As X-Wing 1.0 dies, the Students return...

Well, looking like up to 2 more events in v1.0 of X-Wing and both at Mattoon (“The War Zone” is the store name).  One is a “practice” event for the Store Championship and the second is the event.  HOPING for a reasonably well attended event, and might wind up opening up to carpooling folks from the Champaign area to help boost the numbers.  No pressure for me at all though as I already won one at my local store.  Cannot have duplicate Bye cards, and even the prize cards are neat, but no need for duplicates.  So, I will be flying something “silly” like:

Fett Guri 2 (97)

Boba Fett (Scum) — Firespray-31	39
Veteran Instincts	1
Ion Cannon	3
Bomblet Generator	3
Dengar	3
Glitterstim	2
Engine Upgrade	4
Andrasta	0
Ship Total: 55
Guri — StarViper	30
Intensity	2
Advanced Proton Torpedoes	6
Fire-Control System	2
Scavenger Crane	2
Autothrusters	2
StarViper Mk. II	-3
Virago	1
Ship Total: 42

Or:

WedgeWesNorra (100)

Wedge Antilles — X-Wing	29
Predator	3
Renegade Refit	-2
Flight-Assist Astromech	1
Servomotor S-Foils	0
Integrated Astromech	0
Ship Total: 30
Wes Janson — X-Wing	29
Lone Wolf	2
Renegade Refit	-2
Flight-Assist Astromech	1
Servomotor S-Foils	0
Integrated Astromech	0
Ship Total: 29
Norra Wexley — ARC-170	29
Push the Limit	3
Seismic Torpedo	2
Saw Gerrera	1
R2-D2	4
Vectored Thrusters	2
Alliance Overhaul	0
Ship Total: 41

The first is one I have flown before and have stolen much from Phil GC (https://suchanxwinghipster.wordpress.com/) …  Guri is just fun to fly and Fett is a tank.  Frankly not worth trying to get in a third ship at this point, so they’re both built up in “Swiss Army Knife” mode with all of the options filled more or less.  Guri with the APT is a sledgehammer.  Have run It locally before and it just tears thing up.  And of course with the Crane I will have the chance to fire it at least one more time.  Best I’ve done so far is 3 times in a game at Titan.  Fett just rolls into the enemy and has infinite bombs to punish pursuit.  The Ion Cannon is surprisingly effective against the low Agility things or just to take a Range 3 pot shot.  Once the target is hit by the Ion, it will only go 1 Forward, leaving it for me to close with my ships, dodge arcs and just hammer it.  Amusing and actually kind of a counter to a number of “meta” lists.  And as I have actually run the Firesprays a fair bit, I am fairly good with that ship.

Second one is just a collection of the new stuff frankly.  2 T-65 X-Wings with good pilots and one of the Aggressive Recon ships (ARC-170).  I hesitate to call the X-Wings “Aces” because despite the high(ish) PS they are still in v1.0 X-Wings and just not all that maneuverable.  But they are “X-Wings” and that is what the bloody game is named for, so fitting that the last run for me in v1.0 be with actual X-Wings.  Nora in her Arc is solid, Regenerating and I will likely swap Saw for Nien Numb to get more Greens on the dial…  Though Saw with the “all Focus go to Criticals” is REALLY powerful.  Might be a thing.

In any case I’ll pack up a selection of duplicates and the like to distribute to the Mattoon folks…  I want them to have a level playing field in the event any of the try hard types show up.  I can safely count myself OUT of the try hard ranks as I already won one…  Heck the list I flew was powerful, but not really all that broken at all by modern standards at least.  Palp in the Reaper, Soonter Fel and Countess Ryad in her TIE Defender.  Probably not what most would have predicted to be walking away with the win.  And this time I did not feel at all dirty flying that list to the top tables as opposed to last year when my Dengar/Nym was just broken and silly, but as I was “trying hard”…

Rough year as the Students are coming back…  Several friends have been in accidents, including one on his motorcycle.  He’s still in the hospital, but prognosis is good and it was a reminder to me why I wear the gear when I ride.  Helmet, jacket, etc…  Probably not the high end armor I will eventually get (I suppose), but the other component is that I am NOT riding in to work while there are so many new folks here who clearly are not familiar with the area or traffic rules/laws.  Kind of why I did not ride to Indianapolis to Gen Con a few weeks back.  SO much construction and even when I was young I avoided riding in/near the big cities (grew up near Chicago, in Joliet)…  Just too many things that could go wrong and if I’m being honest the bike is a 1984 Goldwing…  Solid and PROBABLY would make the run just fine, at the end of the day it is a 34 year old motorcycle and not in “mint” condition.  And that whole ride cautious thing helps keep me accident free…

Job search continues… Have another interview coming up in a different area.  Will be interesting, I had thought this one was already filled, so at the least it will be another practice run for me.  And clearly I need the practice.  Got word back on one that was closed without a hire…  Cannot say I was surprised.  One thing (Grants) was mentioned once in the Description and not at all in the Job Requirements, but fully half of the questions in the interview centered on writing and administering Grants…  So, poorly written PAPE, I hope they are able to get it adjusted for what they think the job will actually entail and re-launch the Search…  I’ll know better than to apply if it correctly reflects what that interview did of course J…  As I have had to shepherd through PAPEs and adjustments to them in the course of creating a promotion “ladder” (policy), I fully understand the frustration and seemingly complete disconnect between the people trying to get the right people hired and HR trying to follow the rules as understood here in Illinois…  Ah well J  The search goes on, and I HAVE a job, so not like I am desperate to get one…