When will the Rebels ever loose?

Set your way-back machine to April 11.  After an error in setting up a saved game from last week, Sith Lord Kent carelessly lost to Rebel Leader Ric as "da man" sought to gain an easy Starbase.  Turns out, Kent had mistakenly placed the Emperor on the board when in fact the Big Guy hadn't really turned up yet.  Kent had failed to reinforce what he thought (and what should have been) a nominal Starbase.

Let's call it a draw...

So we dialed up another game using the same sides and fought on. The second game went on far later than we expected and farther than endurance demanded.  At times the Hutts (yours truly) seemed to be on their way to a victory.  At other times Sith Lord Kent looked to be on top.  The Hutts struggled to get extra cards; the Rebels got chewed up by the Empire; the Empire took hits from everyone.  It began to look like Kent was going to put this one away, but Ric pulled another rabbit out of his hat.  In the end, the dastardly Rebels took out the Emperor's Starbase and we collapsed in an exhausted heap.

Victory Rebels.

When Will These Hutts Ever Lose?

After lording over Ric and I for the past two weeks, Kent picked up the reins of power as the evile Emperor.  I drew the Hutts, leaving Ric to suffer on with the Rebel faction.  Kent came out of the gates swinging, pushing Ric down to a mere 4 troops for reinforcements.  However, he quickly picked up a couple bombers, which seemed to unerringly roll 7s. Kent counter-attacked the Rebels ferociously and then nuked Sullust with its garrison of 5 Hutts.  The Rebels in turn wreaked havoc among the Storm Troopers.

Meanwhile, the Hutts gathered their usual 2 faction cards on the first turn, which led to a bomber and "Wretched Hive," good for 6 extra troops.  That allow the Hutts to sweep the Mid Rim and got them up to 8 systems for 4 faction cards and the surviving Hutts pulled back to Gamorr.  The 4 faction cards led to another bomber and a faction card straight, good for 7 extra troops the next turn.  From Kessel the green hoard set out to capture Ord Mandell and finally, with incredible luck, Tattoine.  With the large force on Gamorr, the Hutts were able to storm into the Wild Space and take Elom, while another force struck out through Rodia into the Core Worlds and Duro.   Victory Hutts in less than 3 complete turns. 

Due to the abrupt Hutt victory, we began a second game.  To be continued next week. 

How to Play Kent Like a Violin

This week's game was a game of games, my chance at a trifecta.  Having won the previous two weeks as Rebels and Hutts, I was on for the e-vile Empire.  Peetza da Hutt had brought pepperoni za, so we were well set for an epic struggle.  It was indeed one for the record books.

The Empire was able to amass a huge force on Gamorr, protected by the Death Star and hence safe from early depredations.  After Rebel Leader Kent and Peetza had whacked away at each other and knocked off plenty of easy stormtroopers, it was time to unleash the dogs of intergalactic war. 

The force on Gamorr swept into the Wild Space.  Kent saved his troops on Excarga by using a faction card and retreated to Dagoba, where he was poised to counterattack via Sluis Van.  The Hutts stood firm but quickly fell, a serious loss of troops so early in the game.  The victors on Elom reinforced Gamorr, but the Death Star moved to Sluis Van, effectively blocking any Rebel effort to retake the Wild Space. 

As the game wore on, the Empire was able to take advantage of its secure sector to capture the El'Rood Sector and the Ison Corridor.  This forced the Rebels to make continuous attacks against those sectors and weakening the Mid and Outer Rims.  Those gradually allowed him to move the Force Meter to the Light Side, but that was little consolation as his power and that of the Hutts dwindled.

A turn 5 faction card straight gave the Emperor enough troops to destroy all but three Rebel systems.  Kent was beside himself with despair--his luck had deserted him.  God clearly was punishing him. 

But at the beginning of turn 6, the Rebels cashed in a faction card straight, took their meager reinforcements, a capital ship plus a bomber and made a final suicidal assault on the Wild Space, betting it all that the Emperor was in Elom.  Even the Death Star was not able to repel his advance (7-6-6 plus 3 from the Force Meter bonus).  A weak first roll against the now vulnerable stormtroopers resulted in massive casualties thanks to a "destroy two more" card.  But with their fleet and, finally some good luck, the Rebels were able to capture the elusive Emperor. 

Kent was giddy with joy--his luck had returned.  God clearly was rewarding him.  All Ric and I could do was laugh and laugh and laugh.

[Next week Ric will be in Utah, so no game until April 4.]

March Catch-up

Embark inside your time machine and I'll take you on a trip....

Somewhere in the mists of the deep past, Feb. 28th actually, three powerful entities fought for domination of the galaxy:  Emperor Wood, Rebel Leader Horak, and Ric the Hutt.  In a topsy-turvy game, first the Rebels, then the Hutts are on top.  Then the stormtroopers begin to gain in strength.  Finally, Wood uses his own Death Star to destroy his own starbase on Sluis Van.  He evades the Rebellion's victory conditions, thereby obtaining immortality.  Ric and I call it a draw. 

