Saturday, January 26, 2019

Elimination Matchup Preview - Zamalekite vs PartyPotato

**Watch this game LIVE at 6am CST / Noon GMT on Saturday 26th!**

Zamalekite


[ flagship ] CR90 Corvette B (39 points)
-  General Dodonna  ( 20  points)
-  Tantive IV  ( 3  points)
-  Leia Organa  ( 3  points)
= 65 total ship cost

Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57 points)
-  Yavaris  ( 5  points)
-  Flight Commander  ( 3  points)
= 65 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
-  Ahsoka Tano  ( 2  points)
-  Comms Net  ( 2  points)
= 22 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
-  Quantum Storm  ( 1  points)
-  Toryn Farr  ( 7  points)
-  Bomber Command Center  ( 8  points)
= 34 total ship cost

Modified Pelta-class Command Ship (60 points)
-  Adar Tallon  ( 10  points)
-  Fighter Coordination Team  ( 3  points)
-  Boosted Comms  ( 4  points)
-  All Fighters, Follow Me!  ( 5  points)
= 82 total ship cost

2 VCX-100 Freighters ( 30 points)
1 Tycho Celchu ( 16 points)
1 Luke Skywalker ( 20 points)
1 Gold Squadron ( 12 points)
1 Scurrg H-6 Bomber ( 16 points)
1 Dagger Squadron ( 15 points)
1 Corran Horn ( 22 points)
= 131 total squadron cost

Total Points = 399

Dodonna Aces with a 3+2, the natural successor of the 2+3.  Zamalekite and his annoying to type name bring 5 small base ships and 8 squadrons for 5 activations and 9 deployments.  Zamalekite's list has everything you'd expect from a Rebel Aces based list:

  • Toryn Farr and Bomber Command Center (on the same high value target!)
  • Yavaris (with a Flight Commander)
  • Adar Tallon (on a Pelta with Boosted Comms, Fighter Coordination Team, and AFFM!)
Let's talk about the Pelta for a second - it's built to push squadrons, and with Adar Tallon, Fighter Coordination Team, and All Fighters Follow Me! it can push them a lot farther and faster than you'd expect, potentially jumping Corran Horn more than 2 range rulers worth of movement for example.

Speaking of squadrons, you've got a decent spread of Rebel aces, backed up by VCX's to keep the main ships out of the fight.  Luke, Gold, and the generic Scurrg are all good anti-shipping fighters, while Corran gives you the ability to snipe a particularly troublesome enemy.  Dagger can do double duty, but needs the Pelta to help it push into position.

The CR90B seems like just an overcosted, under-squadroned transport here.  With Tantive IV, Ashoka Tano (on a different ship) and Leia, it is there for slicer insurance, and to toss a token to be corrected into the right one with Ashoka.

With a 399 point bid, it's not intending to win first player, and is probably very comfortable with its second player objective choices.



PartyPotato 


Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)
-  Captain Brunson  ( 5  points)
-  Ordnance Experts  ( 4  points)
-  Expanded Hangar Bay  ( 5  points)
-  Quad Battery Turrets  ( 5  points)
-  External Racks  ( 3  points)
= 95 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (85 points)
-  Moff Jerjerrod  ( 23  points)
-  Warlord  ( 8  points)
-  Minister Tua  ( 2  points)
-  Gunnery Team  ( 7  points)
-  Disposable Capacitors  ( 3  points)
-  Electronic Countermeasures  ( 7  points)
-  H9 Turbolasers  ( 8  points)
-  SW-7 Ion Batteries  ( 5  points)
= 148 total ship cost

1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)
1 ""Mauler"" Mithel ( 15 points)
4 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 32 points)
1 ""Howlrunner"" ( 16 points)
1 JumpMaster 5000 ( 12 points)
1 Captain Jonus ( 16 points)
2 TIE Bomber Squadrons ( 18 points)
1 Saber Squadron ( 12 points)
= 134 total squadron cost

Total Points: 377

When you think "Imperial 2 ship" do you think "Double Victories?"  Party Potato does.  There's a lot to unpack here, because the list is NOT standard by any stretch of the imagination.

2 ships.  12 squadrons.  8 deployments and 2 activations.  Clearly looking for first player with what might be the biggest bid of the tournament at 377 points.

