X-Wing: Wizard vs Hunter

While scheming to create a completely new Fallout Campaign/Wargame, Jason does wargame once in a while... he turned up for a game at my place with an unexpected surprise: a brand new Rebel Squadron made up of the ships he was able to walk into a store and just buy. I don't think he enjoys shopping online as much as I do. He had a very interesting mix - an A-Wing for the missile strike, A HWK to power up his other ships (this one gives pilot skill 12 t a chosen ship) and then two of the deadly B-Wings. Such awesome ships and Jason has begun to re-pose his. Jason rocked up with (I think):

Green (Red Shirt) Squadron Pilot — A-Wing	19
Cluster Missiles	4
Ibtisam — B-Wing	28
Dagger Squadron Pilot — B-Wing	24
Roark Garnet — HWK-290	19
Blaster Turret	4

I had my faithful Defenders of the Empire: Bounty Hunter — Firespray-31	33
Heavy Laser Cannon	7
Seismic Charges	2
Scimitar Squadron Pilot — TIE Bomber	16
Proton Torpedoes	4
Seismic Charges	2
Academy Pilot — TIE Fighter	12
Academy Pilot — TIE Fighter	12
Academy Pilot — TIE Fighter	12

The Rebel plan was about as subtle as a brick with a sock around it. Bang, straight up the middle goes an A-Wing with the missile (You know suiciding is optional on an A-Wing, Jason?) and a pair of B-Wings, with the HWK (aka the Wizard) to pick which ship shoots first every round. I did my usual thing, with the Bomber and escorts up the center and the  Firespray and wingman hooking around a flank.

I may not have picked the best flank, as it meant I had to thread the needle between two asteroids, to make the turn. The TIE-fighter can turn on a dime, the Firespray, not so much. While they were taking their time over it, my bomber got a cluster missile right in the face. Bam. Five  hits. The only upside was that it can take six! The Bomber lasted long enough to get the proton torpedo away against the A-Wing, stripping it's shields, and then was a cloud of space junk. First blood to the Rebels.

 So then there were four Imperials. The way defense dice were running in this game, I could see that it would likely be three very soon. The centre had devolved into a furball of B-Wings and TIEs, one where the Rebels always got to pick what ship shot first. I really needed my heavy laser cannon armed Firespray to join in, just to have a fighting chance.

 Bam. Another TIE down. I guess this explains why most of my ships are Academy TIEs, that's all we have left with this casualty rate! On the updside, scratch one A-Wing, our first catch of the day.

Finally. I get the Firespray into position where it flanks the furball and can fire at will on the heavy B-Wings. Time to get hunting. Imperial High Command is paying a high bounty on these dangerous new B-Wings, and I intend to collect. If only those annoying TIE fighters would get out of the shot.

 Perfect. I absolutely wanted to lose that second TIE. All of a sudden, I feel distinctly out-numbered. I wonder how long my heavy shielding can hold vs two of those monstrous B-Wings?

 All the while, that little Level Two Wizard is circling the fight, whistling nonchalantly and using hi-tech ECCM and Jamming to boost the Rebel ships. Oh wait, he has circled around the back. Here is a little clip I saved from earlier:

While they do not do a huge amount of damage, they do predictable damage and do it automatically.

I could hear the cursing, despite it being space (because I can also hear the screaming of TIEs....), all the way from the 'Moldy Crow'. It was music to the Bounty Hunter's ears (if he has ears) as he set about weaving through the spiralling wreackage of my last TIE and gunning down a B-Wing. Two to one odds is infinitely preferable to the three to one I started the turn with.

The b-Wing just didn't have the firepower to take the Firespray out. The Moldy Crow does have a blaster turret but it is only range two, so often seemed to be out of position. Meanwhile, a four dice heavy laser is always getting a favourable shot. In this crazy game where no ship seemed able to roll doge results, the biggest guns won out.

Great, Jason. We both thought you had me when I was down that Bomber and TIE for only a few scratches on your fleet. So I was relieved to pull through with one damaged ship to my name. I really like the B-Wing in action, and that A-Wing was no slouch either. On the one hand, the cluster missile did hit harder than it should have, on the other, the A-Wing should have got to live another day... perhaps if next time it doesn't fly right up the middle? I also liked the HWK, it just needs a little more firepower, though if it could have been hitting over more turns (it was often out of range) that could have swung it. It was really cool to have more ships in the mix and I find myself warming to the HWK - even if it is EU.