We've got an Escalation event coming up at Athena Games (my FLGS) next month, and I was wondering if this tournament format sees much play in general? I'm a big fan of the list building constraints it introduces, and the unusual lists that can result. Having to keep your list choices viable at all of the point brackets can be quite the challenge!

So, have you played much Escalation? If so, what have you found works well, or works badly? How have you found it differs from the standard 100 point format? And has anyone tried any of the Wave 9 ships in this format as yet?

A couple of things that occurred to me recently:

Two Black Squadron TIEs with crack shot is 30 points. All you need is a good 60 point core and you add 6 crackblacks over the subsequent 3 rounds.

A Delta /x7 is 28 points leaving 2 points for that nice upgrade you couldn't quite afford in the previous round.

A couple of things that occurred to me recently:

Two Black Squadron TIEs with crack shot is 30 points. All you need is a good 60 point core and you add 6 crackblacks over the subsequent 3 rounds.

A Delta /x7 is 28 points leaving 2 points for that nice upgrade you couldn't quite afford in the previous round.

I have been musing on the idea of just filling the board with TIE Fighters, as they do come in such handy 30 point blocks...

I have one saturday, and your idea is exactly the reason im kinda not a fan of the point restraints. We also are required 2 ships minimum for the first 60pt round, so its literally no even remotely fat ships unless you bring them barebutt naked first round.

Every list i concocted ended up with just "welp, 30pts...2 blackcracks!" so i opted a different route: counter the swarm. Im bringing bombers with bombs and assault missiles lol. Got a couple hunters in the first 60pts to deal with the inevitable spreadout of ships once they notice i got assaults.

Pretty much every time i tried to add something that costs more than 25pts naked, even initially, i had either a LOT of points missing in the previous round or i had a naked ship. And TIE fighters for imps are pretty much the only naked ship under 30pts thats valid (im not bringing ps1 defenders with x7...). Hence why im deliberately countering swarms lol

4 Slavers and Guri or you're doing it wrong.

Every list i concocted ended up with just "welp, 30pts...2 blackcracks!" so i opted a different route: counter the swarm. Im bringing bombers with bombs and assault missiles lol. Got a couple hunters in the first 60pts to deal with the inevitable spreadout of ships once they notice i got assaults.

Pretty much every time i tried to add something that costs more than 25pts naked, even initially, i had either a LOT of points missing in the previous round or i had a naked ship. And TIE fighters for imps are pretty much the only naked ship under 30pts thats valid (im not bringing ps1 defenders with x7...). Hence why im deliberately countering swarms lol

I think Assault Missiles are a strong choice in Escalation, particularly at the 120 and 150 point brackets. The board tends to get quite busy, so there should be no shortage of targets. I think the /x7 Delta isn't a bad choice for the format though.

4 Slavers and Guri or you're doing it wrong.

Sold. Admittedly, I only own two YV-666s, but I love the idea.

Escalation was the only tournament I've ever won, but I have to say, as a Rebel player, it really sucks. We're basically restricted to A-wings, Y-wings, Z-95s, and Attack shuttles on the escalations, unless you kind of gimp one of your waves. We only went up to 120 points, but I still ended up with two TLT Y-wings (one at least was Horton) that basically carried every game for me. Also had Red Ace who paid off until people learned not to shoot him and Sabine, who died gloriously almost immediately every time as they focus fired her auto-blaster carrying ship into oblivion.

We had an Escalation event a couple weekends back, 3 rounds at 60/90/120 points, and it was great fun! I've played in a couple, though they seem to be few and far between. A few of things I'll point out:

1) As mentioned there is a two ship minimum

2) The Escalation rules have not been updated in some time and as such there are a couple key differences:

a) No half points for big ships

b) It is still win/mod win/loss, not W/L like the current standard tourney rules

3) Maximum of 8 of any single ship

4) Ships and upgrades must be included in subsequent rounds, as they were played previous - though you can add more to them

There was a TIE swarm at ours, as well as Defenders (2/3/4 in each round, all the same) and a good mix overall. I ended up second with Soontir/OL in round one, adding Palpshuttle in round 2 and finally the Inquisitor in round 3. I was playing the TIE swarm on table one and managed to eek out a mod win after winning my first two rounds 60/0 and 90/0. The player who won was flying a mixed rebel list (B's, Hawk, A's) and was in third going into the final round. He tabled his last opponent while I scored 60 points (to my opponent's 57), which put us both on 3 wins (1 mod each). Once the MOV was calculated I'd lost out by 14 points - if only I'd killed one more TIE lol.

Good time and I really like the format, especially the list building approach that is required. I think we are going to have another one in the near future, and we will be looking to make some rule adjustments so as to reflect the more current tourney rules.

I'll be buying my second Arc especially for the occasion Jarval

Is anyone playing much Escalation?

The format is quite broken so I try not to.

It can still be fun though.

Broken how, out of interest Keff?

probably because the 30pt increase is insanely restrictive.

It should be 40-50pts per tier, so we cant bring the BIG meanies but can actually bring something other than the basic shmucks.

The format does encourage bringing large base ships in the first batch, since bringing one in later is problematic (excepting Jumpmasters).

I played an escalation tourney a few weeks ago. I love the list building for this type of event but the day itself is long if you are playing all four rounds.

I also found it difficult to keep track of the changes in the list from round to round. Not only are you adding ships that you have to remember, but you're also usually adding upgrades to existing ships that make them fly differently.

It's fun mixing things up and definitely introduces some new challenges.

Broken how, out of interest Keff?

Lets just say there is a certain Pilot that can be fielded multiple times and its effects stack.

I took it to an escalation game once and I felt dirty.

Escalation was the only tournament I've ever won, but I have to say, as a Rebel player, it really sucks. We're basically restricted to A-wings, Y-wings, Z-95s, and Attack shuttles on the escalations, unless you kind of gimp one of your waves. We only went up to 120 points, but I still ended up with two TLT Y-wings (one at least was Horton) that basically carried every game for me. Also had Red Ace who paid off until people learned not to shoot him and Sabine, who died gloriously almost immediately every time as they focus fired her auto-blaster carrying ship into oblivion.

You dont neccessarily max out on points per round. So first round you got a Lothal with Sabine and some support ship, then some points left over, and every round after that you add a Conner Warden to the game. Pretty soon there will be upwards of 3-4 conner nets and/or prox mines squeezed into every nook and cranny of the board. Bombs and ABT are godsend when there is upwards of 10-12 ships on the board, headache for your final round opponent as he tries to fly around everything, finally gives up and YOLOs the whole way through.

escalation is a rather tedious format. The good news is that the meta is out. Often times in Escalation the first round has a 2 ship minimum which breaks apart the first round fat ship tactic. But the list building is long and tedious plus you are making a new list every round so essentially you are making 4 different lists. It isn't like a single list you can make the night before (or throw one together 15 minuets before tournament) and just take the same list from match to match.