X-Wing Bloomington AAR and what to bring to Gen Con?

So, went over to Bloomington for the X-Wing SC…  Last year it was huge, capped out at 64 players and took over the whole store.  This one, there were 14 players.  A lot of folks I knew, and it was all pretty laid back and relaxed as we all acknowledged that v1 of the game is dying and we are all mostly waiting on v2 to be released this Fall… 

I wound up flying:

FelVaderReaper (99)

Scarif Base Pilot — TIE Reaper	22
Director Krennic	5
ISB Slicer	2
Lightweight Frame	2
Advanced Ailerons	0
Ship Total: 31
Soontir Fel — TIE Interceptor	27
Push the Limit	3
Multi-spectral Camouflage	1
Autothrusters	2
Royal Guard TIE	0
Ship Total: 33
Darth Vader — TIE Advanced	29
Veteran Instincts	1
Advanced Targeting Computer	1
Engine Upgrade	4
TIE/x1	0
Ship Total: 35

First game was streamed on https://www.twitch.tv/beergeekgamer So, given to understand Johannes and The Zack Matthews (Carolina Krayts) were commentating…  Lost Fel to a single Range 3 Harpoon as I rolled zero paint for my first 12 Agility dice…  Then Vader took apart Patrick’s list.  He ran Kulda, Nym and Jostero with the Harpoons, but Nym had the ABT in place of the normal TLT…  So, this was the first time the Jam action also paid off in a huge way for me.  Roll in, take away the Target Lock, then just pile on another token to eat the next attempt to TL or Focus…  Meant he was running Kulda on naked dice with 1 Agility while my Reaper chased with 3 dice, usually modified.  That only ends one way.  Mean time Vader showed the PS 10 Nym that PS 11 on something that does 2 Actions and can double reposition is just WAY too good.  The traditional defense being the TLT threatening the 360⁰ arc, so no Arc Dodging mattered not being present showed why those were at the time necessary. 

So, got paired up against another good player I had played there several times before…  Essentially a mirror match with his Reaper having only Palpatine on it.  This will come up later.  He had Vader and the Inquisitor kitted out.  So, slight difference, but essentially the same list.  I hunted down and killed his Palp carrier while he killed my Reaper…  Got his Inquisitor down to 1 Hull, but just couldn’t kill it.  So 31-32 loss.

Game three put me up against Will with his 5 X-Wings.  PS 2 Rookies with the Flight Assist Astromech/Integrated Astromech and the Renegade Refit/S-Foil upgrades…  Another REALLY long game.  He flew his formation really well, I split Vader off to try and draw them out of position so I could crash in and take them one at a time.  I got lucky and did something unexpected, a 3 Bank away followed by the boost/barrel roll to dodge 4/5 arcs.  Fell and the Reaper finally made it into position to start working the X-Wings over…  Well, Vader dodged what he could over the next few turns, but eventually even he dies…  I had killed one of his and all the rest were on fire…  NO shields left, most had kicked their Droids to dodge the killing Critical Hit, but time expired before I could actually kill a second one…  So 20-35 loss…  Seeing a theme here.  Games run to time and there is a lack of Damage to finish off ships.  So, pretty exhausting to play over a longer event…

Game 4 was against Kevin, he had 2 Reapers and Vader…  Again, another theme.  Tyler played this one as well and he won it out.  The Jam action on a pretty darn good Ship is VERY powerful.  Thinking my exhaustion caught up with me, I put the Advanced Prototype on Fel…  Stripped a LOT of Shields, but once again failed to actually kill things.  Think I finally got his Palp carrier off the table, but it was a bad one…

So, with Gen Con coming up in 2 weeks…  The Reaper is a keeper.  I feel like the TIE Defender would be something to slot in for Vader…  Fel was fun maybe?  Or the Inquisitor.  Those 2 are more or less interchangeable, but I lean more toward Fel just to have something different.  So, something like:

FelRyadReaper2 (100)

Scarif Base Pilot — TIE Reaper	22
Director Krennic	5
ISB Slicer	2
Advanced Ailerons	0
Ship Total: 29
Soontir Fel — TIE Interceptor	27
Push the Limit	3
Stealth Device	3
Autothrusters	2
Royal Guard TIE	0
Ship Total: 35
Countess Ryad — TIE Defender	34
Push the Limit	3
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II	1
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 36

No bid though and PS 9 is…  Quaint.  So many things moving after Fel…  The Countess in the Defender however is going to be a beast…  Token stacks for days, adding in the ability to strip Shields and give her a fourth Shield.  The inquisitor slots right in, and might be a better choice…  Working a trade for the Imperial Aces pack for some of my old STAW stuff, so that might be the kicker as to which I actually bring…