I've been in a rut, I used to win at least 50% of my games if not closer to 70%. I've been getting spanked hard since regionals. I've been trying to find my signature list again. I'm not a hyper defensive player, but a hyper offensive player, and a rebel. The night before I ended up putting FIVE lists in my box, at the venue, I rolled a 1D6 to decide on which list to fly.
1: Ion Planet - Jess Pava w/M9G8/Optics, Gold Squadron w/Flight Assist, Ion Cannon, BTL (x2), Ezra w/snapshot, R3A2, Tactician
2: Expertise Rey/Norra - Expertise/Finn/Kanna/Sloop/Engine Rey, Experitse/FFA/Title/C3PO
3: PS11 Rey - Rey-Experise/Finn/Kanan/Sloop/Engine - REX - Fenn-VI/Jyn Erso/R2 Astro
4: Fast Strike 9 - Norra-VI/Flight Assist/Title/Rey - Wedge - Expertise/Flight Assist/IA - Jan Ors-Adaptability/TLT/Nein Numb
5: Slow Strike 10 - Wedge-Adapt/Plasma Torps/Flight Assist/Chips - Cracken - VI/Harpoon/Chips - Nym VI/ABT/Harpoon/Ion Bomb/EM/Chips/Rey
I rolled a 4, conviently, the list I have the most reps with.
game 1 vs Crimson Leader/AP5/Miranda
Arguably the best bomb player in the city, and a surprisingly janky list. AP5 lifts the stress of the stop off Crimson Leader allowing him to stay put and just keep launching bomblets at you. If you get close, Miranda forces you away with her own bombs and ordnance. He setup with the bomber about R2 from my left edge. Miranda on the other side and AP5 just beside the bomber. I setup on the left edge and came in hot an fast. Round two I got all guns on the bomber, Miranda just out of range by a hair, dodged the bomblet that the bomber threw. By round 3 the bomber was gone. Wedge took a harpoon from Miranda and was left with the mech and one hit. Norra and Jan pumped damage into Miranda stripping shields. Wedge nuked AP5 (Miranda was not in range) and got him down to 1 hull with a beauty of a R3 shot buffed by Jan. Miranda off'd Wedge with her own TLT and regened a shield. I forgot which bomb Miranda had, it was proxies, she took all two hits. Miranda then took the R1 on Norra and took one, even with Miranda burning a shield. Next round, dial to get into position to off AP5 with Norra and avoid another bomb. But AP5 coordinates a drop with Miranda and Norra takes 1 (sabine) she's down to 2 (clutch play!). I do get rid of AP5 with Jan TLT, and throw 4 dice plus Norra's ability at Miranda, 2 hull left on Miranda. Miranda offs Norra with a seismic bomb the next round (just clipped....). Jan Ors vs Miranda ended exactly how you thought it would. I had one turn where I could make it work, but missed on the second TLT volley. Miranda regen'd and we danced for 2 more turns trading TLT until she finally got Jan and regen'd her shields back up.
Game loss. prox mines MVP.
game 2 vs the Countess, Whisper, and Harpoon Nu.
This player is not very experienced with Phantoms. I built a very similar list myself (Echo/Vessery/Nu) and enjoyed it. It can deal a ton of damage when flow right, so I know what it can do. I want to kill the Nu first. I have the PS advantage. he took initiative off the die-roll and we went to town. we setup in opposite corners. I came in staggered and slow and he started putting Whisper into a flanking position. His defender got into a poor position behind a rock and he over committed the Nu. the Nu never got a shot off dying in round 3 when we finally got range. I slow'd down a bit more and let Whisper get into R1 off my fleet. he took the shot on Norra and whiffed. only 2 dice. I punished him with R1 shots from Wedge and Norra back, buffed by Jan of course. Whisper died. the Defender was now starting to become a problem and hurt Wedge a bit. I moved my forces around for a regroup stripping shields in the process off of the Defender. On the last turn he setups a brilliant block. I choose my activation so that Jan moves in and bumps first, maybe Norra can bump Jan and I can get the R1 shot... nope, she bumps Ryad. Wedge K-Turns behind @ R3 of Ryad. Launches a buffed R3 shot with TL... doesn't need it - hit hit crit crit crit. Defender rolls 3 blanks.
