Second Consecutive Hutt Victory

Once again the Hutts show their prowess, this time with Kent the Hutt leading them to victory.  We knew immediately that it was going to be a probabilistically strange night on the first roll.  That's when we each roll a die to see who gets to chose which side they will play.  High roll gets first pick, next highest gets second pick, loser gets whatever is left over. 

We rolled 1 - 1 - 1.  Three losers. 

In the end it was Kent the Hutt, Darth Horak, and Rebel Leader LaBan.  And it was the Rebels who just cleaned our clocks with 6 after 6 after 6.  Sheesh!  How many sixes in a row can you roll? 

The Empire took advantage of an early weakness and conquered the El'rood Sector, but one opponent or another always, just barely, managed to deny full control by the next turn.  No one ever received an El'rood Sector bonus, despite it's eventual swinging over almost completely to the mad sixes of the Rebels. 

On about the 3rd turn, the Empire was able to destroy a well-fortified resource planet, Ord Mantell.  Between that and the Death Star on Kessel, the Hutts should have been hard pressed to find 10 resource planets.

But that was not to be.  Rebel Leader Ric finally decided to extinguish the small, single Imperial garrisons in the Mid Rim and then go after the El'rood Sector in earnest.  With only 3 reinforcements per turn, the Emperor was on the defensive despite having faction cards that continually undid any Rebel efforts to move the Force Meter. 

In the mean time the Hutts gathered their considerable strength in the few systems they controlled.  By cleverly snapping up a Storm Trooper here and a Rebel garrison there, they amassed three faction card straights.  In the fifth turn, Kent the Hutt took a large force from the Core Worlds and captured 10 of the 11 "easy" resource planets. 

Victory Hutts.

Ric LaBan, Lord-God-King of the Galaxy

Once again, Kent and I took things a planet too far and Ric* was able to slip it to us. 

While I was able to quickly take over the Ison Corridor and was able to fend off Rebel Leader Kent's best efforts to retake the sector, the Hutt Overlord quietly summoned his strength, collected cards, and blew us away with well-timed faction card straights. 

_______________
* Radioactive
                  The Firm

Well, I'm not uptight
Not unattractive
Turn me on tonight
'Cause I'm radioactive
Radioactive

There's not a fight
And I'm not your captive
Turn me loose tonight
'Cause I'm radioactive
Radioactive

I want to stay with you
I want to play with you, baby
I want to lay with you
And I want you to know

Got to concentrate
Don't be distractive
Turn me on tonight
'Cause I'm radioactive
Radioactive

Radioactive
Radioactive

I want to stay with you
I don't want to play with you
I want just to lay with you
And I want you to know

Got to concentrate
Don't be distractive
Turn me loose tonight
'Cause I'm radioactive, oh, yeah
Oh, yeah, radioactive
Don't you stand, stand too close
You might catch it

June 27th and the Summer Pause Begins

In a reprise of last week's roles, our intrepid trio once again struggled for galactic domination.  Horak the Hutt gained and lost an entire fleet of 3 capital ships.  Trying to be either the King Maker or the victor, he miscalculated and, instead of keeping both opponents equally weak, he injured the Rebels.
Rebel Leader LaBan Held off the Storm Troopers as long as he could, but the white tide swept over him.  The Hutts weren't able to claw their way to 10 resource planets despite high water marks of 8 and 9 systems.  In the end Sith Wood was able to claim victory. 

With Ric on travel and Karl's aunt from Wisconsin visiting next week, it may be  July 18 before conflict resumes.