Minefield (3rd race of our 1st X-Wing Racing Championship)

For the general racing rules, see DagobahDave's Vidla Crucible scenario.
The race track was created by me (JL): Minefield.


Teams

Andies (41 points) (played by Andreas)
- Onyx Squadron TIE Defender with Autoblaster and Engine Upgrade (41)

Darth Messengers (41 points) (played by JL)
- Tala Squadron Z-95 with Assault Missiles (18)
- Rookie Pilot with Flechette Torpedoes (23)

Steel Nipples (39 points) (played by Ciro)
- Tala Squadron Z-95 with Hull Upgrade (16)
- Green Squadron A-Wing with Veteran Instincts and Stealth Device (23)

Tardis (40 points) (played by Beni)
- Blue Squadron B-Wing with Heavy Laser Cannon, B-Wing/E2, Gunner and Predator (40)

Unagi (43 points) (played by Antonio)
- Tala Squadron Z-95 (13)
- Blue Squadron B-Wing with Enhanced Scopes and Heavy Laser Cannon (30)

The third and last race of our 1st X-Wing Racing Championship was full of memorable moments and fun until the end. The experiences with the previous two races helped me clarify the special rules of the scenario and it was a very enjoyable experience.

A Day at the Races

(epic background music)

It is a period of civil war.

After several rebel ambushes and sabotages

 against property of the Galactic Empire,

Grand Moff Tarkin has ordered the construction 

of a new secret weapon that

 will keep the rebellious systems in line.

Only the best pilots will be chosen to serve in the new station

With this in mind, agents of the Empire 

have organized a racing contest

that will help Grand Moff Tarkin 

choose some of the pilots.

After two eventful races, the finest pilots in the galaxy

have met in the famous T2-Minefield in the Corellia System

willing to gain the enormous prize and,

unbeknownst to them, show Governor Tarkin

who should have the honor to pilot the escort ships of the station.

Setup and the Big Bang

  As with previous races, initial position turned out to have a big impact on the result of the race.

Beni's and Antonio's B-Wings started at the front, while JL's places his X-Wing in the back... the rest fall in the middle; Antonio placed his Z-95 in position to go for a victory from shooting the 4 targets before anyone else

 

Most ships boost as fast as they can, but JL decides to keep his ships in the back: he'll play the hunter tactic; Ciro sends his A-Wing in a wide arc to avoid the mines

JL uses his Assault Missiles on Beni's B-Wing; the attack is a big success as it catches 3 other ships and a mine, that explodes...

JL obtains a very lucky roll with the mine: 4 hits! Beni's and Antonio's B-Wings and Andreas' TIE Defender take a lot of damage, but the worst hit is taken by Ciro's Z-95 that gets no Evasion results in his defense roll and blows to pieces! 5 damage with one shot!

The first round ends with Andreas taking Beni's B-Wing as a target of opportunity (he had taken 6 damage from JL's Assault Missiles) and dealing the last points of damage... another ship blown in the first seconds of the race!

Dancing through the Minefield

Everybody was now afraid of the damaging power of the mines and started playing more conservatively.

Antonio maneuvered with an expert's precision to score the first two targets with the Heavy Laser Cannon of his B-Wing. Meanwhile, Andrea's TIE Defender is pursued by JL's X-Wing and Z-95, while Ciro tried without luck to score a hit on the first target.

With 1 Hull remaining, Andreas shoots a nearby mine, destroying his own ship in order to rob JL of 1/2 championship point! A genius Imperial move!

Close-up of Andreas's last dance with the mines

Racing for the targets

With only 5 ships remaining on the board, the dynamics of the race changed, with everyone trying to score the 4 targets.

Antonio's ships had shot the first 2 targets before anyone else, but were now pursued by JL, who shot at nearby mines to try to stop Antonio's ships

Antonio's B-Wing is about to capture a spice container

Antonio scores 1/2 point for capturing one spice container

In the back, Ciro and JL finally score their first target; in the middle, JL's X-Wing places himself at Antonio's B-Wing's 6; in the front, Antonio's Z-95 races toward the 3rd target

JL's X-Wing finally hunts down Antonio's B-Wing: another 1/2 point for the Darth Messengers!

