Balance of the Force, round 2: Loch (Scum and Villainy) vs Nébal (Scum and Villainy) (Battle Report in English)

Balance of the Force, round 2! And a new battle report in English. Of course, I’m French, so I’m genetically designed to speak and write an awful English… Please be kind!

Balance of the Force is a tournament organised by the Tin Squadron, based in England. There will be six rounds of swiss, one per week, with the possibility to change lists for one day only, between rounds 2 and 3. After the swiss, there will be a top 16, and so on.

What makes this tournament peculiar and so interesting is that it is extended format, but with specific rules regarding the creation of lists. The main idea is that all pilots are split between three groups, based on their initiative values: the first group encompasses all pilots with initiative 2 or less, the second group is for pilots at initiative 3 or 4, and the third and final group is dedicated to all pilots with initiative 5 or more. Then the rule is that, for each pilot of the first group you play, your list must have a corresponding third group pilot, and vice versa. Group 2 pilots don’t need to have specific counterparts, so you can have as many as you like, and if the list has an odd number of pilots, then obviously the remaining odd pilot must be from the second group. Finally, there must be no more than three pilots of the same chassis.

For this second round, I have been paired with Loch, a very nice player from Italy, who brought the following very scummy Scum and Villainy list:

JumpMaster 5000 – •Tel Trevura – 64 (group 2)

•Tel Trevura – Escape Artist (44)

•4-LOM (2)

Ion Cannon (6)

Feedback Array (3)

Static Discharge Vanes (6)

Intimidation (3)

HWK-290 Light Freighter – •Dace Bonearm – 53 (group 2)

•Dace Bonearm – Outer Rim Mercenary (31)

•Moldy Crow (16)

•Hondo Ohnaka (6)

M3-A Interceptor – •Quinn Jast – 43 (group 2)

•Quinn Jast – Fortune Seeker (31)

Proton Rockets (5)

Afterburners (4)

Crack Shot (3)

M3-A Interceptor – •Genesis Red – 40 (group 2)

•Genesis Red – Tansarii Point Crime Lord (31)

Autoblasters (3)

Afterburners (5)

Marksmanship (1)

Total: 200/200

As for myself, I brought my Scum and Villainy list that you may already have seen in round 1, large ships with those pesky False Transponder Codes which didn’t become costlier during the last update, weirdly enough:

Lancer-class Pursuit Craft – •Asajj Ventress – 75 (group 2)

•Asajj Ventress – Force of Her Own (68)

•Shadow Caster (1)

•Zam Wesell (4)

False Transponder Codes (2)

YV-666 Light Freighter – •Bossk – 68 (group 2)

•Bossk – Fearsome Hunter (60)

•Jabba the Hutt (6)

False Transponder Codes (2)

M12-L Kimogila Fighter – •Torani Kulda – 57 (group 2)

•Torani Kulda – Rodian Freelancer (48)

False Transponder Codes (2)

Proton Rockets (5)

Predator (2)

Total: 200/200

Now to the game.

BEWARE: RIGHT AFTER THIS OMINOUS DARTH VADER PICTURE, I WILL REVEAL HOW THE GAME TURNED OUT. IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS, WATCH THE VIDEO BEFORE READING FURTHER!

Victory for the Scum and Villainy! Well, yeah, obviously… but I mean my Scums: 153-63! Quite a weird game, but also a fun one. Well played, Loch!

