Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

With data now going back to November 2010, it's clear that the Empire has the harder time of it and the Hutts enjoy a significant advantage.  This suggests an Imperial strategy:  first, destroy the Hutts, while hiding the starbases.  Then go after the Rebels.

The League of Crafty Ass Bastards

The Despoiler of the Galaxy Gets Despoiled

In keeping with our tradition of allowing the birthday boy to choose his faction, Kent went with the Hutts.  General LaBan picked up the yellow hoard and I was left with the e-vile Empire. Setup was typical, leaving the Hutts with 4 resource planets. 

The Survey

Since November

I've begun compiling statistics from the blog results and have backtracked from today through to November 2013.  The results are enlightening.  (The orange highlight is simply my input area for the data points; everything else is calculated with spreadsheet formulas.)

The players are evenly matched (8, 10 & 9 wins each), but the Hutts have a huge advantage (63% wins).  Horak and Wood usually win as Hutts, while LaBan actually does slightly better as the Empire.  Basically, everyone sucks at playing the Rebels. 

Player	Summary Percent	Victories	Faction	2014	Percent
Horak	30%	8	Rebels	1	13%
			Hutts	7	88%
			Empire	0	0%
LaBan	37%	10	Rebels	1	10%
			Hutts	4	40%
			Empire	5	50%
Wood	33%	9	Rebels	2	22%
			Hutts	6	67%
			Empire	1	11%
		27		27
Faction		Victories	Player
Rebels	15%	4	Horak	1	25%
			LaBan	1	25%
			Wood	2	50%
Hutts	63%	17	Horak	7	41%
			LaBan	4	24%
			Wood	6	35%
Empire	22%	6	Horak	0	0%
			LaBan	5	83%
			Wood	1	17%
		27		27

Horak's strongest play is as the Hutts, for example, LaBan:Rebels, Horak:Hutts, and Wood:Empire.   Of the 4 matches like this since November, Horak has won 50%.  Of the converse match Wood:Rebels, Horak:Hutts, and LaBan:Empire, Horak wins 57% of the time. 

I'll be curious how the details hold up as I gather more of the 2013 data.

It's Not Over Until the Fat Hutt Sings

Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat

Rebel Leader Ric began the game with a resounding set of attacks, nearly conquering the Core World (leaving Hapes in Imperal hands) and the Ison Corridor (leaving only Bespin in Imperial control).  Horak the Hutt struggled to get 6 resource planets, but gained excellent faction cards.  Sith Lord Kent countered with concerted attacks, but the "Money is Power" card stopped his major offensive. 

As the game progressed, the Empire continued to expand with an enlarged fleet, well-hidden starbases, and excellent dice rolls.  While the Rebels suffered most of the damage, the Hutts were beaten back to 4 resource planets while losing 2 resource systems and their garrisons to the destruction wrought by the Death Star.  Not only that but those systems were Gamorra and Sluis Van, effectively isolating 3 starbases from the Rebels.  Only a thin Hutt garrison of 4 legions held on to Excarga.

By the end of the sixth turn, only a handful of Rebels remained, hidden in the Mid Rim.  A huge Imperial fleet with storm troopers to match were stationed in Falleen, poised to bring down the final blow on dastardly Rebels. 

As it were, the Hutts got one last chance:  a faction card straight.  The minimal garrison at Ord Mantell took Yavin 4, but was prevented from taking Gamorr,  Attacking from Nar Shaddar, a small force took both Ylessia and Kessel.  Resource planets, 6.  A large, reinforced Hutt battle group on Wayland captured Duro and a small subunit made it to Sullust from Corellia.  Resource planets, 8.  Another small portion attacked Kurt with the objective of finishing off Gamorr, but they failed to advance far enough to be a threat.  The large fleet on Hoth easily swept into Bespin.  Resource planets, 9.  In desperation, the force on Excarga assaulted the 3 storm trooper legions garrisoning the starbase on Elom.  In a close fought battle, it came down to one 6-sided attack roll against one 8-sided defense roll.  A lucky 6 against an unlucky 4 gave the game (and a death mark for the rest of the year) to the Hutts. 

