X-Wing - Trellix takes on Fat Han

My current infatuation with X-Wing from FFG continues and I've played a good few games with various forces from the Imperial and Rebel factions lately.  This battle took place last week.

I took an Imperial force against a 'Fat Han' Rebel force as pat of a narrative campaign we're running.  This campaign will be a series of competitive games linked with a narrative over control of the Selam Sector.  So far, the Imperials have got the better of the border skirmishes.  Once this 'stand up fights' are done we'll run some scenario games until one side is victorious.

Anyway, in this game I fielded:

KRASSIS KILL TEAM 100pts
Krassis Trellix Firespray + Engine upgrade & Heavy laser cannon
Howlrunner + Swarm tactics
Black squadron TIE + Swarm tactics
Black squadron TIE + Push the limit

I'm unsure of the exact composition of my opponent's list but it had:

Millennium Falcon + Han, Chewbacca, Marksmanship (and some other stuff i think)

Rookie X-Wing

Rookie X-Wing

The asteroids were down one side of the battle space so we must have been fighting on the edge of an asteroid field!

My forces deploy to skirt along the asteroid field.  I plan to strip off the X-Wings on the alpha strike and then get into the mix with Han and Chewie.

The X-Wings sweep out into the front of the Falcon to come in at me in a group.

We both charge in, with blaster cannons blazing, trading a TIE for an X-Wing.

Han dishes out some critical damage to another TIE.

After the alpha strike engagement, the Falcon and remaining rookie in his X-Wing pull a hard K-turn to sweep back into the Imperial forces that are sweeping apart to come back in a pincer move.

Han has Krassis Trellix in his sights, but the bounty hunter sweeps the Firespray's cannons into the rear arc to return fire.

The dogfight begins in earnest, and the TIE chases a rookie off (after he tried a K-Turn while stressed and flew off out of control, leaving the battle).

The dance begins, and Trellix and Han circle each other taking shots where they can.  The Falcon's turret means Han can shoot almost every turn, but deals out less damage to the more maneuverable Firespray.

Trellix has a harder time getting arcs on the Flacon, but when the Firespray does fire, it deals out more damage.  Only the efforts of Chewbacca's in-flight repairs keep the Falcon in the fight!

 

Trellix The Falcon finally brings down the last TIE Fighter, and its left to the Rebel hero and bounty hunter to fight it out.

Exchanging fire for several turns, both ships are down to a single remaining hull point!  You can cut the tension with a knife...

Until finally, Han's turret advantage finally tells, and he gets a solid shot on target.

Two solid hits bring down the Firespray and the battle is over.  Han takes the smashed Falcon into the nearest docking station for some major repairs!

My opponent played a shrewd game, but made a few mistakes (forgetting that red actions on a stressed pilot isn't good!)  I think I made the mistake of not concentrating on the Falcon from the start.

Great game though and brilliant fun!

The other end of the table saw a rather more decisive campaign game, with Darth Vader tearing holes through a Rebel force.

X-Wing is an excellent, fun game.  It combines the enjoyment of a miniatures wargame, the simplicity and gameplay of a board game, and the compulsive aspects of a collectible card game into the perfect storm for a gamer's wallet!

Warband unboxing video continued...

I've been following the vlog of a chap named Justin Borge, who's charting his progress with Warband.  

Following his unboxing...

http://luddite1811.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/warband-unboxing-video.html

...here's a neat video looking at the quality of the Pendraken figures.

It's great to see the inherent flexibility of the Warband basing being put to good use here, with Justin producing armies that suit his budget and available space.  

These smaller bases should look splendid once they're painted up.

I look forwards with interest to seeing his views of how the game works.

X-Wing

I've been playing a fair bit of FFG's excellent X-Wing game lately and so tonight, we decided to do a 100pt game.

I took the Rebels, led by Luke Skywalker, and my erstwhile opponent Bob, took a swarm of TIEs led by Luke's father Darth Vader.

We set up, both taking a split force with two 'flanks' established.

As the Imperials advanced cautiously, they rolled out further onto the flanks, to look for openings.

The two forces advance on each other.

And my cunning plan begins, with my two flanks sweeping in on a crossover move.

On the left flank, the Y-Wings cut across the TIEs, target locking them.

On the right flank, Skywalker leads a rookie in towards Vader's ship on the other flank.

The Imperials move to meet the Rebel moves.  

And the grand sweep begins to go wrong.  As the ships engage, the Rebel pilots panick and lose focus, abandoning their sweeping move to try to mix it up with the more manoeuvrable TIEs.  A bad idea... 

The first casualty falls, hit from two directions and blasted to pieces.

Tied up and unable to get free of the TIE swarm, the Rebel pilots are stessed and have to push their ships to the limit to avoid lethal collisions...

All the while taking Imperial fire from every direction.  Its not long before the second Y-Wing bursts into a fireball.

Immediately followed by the rookie X-Wing pilot.

Oh dear... 



His comrades obliterated, Luke manages to break free of the melee unharmed, and K-Turns back into the fray, intent on destroying Vader.

Hope still burns in his heart and the first TIE is blown out of the black.

Vader marshalls his underlings to try to take down this Rebel scum.

Luke scythes through the swarm...but his shields are stripped off...

And then, Skywalker brings down the second TIE, before swepping back round for another attack run.

But Vader is just toying with the young pilot, and has arranged a lethal pursuit to flush the Rebel into Vader's sights.

And with a ruthless efficiency befitting a Dark Lord of the Sith, Lord Vader kills his son.

Another great game of X-Wing where I exhibited a woeful series of moves to get caught in the middle of a TIE swarm.


Great fun though and Bob won a well deserved victory.