X-Wing – Fighting Like Rocky

Last night I had my second evening of X-Wing gaming, this time with my old mate Fugs.

We played the basic setup again, however, Luke Skywalker got no extras and I swapped out Mauler Mithel for a standard Obsidian Squadron pilot in the second TIE Fighter.

Things got off to an oh so familiar start in game one. I decided to keep my TIEs in formation and chased Luke around the board getting plenty of shots in. However, my conversion rate was diabolical. When you consider I have only a 25% chance to outright miss on any one dice, I was beating the odds hands down.

After rolling 15 attack dice, over the course of several rounds, I had managed only 2 hits!!
That's before any defending rolls!!

My defending dice were no better and when Luke finally got a shot in, it wasn't long before I lost 'Night Beast' and then the Obsidian pilot. Round 1 to Fugs and the Alliance.

I hasten to add that this opening game lasted over an hour, such was the tactical flying and cat & mouse games being played.

We decided to have a quick second game in, so swapped factions – Fugs was looking forward to playing the Empire. Up to this point, in 4 games of X-Wing, I hadn't taken down a single ship. It was looking as if this wasn't going to be my game at all.

Fugs embraced his role as Empire pilot, making great use of their better speed and agility. After four or so turns Luke had lost his shields and was down to his last 2 armour points. I had managed to get the Obsidian pilot down to his last point, but 'Night Beast' was still on his full 3.

I bobbed and weaved like a man fighting for his life, but Night Beast took another point of armour off Luke's X-Wing – things we're looking bad. I managed to get the drop on 'Night Beast' and got a critical hit. When Fugs flipped the card to reveal the consequence, Beastie's TIE had taken 2 points of damage instead of 1. This levelled the playing field and left all three ships now on 1 point of armour each… things were getting nervy.

The next move would make or break the game for me… and I made a pig's ear of things, miscalculating  distance and leaving Luke in the sights of 'Night Beast' at range 1, giving him an extra attacking dice. Fugs fumbled his dice roll though and I needed to make 1 save off 2 dice. I rolled 2 focus, which would normally have spelled disaster, but thanks to Luke's special ability I could convert a focus to a dodge. Saved by the skin of my teeth!!

Buoyed by this brush with death I seized the opportunity to line up the Obsidian pilot and took him down. I then pulled a flip maneuver that left me with a stress token but 'Night Beast' nowhere to run. Realising I have shooting initiative (better late than never, eh?!) thanks to my better pilot skill, I flew straight at the TIE and shot him down.

My first two kills and my first game won!!!
What a total Rocky moment.

I have another game of X-Wing against Bull this weekend – let's see if I can improve on my current stats of played 5, won 1, lost 4… 7 ships lost, 2 destroyed.

Not sure the Empire or the Alliance would employ me right now!