At the back, Ciro and JL's Z-95 attack the second target while at the front Antonio's Z-95 and JL's X-Wing race toward the 3rd target

A dogfight between Ciro's A-Wing and JL's Z-95 near the second target

At the end, both Ciro and JL would hit the second target but did not cause serious damage to their ships

Antonio hits the 3rd target scoring 1 full point and tries to speed back to the 4th target as fast as he can.
Meanwhile JL also hits the 3rd target with his X-Wing

In the last turn, JL's risks collision with a mine in order to be sure to shoot at the 4th target before Antonio... the mine deals him only 2 hits and he survives with 1 Hull remaining!

Antonio is at range 3 from the 4th target, but JL's Z-95 shoots first because of initiative...

...and JL's Z-95 nets the last target and wins an extra 1 full point for his team!... what a race!

Summary

What a race! There was carnage at the beginning, funny moments with Andreas deciding to destroy his own ship to rob 1/2 point from JL's grasp, lots of mine-anxiety and a race to hit the 4 targets that was decided just by initiative... the best circuit so far (probably the past experiences helped to optimize the wording of the rules of the Minefield circuit).

Tactically, the starting position proved again to be very important. Beni and Antonio mentioned that, specially Beni, they wanted to play a Hunter tactic and should have placed themselves at the back (Beni could have easily done it as his was the 2nd ship to be placed). I (JL) was radiant that my Assault Missiles had worked so nicely, and Ciro and Andreas were a bit unsure about their strategy.

The winner of the scenario was JL with his Darth Messengers team! My Assault Missiles worked much better than expected and I also was lucky that Antonio and Ciro lost a couple turns from missing easy shots against the intermediate targets.

Race Results

JL: 3 points
(1/2 for Ciro's Z-95; 1/2 for Antonio's B-Wing; 1 for 3 first targets; 1 for hitting the 4th target)

Antonio: 1,5 points(1/2 for one spice container; 1 for 3 first targets)

Andreas: 0,5 points

(1/2 for Beni's B-Wing)

Ciro: 0 points

Beni: 0 points

Championship Classification

JL: 5 points

Antonio: 4,5 points

Andreas: 4 points

Ciro: 2,5 points

Beni: 0,5 points

So, the championship was also very close until the very end and I was happy to have organized it; I think everybody had a blast!

I (JL) think I was lucky to win the tournament, above all because of the 4-hit roll I obtained from the mine that exploded thanks to my Assault Missiles.

Antonio specially had very sound tactics in all races, but the dice did not smile on him at the end.

Andreas made also a great 3rd position thanks to his expert maneuvering and his out-of-the-box mine blowing!

Ciro made a great first race: best crane operator title! but was outmaneuvered in the 2nd and 3rd races.

Beni missed the 2nd race and got the shortest straw in the 3rd race... taking 8 damage in one turn is probably a record!

As for our next X-Wing sessions, I think I'll try to organize an All-Stars game, where players may bring unique pilots and upgrades and spend more than 40 points... see you again soon!

Aftermath

(Marley's Bad Boys playing in the background while the credits float on the screen)

Unagi (Antonio) and Darth Messengers (JL) best pilots were chosen by Grand Moff Tarkin to serve as pilots in the Empire's secret weapon, the Death Star! They have now disappeared, but several eyewitness saw Lord Vader addressing them with a curt "You two! Follow me!" when the Death Star battle station was attacked during the Battle of Yavin.

 Andies (Andreas) best pilot became rich after working several years as a Black Sun smuggler... He decided to retire early when he jettisoned a cargo of Avabush Spice and then rammed an Imperial patrol that wanted to search his ship... According to some rumors, he has been working with the Rebel Alliance ever since.

Steel Nipples (Ciro) best pilots have been working in the New Naples Tibanna gas fields in Bespin... His victory in the first race brought him fame and many juicy contacts in the system.

Tardis (Beni) best pilots opened a piloting school for young kids... Rumors say he has a big Assault Missile in his backyard, just waiting waiting waiting for the perfect occassion...

(the Death Star; Lord Vader contemplates the majestic star speckled view, while myriad flashes illuminate a confusing battle)

Darth Vader: 

 

To be, or not to be - that is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer 

the cravings of the Dark Force

Or to accept the victories against a sea of rebels

And by celebrating end them. To choke, to party

No more -- and by to party to say we end 

The heartache, and the intense dark lure

That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished. To enter, to slumber - 

To slumber -- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,

For in that slumber of darkness what dreams may come

When we have transcended this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

When he himself might the Force Darkness embrace,

For conscience does make weaklings of us all,

And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought...

You two! Come with me!

Oh, Galaxy far far away, in my orisons

Be all my sins remembered.

(curtain falls while two young aces with racing medals around their necks fly behind Vader and approach a trench in the surface of the Death Star)