X-Wing - Battle of Yavin - ComicReaders Downtown - Sunday, December 16, 2012

[ChadBoudreau]

X-Wing - Battle of Yavin - Sunday, December 16, 2012

DESCRIPTION
X-Wing is a new miniatures game from Fantasy Flight Games set in the Star Wars universe. Based on the Wings of War game system, X-Wing pits Rebels vs. Imperials in intense space combat. These are ship-to-ship dogfights in which players control the awesome ships of the Star Wars universe-- including X-Wing, Y-Wing, Tie Fighter and Tie Fighter Advanced. (Future expansions will include the A-Wing, Slave I, and even the Millennium Falcon.)

The Battle of Yavin was a major battle of the Galactic Civil War that led to the destruction of the first Death Star and Luke Skywalker's first step to becoming a fully-fledged Jedi. It was one of the Rebellion's first major victories. Chad Boudreau of ComicReaders Downtown will run a Battle of Yavin scenario. This is a scenario based on "Dagobah Dave's Death Star Trench Run". Chad has increased the playing surface and made some modifications based his preferred style of play.

Pre-registration is required because there is a limited number of spots available.

DATE & TIME
Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 12:00pm (Estimating being done at 3:30pm)

LOCATION
Venue Information: Click Here

COST
None.

EVENT ATTENDANCE LIMITS
There is a seating limit on this event.

REGISTERED PLAYERS
1. Rob W
2. Ryan J
3. Robert P
4. Terry
5. Keith D
6. Tim

We are waiting for confirmation from three players. If one or more players are unavailable these spots will be open to the public.

[ChadBoudreau]

We have so much interest in this X-Wing event that we've been asked to run a second scenario. So I will run the Refinery Raid scenario from our first event (with modifications made based on knowledge gained during the first run) on the same date and time.

[ChadBoudreau]

I'll post a battle report in the near future, but wanted to thank the six players took part in the Battle of Yavin. It was a tense fight right from the start and finished with a very cinematic ending. Feedback from the six players was very positive.

[ChadBoudreau]

Have you watched Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope?  The X-Wing Miniatures game brings it to life with the Battle for Yavin, a scenario devised by the online personality and gamer known as Dagobah Dave with tweaks by ComicReaders Downtown's Chad Boudreau. In this scenario, the final battle in that movie is recreated, where Rebels pilots skim across the surface of the Death Star, enter its trench and attempt to deliver a proton torpedo down an exhaust port. In the movie, Luke delivers the payload and assures a victory for the Rebels, but how would this scenario play out at ComicReaders Downtown? 

True to the movie, the scenario rules start with the Rebels "surprising" the Death Star commanders with a bold move-- launch a small strike force of single-manned starships.  The Rebels get the first turn to move without any Imperials on the table, thus abstracting this element of the film, as Tie Fighter pilots race to their ships. 

In our game, the Rebels were broken into three attack groups, each commanded by one of the three players playing on the Rebel side.  Each attack group consisted of at least one X-wing and one Y-wing.  The people playing these ships were Rob, Rob and Terry.  The Empire was commanded by Tim, Keith and Ryan. They each commanded a squad of 3 ships-- a mix of Tie fighters and Tie Advanced.

In their first attack, the Rebels scored the first hits, taking out two power nodes, two gun turrets and one Tie Fighter. Taking out the power nodes was important because the scenario plays with a countdown clock. Each round, a d6 is reduced by one pip, and should that dice ever get lower than 0, the Death Star fires its superlaser and the Rebel base destroyed. For every power node destroyed, one pip is added to the dice, thus giving the Rebels more time.

The Imperials responded by destroying Biggs in his X-Wing.  After Biggs departure, two Rebel ships quickly entered the trench to begin the attack run.  The Y-wing pulled out early because it did not have the manoeuvrability required for successful entry. It was either pull up or crash into the trench wall.  Having pulled clear, it cut across the surface of the Death Star, and took out a gun turret. This left the X-Wing on its own. At the helm was Wedge, the best pilot in the Rebel force, who had proved his worth early in the game with a successful strike on the gun turrets.

Wedge hasd a headstart in the trench, but two Tie Fighters swung into his wake, and going full speed, were quickly closing the gap. They would soon be within firing range. Wedge, meanwhile, focused on damaging or destroying the trench turrets as he raced toward the exhaust port.

Meanwhile, over the surface of the Death Star, a pitched battle was under way. The Imperials could spawn a new Tie Fighter for every ship lost to the Rebels, but the Rebels had no reinforcements. A terrible blow to morale occurred when Darth Vader destroyed Luke Skywalker (and R2-D2). (Vader had continually repeated, "The Force is strong with this one" as he chased him around the gaming table, much to the delight of the Imperial players.)

The countdown dice had 2 pips remaining. Wedge's ship was shot up but was holding together. He was almost in range of the exhaust port but the two Tie Fighters had closed the gap and were within firing range. Far behind him there was another Rebel ship in the trench but there would be no time for that pilot to reach the exhaust port if Wedge did not get his shot to strike home. And outside the trench, one lone Y-Wing faced the remaining Imperial horde.

The Tie Fighters had Wedge in their sights. Shots would be fired, but before the Imperial players were allowed to plan their moves, the Rebels played a special card designed by Chad. The card announced the arrival of the Millennium Falcon! One of the chasing Tie Fighters was immediately destroyed. The other Tie Fighter fired, but missed. Wedge was in range, fired his proton torpedoes, which successfully hit home. The Rebel's had their victory. The Death Star was destroyed!

Thanks for the game, everyone.

Battle report written by Robert Possberg & Chad Boudreau

(In the attached picture, Wedge is seen in the background, racing toward the exhaust port, while two Tie Fighers in the foreground are going full speed in an attempt to catch up.)

[Lance]

Very cinematic indeed! Love the additional card!

[ChadBoudreau]

I had three special cards made for each side-- three for the Rebels and three for the Imperials. Each was thematic to events / characters in that climatic scene in Star Wars.  Neither side knew in advance what their opponent's cards said.