Titan League Month 1 AAR and rebuild for 1 May...

Well, that was a “less successful” league outing for me J…  Wound up going 1-2 with one complete (100-0) victory, one close loss and one total loss (0-100)…  I flew against Rob (? I think, good guy, a regular, I am just terrible with names)…  He had 2 of the Jumpmasters like me and a YV-666 loaded with Bossk crew and the usual…  He did have Plasma Torpedoes rather than Protons loaded out, which I think was not as good…  He did strip one shield, but the additional accuracy and Criticals I think are far better…  This one I lost, but it was very close. 

Second one was against a Rebel list of Poe (R5-P9, AT?), Corran Horn (R2-D2, other) and an A-Wing PS1 Pilot as a blocker…  One of the Aces had Lone Wolf, but they were flying in close formation…  I essentially rushed the Aces, lined up shots on Poe and he disintegrated…  The E-Wing lasted a bit longer, but the 2 Torpedo boats and Talonbane were able to run him to ground quickly…  He HAD to keep using Greens to regenerate Shields, so I knew where he’d be…  The A-Wing ironically lasted the longest, but only because it was no threat.  Ran out of Torpedoes, so it was down to Turrets, but the little A-Wing just isn’t that sturdy…  

Last game was against Allan…  Hit Imperial Aces list is REALLY good especially against the Torpedo Boats…  Whisper in a standard Cloak setup (ACD, Recon Spec, VI), The Inquisitor loaded out and Omega Leader?  Not really familiar with the TIE Aces…  Could Stress to add an additional Attack Dice…  Wired, Comm Relay, etc... This time my Cloak failed early, so my Ace had no way to reposition after Whisper moved…  Was not good.  He essentially rushed in and used Whisper as a blocker to muck up the two Large Bases and deny actions, meaning I never got off a single Torpedo…  Well, that and the consistent ability to dodge the firing arc…  The Turrets did nearly kill Whisper and the TIE ace though, so the R1 shot it NOT useless, but not nearly so good as the Protons…

Re-played the lists with me swapping out Kavil in his Y-Wing with TLT Monday, and I did get off several Torpedoes and actually erased the Inquisitor (forgot about Guidance Chips, so it WOULD have happened)…  Just not in time to do me any real good as all of my ships were dead or dying at that point…

So, back to the drawing board…  The 3 “U-Boat” list did not appear locally, but the counter DID, and a lot…  There were a LOT of Imperial Ace lists at the League, so I think it is time for me to go another direction altogether.

First off I might go for:

HeraSabineJake (100)

Hera Syndulla — VCX-100	40
Accuracy Corrector	3
Autoblaster Turret	2
Intelligence Agent	1
Nien Nunb	1
Ghost	0
Ship Total: 47
Sabine Wren — Attack Shuttle	21
Crack Shot	1
Autoblaster Turret	2
Phantom	0
Ship Total: 24
Jake Farrell — A-Wing	24
Lone Wolf	2
Chardaan Refit	-2
Push the Limit	3
Autothrusters	2
A-Wing Test Pilot	0
Ship Total: 29

This is a better variant of what I went into the Gopher SC with I think…  Now that I actually know what the Ghost/Phantom rules ARE, makes a lot more sense to use this sort of setup…  Jake in his A-Wing can be annoyingly survivable, I have used Juke in place of the Lone Wolf for more interesting damage output, but…  Sabine and the Phantom will likely start and hopefully STAY on the Ghost, but as damage piles up or I need to run it out, it goes…  Re-positioning silliness and the Autoblaster Turret are there to hunt the Aces.  Solid build, if not too exciting…

Might try something completely different with X-Wings I’ve never flown…

X-Wing Aces (100)

Poe Dameron — T-70 X-Wing	31
Adaptability	0
R5-P9	3
Autothrusters	2
Ship Total: 36
Wes Janson — X-Wing	29
Adaptability	0
BB-8	2
Integrated Astromech	0
Ship Total: 31
Wedge Antilles — X-Wing	29
Adaptability	0
R2-D2	4
Integrated Astromech	0
Ship Total: 33

Potential PS 9,9, 10 here, with two Regen Aces and the all with interesting tricks…  Strip a Focus, Evade or Blue Target Lock with Wes attacking at PS 10..  Hit or not, this neuters a Torpedo Boat before it can fire (likely), or at least force another Ace to spend or lose their tokens…  Then 2 other more accurate Aces shoot…  It will be fun I think, not so sure how it would do in the larger meta, but it does seem to be an answer to the “U-Boats” and the Imperial Aces…  It will require me to fly really well…

X-Wing Repaints for the League...

