Hi all. Just finished an amazing 3 hour long vassal dogfight and looking for some advice. I started playing last year and mainly run fett88 for the last couple of months.

I've noticed a pattern in my games. My initial setup and target acquisition is good. I do well initially then it goes downhill. When my backs then against the wall I play well again and often pull it out of the bag. I was at a tourney last week where I went 2-3 but the 3 were all decided on last rolls of the dice. All my games are close and I rarely do a 100-0 ( or lose 100-0)

Any tips for that middle period of the match?

Immediately fly your best ship off the board Turn 1. There, your back is always against the wall all game long.

Or I could just go with 1 ship and a massive initiative bid

The problem is the mid match has too many variables to accurately offer advice beyond: focus fire as best you can and try to avoid getting blown up. How strong was the first pass? How many ships are there left? How maneuverable are those ships? Are they better in range 1 or range 3? How do asteroid prevent maneuvers? Everyone can plan the first 1-3 moves based on how they set up and their desires approach. What happens between there and “1 ship left survival mode” is what makes the good pilots good.

Sorry, not much of a help is it...

I think a lot of the mid game comes down to determining what is best for your opponent. 'They need to do a 2 bank to miss that rock, so I should do X so that I can capitalize on that.'

The biggest opportunity for growth in players, in my opinion, is going from 'what do I need to do to win' to 'what does my opponent need to do to win and how can I stop that from happening'.

And I would add to Mello13's statement by saying that the best players are thinking two or even three moves ahead, and considering all options.

The alpha strike can be a critical game changer. Each list that you fly will have a different set of goals for the alpha strike based on the squad you are facing. AND the best place on play area for that alpha strike to occur can be different for you based both on what you AND your opponent are flying.

Prematch planning is vital to ensure a great chance at a successful match. Most of the time when I lose, I can point to what I did wrong before the first ship was moved OR how badly I reacted to where my opponent place and moved towards first.

I just think of where I want to be two turns later. And in the beginning, i'm not so much setting up for that first attack, I'm setting up for where I want to be in round 2 of firing. Or in some cases round 3. I like when one guy lingers on the sidelines, waiting to pounce. Most people tend to see incoming ships, and get tangled up with them. Then they're thinking of how to fight those first ships, and they forget that another one is coming in for them.

All very good points, and I think that planning multiple rounds ahead is a hallmark of a great X-wing player, but it's tough to get the hang of. Fortunately, it comes with practice, so keep it in mind each game you play.

Another HUGE part of this game is managing risk. "If I move here, I can probably destroy his ship." OK, that may be true, but if you blank your attack roll have you just placed your ship in jeopardy? After the opening rounds go well we have a tendency to think the dice will stay in our favor, but they very well might quit on you. Put yourself in a position where salvaging the game from bad dice will be easier. Set yourself up to not only attack a ship, but to pursue it if it managed to survive. Don't K-turn to shoot an opposing ship if it has a high chance of TL + focus against your unmodified dice. Thinking more conservatively may help your mid game.

Then again, the fact that you pull out a win may indicate you're doing just fine. Only you can answer that one.

It's like chess. Think ahead and predict. A good chess player can think a good 4-6 turns ahead. I'd say a good xwing player should think 2-3.