So with my Imperial Veterans freshly ripped open, I decided I would throw together a list comprising all defenders and try my luck at a local store event.
I have tried flying three Defenders in the past( Deltas with Ions) I love these guys but they just we're not as terrifying as they should be. Fast forward two years add a flashy red paint job( red ones go faster) and some snazzy titles and we may have something special.
There are ton of different options to be had here but I was limited to what cards I had( only one Juke) and I was pushed for time.
So I decided on the following
Col. Vessery
Tractor Beam
Adaptability
Tie D
Glaive Squadron
X7
Glaive Squadron
X7
100. Points
So with my heart full of optimism and dreams of glory I headed off to crush all before me. It was a small event, only 12 players but I will highlight my three battles as best as I can remember.
Game One:
Nick. 7 tie crack swarm
This was not the usual crackswarm it was Howlrunner, 3 blackcracks and 3 Academy's, Nick clustered his Ties on his left and I started all my Defenders on my right, my initial plan was to zoom two Defenders up the side and try and engage the swarm from behind while they tried to concentrate on one Glaive. Turn 2 and my plan went out of the window, with a sudden whoop of bloodlust I 3 turned all the Tri-wing terrors into the teeth of the swarm.
What follows could only be described as a Cluster F**k fur ball of epic proportions, Red defenders slamming into ties, Vessery ramming into Cracks( that's what she said) and Howlrunner deciding that they didn't need her special ability and she would just hang about at the edges of the map. After some god awful positioning from both of us and some epic green dice rolling after 50 minutes nothing was dead, at one point I had Howlrunner with no tokens at range 1 of Vessery and a Glaive..........no damage.
I killed my first Tie at 60 mins and then went on to nail two others before time, I had lost no ships so I had won my first game.
To be fair to Nick he was only just starting to practice with his swarm so I believe I got away with a lot more then I should have.
What had impressed me was the durability of the Glaives, with X7 even when crashing headlong into nearly everything else on the board they kept on picking up those Evades, backed up by 3 agility, those 2 dice attacks just didn't have the punch.
Game 2:
Lewis: Palp Aces
Buoyed by my early victory I was flush with optimism and renewed joy for my lovely Trip Ds, ah crap Palp Aces.......
Lewis was running Palpatine on shuttle with baffle, Vader with ATC Predator and EU and the Inquisitor with the usual load-out.
The shuttle went down first and I place all my Ds opposite him, Vader and the Inquisitor went off to his left, they would try and pincer me while I went for the shuttle, well that's okay cos my plan was to Joust that white mother of the face of the board.
First thing the shuttle did was a hard left 2 and then baffle to swallow the stress, looks like Palp was hitching up the black skirts and running like a big girl Sith. It was pedal to the metal time and all my Ds dialled in 5 straights, the two Aces headed towards my flank.
Turn 2 and old Palps went 3 forwards, I gunned after him but the Aces had shots this time on Vessery, I wasn't worried 3 agility with a focus and 6 health, what could go wrong?
What the hell Col, why are you on one hull, that was some pretty bad rolling son.
At this point I decided to 4 K all the Ds, I turned to face the aces, the Glaives picked up the usual tokens and I prepared to lose Vessery, what happened next can only be described as the complete opposite to my previous round and a one Hull ship survived against the inquisitor and two Dark lords. Now it was time for the Ds to unleash fury..............but first a small interlude.......
Several weeks ago I attended the Yavin Open and I decided I would take Rex and 5 Academy's( I know, I know) I had tractor beam on Rex but no D title, all the accepted wisdom said this was pointless but no in my head I had all these crazy shenanigans I would pull off and cackle like a tactical maniacal genius.
Well in reality I fired the **** thing twice in 6 games and those two times it did exactly nothing, the crazy shenanigans did not happen, I did not get to cackle or hold my pinkie finger to the corner of my mouth until today......
So Vader had arc dodged out of a Glaive arc but Vess still had a shot" initiate Tractor Beam" Dr Evil shrilled in my mind. The beam hit knocked down his agilty, he was barrel rolled into the path of a Glaive and was blown away by Vess and the Red menace.... Oh joy unbound, shenanigans completed, tractor beam I love thee, then Vessey died in a horrible Palp blessed fireball.
So I was down to two Glaives vs the Inquisitor and Palp, what follows can only be described as a master class in flying the Tie Advanced Prototype X1, my only chance was when I tried a surprise hard 1 (ooh matron) to try and block him but he scraped by with mm to spare, his wings scoring lines in my sexy red bodywork. That was my last chance and stressed defenders do not turn so well( ie not at all)
I had one chance at the end of the game, I had the shuttle at range one, it was on three health and my target-locked and focused defender could only manage two damage, cue third Palp blessed fireball and that was all she wrote.
Great game and once again the Glaives sticking power had been amazing. These guys were starting to grow on me like a lovely scarlet fungus, like that one I had when went swimming in the canal but that's another story.
Game 3
Lethal Rebel and fat Han: Garry
Wow Han Solo, the inter web had told me he was extinct but no here he was, loaded up to all his levels of old obesity but even his carriage was dwarfed by the Gigantor that was the Lothal rebel. Two ships loaded with crew and upgrades vs my sleek ripped predators.
I lined up all three Ds and jousted straight at the Lothal, it was pretty hideous, I ignored Han and the Evades kept me healthy and Vesserys ability plus the Glaives primary soon started to wear down the big ship. After a few turns it was down to three health, this is where the Tie D title kicked in again, on turn 4 I was able to tractor beam Han( just the Agilty reduction) and fire my primary at the Lothal killing it off, the two Glaives then had shots at Hans reduced agilty.
It was now three Ds against Han and when I scored two criticals and they were both Direct Damage I knew the dice gods were with me, I finished off Han and had not lost a ship.
After the game Garry described it like a pack of piranhas ripping his ship to shreds, a very apt description and I think his list played right into my strengths.
So at the end of the day I had finished second and I was more then satisfied with the ships performance, lots of people seeing them for the first time we're taken aback by their durability and killing power, they are super Jousters and if you try to take them on at this game, you will lose.
They still suffer from the old Defender weakness so do not think you can outfly aces but I only scratched the surface of what can be created with this expansion, what about PTL countess, Glaives with Juke Twin ion engine and the Inquisitor, new options for Brath, Ion cannons with the D title, Marek Steele in a defender, a defender with Palp..... I can't wait to try out all these new options.
Take it from me, a long time( suffering mostly) Defender fan the future is bright the future is red.
"Initiate the TRACTOR BEAM"
