So we're going to cut to the chase, congratulations to @CaribbeanNinja for his victory, with @moodswing5537 in second and myself in third. (@jamie nasmyth hopefully remembers the rest of the order because I've already gone and forgotten.) Also many thanks to @Megatronrex and @ThatSlyBandit (guess based on your fleet list) for coming down from Greenville. Below, for @Baltanok and anyone else curious I am going to list the ten lists that flew today (in the completely random order that my car shuffled them into), as well as a short summary of my games and a beautiful picture from my final match with @moodswing5537.

@jamie nasmyth - Giga OP Q4 - Yavaris B-Wings
Author: Jamienasmyth

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 397/400

Commander: General Dodonna

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Fire Lanes
Navigation Objective: Sensor Net

[ flagship ] MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- General Dodonna ( 20 points)
- Adar Tallon ( 10 points)
- Fighter Coordination Team ( 3 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
= 152 total ship cost

Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57 points)
- Yavaris ( 5 points)
= 62 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Bright Hope ( 2 points)
- Toryn Farr ( 7 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 35 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 20 total ship cost

1 Ten Numb ( 19 points)
2 B-Wing Squadrons ( 28 points)
1 HWK-290 ( 12 points)
2 VCX-100 Freighters ( 30 points)
3 X-Wing Squadrons ( 39 points)

Stephen S. - Giga OP Q4

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 397/400

Commander: Admiral Motti

Assault Objective: Targeting Beacons
Defense Objective: Planetary Ion Cannon
Navigation Objective: Dangerous Territory

[ flagship ] Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
- Avenger ( 5 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
= 161 total ship cost

Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (85 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
= 99 total ship cost

Raider-II Class Corvette (48 points)
= 48 total ship cost

1 Maarek Steele ( 21 points)
1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
2 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 16 points)
2 TIE Interceptor Squadrons ( 22 points)
1 TIE Phantom Squadron ( 14 points)

@stephen_harris70 - Giga OP Q4

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 400/400

Commander: General Cracken

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Planetary Ion Cannon
Navigation Objective: Dangerous Territory

Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points)
- Toryn Farr ( 7 points)
- Engineering Team ( 5 points)
= 63 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57 points)
- General Cracken ( 26 points)
- Redemption ( 8 points)
- Engineering Team ( 5 points)
= 96 total ship cost

CR90 Corvette A (44 points)
- Redundant Shields ( 8 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 59 total ship cost

CR90 Corvette A (44 points)
- Redundant Shields ( 8 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 59 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 30 total ship cost

1 Biggs Darklighter ( 19 points)
3 X-Wing Squadrons ( 39 points)
1 Wedge Antilles ( 19 points)
1 "Dutch" Vander ( 16 points)

@moodswing5537 - Giga OP Q4
Tournament Points - 22, MoV - ? (43? less than CNinja)

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 394/400

Commander: Moff Jerjerrod

Assault Objective: Blockade Run
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

[ flagship ] Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Moff Jerjerrod ( 23 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 167 total ship cost

Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer (110 points)
- Avenger ( 5 points)
- Minister Tua ( 2 points)
- Boarding Troopers ( 3 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 131 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

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

6 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 48 points)

@Valca - Giga OP Q4

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 388/400

Commander: Moff Jerjerrod

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Hyperspace Assault
Navigation Objective: Navigational Hazards

[ flagship ] Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Moff Jerjerrod ( 23 points)
- Captain Needa ( 2 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 86 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 68 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 68 total ship cost

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 51 total ship cost

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 51 total ship cost

1 IG-88 ( 21 points)
1 Morna Kee ( 27 points)
2 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 16 points)

@CaribbeanNinja - Giga OP Q4

Tournament Points - 22, MoV ?

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 399/400

Commander: Admiral Sloane

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] Quasar Fire I-class Cruiser-Carrier (54 points)
- Admiral Sloane ( 24 points)
- Pursuant ( 2 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
= 91 total ship cost

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)
= 75 total ship cost

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 51 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

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

1 Colonel Jendon ( 20 points)
1 Maarek Steele ( 21 points)
1 Saber Squadron ( 12 points)
1 Ciena Ree ( 17 points)
1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
1 Dengar ( 20 points)
1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)

