This is the arrangement at the end of Round 2. The TIE Fighters are yours. The shuttle is the opponent's.

What maneuvers and actions do you take on Round 3?

What about Round 4?

Can you guarantee getting four shots on the shuttle over those two rounds (assuming no TIE deaths)?

Are we PS3 and he's PS2 and we're just trying to win a war of attrition? Can't we just do 5 forwards and if he stops, we can barrel roll outside his arc, and if he moves, we slam into him? Once you're behind a shuttle with a pair of TIE fighters, it's not looking good for the shuttle.

It is impossible to guarantee all four shots on the shuttle because if it's not stressed (you did not indicate that it was) then we have no idea how fast (or slow) it is capable of going this turn. The TIE fighters are only about 7.7 bases apart from the shuttle, and the slowest they can go is speed 2, which would be 3 base displacements. If the shuttle moves at speed 3, that's 5 base displacements, and we bump. If we tried to do a K-Turn, the shuttle might do a hard-stop and shoot us in the back. If we move second, there's really no way to guarantee the shots since we don't know where the shuttle will be.

As far as bank maneuvers, any bank you take can either bump, overshoot (with the lambda shuttle now in the way, so you can't barrel roll back into a firing position), or simply leave you pointing in the wrong direction.

It's an easy fight to win, but I have no clue how you'd "guarantee" four shots in two turns.

Are we PS3 and he's PS2 and we're just trying to win a war of attrition?

The Pilot Skills are accurate. (3 on the TIEs, 2 on the shuttle)

Nothing is stressed.

You're trying to kill the shuttle as quickly as possible.

I'd probably just have them both do a 3 straight and then both do a 4 or a 3 K depending on where the shuttle went. Puttin' my faith in my green dice for that first round.

I would also do the 5 forward, not being shot is more important than echanging red dice (but if the shuttle goes full stop, I won't barrell roll, and let him throw unmodified dice).

Tie's gun it forward 5 and either hit or barrel roll. next turn k and eat the shuttle for lunch.

I would also do the 5 forward, not being shot is more important than echanging red dice (but if the shuttle goes full stop, I won't barrell roll, and let him throw unmodified dice).

You may be right. I'm not 100% sure the barrel roll gets out of that arc. It's kinda really, really close. If he had to stop and doesn't have any modifiers, it might just be better to evade twice, take our unmodified shots versus his unmodified shots against our evade token, then get behind him on subsequent turns.

Also, if this is the game state, why do we have to kill the Lambda ASAP? I figure we're ahead on points, 26 remaining to 21. =P

I can't think of a scenario where the 5 straight isn't the best move. Even if you had 2 turns left and that was all, 4 R1 shots will only yield you 12 red dice (6 of which will be post K turn and unmodified), getting 10+ hits out of that (ignoring any greens that he rolls on his 4 shots) is highly unlikely. So once we've ruled out killing the shuttle in 2 turns, then you're left with your optimal moves to kill him the fastest without any issues.

At 7+ bases apart, the following scenarios are possible (note, this is assuming the BR won't clear both from arc, obviously that would be the preferred action if available):

Shuttle -> 0 stop. 5 Straight -> Move 6, R1 exchange, 3Fv1 x2 vs. 4v3. TIEs win. 4 Straight -> Move 5, 2Fv1 x2 vs 3v3, TIEs still win, but not as much. 3 Straight -> Move 4, same shot as 4 straight, 2 Straight, Move 3, same shot as 4 straight.

Shuttle -> 1 Forward. 5 Straight -> Move 9, Bump. 4 Straight -> Move 8, bump. 3 Straight -> Move 7, 3Fv1 x2 vs. 4v3. TIEs win. 2 Straight -> Move 6, 2Fv1 x2 vs 3v3, TIEs still win, but not as much.

Shuttle -> 2 Forward. 5 Straight -> Move 10, Bump 4 Straight -> Move 9, bump, 3 Straight -> Move 8, bump. 2 Straight -> Move 7, 3Fv1 x2 vs. 4v3. TIEs win.

Shuttle -> 3 Forward (now stressed). 5 Straight -> Clears. This is bad since a 3K next turn would move you another 4, and he can go 2 straight moving another 4, you two are now out of range. The rest all bump.

So, it really comes down to whether or not you absolutely 100% need to get shots in on the guy or if you just need to not die. But I would argue your two moves to try would be 5 straight or 2 straight. 2 Straight will ensure shots in every case except the 3 straight from the shuttle, while straight 5 will more than likely bump, but will put you in the worst position if he goes 3 straight.

Or alternatively you could choose the 4 straight as it will bump even on the 3 straight from the shuttle, but it will deny you the R1 if the shuttle does a full stop.

Trick question. You are dead next round no matter what because Fel and Vader are just out of the frame on the tie fighters flanks.

Nice try.

