Day 1:

From the UKGE:

So here we are. On the first Armada EC in Birmingham (UK). Finally, able to see all the faces behind some of the nicks, that are so famous (or infamous) on the forum. Finally some hopes were shattered, when the reality hits yourself, and the god like image of a nick was pulled down to the pure realism.
So, we meet on Friday for the breakfast, for a little nice talk.

The last lists were adjusted, the last cards borrowed (cough, missions, cough, …). Some beans were exterminated and a lot of coffee assimilated (ups, wrong games).

At 9 o’clock the halls were opened, and we could start to register our, now final, lists.
It took me another 15 minutes (in realty it was nearly 45) to decide what list I will play. I always have 2 lists with me, and decide on the last second what I will play (stupid, I know).
But even if I would have loved to play the 8 Goza again, and was asked and encouraged to do so, I decided it was time to give it up, and play a list that can win (better / more solid).

So, this is the list I finally handed in:
There were some test cards in it. Some were good in the end, some were stupid (Isard….). But I ran out of time for testing.

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 400/400
Commander: Grand Moff Tarkin

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Fighter Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Grand Moff Tarkin ( 38 points)
- Director Isard ( 3 points)
= 64 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Jamming Field ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
= 23 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 31 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Vector ( 2 points)
- Admiral Chiraneau ( 10 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
= 40 total ship cost

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)
= 83 total ship cost

1 Colonel Jendon ( 20 points)
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)
1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)
1 Black Squadron ( 9 points)
1 Saber Squadron ( 12 points)
1 Maarek Steele ( 21 points)
1 Gamma Squadron ( 10 points)
2 TIE Bomber Squadrons ( 18 points)
1 Zertik Strom ( 15 points)

Related to this, there was a list from me, that caused some questions and I didn’t want to withhold.

This was my test board for squadrons, and playing around what squadrons you can take and how you can switch them around. Two Tie Interceptors cost the same as Saber and Gamma. Instead of Zertik and one Tie Intercetor, you can as well take Ciena and Black Squadron, ….
On top the target for the squadrons (green: against squadrons, orange: against ships).

All I can say: it really helped. And it really improved my squadron list. It was really easy to check the possible squadron combinations, and the strength of them.

After some minor problems with the tournament software (~1 hour delay), the tournament was changed a little bit. From 4 rounds on each day to 3 rounds on first and 4 on second and a cut to top 4 for the 3rd day. This was still really great, and would still soften up the field a bit, and give a better chance to get in the cut, even if you mess up one game.
My predictions were, that an average of 7 score points will be enough for the cut.

During the time we had to wait, I could take a look around the hall 3, where all the tournaments were done.

And as well check out some fleet. Once what they are playing, and on the other side the painting. There were really great painted fleets. And I really missed to make enough pictures of these.
So here are only a few of these many great ones.

Before we begin some advertising. And a really important one, especially after this extreme world finals:

After this important message, we are ready for the first round.

Round 1 (against Ross):

He had:
ISD II with: Gunnery Team, ECM, Leading Shots, XI7
Interdictor with: Proections Experts, Yularen, Grav Shift, Grav Well
Sontir, Ciena, Howlrunner, Valen, VT-49, 2x Shuttles

I have 400 points and all other have less, so it might be always the opponent’s choice who is player 1 for the next 2-3 days.

His choice, he picked player 2 (big WTF on my face). Sure, his missions are fitting for the interdictor. But is it worth it to allow everyone to double tab with the ships against his two-ship list?

I picked his Station Assault (other ones were Contested Outpost and Minefield).
Decision for this was: I can easy destroy the stations. But on contested Outpost I will lose the victory tokens for 3-6 turns. And Minefield does not give any bonus points. And on top, I don’t have strategic but he has.

Planed tactic:
I have more activations and better squadrons. And being player 1 allows me to double attack without any problems with the Demolisher.
I have to destroy at least one station for the even points (40-40) or I risk 80 points for him.

Setup:

Match:
Sadly, the Grav Well and Grav Shift make the battlefield really unpredictable, and deny me some of the setup area.
The Grav Shift was used to pull the two station closer to the right edge, and the Well was used to make a dead area on my right side to protect the stations.

At first I tried to go for the ISD with some bombers. But the repair commands and the Interdictor with his Projections Experts made it impossible to get any good damage in.
So I changed the attacks and went for the Interdictor. The bombers and the Demo could take down the Dictor really fast.

Round 3:

Round 3 was my lucky one. I had to decide who to activate first. The GSD to finish the Dictor or the Gozanti to get it out of the attack range from the ISD. I took the GSD and sacrificed the Gozanti. But the commander of the ISD need a new gunnery team now, after they were thrown out of the airlock after this unbelievable bad shot on the rear of the Flotilla and the Scatter token saved the Gozanti from becoming dust.
After this the Gozanti were flying away from the ISD and the ISD got no second chance for a point-blank shot.

After the Interdictor went down, I had to decide if I go for the stations or for the ISD. I picked the Stations, because the Demo will tear them down really fast.

