More Rebels in the Rim practice

Because dreadnaughts are cool!

The Fleets

My opponent and I got a chance to play another practice game since the first one went so quickly.  So we obviously switched factions and picked a new RITR objective.  I had a very similar fleet to the previous Liberty build I just fought so instead I went a different route since I saw how well that worked.  I was going to see how strong intensify firepower and a couple of sturdier small ships could hold out.  Originally, I wanted to just use two assault frigates and I think that's entirely possible if they both have Linked Turbolaser Towers but I was going to try to use Intensify Firepower for dice control, which meant a Pelta.

Assault Frigates and this card were made for each other

So I ended up with a Assault Frigate B with ECM (played by a much prettier Dreadnaught), an Assault Pelta with Intensify Firepower, and a Nebulon-B Escort Frigate.  My fleet commander was the Master Gunner I, which eventually would be used for everyone to throw even more IF charged dice.  Also, a fighter screen would be badly needed and would be the first thing built afterwords hopefully.  

My opponent brought a Gunnery Team ISD II, a Gozanti, Howlrunner, Mauler Mithel, and two generic TIE fighters.  This was a pretty fearsome list to me because I was unsure if I actually had the firepower to kill the ISD before he started deleting ships.  Though I wrote the TIE fighters off.  I believe the Admiral ability was Master Engineer or something (Whatever the repair one is)

We played Holonet Override because again it was new and we wanted to see how it works.  

Another new thing!

Setup

The Imperials setup a line of obstacles I'd have to get around and left the station safely tucked behind them.  I decided I would go all in on one side (I picked the Left) and let my flagship Assault Frigate hop the obstacles to get to the station while everyone else drive around.  Everyone deployed at max speed in a blatant attempt to close and start firing.  The Empire had the last deployment with his ISD and placed it going speed 1 mostly opposite of the rebel line of battle.  

Reform the Line!

Round 1

My Pelta and Neb both shimmied forward at max speed, the Neb stashing a Nav token and the Pelta a Con Fire to power up IF!.  By this time his ISD trundled forward and I saw a potential opening for the Assault Frigate to flank him and get to the station.  So I stayed at speed 3 and aimed into the cluster of obstacles setting up a nice double arc for the start of turn 2.  The TIE's moved into range to catch the Assault Frigate and start beating the shields to submission.

Round 2

I started off by activating IF! and then the Assault Frigate.  It sent 2 salvo's of 3 (thanks IF!) damage into the ISD stripping it side shields and hurting the front shields.  Then my gamble would activate.  I remained at speed 3 and used the nav dial to get an extra click in.  I managed to land on the station as well as an asteroid field.  It was here we realized the station actually heals no one...so...not the greatest plan anymore.  I took a structural for the faceup.  Then the cloud of TIE's ended up getting overlapped so they lined up to unload on the shield about to be fired upon by the ISD.  So not a great start there for the Assault Frigate's life.  

Next the Gozanti used a repair command to get a victory token and then moved onto the station. I chose to activate the Pelta next to keep my Neb out of range of the ISD.  It took a Con Fire token and shimmied forward again.  Then the ISD activated.  It took a very ineffectual long range shot for a single damage, after the evade, on the Rebel flagship and moved into a long range double arc of the Neb. 

A timely Con Fire command let me throw 2 Reds from the side and 3 Reds from the front for another 2 packets of 3 damage.  One got braced and the other redirected, but there were now no remaining shields on the ISD at the end of the round.  I slowed to speed 2 and setup to take any return volleys on my front shields.  

Next the 4 TIE fighters all rolled hits into the side of my Assault Frigate. I ended up burning my Redirect to keep the hull damage off.

Oops! Asteroids hurt!

Round 3

Another turn of Intensify Firepower went off!  I again started with my flagship Dreadnaught/Assault Frigate and with a Repair dial threw 2 shields from the right to the let and regenerated one.  Originally that dial was going to be used to get some victory tokens but it had more pressing matters now.  I took an ineffective (re: scattered) shot at the Gozanti and then a medium range shot for 5 damage into the ISD.  The ISD Braced and Contained it but now had 3 damage cards.  I then could not jump away my position  so I rammed the Gozanti, and then relanded on the Asteroid and drew the card that says if you land on an obstacle or ram you take another facedown.  So...My AF was in a world of hurt next turn, if it lived that long.  

