Extract from Empire News Network....

"Empire spies had found out that a senior rebel sympathiser was being picked up by Star base 33257, by a small rebel fleet.

The sector controller, Admiral Screed, made plans to intercept the fleet, damage it as much as possible and capture this rebel for further interrogation.

The fleets dropped out of hyperspace almost simultaneously, with two Gladiator class star destroyers advancing quickly, backed up by a Gozanti carrier. The admirals flagship, an ISD with Kuat refit, slowed somewhat to allow the Gladiators to close on his position, which was opposite the bulk of the rebels.

Early on the Empire destroyed a pair of GR75 transports, being escorted by two squadrons of x-wings.

Soon after the ISD was seen to turn away from the closing Gladiators, but it was soon apparent why. They were in the perfect position to fire all front arc weapons at the Rebel flagship. After a dazzling show of laser fire, the CR90 was blown up. It is not known if the traitor, General Dodonna, escaped.

Due to the overwhelming numbers of squadrons the rebels had brought with them, significant damage was done to all three of the Empire's combat ships, but in addition to the two ships already destroyed, Admiral Screed was able to claim a Hammerhead too.

During the intense battle, the Gozanti carriers were able to capture the rebel and make good their escape just as planned. The traitor is now being held in a secret location undergoing interrogation.

The admirals ISD flagship was seen to return with some battle scars, and we are told that the two Gladiators are "undergoing emergency repairs".

With the capture of this rebel traitor, the destruction of three rebel ships, and heavy damage to a fourth, this reporter is of the firm belief that a major blow has been struck against the rebellion.

In other news...."

Played a game on Monday against a friend mine.

My list was as follows:

ISD Kuat, Screed, Strategic Advisor, Ord Experts, ECM. Leading Shots, ACM

GSD1, Intel Officer, Ord Experts, Engine Techs, ACM, Demolisher

GSD1, Intel Officer, Ord Experts, Engine Techs, ACM, Insidious

Gozantis, Comms Net

Gozantis, Comms Net

No squadrons.

391 points

My pals rebel list was

CR90, Dodonna, Jainas Light, TRC

Pelta, Phoenix Home, All Fighters Follow Me!, Boosted Comms, Raymus Antilles, Veteran Captain, Fighter Co-ordination Team

GR-75, Bomber Command Centre, Boosted Comms, Ahsoka Tano

GR-75, Bomber Command Centre, Boosted Comms,, Hondo Ohnaka

Hammerhead, Garels Honour, Lando Calrissian, Ex Racks, Ord Experts

Squadrons

Biggs, Rogue Squadron, 2 x X-Wing Squadrons, Norra, 2 x Y Wing Squadrons, 1 x Gold Squadron, 1 x Moldy Crow (Jan Ors)

400 Points

I went first and selected his Capture the VIP (The others being Precision Strike and Salvage Run).

The eventual deployment was (my left to right) ISD, Gozantis, GSD Demo, Gozantis, GSD Insidious

Facing that he deployed most of his ships facing the ISD, (from my left, CR90, Peltas, GR75s plus his main squadrons) with the other GR75 and a couple of squadrons more in the middle, probably looking to get the VIP.

I had deployed at speed 3 with my combat ships, the Gozantis at speed 2. His were a mix of speed 1 and 2.

Turn 1 saw me rush the GSDs forward as quickly as possible, plotting manoeuvre dials to get Engine Techs. The ISD I slowed to speed 2 as I wanted the GSDs to get in with the ISD if possible.

Turn 2 and I was able to destroy the lone GR 75 (with some lucky red dice and a bump in the manoeuvre). My ISD was taking some fire, from Hammerhead, Pelta and fighters, but the ships were not at close range. The ISD survived with no crits and five hull down.

As I was last firsting, Turn 3 gave me the choice of destroying either the CR79 or Pelta. Get the flagship with Dodonna or score more points with the Pelta. As my ISD had almost no shields and my engineering dials were 2 turns away, I vered off and went for the CR90. This took the ISD out of the game but the CR90 died in one front arc volley.

I didn't have it all my own way though, while Demolisher did some useful damage to the Pelta and Hammerhead, it did get hit hard from the former and fighters, but somehow it survived the turn.

Turn 4 I picked up the VIP with one of the Gozantis, and was able to go first with the Demolisher to destroy the Hammerhead and engine techs away from the squadrons. However I didn't manage to get far enough away and was destroyed by the squadrons.

Insidious meantime had been coming round the flank and was now in a position to hit the Pelta (hopefully destroying it) at the start of Turn 5. However it was damaged and the move was risky as the bombers could get to it. I thought I had calculated that it would survive, but didn't count on the Structural Damage crit which made all the difference when his last fighter squadron plinked the last hull point.

Turn 6 was a non-event. The Gozantis escaped. The ISD was out of range of the Pelta and having engineered a couple of turns wasn't going to be destroyed by any squadrons that came knocking.

We totted up the points, and I'd got a narrow 206 - 177 win.

Quite a few 'ifs' from that game. If Insidious had survived, I had a double arc (front and side) on the Pelta that should have done for it, but on at least two occasions by oppo rolled double blanks when shooting with fighters.

My deployment was a bit suspect, with the ISD somewhat isolated to begin with.

Will try the list again soon. I really enjoyed playing it.