Decimator Test Drive

[Sales man] - Good Morning Admiral. Please, here, the keys of your new vehicle.
[Rear Admiral Chiraneau]-Thanks. Uhm... Soontir, do you feel like coming with me for a test drive.
[Baron Soontir Fel] - Yes, sure, Admiral.
[...]
[Baron Soontir Fel] - Look out, Sir. It seems to me that we have run into some Rebel Sum. Will go around the asteroids to take a look.
[Rear Admiral Chiraneau] - Good idea, I will keep exploring my new vessel.

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That summarises more or less my last X-Wing game :)
I wanted to try the Decimator, so I checked some videos and podcasts about it and came with this list:

• Rear Admiral Chiraneau (46), Expose (4), Rebel Captive (3), Ysanne Isard (4), Experimental Interface (3) and after some consideration also Gunner (5) for a total of 65 points
• Soontir Fel (27) with Push the Limit (3) and Shield Upgrade (4) for a total of 34 points.

The list is 99 points, to bet for Initiative.

There was another similar list for the Decimator which was also with the Rear Admiral but using Predator (3) and Engine Upgrade (4) instead of Expose and Exp. Interface. Both combination let to the same amount of points, so in that respect they are "equivalent".

The lists I based mine were always Decimator and Phantom, usually Whisper, but having never used one of those I decided to go with the well-known Soontir.

My opponent was flying a 4X list:

• Biggs, with R2-D2 and Shield Upgrade
• Rookie with Shield Upgrade
• Rookie x2

A very defensive Biggs list, with a total of 100 points.

The initial Set Up was the Rebels in the middle of the table bearing to their left, the Decimator on one side at 45° angle and Soontir so posed as to be able to cut through the asteroid belt.

Position after the initial move of the Rebels

The Decimator was moving slowly towards its right, using first a bank 1 to get parallel to the border of the battle field whereas Soontir moved straight 4 with boost to get into the middle of the asteroid and try to approach the Rebels from their back.

The Decimator was for the first and second round too far from the enemy as to be able to exchange fire. But Soontir managed to get behind an asteroid in the middle and fired on Biggs.

I was expecting the Rebels to follow the Rear Admiral but they changed their plans and K-turned to chase Soontir which was about to move around the back left asteroid to chase them. Surprise !

However, being able to boost left and Push the Limits to barrel roll and get a focus allowed him to put some distance with the enemy fighters.

Catch me if you can :)

I moved the Decimator with a right bank 1 right between the two asteroids but them was forced to go bank 2 left to avoid any collision. In the meantime Soontir was running for his life with all the enemy fighters after him.

One lucky shoot removed his shield, but he was able to go to the left back corner of the battle field by following its border and to turn behind the Decimator.

The enemy fighters seeing the speed of Soontir decided to turn again to face this time the Decimator.

A few shoots were exchanged between the asteroids, Biggs and the Decimator lost their shields, however R2-D2 was there to get them back on line.

The Decimator was using Expose with Exp. Interface after target lock and was having problems to cancel stress.

After coming out from in between the asteroids under stress the Decimator was faced with a dilemma: to go right and try to by pass the enemy fighters by either flying them over or by overlapping them or to try to go left risking flying out of the battle field.

At the end I decided to try to by pass the enemy fighters by flying onto them, however they moved just enough for me to land in front of them; two were at range one, Biggs and the other at range 2.

The barrage of fire was such that they destroyed the Decimator basically in one round. It got 11 points of damage.

The previous round it hat already lost the shields and one point of hull. So it was gone in a big ball of fire...

Another one bites the dust

This was my first experience with a Decimator and so far I must said that I liked it but that next time I will probably go with the Predator - Engine Upgrade option as I don't see an easy way for me to fly this thing and be able to remove stress in an efficient way. Actually, the round it was destroyed I was not able to use Ysanne Isard precisely because of the stress and my need to fly either away or onto the enemy ships.

My opponent was flying his fighters very well and I cannot blame the dices as we were more or less even with our luck, only my own mistakes :)

I was very funny, that for sure :)