With all the list building panic U-Boats have stirred up on the forum I thought it would be time to remind those that have forgotten that this game has more facettes than just lists:

Asteroids are important. They are a major weakness of U-Boats. Any list that fears them should pack the three largest ones for now. When it comes to deployment be aware that U-Boats want to start on the right side if they use Overclocked R4s but don't mind starting left to have good white Sengors otherwise. That means your goals with asteroid placement should be clear: Clog up the aproach area on the right side and if they use regular R4 Agromechs also try to use one of your asteroids to block the likely sengors areas.

This helps you splitting them up so you can burn down at least one without getting pounded by the others.

I know to a lot of people here this should be pretty obvious stuff, but I haven't seen much discussion on it and in my personal enviroment asteroid placement too often is considered an afterthought and often done at random (which often gives me a huge advantage).

OK.

Than I, as the u-boat player, set up my u-boats on the other side of the map, do a 3 bank into the clear area you've left behind, and laugh.

The fact that they want to set up in a position to turn left after they draw stress, absolutely doesn't mean they have to, and if you block up that lane they'd be dumb not to set up in the clear space you leave behind.

Consider it more soft rules, the U-Boats rocks also have to go somewhere, use them as well. It should also be obvious that asteroids alone will never win a game, only shape it.

You probably want to elaborate a bit on the whole right side vs right side.

3/10 would read again.

No seriously, this needs to be more fleshed out.

Ok, so you make me deploy my U boats on the left side, thinking you're making me turn right. I just deploy facing sideways, so I can turn left anyway...

I've generally been putting rocks in the middle against U-boats. Wherever they deploy, I can put my ships in a place where asteroids are between them and me.

3/10 would read again.

No seriously, this needs to be more fleshed out.

Yeah this wasn't really supposed to be a "strategy article", I don't have the experience, credibility and time to write one of those, more a "why aren't we talking about this when it is so obviously important and the key to having a chance in this matchup with non-counter lists". I hate when we say "oh and you need good asteroid placement", when it really is unlclear what good placement means actually.

I always, without fail, put asteroid on my end of the board. I do this because I'm not afraid of asteroids and can often guess how my ship of choice will move as to not hit them. It also is my favour because any ship coming on an attack run towards me will be flying into asteroids, while I can K-turn with style and easy in the large empty space on their side of the board.

To compound this, I usually lure my opponent by setting up then hard turning away. You have to be careful because with 4 forward, the U-boat can get you in arc pretty quickly, and you shouldn't play this game unless it's a fast ship, a 360 turret or has boost. The good thing is, if the Uboat got excited and went 4 forward at you, and you manage to slip out of it's grasp, that means that it is not probably only 2 movement spaces from the asteroid field which it now needs to deal with. (or be hurting)

If your opponent is afraid of asteroids. (Example: They set up far from them, put them all on your side happily, brought the smallest roids or debris) Then take advantage of that and weave into the asteroid for cover. Your opponent will most likely regret ever second they turn towards the rocks and it will make them choose strange maneuvers in order to eventually avoid a solid collision with the field. This is a rare occasion, but I have faces a few opponent plain afraid of asteroids.

That's how I deal with a U shaped boat, hopefully you can use it too?

While I do dearly love PSA threads and how informative they can be to us all I can think of is click bait threads and how "U-BOATS HATE THIS GUY, CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHY" or "THIS GUY KILLS TEN U-BOAT LISTS A DAY, LEARN HIS SECRET HERE".

I think this is smart. My early game, including deployment, is still developing--but I've noticed that even small improvements in how I think about and play through deployment and the first two game rounds has paid huge dividends in my tournament games.

And I do think a lot of people who are worried about triple JumpMaster lists are neglecting the fact that you can very easily run a list where you force your opponent to deploy all three of his or her ships before you've deployed any of yours. From a certain point of view, that means triple JumpMasters surrender a huge advantage before the game even starts.

Asteroids are an obvious part of that, but maybe Admiral Deathrain is right and people aren't considering that. If you can successfully confine the Jumpmasters to a lane 5 bases wide on one side of the map or the other, and/or pull them into the asteroid field before they've had a chance to start firing ordnance, it's very likely that at least one of them will be out of range or miss the action phase on that critical opening round.

Personally, I prefer to run my obstacles the same way Biophysical and CheapCreep do: preferentially they go in the third of the board closest to me, because that means the first round of engagement happens as I'm leaving the field (so I don't have to worry about dodging arcs and rocks) and my opponent has to start maneuvering around them on the second or third round.

The only exception is that I'll often put a single, small asteroid at Range 3 from my opponent's edge and range 3 from the nearest neutral edge. That creates a huge clear space for me to maneuver in with a Large ship (because my opponent can't legally place an obstacle closer to the corner) when I'm trying to get around the corner, and especially with a shuttle or YV, that kind of prior planning can really pay off.

I think this is smart. My early game, including deployment, is still developing--but I've noticed that even small improvements in how I think about and play through deployment and the first two game rounds has paid huge dividends in my tournament games.

And I do think a lot of people who are worried about triple JumpMaster lists are neglecting the fact that you can very easily run a list where you force your opponent to deploy all three of his or her ships before you've deployed any of yours. From a certain point of view, that means triple JumpMasters surrender a huge advantage before the game even starts.

Asteroids are an obvious part of that, but maybe Admiral Deathrain is right and people aren't considering that. If you can successfully confine the Jumpmasters to a lane 5 bases wide on one side of the map or the other, and/or pull them into the asteroid field before they've had a chance to start firing ordnance, it's very likely that at least one of them will be out of range or miss the action phase on that critical opening round.

Personally, I prefer to run my obstacles the same way Biophysical and CheapCreep do: preferentially they go in the third of the board closest to me, because that means the first round of engagement happens as I'm leaving the field (so I don't have to worry about dodging arcs and rocks) and my opponent has to start maneuvering around them on the second or third round.

The only exception is that I'll often put a single, small asteroid at Range 3 from my opponent's edge and range 3 from the nearest neutral edge. That creates a huge clear space for me to maneuver in with a Large ship (because my opponent can't legally place an obstacle closer to the corner) when I'm trying to get around the corner, and especially with a shuttle or YV, that kind of prior planning can really pay off.

Great idea. Thanks for posting that.

The only exception is that I'll often put a single, small asteroid at Range 3 from my opponent's edge and range 3 from the nearest neutral edge. That creates a huge clear space for me to maneuver in with a Large ship (because my opponent can't legally place an obstacle closer to the corner) when I'm trying to get around the corner, and especially with a shuttle or YV, that kind of prior planning can really pay off.

Great idea. Thanks for posting that.

I can't take credit. I picked it up from someone here... um, a couple of years ago, probably. I'm happy to pass it along, though!

U-Boat Players HATE when opponents do this one trick!!! Click to see

STAY AT HOME DAD GETS PAID 1200 WEEK TO BEAT U-BOAT LISTS; CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HIS SECRET!!!!

The anti U-boat terror is pretty funny. Makes me want to find some old WWI posters or something.

nonsense

this is forum-wing, where actions are guaranteed, arcs are always on you, max damage is consistently rolled and large bases have zero issues sharing limited table-space whatsoever

sarcasm font

No, we need MORE panic threads about a list that hasn't won anything... except our hearts.

No, we need MORE panic threads about a list that hasn't won anything... except our hearts.

i dont want to make more threads.

No, we need MORE panic threads about a list that hasn't won anything... except our hearts.

Actually, U-boats won more than one SC this past weekend. They also came in the Top 4 in a few more.