Until last night I'd never actually played the mission "Minefields", so I included it for a laugh and my opponent decided to pick it as I was second player.

I placed the tokens roughly in the middle of my opponents half of the board all within mainly distance 5 of the center. The idea was to limit his deployment options and hopefully force him to take some damage.

Once he deployed his first ship though (to one side of the minefield) I realised that I'd actually hurt myself more than him as I'd cut off a lot of my own maneuvering space.

So I'd be curious to know how people set up their minefields? Do you have a set pattern - maybe close off one side of the board, concentrate them in one place or spread them about?

I don't really include it in any of my lists, but have run into opponents using it. And most of the time a similar situation to what you mention happens; they end up not really bothering me but my opponent either has to swerve to avoid them or flies right into them (in a recent game an opponent managed to land an MC80 within range 1 of two of his mines in the same turn).

The main trap I've seen people fall into is putting them into their opponents deployment area. Their opponent then just deploys to one side or the other and isn't bothered the rest of the game as they've gone past them. If you're wanting to get use out of them they're better off used to cut of segments of the board mid/late game and can even be used near your deployment zone to discourage your opponent from trying to fly round into your rear arc.

With something like a Rebel Ackbar Broadsides list you could maybe consider putting the mines into position to stop them from jumping into your front arc, use them as a wall between you and your opponent and use all those red dice across them?

Squad lists (Rhymer Balls) you can use the minefields to give you somewhere to hide your squads where they'll be safer from things like Raiders running in to blast the whole lot.

Once the Interdictor comes out then minefields should see a lot more use too. The ability to further mess with your opponents deployment, or to slow them down when they try to jump the minefield, will make them more practical.

One of the players at our regionals swore by using different mine setups based upon the opponents list. Did not play him, but he wound up winning or at least in the top 4 playing only minefields all 3 games. Rebel Rieken list.

I however, use them to shrink the play area, putting all the obstacles & mines on the flanks.

I however, use them to shrink the play area, putting all the obstacles & mines on the flanks.

I wonder if the mission might suit a more "in your face" Imperial fleet then? Something that comes right at you - either you face off against or dodge to the side and into the minefield?

I love minefields, personally, because I find a ton of value just in the ability to use obstacles. I include it in a fair amount of my lists and have gotten relatively good at thinking about my opponents and where they want to fly, and placing them in really inconvenient spots. I think a lot of people ignore minefields because it is a "neutral" objective. It can hurt you just as much as it can help, and provides no point bonus' or other advantage. However, I think it is a huge help that not only do you get to place the mines, but all the obstacles as well. Playing minefields is great practice for how to use these obstacles to your advantage, even when you are playing another objective, and thus it is a great objective for a generic practice game. The more times you can force tough lose lose navigational choices where they takes damage no matter where they go the better. I think this is why I like minefields so much, because I know that at the end of the day I can generally gain a significant deployment advantage from it.

Just an example, below we aren't playing minefields, but by placing obstacles in an way that created a sort of "double wall" with myself placing 3 obstacles at distance 2 of each other running diagonally across the middle of my opponents side of the area, I managed to make my opponent chose between running the gauntlet or having to take a long roundabout path to reach my fleet while my sizable squadron force picked him apart. In this case, my opponent kind of helped me out by placing his obstacles generally where I wanted, but it just shows how limiting they can be (both in reality and psychologically). My opponent chose to run the gauntlet, and I managed to funnel my opponents entire fleet right into the two ackbar-fueled-gunnery-teamed broadsides of my AFII's while they were only exposed to the front arcs of the mc30's, and my cr's sniped from red range protected by the obstacles.

Ive had some absolutely hilarious minefields games. They can be devastating.

But I think at present Minefields is less favoured in lists because if you place the mines too effectively then in a tourney your opponent may just cut to speed zero and go for 5-5 - which basically wrecks both your chances. Ive never seen this happen personally though.

I use them in my ISD and VSD based lists to basically completely foul one half of the board. The idea being this forces the enemy to attack you head on. But this implies Imps vs Rebels. Imps vs Imps they are likely to be just as happy with a frontal assault.

I play high activation rebels. So two options

Place obstacles to cover the middle, with mines in clusters at distance 2-4 away from their deployment area. This forces them to either split forces or extreme manouvering early game. Helps to give me opportunity to overload part of their fleet whilst the rest plays catch up.

Alternatively, densely pack one side of the table to force broadsiding assault frigates out to play.

Or against squads, hide the obstacles mess in the flanks as it will help them more.

I was waiting to get the Interdictors out to play with it more. I think a pair of Interdictors can cause people to have to make the choice to either Deploy in Mines, or at speed 0

I play them. They are fun. Normal game most people will skirt them and or just plan to roll over them with no problem.

Minefields are good for big ships squaring off against little ships. I love it on an Imperial gunline fleet. The mines can close off flanks, and funnel the enemy into a frontal attack. Meanwhile, the mines are disproportionately nasty for small ships with few hull points, as they deal damage cards directly, and less bad for big ships who can soak those cards up.

Yes big ships can also repair the damage easier. If you take 2 hull damage from a mine on turn one you can repair the lot with 2 repair commands (bank token turn one and repair turn two. With wave 3 the repair crews on a flotilla can also help big or even medium ships ramming a mine to clear a path for the rest of your fleet.

As an Imperial player I prefer a big blob of obstacles and mines deployed in the middle of the board around 12 - 18" across. I deploy near a corner facing slightly towards the blob. You can then see which way round the enemy decides to go. They either travelling clockwise towards you or anticlockwise going the longer way around the mines. The first is ok as they come for a frontal attack. The latter you have plenty of time to plot Nav commands turn 1-3 and line up to meet him on the other side as he rounds the corner. Also a Rhymer ball can take a pot shot or two from within the minefields.