My Gladiator took a wide swing after it destroyed the Dictor and rushed to the stations. Two turns later they were only scrap, and the Demo could follow the ISD (follow, but not able to catch it).

The squadron fight went as well in my favor, and this way I could get them free for attacks on the stations and the ISD.

Round 5:

In the end the ISD took some serious damage, but I could not take it down. Maybe I could have, when I would have gone directly for it.
On my side only a few squadrons went down.

End result: 9-2 for me with a MOV of ~240.

Round 2 (against Kevin):

His list was something around VSD + Demo + Arquitens + 1 Gozanti (no complete list)
Commander war Jerjerod.
Squadrons were a mix of everything. Dengar, Howlrunner, Tie Defender, Jonus, ….

As always, his choice. He picked player 1 and we were playing my Fire Lanes.

Planed tactic:
The Fire Lane Tokens will be places as much spread as possible. One left, one right and one in the middle. This way I can control one without any problem, and we have to fight over the remaining two. I will have to try to take out one ship as fast as possible, and win the squadron fight.

Match:
Tarkin took care of the right Token and was circling it carefully.
The VSD came in between the middle and left one. To catch both if possible. My GSD started on the left token, same (on left side) for the Arquitens. His GSD started right of the VSD, an was a bit far away because of this.

It came to a really fast fight, when the Arquitens and his squadrons came in pretty fast. My bombers and the Demo went for the daredevil Arquitens (I have no other word for such a rushing in). Even when he tried to dodge it by flying to the left side, the bombers went on to hammer one hit after another into the Arquitens. In the end, there was no help need from the Demo. The Bombers took care of the Light Cruiser all alone, and punished him for being this foolish.

On the middle of the map, the opposite Demo tried to catch some Flotilla. But I was able to dodge the dangerous (red dice) front arc. And the side arc was easy to scatter. This way one Gozanti after another slipped past the enemy Demo.

The VSD in the middle turned toward the middle Fire Lane token, to make sure that he will get this one. But my Demo could turn around, and go for the rear of the Star Destroyer.
But I underrate Jerjerod and his ability to turn around some ships. The enemy Demo made a nice nearly 180° turn, and was suddenly behind my demo. And we started a cat and mouse game.
VSD – my Demo – enemy Demo, all nice lined up. In the end the VSD become some junk, and my Demo survived with really big luck. The enemy Demo only did two hits, after a full 4 black side attack and reroll. So I could get my GSD out of the danger (and kill the VSD who was in the way), and speed out of range of the enemy Demo.

In the end the demo died to my bombers, and only the lone Command ship Gozanti was left. Chased by 2 flotillas from me, but there was no way to catch it anymore.
I lost only a few squadrons on this match.

End result : 10-1 for me with a MOV of ~340.

Round 3 (against Paul):

MC30 Torpedo with: APT, Ordance Experts, Foresight
MC30 Torpedo with: APT, Ordance Experts, Admo, Walex
CR90A with: TRC
CR90A with: TRC
GR-76 with: Comms Net
4x YT2400

Once again not my choice, so he picked player 1 and we were playing my Most Wanted.

Planed tactic:
Taking out the most wanted target (one of the two MC30) really fast, wipe away the YT2400 and try to take down more ships with the bombers.

Setup:
He deployed all ships (but one CR90) on the right side. One lonely CR90 started on the left side.
I kept my ships in the middle. I was hoping, that the MC30 will fly into my bombers.
For Most wanted I picked his Admo and my naked Gozanti.

Turn 1:

Grand Moff Tarkin was standing on the majestic bridge of his command ship.

A command ship was a vessel which served as the flagship of a fleet. Command ships were typically larger and better armed than other warships. The Invisible Hand served as the command ship of General Grievous during the Battle of Coruscant. The Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor was the command ship of Darth Vader during the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor (shameless stolen from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Command_ship ).

The flagship of this fleet, that went out to stop a fleet of outlaws from harassing the innocent people in this system, was a mighty Gozanti Transport. Not as big as the Executor-class Star Destroyer, but at least as powerful. The mission was to stop these villains from doing these coward ambushes on defenseless transports. Transports, that shipped well needed goods to the Planet. And it has to be stopped, before it ends in a rebellion.

The trap was set, the bait was placed. Now he had to wait for the mouse to come out of the hole.

The imperial Fleet was ready. One Gladiator Class Star Destroyer and 5 Gozanti Transports were gathered. Well-guarded by some of the best Squadrons in the system.

“Contact!”
This was the Navigate Officer (same one as gunnery officer, communication officer, pilot), who was calling out from the other side of the room.
Tarkin made one step and was standing next to the man (hey, it’s a bridge of a Gozanti, and not a Star Destroyer….).
“Report” was all he said.
“We have 2 old MC30 and one Blockade Runner (nowdays called “Alderaan Cruiser”…). They are escorted by 4 smuggler ships, type YT2400. My god are these ancient ships.
And there is another Blockage Runner coming out of Hyperspace on the portside.”
“Launch the fighters, mark the closest MC30 as prime target, and wait until they are in range”.

