World's AAR
Leading up to World's I tried out 4 TLTs about 6 weeks before the event. Turned out it was pretty good, but I didn't like the lack of flexibility so we tried a lot of combinations. 2TLTs (sometimes generics, sometimes skilled) and Hounds Tooth, Slaver, Firespray, etc, etc.). But, in the end i decided that 4TLTs was the most forgiving and thus best for a long day.
And I dithered right up to the last minute. In fact on the drive down Alan and I came up with an alternate - two Firsprays and a Palpmobile. We tried it out the night before and it did OK. Luckily, I slept on it and came to my senses and went with the scum 4TLTs.
My goal was three wins. I knew the competition would be tough and I was going as much to learn and have fun.
Match 1 vs Jim
2 x Gold with Ion Turret, BTL and R2
1 x Gold with TLT, ion bomb
1 x Gold with TLT, BTL, R3-A4
Not exactly a mirror match, but very similar. I had not played against, nor used, the BTL title as I felt it too restrictive. However, in this case it did mean his alpha strike was going to be a bit better than mine (especially if it was not at range 3). I knew this was going to be a tough match. A lot of people think that mirror matches are essentially a dice fest. I find the opposite. The only advantage you can gain is by flying. In a match like this dice will help, but I think that flying can make the difference.
Having said that, Jim got the merge he wanted - range 1-2 in the front arc. I'll be honest, he out flew the heck out of me in the first two-three turns. I'm pretty sure he had flown against TLTs a lot - I think it wasn't till turn 3 that I did a move he didn't predict!
So, despite my statement that mirror matches depend on skill. It was my dice in the early game that truly saved me. I think I made almost EVERY evade roll for the first part of the battle. Despite this I lost the first ship before he did. And the second ship before he did. But then, I finally settled in and started flying to the strengths of my fleet.
I knew I had a badly wounded Y he was hunting down, I let him, as that meant I could keep him facing away from the rest of my force.
He went for the kill (which, I think, he had to), but this left his non-turreted ships at a disadvantage and I was able to hunt them down in a turning battle that put his lack of turret at a significant disadvantage.
Win 100-75
Match 2 vs Mathew
Vader with VI, title, advanced targeting computer
Soontir with PTL, stealth, autothrusters
Carnor with PTL, stealth, autothrusters
There are two ways to fight with TLT Thugs - stay to the outside and use your turrets or close in for the range 1 knife fight. Against arc dodgers you will lose if you try the former. I don't think Mathew expected the latter. I closed slowly, then rushed him, causing Carnor to bump. With no actions and range 1-2 shots, Carnor died in the first exchange, and Vader was damaged.
I can't remember much of the rest of the match, but I kept the pressure on by chasing hard with some and keeping the others to the outside for turret shots - often flipping roles to keep the pressure on.
And even with autothrusters, sooner or later the dice will fail you - I think Vader's final roll was 4 focuses (while he sat on an evade token....doesn't that sound familiar!)
Win 100-50
Match 3 vs David
Gold with TLT
Gold with TLT, stressbot
Roark with TLT, Chewie
Blount with ion pulse missile, deadeye
I kind of like what I saw when I sat down. He had better PS, but less health, offence and maneuverability. He gave me initiative, we spread the asteroids out and I set up on the left. He set up centre. I rushed on the first turn and he banked away. I continued to close as he turned away creating a chase.
I must admit, this confused me. Since Blount was running with his fleet, that meant he was only firing at me three times to my four. True, the first round we both only had two ships in range, but I had better ability to go fast due to the unhinged astromech. True, he fired first due to higher PS, but my ships have so much health that is unlikely to matter, and, as it turned out, it didn't. A key move was me flying my fleet past my damaged ship and blocking it so that it was not in range of his ships for the second round of fire. This allowed me to put all my shots on one of his ships while he was forced to spread his fire onto two of mine. Two turns of fire took out Roark. Two more took out the stressbot. I think I lost two ships.
Win 100-50.
Match 4 vs Andreas
Miranda with TLT
Guardian with TLT
Jake Farrell with title, proton rocket, PTL, VI, autothrusters
I had never flown against K-Wings before, and I think this was my downfall this match. I felt Jake was my key early target. It would take a lot of concentrated fire to take him out and that means I needed to have all my ships to accomplish this.
At the merge I feinted like I was chasing his Ks but turned three ships at Jake. Some range two and three shots. All missed. He rushed Jake towards the Ks but I still had two more turns shooting at him. Some with autothrusters, some without. Didn't do a single point of damage.
