So I went to the Las Vegas Open, it was a blast. It was what I would call my first Major Tournament, I have been to and won a few PRIME/REGIONAL level events, but but nothing as grand as well a Grand Championship. So I figured I would talk about my experiences there the list I brought and why I ended up bringing it, lets start there.
So the story of my list starts back in an 800 point tournament, RitR had just come out and I knew I wanted to play around with the new stuff and Ackbar so this was the 800 point list:
MC80 Assault Cruiser (114) • Admiral Ackbar (38) • Expert Shield Tech (5) • Engine Techs (8) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Early Warning System (7) • Heavy Ion Emplacements (9) • Quad Battery Turrets (5) • Home One (7) = 200 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Gunnery Team (7) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 93 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Gunnery Team (7) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 93 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 86 Points
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51) • Auxiliary Shields Team (3) • Enhanced Armament (10) • Vanguard (4) • Gunnery Team (7) = 75 Points
Pelta Assault Ship (56) • Ray Antilles (7) • Engine Techs (8) • Intensify Firepower! (6) • External Racks (3) • Phoenix Home (3) • Ahsoka Tano (2) = 85 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Comms Net (2) = 20 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Comms Net (2) = 20 Points
Squadrons: • Lando Calrissian (23) • Ketsu Onyo (22) • Dutch Vander (16) • Wedge Antilles (19) • Kanan Jarrus (19) • Hera Syndulla (28) = 127 Points
I had a lot of fun with it. Shortly after I was running a standard 400 point tournament, and we had odd numbers and so I jumped in so everyone would get to play, I just quickly cut the 800 point list I had ready from the previous tournament a few weeks before down into this:
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Admiral Ackbar (38) • Intel Officer (7) • Gunnery Team (7) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 138 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Intel Officer (7) • Gunnery Team (7) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 100 Points
Pelta Assault Ship (56) • Engine Techs (8) • Intensify Firepower! (6) • External Racks (3) = 73 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Hondo Ohnaka (2) • Comms Net (2) = 22 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Slicer Tools (7) = 25 Points
Squadrons: • Lando Calrissian (23) • Kanan Jarrus (19) = 42 Points
Total Points: 400
I had fun played two rounds with it was in first place going into the third round and someone else left and I choice to drop so that no one would have a bye. However This peaked my interest in developing the list further and that is just what I did, and when It became clear the Onager and Starhawk would not make it, this was the list I had been playing with so I decided better to take something I have some practice with.
Really the biggest changes I made was the anti squadron strategy. First I dropped Ex-Racks and lando and Kannan for 4 A-wings. This gave me more squadron killing power, and I would rather reduce enemy squadron firepower than tie them up a turn or two. Through play-testing I found if I could tie squadrons up with my a-wings and have my transports and pelta provide flack support I could take out a fairly large squadron ball, with Gunnery teams and LTT on the AFMK II they could clean up any stragglers.
Once I found how powerful my flack could be in conjunction with my squadrons I decided slicer tools was not entirely needed, so I decided on another comms net in its place and was left with some leftover points I decided I could ether take Ex-racks or upgrade and A-wing to Shara, and I decided. On the Ex-racks as they were game deciding when used whereas Shara was just nice.
Objectives where pretty easy to pick Most Wanted was the fairly easy pick I would love to throw 6 red dice with my AFMK II's and get double points for killing you. Hyperspace Migration was actually on the chopping block for a little bit, but after several other objectives tried in that slot it won over, just have to play it differently when up against an SSD. The Yellow Objective was the hardest pick I did not like Fire Lanes as I had no strategic Asteroid tactics was an idea, but again it would insensitive me playing on or around the asteroids that can lead to obstruction and I don't want that particularly on my pelta in addition it would invalidate the intel officers as my opponent could get tokens back. I messed around with Fleet In Being, this makes the AFMK II way more tanky than they should be, and helps in the Sloan match up by keeping my tokens much longer. It also has the added benefit of forcing players into the setup area and engaging me on my terms, and if they don't they risk giving me in most cases a 7-4, as most list have 4 or more ships in them, I wish Fleet In Being was if the first player has no objective tokens on their ships at the end of the game the second player gains a victory token and visa versa and the token would be worth 60 points, as it would do that against list that have 3 or fewer ships. But Fleet In Being still does this in most cases. However I decided I needed an objective that caused my opponent to come to me, and well Contested outpost fit that bill.
I had 3 points left over and was not sure if I should keep it for a bid or do something with it. I decided to do something as it would make my list a bit better with its objectives I took Ezra. He let me pull the station away in contested outpost from under my opponent and to let me keep scoring it he is a bit niche, but is very nice to have with the objective suite.
