Screed Kuat vs Madine Dual Liberty

After three straight losses with rebel MSUs, I decided to go over to the dark side. In this game, I tried running a Kuat ISD with Screed, Avenger, Boarding Troopers, Strategic Advisor, ACMs, and Leading Shots. I also brought a Raider 2 with DCaps and Heavy Ions. In support were a pair of Gozontis, Jendon, Steele, Morna Kee, and 2 Defenders. My opponent, Andy, brought a pair of Liberties under Madine (Star Cruiser flagship on right, Battlecruiser on left) with a pair of flotillas and three generic A-Wings. I had a large bid and went first. I chose his Fleet Ambush, which suited my aggressive list well.

During setup, I managed to cluster the asteroids in the center in order to shrink the play area, forcing him to deploy bunched up. I dropped my ISD first in a bold statement that I felt was suitable to my aggressive, heavy hitting list. Here is the setup:


During the first round, I was unable to use my DCap/HIE Raider on those Liberties without activating my Kuat first. Andy was able to ram his own flotilla to prevent his BC from being forced into close range of my ISD. I was really disappointed about that, but it was a solid move on his part. He had last activation, so I tried to position the ISD to prevent the Star Cruiser from moving, which would have given me the double arc at the top of the next round. Had I not deployed at speed 3, I would have had more success here. As it was, Madine allowed him to slide his SC between my ISD and Raider. It was ridiculously tight. He then used his engine techs to move forward further. My fighter wing did good work right out of the gate eliminating some of his cover and putting damage onto his flagship. Here is the close of round 1:


In the next round, I activated the Kuat first and put some double arc damage (Side and Rear, burning the boarding troopers) into the Star Cruiser. It wasn’t enough to finish it, but it was certainly limping. After my maneuver, the BC had a nice double arc on the Kuat, though I believe he split fire in order to take down my Raider. I also rammed his flotilla with my own in order to finish it off - a risky move as I landed on the rock as well. I don’t recall how it had taken the third damage. My other flotilla of course went down during the Star Cruiser activation. I easily mopped up his fighter cover and began hitting his Battle Cruiser with Morna and Steele. They are a brutal combination. Here is the close of round 2:


Round three began with my flotilla activation. I knew that it was doomed and it managed to do a Jendon/Steele double tap and reposition both for the next round follow-up. It went down to the BC side arc. I believe it had H9s, so that was pretty much a foregone conclusion. At this point the BC was also in fairly rough shape. Both of his liberties were working on an exit, but Morna is a persistent sort of predator. My ISD is out of the fight with unnecessary repair commands in the queue instead of the requisite nav commands. Here is the close of round 3:


Next, the BC (still on left) activated first and as a result, his SC wasn’t able to move as far as would have been healthy. Morna and Steele were both able to get some hits through in the squadron phase and finish off the flagship. At that point, we called the game. It was a respectable victory for me. Had I been running an MSU with light squads as is my habit, it would likely have ended differently.

AAR:
My asteroid positioning during setup was strong and accomplished my purpose. I would have been well served to have placed my ISD back a little further and at speed two in order to give myself more flexibility. Had I done that, I may have even used that awesome front arc firepower. Similarly, I should have placed the Raider more to the rear in order to give it more time and space to react. My squadrons were well placed to pounce on the enemy beginning in the first round. My flotillas were supposed to move quickly to come up right behind the Kuat, but I ended up placing them in an ideal place for the Liberties to mop them up after the first pass of the ISD. Those Gozantis were thoroughly ambushed. In the end, the Raider did very little, the ISD helped, but The Jendon-Steele-Morna combination was what won me this game, without a doubt.

Lessons Learned:
- When playing Fleet Ambush, do not be over-aggressive. Give yourself some space to react to enemy deployments.
- Rogues make solid finishers and Morna Kee is exceptionally good, especially with Jendon to give her a double-tap on occasion.

