Thursday, July 23, 2020

Grand Moff RitR: Biggs vs. Truthiness


Hey everyone! My blogging sabbatical for grad school is finally over. My thesis is done and accepted, so I finally have the time to return to blogging full time. OK, so really just part time, but still more than the last 12 months! For my first trick series of articles, I'll be chronicling our first attempt at Biggs's "Grand Moff" Rebellion in the Rim variant. As with all things here on Steel Strategy, we'll do so with our usual love for cutthroat friendly rivalry between writers. It's just me and Biggs. Oh, right and the other six players. In any case, we all know Biggs doesn't stand a chance. Still, let's at least humor him.


Biggs is taking on the Rebel side of things. Joining Biggs will be Jamie Nasmyth, Formynder, and Madaghmire. Jamie has opted for an MC80 Assault Cruiser as his flagship, starting Electronic Countermeasures. He also has a flotilla of GR-75 Medium Transports rocking a Comms Net. Along for the ride are Shara and Tycho for squadron cover. His starting commander ability is Master Navigator I. Madaghmire is opting for the suicidal MSU route with three Hammerhead Torpedo Frigates, each with Task Force Antilles. He also has a small Mustache Ride for squadron cover: he has Biggs, Jan, 2 X-Wings, and a YT-2400. As you might expect, his starting ability is Master Coordinator I, which I suspect he intends to upgrade to make his Hammerheads pocket carriers. I've seen such a RitR tactic work well for Imperial Raiders, so I expect this fleet to become more potent than a first glance might offer. If you can manage to get veteran status on the Hammerheads, they can use the free tokens to command two squadrons a piece while also executing their native command dial. It's also a great spot for Veteran Captain of all things. Formynder, always the lover of Liberty, is starting out with an MC80 Battle Cruiser with Engine Techs. Unsurprisingly, his commander has Master Navigator I. Ketsu, Landa, and 2 YT-2400s are providing squadron support. Biggs rounds this all out with another MC80 Assault Cruiser for his GM flagship with Master Gunner I for his commander ability. As per the GM RitR rules we've published, it has no starting upgrades, but comes with veteran status.


I'm taking charge of the Imperial side. Assisting me in crushing terrorism and restoring order to the galaxy are Rikash, Brobafett, and Alzer. My minions were given latitude to select their starting fleets as they see fit, and they have not disappointed me (yet). Rikash is bringing an Arquitens Light Cruiser with Linked Turbolaser Towers as his flagship, the commander of which has Master Gunner I. He also has a Raider II with Heavy Ion Emplacements, a Raider I with Ordnance Experts, and a Gozanti Cruiser with Reserve Hangar Decks. For now, his only squadron cover is a single squadron of TIE Fighters. Broba Fett has opted for a ISD Cymon with Quad Turbolaser Cannons and two supporting Gozanti Cruiser flotillas. His squadron support is oriented toward enabling his Cymoon, bringing along Jonus and Tempest Squadron. His commander has the Master Gunner I ability. Alzer is bringing an Gladiator II for his flagship equipped with Assault Concussion Missiles. He has also taken an Arquitens Command Cruiser with Linked Turbolaser Towers. He has the largest squadron compliment on the Imperial side, bringing Morna, a generic Decimator, and 2 TIE Fighter squadrons. To help the Decimators get out there faster, Alzer has Rapid Deployment for his starting commander ability. Finally, I have an ISD-II for my chariot. Since we have an overall ship-heavy approach, I've gone with Master Navigator I for my starting ability, with full intention to upgrade it at least to the second tier.

Initial Map Layout for the Campaign
Biggs and I set our starting locations and launched our first assaults last night. Imperial bases are Mygeeto, Sullust, and Atallon. Rebels are dug in on Montross, Dathomir, and Mustafar. Madaghamire launched a terrorist raid on Lothal. Rikash was dispatched to quell the nuisance. Brobafett, meanwhile, has been assigned to bring his kin on Mandalore into the fold. We have received word that Jamie has some kind of pathetic assassination plot in the works, which will most assuredly be foiled. Finally, intelligence indicates Formynder is marauding the planet Felucia, so Alzer has been dispatched to investigate.

That's all for now folks! I'll be taking a nap reviewing reports while my underlings deal with these rebel scum. Be sure to check in regularly to see the progress of our campaign and updates to our GM RitR format. We already noticed we forgot to address squadron rewards for the Grand Moff. We never intended for the Moffs to be able to take squadrons, so we're debating our options. One option is allowing the GM being able to bank the squadrons to use for later upgrades but not allowed to "equip" them to their fleet for actual use. The second option is just forbidding the GM from taking a squadron reward at all and forcing it to be distributed to their commanders.

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