The Victories are built for defense and combat, as they'd have to be to stand up to a fight.  The flagship is a VSD-II with Moff Jerjerrod onboard giving both better movement than most would expect out of a VSD.  Minister Tua / Electronic Countermeasures gives access to the Brace that is so necessary to VSD survival.  For offense, you've got Disposable Capacitors, for long range.  SW-7 Ions to even out the Blue dice, H-9 / Warlord Combo for guaranteed flak and Red Double Damage spin-ups, and Gunnery Team to ensure that it can reach out and touch whatever it needs to.

The other VSD is a I-Class built with Captain Brunson for survivability.  Quad Battery Turrets give it a little more oomph at Medium / Long range, but External Racks and Ordnance Experts are what make it prickly if you get too close.  It also has Expanded Hangers, bringing the list to 7 native squadron activations.

Interestingly, that means the list has just a bit more than half the activations for the squadrons it has, and no Rogues to make up the difference.  Clearly, it is expecting casualties in it's fighter cover, as well it should as it packs in 4 generic TIE Fighters.  It has a lot of anti-squadron firepower in its fighter compliment - "Howlrunner", "Mauler" Mithel, Valen Rudor, a Jumpmaster, and Saber Squadron do most of the damage, while Jonus and two TIE Bombers add much needed anti-ship damage.


Biggs' Prediction


Potato's list is so out of left field that it's hard to say.... what to think about this.  He is a true wild card in the tournament, scoring 21 points in the POD round and missing out on winning the POD by just a single point (and losing a game to POD winner Roquax in a 39 point squeaker).

Zamalekite had by far the most evenly matched POD to take first place in.  Tokra being bounced from the tournament was one of the more surprising POD results.  Even so, Zamalekite didn't manage to win all his games either, losing a close game to the eventual runner-up Dark Raver.

This fight is going to come down to two things:  Objective Selection and Squadron Battle.  Zamalekite obviously has quality Yellow / Blue objectives with a low bid and VCX's, so expect whatever his Red objective is to get serious scrutiny.

The Squadron Battle is going to be... something.  Potato has squadrons to burn, but Zamalekite has tricks to extend his squadron's range, protecting his more important pieces from an Alpha strike.  I'd say if you've got the time to get up early (in the States) and watch this game it'd be the one I'd want to see.

I'm going to take Zamalekite as the winner of this game, but only just.  Expect a game of multiple pieces being traded a turn, with the winner in doubt until Turn 5 or 6.  We might even see the game decided on a Turn 6 die roll, and that is some of the most fun and intense Armada you can play.

Special Guest - Geek19


So a kite gets mad at a potato, and this is the result.  Potato is flying 2 crocodiles, and Kite is flying a Pelta, proving to everyone involved that these ships exist on top tables.  Going to our usual metrics, OFFENSE appears to go to Potato, just based on weight of fire.  If he can bring those Vics to bear…. Hoo boy, watch out for that chomp.  With a LOT of (potentially) disposable squadrons, he can keep throwing them at his problems, watching Kite’s squadrons melt as more and more piddly attacks keep hitting him.

But for DEFENSE, however, Kite has All Fighters Follow Me!, the greatest threat and range extender you can find.  They say the best defense is a good offense, but I say the BEST Defense was the 1985 Chicago Bears.  But Kite’s is pretty good, too, as he can KITE his way all around the battlefield with some massively high hull squadrons to chew through.  If those Vics get on target, chomp.  But that’s a heck of an IF, with all the hull on those squadrons he’s defending with.


So, as always, INTANGIBLES! And while I want to give it to Kite for running Leia on a Tantive IV which is both thematic and passes the most important Leia test, I have to believe that a man running TWO victories has some wily tricks up his sleeve. 

Zamalekite wins, but Party Potato gets the Golden Snitch.

