Star Wars Armada Corellian Campaign Third Battle Report

Victory in the Correlllian Sector!

Acting upon intelligence gathered by the Imperial Security Bureau, Grand Admiral Thrawn led a fleet in a show of force on to secure two space stations at the Truuzdann system. The ISB had learned that the stations were being used by rebels as a supply staging areas for their attacks on peaceful commerce. Thrawn's fleet set out to seize the stations and prevent rebel assaults on innocent citizens of the Empire.

When the rebels refused Thrawn's calls to surrender the stations, he was forced into the heavy task of destroying the stations. Having studied his opponents, he devised a bold, yet prepared, attack. His star destroyers swept in and engaged the rebel heavy ships (stolen in the Mon Calamari civil war). The ISDs were support by a team of nimble starfighter squadrons who made short work of rebel cutthroat starfighters.  Thrawn's fleet destroyed both stations, accomplishing its mission.

Teamwork

Admiral Reynholm disccusses tactics

What was the key to Imperial starfighter success at the Battle of Truuzdann? It was the squadrons' ability to coordinate their movement and attacks. They supported each other and became a stronger whole to overwhelm the rebel squadrons and their individual abilities. The teamwork exhibited can be attributed to the Imperial Navy's newly reorganized Starfighter Piloting School of Excellence run by Admiral Reynhom. Reynholm's methods emphasize dedication to the starfighter wing before oneself. That pilot selflessness enables pilots to maximize the strengths of the fither wing. The results shoed true at Truuzdann.

Star Wars Armada Corellian Conflict First Battle Report

This is a brief description of the first campaign battle report of a Corellian Conflict campaign a friend of mine and I are playing.  As I am the Imperial player in the campaign, it is told from the perspective of the Empire.  Draw your own conclusions as to how the game went.

Official Reporting of the Imperial Press Corps

“Maintaining Peace and Order Across the Empire”

Terrorist Attack at Drall System!

In a surprising incident in the Corellian Sector, Rebel terrorists mounted an assault against civilian targets at the Drall System. The Imperial Navy, commanded by Admiral Motti rushed to the aid of the beleaguered citizens of Drall. Admiral Motti boldly led his Imperial Star Destroyer against a Rebel MC-75. Both ships were supported by several smaller ships and starfighter squadrons, creating a chaotic battle space where fronts constantly changed direction. While the Rebels fought with the fanatic vigor of zealots, they were no match for the Imperial Navy. While Motti’s fleet suffered the casualty of one ship lost, the IN was able to inflict triple the losses on the Rebels.

With the conclusion of the battle leaving the Rebel terrorists to lick their wounds, Motti’s fleet went on to refit and repair. Several members of the fleet were also singled out for recognition and, in a particular case, promotion in the wake of Imperial victory.

Focus on an Imperial Hero

You might start calling her the Hero of Drall. Aquia Yarvis, commander of a Raider II in Motti’s fleet, met with particular success in the battle. Her deft maneuvering and gunnery enabled her ship to catch an opposing vessel unawares, and with repeated shots landed true, destroy it. In an interview with the Imperial Press Corp, Lieutenant Commander Yarvis described the success of her ship.
“It is my crew that deserves the credit. Their repeated practice in gunnery and quick response to my maneuvering commands, enabled us to maximize the ability of our small

Yarvis's Raider in action at Drall

ship. The crew placed our ship into the right place to use our disposable capacitors to extend the range on our initial shot and then move in for the killing blow”.

Lieutenant Commander Yarvis received a battlefield promotion to Commander for her action at Drall and retains command of her Raider.

Last Call at RFK

Today, I am going to RFK for the last time.  For me, RFK Stadium is strictly a soccer stadium.  I never saw football there, and I never attended a concert there.  I walked into to RFK for the first time in 1992 to see the US men's national team (USMNT) play Ireland the a friendly tournament called the US Cup.  I went with my friend Tom.  We had seats in the lower bowl, and when we walked in I was amazed at the size of the place.  I looked up and turned around.  The upper bowl seemed a giant maw biting up into the sky.  I stood with my mouth open.  It was the largest structure I had ever been in.  I don't remember details of the game, but I remember that the US won 3-1.

I saw USMNT several other times and saw World Cup games and Olympic games there, too.  I saw Italy and Mexico play to a draw in the "Group of Death" in the World Cup.  I had acquired second hand tickets that were exorbitantly expensive for a college student, and involved meeting a complete stranger in a public place to make the ticket and cash exchange ("I'll be the tall guy wearing the purple hat").  The most amazing World Cup game I saw was Netherlands vs. Saudi Arabia.  We had somehow gotten tickets on the second row at midfield.  We were close enough to hear the ball being kicked and had to stand up to see over the chain link fence that had been erected around the pitch.  I was cheering for the Netherlands, but I was amazed at the athleticism of the Saudi goalkeeper.  There is one stop I remember as him leaping several feet in the air -- like a frog -- to stop a missile of a shot.  I remember also that the Dutch had to come back from a deficit to win 2-1.  I also saw the Belgium-Saudi Arabia game which I have heard others say had an amazing goal, but that game didn't make nearly the impression on me.