Well, I have my list mostly done...  In either case I'll be using the 2 Contracted Scouts with Dead-eye, Proton Torpedoes, Extra Munitions, R4 Agromechs and Guidance Chips...  34 points each.  Leaves me 32 points for either Talonbane Cobra or Kavil.  With Kavil I also slap on 4-LOM to make one of the Scouts pretty damn deadly...  Leaning toward Cobra because I want to have an actual Ace of my own, and I am really looking forward to the Cloak...

In any case, repainting the Jumpmasters like this...

Titan League starting the 10th...

Well, new league starting up at Titan next weekend…  I’ll be running some S&V it looks like…  Kind of an odd one I think, not quite the “U-Boats” that won the Hoth event up at Adepticon this weekend, but something I will have fun flying..

Contracted Scout — JumpMaster 5000	25
Deadeye	1
Proton Torpedoes	4
Extra Munitions	2
R4 Agromech	2
Guidance Chips	0
Ship Total: 34
Contracted Scout — JumpMaster 5000	25
Deadeye	1
Proton Torpedoes	4
Extra Munitions	2
R4 Agromech	2
Guidance Chips	0
Ship Total: 34
Kavil — Y-Wing	24
Crack Shot	1
Twin Laser Turret	6
Unhinged Astromech	1
Ship Total: 32
Talonbane Cobra — Kihraxz Fighter	28
Cloaking Device	2
Stygium Particle Accelerator	2
Ship Total: 32

So, either Kavil on his Y-Wing w/TLT for the 4 Dice side shot and likely sneaking one into something like Soonter Fel with Crack Shot or Talonbane Cobra in the Cloaking Kihraxz fighter…  REALLY want the Predator there, but points are tight and the whole point of the list is putting Proton Torpedoes on target…  Might have to drop down to Plasma Torpedoes at 3 points each to get at least 2 extra points out there.  I REALLY like having at least one “Ace” class fighter out there, and with either of them I could do well I think…  The “Palpmobile” of the Imperial Shuttle with the Emperor on it is a concern of course, but with Proton Torpedoes (or Plasma), it should not last long…  The remaining arc dodging Imperial Aces are still going to be a MAJOR PITA, but at least I’ll have a shot…  Picking up a second Jumpmaster-5000, so that will be a thing…

Plan is to paint them up a lot like my Rebel fleet in Armada, I am really liking the Crimson and Grey scheme… 

League starting the 10th, should be something relaxing before my major interview the 11th...  NOT holding out much hope for it frankly, but if it happens, it will be awesome, and a validation of a LOT of hard work I've been putting in over the last several years...  If not?  Well, at least I was a finalist for an Associate Director role, it has been a LONG time since I last had an interview, I did not get called for a number of jobs I was very likely qualified for, but this one is outside of the local politics...  We'll see I guess.

X-Wing Prep for the next League...

Have more than a week before the next event, this time at Titan for the first monthly league event there…  Not 100% sure what I’ll be flying, but I am looking pretty closely at:

ScoutCobraK (100)

Black Sun Ace — Kihraxz Fighter	23
Predator	3
Cluster Missiles	4
Glitterstim	2
Guidance Chips	0
Ship Total: 32
Talonbane Cobra — Kihraxz Fighter	28
Predator	3
Cloaking Device	2
Stygium Particle Accelerator	2
Ship Total: 35
Contracted Scout — JumpMaster 5000	25
Deadeye	1
Plasma Torpedoes	3
Extra Munitions	2
R4 Agromech	2
Guidance Chips	0
Ship Total: 33

So, the Kihraxz class fighters both get upgrades of a sort…  Talonbane gets the Cloaking Device and the Stygium Particle Accelerator…  The Accelerator was one I considered a dead card as it previously could only be used on the TIE Phantom with that being the ONLY ship with Cloak at all…  Now most of the S&V small based ships at least can get it…  Comes to 4 points for a potentially very fragile card…  But when it works?  Talonbane’s fighter was missing that extra action and the potential movement and survivability boost is going to be potentially great…  With my luck, probably 4 points for a single turn of cloak and thus an extra move…  But for that turn?  I could be looking at a 6 Green Dice Defense roll if I am being shot at in Range 3 with a Primary Weapon…  Oh, and an Evade.  Even against Secondary Weapons, I have 4 Dice and an Evade token.  Long term, luck always loses to skill, but this fighter is not meant for the long game…  Go fast, hit hard and hopefully win by being the only one left…  The BSA just gets the free Guidance Chips to turn a Dice to a Crit on the Missile Attack…  So, one shot like the missiles, but it IS free…  And firing after Cobra, hoping that the Crits go to the Hull…  Hell, even with it being the only ship firing, I should get Crits through….  Looking at hitting low Agility ships, but even TIEs cannot shed 3 hits twice in a turn often.