Ackbar Triple MC30s vs Ackbar MSU

After my previous defeat at the hands of Vader’s Dual ISDs, I made some modifications to my Ackbar Triple MC30 list. I decreased the fighter cover to the minimum Shara/Tycho compliment and exchanged a TRC MC30S for the standard Torpedo type with Admonition and Lando. My usual opponent, Andy, also brought an Ackbar MSU. He had an Assault Frigate for his flagship, a pair of TRC90s, and an enhanced armament MC30T. My bid allowed me to take first, though he outactivated me, six to five, allowing him to move two ships last. I chose his Solar Corona as I figured my speed would allow me to reposition from the center as needed.

From left to right, I have a vanilla TRC Scout, Admonition, and Foresight. Here is the board state at setup:

In the first round, I attempted to adjust my formation to get in front of his formation. He was moving slowly forward. Here is the close of the first round:


I had to slow Foresight to prevent him from moving into medium range of the enemy MC30 that hadn’t yet activated. This strings my formation out into a longer line than I would have liked, while Andy maintains a very tight and effective formation. I also sent my two fighters after Tycho, who just moved away during his activation - oops. Here is the close of round 2:


In round three, Andy picked up speed to prevent being cut off. I do not believe any shooting had taken place in this round. Foresight was lagging behind. Here is the close of round 3:


Round four was when things began to get interesting. My vanilla MC30 moved up to block the movement of the CR90 force it into close range. This is a successful maneuver, forcing the double arc. I moved Admonition up behind, thinking to block the enemy MC30 at close range. Some clever working of the maneuver tool foils my hopes there (The model doesn’t fit after base is placed). Foresight is dismally out of position and without its nav token now due to a speed change. My first flotilla is popped - small concern at this point. Here is the close of round 4:


Round five was the decisive round of the game. I activated my vanilla MC30 first, which had a solid double arc on the CR90. My black and red dice gave me terrible results, even with external racks and the TRC and I was unable to destroy the corvette (I believe that was 7 black and 3 red dice). Instead, I rammed and was stuck in place, a very tight spot. He activated his TRC90s and popped my vanilla MC30 in return. Admonition moved up to double arc and block his flagship, which had only light damage at this time. I then had to activate Foresight and could not avoid landing at close range of his MC30, which then activated and popped my flagship with a single volley. Ouch, things were really looking grim. This is the close of round 5:


In the final round, I activated Admonition and managed to destroy the assault frigate, clawing back some points to help offset the major losses I had taken. I do not believe any of the Sharas or Tychos went down. No further shooting occurred. Not a crushing defeat, but a decisive one nonetheless.

AAR:
The asteroid placement was mostly a non-factor, though it did make my early maneuvers a bit more complicated. My setup was adequate, though had I deployed at an angle, I would have been better able to move toward his front as a group of three and not left Foresight behind. My round four positioning was decent, though had I dropped the speed of Admonition, I may have been able to keep the opposing MC30 in front of me and that would have allowed Foresight to move up without being popped next round. I let Foresight lag far behind, isolating it from the other two hitters - a major weakness in my approach. My vanilla MC30 should have easily popped the opposing CR90 and then survived the round, but that is a downside of not bringing any black dice modification. My attempt to get my entire fleet in front of his was not a success. His ability to activate two ships after all of mine had moved prevented me from executing any easy first/last hits, though the last round Admonition activation was good.

The loss of a single MC30 Scout is 86 points (ER, IO, TRC) before any title as in the case of Foresight. This is a lot of points for something that is only marginally more difficult to kill than a 51 point TRC90 with comparable long range firepower and better maneuverability. As much as I like the MC30 Scout, I will be retiring it for now.

Lessons Learned:
- Do not neglect your ordnance experts. Black dice can be swingy just like the reds.
- MC30s are very fragile without Admonition. Beware loading them with points.

