Tricks #1: By the power of the variants!!!

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Introduction:

So to get some practice with this squad, I got into another Vassal tournament. The XTV Season 7 tournament run on discord 

For this tournament, you don't have one list but two and before the match you select which list from your opponent you want to fly against. Of course, my opponent chose Poe's list which was introduced here.

For choosing my opponent's list I decided to go for the things I know (or at least I think I know). I chose a list that has: 

Wedge Antilles (55)
Crack Shot (1)
Afterburners (6)
Servomotor S-foils (0)

Han Solo (80)
Trick Shot (4)
Kanan Jarrus (12)

Jake Farrell (36)
Predator (2)
Crack Shot (1)

Total: 197
View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

Things to spot:

If I have to be honest I went, "Ok, Wedge and Han...I know their abilities, I can see what they do when they are in the game", and wrote some things like, care for crackshot. I honestly went mentally unprepared, only knowing that I wanted Wedge/Han down and I should care for "Crackshot".

1. Things I should have written and be prepared for:
1. Han / Trickshot
2. Afterburners on Wedge. 
3. The name on the Freaking list also says a lot. He was coming in hot. 

Time Definition:

For this tournament, both players need to agree on the time limit. It can either be 12 rounds or 1 hour and 2 rounds. We chose 1 hour and 2 rounds. 

Setup:

When placing the obstacles I went for the "I want to be annoying plan"... bad plan considering that even though Han is a big guy he enjoys shooting through obstacles, especially with Trickshot. 

I deploy my units slightly scattered. I wanted to give Poe the chance to go on the side of the table and try to get to the combat with the possibility to turn away.I, also wanted A-wings to be able to disengage if needed after the first engagement turn. 

Poe, as always, starts with the S-foils closed just like Wedge. 

Round #1

Activation:

1. Rose: 3 Forward - Focus
2. Greer: 2 Forward - Focus
3. Jake: 3 Turn Left - Barrel Roll Left/Forward. 
4. Zizi: 1 turn Left - Focus
5. Poe: 2 Forward - Boost Forward.
6. Wedge: 4 Forward - Boost Forward.
7. Han: 1 Forward- Turn the arc Forward / Backward - I also noticed here that Han ship's move a little. Most likely a mistake but should pay attention to these things.

Round #2

In this round, I set up my goals. I wanted to approach with the A-wing near the center debris having options to disengage. With Rose, I wanted to coordinate Poe a boost....but that is not possible unless Poe ends up stressed which he is limited to either blue maneuvers or white that prevent him from doing his action. 

Activation:

1. Rose: 1 Bank Right - Focus
2. Greer: 4 Forward - Focus
3. Jake: 1 Turn Right - Barrel Roll Left/Backward - Giving Han a focus. 
4. Zizi: 2 Turn Right - Boost Right
5. Poe: 3 Bank Right - Focus.
6. Han: 3 Bank Right- TL - Zizi is slightly out but he can get Greer instead. 
7. Wedge: 3 Bank Right - Barrel Left Forward

Engagement: 

1. Han: Range 3 obstructed with Trickshot active on Greer. He gets 2 hits, crit, focus. He spends Force. Greer rolls 3 evades and 2 blanks. 1 shield down.  

Round #3

My plan for this round is to approach, with Rose and do some coordinate shenanigans along with Poe. Greer with a TL from Han will try to do a big turn while turning but pointing the arc backward. Zizi will turn to her back to the enemy team to try to disengage the next turn.

Activation:

1. Rose: 1 Forward - Coordinate a focus to Poe - I don't do many actions on Poe because I don't want him stressed
2. Greer: 3 Bank Right - Turn the arc for free - Focus - Red Boost Left
3. Jake: 2 Forward- Barrel Roll Left/Backward - Gets his own Focus. Red Boost right - Han gets a focus 
4. Zizi: 2 Turn Left - Focus - Red Turn the arc to the back
5. Poe: 3 Bank Right - TL Han.
6. Han: 4 Forward- Change the Arc to the Sides
7. Wedge: Open S-Foils - 3 Bank Right - Boost with Afterburners - Focus
   
   

Engagement: 

1. Poe: No Range
2. Wedge: Range 3 Obstructed but on bullseye on Poe. 2 hits and a blank. Poe rolls 2 evades. Wedge Crackshots one. 
3. Han: Range 1 obstructed on Poe (Trickshot). He rolls 3 hits and a crit. I get a double evade and a blank. removing all the shields. All these shots could have been worst. 
4. Zizi: Range 1 on Han. 1 hit 2 focus and spend the focus for 3 hits and gets the focus from the ability. Han gets the evade taking 2 shields. I think here I should have gone for Wedge but the range 1 was tempting.
5. Greer: Range 3 obstructed to Han. Gets a sad focus - blank which is easily evaded
6. Jake: No shots
7. Rose: Range 3 on Han with 2 friendly ships on the attack arc. Double focus...without focus. Rerolls both and gets a hit crit. Get focus blank rerolls on two focuses which turns into focus with the Focus token. 