The Contracted Scout…  This replaces the Y-Wing for me…  Pretty direct replacement I think.  The Y-Wing has the better Turret with the TLT, but the JM has a far better dial…  With Deadeye/Torpedoes/R4 Agro/GC, I should have some really accurate Torpedoes…  Would love to have Proton rather than Plasma, but points are tight…  But even without that extra dice conversion, I have an added hit (ala “Breen Aide” from STAW), the R4 gives me a Target Lock when I spend the Focus to fire the Torpedo which should allow me to get some more hits via re-roll…  Might have to run it with Proton Torps and dropping the R4 Agro…  Does leave me 1 point for a Crew or Droid I guess…

League is running at Titan, trying to gauge the interest of another one running at the Gopher...  With the likely death of STAW/D&D AW, I will have a bit more gaming "free time" I guess...  We'll see..

Armored Gopher SC AAR

 Well, 20 players, so pretty darn good turnout, not to capacity as predicted from the sign ups, but still pretty crowded.  I wound up going 2-2…  My wins were huge, usually in 15 minutes or so of the 75 minutes for the round…  The losses?  Not so much so J  But still a lot quicker…  I played:

SC 4 pre Rebellion (100)

Hera Syndulla — VCX-100	40
Accuracy Corrector	3
Autoblaster Turret	2
Intelligence Agent	1
Nien Nunb	1
Anti-Pursuit Lasers	2
Ghost	0
Ship Total: 49
"Zeb" Orrelios — Attack Shuttle	18
Phantom	0
Ship Total: 18
Gray Squadron Pilot — Y-Wing	20
Twin Laser Turret	6
Extra Munitions	2
Proton Torpedoes	4
R4-D6	1
Guidance Chips	0
Ship Total: 33

Now, knowing how the rules for the Docked Attack Shuttle work now, I would make a few changes…  But my plan was overall, bull rush in, hit them hard and fast and then hopefully coast to the win…

Played Allan first, he had a dual YV-666 build meant to fortress up in the corner by having one move the Red “0”, the second bumping but with “Wingman”, pull off the Stress.  Meant I had to come to him, and he kept the lane clear to do so…  I am not sure he was prepared for just how much firepower my list brings to bear, and with my dice rolling VERY well, I erased his blocker before it got a second shot off between Proton Torpedoes and the base 4 Attack from the Ghost…  And his second ship wound up taking the brunt of the Ghost on Turn 3 as he came out to pursue…  5 Dice Rear Arc shot to the face, followed by the now reloaded Proton Torpedo and then the Ghost’s Turret to finish it at the end of the turn…  Nothing much survives that, and certainly NOT a low Agility ship like the YV-666…

Game 2 was against Joel’s Super Dash and Ghost (the only other Ghost in the Tournament)…  NOT good for me with him winning initiative and thus seeing where I went before deciding on his stuff…  Dash with the HLC was able to do enough damage to the Y-Wing early that I didn’t have much a chance there…  Hurt his Ghost badly, but in the end, and not realizing that the Shuttle DOES drop out after the Ghost is destroyed…  Well, it was quick. 