Ackbar Triple MC30 vs Vader Dual ISD

In this encounter, I brought three MC30s, all of which were scout types with TRCs, external racks, and intel officers. One of them also had Foresight, which was my flagship. My opponent, Andy, brought an ISD2 with Vader as well as a Cymoon. Both had tractor beams. He took first player and picked my Hyperspace Assault. His ISDs set up in the corner, while I set up with the intent of moving quickly to get around the side of his formation, using the asteroids as cover.

I missed the picture at set up, but this is the close of round 1:


In round two, the Cymoon managed to get into medium range (by a hair) of the vanilla MC30. The hyperspace tokens are in place for the drop. This is the close of round 2:


I dropped my MC30 in at close range of both ISDs, outside of their nasty front arcs, at the beginning of round 3:


The Cymoon activated first and destroyed the vanilla MC30 at medium range and moved away from the hyperspace assault ship while staying out of close range of Foresight. My assault ship had very little effect because of the lack of black re-rolls. It then moved off to the left to avoid hitting the asteroid. Here is the close of round 3:


The MC30 assault ship moved slowly around - out of the battle thanks to the tractor beams and a turn to the left instead of right. The squadron battle was finished with Shara on one remaining health and no scatter token. My flotilla was popped by the Cymoon at long range. This is the close of round 4:


The Gozanti managed to knock out Shara. Round five was uneventful. Here is the close:


Round six was similarly uneventful. I was down an overpriced MC30 and a flotilla - a fairly heavy defeat for me.

AAR:
This was a tough matchup as second player. It suggests that I need a bigger bid to keep my fragile ships out of danger. My main blunder was being over-eager to engage the Cymoon. I moved a bit too close with the vanilla MC30 and the ISD was able to move speed three afterwards to line up a solid medium range shot at the start of round three. The Cymoon was also able to use Vader to fish for an accuracy in order to pop a flotilla the following round - something I did not expect to happen. The tractor beams on both ISDs kept my assault ship from re-engaging after the third round. I simply did not have the requisite firepower to take down either ISD after this round. On the squadron side, we had mutual destruction. I had gradually switched from CR90s to MC30s in order to avoid being destroyed in a single activation, unfortunately my MC30 load-out does not give me sufficient survivability.

Lessons Learned:
- Bid high with an MSU. Six points is not sufficient.
- MC30s without Admonition are extraordinarily fragile. Handle with care.
- Braces tend to negate the Ackbar damage boost when I have a single ship on target.
- Black dice need modifications when counting on a burst of damage to handle your opponent.

Mothma MSU vs Madine 80+75

In this game, I tried out Mothma for the first time to give my MSU more staying power at the expense of the Ackbar side arc boost. I brought the titled MC30s plus a pair of CR90s (Jaina’s Light is my flagship with TRCs and the other is a B-type with engine techs and RBDs) with Shara, Corran, and a pair of YT2400s. My usual opponent, Andy, was fielding Madine on a Liberty, the MC75, a pair of flotillas, and a bunch of Z95s (Proxied with X-Wings). He also had a Strategic Advisor and a good sized bid, so he had the last/first - a recipe for trouble. Objective was most wanted. I made my non-flagship CR90 and his MC75 the objective ships.

Here was the setup (From left to right: Admonition, Jaina, Foresight, Generic CRambo):


I wanted to keep Admonition out of the fight for a round or two and was nervous about the last/first possibilities. I was also trying to turn my flagship away from that Liberty front arc. I moved Foresight in toward his 75 and was playing conservatively with my objective ship. Here is the close of round one:


I managed to get both flotillas at close range of Foresight, but poor Mon Mothma had that Engine Teching Liberty bearing down on her. Admonition was completely out of the fight. Shara very effectively tied up his fighter wing while Corran and the YTs hit the 75. Here is round 2 close:


Naturally, the Liberty activated first and assassinated my admiral (A diplomatic mission, really!). I responded in kind by clearing out both of his flotillas with my H9s on Foresight. I did a shoot and scoot with my objective ship rather than sticking around for the the ramming thing. It would not have been able to do it a second time to make it worth the loss. My three rogues harassed the MC75 on three arcs to reduce flak damage. Here is the close of round 3:


Not much happens on round four. The rogues are sticking to their target like parasites. Here is the close of the round:


Round 5 was similarly uneventful. I pushed Foresight into close range of the MC75, even though I had no chance of getting a shot, just to see if it could survive:


Round six closes with Foresight being wiped out by 75. Overall, a stinging defeat.