I also saw at least one World Cup qualifier game at RFK.  The one I remember most is USA vs Jamaica in 1997.  The US went up early, and we were happy.  Later in the game, though, Jamaica equalized and the stadium erupted with green, yellow, and black flags.  I thought me and my friend (including Deb and Jen) might have been transported to Kingston.  That game is where I learned that home games for the US sometimes needed to be written in quotes.

Since 2007, I have attended DC United matches regularly.  I missed out on DCU's most successful years except for one game my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I attended in 1999.  We were on the quiet side and saw that the people across the stadium in the stands were having a lot of fun.  I didn't get to RFK again for another eight years.  In 2007 and 2008, my friend Deb introduced me to the Barra Brava.  I went to my first tailgate and game in 2008 and was hooked on the experience.  I desperately wanted to belong in the group, and I discovered many, many welcoming people.

I attended the 2009 US Open Cup Final, which ended poorly for DCU.  At that game, I learned that what I perceive at the stadium isn't always what really happens.  From my vantage point in section 135, I saw our goalkeeper Josh Wicks ejected from the game unfairly.  I learned from my wife later on, who had watched the game on TV, that Wicks had stomped or kicked an opposing player.  I just couldn't see it from where I was.  Even though we lost, I still look back on that game as the most exciting I have seen at RFK.

I moved up to Northern Virginia Virginia four years ago and have attended many more games.  Some have been excited wins, others have been losses and unsatisfying draws.  When the team plays poorly, the tailgate in Lot 8 becomes more important to me.  This is where I have made friends among the Barra.  This is where I have shared food -- often vegetables and other side dishes (often involving either farm market produce or items I have grown myself).  Lot 8 is what I am going to absolutely miss the most.  Many times, after cooking and in between conversations with others, I sit and look around.  I am thankful in those moments to be surrounded by friends and like minded people.  I feel at peace and I smile.  I won't have that experience next year at the new stadium

Each year, RFK looks a little more rough.  I see more rusted areas on the superstructure.  At one game, I stood next to a hole in the stands where a chair should have been.  Many other chairs have come apart (I might have a bolt from one of them).  Each bit that falls off, cracks, or crumbles is another sign that it is time to go.

I look forward to the new experience at Audi Field.  I also know that I will miss those calm, contented moments in Lot 8.  Vamos United.

Wrapping Up: Prezcon 2016 Day 6

I am home now writing about the last day of Prezcon.  Prezcon Sundays, for me, are usually short.  I play Settlers of Catan and 7 Wonders, and go home by 12:00 noon.  This year was no different.  I also had a bit of time between games to pack and load my car.

In the six days of Prezcon, I played 26 games (playing 15 unique games).  Those games were a combination of tournament games and new games I learned in open gaming.  Of the tournament games, I won Lewis & Clark and finished 3rd in Liar's Dice.  If I had some shorter games, such as replacing History of the World with two hour games, I could have played even more boardgames. For a $70 flat registration fee, Prezcon provides a lot of opportunity for fun.

I also saw, met, and met again many people.  I would do well to better remember people's names (and not just rely on people's badges), particularly the GMs who put so much time and effort into running the tournaments (Charles, Shane, John, and others), but also other players like Paul, David, and others.

Gameplay Summary

• 7 Wonders:  I finished third of five in a relatively close game (first, second, and third scored 57, 54, and 53).  I enjoy playing 7 Wonders and need to break out this game with others more often.  Losing this game, however, prevented "schedule congestion" between 7 Wonders semifinals and Catan quarterfinals
• Setters of Catan:  I lost this quarterfinal game.  I set up in a risky position with no wheat (the board was wheat poor), but was able to establish a strong position with stone, wood, and the wood port.  Late in the game, the other players thought I would be able to win, but another guy had nine points, had two cities and a settlement on a wheat 10 tile, and rolled a ten.  That gave him enough wheat (with other cards in his hand) to upgrade to a city using nothing but win.  That was game

Plaque Buildup: Prezcon 2016 Day 5 Review

All of the Prezcon tournament winners get plaques.  If the tournament has enough participants there are second place plaques, and even third place plaques in the largest tournament.  Yesterday I won my first Prezcon tournament ever by winning a nailbiting Lewis & Clark final game.  I also managed to make the finals of the party game Liar's Dice for the third year in a row and finish third.  My friend Nathan also won his Britannia tournament to add a plaque to his second place plaque in Roll for the Galaxy he acquired earlier in the week. 


In addition to tournament games, I played a some pick up games in the Open Gaming Room (when I don't play History of the World, I have all sorts of time to play other games).  I tried Five Tribes again, which is a worker placement game that is okay.  I think what turns me off to the game is the artwork and color choices of the game (teal, orange, pink, black, beige, and gold).  My friend Tara also introduced me to Patchwork, which is a tetris like boardgame where you are scoring points for making a quilt (great for my fiber working friends who like to game).  We also pulled out a Prezcon copy of the new game Murano.  Murano is a game where the rules were not clear until we started playing the game.  It has an action selection mechanic that is driven by gondola boats you move from space to space around the edge of the board.  The game was pretty cool, and I think I would like to try it again with more than two players.