And with that we ended up with this list:
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Admiral Ackbar (38) • Intel Officer (7) • Gunnery Team (7) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 138 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Intel Officer (7) • Gunnery Team (7) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 100 Points
Pelta Assault Ship (56) • Ezra Bridger (3) • Engine Techs (8) • Intensify Firepower! (6) • External Racks (3) = 76 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Hondo Ohnaka (2) • Comms Net (2) = 22 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Comms Net (2) = 20 Points
Squadrons: • 4 x A-wing Squadron (44) = 44 Points Total Points: 400 and that brings us to LVO itself.
My first opponent was Justin, but I believe he said he was from the Southern-California area. He had a Maiden list with a MC-70 a MC-30, and an AF with two flotillas no squadrons.
This game was a well fought game, I out deployed my opponent so I setup on the flank of his 75 and was going to take that off the table and anything else was a consolation prize. I was giving first player, and the fight began, his list was about this from what I can recall. MC75 Ordnance Cruiser (100) • General Madine (30) • Walex Blissex (5) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • External Racks (3) • Assault Concussion Missiles (7) = 156 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Bail Organa (7) • Gunnery Team (7) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) • Paragon (5) = 105 Points
MC30c Torpedo Frigate (63) • Lando Calrissian (4) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Assault Concussion Missiles (7) • H9 Turbolasers (8) • Admonition (8) = 94 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Slicer Tools (7) = 25 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Comms Net (2) = 20 Points
The opening rounds where just getting into position, but I think my opponent realized if he wanted a chance at something more than a 6-5 he would have to engage with 75. This put the 75 completely surrounded and in the middle of a huge kill box and for the most part isolated. Walex Blissex made Intel officer not quite as good in this match up. He could have disengaged and tried to flee at one point but did not and my pelta rolled a timely accuracy and with ex-racks and that is all she wrote. I came within one damage of taking the Adomo Lando MC-30 of the table, but did not quite get it however I did win this game 7-4.
In the second round I played a guy named John from Chicago. He was very friendly and I had a lot of fun playing him. John was playing an 11 fighter list with tons of Y-Wings, Yavaris, an MC-75 and 2 flotillas. John made me first player and I picked his Fighter Ambush as I wanted the deployment advantage. His list was something along these lines:
MC75 Armored Cruiser (104) • General Dodonna (20) • Strategic Adviser (4) • Boosted Comms (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Ordnance Pods (3) • Leading Shots (4) • XX-9 Turbolasers (5) = 151 Points
Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57) • Yavaris (5) = 62 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Hondo Ohnaka (2) • Bomber Command Center (8) = 28 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Toryn Farr (7) • Comms Net (2) = 27 Points
Squadrons: • Norra Wexley (17) • Jan Ors (19) • 2 x X-wing Squadron (26) • 7 x Y-wing Squadron (70) = 132 Points
There where a lot of things I could and probably should have done differently in this game, but it was a very good game nonetheless. I tuned my AF to have the side facing the 75's and Yavaris head on to get the most bang for my buck with gunnery teams and go for the table, this ended up being my downfall. My token fighters were able to keep his squadrons tied up a good bit, and with some flack support was able to take a few squadrons with me, however he was able to bring down the pelta and my GR-75's where not in a good position to flack support against his y-wings and well 6 hull is a lot.
I took out Yavaris before it got to do too much of anything. And turned my attention to the 75 and this is where I made my biggest mistake, I was so focused on killing the 75 that I did not see or at least care to think that he could just run it away. I slowed one of my AF's down to hit the 75 and well it got eaten alive by the Y-wings this caused a near 200 point swing his way with objective tokens, and this lost me the game.
I probably should have sent my AF's on the 75's flank at the start of the game and just taken it out and flown away, but I got aggressive for the table at the very start and stayed aggressive to long and it cost me an 8-3 loss, but it was a very well played and tight game.