There was no need for more commands. This Crew (both of them, the captain and the officer) knew their job.
So they waited. The Tie Pilots were patient, and were waiting until the enemy ship was in range.

Turn 2:

Major Rhymer lead his men and inspired them to do great thinks. They fired their Proton Torpedo on a range anyone else would call impossible. But they hit. One after another were hammering on the shield and the hull of the Admonition, that is the name of the modified MC30 Torpedo Frigate they picked as first target.

“NOW!” yelled Grand Moff Tarkin with a cold blink in his eyes. This was the order for Captain Piff, the commander of the Demolisher. A fitting name for this deadly Gladiator. Piff knew what to do, this was the signal for him to go in and finish what the Tie pilots have started. They are expendable, only good for him to catch the laurels of the destruction of one of these brigand ships.

This was what he did, going in with full speed ahead. Bringing death from all the guns on the starboard. Torpedos, far deadlier than the ones from the small Ties went down onto the cigar-shaped white and blue ship. Pulling away one sheet of armor after another, until they stabbed right into the heart of the ship and found the engine. Just to blow it up from the inside. Like a little sun, in white and yellow, the ship fade away. And left nothing but some scrap, that only gave a belief of what it once was.

The 4-small smuggler freighter came too late to protect the ship they were escorting. All they could do was to grasp for some vengeance. But the experienced and well trained Tie Pilots were far better and more skilled (and their dice were hot today). They started a wild dogfight, but there was no way they could win it. All they could hope for is to buy some time.
But they underrate Admiral Chiraneau. This cold blood commander of the Gozanti TA-0815 gave his pilots a vector to disengage the combat with the enemy pilots, and lead them back on the course against the enemy ships. Leaving the poor smugglers alone with the veteran Tie Fighters, and helpless to watch how the bombers flew away.

Turn 3:

“Sir, they are flanking us”.
This was so easy and predicable that Tarkin nearly slapped the officer for saying something this obvious.
“Order execute Maneuver V To TT-4711, IT-7155A and LO-145748455. And send Code Chicken to TA-0815.”
“Sir?”
„Do not question my orders, you don’t have to understand it, just do it“, said Thrawn Tarkin.

Code Chicken. The Attack order for an Imperial Class Star Destroyer. To set a direct course front to front at the enemy. A well fitting code, for a ship of this size. But not for a 64m long Gozanti Transport ship with only a water pistole like gun, compared to the weapon racks of a CR90A.
But the men did as Tarkin ordered. All for the Emperor.

Maneuver V on the other hand was a way for the transports to counter flank the enemy. One of the ships has to risk a close contact, but if all goes well, and it should go well with these well-trained officers, they are out of danger in no time, and leaving the enemy only with an empty space in front of them.

Turn 4:

Without any more targets, the Blockage Runner made a sharp turn at the station, trying to catch up on the flying by Gozanti. Even the remaining MC30 tried to catch the tiny fast transports. But the crew had no luck in doing so. The well trained imperial officers are just reacting to fast to allow any clear attack. And from the rear of the Foresight, the name of this old MC30, is already another deadly threat. Piff and his Demolisher turned around, and is lurking for another victim, and slowly catching up, while they are distracted by the swarm of Gozanti.

Not noticing any of this, the crew of the TA-0815 under Admiral Chiraneau, headed directly toward the fore of the CR90A, and to their doom.
Nearly as they could see into the eyes of the enemy, the crew from the Blockade Runner noticed their fault. So focused on the small Gozanti, they missed the Tie pilots in their bombers. They came in like a wild tornado and caused wreak havoc to the side of the corvette. Distracted by the bombers, the brigand crew missed the barrel roll from Chiraneau, who suddenly was behind the Blockade Runner, and out of any danger. But the surprise was not for long. The Corvette was so badly damage, that it lost control and was drifting. This way it was an easy target for the Tie pilots, who took the opportunity to catch some fame for themselves, and destroyed the helpless warship, that was drifting.

Turn 5:

Shocked by the latest loss, the rebels just gave up on the robbery, and flew with what was left.

Grand Moff Tarkin stood silent on the huge bridge. Staring into the stars, inwardly cursing that some of these scums could escape.
This battle was won, but somehow, he had the feeling that it was not the last one.

End result: 8-3 for me with a MOV of ~210

Bevor I will go on with the second day, I want to give some pictures from the first day, and from the UKGE.

And some from the UKGE Hall:

So when's day two? I enjoy the battle reports, and the fleet especially. I might want to make a fleet similar to this one, though maybe Rebel.

On 27.6.2017 at 7:33 PM, anonymousguy said:

So when's day two? I enjoy the battle reports, and the fleet especially. I might want to make a fleet similar to this one, though maybe Rebel.

I am writing on it. But was busy this week. And it were 4 rounds, so a bit more to write

5 hours ago, Tokra said:

I am writing on it. But was busy this week. And it were 4 rounds, so a bit more to write

Oh okay sounds good I would love to hear it.

Great stuff mate, thanks for posting.

Day 2 is up.

One match is missing (round 5). Somehow this was messed up. i Just have to write a part again.