(397 of 400 pts)
Flagship: "Darklighter" (123 pts)
Assault Frigate Mark II B(72 pts)
Garm Bel Iblis (25 pts)
Defense Liaison (3 pts)
Gunnery Team (7 pts)
Advanced Projectors (6 pts)
Enhanced Armament (10 pts)
Fleet Ship : "Porkins" (98 pts)
Assault Frigate Mark II B(72 pts)
Defense Liaison (3 pts)
Gunnery Team (7 pts)
Advanced Projectors (6 pts)
Enhanced Armament (10 pts)
Fleet Ship : "Horton" (98 pts)
Assault Frigate Mark II B(72 pts)
Defense Liaison (3 pts)
Gunnery Team (7 pts)
Advanced Projectors (6 pts)
Enhanced Armament (10 pts)
Squadrons (78 of 133 pts):
6x X-Wing Squadron (78 pts)
Objectives:
Precision Strike
Hyperspace Assault
Superior Positions
With the success of the Big Boy in my previous go-around - never losing him to enemy fire - I decided that my new strategy for the 400 point tournament would be to maximize the number of Assault Frigate MkIIs with defensive and offensive upgrades. I also wanted to bring a good spread of fighters into the mix, both to block against enemy squadrons and to make attacks if the enemy didn't bring any squadrons of their own. So I settled on three AFIIBs kitted out as well as I could reasonably make them - they would be broadsiders, with the plan to run them either as a line with damaged ships peeling off the engagement, or to split them into a 2 ship line with a flanker. With Enhanced Armaments and Gunnery Team, I figured that I could straight up outgun just about anything at long range, and destroy or outrun anything that wanted to get into close range.
For defense, they would all sport Advanced Projectors - capable of frustrating enemy ships without a major source of accuracy results, and making them (almost) as defensive as the original "Big Boy". In addition, Defense Liaison would ensure that they had the dial to either repair or run if the situation demanded it.
For fighters, I decided that X-Wings would be the best all-around fighter to take - if the enemy brought squadrons, they had enough hull to tie them up for a few turns - long enough to get out of activation range or blow up their carrier ship. If they went without squadrons, the X-Wings and their BOMBER would let me score free attacks on the enemy ships. Plus 6 squadrons would let me delay the deployment of my ships for a full 3 turns.
For commanders, Mon Mothma was initially my first choice as I used her to good effect with the original Big Boy and his escorts. But with 3 AFIIs, I decided that Garm would make a better option, giving me bonus tokens to burn with Defense Liaison, and the opportunity to activate 4 squadrons with a single command for an alpha strike against an enemy squadron group.
For my objectives, I chose Precision Strike - a good way to earn extra points from my broadsides and with my X-Wing Squadrons. It was a key objective for me in the last go-around. Hyperspace Assault would let me send one of my ships on a flank, and X-Wings as well depending on the enemy composition. Finally, Superior Positions has always been a favorite objective of mine because of the setup rules - getting to place my ships after the enemy means that I can setup in the best possible starting position, and I have seen multiple games won and lost in the setup.
1st Match-up:
DOOBLEG'S EMPIRE FLEET (385 points)
Victory I-class Star Destroyer - Weapons Liaison - Assault Concussion Missiles (83)
Victory I-class Star Destroyer - Admiral Chiraneau - Expanded Hangar Bay - Corrupter (93)
TIE Bomber Squadron (9) x4
TIE Advanced Squadron (12) x2
Doobleg was going to be my first opponent as scheduled in the pod format. The overall winner of the last tournament, doobleg won with an all ship list, so I haven't any clue how he flies squadrons. A few thoughts - He has a total of 5 Bombers in his Rhymer swarm, and a maximum effective activation with his Corrupter of 4 (though he could get 5 with a token). It also can't activate all those bombers and Mithil, so he'd be choosing between anti-squadron or anti-ship each activation, but he'll be using nothing but squadron commands with it. Weapon Liaison can change his ACM Vic into a squadron commander, but it's also the one most likely to be trying to get up and into my face. Not sure if he'll bring Motti to the front, or be content to let Motti hang around the backfield.
I might be able to win the squadron fight, if I can drop Vader fast. A first strike should be able to take him out before he can get a single attack off - assuming decently hot rolls on 4 X-Wings. Mithel will pounce on them, and I'll have 2 free to hunt bombers. 60 points in anti-fighter vs 78 of mine means that I need to kill a few bomber squadrons as well to pull even. Maybe spending a gunnery team or two to anti-squadron would help? Bombers become a lot less scary without Chirpy's ship.