@ThatSlyBandit - Giga OP Q4 - The Big Swinging Vics

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 398/400

Commander: Moff Jerjerrod

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

[ flagship ] Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (85 points)
- Moff Jerjerrod ( 23 points)
- Support Officer ( 4 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Disposable Capacitors ( 3 points)
- Quad Battery Turrets ( 5 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 131 total ship cost

Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (85 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Disposable Capacitors ( 3 points)
- Quad Battery Turrets ( 5 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 105 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Minister Tua ( 2 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
= 37 total ship cost

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

1 Dengar ( 20 points)
1 Colonel Jendon ( 20 points)
1 Maarek Steele ( 21 points)
2 TIE Defender Squadrons ( 32 points)
1 Black Squadron ( 9 points)

@Megatronrex - Giga OP Q4 - Sloane's Pursuing Avenger

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 399/400

Commander: Admiral Sloane

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Admiral Sloane ( 24 points)
- Avenger ( 5 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Quad Battery Turrets ( 5 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 173 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

Quasar Fire I-class Cruiser-Carrier (54 points)
- Pursuant ( 2 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
= 67 total ship cost

1 Colonel Jendon ( 20 points)
1 Black Squadron ( 9 points)
1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 Maarek Steele ( 21 points)
1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
1 Zertik Strom ( 15 points)
1 Dengar ( 20 points)
1 Soontir Fel ( 18 points)

Dave - Giga OP Q4

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 400/400

Commander: Commander Sato

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Dangerous Territory

[ flagship ] MC30c Torpedo Frigate (63 points)
- Commander Sato ( 32 points)
- Admonition ( 8 points)
- Lando Calrissian ( 4 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Assault Concussion Missiles ( 7 points)
= 118 total ship cost

CR90 Corvette A (44 points)
- Jaina's Light ( 2 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 53 total ship cost

Hammerhead Scout Corvette (41 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Slaved Turrets ( 6 points)
= 51 total ship cost

Hammerhead Torpedo Corvette (36 points)
- Garel's Honor ( 4 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 47 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
= 18 total ship cost

1 Tycho Celchu ( 16 points)
1 Shara Bey ( 17 points)
1 Dash Rendar ( 24 points)
1 YT-2400 ( 16 points)
2 X-Wing Squadrons ( 26 points)
1 Rogue Squadron ( 14 points)

And last but not least, my fleet.

JJ Borrows the Dreadnoughts
Author: GiledPallaeon

Tournament Points - 21, MoV 518 (IIRC this is just positive MoV, not total score, and not subtracting the MoV I lose by right?)

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 391/400

Commander: Moff Jerjerrod

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Hondo Ohnaka ( 2 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 27 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Hand of Justice ( 4 points)
- Captain Needa ( 2 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 67 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer (110 points)
- Moff Jerjerrod ( 23 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- H9 Turbolasers ( 8 points)
- High-Capacity Ion Turbines ( 8 points)
= 160 total ship cost

Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer (110 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- H9 Turbolasers ( 8 points)
- High-Capacity Ion Turbines ( 8 points)
= 137 total ship cost

The astute (and/or those reading my thread in the fleet builds subforum) will note that this is a fleet I have run before, in fact identical to a match against Viktor Tanek. I'm going to do a quick rundown of my games, because it's late and my memory will not improve into tomorrow. I faced, in order: Stephen S (400-137 my favor), Dave (392-137 my favor), and @moodswing5537 (440-223 his favor). If anyone ever encounters Stephen S., do not underestimate his lack of Strategic. We played his Targeting Beacons, and the man is a wizard about placing his beacons such that they never need to be moved. It's the second time I've faced a list of his wielding that objective, and it was just as irritating to watch all the rerolls for extra damage as the first time. Had the dice not been nearly so rude to him, the margin almost certainly would have been smaller. The essentials of that match are that the Raider bought it early because it tried to chase Hand of Justice across her companions' front arcs, not-JJ ISD ended up absorbing the brunt of the punishment and falling while JJ's ship set up a flanking attack that swept across the board and ended with Motti's ISD pinned between Flag and HoJ. Well fought game, and a prudent reminder for me just how much extra Motti is actually worth.

