A Double Hutt Hitter

For once Kent went home happy -- he beat the bejezus out of us two games straight.

Game #1.  Things were off to a balanced start, but in turn 2, Rebel Leader LaBan played the "look under any Imperial base" faction card.  Lo!  The first (and only) token on the board concealed the Emperor.  Thereafter, the Imperial forces were forced to clear the Mid Rim of rebels and fortify approaches through the Outer Rim, now that the Emperor had been located.

While successful, this let the Hutts grow dangerously strong.  They were able to dislodge the Emperor and gain too many resource planets for their own good.  Meanwhile, the Empire had to spend its troops defending the vulnerable Emperor instead of beating back Hutt incursions. 

Several turns later, the "move any two Imperial bases" faction card allowed the Storm Troopers to once again confuse the Rebels as to the Imperial location.  But a Hutt faction card straight gave Kent the edge and he fought his way to a dramatic finish on Tatooine. 

Game #2.  With the taste of defeat fresh in their mouths, Empire and Rebelion worked to contain the Hutts in the second of the evening's battles.  By then the Caol Ila was flowing and I can't recall six days later how he managed to slip another victory over on us.  Perhaps it was just a counting error and Kent the Hutt only held eight resource planets.  We may never know. 

Double Trouble for the Imperial Rubble

Sith Wood had one of those nights --- one of those nights where everything goes right and yet, somehow, someone else wins.

Game #1.  On turn two the Rebel Leader Horak sought to use a faction card to take out the Death Star, but a bad initial roll caused him to save the card.  But the next turn, a fortuitous roll allowed him to play the "+2 to all your dice" card, taking out the dreaded orb.  A couple rolls later, the garrison capitulated and, lo, the Emperor was captured.  Game ova'.


Game #2.  Ric the Hutt beat the hell out of us.  It was a hard fought finish, but the animosity between Rebel and Storm Trooper gave him the edge he needed.  

Double Trouble for the Rebel Rubble

Lately game nights have ended after one battle that runs into the late evening hours.  But this week, the combat was so furious and the outcomes so unexpected that we easily dominated the galaxy twice in a single evening.   Rebel Leader LaBan, Sith Wood, and Horak the Hutt took up their dice and when the dust settled two and a half hours later, there were two different victors with two different victories. 

Game #1.  The Rebels game out of their corner swinging, first at the Hutts.  I'm not sure if it was a matter of cold Rebel dice or hot Hutt dice, but the result was a horrible mangling of the Rebel forces.  The Hutts launched a successful couple attacks and then the Empire took the field.  They continued whomping on the Rebels but bounced off the Hutt concentrations.  The Rebels had few forces to attack with in the second round and about as much luck.  The Hutts swept the few opposing legions out of the Ison Corridor and would hold it for the remainder of the game (despite some strenuous attacks down both hyperspace links). 

This pattern held until the Hutts climbed up to 8 resource planets -- and the large number of faction cards that came with it.  The next turn the Hutts were up to 9 resource planets and had 7 faction cards ready to blast the galaxy wide open.

But the wiley Emperor had a faction card straight of his own.  Faced with four separate Rebel regions, he assaulted them with portions of his huge force.  In the end the loss of any one system would have meant an easy Hutt victory, but the Sith's luck held and he was just able to capture the last system.

Victory --> Empire

Game #2.  Since Game #1 was over in near-record time, the gang tooled up for an instant rematch.  This time the first round was much more balanced.  Even so, the Ison Corridor once again fell to the Hutts.  This was countered somewhat by the Rebels quickly taking the Wild Space.  The Hutts neutralized this two turns later with the an invasion from Gamorr to Elom. 

The Hutts went on an aggressive ship-building campaign, ultimately building up to 2 capitol ships and a bomber.  On the fourth turn a faction card straight plus bonuses allowed the Hutts (at seven resource planets) to undertake a series of bold assaults on three systems.  With overwhelming numbers they were able to take first one system and then with their fleet, conquer a second. 

But the third system, critical for victory was Rodia, which was attacked by two legions from Gamorr.  In the first clash at two against one, the Rebels held firm, but in the next, one on one, the Hutts came out on top rolling a 4 to best a Rebel 3.

Victory -->  Hutts