A couple of weeks ago, Gallanteer and I had a bit of an X-Wing weekend-gameathon which was very enjoyable (Gallanteer is the handsome one on the right, while I was on the left pulling my angry face…….) The final game we had was a bit of a test – on my newly finished 6’x3′ gaming table, how would the game mechanics stand up to a 300pts-a-side straight forward Imperials vs Rebels fight? In most of the games we’ve played on 3’x3′, each player has 3-4 ships max – this time, I think I had 15. How would we fare with such a large number of ships (oh, and the Tantive IV on the board as well as scenery)?
The answer is – surprisingly well! 
The objective was simple – get in range of the other guy’s stuff and blow it up. The game started with the Rebels massing their ships together in order to concentrate firepower, and the Imperials did likewise but with an attack wing of Tie’s on the right flank that would swing in as reinforcements where needed. After a couple of turns of tactical manoeuvring (that’s not easy to spell first thing in the morning!), the two factions were in range of each other, off the stern of the stricken Tantive IV (see my Seeds of Hope Campaign write-up 3) and exchanged opening blows without conclusive effect (though STORM_BOLTER was rolling his usual jammy evade dice much to Gallanteer’s chagrin!). The two fleets then flew through each other, and the K-turning /banking started as the ships tried desperately to swing back round into firing positions. Here once again the A-wings proved their worth with some amazing formation flying from Gallanteer and judicious use of their Boost ability (which I have yet to exploit very well – or actually remember to use!). As the Imperials danced around each other a bit, the A-wings re-formed into a tight squadron to meet the now fast approaching Imperial reinforcements from the right flank.
As the dance continued in the middle, both sides exchanging shots and starting to rack up damage in the form of shields being torn down from Rebel ships, and Tie solar panels spinning off as the hapless Imperial pilots were sent to meet their maker. The A-wings/Tie reinforcements clashed and flew through each other, and then the whole game descended into the chaos we anticipated with so many ships still on the board. Recognising so much close-quarters melee, there was of course a large amount of bumping, but it was still possible to get the odd ship through this inter-stellar car-park.
With so much going on, the gaming system handled itself remarkably well – it was always straightforward to see what the outcome of any moves should be (not so straightforward to try and work out what moves to plan!!), and it wasn’t slow or fiddly as you might expect. 
Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to run the game to its overall conclusion, so we totted up the shields/hull points remaining and concluded (reluctantly on my part as you can see….) that the Rebels had the upper hand and were declared victors. Having so much on the table was great fun, and a fantastic test of how much formation flying we’d learnt. we deliberately kept to basic ships to keep the game moving – ie. we didn’t have anything in the way of pilot special abilities that would have complicated/slowed things down, since we wanted a fast-paced cinematic experience, reminiscent of the films. Once again the game delivered, testament to the care with which the game engine has been designed by those clever boys and girls at FFG.
Veteran Gamers UK 