Round#4

At this point, I feel that Wedge will do a 1 bank to the right and look Poe in a threatening way. Also, I think that Jake will make a move that will try to block me so I decide to act upon it. Greer needs to do a turn without actually turning (I want no risks in this game because is not looking good so far). Zizi will bank right and keep the gun in Han if possible. Rose....she is on her own. 

Activation:

1. Rose: 3 Forward - Coordinate a boost forward to Poe.
2. Greer: 2 Turn Right  - Free turn of the arc - Focus
3.  Jake: 2 Forward (ready for the block) - Focus
4. Zizi: 2 Bank Right - Focus
5. Poe: 3 Bank Right - Slam 3 Talon roll Left to avoid range 1 from Jake. Taking the ion to get the shot. 
6. Han: 2 Forward - changes TL to Rose
7. Wedge: 3 Bank Left - Afterburners Boost Right - Focus

Engagement: 

1. Poe: Range 2 on Jake. 3 crits. He gets Focus evade and spends the focus to avoid 1 damage. 
2. Wedge: Range 1 on Zizi. Hit Crit Focus. Spends Focus. Gets 2 Blanks HEROIC! -> TWO EVADES! Ufff! that was closed. But losses a shield. 
3. Han: Shoots on Rose range 2 and gets 3 hits. Rose gets an evade/blank. Re-rolls blank and gets another evade. Removing 1 shield.
4. Zizi: Range 1 on Wedge. 2 hits and blank. Use optics to change the blank to a hit. Wedge gets an evade removing all the shields. 
5. Greer: No shots
6. Jake: No shots 
7. Rose: No shots

Score: 0 to 0

    Poe: 1 from half

    Wedge: 1 from half

    Han: 5 from half

    Zizi: 1 from half

    Greer: 1 from half

    Rose: 1 from half. 

    Jake: 1 from half. 

Round#5

Poe is ionized but of course, that escapes my mind and I set the dial :P. Greer can re-engage with a 1 turn. Rose finds that she can't do anything else but bumping so I just do a blue. Zizi turns and focuses to get the back shot. 

Activation:

1. Rose: 1 bank right BUMP.
2. Greer: 1 Turn Right  - Focus
3.  Jake: 2 Bank Right - Barrel Roll Left - Forward - Gets a Focus with the ability - Red Boost Forward
4. Zizi: 2 Bank Right - Focus - Red Boost Left to get range 1 from the back. 
5. Poe: 1 Forward ION - Focus because ION
6. Han: 2 Hard Right - Focus
7. Wedge: 4 K-Turn 

Engagement: 

1. Poe: Range 3 on Jake. 2 hits and a blank. He gets Focus - Evade and spends the focus to avoid damage. 
2. Wedge: Range 1 on Rose. Gets 2 hits 1 crit and a focus. Rose gets and evade and takes 1 hit and a crit. Crit is a Panicked pilot (2 stresses). 
3. Han: Range 2 to Rose. Han gets 1 hit and 2 focus. Focuses for 3. Rose is dead. And she dares to roll 2 evades :P. 
4.  Zizi: Range 1 on Jake. 1 hit 2 focus. Spend the Focus for 3. Jake gets 1 of every color and takes 2 damage. 
5. Greer: Range 2 on Jake. hit blank which makes 2 hits with optics. Jake gets another 1 of every color and takes 1 damage killing him. 

Score: 39 to 34. Small Advantage and many ships can tip the balance.  

Round#6

At this point I want the A-wings to take some distance and Poe to show only the tip of the nose to then disengage again. 

Activation:

1. Greer: 4 Forward - Focus - Red Boost Left
2. Zizi: 2 Forward - Focus
3. Poe: 1 Bank Right - Focus.
4. Han: 1 Bank Right - TL an asteroid. 
5. Wedge: 1 Bank Left + Focus

           

Engagement: 

1. Wedge: Range 3 obstructed on Greer. Gets 3 hits. Greer gets 3 focus and an evade. Spend the focus
2. Greer: Back at Poe. Blanks out HEROIC! -> hit focus. No results

Round#7

Poe at this point needs to disengage, the question is where to. He can go left but. then he would be again surrounded by asteroids. Forward mean facing alone a very healthy Han. Ok..."Right" it is then. Greer will accept the fact that he will go over the debris and Zizi will just take distance and focus.

