Played a game against a skilled Local the other day with the latest version. I'll recount with my view of the board.
Jerrjerrod list with Chimaera ISD2 moderatly geared up. 3xKitten with TRC, Engine Tech for double Ram. Player is very cagey/competetive and is either an engineer or mathmatics teacher I forget. He was testing a list for San Antonio Regionals.
He bid with 3 points and took first player. Superior Positions. Terrian clustered center/left with station and a single asteroid on right far apart.
His deployment centerlined his ISD at speed 2 mid board. 2 kittens to the left denying that board side at speed 3, remaining kitten right of ISD angled to take that flank. No squadrons in his fleet. He stated that he was glad to see me playing heavy squad, as he thought the build was good but he wanted to see if he could do enough damage to me quick enough.
My deployment. I centerlined my naked GR to appear head to head with ISD. Pelta to its left angled left for an oblique approach. Bright Hope to its left. All speed 2. Quantum Storm speed 3 to the right of my centerlined GR. Head to head with Lone Kitten. My plan, hope he takes on the bulk of my fleet with ISD and dual kittens. QS to speed behind ISD to drop reinforcements. My HH's will concentrate entire game on getting aft strafing runs for victory points.
Turn 1.
Kittens on left straight ahead full speed with Engine Techs...wasting no time and not giving Phoenix a chance to token up. ISD Straight ahead with a 1 click turn to the right. He must see the Quantum drop coming but its ok....Lone kitten moves to cover all area possible for QS final position.
I have activation advantage with 2nd player and 4 ships so I manuever in response. QS manages to get into side arc of ISD but will have to weather the side arc fire of lone kitten at mid-range, ISD is long. Pelta and Bright hug my board edge. Bright moved first giving QS a maneuver token. naked GR moves to block ISD to protect Pelta. HH's move in anticipation of speedy close assault of Kittens. Prepare for speed 4 aft strafing runs. (Superior Positions).
Turn 2
Lone kitten fires at QS. No accuracy, scatter. Jerrjerrod allows an amazing maneuver at speed 3 with the engine tech allowing a ram on QS. The maneuverability takes me a bit aback and I realise a very real danger to my fleet. I decide at this point to do my best to limit the engagement my stayng close to enemy ships despite the shooting and just try to stay out of the forward guns of ISD.
BH takes to the left on a wide path. Squad token to Pelta.
I misjudged distance on center GR and it is somehow at mid range of ISD. ISD fires full dice. No accuracy. Scatter. *whew!* QS evades damage from side. ISD JJ maneuver to tail pelta. QS moves freely for drop position. He made it.
Ranged fire from kittens does limited sheild damage, but a double ram on Bright Hope is concerning. Headhunters and an odd shot from the pelta begin to rack up Vic tokens.
Pelta is taking a dangerous path between the ISD and dual kittens, but has terrain cover.
TURN 3
Frigate Hypers in spd 2 and dual arcs the ISD for a paragon shot. Lone kitten is secondary target on its Port side. Hondo gives my fleet maneuver (Assault Frigate), CF (pelta). AFFM.
ISD moves first and somehow fails to destroy naked GR after another scatter. My opponent is shaken at this and is frustrated. Fires another arc at fighters. Speeds up to 3 to avoid rear paragon shot and totally escapes paragons range.
My Assault Frigate poops out 3 Bwings but does not activate them. Fires at Arquittens doing 2 Hull. after its couple turns of JJ damage and some strafing runs last turn. Speeds up to 3 to chase ISD, inneffectually.
Lone kitten double rams center GR. Kills GR but sets itself up for a broadside from AF.
QS is barely able to stretch the range of 2 B-wings from the AF. Speed 3 bombing runs on rear of ISD. QS is now effectively disengaged from combat after its move.
Dual kittens lob fire at bright hope innefectually. strip 1 sheild. Switch attention to Pelta before it makes good an escape on a vector in too close proximity to persue. Terrain and good use of tokens prevent appreciable damage.
Strafing against Kittens. Some fire from Pelta. =tokens.
TURN 4
ISD at Pelta, significant damage to sheilds. Cursory Flak. Persue Pelta, but avoid terrain.
AF takes out Lone Kitten. Moves to cut off ISD from pelta persuit.
Dual kittens lend fire to pelta assault but cannot persue due to potential terrain damage/relentless if not effective HH strafing. No JJ turn.
Bright Hope limps away making good his escape.
Pelta sends more strafing runs and moves just out of range.
Bwings are luckily still in range of ISD and lend their shots, continuing brutal assault of the aft side. I think 2 were ordered by Pelta.
Remaining fighters position to within command range of Pelta.
TURN 5
Assault frigate is able to plink rear side of a kitten before it flies off. However, sets itself up for Last/first of ISD.
Pelta is now safe however.
ISD blasts AF. Kittens hit AF. AF has only Brace token, no facing sheilds, and 3 hull.
Final turn of strafing takes out another Kitten.
TURN 6
AF is taken out by ISD fire.
Bright Hope Thought too soon and was rammed after its last turn careless maneuver. Grrrr.
I get like 1 strafing shot.
Reb casualties AF (100), Bright Dope (22), GR (20) 3 HH (21)
IMP casualties 2xArcquittens (80 give/take apeice)
Victory Tokens counted up. I am 13 victory tokens ahead of my opponent. All the relentless attacks took their toll, despite hitting less than 1/3 of the time. B Wings and some key deuce hits took thier toll.
Basically a 190 pt victory for Fish Heads.