The Desert Platypus

Afrika Korps

So Peetza da Hutt was off gallivanting around Vermont this week, Herr Feldmarshal Horak aka the Desert Platypus took on Brigadier Wood in the Western Desert.  The standard spring 1941 set up started out with an impressive run across Cyrinacea by the Afrika Korps.  The Brits and their allies set up a thin defense stretching from Tmimi inland past Mechilli.  The Germans quickly pushed the British back to Tobruk with a few casualties to both sides.  After bypassing the fortress, the heavy German armor overran the Egyptian border garrison and went on to capture an unescorted supply unit halfway to Alexandria.  The arrival of July reinforcements caused the Germans to fall back to a l ine at the border fence, while the British evacuated Tobruk.  The fortress soon fell and it looked like we were in for a long static period waiting for November reinforcements before there could be a resolution. 

Game Notes

Automatic victory played an important part in the German blitz.  After the game, it was noted that a supply unit is required for automatic victory, although there are some interesting bits in the rules about zones of control and the subsequent movement of supply units involved. 

In researching some online sources, I came across VASSAL, an open-source gaming engine.  Conveniently, it has a well done Afrika Korps module that allows either server-moderated games or play by e-mail. 

A Rare Two-Fer

Game #1

While the World Cup garners most of the attention, a galactic struggle goes on with few the wiser.  General Horak took on Darth Ric and Kent the Hutt with an uncharacteristic setup that left the green hoard with 7 initial resource planets.  An epic battle for Kessel weakened the Hutts at the start, but Imperial attacks on the Rebels rapidly took their toll on both sides.  Within 4 turns, the Hutts had swept to power throughout the galaxy. 

Game #2

In a fit of optimism, Ric suggested a second game, perhaps to regain lost honor from our quick failure in the previous one.  Using the same forces, we launched into another battle royale.  Again, the Rebels came out with good results from the initial attacks, but combined Hutt and Storm Trooper assaults undid the early gains. 

Fairly quickly the Empire took control of the Wild Space with the Death Star on Sullust to guard that entrance to the sector.  Subsequent battles in El'Rood led to a collapse of that sector.  With two sectors in Imperial hands, it was only a matter of time before things went badly for the Rebels despite the Force Meter being firmly in the light side.

However, the Rebels had a large concentration backed up with two squadrons of bombers.  In an effort to neutralize the expanding influence of the Empire in the Mid Rim, they attacked out of Rodia through Hutt territory towards the starbase on Kessel.  En route, the Hutts played their "Money is Power" faction card and the orders never came for the assault on Da Soocha V.  With that attack blocked, the starbase was spared an overwhelming attack.  As I suspected, the Hutts were being king-makers. 

The Storm Troopers ultimately took the Ison Corridor and with overpowering reinforcements, they were able to mop up the remaining Rebels before the Hutts could muster any sort of a response.  Victory Empire. 

Yet Another Hutt Victory

Greek Food and Star Wars Risk

With the Death Star on Dagobah, thwarting any rebelious activity in that sector, the Rebels and Stormtroopers reinforced heavily in the Wild Space.  In turn one, they fought to exhaustion with no change in control of that sector. 

Despite a weak setup, the Hutts were able to take advantage of the weakened opponents to snag a couple resource planets.  The "Money is Power" faction card held off one counter attack, but ultimately the assault on Elom let the Empire sweep the Mid Rim resource planets and, a turn later, capture the entire sector. 

Hutt gains on Sullust, Balmorra, and Duro helped garner plenty of faction cards.  With one straight, they reached 9 resource planets.  Even after being beaten back by combined assaults of starfighters and x-wings, a straight for 7 legions, a "Wretched Hive" card for 4 more, plus 3 normal reinforcments let them sweep back into the Mid Rim plus capturing Tatooine. 

Game ova!