Game 3 was against Jake…  TIE swarm with Crack Shot…  I lost, but I had him down to his last Ace, and I had it damaged…  The Ghost simply melts against so much firepower…  Mind, the Auto Blaster Turret and Accuracy Corrector was AMAZING here…  Killed a TIE a turn while I lived at least…  This was one of the Hard Counters I expected, and I actually did a lot better than I thought I would have… 

Game 4 was against someone not local…  He brought Bossk and Boba Fett in their YV-666 and Firespray-31’s…  Neat build and if I was NOT running the build specifically designed to deal loads of Damage quickly, I would have been in for a fight…  Unfortunately, he wound up pinging my Y-Wing and then the Ghost a bit before I destroyed both of his ships…  Quickly.  So 2-2 on the day, lessons learned and a few tweaks to be made…  Assuming I fly this list again of course…

The eventual winner was a S&V 4 x Y-Wing with TLT build…  Unfortunate, I know I could have taken that one, but… 

Have to say the weird Astromech I’d never tried before was actually the MVP for at least 3 of the games…  Damage Mitigation was HUGE, changing a 4 Damage hit into a 2 Damage and 2 Stress hit allowed me to get my Proton Torpedoes into play, and with the Guidance Chips, they are almost “Dominion” (from STAW) in their accuracy and power…  Every time I fired, I got at least 3 Hits/Crits, most of the time it was 4…  And going after the Ghost I was hitting Hull for the Crits…

Armored Gopher X-Wing SC and actual interviews!

So, have the Armored Gopher X-Wing Store Championship in a few hours…  And Wave 8 arrived just in time J …  So I’ll be going with the following:

SC 4 pre Rebellion (100)

Hera Syndulla — VCX-100	40
Accuracy Corrector	3
Autoblaster Turret	2
Intelligence Agent	1
Nien Nunb	1
Anti-Pursuit Lasers	2
Ghost	0
Ship Total: 49
"Zeb" Orrelios — Attack Shuttle	18
Phantom	0
Ship Total: 18
Gray Squadron Pilot — Y-Wing	20
Twin Laser Turret	6
Extra Munitions	2
Proton Torpedoes	4
R4-D6	1
Guidance Chips	0
Ship Total: 33

Technically 3 ships, but in practice only 2.  The Ghost and Phantom will likely spend their time docked allowing for the second Turret shot and the rear arc on the base 4 Dice Primary…  The Y-Wing has the 2 shots with the Proton Torpedoes and the TLT to keep him annoying until he dies.  R4-D6 is just the “I had an extra point” and figured that might be amusing to stop big Damage from hitting.  I intend to play it hyper aggressively per usual, and with Hera’s ability to change her Dial on reveal combined with the Intel Agent and Nien Numb to get more Green on the dial should allow me to avoid a fair number of Swarm blockers and maybe put myself into a good position to mess up Aces…  For them I also have the guaranteed 4 Damage if I can get to Range 1 at least…  Figure I can even try for the maximum damage of 7 against other Large Based ships…  But in any case, I’ll be flying a pair of my favorite ships in an event that I’m just out to have fun in J  Already have the Range Ruler prize…  So if I do well, great, else I’ll get in a bunch of games with a mellow and fun group…  Assuming it stays true to form at the Gopher…  Tends to be a LOT more mellow there.  Not that the heavier competition is a BAD thing mind, just different mindset required.

On the job front…  Well, I apparently was wrong when I thought I was  applying for a job I was not perhaps qualified for…  I have an interview coming up…   Well, it’s next Month, so nothing immediate.  Not really getting my hopes up too much of course, but since this one involves the interview followed by a lunch meeting with the “Executive Director” types in the place I am interviewing…  Oh, and as part of their “would you like an interview?” mail they let me know the starting salary…  It is quite a bit higher than my current one, so it would be REALLY nice getting that of course…  Especially with my current level of frustration in the organization I am currently working.  OK, so that might not be completely true…  I am REALLY liking the recent change to “IT Director” in Psych…  THAT part is going well and that is definitely the direction I am wanting my career to continue.  Waiting on that to become official before commenting further J…  If it does, that being the major point of annoyance for me.  There are a few above me in the Org Chart who have voiced opposition to promoting ANYONE in the current organization, so I am suspecting that they might well derail a lot of folks career paths before a bunch of us actually leave.  With the budget impasse in the State, there has been almost no movement which has allowed behavior like that to continue without causing irreparable harm to the organization, but it might just be on the surface.  I KNOW several of the folks who left did so because of the above behavior, and the recent exit interviews have apparently been fairly negative.  I guess we’ll see if anything changes or if it goes on like this…  If that is the case, I suspect that the Budget clearing up will look like a dam bursting with a group of the younger IT Staff moving to new jobs elsewhere in the University…  Ideally of course I’ll be watching from my new position of Associate Director that other organization J…

Armada Fleet ready for tomorrow...

So, the ships themselves will at least be painted...

The Nebulon-B will NOT be joining the fight in my list, but was simple to paint up and as I have a few of them...