So I made a very long drive up to Tennessee for the Mulligan’s Store Championship. I probably wouldn’t have typically gone that far but I was going with a couple buddies so we could share driving. This is my first BatRep but I love reading them so I figured I would contribute.
The Tournment was at Mulligan’s Gaming and was really well run! We had 24 people and some cool prizes with special errata cards given for the winners of each round. There was a very fun, joking atmosphere and a big group from Tennesse (“Sun Sphere Defense Fleet”) were super fun to hang out with.
For my list I chose Dengar/Bossk. I’ve been playing Dengar/Bossk since I started in February and it’s what I’m by far most comfortable with. The list was:
Dengar + Crack Shot +Plasma Torperdoes +K4 Security Droid + Glitterstim + Guidance Chips
Bossk + Veteran Instincts + Homing Missiles +Boba Fett + 4-Lom + K4 Security Droid + Guidance Chips.
Things I like about this list are:
1. I have a really sweet custom painted Bossk which I like to show off
2. Games are short. I like a good long game but losing when a game goes to time is one of the most frustrating things about x-wing. I’ve never been to time with this list.
3. It’s good for long days. You only have two ships to think about and after the first joust, which is the most critical, it takes a whole lot less thought.
4. The inclusion of Boba Fett on Bossk can single handedly shut down many lists.
5. It does well against stress control which I was expecting to see a lot of due to Attani Mindlink and Expertise. Even if I’m double stressed I can still green and K4 for a target lock and pop glitterstim for a fully modded dice on Dengar in a pinch.
Weaknesses:
1. If Dengar dies first, Bossk is almost incapable of shaking an ace off his tail. I’ve lost to one health ties that just sit behind Bossk and slowly kill him.
2. I can get out alpha striked and have trouble with people that have higher PS or give me initiative while they're at 9.
Game 1:
Rear Admiral Chiraneau + Kylo Ren + Emperor Palpatine + Dauntless + Engine Upgrade + Adaptability
Quickdraw + Expertise + Fire Control System + Special Ops Training + Lightweight Frame
I full stopped with Bossk and he was surprised because it threw off his plan to range me. Next round I one forwarded which put Bossk at the perfect range three shot while Dengar had a range two shot on RAC.
First round of shooting, I hit with Dengar, stripped all the shields and then Bossk put through all his dice Boba fetting his Palpatine. From there things spiraled out of control for him with me rolling lots of dice and killing the Decimator incredibly quickly and then hunting down the Quickdraw. I only lost half health on Bossk.
Win 1-0 MOV 100-23
Game 2:
Jess Pava + Adaptability + Pattern Analyzer + R2-D6 + Integrated Astromech
Biggs Darklighter + R4-D6 + Integrated Astromech
Captain Rex
Braylen Stramm + Alliance Overhaul +R3-A2 + Gunner
This was an interesting list with Jess, Biggs, stress Braylen, and suppressive fire tie. I definitely see the logic where suppressive fire lowers dice, Biggs picks up target priority, the stress cow controls and Jess puts out some damage. We set up on the left side for a joust with asteroids down the middle. I had to take a weird angle with Dengar angling in from the center, which messed up my target priority.
I wanted to one shot Jess, as she seems like the source of the damage in the list and T-70s have a low enough health that I can one shot them. (Note that ordinance bypasses Biggs) However, she was too close to Dengar to get a shot with him and I didn’t want to split my fire. Of the other three ships left to shoot, I decided to go with Braylen thinking at the very least I could Boba off the stress droid and then make a game of it. However, luck was in my favor.
First shot with the Plasma from Dengar I roll focus hit blank blank. After spending the focus and guidance chips I get four shots in. He rolls an evade but plasma torpedos strips all the shields. Then it’s Bossks turn. I roll all blanks but target lock in to crit, focus, focus, blank. Which becomes Crits, Crit, hit, hit after focus and chips. I use 4-lom and he rolls a focus so 4 hits and a crit go through after the Bossk modification. So he’s alive at one life, except the crit is direct damage! I one shot the Arc 170 despite very average rolls and save Boba Fett.
