the YT-2400 was a heart not head purchase. I really like the Rebel large ships, and can't wait for Ghost to be released, but the present favourite large ship is the YT-2400. As you get to know me, you'll learn that I choose what I like and learn how to make it work; rather than choose what works and learn how to like it.

Will play a couple more games with the X-Wing, then I'll start testing out the Outrider.

Oh by the way, Tie 2 is being promoted to Obsidian Squadron for his excellent performance in Test Flight #2.

Meanwhile the X-Wing pilots have sacked their R2-F2's. My thought is adding R2-D2 to recover shields, but I've got 4 points to play with and the Marksmanship, Determination and Proton Torpedoes upgrades available. Might try each one in turn and find out what works best for me.

I've an opportunity to play a game today.

Rookie Pilot with R2-D2

VS

Academy Pilot

and

Black Squadron Pilot (who I mistakenly said was Obsidian)

Will post the battle report soon, as I'll be playing after a brief look through the forum.

Test Flight #3

Deployment was, as before, on the rug which seems to be a good sized board for these little dogfights. Black was at top left, Academy was top right, and Rookie deployed at the bottom right with Academy at his one o'clock.

TURN ONE

Academy moved 5 forward.

Rookie moved 4 forward.

Black banked 3 into the board (aka rug)

Everyone was out of range so nothing else happened.

TURN TWO

Academy banked 3 towards Rookie

Rookie banked 3 towards Black

Black moved forward 4

Black Focused, scoring two hits on Rookie who evaded one and lost a shield.

Rookie Target Locked Black and scored two hits which were evaded.

Academy rolls a hit but is evaded.

TURN THREE

Academy banks 3 to get behind Rookie

Rookie banks 1 and, thanks to R2-D2, recovers a shield but is at Academy 1o'clock at Range 1

Black misjudged a koiogran turn 4 and stops short of ramming Academy.

Black is stressed and Rookie is just outside his fire arc.

Rookie chooses to Focus on defense as he's in front of the Ties.

Academy uses Focus, which helps score three hits and Rookie evades two and loses a shield.

TURN FOUR

Academy banks 3

Rookie does a 4 koiogran turn

Black does 3 forward to lose stress

Rookie is just out of Black's fire arc but Black uses Focus which helps evade two hits from Rookie. Academy is facing away from Rookie.

TURN FIVE

Academy did 1 turn towards Rookie, but Rookie is outside his fire arc

Rookie did 2 forward to remove stress and recover shield

Black did a 3 koiogran turn

Though stressed, Black rolls two hits on Rookie who rolls blanks and loses both shields, despite being Focused.

TURN SIX

Academy did a 4 koiogran turn

Rookie banked 1 to recover a shield

Black moved forward 2 to remove stress

Despite having a Focus, Black missed and Rookie, who had his back to them, evaded the two hits that Academy, who was at Range 3, rolled.

TURN SEVEN

Academy banked 2 to lose stress

Rookie banked 1 to gain a shield

Black moved forward 4

All ships Focused

Rookie didn't have a fire arc on the Ties

At Range 1, Black rolled two hits and Rookie used Focus to evade one, losing a shield. Academy then rolled two hits and Rookie rolled blanks. Last shield was knocked down and a facedown damage card was added.

TURN EIGHT

Academy banked 3 towards Rookie

Rookie did a 4 koiogran turn

Black turned 1 towards Rookie

Just to help picture it: Rookie was at Black's 12:30 who was at Academy 10:00. Rookie was at Range 2 of Black.

Black chose Evade, while Academy didn't have a fire arc to Rookie and guessed, correctly, that Black would be Rookie's target. Black rolled a critical hit on Rookie. Only sound that followed was the sound of two dice being shaken then rolled. One was a blank....

....the other roll was....

....evade!

Rookie rolled two criticals AND a damage hit against Black. Black had to use his Evade token to evade two hits. But which two?

Frantic shuffling through the rulebook and I read that criticals are removed last.

Damage card was drawn. Turned over.....

"This card counts as 2 damage against your hull...."

BEST TURN OF THE GAME!!!

TURN NINE

Academy banked 2

Rookie moved forward 1 to recover a shield and remove stress.

Both ships ended up face-to-face at Range 1 with Academy at Rookie's 11 o'clock.

Black was clearly a coward as he flew out of the gaming area.

Yeah you can dish it out but you can't take it! Demotion in his future. Or a meeting with Darth Vader.

Anyway

Both Rookie and Academy Focused

Rookie scored 3 hits

Academy evaded 2 and got a damage card

Academy scored 2 hits

Rookie failed to evade so lost shield and suffered another damage card

THE GAME SHOULD HAVE ENDED. NOT MUCH TIME LEFT. BUT YOU CAN'T END LIKE THAT!

KOIOGRAN SHOWDOWN

Both ships performed a koiogran turn, Rookie moving 4 and Academy moving 3.

Both rolled hits and both rolled evades.

FACE-TO-FACE

Hang the rules! Both ships would have flown past each other, or headbutted, but this was extra time, for fun, so they were placed mere millimeters apart.

Rookie hit twice and was evaded twice.

Academy hit once and was evaded once.

Sorry folks the game had to stop there. But today will be a day long remembered.

Turn 8 was awesome!

Couple of lessons learnt:

R2-D2 Hero of the Rebellion!

Looking back over the game, the X-Wing would have been destroyed by Turn 7. Rookie took a lot of hits.

Fortune favours the bold!

You likely noticed I played cautiously with the X-Wing, ensuing I could recover shields when they get knocked down. But Turn 8 I threw caution to the wind and added stress to a shieldless ship. The damage caused to the Tie fighters that followed was impressive; or at least it impressed me.

Maintain Focus!

In both this, and the previous game, FOCUS actions were the most beneficial. Of course, a Tie with Evade is hard to hit, and doesn't rely on a dice roll, but Focus can be used in offence or defence and an otherwise terrible roll can become devastating.

Just three things I felt were worthy of note.

Time to stop dogfighting.

Time to start missions.

I've got a Monday Morning free, perhaps even into the afternoon, and I intend to use it. To complete my Rookie Training, I'll play each mission in turn and then finish my posting here.

After playing the missions, it will be time to get into the narrative side of my gaming.

Didn't play today.

Was busy making plans: http://swaftep6.blogspot.com/2015/08/progressing-and-refining.html