To "Guarantee" the best positioning... 2 forwards with evade action. If the shuttle did a 3 forward that may double bump, leaving nobody with a shot. K turn behind it for the win. If there is no bump, 2 shots (shuttle will most likely not get 4 hits and you 0 evades), then K turn behind with a 3 or 4 the turn after (shuttle will move first).

Also, if this is the game state, why do we have to kill the Lambda ASAP? I figure we're ahead on points, 26 remaining to 21. =P

In all cases except the shuttle goes 3 forward, you can guarantee 4 shots in 2 rounds if you dial in a 2 forward for the initial move.

If the shuttle pulls a 3 forward here, no matter what you have chosen, you cannot get arc/shots with your ships on the first round (every forward/K except 5 forward is blocked; all banks and turns either lose arc or get blocked).

A 3 bank from the shuttle will also force a block on one of your 2 forwards, but you can get around that by moving the not-gonna-be-blocked TIE first and then using a BR to self-block to preserve your shot (you likely need that BR to get arc with him in the first place).

Assuming you survive the initial encounter, no matter what the shuttle dialed in you can appropriately and guarantee arc.

In almost any case the right move is going to be a 4 K on the second turn, but if he did a 2 turn first round then you'll want a 2 turn in the corresponding direction for your next move.

If he does a 0 stop on either of these turns, your 2 forward followed by a 4 K will not be blocked (except as above) and definitely has arc.

If he does the 3 forward, then a 3 K is the right follow-up move, as you'll be able to clear stress without getting blocked afterward.

Action-wise, I pick evade over focus first turn because second turn I will not be in arc at all, and I feel like I NEED both alive.

Only exception is for BR (can dodge arc from a bank maneuver/self-block as noted above).

In the round 2 position, you are just beyond 7.5 ship bases from the lambda. For sake of argument, I'm going to call this less than 8 ship bases away. The idea of a guarantee, mind you, is that there is always going to be valid first turn solution for anything the unstressed lambda does. If the lambda does a 3 straight, you can get shots and have a followthrough by having one tie doe a 1 hard, and having the other tie do a 2 bank, crash into the lambda, and backtrack into the tie ahead of him. Both ties get shots. However, this plan doesn't work if the lambda does a full stop. You can't get the hard one to barrel roll far enough to get a shot, nor can you get the bank 2 tie to barrel roll back to get the first tie to bump into arc

Alternative.

5 forward and bump, then K-Turn 4.

No shots taken by anyone, but now I am behind the shuttle and it cannot turn.

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Do a 2-straight with one TIE and a 3-straight with the other. The rear TIE will have a shot.

Not necessarily. The TIE fighters have a higher pilot skill, and thus, they move second. If the shuttle does a 3-forward, both ships bump. You can't block the shuttle to setup a shot for the rear TIE in this scenario.

I'm surprised I haven't been suspended for screwups like this.

(Part of the reason I do these is to help myself. I'm continually surprised when opponents pull out of seemingly obvious situations, like a shuttle avoiding an autoblaster turret Y-wing all game, so I look into the situation to find out what I'm missing, with the goal of stopping my perpetual ping-pong between "shooting things is easy -- just steer towards it" and "it is impossible to shoot the same ship two turns in a row if your first shot was against its front".)

The key to getting a shuttle kill is ususally getting behind it. A head-on pass is a losing proposition, because - not knowing what it's done - the potential for a focused 4-dice attack (if it catches me at range 1) can quite realistically one-shot a TIE fighter. However, unless he's gone full tilt, I can't get behind it this turn.

I'd agree with a slow approach then a high speed (or low speed depending on his moves) K-turn. I wouldn't want to K-turn now, because there's a realistic chance he'll stop, meaning I'm pointing the wrong way and stressed (a lethal mistake).

Since we're already straight on, and too close to break off, trying to turn away just gets me shot. We're committed to a joust. Fortunately, since I'm coming in side-by-side and he has only one ship, I know I have an action - because if I collide and don't get an action, it's because he has no shot.

The way I see it, go full tilt. If he stops, he might get a range 1 shot, but it's an unmodified range 1 shot, and you have a focus or evade token to play with. If he moves up and bumps, you get no shot but don't get shot at, and can pull a long K-turn the following turn (don't do a short K-turn, because he'll then stop and you'll either bump or overshoot trying to clear your stress on the return run!

The key to getting a shuttle kill is usually getting behind it.

The key to getting a shuttle kill is usually getting behind it.

And the key after that is to figure out how to shoot something when it's slower than you and you're bumping into it every turn. But that's another thread.

Not if you have two ships - you set your moves so that the first one bumps the enemy then the 2nd bumps the back of your own ship, giving you the buffer to still get a shot with the 2nd mover (albeit un-mod'ed)

giving you the buffer to still get a shot with the 2nd mover (albeit un-mod'ed)

Thankfully that is not an issue with 3 red dice vs 1 green.

The key to getting a shuttle kill is usually getting behind it.

And the key after that is to figure out how to shoot something when it's slower than you and you're bumping into it every turn. But that's another thread.