AAR:
This was not a well played game on my part. Looking at the setup, I was already in trouble. The asteroids were reasonably well placed in the center, but half my fleet was not placed to utilize the asteroid placement for cover. Also, my fleet started out together, but the directions of travel forced them apart when they should have stuck closer together to take down one or the other large base. Andy, on the other hand, started his ships a short distance apart, but planned for their convergence and mutual support - a much better approach. Placing my admiral on the CR90 instead of the much more survivable Foresight or Admonition was a bad move. My squadron group performed reasonably well. Shara dismantled his Z95s and the rogues put a bit of damage on the enemy, just not enough without any ship support. List-wise, being outbid and outactivated with an MSU is a recipe for destruction.

Lessons Learned:
- If running an MSU, either outbid or out activate the opponent, preferably both.
- Placing the admiral on a corvette is generally not a wise choice.
- Concentration of firepower is essential against heavy hitting large ships.
- MC30s cannot flank effectively as second player - they must attack the front on the first pass.

Vader Devastator vs Ackbar

In this game, I switched things up and tried running Imperials under Vader in his flagship, an ISD2 type Devastator with EWS. I also had a Demolisher and a Raider with external racks. The squadron fight consisted of four TIEs vs Shara/Tycho with predictable results. I took first and chose Jamming Barrier. I placed the Devastator in the left corner, anticipating the placement of the enemy fleet across from it due to the asteroids. I then placed Demo a ways to the left, planning to cut off the lateral MC80 movement.

The first image is part way through the first round:

I was moving fast and had to make a choice between the AF and the MC80 with the Devastator. I choose the AF so that it didn’t flank me. Here is the close of the second round:

After a light hit to the Pelta, Demo moved into the front arc of the MC80, keeping it in place for the round. Devastator did not have any discarded tokens quite yet, but it did put some damage on that AF as they closed. Here is the close of round 3:

My Demo was limping after taking hits from both the Pelta and MC80 and I was concerned that it may not last another activation from the 80. I elected to activate it first, putting hurt on the 80 and then moving past the dust cloud and getting a lucky hit on the AF to kill it before it got to shoot back. Devastator did not even get to use its titular ability. The Raider moved in to put some hurt on the 80 and lock it in place again. Here is the close of round 4:

The Raider activated first and put some more damage on the 80, but then got blown up in return. I was unable to maneuver in such a way as to keep out of the side arc, even with a ram. That was a misstep on my part as I could have waited him out instead of activating before the 80. Alternatively, I should have given him a slight turn inward toward the MC80 in the previous turn to try jumping over him if I decided against ramming. Here is the close of round 5:

Round six was uneventful and the game closed in my favor, though not the devastating victory I had hoped for from the Dark Lord.


AAR:

Demolisher was the MVP, hitting the MC80 hard and then finishing off the AF while getting away. It was the right move to set up with the goal of landing in the front arc of the 80. Devastator did not have opportunity to perform. I am not sure it was a terrible move to go after the AF, as I did not anticipate Demo even contributing to that fight, but it would have ended quite a bit differently had I gone after the 80 with my ISD. I pinned the MC80 behind that dust cloud for several turns, preventing it from contributing much with the side arcs. That was a good move.


Lessons Learned:

- Use the Devastator on the biggest threat rather than wasting it on the weaker targets.

- Demolisher double or triple tap is obscenely good.