Game 2 was against Dave, a local Sato aficionado, and we played his Contested Outpost. My tactics were similar to the first game. JJ bumrushed the station and essentially pushed/rammed the GR75 off it, with HoJ on her flank, which helped arrange for the death of Garel's Honor before it could unleash its External Racks. This was mostly due to the sacrifice play at the top of that turn of the other ISD (is anyone sensing a theme here?) which got itself forked by Jaina's Light, Admonition, and the other Hammerhead. She destroyed the Hammerhead and crippled Jaina's Light, forcing it to flee the battle, but left Admonition with only a ram damage. For the rest of the game, HoJ chased Admo, which was chasing JJ with the help of all the squadrons. JJ survived with two hull, not in the least after a critical turn evading Admo's black range by approximately an inch. First player was abused relentlessly to stiffarm the MC30, and HoJ brought it down turn 6 with seven hits (after TRC) on four red dice. (Admo's tokens were all gone from dealing with JJ's insistent side arc fire.) Five CO tokens rounded out my score, to his one.

Game 3 was with @moodswing5537 (I really hope it isn't pinging you every time I tag you), where he outplanned me, and unforced errors compounded the issue into a total tabling. We played his Blockade Run, which means now is a relevant time for this image.

Clockwise from top left: My JJ, his I-2 JJ, his Avenger, and my generic ISD. This is circa turn 3(?). We both had JJ dual ISD fleets, and because he had deployment advantage, I basically put the ISDs centered-ish on my side with the Gozanti in deep trail and HoJ set up to make firing passes at his two Gozantis to try to get me activation advantage. That part of the plan worked okay, the lead Gozanti leap-frogged HoJ, which I should have seen coming, but the second one absorbed enough fire to put the crit for extra ram damage down, at which point she leapt forward and finished the job. Unfortunately, six TIE fighters is a lot of blues, Bomber or not, and HoJ was bleeding by the time she entered long range of the attacking JJ. Here's where I got out-thought. Moodswing waited until JJ's ship had been activated into Avenger and then used his Boarding Troopers on her, causing among other things her brace and a redirect to go away. The concentrated fire was enough that by round end, JJ's ship had only four hull remaining, while my return fire had only started to bite into the enemy ships. I had also misplayed my command dials, with generic ISD carrying repairs it didn't need and JJ's ship fitted for navs to flank and reposition. Essentially what happened next was a swap. Both of the lower ships traded place (he pulled forward, then I jumped over him at speed 3), then at the top of the next round, JJ fired his final salvo before being spaced by his counterpart. His counterpart also managed to have front arc on HoJ, and promptly dealt the two damage (I got all the ship's shields blown off and three hull damage from TIEs! TIEs!) required to space her. And here come the unforced errors. I have first player, so it's very easy for the surviving ISD (which had no hull damage and most of its shields) to run down and destroy the I-2, chasing across the short dimension of the board. I'm still losing, but not badly (~70 pts). I then proceed to forget that ship had a nav command to cut speed from 3 until after she's moved (error 1), and on the next turn oversteer (another nav command) to fishtail a millimeter of the rear of my base off the board for a tabling. (The front arc of Avenger got the Gozanti.) And with that we jump from a low 7-4 to a very high 8-3, giving Moodswing a very well-deserved second place finish.

Quick thoughts about this fleet. I like it a lot. It's high-velocity, and JJ's ability to put an ISD almost anywhere I want is really only limited by the fact that ramming rules don't let the mile-long ship push things several orders of magnitude smaller out of its way. The Arquitens put in work, with consistent damage fire to either support her big sisters, or as she flew in the last game as a high-capability low-cost flotilla hunter to maximize my activation advantage. I'm probably dropping Hand of Justice as the title, but the ship itself is staying. This fleet also LOVES first player. The ability to set up double arcs with near impunity, knowing I get to shoot first is very valuable, and while occasionally I wish I had Motti hull, I can often negate that need with precision application of utterly overwhelming force. I'm probably going to keep playing with I-2s, but this is the new standard to beat for fleets for me.

So a thought occurred to me, and this is probably getting its own thread eventually, but most battles have the primary combat and maneuvering happen around an axis. Actual maneuver and combat courses probably plot an ellipse (I have no idea how on Earth to try to mathematically prove this, so if anyone has ideas please chime in), but the long axis of that ellipse is the axis I care about. Note I am not saying that a ship or even a fleet's course plot an ellipse, I'm saying the sum of courses in a battle tends to be elliptical. That long axis is very important for Blockade Run because basic flanking tactics don't change (even when four ISDs have stepped up to the plate to beat each other senseless). However, something very important changes, and that is the orientation of the combat axis to the long axis of the game board. As I sit here typing this out, more than a little exhausted, I know most games I play circle that ellipse, and that ellipse is almost always parallel to the game board, or from a different point of view, perpendicular to the deployment axis. In Blockade Run, perpendicular to deployment isn't the long axis of the board, it's the short one. And especially as defender of a Blockade Run, you are even more likely to develop an ellipse among your fleet because you are trying to prevent the enemy from breaking your lines of fire and racing home into your deployment zone scot-free. However, you still have to contend with that normally you have twice as far for that long axis of the ellipse than you do now. Maybe I'm the only one often running into trouble with this, but these are my new ideas.