Friday, January 25, 2019

Elimination Matchup Preview - Commander Dave vs NebulonB

**Watch this game on Vassal at around 1:30pm EST on Sunday 27th!**

Commander Dave 


Gladiator II-Class Star Destroyer (62 points)
-  Demolisher  ( 10  points)
-  Agent Kallus  ( 3  points)
-  Ordnance Experts  ( 4  points)
-  Engine Techs  ( 8  points)
-  Flechette Torpedoes  ( 3  points)
= 90 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
-  Hondo Ohnaka  ( 2  points)
-  Comms Net  ( 2  points)
= 27 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
-  Admiral Screed  ( 26  points)
-  Interdictor  ( 3  points)
-  Captain Brunson  ( 5  points)
-  Engine Techs  ( 8  points)
-  Disposable Capacitors  ( 3  points)
-  Heavy Ion Emplacements  ( 9  points)
-  Targeting Scrambler  ( 5  points)
-  Grav Shift Reroute  ( 2  points)
= 151 total ship cost

1 Colonel Jendon ( 20 points)
1 Maarek Steele ( 21 points)
1 Ciena Ree ( 17 points)
1 Morna Kee ( 27 points)
1 Boba Fett ( 26 points)
1 Firespray-31 ( 18 points)
= 129 total squadron cost

Total Points: 397

Elimination Matchup Preview - MandalorianMoose vs Mhd

MandalorianMoose - Dictor/Quasar 


[flagship] Interdictor Suppression Refit (90)
 - Grand Admiral Thrawn (32)
 - Interdictor (3)
 - Grav Shift Reroute (2)
 - Targeting Scrambler (5)
 - Heavy Ion Emplacements (9)
 - Disposable Capacitors (3)
 - Captain Brunson (5)
 - Fighter Coordination Team (3)
= 152 total points

Quasar Fire I-class Cruiser-Carrier (54)
 - Squall (3)
 - Expanded Hangar Bay (5)
 - Boosted Comms (4)
 - Governor Pryce (7)
 - Flight Controllers (6)
= 79 total points

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23)
 - Comms Net (2)
= 25 total points

Squadrons (134):
1x Mauler Mithel Tie Fighter Squadron (15)
1x Valen Rudor TIE Fighter Squadron (13)
1x Morna Kee VT-49 Decimator (27)
1x Maarek Stele TIE Defender Squadron (21)
1x Colonel Jendon Lambda-class Shuttle (20)
1x Major Rhymer Tie Bomber Squadron (16)
1x Gamma Squadron TIE Bomber Squadron (10)
1x JumpMaster 5000 (12)

Total Points = 390

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Elimination Matchup Preview - CyborgNinja vs Clontroper5

CyborgNinja


Assault Frigate Mark II B [92pts]:
- Boosted Comms
- Flight Controllers,
- •Adar Tallon

CR90 Corvette A [73pts]:
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits,
- •General Dodonna,
- •Jaina's Light

CR90 Corvette B [48pts]:
- Heavy Ion Emplacements

GR-75 Medium Transports [33pts]:
- Bomber Command Center,
- Boosted Comms,
- •Leia Organa

GR-75 Medium Transports [27pts]:
- Comms Net,
- •Toryn Farr

+ Squadrons +
HWK-290 [19pts]: •Jan Ors (Moldy Crow)
Scurrg H-6 Bomber [53pts]: 2x Scurrg H-6 Bomber, •Nym (Havoc)
X-Wing [39pts]: 3x X-Wing Squadron
Y-Wing [16pts]: •""Dutch"" Vander
Total Squadrons:  127 points

Total Points: [400pts]

Friday, January 18, 2019

How I'd make an Armada 2.0


There's been a lot of talk and anxiety lately about the future of Armada. Are we getting the axe like Runewars? Where the heck is the SSD? Is there any content in the pipeline? Obviously only FFG can answer those questions. Call me an optimist, but I don't think FFG is done with Armada by a long shot. Today, I want to examine the final trending topic: Armada 2.0. Now don't get me wrong, I freaking love this game. Probably to an unhealthy degree. However, I think we're getting to the point where we can clearly see some structural issues. FFG has tried to patch them up a bit, but there are somethings organic to the game that would require a restructuring to fully address.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Week 2 Wrap-up - World Cup Standings


POD 1 PointsMOVGames
JJs Juggernaut - X275983
CarribeanNinja101
Dupy602
Mhd91822

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Week 1 Wrap Up - World Cup Standings


POD 1 PointsMOVGames
JJs Juggernaut - Z185982
CarribeanNinja000
Dupy602
Mhd91822

POD #1 has the Juggernaut and his Raddus list off to an early lead, and a secured elimination round.  Dupy and Mhd are just unable to catch him at this point, leaving only a fresh CarribeanNinja to contest him.  Neither one is eliminated just yet, as a big win against CarribeanNinja, a loss by the other, and a big loss by CarribeanNinja against JJ will see them in the elimination instead.


