Last week, being the last week of school for the year, the lovely children of Room 3 got me a parting gift, among other things, of money - enough to finally purchase a C-Roc Cruiser, Guns for Hire, and, with a little of my own that I had squirreled away (and the judicious use of one of the coffee cards that I was also gifted with), the Ghost. Cool!
So, being the start of the summer holidays and all, and having a fellow teacher keen on X Wing also on holiday, I thought we'd run the campaign. Smuggler's Lament.
The delivery of weapons to the Rebels (the crew of the Ghost, no less - Kanan, with Sabine in the Phantom) has been intercepted by both a Gozanti cruiser (another recent purchase), it's compliment of Academie Piloted Ties and a Patrol Leader in a VT-49 Decimator.
(I wanted Imperial ships with hyperdrive to fit my idea of a rendezvous out of system!).
Scum
- C-Roc cruiser with a Heavy Laser Turret
- Kanaan in the Ghost, with a Dorsal Turret
- Sabine in the Phantom
- Gozanti Cruiser with Docking Clamps, Dual Laser Turret and Automatic Protocols
- Four Academy Ties
- Patrol Leader in his VT-49
Mark took the Imperials, while I took the Scum and Rebels.
And so it begins...
Mark quickly deployed his docked Tie...took it off the rack, so to speak...
...while Kanan eyes up the Gozanti.
Meanwhile, the C-Roc cautiously observes the threat to its front...
...and the M-3 scoots out of the way!
Realising the danger of literally being run over by the cruiser, Kanan tries to gun past it...
...only to be stopped short by the Academy pilot. Stink! Any move forward next turn and the Ghost's road kill!
Mark unleashes the Ties (loosens his Ties?) upon the Ghost, while the VT takes on the C-Roc.
Kanaan yanks hard to port...
...and flies down the cruiser's flank.
Mark takes umbrage with the M-3, and directs the Ties to strangle his approach.
"Right, if I hard turn the M-3, I can 5K past the path of the C-Roc and come back around..."
Arghh! Mark blocks my M-3. So much for my cunning plan!
Still...now that the VT has run into the back of the Tie..Mwahahaha! I've dialed the C-Roc straight on. Surely that'll hit the VT. Surely.
Surely not!
Drats!
And two ships pass in the night...
As Mark does a recover action on his cruiser, I realise that the Ghost is on a hiding to nothing by taking on the Gozanti alone. I try to swing around the back to join the fight against the VT.
I had tried to be clever and block the Patrol Leader so as he could be run down by the C-Roc, but Mark more cleverly anticipated my move, flew the VT down south, and...
...blew up my scyk!
Drats!
So I deployed the Phantom...
...initially off the mat...
...but Mark graciously allowed me to fly it in the right direction!
Second to last round in this eight round game before I can head off into hyperspace.
I fly my cruiser to starboard, gaining some distance on the VT, seeing as the Heavy Laser Cannon turret is a range 2-3 weapon, and we take yet more pot shots at each other. Mark is finally chewing into hull. Any one of the crits taken must be carried on into the next game, so...yeah. No crits so far, but it's surely just a matter of time...
And on the other flank, the Ghost is on her last legs. Mark has just realised that he needs to destroy either the C-Roc or all my other ships to win the scenario. So he's swarming the Ghost. I just need to keep the cruiser and another ship alive to win.
I have a bad feeling about this...
Hey...
...this might just work after all...
Yeah, nah, no it doesn't!
Bother!
Any named ships that are destroyed cannot be bought back for subsequent battles in the campaign.
Drats! Drats! Drats!
Last turn, and having narrowly avoided a collision last time, this Academy Pilot...
...makes darn sure he manages to collide this time! You've got to admire his tenaciously. If at first you don't succeed...
I bug Sabine out stage left...
...while the Gozanti finally lands a crit, losing cargo into the path of Academy Pilot Two...
...just before it jumps into hyperspace.
Now that was a fun game. It was great to have my two new big 'uns on the board, even if they did ignore each other most of the game.
Game Two in the campaign will be later in January, when Mark gets back from his hols.
Thanks Mark,
Nick