My next game was against a list I did not want to see and was not expecting to see reekian Shrimp swarm. I played a great guy from Seattle, who's name I can not remember. My hopes of making up for my last round where not looking so great as mc-30s make my Intel officers basically pointless and the evades can make it hard for damage to stick. This was the only game I was second player in rather odd as I had a 400 point list. His list was this:
MC30c Torpedo Frigate (63) • General Rieekan (30) • Lando Calrissian (4) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Assault Proton Torpedoes (5) • Heavy Turbolaser Turrets (6) • Admonition (8) = 120 Points
MC30c Torpedo Frigate (63) • Skilled First Officer (1) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Assault Proton Torpedoes (5) • Heavy Turbolaser Turrets (6) = 79 Points
MC30c Torpedo Frigate (63) • Skilled First Officer (1) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Assault Proton Torpedoes (5) • Heavy Turbolaser Turrets (6) = 79 Points
MC30c Torpedo Frigate (63) • Skilled First Officer (1) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Assault Proton Torpedoes (5) • Heavy Turbolaser Turrets (6) = 79 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Ezra Bridger (3) • Comms Net (2) = 23 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Comms Net (2) = 20 Points
We played my contested outpost, he out activated me and so would get first last, with 4 Reekian 30's this is really not the match up my assault frigates want. This was probably the best worst game I have played. So I normally don't blame dice too much one way or the other, but all I can say is it was bad even with IF and LTT I could not get damage to stick. Now my opponent did a fairly good job of dogging my AF's side arch's, but even when I did have the ackbar attack I could never get the damage to stick, at least from my ships. My A-wings where MVP that game they hit reekains flagship well throughout most of the game, and I got one good volley on it toward the end of the game and a few a-wings finished it off. I scored a decent amount from the station used the pelta to ram a flotilla to death, and my opponent got a MC in a bad spot and flew it off the board. I however lost both Assault frigates looking back I think I could have saved them if I had cut across the table in round 3 and not continued up the side.
I did not think I had won this tough match up. However after totaling points I had come out on top despite all the lousy rolls even with LTT and IF, I won this game with a whopping MOV of 1. I did catch a break with the table fly off, but if I had actually been rolling well I likely could have taken out one maybe even 2 more MC-30s, but ill take the break I got even with the worst dice rolls I have had in a very very long time 6-5 to me. In my fourth and final round I played against another Justin he is from a small town about an hour outside Las Vegas. He was running a list similar to mine, but with a much heavier squadron component.
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Admiral Ackbar (38) • Gunnery Team (7) • Expanded Hangar Bay (5) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Heavy Turbolaser Turrets (6) = 135 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Gunnery Team (7) • Expanded Hangar Bay (5) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Heavy Turbolaser Turrets (6) = 97 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Toryn Farr (7) • Bomber Command Center (8) • Boosted Comms (4) • Bright Hope (2) = 39 Points
Squadrons: • Gold Squadron (12) • Jan Ors (19) • 3 x X-wing Squadron (39) • Biggs Darklighter (19) • 4 x Y-wing Squadron (40) = 129 Points
He made me first player and I knew exactly how I was going to win this when I saw his objectives picked fighter ambush, even though it did not work out quite so well for me in the last game I picked it, I now had him not only out activated but out deployed too. With this advantage I saw where he was going and placed my AF's to get in front of his AF's, and as he did not have rogue squadrons I knew he would not be navigating so it was a fairly simple cut off ackbar exercise he only ever got 1 side arc shot on me while ackbar was alive and that deleted a flotilla, my squadrons were annoying enough to keep his tied up for a bit, and it was a pretty clean table for me he took out a flotilla and my squadrons, and scored 1 objective token, this was a 10-1 to me.
I ended the day 12th overall out of 44 my goal going in was a least top 16 so I made that. This was my first tournament at a level higher than a prime even so I was expecting stiff competition and got it, We had players from all over, We had some great players from Canada a few from Mexico and then some of the best and most passionate players from the West and Mid-West United States.
As far as my list goes I still really like it, but I do think it can be rather unforgiving at times. I made a few key mistakes and because of that I paid the price in tournament points. I feel the list is competitive, but the turning point in the day was really round two when I made at least one crucial mistake and it swung the game by so many points. It was still a great experience and had a great time. I don't know if I would change much about the list, its a good solid list that I think could have taken my higher than it did if I had just played a little bit better in round two. However it was a great experience to play and meet so many people and put a few faces to some names. We have wave 8 dropping this Friday so things will get shaken up again, and I anticipate an not to terribly long after that. Congratulations to Michael for winning LVO with this list. ISD Kuat Refit (112) • Moff Jerjerrod (23) • Strategic Adviser (4) • Darth Vader (3) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Leading Shots (4) • Assault Concussion Missiles (7) • Chimaera (4) • Entrapment Formation! (5) = 169 Points
Gladiator I (56) • Captain Brunson (5) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Engine Techs (8) • Assault Concussion Missiles (7) • Demolisher (10) = 90 Points
Arquitens Light Cruiser (54) • Director Krennic (8) • Slaved Turrets (6) = 68 Points Gozanti Cruisers (23) • Hondo Ohnaka (2) • Comms Net (2) = 27 Points
Gozanti Cruisers (23) • Comms Net (2) = 25 Points Squadrons: = 0 Points
Total Points: 379
Until next time have a great week!
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