Failing to prepare: The deployment phase
Episode 1: Building a list
Episode 2: Obstacles
Episode 3: Deployment
Welcome back to the second installment in my series of articles looking at setup and tournament prep. Draw up a chair and stay while you listen to the waffle of someone who thinks way too much about X-Wing.
So surely I just put my ships on the table right???
Well… yes. That’s the basics of it however when I make a new competitive squad I will always think about what I want my ships to do over the first couple of turns.
- Do I want to joust my opponent?
- Do I want to draw them into the asteroid field and split them up? (A guide to how to set them up here)
- Do I want to try and pincer them between the two halves of my list?
With that in mind I will usually sit down at the kitchen table or online equivalent (vassal is a real godsend when doing this) and try to work out how to place my ships.
An important thing to remember is that you will be deploying your ships in pilot skill order. Big numbers go down last…
That’s no moon!
As I mentioned in my previous article, how you like to fly your ships and the list you’re flying should inform your obstacle placement. It also plays a key role in how you deploy.
If your list is going to be pointing at the enemy fleet and powering forward (looking at you party Bossk). It’s probably a good idea to set up in the middle of the board or in a corner, facing the direction of your unfortunate victim.
You will need to pay close attention to the obstacles that are blocking your path. Have you set up the asteroids to allow your ships a clean path? Or has your opponent scuppered your plans?
This is one of the reasons I prefer zooming up the flank. It is impossible for your opponent to put an asteroid in your way.
Flanking speed captain, ready the cannons!
The second common deployment is to place one of your ships away from the main force in an effort to sneak around the side of the opponent. Leaving him with a tricky choice. He can present his rear to your main force if he wants to deal with this threat. Split his own forces in response or accept the fact that your flank ship will get behind him.
The ships perfect for this role are usually fast interceptors that don’t want to get shot. Soontir Fel and other aces. Other candidates include a ship with a turret that can skirt the edge of the fight, adding supporting laser fire.
One danger of this tactic is the flank ship being caught on its own by an aggressive player. Don’t be too proud to retreat if its looks like you’re about to be ganged up on.
Bucket full of NOPE
The third type of deployment is to set up your ships facing sideways along the board. Doing this stalls the start of the game slightly and allows you to see where you opponent is going. It can also give you time to figure out their flying style if you are paying close attention.
This deploy lends itself to a list that wants to pick it’s battles carefully. Or needs to split up an opposing swarm before picking them off one by one.
Just like in the last example, some players can catch you out by blasting up the board and sneaking up behind you before you’re ready for them. Always be prepared and guard your six!
An immovable object…
The final method of setup draws some controversy from many corners of the X-Wing community.
The fortress (OF DOOM!!!!)
This is the practice of setting up your ships so they can ‘crash’ into each other and remain in place like so.
Whether popular or not, you cannot deny its use. Some it allows you more time to look at your opponents approach. Only breaking the formation when they get close enough to pounce.
This does require some considerable prediction skills from the pilot. You are guessing exactly how fast your opponent will approach. Get it wrong and you get caught with no actions, floating in space. Alternatively you could break too early and reap none of the rewards from your sneaky tactics.
Personally I will only fortress for one or two turns. Its enough time to understand how your opponent wants to set up the first engagement and should hopefully allow you to counter it.
Bringing it all together
The ideal situation then is surely to tie all these tactics into one all encompassing deployment. And this brings us back to sitting at the kitchen table thinking about where to place my ships.
Each of my setups should allow me to do all four of the options above. As you can see below.
And there you have it. My thoughts on deployment and setup. I hope you found this helpful and keep your eyes peeled for my next article which will talk about how I go about building a list itself.
Fly casual.
Oli
