@racknut and I played this afternoon, our first fleets incorporating Wave 7 options.
I used this fleet . The rebels had a Madine MC80 Battle Cruiser, MC30c with Lando, 3xGR75, and 3xA-Wing + Shara Bey. I won the bid, and took 1st player. I picked Dangerous Territory for objective.
The previous two matches I'd flown small-ship fleets and got eaten up by variations on this Madine fleet. I needed a change and something easier to fly, and went to this big-ship fleet, using some activation management with the Cruisers and adding some Wave 7 upgrades. I was having a difficult time getting the MC30c and MC80 in my firing arcs. And they kept swinging around to get back behind me. Very annoying, Madine. Ultimately, I won in the final two rounds.
I have scattered thoughts from this fleet and this game:
- Going first was the right choice. Having first attack won the game for me. I'm finally getting to appreciate the tactical choices between going 1st vs 2nd -- both have benefit and detriment -- and building a fleet with a bid or spending the points on upgrades.
- Strategic Advisor was superb. Love this card already.
- I’m not sure what to make of Thrawn. I’m not sure I’m a good enough player to use him well. His value is maybe muted with a 2xISD + 2xGoz fleet. With more ships (maybe even a small-ship fleet) he’d be more beneficial. And I was missing Jerjerrod, though I used Thrawn for some Navigation.
- I never got to use Gunnery Team. It's hard enough to combat Madine, much less getting two ships in say a front arc.
- I got little benefit from Intensity Firepower. I don't think it's the right upgrade for this fleet.
- QLT + H9 can be super useful, but I’m not sure it’s worth the points. This is my first game with them, so I need more experience.
- I couldn't get a ramming solution on the MC30c, so I didn't get to use Hardened Bulkheads. Against a GR75-heavy Madine fleet, maybe not the right upgrade.
- I need to keep Goz at a greater distance from the ships they support. I was flying them in close formation (distance 1-2), which allowed my opponent to get his ships in arc of both an ISD and its supporting Gozanti, forcing me to decide who's going to get clobbered
- I screwed up Ciena + Valen. I need to move them via squadron as a pair to get them both engaged. If I let the opponent take the advantage, he can split the pair up and at least one will die.
- I continue to struggle to understand Deployment. I tend to "aim" straight towards the opponents side, in a row. I deployed Avenger at Speed 3 thinking I’d leap onto the MC30 for BT. But that caused me to go from too far to too close and then get double-arced when the MC30 activated and flew away from me. I think I need Speed 1 or 2 on Avenger to bring it into range, while throwing its Reds from afar. I need to rethink my deployments and try some new approaches.
- BT Avenger, when it works, is incredible. But oh the difficulty of trying to get the setup for success.
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I think we both failed to play to the objectives. We were too busy trying to pew-pew roll dice that we ignored some easy opportunities to get tokens.
Quote
20180318 - 7th Wave Cymoon Fleet
Author: ShoutingMan
Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 394/400
Commander: Grand Admiral Thrawn
Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Planetary Ion Cannon
Navigation Objective: Dangerous Territory[ flagship ] Imperial Star Destroyer Cymoon 1 Refit (112 points)
- Grand Admiral Thrawn ( 32 points)
- Relentless ( 3 points)
- Strategic Adviser ( 4 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Hardened Bulkheads ( 5 points)
- Quad Turbolaser Cannons ( 10 points)
- H9 Turbolasers ( 8 points)
- Intensify Firepower! ( 6 points)
= 187 total ship costImperial I-Class Star Destroyer (110 points)
- Avenger ( 5 points)
- Boarding Troopers ( 3 points)
- Hardened Bulkheads ( 5 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 127 total ship costGozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship costGozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost1 Ciena Ree ( 17 points)
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)
= 30 total squadron cost