From there it only got worse for him. He k turns, thinking I’m going to push past to take another pass but instead I one forward and bump into the back of his ships and he gets no shots. I have shots on Biggs with target locks. I strip shields from Biggs with Dengar and roll a crit with Bossk to Boba the astromech. Biggs dies next turn and I quickly mop up with no damage.
Win 2-0 MOV 100-0
Game 3:
Dengar + Punishing One + Expertise + Plasma Torpedos + Unhinged Astromech +Extra Munitions + Guidance Chips
Tel Trevura + Veteran Instincts + K4 Security Droid + Unhinged Astromech + Plasmo Torpedos + Extra Munitions + Guidance Chips.
An exact copy of the worlds winning list.
My opponent was still new the game and was playing with borrowed ships but he was still 2-0 and flying really well.
This was the list I least wanted to see as it’s basically a straight better version of my list.
Replace clunky Bossk with a ship that can sloop and come back to life and you have this list.
My only hope is to win the alpha strike which is going to be hard since he gave me initiative.
We have asteroids on the sides with a clear lane down the center.
We set up for a joust but I think he misplays it and takes a slight angle. We one forward and then one forward again and somehow I range it such as I get the target lock with K4 but then he one forwards so he’s still in range for the missiles.
Tel is coming in from the side and has to shoot through an asteroid at Dengar.
The perfect engagement for me!
I plasma missile with Dengar and strip his shields.
I then Bossk and push 3 hits and a crit modified into two hits through for 5 damage!
After 4-lom he doesn’t roll any natural evades on the defense dice so I one shot Dengar!
However, the return fire with the Plasma and revenge shot take 6 shields off Bossk.
Tel takes some shields off Dengar but from there it’s basically over for him as Dengar just beats Tel and I have a half health Bossk.
He manages to kill Bossk but Dengar survives with full points.
Win 3-0 MOV 100-46
Game 4:
Quickdraw + Adaptability +Fire Control System + Special ops Training + Lightweight Fram
Backdraft + Veteran Instincts + Finre-Control System + Special Ops Training
Colonel Vessery + Tie x/7 + Juke
I was very nervous for this round being 3-0 in my first big tournament. I also wanted the range rulers for top 4 and I would hate to blow it in the last game.
He puts Vessery in the middle and the two Tie sfs on the right. I set up for a joust on the right and kill Backdraft first round. Pretty good engagement but I’m out of ordinance. He bumps with Quickdraw and Vessery has already looped around behind me so I only get a Dengar turret shot on him. From there, he burns down Dengar and Bossk is left alone. I couldn’t roll any hits and once Dengar goes down Bossk is basically hopeless.
Not a great match, I think I prioritized wrong and my dice were so cold it didn’t even matter. However, I end up making the top 4 cut as the three seed!
Loss 3-1
Top 4
Cut round 1:
I don't remember this list exactly but it was something like
Kanaan + shuttle + autoblaster turret
Miranda + Twin Laser Turret + C-3PO
Top 4 and I got my range rulers! I was thinking of dropping because my friends were in a hurry to get home but I knew this match up was heavily favored for me and I came to play X-wing. They were great and stayed and watched. We set up to joust but he SLAMs Miranda around the side and sends Kanaan down the middle. I think this was a mistake because I got to pound Kannan for a full turn before Miranda even comes in. He plays it perfect and Kannaan shoots the gap to what would have been a range one if I had one forwarded. However, I get the missile shot off with some clever bumping by left turning Dengar into Bossk and then bumping with Bossk. I lose the ability to focus but with guidance chips and the target lock still on from Homing Missile it’s worth it to get the missiles off early. Dengar takes the shields and then Bossk puts through 4 damage and Boba off the turret so I’m not getting double tapped. He focuses on Bossk not wanting to get the revenge shot. Next turn he swings around trying to get a shot out the rear arc (no turret) However, I switch the move order and bump with Bossk to keep him in place but then sloop left with Dengar to get another shot off. This was crucial because he was thinking Bossk would bump him but I got another shot with him with a target lock and he doesn’t want to attack in to Dengar because of the revenge shot.
