Friday Night X-wing: Playtesting

I rarely get a Friday night off since I teach fencing most Friday nights. But for Memorial Day weekend it is almost pointless since everyone leaves early to get on the road and go somewhere so no fencing Friday or Monday. Which leaves me with a rare 4 day weekend. So after a spirited discussion on the Facebook group concerning mini swarms or swarms without Howlie I decided to play-test the five fingered death punch list a bit. The List consisted of four fingers: Mauler, Backstabber, Dark Curse and the new guy (Obsidian Squad) and a thumb: the Captain Kagi shuttle (Aka. The Kagi Blocker) with engine upgrade, sensor jammer and rebel captive.

The first game I played was against Mike and he ran the XXBB list with rookies and advanced sensors. I totally forgot to take pics because I was wound up to actually play rather than blather on about X-wing. It was a very close game. Highlights: 

Shuttle seemed dead set on running into every rock it could find, like it was trying to bang its head against a wall. The shuttle did shut down the rebels ability to get target locks on anything by just flying lazy circles around the middle of the board.

Mauler getting a range one shot an whiffing on all four dice... and then dying a horrible, explody death.

Backstabber getting a range one, surprise buttsex! shot with four dice and ....yes you guessed it...whiffed completely.

the game ended with Dark Curse and the rookie X-wing jousting with each other only to end with Dark Curse k-turning and landing on a rock...taking a crit...then dying a horrible, explody death.

That left one X-wing with no shields on the table.

Not bad for a first run against a tournament list.

Second game went much better. The TIEs are free of formation flying and buzz around the confused rebel scum. No target locks and the TIEs barrel rolling out of firing arcs and into range one side shots was very helpful.

The TIEs were able to get into numerous 2 v 1 situations or deny firing opportunities to the rebel scum. The TIE in the upper left corner is Backstabber he only has a range three shot against that B-wig on the far right... rolls two attack dice hits both...B-wing rolls two defense dice with focus...whiffs. Bye Bye Terrorist.

As you can see the casualties mounted for the Rebel Scum until it was the rookie vs the entire death punch. Rebel Scum - "I feel like I can take on the whole Empire myself."

Captain Kagi - "Woot, I can shoot at something." X-wing explodes. "Navigator find me another rock to hit, I am not dead yet."

Game three was against Josh and yet more Rebel Scum. He brought Wedge with Swarm Tactics, Biggs w shield upgrade, Roark in a HWK with a blaster turret and random rookie X-wing.

All the rebel scum were shooting at either PS 12 or 9 so most of my stuff went boom and the TIEs that survived couldn't hit a moon from orbit. 

Rebel scum hunting down my noble TIE pilots like common vermin. The shuttle was off on another geology mission to study the local asteroid belt.

"Dammit navigator that is not a rock...we are here to run into rocks"

At this point I conceded since it would take a miracle for a shuttle to defeat Wedge, Biggs Roark and their little sidekick all by itself.

Bobby tried out a bomber swarm with....wait for it....bombs. 

Joshes terrorists crushed them using underhanded tactics... not flying right into bombs... and destroyed the bomber swarm while Eric and I heckled them from the sidelines.

4th and last game was against Darryl running a Howlie mini swarm and a bounty hunter with gunner...another version of the Five Finger Death Punch. I ran the Wookie 360. Chewie with DTF, gunner, recon dude, MF title card. Two Grey Squad Wishbones with Blaster Turrets

Darryl focused early and managed to take down one of the Wishbones. Chewie and the Wishbones managed to kill three TIEs in exchange. Freaking Chewie was a beast... two turns back to back he one shotted Howlie and another TIE. BLAM BLAM...

The Wishbone and Chewie concentrated fire on the Bounty Hunter who finally made it into the fight. Chewie had one hull point left and they managed to do an obscene amount of damage to the hunter two turns in a row and finished it off.

Thanks to the guys for coming out and getting a few games in and to the Wyvern's Tale for hosting us.