POD 2 PointsMOVGames
PT106000
Outboundflight101
Angry Ewok000
CyborgNinja103551
POD #2 hasn't really had much action, but CyborgNinja and his Scurrg Bomber Dodonna list found the perfect matchup against Outboundflight's Thrawn 2 ship, and a split fighter screen.  Still literally anyone's game, though Outboundflight is really fighting for 2nd place now.


POD 3PointsMOVGames
Roquax - X223753
GiledPallaeon11742
PartyPotato11432
comatose1103
Roquax and his Raddus & YT's list quickly earned him a spot in the eliminations, and a good split guarantee him that spot now.  GiledPallaeon and PartyPotato now play an elimination game - MOV doesn't matter, as their score is currently tied.  Whoever wins is in, no matter the point spread.  Both have a mean squadron based list, but Party has by far the higher bid.  This will be a game to watch.


POD 4 PointsMOVGames
Aresius000
Ginkapo81631
Nebulon B000
Bantha301
Not much movement in POD#4, aside from Ginkapo scoring a quick win over Bantha.


POD 5 PointsMOVGames
CommanderDave - Z186032
Viktor Tanek152482
jp82729802
The_tony_davis302
POD#5 is nearly done, with Commander Dave and his 3 Ship Imperial list emerging at the top of the pack.  He still needs to play Viktor Tanek and his Raddus Profundity / HEI90 for first place.  A bad loss by Viktor and a crushing win by jp82729 can still get jp82729 and his Double Kuats into the runner up slot.


POD 6PointsMOVGames
Tokra000
Zamalekite000
Dark Raver000
BillHimclaw000
Bueller?  Bueller?  No games played in POD#6


POD 7 PointsMOVGames
Clontroper5104001
thecactusman17602
Brobafett152832
Karneck131783
Clontroper 5 jumped off to a quick start against Karneck, but so did everyone else.  No one is guaranteed a spot yet, as any player can score big wins to bust the brackets.  Of these, Clontroper5 has the best chance of getting first place, but Brobafett and his 2 ship Thrawn will also be in the running, with a solid win against Clontroper's Jerjerrod Kuat / Demo list.


POD 8 PointsMOVGames
rasproteus000
Maturin000
MandalorianMoose000
themightyhedgehog000
Anyone home here?  No games played in POD#8.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

If you could redesign some Armada Admirals...

Armada is a great game that I think has a pretty high level of balance and accommodates a good variety of play styles.  Still though it is not without some warts.  Since the game has come out the pool of admirals in the game has grown, but not all of those admirals are as effective or used as one might hope.  There are a few that have just been relegated to the card binder.  I think if FFG was given the shot at a re-do many of Armada's admirals would look fairly different today.

Eliteone on the FFG forums had originally posted his thoughts on point changes for some of the admirals, but I felt like what was really needed were some modifications to their abilities themselves.  I thought I would expand on my thinking here in a blog post.  So, how would shmitty redesign some of Armada's less used admirals?  That's the question I am going to try to answer even if the real answer is that no one really cares.


Tuesday, January 8, 2019

My New Gaming Table - A Review of the Jasper from BoardGameTables.com

Hey everyone, I am in fact still alive.  I haven't been doing much writing here due to the real world taking up all of my time.  Specifically, my wife and I bought a new (to us) house and we've been neck deep in remodeling projects.

Well, most of that is done and I wanted to share something for the new house that I built last night.  The Jasper from BoardGameTables.com recent Kickstarter.  My wife and I have been wanting a convertible gaming table for our dining room for awhile.  I have a large 4' x 6' table I built for gaming in my basement, but most of our board games get played in the dining room.  Now that we have a pre-schooler we've been really wanting a space where we can leave a game like Gloomhaven setup but still have a useful dining space.

We had looked around online at various options, but wow can the custom tables be expensive.  But I knew that was going to be getting a bunch of overtime at work in the next year, so when I went to GenCon this Summer I went with then intention of shopping for a new table.

I could not have been happier to discover the Jasper.

The prototype Jasper from GenCon 2018