From here Kannan dies quickly and the shuttle soon after. He’s only taken a couple shields off Bossk . I’m feeling good. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to hunt down Miranda. Between the C-3PO and the regen I seriously spend the next hour trying to kill him. I eventually do and end up winning 100-0.
Win 4-1 MOV 100-0
Last match and final table! Unfortunately it’s a rematch of my previous loss in round four. However, I feel like I learned something and I want to take advantage of this opportunity. There’s not many chances for a store championship.
Final Game!
Quickdraw + Adaptability +Fire Control System + Special ops Training + Lightweight Fram
Backdraft + Veteran Instincts + Finre-Control System + Special Ops Training
Colonel Vessery + Tie x/7 + Juke
We set up across the board like last time with Vessery in the middle and the ties on the right but I go up the middle instead of the right so I don’t get boxed in like last time.
It also keeps Vessery from looping around behind me.
The plan works perfectly, I line up with Vessery while the Ties come in the right and have to make an awkward turn in to the middle through the rocks.
Vessery turns to avoid the joust but eventually gets into the far left corner and has to turn back and move up the board.
This puts him at range of the missiles and I one shot him while the ties take some long range shots on Dengar.
From here I feel like I’m in a good situation.
I bump with Bossk to stay in place and then sloop left with Dengar to keep the ties in my arc.
He focuses Dengar which is the right call but painful for him.
I pop glitterstim and Bossk and Dengar strip the shields off Quickdraw but stripping the shields lets him fire back.
Dengar revenge shots the revenge shot and Quickdraw dies but Dengar is at three health.
I feel like I’m winning here.
Dengar and Bossk are alive and Bossk is full health and Dengar has three health.
However, I had a critical misplay.
I straight forward with Dengar to get the target lock and clear the stress from glitterstim and he turns right to get the perfect shot out the back rear at range one.
Dengar dies but gets a turret shot back since we’re at the same PS and puts him at three health.
He’s not in arc so no revenge shot.
Bossk puts one damage through.
Ok, I’m nervous now but I have a full health Bossk against a two health backdraft.
Surely I can do this.
I loop Bossk around for another joust but take a bunch of long range damage that take some shields off.
The issue here is when we joust he gets a shot out the front and the back while I only get the first shot.
I also am having to do white turns to get around which means no K4 target lock.
On the first pass my dice fail and I get 0 hits while he takes three shields in on the front and then another three in from the back with a guaranteed crit.
The crit from the back gives me a blinded pilot.
I just shrug and say,"Well it doesn’t matter because I can’t shoot this turn anyways"
More on this later.
I loop back around and get the perfect shot. Range one, he’s at 2 health. I’m at 2 health. I’m rolling 4 dice to 3 defense dice but I have target lock and focus and 4-lom. He’s going to be rolling 4 attack dice to my one so I’m just praying for mutual destruction and a final salvo which would have been epic.
However, when I go to shoot, he goes “Not so fast Kiddo! You forgot to clear the blinded pilot!” Sure enough I had not physically turned the card over but I’m pissed because, first of all I had acknowledged it and second of all it states, “After your next opportunity to attack, flip this card face down” It’s not like an action I forgot to take. There had been probably 4 turns where Bossk was turning around for another pass. I call over the TO and it’s really tense with everyone watching because this is as close as it can get and it’s the finals. The TO looks really pained but says he’s correct and I can’t fire because it’s my mistake. (Still not sure about this. If I had forgotten to discard glitterstim would he have let me use it? Definitely not!) Of course, he blows Bossk up and I end up coming in second. I (and the crowd of people who stayed to watch) were very salty but he clearly wanted the win that badly.
Conclusion
Despite going way beyond my wildest expectation it kind of put a sour mood on the tournament. However, afterwards he said he had already won a store tournament and gave me the first round bye so all I really lost out on was the plaque and $20 store credit difference between first and second. I decided I wasn’t going to let $20 ruin my day and went and bought a bunch of ships and had a good time getting dinner with my friends. I had a lot of fun pushing plastic ships around for the day and would definitely go back.
Post Script: My final opponent sent me a facebook message after the tournament and apologized for his actions and I accepted his apology. No hard feelings.
Edited by Jamacus