When I asked for reinforcements I wasn't expecting that pesky Blockade Runner to re-appear!
(INSERT BLURB FROM MISSION...)
Fortunately Captain Jonas and the Decimator you sent came in most useful. Sadly the brave Captain died doing his duty for the empire, but the Decimator supporting TIE fighters and Interceptors made short work of the rebels. Assisted by the blockade runner, presumably spooked by the mighty empire managing to destroy part of their support ships.
When will these rebels learn?
The Decimator returned to Corruscant once the trouble had been dealt with.
Later, a Vulture squadron patrol happened across a couple of reckless Bounty Hunters and the rebel "hero" Han Solo.Whether the Scum were after the bounty on Solo's head they didn't appear to be friends. The vulture ships interceded and whilst managing to assist in the destruction of the Bounty Hunters Ship, Solo evaded us, along with the bounty hunter who fled in some kind of escape pod.
I fear our troubles may not quite be over. Could that Decimator come back to our sector on a more permanent basis...
+++ END OF MESSAGE +++
An extra long session (Afternoon start on a Saturday) with a Pizza feast in the middle. Two good games played - the first was the second Mission from the Tantive campaign, and the 2nd our first "3-way" game of rebels/ Imperials and Scum & Villainy all on the table at the same time...
So the first game was the follow on from the game played back in June when the imperials managed to take out the "Blockade Runner". In the narrative of the campaign the some Rebels had helped fix up the big ship and were now trying to escort it off the board.The imperial ships, led by Captain Jonas in a heavily armed TIE Bomber, and a Decimator, along with a couple of TIE Interceptors and a TIE Fighter.
Mike fielded Biggs in an X-wing, along with a Y-wing and a Z-95.
With the play area being slightly smaller than the one recommended in the mission we skewed the start criteria...we felt evenly, although once Adam has re-arranged his flat and got the permanent 6 foot by 3 foot playing area sorted out, we could always play the mission again.
The Imperial forces were split with Captain Jonus and all the ordnance and the pair of Interceptors on one side, and the Decimator and all the Hull points and the single TIE on the other. The rebels again were split with the X Wing on one side, and the Y-wing and Headhunter on the other. Unsurprisingly the Imperials went hell for leather toward the Tantive...
Equally unsurprisingly all the extended range turbo lasers of the big rebel ship targeted Captain Jonus who was taken out in the first round of combat along with his bombs, missiles and torpedoes.
I think there is some proverb here about all the Empires eggs in a single Imperial basket?
Fortunately for the imperials, although they had no more eggs - they did have another basket (so to speak) in the form of the VT-49 Decinator.
As much as I want to say the loss of all the ordnance was akin to "You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs...", I'm thinking I should probably stop with the egg analogies.
So whilst Mike seemed stuck in three minds between -
- Just going hell for leather to try and escape of the board
- Keep energising his guns to shoot at me, or
- Keep replenishing his shields fore and aft,
The Imperials just got out of his forward firing arc and peppered the ship. The Headhunter and the Y-wing tried to take on the Decimator, which proved its worth once again by just ignoring them and seemingly seeing their shots bounce off (or at very least absorbing all they could throw at it). Biggs in his X-wing seemed a bit wasted on his own (as far as his special ability to draw the fire of the enemy) - until that is he "drew the fire" of the Tantive who banked into him destroying his X-wing.
I believe Biggs is recovering, and cursing his luck, in the moustache ward of Wythenshawe hospital awaiting the next mission where he is used as cannon fodder.
A second victory in the campaign for the imperials, as mentioned at the top of this piece, maybe worth another play on a full 6 by 3 board when we get chance...
Onto the second game - a three way battle, Imperial vs Rebel vs Scum & Villainy, with (you've guessed) Mike as Scum, Adam as Rebel and Myself as Imperials (a pure Vulture Squadron no less)
Mike fielded his two new toys - The hounds Tooth (with added Pup) and a Kihraxz ship; Adam had
Han Solo in the Falcon (With Luke Skywalker and C3P0 crew), along with 3 z-95 Head hunters. The Vultures were a Pair of TIE interceptors and 3 TIE Fighters.
The game started with us all as far away as possible - and the first round or so involved us all steering clear of each other. By about the third round Mikes Scum & Villainy Ships took a slightly (aggressive) turn, and the Rebels seemed to be closing in on the poor imperials (!).
Some damage was taken as the Imperials tried to run away. As much as I attempted to buy off Mike and his band of mercenaries, I took a couple of critical hits on an interceptor (although he was able to keep in the air... just)
After taking a good brunt of the attack Mikes Kihraxz was destroyed (Another nice ship - both manoeuvrable and packing a punch) - along with a Headhunter of Adams and another TIE fighter. After yet more attacks the Hounds tooth finally succumbed - with it's dead mans switch helping damage a couple of Adams Headhunters.
Destroying the Hounds tooth was all just a ploy to check out another cool ability of this ship with the deployment of a Headhunter as a kind of escape pod - a nice touch!
Left on the board was the Falcon and a couple of TIE's (including the one still carrying two crits - not sure how he survived!) and the "Escape Pod" Head hunter.
Discretion, along with our beds calling, we called it a draw and packed up for the night!
The three way battle worked better than I thought it would, although rather than just a "attack everyone" I think it needs a bit more of a scenario setting with each side having different criteria to win...
Although Mike's new ships were destroyed in the last game they both performed well (including the Hounds Tooth's 180 degree firing arc for secondary weapons, Han at the controls of the Falcon showed again why he should never let Lando steal it off him, and the Imperial Decimator remains unbeaten...
Next time I propose... more Pizza!