His list was indeed so scummy, and I didn’t really know what to think of the matchup. I probably didn’t understand all of the shenanigans of that list, although some were quite telling. There would be a lot of ions in this game, and the fact that I ran two large ships and one medium one didn’t really protect me against ionization, because Dace Bonearm, although only once in three turns, could add more ion tokens to those inflicted by Tel Trevura in order to automatically ionize any of my ships. And the JumpMaster had more than one option for weird control and/or damage effects, with 4-LOM, Static Discharge Vanes and Feedback Array, so many options actually that I couldn’t summarize them all right now. But Loch also played two M3-A Interceptors which could become kind of heavy hitters, with the dreaded Autoblasters and Proton Rockets, both having Afterburners for some close assault (getting any of my big fellows in bullseye would certainly not be an issue). And I didn’t get Genesis Red’s trick with Dace Bonearm flying the Moldy Crow until Loch had done it: a nice one! I must confess, by the way, that I don’t think I had ever faced, and even less played, three of the four pilots run by Loch (the only exception being Dace), even if I knew how much the Scyks can be nuisances… I had some advantages, though: a lot of health points, some control as well with Asajj Ventress and Shadow Caster, plus obviously False Transponder Codes reloaded with Jabba the Hutt, and some range with Bossk’s full frontal arc and Asajj’s turret. And, same as ever, nobody wants to land on Torani Kulda’s bullseye (Asajj being able and willing to help there).

As it happened, I was first player, and that was good, I think: I wanted to get actions and force Loch’s ships to bump, especially on Bossk, who I tend to consider basically as some battering ram, his full frontal arc being a real blessing.

But this time I didn’t want to go too far too soon with everybody’s favorite Space Lizard. Therefore, when it was time for the first engagement of the game, I decided to make a red stop and allow Torani to go farther, while Asajj was about to flank (which she’s weirdly pretty good at). Although she had to lock Quinn Jast, in order to jam him, because no one else was in range when she moved, her target was actually Genesis Red, because I thought she could hit him and then tractor him through Shadow Caster so that he landed in Torani’s bullseye, although watching the game afterwards, maybe he wouldn’t have… Anyway, without the target lock and because there were too many green dices and green tokens the other side, that oh so cunning plan absolutely didn’t work. Yet Torani managed to take half of Genesis Red, so OK I guess? But then Tel Trevura shot at Torani, and, with the help of Dace Bonearm’s ability, my Kimogila was ionized, and not in the best spot. By the end of the turn, Loch didn’t manage to take half of her, but that was close.

And then the weird stuff began. I couldn’t do anything for my ionized Kimogila, although the Koiogran turn by Quinn Jast allowed Torani to bump on him, which was perfect, and that left some room for more important maneuvers: on my right flank, Bossk banked right, which would land him on a gas cloud, but the idea was to impact Loch’s maneuvers for at least two turns regarding Tel Trevura and Dace Bonearm (who didn’t turn his turret, and that would be very important the following turns, preventing any attacks on his part) and to a lesser extent Genesis Red as well; and on my left flank, Asajj turned right, full speed, in order to go farther than Quinn Jast and Torani: she bumped on Genesis Red (while evading the gas cloud, and that was close), but I was OK with that, she had great target opportunities, and a perfect corridor for a 5K the following turn. And all Loch’s I4 ships bumped, therefore, which was ideal. Sadly, both Tel Trevura and Genesis Red defended very well without any dice modifications: Torani only took one shield on the JumpMaster 5000 and that was it! Very disappointing. Loch’s attacks were more efficient, and he took half of Torani Kulda, although he didn’t manage to ionize Asajj, luckily for my plan, and now Zam Wesell’s charges were reloaded.

Asajj could then do her speed 5 Koiogran turn, while Bossk purposely stayed where he was with a blue maneuver bumping on Dace and gaining no strain for the gas cloud. Torani’s maneuvers were limited because of Stunned Pilot, and I didn’t want to risk overlapping the gas cloud; not an issue, she was ideally placed to blast Quinn Jast, locking and jamming him. As expected, Dace couldn’t go farther than Bossk, then Genesis bumped on the HWK, and Tel Trevura bumped on the Scyk: I certainly hoped to do more damage this time! But Bossk and Asajj’s attacks on Genesis Red were quite poor… Yet it was enough to destroy the M3-A, first casualty of the game. Torani almost one-shot the second M3-A after that, but Quinn Jast managed to survive on one hull. Anyway, I scored some points this way, taking the lead. Zombie Genesis Red then attacked Asajj, triggering Zam Wesell, but of course I wouldn’t spend her charges to make a bonus attack on a ship that was already dead…

