In Which I Gain a Padawan Learner!

Friday night I headed to my FLGS for some tournament list practice. The list was brand new, and while theoretically amazing, I had no idea if it would survive the table. The only other X-wing players there were involved in the weekly MTG event, so I couldn't count on them until later, especially since they had an ongoing game where between MTG rounds they'd have a couple rounds of X-wing. Instead, I was able to run a demo game for someone who came in looking for card games and found himself attracted to the miniatures. This isn't that demo game


Immediately after that game (run straight from the demo game sheets) he and his brother bought almost $200 in ships. No such thing as taking it slow, eh? He asked if we could play a "real game", so while I had went to get dinner he created his own squadron. I didn't feel like bringing Rebels to the fight (as I wanted something more thematic), so I grabbed a mini-swarm that I hadn't had a chance to try out yet and really wanted to.

We played the game on a 4x4 board (since I didn't want to take the time to mark 3x3, plus he could use the extra maneuvering space) with a standard number of asteroids.

LISTS:
Friends of Phennir [name up for improvement]: [100]

• Turr Phennir
• Backstabber
• Howlrunner + Elusiveness
• Obsidian Squadron Pilot
• Obsidian Squadron Pilot
• Obsidian Squadron Pilot

First Squadron (played by Elijah): [100]

• Biggs Darklighter + R2-F2
• Luke Skywalker + R2-D2
• Ten Nunb + Marksmanship + Proton Torpedoes + Fire-Control System

BATTLE REPORT:

The fleets stare each other down at range, and Turr Phennir slinks off to flank.

The Rebels aren't distracted by the rest of the fleet, and angle towards the lone Interceptor, while the TIE Fighters push forward.

The sudden burst of speed from the Fighter swarm causes the X-wing escort to break from their charge, who is left staring down an Interceptor at close range. The TIE fighters open up, and Biggs is stunned so fast he his unable to provide cover!

The TIE swarm banks around an asteroid as Phennir angles to take an attack of opportunity on the fleeing X-wings. Backstabber, eager to join the fight, turns to engage the fighters...

...but he gets in the way of the swarm, forcing them to brake hard to remain in formation. Meanwhile, Luke spins his ship, angling to get a shot on the incoming fighters and save his wingman; he is unable to cause enough damage, and Biggs is shot down.

Backstabber flips his ship to face Luke as Phennir continues to harry Nunb. The swarm's formation has been partially broken, but as Howlrunner tries to keep her wing in order to face Luke, the Hero of the Rebellion is finished off by Backstabber.

The B-wing runs, attempting to escape, but there's little running from a TIE swarm. He is gunned down mercilessly from the combined fire of all but Howlrunner.

ANALYSIS:
Charles showed up sometime during the fight and said that it was a mean thing to do to place a rookie player against a TIE swarm of any type, much less the full ones so infamously overpowered. I think I agree with him, though there was little I could do since I didn't want to pit him against my brand new Firespray-31. It was only my second time ever playing a TIE swarm though, and this newness showed as I exploded my own formations. I think over the next week I'm going to focus on tight squadron flying to get it down; during the tournament Eugene (the only player to go undefeated) said that while the targeting mechanics of a warm differ from most other lists, the movement mechanics would be invaluable to any sort of list, and that the best way to learn to fly in formation is to use a swarm.

As we packed I helped Elijah with some tactics and tips; he took them eagerly, despite the massive loss. I think I like him for it, as not everyone is so keen to be friendly after such a defeat.