Step forward a week (March 7).  I draw the Rebel forces, Kent the Hutts, and Ric the Imperial troops.  With things turning toward the dark side, I gain the "Use the Force" faction card.  In desperation, I use it to inspect the starbase at Tatooine, the only system I could conceivably attack.  Lo!  The Emperor is discovered.  Cashing in a faction card straight, I'm able to battle through the storm troopers' defenses and close the game.

Finally, we land our time machine in a recent era (March 14).  Horak the Hutt takes on Sith Lord Kent and Rebel Leader LaBan.  The game is balanced from the get-go, with the Hutts getting smacked down whenever they get uppity.  But the wily Sith makes his move on the Rebels too early.  A faction card straight for the Hutts lets them sweep into Elom, move across Sluis Van to Sullust, eventually taking Duro.  Disappointed at only having 9 resource planets, the Hutts press on to capture Tattooine and the game.  It seems only fitting that the green hoard won on the week of St. Patrick's after a meal of corned beef and cabbage. 

Coming soon to a galaxy near you--the final game in what could be a trifecta. 

SWR Blog Catch-up

We closed out  January with a game of Primodial Soup, which Kent, being experienced, easily won.

The we tried Robo Rally and again, the experienced Wood cleaned our clocks. 

Then back on February 7, Ric as Peetza da Hutt easily cruised to victory while Kent and I beat our legions against one another.  Note to self:  never turn your back on a Hutt. 

Last week (Feb. 14) I was lucky enough to draw the Hutt faction.  Kent turned up as the Rebels and Darth Ric lead the Imperial side.  On my third turn (2-2/3 turns into the game), a faction card straight and a fleet of bomber + capitol ship led to a stunningly quick victory.  Luckily, we had plenty of good single malts to finish up the evening. 

Then this week (Feb. 21), Ric resumed his role as Peetza da Hutt.  Sure enough, Kent turned on the Rebel Leader Horak, ignored the swelling Hutt forces, and again in record-tying time the Hutts won. 

Even so, there were some hysterical moments:

• The destruction of Sluis Van with its garrison of seven Hutts, "Suddenly seven voices cried out and were suddenly silenced."
• The desperate defense dice roll that spun and spun and spun and spun and... "Hey, Ric, it's still spinning" and spun and came up... six.  
• And several other truly amazing things that kept us laughing all night long. 

Best of all, though, over these past few weeks have been the birthday goodies:  the framed photos of last year's fire extinguisher extravaganza and the diorama/display of Capt. Henry Horak's photo, dog tags, and 384th emblem along side a realistic Grafton-Underwood landscape and a miniture Henry figurine.

The Shortest, Longest Game

Harrumph!  On the 3rd we played to exhaustion, with the Hutts (me) being drubbed solidly by Darth Kent and Rebel Leader LaBan.  It was the top of the 7th turn, so we photo-documented the gameboard and resolved to resume this week. 

And indeed, after an orgy of sushi we painstakingly set up the board, the card decks, the fleets, the legions, and started up again.  Rebel Ric immediately reinforced his troops in the El'Rood Sector with both his normal tranche plus 7 more from a faction card straight. 

First, he assaulted Hoth, which fell after a brief battle.  Then he attacked the star base at Bespin, which quickly surrendered.  As it turned out, this was the Emperor's secret location.  Game ova!

We finished off the evening learning the rules to Primordial Soup, a potential alternative game. 

An Open Letter from Kent the Hutt

After nearly three weeks without a galactic deathmatch due to infections picked up in a Sarlacc pit, we are set to resume tomorrow.  Meanwhile, we are pleased to bring you this e-mail rant from Kent the Hutt.

To the mettlesome conspirators; The impudent Darth Trilby and traitorous Peetza the Hutt,

You fools!  You insufferable, treacherous wipers of Yak bottoms and shovelers of cockroach frass!

Has not the Six Sectors profited and stabilized under the Mighty and Powerful Tutt the Hutt's kind rule for these three millennium?  Has he not brought stability to galactic markets?  Peace and prosperity reigns!

King Tutt the Hutt smells a rebellion.  Ingrates!  How you will suffer!

Just for the hint of an uprising, King Tutt the Hutt, now decrees a 5% rebellion tax on Romulan Ale, all Scotch, chocolate and Za from Old Earth.  He suspends both your delegations from the Supreme Council.  Should you persist, your consulates will be smashed into rubble and rebuilt as casinos.

He shall crush your infantile rebellion with his cousins, the giant Sandworms of Tatooine, juggernauts from the mills of Bpfassh, spice Balrogs from the deep mines of Kessel and the four armed Yeti of Hoth.  Beware you measly insects, beware,  He will draw and quarter you with feral Tontons, grind you up and feed you to his octopods for amusement. 

So it is written, so it becomes Galactic Law, so shall it come to pass.

Hutthoowah!

Hoongwah the Hutt, Grand Vizier to the Munificent and Benevolent King Tutt the Hutt