Activation:

1. Greer: 3 Forward - Go over the debris. Rolls a Focus no consequences other than the stress
2. Zizi: 2 Bank right - Focus
3. Poe: Closes S-Foils -  3 Turn Right - Focus Barrel roll Right. (Maybe should have gone left.)
4. Wedge: 1 Forward - focus
5. Han: 4 Forward - Boost Right

Engagement: 

1. Poe: No shots
2. Wedge: Range 3 on Poe. Gets 2 hits. Poe gets 1 focus 1 blank. Poe on half. 
3. Han: no shot
4. Zizi: no shot
5. Greer: no shot

 Score: 39 vs 74. 

Round#8

At this point, I think Poe should run if I want to have a chance, and Zizi and Greer re-engage. If I want to have chances I have to take risks. 

Activation:

1. Greer: 2 Turn  Left - Free Turn of arc - Focus
2. Zizi: 2 Turn right - Focus
3. Poe: 2 Turn Right - Focus.
4. Wedge: 1 Bank Right - focus
5. Han: 2 Right Turn - Use Kanan to remove stress - TL Poe

Engagement: 

1. Poe: No shots
2. Wedge: Range 3 on Poe. Gets 3 hits spending the focus. Poe gets 2 evades. 1 hull less 2 to go. 
3. Han: Range 3 on Poe. Gets 2 hits and a focus. Rerolls blank gets a focus but has no modifier. Poe rolls 3 natural evades.

Round#9

At this point, I'm tired of running and I decided to turn with Poe and try to get some points (Not a good decision but goes along with the rest of the match). Also with the A-wings. If I'm not mistaken this was declared the previous to last round. It might have been a better approach to simply turn right and keep running but...

Activation:

1. Greer: 3 Turn  Left - Focus
2. Zizi: 1 Turn right - Focus
3. Poe: Tallon Roll Left Backwards
4. Wedge: 2 Forward - focus
5. Han: 3 Left Turn - Boost Right

Engagement: 

1. Poe: Range 3 on Wedge. Gets a 1 a focus, a hit, and a blank. Same roll on defense. 
2. Han: Range 1 on Zizi. Gets 2 hits and a crit. Zizi gets 2 focus and an evade. Spend the focus to take no damage. Spend charge to keep the focus
3. Wedge: Range 3 on Poe. Gets 1 hit 1 blank and 1 focus and spends the focus for attack. Poe Blanks out HEROIC! and then gets 2 evades! 1 hull to die. 
4. ZiZi: Range 2 to Wedge. Blank out HEROIC!! (Oh yes I have my heroic ability incorporated.) And Focus Blank. Spend the focus for 1. Wedge gets the evade. 
5. Greer: Range 3 obstructed to wedge. He gets a crit and a blank and turns the blank into a hit.  And Wedge gets 2 evades and a blank.

Round#10

This will be the last round. I don't think there is much to do here but I think if there is a chance I need to take Wedge out. So I decide that Poe's stress can only bump and take the shot. Greer and Zizi just need to make maneuvers that will keep them in a position to shoot.

Activation:

1. Greer: 2 Turn  Left - Free turn of arc - Focus - Red Boost forward
2. Zizi: 5 Forward - Focus - Red  turn the arc 
3. Poe: 1 Bank Left - BUMP HAN 
4. Han: 2 Left Turn - Removes stress by spending Kanan Force - Rotate the arc.
5. Wedge: 3 Forward - Focus

Engagement: 

1. Poe: Range 1 on Wedge. Gets a 1 hit, a crit and 2 blanks. Same roll on defense. Wedge rolls focus evade and spends focus.
2. Wedge: Range 1 on Poe. Gets 2 focuses and 2 blanks. Sad he spent the focus on defense. (So I need to take )
3. Han: Range 1 on Poe. Gets 2 hits, focus, blank. Poe gets 2 evades. 
4. Zizi: Range 2 on Wedge. Gets 1 hit blank which turns into another hit with optics. Poe gets blank and a focus, and since he does not have focus he takes 2 hulls. If Greer gets another 2 with 2 dice shot
5. Greer: When we check for range and obstruction we noticed the shot is not obstructed so only range 3. Greer gets two hits and Wedge completely blanks out blowing to ashes. 

Final Score: 101 vs 74

Conclusion: 

It was a win but with the taste of a defeat even though the end was so exhilarating and brought a lot of enjoyment. There are many things to learn from this match so I think it was a great experience, not to mention my opponent attitude and sportsmanship throughout the whole match. 

My Poe handling was not bad but totally dependant on variants. It's hard not to have initiative.

Things to learn: 

1. Hans trick shot is nasty 
2. Wedges Afterburners wants to be fast. 
3. This is not the first time that it happens but I feel it's worth mentioning. NEVER GIVE UP!