As he remerged his fleet, I think I made my mistake. Instead of switching targets to the Ks, I stayed focused on Jake. I've posted a question on the main boards about this. I think if I focussed on the Ks earlier this match would have gone my way. I did kill Miranda and Jake (but not before he got his missile off). In the end it came down to time. He had the Guardian with 2 hp left and I had a Y with 1 hp left. He earns a modified win.
Ironically, he slow-played the middle of the game. Very slow. He was up on points then and I did get a little agitated. Sorry. But, had he played at regular speed he would have got the full win.
This was the one game I think I could have done better.
Loss 68-75
Despite this loss I went into the break having met my goal. I resolved to relax. Play my best but the stress is off.
Match 5 vs Bo
Chiraneau with predator, engine upgrade, Vader and Palpatine
Soontir with PTL, autothrusters, stealth
We put a big clump of rocks in the middle and I set up right. He set up left with Soontir on the far left. If I did my regular move I'd have to fly all the way around to get to Chiraneau and I'd have Soontir coming up my rear. Or I'd have to go through rocks. Not optimal. So, I did a hard 2 along the bottom edge. This, I think surprised Bo and gave me much better angles on the merge.
In the first turn of shooting he used Vader and probably regretted it as those two hits added to the eight I did from my TLTs hurt the Decimator. In fact, I think it died next turn. Though I really would have rather gone after Soontir first, Bo offered me Chiraneau and I took him. And I had three Ys left to hunt down Soontir who had lost his Stealth device.
Win 100-50
Match 6 vs Sean
Omicron Group Pilot with Palpatine
Soontir with PTL, stealth, autothrusters
Carnor with PTL, stealth, autothrusters
I had practised against palpmobile builds (a little) and felt I could do this. Again, there are two ways to fight with TLTs and this one needed to be up close. I think I surprised Sean by closing hard on Carnor - however Carnor ended a millimetre short of being blocked, so he had tokens. Despite this, he said he still expected to lose him. I rolled nothing but blanks. And I had TL for rerolls. Did NO damage.
My dice were quite bad this match - Sean even commented on it - but this is a dice game and I knew I stayed in my first match cause I was lucky - so I tried to stay focused. But I was tired, demoralized from the dice and I made some stupid moves. And Sean flew his arc dodgers with precision. Often I had to split my shots on Vader and Jax. It was a beautiful set of flying. I'm alway impressed when someone brings an intensive skill-based fleet to a tournament. It's not easy to stay focused through many matches.
Sean did.
Loss 14-100
Match 7 vs Frank
2 x Rebel Operatives, TLT
2 x Blue
1 x Bandit
By this time everyone is quite exhausted. Heck, I'm getting exhausted just writing up this AAR! In preparation for this, I had created a mental checklist to fall back on:
0. Identify key target.
1. Plan move.
2. Place dial.
3. Check dials.
4. Think next move.
By repeating this mantra each planning phase the hope is I make good play automatic (which is critical when you're exhausted). Step 4 is critical. Don't just think about the best move for this turn, think about the next turn as well. This check list helped me this game. Step 0 would have helped me if I remembered in match 4
Frank's build was interesting and was obviously working as he was 4-2 as well. I had debated HWKs with TLTs but was convinced by my regular opponent that they were too fragile. Was he ever right.
However, I think fatigue was the key issue this match. Frank flew one of his Bs onto a rock at the merge and had the Z out of position. I concentrated on the other B (as the angles probably kept the rocked B out of the fight for another turn as well). 4 TLT shots and I killed the full health B in one round. Then a HWK and it was downhill from there.
Win 100-25 (I think)
Match 8 vs Derek
Han with Lone Wolf, title, C3P0, engine upgrade
Jake Farrell with title, proton rocket, PTL, VI, autothrusters
Crap. Jake again. I hate Jake. I feinted for Han and went after Jake again. Again, I had him isolated with three Ys. First round zilch. Second round killed him!!!!! I had two full strength Ys left against a hurt Hans Solo. And I was chasing so he couldn't boost into my donut hole.
This was probably my second favourite match. Derek and I were both sweating each move and striving for victory. It was a great bookend experience to match up with my first (and most intense) match of the tournament.
I finished 6-2
Far exceeding my expectations, so despite the crappy MoV I was very happy with my performance. My one regret - how I flew against the K-wings. Needed more practice as I think if I had faced them I would have taken them out first.
Thanks to FFG for hosting a great event. Thanks to my Winnipeg group for helping me practice and congrats to Paul Heaver for his three-peat.
