As part of BiggsIRL competition, here is my entry, discussing one of the most enjoyable but misunderstood blue objectives. Post is also hosted on the Archive of Ossus: https://archiveofossus.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/objectively-the-best-salvage-run/
Intro
Salvage Run is often disregarded when list building because it appears to directly compete with Sensor Net for those planning to abuse strategic for their benefit. Its quite a shallow analysis of the situation, but not too far of the mark. If your plan is to simply include strategic units and expect to profit, then perhaps Sensor Net is the better objective to take. However, I argue that, there are things you can do to boost the impact of your strategic with Sensor Net, (as hopefully discussed in that objective thread). Furthermore, depending on how you build your strategic fleet, both Minefields or Salvage Run are a better choice.
In this article, I will discuss how to abuse Strategic for your benefit as second and first player, whilst offering alternative ways to play Salvage Run without strategic units!
Set Up
When the card was first spoilt, like many others, I assumed that the objective tokens would be spread in a circle around the token and both players would be in an equally strong position. Fortunately, on actual measurement this is not true. The objective tokens end up much closer to player 2.
Objective Tokens – The Tokens can be placed all on second players side of the station, making it substantially easier for player 2 to grab them.
Obstacles – Another quirk of Salvage Run, the obstacles are all placed at distance 1-5 of the Space Station. This means that the centre of the play area is filled with obstacles. Enjoy driving through that Mr MC80!
Nav Tokens – Wahey, all of second player’s ships receive a nav token. Rejoice! Now you can do something useful with your first turn dial!
Second Player Strategies
Strategic
– So you have a list that includes 2 or more strategic units. Most likely you are planning to abuse relay with a healthy contingent of bombers. Congratulations, you have just qualified for taking Salvage Run.
Very simply, first turn, throw a squad dial, chuck the strategic units and move the obstacle tokens to your ships. Job Done. 80pts up, now concentrate on destroying your opponent’s ships.
Unlike Sensor Net, if you are packing strategic, after the first turn, the objective is over. No need to keep working to bring those tokens to your ships, your relay ships can do what they were included to do, support your squadrons. It’s a very simple gameplan, and benefits massively from that nav token from the objective.
In theory, this is all fantastic. In practice, this is a blue card denial strategy. Your opponent will see your plan a mile off and not pick it.
G7 Grav Wells with Grav Shift Reroute Abuse
Take an Interdictor with Grav Wells and Grav Shift Reroute and suddenly the battleground is very different. The Grav Well sits nicely opposite the station, now if your opponent wants to bring their own strategic units they will need to start at speed 0 and forgo a nav command turn 1! Well whilst it’s not the 20pts from a Salvage Run token, a speed 0 enemy ship is a bonus all of its own.
Grav Shift Reroute is just added flavour. Now you can clear your own path to the tokens and chuck obstacles at the enemy.
I know, I know. Yes you have to take an interdictor for this, and they suck! On the plus side, you are now 80pts in the lead straight of the bat, so just depends how you look at it. Unlike using strategic units to abuse this objective, you can now combo with Station Assault and Contested Outpost!
Seems like a solid way to build a fleet to me!
On a specific point, sometimes when faced with such overwhelming odds, your opponent may choose to not fight in the midst of the obstacles. In this case, it’s worth noting that a single Gozanti can pick up all the tokens whilst travelling at speed 2 and spamming squad dials. This way, you can pick up all 80pts, whilst the rest of your fleet has a lovely fight elsewhere on the table.
Ye Olde Contested Outpost/Fire Lanes lists, fight here, fight now
Back in the day, players used to run Fire Lanes and it was wonderful. That was, it was wonderful, until….. until an ISD decided to drive directly at the tokens and you realised the game was over, the tokens were theirs.
Contested Outpost always had the advantage that you could define the battle ground location. Somewhat a double edged sword as it makes the deployment game a little tempered, but also quite beneficial for front arc lists which are quite happy to run at the enemy.
The same is true here. The battle ground is defined, in the centre of the table surrounded by obstacles. So do you think you can take on that dense an obstacle zone?
Cue Madine and Jerry. Is this an opportune moment to discuss the haircut? Nope. Alright then.
I get it, you kneejerked the idea of using Navigational Hazards, which is great and all, however, do you really think your opponent is going to be silly enough to put the obstacles close together? Well they have no choice here! All Obstacles in the centre, lets have a party!
In this scenario, its not about the 80pts, you might or might not get a boost in that respect, what you will get is a battlefield that suits your fleet far better than theirs. Work it baby.
First Player – How to bust the Objective?
Now lets look at why ye foolish first player would actually pick it.
They made a mistake? Hopefully!
Or they have strategic. First Player should be packing strategic these days, as chances are they are going to come up against objectives which are heavily stacked in favour of those with strategic. Fortunately, there is a wonderful first player squadron build for this.
Courtesy of Cactusman, I present the Strategic Small Fighter Group.
Lambda, Lambda, Lambda and Valen.
Quite simply, throw a squadron command first turn, first activation. Grab all the tokens. Profit. And for the rest of the game you have a semi effective road bump for the enemy with Valen counteracting the heavy keyword on the Lambdas. 18 unbraced hull plus 3 scatter proof hull for enemy squads to chomp through. Very filling.
The second way to break the objective?
ISD TO THE FACE
I feel this should be a more widely used strategy. Drive your ISD at speed 3 at the tokens turn 1. See who is brave enough to contest those tokens? How many can you kill immediately? Hopefully lots!