For initiative, I'd imagine he is bidding high to take it with his list - if I get it I just get too many advantages to strike first against his fighters / dodge his slower ship's limited front arc. If he does take it, Hyperspace Assault is probably his best bet, as it would let him slow play his deployment with fighters even more. I can't think of a single Red objective that helps him vs my list, so if he does go 2nd, I think I'd probably take whatever Assault objective he brings - my guess is he goes for Precision Strike.
Edit 10/7/15: Received a response from doobleg about our game and this article!
Edit 10/7/15: Received a response from doobleg about our game and this article!
I think your fleet build is great, and reading your written assessment on how to play it after our game gave me a feeling of deja vu. You definitely called my tactics right (keeping Motti back, leading with the ACM Vic), and I'd say I was very fortunate to come away with our 5-5 result.
Going second player instead of first was a consequence of my game against Chilligan in the previous tournament. He had set up two AFs in such a way that I, as first player, couldn't get a shot at as I walked into their overlapping fire zones. I didn't want to give that first-round-of-engagement advantage to you if I could help it, AND I wanted to see where your fighters went before committing my own. I also figured that going second would give me the best shot at intercepting your whales. Having seen the replay of your game against Brian_Black, it was always my intention to try and take down the rear frigate in your convoy. I figured I'd swap one of my ships for your straggler, and clean up your squadrons, giving me an advantage with my remaining bombers.
I honestly wasn't prepared for the co-ordinated firepower of those frigates, though. One Vic can take two or three Frigates firing at it for only so long, but when you can shoot TWO Vics at once with everyone... that's some scary poodoo right there. I also messed up my squadrons somewhat, running them over and putting them out of position... but this was also due to mixing up my two Vics in deployment. 
X-Wings were the perfect choice of escort fighters, for all the reasons you stated. Clearly Darth wasn't in on the mix until late, but taking down my Tie Advanced squadrons let you land some key blows against my capital ships (cuuurse yooouuu BEEEAAAST!!!).
2nd Match-up:
+++ Brian Black's Wave 1 Tournament List (396pts) ++++ Ships (304pts) +
Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (84pts) [Expanded Hangar Bay (5pts), Flight Controllers (6pts)]
Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (123pts) [•Grand Moff Tarkin (38pts)]
Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (97pts) [•Dominator (12pts)]
+ Squadrons (92pts) +
TIE Bomber Squadron (9) x4
TIE Fighter Squadron (8pts) x3"Howlrunner" (16pts)
My second match-up would be Brian Black. Like doobleg, he went with 3 VSDs, though he upgraded a few of them to VSD2s instead of the VSD1s He also took a few less points of squadrons, dropping TIE Advanced in favor of TIE Fighters and Howlrunner for anti-fighter coverage. He also skipped out on taking Admiral Chirpy, instead taking flight controllers on his Expanded Hanger Bay.
Both VSDIIs will hurt at medium range, especially without Mon Mothma. Dominator will probably hurt the most, though it will then be most vulnerable to getting swatted by 3 angry AFIIs. Tarkin gives him quite a few options, including activating all 5 bombers with a single dial (and Tarkin Token). Overall though, none of them have Gunnery Team, so I outgun them as long as I have all ships pointed in the right direction - and they can only focus on one ship at a time.
Because he has a higher bid again, he will have the advantage there. I am not sure if he would be going with initiative, though if he did I could see him going with Hyperspace Assault. Against his fighters, I have a pretty good chance of swatting most of them out of the sky on a single activation - his big weakness is only 3 TIE Fighters that can be improved by Howlrunner - I remove them and Howl is just a slightly harder to kill TIE, and if I get 4 X-Wings on them I should be able to theoretically drop 2 in my initial attack.
3rd Match-up:
DabDarklighter's Fleet: 400 pts
Flagship 126pts
VSD2 85
Intel Officer 7
Leading Shots 4
XI7 Turbolasers 6
Ship 102pts
VSD2 85
Intel Officer 7
Leading Shots 4
XI7 Turbolasers 6
Ship 86pts
VSD1 73
Gunnery Team 7
XI7 Turbolasers 6
Ship 86pts
VSD1 73
Gunnery Team 7
XI7 Turbolasers 6
Dab, oddly enough, is a guy who I played in real life, though I didn't realize it until we began to plan out our game. His list presented the biggest challenge, as in a straight up fight I definitely didn't outgun his ships. He also had Motti and the most hull to chew through of the lists I would face, but no fighters to deal with.
So my best plan is to, I think, give him initiative and force him to select my objectives. All of them are bad for him - Precision Strike letting me get free points on his high hull ships but probably being the least bad of the group. Hyperspace assault would let me park a broadsider and 3 X-Wings in the rear of his formation - not a good plan for him. And Superior Positions would just be asking for trouble with no squadrons for defense.
You can read more after action reports here.
You can read more after action reports here.
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