>Takes kooky list.

>Finishes 4-2, missing the cut by 14 MoV (when you count the drops).

I'd say I did alright.

Soontir with PTL, Autothrusters, Title, Targeting Computer.

Tomax Bren with Crack Shot, Proton Torps, Extra Munitions, Guidance Chips.

Major Rhymer with VI, Homing Missiles, Extra Munitions, Guidance Chips.

4-2 and 14 MoV off you say? I'll raise you 4-1 and 13 MoV off

But back on topic, I'm firmly of the opinion that to do well in a large X-wing event you need a list that has game against most lists (even if it's a tough matchup), that you can fly to its utmost potential, and a dash of luck in game and in your pairings. I was lucky enough to play against multiple distinctly different lists throughout the day, none of which included jumps. I saw a lot of Dash/Ghost doing well and I know a number of players had to seriously consider that matchup in their meta-read. Overall my impression was that it was a really friendly weekend and no one seemed to be complaining too hard about any particular list on the day.

If you can't beat them join theme. That's why they are getting a Tie Fighter

Well, we just a had regional this weekend in New Zealand with two rebel lists slugging it out in the final. Rebels are fine, people are just not playing them because the internet says they are bad

When 'the Internet' includes the guy that won Worlds 3 times playing Rebels, then there is probably some truth in the Internet's opinion.

Heaver was at GenCon. He was flying a rebel lists and got kicked out of the tournament in a mirror match against another rebel who made it to top 4 of the NA Championships. So much for your internet wisdom.

My point was another. Heaver said at least once that he doesn't think Rebels are in a good spot currently. He is (at least by results) the best Rebel player in the world. If his opinion doesn't carry weight on the issue, then whose does?

I saw a lot more Defenders than I was expecting, and they came out of a meta I think everyone had almost considered solved.

I think a lot of people are increasingly looking for 'stress free' and 'action free' aces who are more tolerant of the odd point of unavoidable damage - because stress, crack shot, and doing-one-more-hit-than-you-have-evade-dice with torps are the main tools of the trade for killing aces these days.

I don't know about the top lists, but I was very happy with what I played against during the UK nationals:

Coran / regen Poe / A-wing

Double phantom + academy pilot

Han solo / Poe (not sure I remember totally this one)

Ryad and a mini swarm with Howlrunner

Dengaroo

4 TLT Y-wings

So 3 rebel lists / 2 imps / 1 scum

And they were all good fun (the most fun, strangely, was with the 4 y-wings.)

I don't know about the top lists, but I was very happy with what I played against during the UK nationals:

Coran / regen Poe / A-wing

Double phantom + academy pilot

Han solo / Poe (not sure I remember totally this one)

Ryad and a mini swarm with Howlrunner

Dengaroo

4 TLT Y-wings

So 3 rebel lists / 2 imps / 1 scum

And they were all good fun (the most fun, strangely, was with the 4 y-wings.)

Mine was:

Rnd1: Triple Aces (W)

Rnd2: Dengaroo (W)

Rnd3: Triple Scouts (W)

Rnd4: Dengaroo (L)

Rnd5: Triple Aces (W)

Rnd6: Triple Scouts (W)

Top-32: Dash/Ghost (W)

Top-16: Triple Scouts (L)

All very good games, though, and enjoyed them all (especially the ones I won!). The two rounds on Sunday were probably the two tightest games I've played - both could have gone either way right down to the last dice roll.

Also... 186th Squadron are just finishing up getting the full Top-32 lists ready for publication, so we'll know more pretty soon.

Expect to see a LOT of Jumpmasters.

Rebels are definitely not as powerful as they once were. They aren't unplayably bad (look at Dan's 8-0 at GenCon, my 4-2 wasn't too shabby either, both losses were to Rebels), but they are having trouble competing at the top tiers of play. Ironically, their lack of representation means people don't practice as much against them, and make more mistakes against them, so the people who do play them do better than they might do if they played a more standard list.

