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




The Moose is loose!  Even Clontroper5 in the inaugural tournament didn't run a perfect 30 points in POD play, but MandalorianMoose has done it.  While he didn't face any max squadron lists, he did blow up multiple 90+ point lists without issue.  Taking most of the lessons of Imperial 2 ship, he goes for Imperial 3 ship, with a Comms Net Gozanti for deployment, tokens, and an extra activation.  Pryce sits on the Quasar Fire, and between the Gozanti token and Expanded Hanger bays can push 6 squadrons per activation.  The Interdictor with Targeting Scrambler and Brunson is very hard to bring down.

And what a squadron compliment.  Maarek / Morna / Jendon are standards, with Mithel and Rudor for anti-squadron work, and Rhymer and Gamma pitching in for anti-ship.  A lone Jumpmaster gives Mithel a chance to do his thing more than once, or to free up bombers for anti-ship work.  A bid of 390 gives him the advantage there as well.

Mhd - Sloane Redux 

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

Quasar Fire I-class Cruiser-Carrier (54 points)
-  Pursuant  ( 2  points) 
-  Governor Pryce  ( 7  points) 
-  Flight Controllers  ( 6  points) 
-  Boosted Comms  ( 4  points) 
-  Expanded Hangar Bay  ( 5  points) 
= 78 total ship cost 

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
-  Captain Needa  ( 2  points) 
-  Reinforced Blast Doors  ( 5  points) 
-  Turbolaser Reroute Circuits  ( 7  points) 
= 68 total ship cost 

[ flagship ] Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
-  Admiral Sloane  ( 24  points) 
-  Captain Brunson  ( 5  points) 
-  Reinforced Blast Doors  ( 5  points) 
-  Dual Turbolaser Turrets  ( 5  points) 
= 93 total ship cost 

1 ""Howlrunner"" ( 16 points) 
2 Firespray-31s ( 36 points) 
1 TIE Interceptor Squadron ( 11 points) 
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points) 
1 Ciena Ree ( 17 points) 
1 ""Mauler"" Mithel ( 15 points) 
3 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 24 points) 
= 132 total squadron cost 

Total Points: 398

Mhd had a difficult start to the tournament, winding up in JJs Juggernaut's pod, and clawing his way to 2nd place.  With Sloane, he has also gone with a Quasar Fire with 6 potential activations, and has 10 stands of fighters to push with them.  His fighters are a bit more vulnerable to flak than most, but it also contains many of the "Scatter Aces" the Imperials love.  Ciena, Valen, "Howlrunner", and "Mauler" Mithel are a solid core, supplemented by 2 Firesprays, 1 TIE/I, and 3 TIE Fighters.

For combat ships, he has 2 long range broadsiders in a pair of Arquitens.  Reinforced Blast Doors and Captain Brunson makes them harder but not impossible to kill, while Turbolaser Reroute Circuits and Dual Turbolaser Turrets help them maximize their damage output.

Biggs' Analysis

This is a matchup of two "Standby" players, one of whom vastly outperformed his POD, and the other struggled through a very difficult POD#1.  This is a matchup to watch, as both players have shown they have the determination to go deep in this tournament.

The squadron game is going to determine this matchup, specifically how much force can be brought to bare by MandalorianMoose or Mhd to cripple the opposing squadrons when the engagement begins.  Moose needs his squadrons to hit ships - Heavy Ions on the Interdictor are a nasty surprise but aren't going to kill anything hanging at long range without fighter support - while mhd has the same trouble in that his Arquitens aren't going to be taking out the Interdictor.  Each side's Quasar is vulnerable, but neither one needs to let it do more than sit at long range of the battle.

Just looking at it on paper, I'd say Moose's initiative bid plus Morna / Maarek / Jendon is enough to slice through Mhd's generics.  3 hull squadrons don't hold up well against a double tap of Morna or Maarek.  Meanwhile, there really isn't much comparable for Mhd to hit aside from the Jumpmaster.

I expect Moose's 10-1 streak to come to an end here, but not his winning streak.  My prediction is MandalorianMoose to win.

Guest Analysis - Geek19

What we gots here is my favorite kind of violence as a Rebel; Imperial on Imperial.  It’s like when you watch 2 Packers fans fight over who gets to take their sister to the Prom that week.  Anyways, these two lists look mighty identical, and that’s because both of ‘em are using that there Quizzer to push squadrons around, and they’re both paying a heavy PRYCE to do it.  If we look OFFENSE, the Interdictor has the HIEs, but MHD seems to have it on lockdown here.  Moose is investing almost everything in the squadron game to win him the match, but MHD has good squads AND 2 Angry Kittens throwing dice at things.  If he can focus down on one ship at a time…

However, for DEFENSE, Moose has an Interdictor.  And that fat chungus won’t die easy.  MHD is going to be hard pressed throwing everything he can at it while still keeping his Admiral alive.  Just keep throwing dice at it, over. And over.  And over.  AND OVER.

Which means, it comes down to Intangibles and chutzpah.  There’s no Leia factor here, and they’re both squad heavy, so it’s going to come down to the squad fight.  And based on the inclusion of slightly more anti-squad… squads, I think MHD is going to come out slightly ahead on that one.  If that’s ENOUGH to turn the tide of the ship fight, well….. we’ll see how long it takes to kill MMJ!