Next turn, I chose once again to be careful with Torani, and not risk overlapping an obstacle with Stunned Pilot; I wouldn’t be able to shoot, I knew that, but I had reloaded her charge on False Transponder Codes with Jabba the Hutt, so she could target lock Dace Bonearm and jam him (which proved useful later). Bossk once again stayed where he was, also gaining one strain this time. As an idiot, however, I managed to forget that Asajj was stressed after her 5K… My white maneuver landed her where I wanted, not bumping on Dace (that was really, really close!), but no action anyway for the witch… Not that bad though: Dace bumping once again on Bossk, she could attack him while he was range 1 and not modified at all! And then Tel Trevura bumped on Dace: he could shoot my large ships, but Bossk could attack him as well… What a mess in the center of the game mat! Asajj removed Dace’s shields, and tractored the HWK, but obviously I didn’t move him, which would have allowed him to shoot at Bossk… who shot himself at Tel Trevura, gaining half points. The JumpMaster ionized Bossk after that… and Asajj as well with those weird ion shenanigans!

Both my large ships were facing each other, and as they would move before Dace, both would bump on him, while Torani kept careful, having regained once again her False Transponder Codes’ charge. Dace finally got behind Bossk and had the opportunity to rotate his mobile arc. Tel Trevura, though, bumped on Asajj (maybe a mistake when setting the dial?), which allowed Bossk to kill him… or not, because of his zombie ability: he would have the opportunity to shoot back at Bossk, and would then go in reserve, reappearing at the beginning of the next planning phase on Loch’s side of the game mat. Dace however took half of Bossk, and then Tel Trevura chose not to attack, doing instead one automatic damage on Asajj with Feedback Array (Tel Trevura being “already dead”, it cost him nothing). Quinn Jast didn’t manage to take half of her, but that was close, and Bossk as well as Torani were severely damaged as well, still having four hull each, but with one green dice at best, they could be destroyed on a lucky shot. I had the lead (94-63), but bad maneuvering and target choice the following (and last) turn could cost me heavily. Where Loch would make Tel Trevura reappear could be crucial.

He chose to redeploy the JumpMaster 5000 close to Torani. I had that information before setting my dials, of course, and had to think twice about all that. Bossk went for Tel Trevura, which he had good chances to kill, having locked him. Torani being stressed, she could at best go after Quinn Jast, who luckily bumped on Asajj (no focus token to launch Proton Rockets, that was something, although Loch would actually make a mistake here, thinking that he was the one who had Autoblasters, and nope, that was Genesis Red; what a relief!). But Asajj was the one I was not sure of: she had the opportunity to take half of Dace, who was still stressed, or rotating the turret in the rear arc and try to kill Quinn Jast, if Torani didn’t manage to kill him, before he could engage and take half of her, although I would roll only two attack dices in that case. I decided to turn my turret just in case, but I was really not sure about that move… Luckily, almost everything went in my favor during this last turn! That didn’t seem that way at first, since Torani didn’t kill Quinn Jast clinging on one hull. Yet Bossk finally destroyed Tel Trevura, or should I say he destroyed him again; after that, I finally chose to go after Dace with Asajj, spending Force… and got half of the HWK! While Loch didn’t score any points during that last turn, and that was real bad luck…

And so, victory! Good game, Loch, and I wish you the best of luck for the remainder of the tournament!

I’m 2-0 right now. That won’t last, obviously…

Between rounds 2 and 3, lists are unlocked for one day. But I will mainly keep this Scum list, which I find very funny to play, with only two changes: one card will go, another will come…

Then round 3 next week, we’ll see what happens… See you soon!