Ackbar MSU vs Vader Dual ISD

For this match, I brought a pair of MC30s with the titles, a CR90, flotilla, and a medium squad presence consisting of Shara/Tycho, Corran Horn, and a pair of YT2400s. My sparring partner, Andy, brought a Cymoon (On right), and Kuat backed by a flotilla (With Chiraneau) and a squad component that consisted of Mithel, Bossk, and IG88.

I had forgotten to grab the setup picture. The ISDs were deployed separated, so I chose the Cymoon to pounce on first. Here is the first picture part way through round one:


The ISDs were both moving speed 3, which got the combat started right off the bat. I was able to bring my fighters in to soften those shields. Here is the close of round 2:


In the second round, my flotilla was popped with a long range Cymoon shot. He then moved into range of both MC30s, resulting in a very dead ISD. I split my squads to hit the other ISD and also intercept his own fighter wing. I forgot about the Chiraneau effect, which resulted in lots of damage from Mauler Mithel. Round 3 was mostly about repositioning and the squadron fight. This was near the close of round 3:


Round four was uneventful. I redirected all my squadrons into the squadron fight after Mithel was eliminated. Here is the close of the round:


In round five, my squad wing was mostly finished off. The Kuat moved away from my line of battle, deciding against a rash charge into my waiting guns - a pity. Here is the close of round 5:


In the final round, I lost my last YT2400 and was not in position to do anything meaningful against the Kuat.

AAR:

I concentrated my firepower very well and brought the Cymoon down quickly and efficiently. It was a well executed maneuver, but could not turn around quickly enough to re-engage meaningfully. Had I set my ships at less of an angle during setup, I may have been able to accomplish the same and still get some more meaningful shots on the Kuat. My greatest blunders were in the squad fight. I split my attention between the Kuat and the enemy fighters in rounds 2 and 3, which resulted in my squads getting picked apart. His choice of fighters were also well selected to neuter Shara/Tycho - a tough matchup.

Lessons Learned:

- Do not just consider your first target, also consider how you will re-engage a second target after the first is eliminated.

- Focus your squadron attention. Splitting them up is often hazardous.

Ackbar MSU vs Ackbar

This was my first AAR, though not my first game. I ran an Ackbar MSU featuring an MC30T Admonition with Enhanced Armament, an MC30S TRC Foresight as my flagship, and a pair of TRC90s. My regular opponent, Andy, also ran Ackbar with an MC75, AFmk2, and a Pelta (With Intensify Firepower). The objective was contested outpost. Here is the setup:

I placed Admonition on the bottom in order to disrupt his conga line formation. I was moving it in for the first/last. All of my ships were moving speed 3 or 4. Here is the conclusion of round 1:

I managed to double arc the Pelta while keeping everything else relatively safe. Here is the board state at the close of round 2:

Here is the close of round 3 in which I eliminated the Pelta:

Admonition went down, taking a flotilla with it. My own flotilla was about to bite the dust as well. Round 4:

The AFmk2 went down between Foresight and a CR90. The MC75 had taken a pounding from the left most CR90 in earlier rounds. The double arc was set up to finish it off before it could limp away. Round 5:

In the final round, I finished the 75, completing the tabling. Overall, a solid success.

AAR:

While not intentional, the asteroid placement allowed me relatively free reign of the center while pushing the MC75 to the periphery. My setup was good as it took advantage of the separation between the MC75 and ASsault Frigate, which allowed me to isolate the heavy hitters while knocking out the Pelta early. My target prioritization was very good, I think. My CR90 that circled around the far side of the MC75 did extraordinarily well, dropping most of the shields while surviving the process. Had the rolls been otherwise, the CR90 that circled the MC75, could easily have been popped without doing as much damage. A better move would have been to bring the CR90s in together to drop that AF in round 4 rather than round 5. Admonition perhaps could have made a clean getaway and I may still have had time to bring the MC75 down in the remaining two rounds. 

Lessons Learned: 

- Concentrate firepower to eliminate individual enemies and reduce enemy firepower.