This was probably the most enjoyable tournament I've ever played in. My first game was a loss against @Valca Those were the most well flown Arquittens that I've ever faced. Despite the fact that I decorated all of them with 3 damage cards I only manged to kill one of them but it felt like it was anybody's game right up until the end. My second game I pulled off a modest victory (only a 70 point win that would have been just 50 but he gave me some great advice there at the end) over @jamie nasmyththrough Contested Outpost points and the general badassness of Mauler and Fel. My final loss was to Dave and man that was one intense nail biter of a match up. We went back and forth all game and in the end I lost because I forgot the basic fundamentals of ALWAYS BE NAVIGATING and flew my ISD with 1 hull left into a f****** rock.

I always get a kick out of meeting players who also post on here and thought it was really cool to have so many in one tournament (Why isn't Dave on here he seems like he'd enjoy it?).

Thanks so much @jamie nasmythfor hosting this. Really looking forward to regionals down there and I plan on making the trek down for more of your other events and of course any time you or the anyone else from that crowd are anywhere near Greenville hit me up for a game.

@CaribbeanNinja congratulations on your victory and those white ships of yours look so d*** good on the table.

Congrats @moodswing5537 on taking second. It was great to meet you and finally put a real face with that avatar of yours.

Still haven't gotten to face @GiledPallaeonyet, you spent too much time at the top table for us to get matched up, but hopefully soon and yes that was @ThatSlyBanditwho rode with me.

Thanks for the write up. That's a really good mix of fleet types. I look forward to hopefully seeing some of you at Regionals.

How was it running no squadrons against some of those fleets? Did you do a decent amount of damage through flak or largely ignore them?

11 hours ago, Megatronrex said:

This was probably the most enjoyable tournament I've ever played in.

Gotta echo this. What a fun day! I don't think I've ever felt so fresh at the end of a tourney. Kudos to @jamie nasmythwho ran a great one!

I was fortunate that my Sloane Aces were really mean spanking all opposing squads all day long.

I started out playing Jamie in a really great match that I was lucky to win. We played Jamie's Most Wanted and he targeted my Sloane Quasar. Pursuant is SO GOOD in my opinion. Allowing the Quasar to sneak in a nav command at the right time. This game turned in my favor due to some real death from the Imp Aces (Ciena rolling like 5/6 hits to one shot a full health X-wing for example) and being able to get Ten Numb off the board fast. It was a solid win against a great opponent.

@ThatSlyBandit had a mean bunch of Vics! Oh my goodness that fleet was beautiful! Probably the nicest pair of Gozanti's you'll ever see. (All Megatronrex's handy work!) I've never been happier to lose a game. VSDs will always hold a special place in my heart, and seeing SlyBandit wield them against me was awesome. I won the squad war, but it cost me. He pummeled my ships tremendously. He swung the VSD arcs around with JJ (and being 2nd player I was a bit helpless. ) Once he killed Sloane, I did my best to kill one of the Vics. It was a 6 point game! (270-264) Probably one of the most fun matches I've ever played!

I really lucked out (trust me it is all about the match-ups!) that my final game was a horrible match-up for my opponent, @stephen_harris70who was running Cracken. Normally great (and a real pain in the *** ) Cracken did little against my aces. His fast flying nebs were too easy to bring down with Maarek and crew once the Biggs ball went down. Stephen was a great opponent throughout who took it all in stride.

Again, a fantastic day of Armada. If you live within a shortish drive to Marietta you owe it to yourself to come to Giga and play there.

On ‎10‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 8:25 AM, Megatronrex said:

. We went back and forth all game and in the end I lost because I forgot the basic fundamentals of ALWAYS BE NAVIGATING and flew my ISD with 1 hull left into a f****** rock.

My friend @Grinoch has a saying regarding Arquitens: Never Not Nav, but it really does apply to just about everything.