So one of our local Sullust winners returned to our weekly games today, so I finally got to face off against Ackbar in an MC80.
I'm going to admit right off, I usually play Imperial, but I had resolved to try out a Rebel list, with every Rebel ship that had ever been a pain to play aginst. I didn't even bring my Imperial collection as I feared I would loose my nerve and resort to a familiar list.
I walk into the FLGS back room, and there sitting on one side of the table is the exact type of list my 3 VSD carrier list was designed to hunt. Ackbar in an MC80 Assult Home One with Enhanced Armamen, 2 AFMKII Bs (one with Gunnery Teams), a lone CR90 Jaina's Light & 2 A-wings (one turned out to be Tycho.) I cursed myself a few times, but settled in to watch the first match. His opponent was playing a list very similar to the one I had brought. Mothma in a AFMKII A Paragon, an MC30 Torp Foresight, loaded, a NedB Salvation a CR90 Dodonna's Pride & and about 7 squadrons of mixed X & Y-wings.
Mothma was 1st player, the objective, Fleet Ambush.
Some mistakes were made on both sides, but the match ended with the Ackbar winning by a 42 pt MoV.
We like to keep the games friendly, so after the match we chatted about what either side could have done better and what worked as we set up for the next game.
Besides, its more fun to loose a close one to a well flown fleet than to win aginst a poorly flown one.
Now it was my turn, and loosing the coin toss I was put in the position of first player. With a choice between Advanced Gunnery, Fleet Ambush and Dangerous Territory, I also selected Fleet Ambush.
I ran Mothma on an MC30 Foresight with Lando, ECMs, EA, ACMs; AFMKII A Paragon; NebB Salvation; CR90 B Dodonna's Pride; 3 A-wings & 3 Y-wings.
I set up both the MC30 & CR90 in the ambush zone facing right, with my AFMKII and NebB poised to zipper into my little gun line in the 2nd and 4th positions my squadrons were all clustered in the center of the ambush zone. My opponent responded by settings up a gun-line going the same way along his zone. CR90 up front, AFMKII, MC80, AKMKII, with his squadrons abreast of Home One.
His ships moved in a beautiful, spread out line that would eventually. J around to my side of the map. My MC30 & CR90 raced ahead to beat the gunline to the turn and "hide" in the front arcs where Ackbar has no power. As each of his ships made the turn they were met by a LOT of dice, that just would not go down. My AFMKII dove in to the center, flinging squadrons as he came, causing the leading ships to turn earlier than he would have wanted opening the lane for the CR90 & MC30. My NebB took a hard looping left and dove in to hound his tail ship all game, and nearly caused a collision as he was trying to get any other arc to bare.
His CR90 died on turn 2, my AFMKII died in turn 4, & his MC80 died on turn 5. He called it afte f that, though it was likely his tail AFMKII was going down on turn 6.
While I am proud to say I flew the hell out of the MC30, it was a hairy plan that required both skill & luck. The combo of upgrades on the MC30 and some tight flying resulted in Mothma's flagship surviving wit 0 damage & all defense tokens in tact. So basicly I had a little margin for error.
Lambaste my foolishness or applauded my innovation at will.