win 100-0
Game 3 vs Sol/Ketsu
One of the best players in the community. For sure a top 3. I hate this list and flown against it a few times. Mostly I hate Shadowcasters. Sol is the easier kill, so I decided on turn 0 that I'm going to loose this one, but not before I get Sol. I setup left side, he sets up right. I want to engage in the rocks so I move slowly while he dives right in. Sol presents himself and I take off 3 shields with wedge from R3. the other two only have shots on the caster, he only took a focus and had no TL... so I went for it. I ended up getting 4 hits through. Okay, this is good. He thinks I'm all in on Sol at this point because of Wedge's position. But I turn hard with all Wedge and Norra to pincer Ketsu. He glittered, focus, evade, and had lock on Wedge. HE STRESSES JAN, which was shocking, instead of shutting down expertise on Wedge. Wedge and Norra commit with paint on both R1 shots and get him down to 4 hull by the end of it all. Wedge looses shields and Jan takes a Harpoon (but only a shield and 1 hull). Fast forward... Sol is dead, Norra is on fire and harpoon'd, Wedge and Jan are dead. Ketsu has 1 hull left. We joust, I have no more Rey's banked, but I jump into R1 with Target Lock. we both wiff! I fly behind him, trying to keep R1, so that if he kills me at least the harpoon will go off and he dies too, final salvo. Nope, he flies over the debris to get away from me (unexpected), I wiff on my rear shot, he takes the R2 shot and kills Norra.
Loss. observers put it as a perfectly flown game by both of us, with dice being the ultimate deciding factor. I'm happy with that.
Round 4 vs Ryad, Sabbac, Omega Leader, Wampa
This is a surprisingly tough list to deal with. He sets up the joust in the rocks, conga lining his ships. He bumps Ryad so I unload into her and get rid of shields in some brilliant dice play. Wampa gets a hit in under wedge's shields, but other wise my trio escapes unharmed. Knowing he was expecting my 4K I expected him to 5K with Ryad. He does. I self bump Jan into Wedge, Wedge into Norra, and 2 turn Norra. Norra and Wedge now have R1 on Ryad, and Jan has R2. Ryad dies from Wedge and Jan. Norra pumps into Wampa and gets the hit crit through with direct damage. Yay. Sabbac kills Wedge with 5 dice and wedge blanks. Norra hurts Sabacc pretty bad, but not long after she gets the PS0 from OL. At this point it's an uphill battle and I loose the game to a 1 hull Sabbac and a 3 hull OL.
loss.
Bonus round 5 - Podcast Objective Format - #2
I changed my list to my slow attack 10's. I'm flying against Rey Lowhrrick. Rey has initiative, he places his objective rock at on my right board edge and R3. I counter and put my rock as close as possible to his. I want to force the engagement on my terms. He thinks I'm going to dive in hard and fast, so he does the same hoping to close R1. I go ultra slow. No combat, but the rocks are in the way and I know he can't close to R1 now unless he boosts in. He does what I wanted and parks Rey right beside the objective rock and Lowhricck a bit further away. I misplayed my activation and Cracken bumped, but Wedge got off his plasma and got rid of 3 shields, Nym's Harpoon got into hull on Rey. I play slow again, but Rey bumps and Wedge K-turns. We get 5 hits into Lowhricck with 3 more into Rey. The bump fest continues, I loose Cracken, but Rey is burning with 1 hull and lowrrick with 2. Next round swings back in his favor hard as I loose Wedge. Norra is now burning and wiffed with her shot. Rey bugs out fast, there is no way for me to catch her with Nym, but I try anyways. I get Lowrrick down to 1 hull...then Nym explodes.
Loss.
So 4-1 on the day. BUT such incredibly close games that I really enjoyed it and don't feel bad about it at all! I'll be focusing on these two lists in the future to see where I can take them from here. I don't think I can improve on the efficiency of my PS9 squad, and I think it may burn a ghost quick enough. But I think my PS10 squad needs to find a way to get a more powerful bomb in there or ditch the bomb and put on TLT. Very exciting and fun day. To have all my opponents sweating was a treat, especially flying Wedge and Jan Ors.
Edited by Wiredin