Next up the ISD activated in order to repair itself.  It moved the two rear shields forward and regenerated one as well.  Then it took a medium range shot at the Assault Frigate.  Using it's ECM it braced and evaded it down to 3 damage and wiped the shields facing the ISD....and the cloud of fearsomely accurate TIEs.  The long range shot at the Neb stripped the forward shields after the brace.  Then the ISD moved had a choice.  Move towards the Frigate and Pelta or attack the flagship.  Ultimately, it swung it's bow towards the two ships that had to shoot.  Unfortunately, this ended with her double arced again by the Escort Frigate but at close range.  

The Nebulon took it's shot and dealt another set of 3 damage and then 2 damage.  This vaporized the remaining shields as well as the brace and contain.  However, now there were 4 damage cards on the ISD.  I rammed it at speed 2 which resulted in a speed 1 move and another double arc next turn.

The Gozanti slung the TIEs into the Assault Frigate but they wiffed and ran over to help fight the Nebulon and Pelta.  It then rammed and remained on the station but had a single hull left.  

Finally, the Pelta activated used it's concentrate fire for an extra die and threw 2 damage into the ISD since it's front arc was obstructed.  Then it trundled forward to setup a double arc next turn.  

The moment of truth.  The remaining two TIE's wiffed their attack as well.  So my Assault Frigate flagship was still limping on.  

Shoot her!!

Round 4

I discarded Intensify Firepower since this was going to be it.  I waffled a while between saving my flagship and shooting with the Nebulon but ultimately shot with the Neb.  I repaired a hull damage but only plinked 3 damage into the ISD, so it would live to shoot this round.  The Nebulon then hopped over the edge and put it's shielded engines towards the ISD and the TIEs.

Next the ISD repaired but only removed a single damage card.  It had an opportunity to kil the Assault Frigate but fired an incredibly accurate shot that ultimately got a single damage onto my hull, leaving the flagship with a single hull point left.  The next shot stripped the pelta of front and side shields but left her undamaged.  The ISD wasn't going fast enough to get out of either the Pelta's or the Assault Frigate's arc.  

I then activated the Assault Frigate to reapir while I could.  I also figured the gozanti had a squadron command dialed up and they could easily have killed my Assault Frigate with a single damage, which they should've gotten 50% of the time.  I removed the 'land on obstacles for more pain' card so I could live through my ram of the Gozanti and moved a shield towards the TIEs.  The side arc demolished the ISD and then the ram killed the gozanti.  However, one of many moments of truth was to happen. A structural would kill me right here, but alas I simply could not have command tokens, oh well....

So the Pelta activated and victoriously flew threw the cloud of debris.  And now the final two rolls would determine if my flagship lived or died.  The first roll was a hit....and the next roll....was a hit!  So my Assault Frigate succumbed to the final two rolls possible to kill it.  

Final end state. Note one MIA Assault Frigate

The rebels took the field and only 1 victory token was ever claimed.  Much like the other game there was a pretty clear winner so we didn't gonkulate the points.

Lessons Learned

Wow! Not that the fate of the game came down to the end but both of us were on the edge of our seats seeing if the Poor Dreadnaught would live.  However something we all now is good, Intensify Firepower, was also great in the smaller match.  You just have to provide enough ships to make it worthwhile.  Also, the smaller board makes it much easier that you will get multiple attacks on a target which certainly helps.

If I were to play this objective again, I think I might line up the ISD in the opposite corner and then have the gozanti and it harvest points and force the rebels to go through the obstacle field.  But that is with the clarity of hindsight and knowing that an ISD with a single upgrade is not the terror we all assume it to be.  Also, Holonet Override seems fun and an interesting new objective that I'm sure will take a bit to 'figure out'  because I know I certainly don't have the answer currently.

I like this fleet a lot and will probably use a very similar version in my actual campaign though picking up a fighter screen almost has to be the first upgrade you get. The rest of the ships are sturdy enough and with ECM and IF! the Assault Frigate is a stalwart cornerstone to build the fleet around.