The NC regional was very Imp heavy with 16 folks that showed up. Multiple lists with Vader+2x eRiots. The Bantha is my favorite figure, but with nal hutta in the rotation I went with a traditional IG merc list (IG, Onar, Vinto, eWeequays, care package, rJawa, Devious, Black Market). I seriously wonder how the Bantha would have performed against the riot swarms...
This was my first organized IA tourney and made a few mistakes the first game (Jabba's map, 4 point crate mission). I faced a Vader, double eRiot, Blaise list with a few officers. We both opened our doors in round one. Blaise died to focused eQuay shots. Celebration made it 10-0. IG sniped an eRiot, and Onar pushed an eRiot off the middle crate. Vader got double moved next to Onar and took a rage-y swipe end of round. My opponent took initiative and took down Onar with a Vader swipe while holding a celebration of his own. Vinto and an eRiot went down during the second round, though the eRiot got reinforced. He controlled a pair of crates and I controlled one. I sold on the lamb on the black market to make it 23-27 end of round. I took out an officer with a long-range eQuay snipe to open the third round making it 25-27, then Vader double moved next to IG. I figured IG could survive a single parting blow, so went to move him away from Vader during his turn. My opponent had two parting blows for both vader and an eRiot, so IG went down practically ending the game. I didn't see a single hunter card all game, and IG rolled a single block all game. Pretty bummer start to my tourney career. If I had played more conservative with Onar, the game would have gone differently. I also hadn't played against eRiots, so underestimated their damage output.
0-1
Second round was against a Vader, eRiot, eJet, Palp list on the other Jabba's mission. First round was uneventful. Doors stayed closed. We traded an eJet for an eQuay. I bought on the lam on the black market to make it 1-4. Second round was a bloodbath for him. Vader, two eJets, and two eRiots all went down without dealing significant damage to my pieces. We called the game 28-8.
1-1
Third round was mos eisley against my friend Jason who runs a palp, eSentry, eJet, rJet, BT, 2xofficers list. We were on the mission where you hold crates for points. First round was all about positioning. I grouped my figures near my doors and he opened his to pick up four points in crates. Round two, he takes initiative and kills Vinto with the sentries and celebrating his victory. IG returns the favor by killing BT before he can activate. Aided by a fuel upgrade, a regular jet trooper overruns for 8 damage through most of my units. IG blazed to kill a sentry and pump some damage on palp, then fell during palps turn. An officer took a snipe from an eQuay that was intended for for the emperor. I ended the round with three crates and Jason had two to make it 19-27. In round three, eQuays and Onar pushed forward to take out a pair of eJets and an officer, but I mis-positioned Onar. I rushed him forward to deal a point of damage to finish off an eJet, but didn't realize that force lightning was an action and mis-positioned him next to the emperor. If I had put him one square away instead, palps wouldn't have had enough damage to kill him without force lighting+attack. The rJawa and Gideon attempted to take out a rJet but Gideon missed on range and the rJets killed 3po and the rJawa. and I picked up a crate and sold Draw on the black market to make it 32-37. At the beginning of round four, I had a chance to win it with an eQuay attack on palp but the rolls weren't with me and he took out the eQuay next turn to seal the deal.
1-2
At 1-2 with bad tie breakers I was playing for pride at this point, and got matched up against a double eSentries list with palp, bt with targeting computer, and a couple officers. We were on raining freight on nal hutta. He mis-positioned palp that left him exposed. I double moved IG to get in shotgun range for palp then blazed to take him down. In the second round, the eQuays traded some max range shots with the eSentries. 3p0 served as a good bodyguard for the eQuays and took a hit, killing him, though I was able to clean up one of the sentries and damage two others. We both picked up a crate to make it 15-4 at the end of round two. Round three saw some crates being claimed by my opponent. I played it slow and refocused my guys knowing the game was mine to lose. BT attempted to get damage on IG, but IG took him out then celebrated his victory. My opponent conceded at that point facing a 26-8 uphill climb without palps and only three damaged sentries left.
2-2
I finished 10th overall. My buddy Jason from round 3 made top 8 and was matched up against a Vader+2 eRiots list on mos eisley (different opponent than my round 1 opponent). I don't have the play by play notes but they traded fairly evenly. The highlight of the game was an eJet swooping in to attack Vader who had 15 damage on him. Vader rolled a natural double triple block. Jason finally conceded only holding an undamaged palp, officers, and rJets vs. a pair of undamaged eRiots, undamaged palp, very wounded Vader, and pair of wounded eRiots, with one minute left on the clock and no way to score the points to win.
The top four was 3 imps and a rebel list with eRangers. I didn't stay to see who won, though the rebel list was facing a Vader+2x eRiot list on nal hutta, so I'd like to think he at least advanced to the finals.
Given the fact I had only played 10 or so serious games in preparation for the tournament, I was ok with my standings. Given that it was the first time I'd ever played against Vader or eRiots, I feel like my first game was extremely close and could have gone differently with a little tighter play on my part. Now's time to convince the wife to let me go to nationals 