So I was throwing around an idea for a game type. Back playing table top Mechwarrior (which dates me...), we used to play what we called survivor matches, which were back to back matches. So here's how I think it would work for X-Wing:

You would pick a 100 point list for your first match like normal, but you would also make reinforcement ship builds (however many in your first build minus 1). You would play the first match as normal. Any ship destroyed in could not be fielded in the second match. Ships that fled the battlefield, damaged or not, could be fielded in the next match at full health. You could reinforce your squad with your pre-build ships (no making adjustments based on who died) up to your original 100 points. If all your ships get destroyed in the first match, you lose the whole match.

I thought this would spice up game play a little by making people think more 4th dimensionally. I think it would also move people away from the hyper-dependent synergy lists and make people play more fundamentally sound lists that were less dependent on a single ship with a single build. Time-wise, I don't think it would take as long as two full matches since the first match wouldn't be fought to the last ship.

Anyone like the idea? Have any thoughts?

Please clarify the points allotted to the reinforcements ship(s). Let me see if I have this right:

I run RAC and Whisper. My reinforcements are a 35 point Fel. RAC is destroyed in round 1 so, at the onset of round 2, I place Fel on the board?

I need to play this.

Sorry for the lazy, meta-centric example, by the way...

Question though: What is the reasoning for the restriction on the number of ships? It works out nicely as is, just wondering what the logic is behind preventing me from reinforcing with a Crack Swarm in the example above.

It's just strange that I can start with a Crack Swarm and have the RAC Whisper build on standby, potentially choosing the ship I want.

By the way: Voluntary fleeing of the battlefield will happen.

I'm not entirely sure how this works but here is what I think goes on:

1. Create a 100 point list and some kind of reinforcement list which I'm also unclear about.

2. Play a normal game with your 100 point list.

3. Any ship that "flees the battle" or survives the first battle (from step 2) is carried over to the NEXT game.

4. For the next game you use the survivors of the first battle and may add ships from your reinforcment list up to 100 points.

5. After this I assume play continues like this were each new battle whittles down forces until all reinforcments are depleted.

I'm not sure if that is right but if fleeing with a ship that was likely to die anyway comes back the next game at full health I certainly see that happening a lot more often.

I guess variants would be:

- Build two, 100-point lists. Designate one list as the Primary and the other the Reinforcements list.

- Build a Primary list of 100 squad points or less. Build a Reinforcements list of 100 squad points or less. The Reinforcements list cannot have a number of ships exceeding that of the Primary list.

Either way, play would look like this:

Rounds of play will consist of two 60-minute matches. Match one will be played with your Primary list. After match one, replace any destroyed ships from your Primary list with ships from your Reinforcements list until you have a list that is 100 points or less.

If no ships from a Primary list are destroyed during match one, no Reinforcements ships are deployed in match two.

I really like this.

What about large-based ships?

Large-based ships: If a large-base ship is at half-points, that player may (or may not?) replace that ship with ships from their Reinforcements list. These ships may (or may not?) exceed half/ all of the point cost of the replaces large-base ship?

I don't think it really works as a tournament format but I could see "build a 100 point list and a (lets say 50 point) reinforcment list with everything belonging to the same faction and no common uniques." The first game would be played with the 100 points lists. The second would nominally be between the two reinforcement lists PLUS what ever survived the battle of 100 point lists.

I don't think it really works as a tournament format but I could see "build a 100 point list and a (lets say 50 point) reinforcment list with everything belonging to the same faction and no common uniques." The first game would be played with the 100 points lists. The second would nominally be between the two reinforcement lists PLUS what ever survived the battle of 100 point lists.

That's a lot simpler, sure - but it's a) not as fun, and b) could be devastating. What if you win 100-0 the first match? You get roughly 150 points versus your opponent's 50 points in the second match?

Might as well call it there! Lol

Nah.

I think part of the idea is that if you do get wiped that first battle there is no second battle.

Besides it would be possible to "win" the first game 100-0 and then see the second game at 150 vs 150 if game 1 simply saw ships flee the board instead of suffering destruction. Having incentive to "live to fight another day" also adds some value to tougher ships which may decide to resign instead of face destruction.

I think part of the idea is that if you do get wiped that first battle there is no second battle.

Besides it would be possible to "win" the first game 100-0 and then see the second game at 150 vs 150 if game 1 simply saw ships flee the board instead of suffering destruction. Having incentive to "live to fight another day" also adds some value to tougher ships which may decide to resign instead of face destruction.

I see the merit in that.

I like the idea. Going to try and get a local group to do it .

So the number of ships limit is in there so people can't just have a giant stack of ships that they can plug into a hole based on who in their squad gets killed. Probably better to do that with points, actually a much better idea The whole concept is modeled around trying to get people to play with unique pilots more carefully, play disposable generics like they were more disposable, and to have people play lists that are less entirely dependent on synergy.

I hadn't really thought about the idea for a tournament, but here's how it might go. The rules would pretty much stay exactly the same as for awarding points. So if Soontir is down to one hull and you have him flee the battle so you can play him next round, he is considered to be destroyed for points purposes. And lets say that you start with 100 points in 3 ships and a 28 point ship gets blown up and the other two flee. You then get to look through your replacement list and plug another ship in without getting to change the build. So if a 28 point ship dies and you've got a 40 and a 24 point ship to pick from, you have to suck it up and play with 96 points in the next round. But if ALL your ships die in the first round, you lose and get no reinforcements.

I think making the limit for your reserve list lower than 100 points would be required. I don't want someone to throw out a crack swarm to grind down the opponent and then have a couple aces sitting in reserve. Although that might fix itself because if you fly a crack swarm, get a few TIEs killed and then the opponent flees leaving you with an awkward point value of ships left, you won't be able to put many of your reserves in without going over 100 points.

I guess variants would be:

- Build two, 100-point lists. Designate one list as the Primary and the other the Reinforcements list.

- Build a Primary list of 100 squad points or less. Build a Reinforcements list of 100 squad points or less. The Reinforcements list cannot have a number of ships exceeding that of the Primary list.

Either way, play would look like this:

Rounds of play will consist of two 60-minute matches. Match one will be played with your Primary list. After match one, replace any destroyed ships from your Primary list with ships from your Reinforcements list until you have a list that is 100 points or less.

If no ships from a Primary list are destroyed during match one, no Reinforcements ships are deployed in match two.

I really like this.

What about large-based ships?

Large-based ships: If a large-base ship is at half-points, that player may (or may not?) replace that ship with ships from their Reinforcements list. These ships may (or may not?) exceed half/ all of the point cost of the replaces large-base ship?

My take in this would be that large based ships which are reduced to half their hull can be used the next game with full shields and 50% hull.