Carrolton, GA Prime Game 2 - Ackbar Rising

So I went 10-1 on my first game and was feeling pretty good but knew it was more based on list matchup since I discovered some new things about my fleet.  Now, I ended up on the top table vs Adam, an Atlanta local, and by all reckoning a very good Armada Player.  He was running an all-ship list led my the fearless Gial Ackbar.  Basically, if you end up in the side arcs you will die.  List below for evidence.

better get out a bucket of red dice

Setup

Adam won the bid by a lot, looked at my list with the little VCX poking his head up and decided to let me go first, since he didn;t want to play my objectives.  My thoughts: Great! Now how do I go first with this list when I'm out activated by 3!  No chance of me getting close enough to double arc and start deleting things and no real chance of slugging it out broadside style since he had Ackbar."

I ended up picking his Solar Corona, figuring it could hurt both of us equally as bad and deployed in the middle-ish getting ready to rush into him.

After setup: Solar Corona is rising from Bespin, right hand side.

Round 1

I was forever behind in the activation game.  We took turns and both used our transports to delay and then I moved straight ahead with the MC80 at speed 2.  Then CR90s to my right began to move and I almost committed the MC75 to accelerate to speed 3 and try to get close to them. Mu rough guesstimate was only barely in blue range of the 75's front arc, I chose not to and hoped to get closer to the AF instead.  I'm still unsure if this was the correct choice, although he would've had a pretty good shot at the 'ole Ackbar slash if I had done it.  End of round 1 wasn't looking good for my MC75, but hey, I should be able to weather the storm.

Round 2

To quote a random character in Star Wars, "This is where the fun begins". Or at least it did for Adam.  I delayed with my MC75, again only a blue dice front arc shot and moved some transports.  As did Adam...So then I moved my MC80 up to flank the left side of the 75.  I was just trying to get multiple uses of the brace on the MC75 with Walex but it wouldn't be.  Next his far right CR90 activated since it didn't have a shot and I was forced to commit the MC75 to a bloodbath.  I took 2 very ineffective shots, one entirely evaded and the other did a meager one damage to the AF.  and moved forward to try to block/trap some of the far left CR90's.  Assuming I could weather the storm then activate and run for the hills.

Well...then this happened.  The AF went first and stripped my Brace with his intel officer but it was that or take about 8 damage.  I figured I could use my redirect's later, live through this round and then get it back top of next.  But then 3 Ackbar TRC90's went all with Con Fire's dialed up.  My MC75 fought to the bitter end, using up all the side shields with redirect's but dying with the exact amount of damage needed to kill it.  

And on that note, a new plan was developed.  

Dr. Grant=MC80, kid's= Leia & Ezra, Gallimimus =TRCR90 swarm!

My bombers positioned themselves to catch the CR90s next turn should they come forward at speed 3 or 4 as they had all swung themselves over top of Bespin.

Lonely MC80

Round 3

My new plan was to preserve as many tournament points as possible.  In hindsight I did not do this in the best of ways perhaps.  I would use my transports, still trundling along at speed 1 to chuck my bomber cloud at the CR90s with hopes of killing at least one.  I probably should've just ran with them and nav commands but oh well.

The MC80 was in Red range of the AF and the top most CR90.  But I figured it could take those shots.  I sent in the bombers with Leia's GR-75s.  Got a CR90 down a couple shields with Gold and a Y-wing.  Then trundled forward and hoped I could block in the AF and CR90s or at least commit to making them kill those 23 points instead of tabling me.

The Assault Frigate opened up a for an average amount of damage which I handled the shields with my EST.  Activated the MC80 next, shifted all it's left shields to teh right hand side and gained one back, took a counter shot at the AF since he rammed my transport and then his own CR90 and had stayed in place.  Again, minimal damage, so the AF was gonna live.  Oh well!

I then pointed as hard as I could to the left of the board and drove hard... directly at an asteroid field but not on it yet.  The top most CR90s then got to add some damage in and I was left with minimal shielding left on the the MC80 but a healthy hull.  Leia did get rammed but did her job of clogging things up.  

Shara got landed on and was able to bomb a ship for nothing and my VCX and other generic Y-wing hopped back for a Hail Mary Command from Ezra next turn.

Trading transports for a non-tabling....not the greatest plan

Round 4

The game got less interesting from here as I was trying to save points knowing I probably couldn't do anything to get them.  I'm pretty sure I started with the MC80 because I was still in red Range of the AF and couldn't take another shot from it.  I repaired my rear and side shields and then hopped the asteroid.  Lucky me, didn't think I was going to.

The next series was of moves is a jumble but needless to say Leia got killed and Ezra got rammed and had one hull remaining.  MY squadrons had poked holes in the shields of another CR90.  So two of them had slowed down and were just beating up on the transport.  Again, sacrificing them to save my points pinata.  However, I think I could've probably tried to just nav-ed out of the area and might've saved one.  Could've helped on MOV at the end but we'll never know.

Ezra sacrificing himself for the greater good

Round 5

Final round for us.  I activated Ezra and rammed myself to death but tried to bomb the CR90 within range of the MC80.  I got it shieldless.  It then activated, did a couple damage intot he shields of the MC80 and then hopped out of range. 

I activated my MC80, fixed all my side shields, shot at empty space with a vengeance!!!! and then continued to move further away.

At this points his other CR90s were going to slow to catch up to get shots in on Round 6 and we mathed out he couldn't kill my healthy bomber cloud since they would simply run away at the end of the round.  Therefore, we called it as it was there.

Bloodbath but at least I wasn't tabled!

End Result

180-0 for Adam, an 8-3.  Not bad for getting my power puncher killed in Round 2.  Still not gonna put me in a great place though.  Overall a great game though and Adam was a very skilled opponent.

Lesson Learned

Exodus fleet/Walex worked great in the gradual meat grinder of the first game but it did not handle the deluge of burst damage coming at it all at once.  Granted I should've not put the MC75 in such a place to get crushed.  Also, again my small bomber cloud needs some squad commands to actually be effective since they aren't rogues and can;t chase down these little buggers.

Going first can be difficult with this list if you are as badly out activated as I was this game.  I wasn't expecting 7 activations to show up.  Maybe 5 or 6 (even  fake 6 with Strategic Adviser), but it left me with no where to put my MC75 to threaten someone.  Therefore, I needed to work on a plan to fight that, or at least mitigate the disadvantages.

Wise call on Adam as well for making me pick his objectives, as I think those would've really helped me both with being able to force him to come closer and to be able to not be so badly out-activated.