I think it's similar to Defenders pre-buff. There were a few people that did very well with them, partially because they knew the ships inside and out, and partially because their opponents made minor mistakes while fighting them.

Rebels are definitely not as powerful as they once were. They aren't unplayably bad (look at Dan's 8-0 at GenCon, my 4-2 wasn't too shabby either, both losses were to Rebels), but they are having trouble competing at the top tiers of play. Ironically, their lack of representation means people don't practice as much against them, and make more mistakes against them, so the people who do play them do better than they might do if they played a more standard list.

I think it's similar to Defenders pre-buff. There were a few people that did very well with them, partially because they knew the ships inside and out, and partially because their opponents made minor mistakes while fighting them.

i attribute quite a bit of my own success with mindlink to this factor as well. seeing something on paper, or even watching a game, is very different to actually facing it across the table. there was not enough appreciation for the action efficiency, the danger of a 4-dice TLT, or how **** hard a cloaked Palob is to kill.

The first time you play against something you get a ton of opportunities to screw up, and so long as they're functionally sound within themselves then leftfield lists like that really prey on the unwary. Ask anybody who's flown onto the front of Oicunn/Palp if you don't believe me!

I faced a mindlink Guri/Palob/Kavil list in the last prep tournament before Nats and even though I took the threat seriously he made it a lot closer than I wanted just because he knew the mathup while I was learning for the first time.

I don't know about the top lists, but I was very happy with what I played against during the UK nationals:

Coran / regen Poe / A-wing

Double phantom + academy pilot

Han solo / Poe (not sure I remember totally this one)

Ryad and a mini swarm with Howlrunner

Dengaroo

4 TLT Y-wings

So 3 rebel lists / 2 imps / 1 scum

And they were all good fun (the most fun, strangely, was with the 4 y-wings.)

I was your first round opponent - glad you enjoyed the game!

I was running the Nathan Eide list that I've used all season, because I lack imagination and I love Corran!

Ended up going 4-2 and missing out on cut by 70, so really please considering I only started in January!

I ended up playing against:

1 - Rexler, Ryand and Palp (L)

2 - Han and Horton (W)

3 - Whisper, Omega, Palp (W)

4 - Party bus and double tops boats (L)

5 - A-Wing Crack Swarm (W)

6 - Dengar and 4 Z's (W)

All good games, and I only felt outmatched by the party bus list - not a good match up!

Good opponents all round though, and the only downer was playing 2 of my clubmates in a field of 160! At least I won

I was your first round opponent - glad you enjoyed the game!

I was running the Nathan Eide list that I've used all season, because I lack imagination and I love Corran!

Ended up going 4-2 and missing out on cut by 70, so really please considering I only started in January!

Oh, I definitively enjoyed the game! You really flew Corran brilliantly : I had no idea how he would be able to dance around my two defenders, laughing outside of their arcs.

My first idea was to focus on him as the main threat. I'm now sure that would have cost me the game. Only luck made me go for the blocker at first (the chance to get rid of him early was too good to miss and the dice went my way). Then, after the first damage was done on Corran and I saw him run away to regen in a way I could not hope to counter, I decided to keep the countess on him to keep him honest while the shuttle and vess went after Poe. Again, the dice went my way.

After that, Corran flew like the ace he is and was untouchable...

... and I've only started in February, so roughly the same

Thanks again for the game: I've got an e-wing that I've not played yet and now I'm definitively going to give him some flying time!

Well, we just a had regional this weekend in New Zealand with two rebel lists slugging it out in the final. Rebels are fine, people are just not playing them because the internet says they are bad

When 'the Internet' includes the guy that won Worlds 3 times playing Rebels, then there is probably some truth in the Internet's opinion.

Heaver was at GenCon. He was flying a rebel lists and got kicked out of the tournament in a mirror match against another rebel who made it to top 4 of the NA Championships. So much for your internet wisdom.

My point was another. Heaver said at least once that he doesn't think Rebels are in a good spot currently. He is (at least by results) the best Rebel player in the world. If his opinion doesn't carry weight on the issue, then whose does?

See pheavers post. ;-)