Gameplay Summary

• Lewis & Clark:  I played two games of this, the second heat and the finals, and won both.  For the heat, I ran a large, complicated expedition (8-10 cards) to get over the mountains on the board.  In the finals, I ran an extremely slim expedition (4 cards) to do the same thing.  I found a little bit of luck in the game and moved forward extra spaces based on the placement of the other players' tokens.  Another player missed winning by one space just before I achieved the win
• Patchwork:  I lost based on the large uncovered patches of my quilt.  For a tile placement game, I rather enjoyed this
• Murano:  As we went through and figured out the rules, I managed to win.  in the game, you build roads, shops and glass factories in Venice.  You also recruit characters in Venice who provide you goals and bonus points.  I didn't love the game, but found it interesting enough to want to try again
• 7 Wonders:  This has become a classic game for me that I thoroughly enjoy.  I ended up focusing on science development as Halikarnnasos and finished third of six.  We had some score calculation problems that almost made me miss the first game of Liar's Dice
• Liar's Dice:  I won my heat on the last throw of the dice.  In the finals, I slowly lost my dice on exact number guesses where other people had bid correctly (which is what I tend to aim for).  My third place finish is actually my worst finish ever at Prezcon -- I finished second the last two years.

I have 7 Wonders and Settlers of Catan today, and then it is my return home. 

Bring Your Games: Prezcon 2016 Day 4 Review

The Prezcon website, promotional emails, and program book all tell you that anyone who brings their own copy of a game is guaranteed a spot in a game tournament.  I imagine other boardgaming conventions say the same thing.  As such, I brought copies of several games that I own from lesser known titles like Lewis & Clark and Conquest of Paradise to popular games like Puerto Rico and Settlers of Catan.  In all but one game, the tournament game master has had me set up my board for play.


I had decided yesterday to skip the third heat of History of World -- which takes five to six hours to play -- and play two games in its place:  Commands & Colors:  Ancients and Conquest of Paradise.  Arriving at the location of the Commands & Colors tournament, I found that they were woefully short on game boards.  I didn't bring my copy.  This meant that I couldn't play.  Happily, I was able to jump back into the History of the World game.  The message is clear:  if you have any interest in playing a game a boardgaming convention, bring your own copy.


Gameplay Summary

• History of the World:  I didn't have a great game here, but managed to avoid finishing last (4th of 6th)
• Isle of Skye:  I played this as a pick up game with my friend Mike.  Isle of Skye is a tile building game that contains an auction bidding element.  I like the auction bidding, but I do not like tile building games.  I have to think hard on all of the spatial relation combinations to get things to work.  It was a quick game, taking about 40 minutes to play, and I enjoyed it more than Carcassonne.  I suppose it helped that I was able to win
• Puerto Rico:  I tried a one dimensional strategy of shipping for victory points.  This didn't work for me, and I finished 3rd of four
• Codenames:  this is a great party game that I have played on several occasions recently.  I was able to drop into a game while waiting for my next tournament to start.  It is a team game where people must guess which word tiles are their "codenames" while avoiding guessing the tiles that are the codenames of the other team.  I will most likely pick up a copy
• Lewis & Clark:  I was able to win this game and advance to the finals.  Prezcon introduced to this game last year.  I love the game because it captures the feeling of the struggle to explore the west and cross the Rocky Mountains, it high quality artwork, its combination of worker placement and engine building mechanics, and the fact that there are many ways to put together a winning expedition

High Drama: Prezcon 2016 Day 3

Great boardgame experiences include tension, drama, and -- after the final moves have been made and the endgame reached -- laughter at the end to resolve that tension.  With the sheer number of games being played here, Prezcon is guaranteed to have many such situations. 


For myself, I played in two games yesterday with this kind of high drama:  a second game of History of the World and a game of Conquest of Paradise.  For History, I played well throughout most of the game, was leading going into the last turn and had other advantages set up for myself.  I ended up having to make a difficult choice at the end, made it, and had it not work out for me.  I didn't win, but the guy who ended up winning was convinced he had not scored enough points to do it. 


In Conquest of Paradise, three of the four players -- including myself -- believed they

The palm tree shows the way to Conquest of Paradise

were on the cusp of victory.  The end of the game involved us fighting amongst ourselves, declaring victories (an endgame mechanic), and pushing back and forth.  The game ended with the fourth player, who had silently been developing his island chain empire (perhaps a thalassocracy?) and developing his culture, having more points than any of the rest of us.  We could only laugh at the result. 
Gameplay Summary

• History of the World:  I finished third after leading most of the game
• Puerto Rico:  I very much enjoy this game, but I have only ever won it once (this is also driven by the fact that most of my Puerto Rico games have been played in Prezcon tournaments).  I scored a very strong 52 points, but finished second
• Conquest of Paradise:  After believing I was on the cusp of victory, along with two of the other four players, I finished last
• Castles of Burgundy:  I managed to just barely make the start time for this game.  I finished third out of three (my finishes have been getting progressively worse!), but had a good time.  I might order this game

More game playing fund today as more people arrive at the convention!