X-Wing: Jakku Open Results – Imperial WIN!
The Empire Strikes…Again – Imperial Aces score another win in the System Open Series at the Jakku Open!
via Fantasy Flight Games
From April 30th through May 1st, the Generations Star Wars™ and Science Fiction Conviction played host to one of the eight events in the X-Wing System Open Series in the small town of Cusset, France. Travel, hotel accommodations, and entrance to the Coruscant™ Invitational at Star Wars Celebration 2016 in London awaited the player who claimed the title of Jakku™ Open Champion. A weekend of elite competition, meeting new players, and celebrating the awesome game of X-Wing would be the consolation prize for all other entrants.
The initial day of Swiss rounds saw a total of 111 players enroll. Each pilot was on a mission to obtain at least 18 tournament points and advance to the final day. Six rounds of dogfights awaited every pilot. S-foils were locked in attack position, turrets and cannons unleashed barrages of laser fire, and many ships fell victim to expert maneuvers. Out of the field of pilots, many skilled squad commanders rose to the challenge and emerged unscathed from battle.
Our long-range scanners were able to capture an interesting piece of information about the ships competitors chose to deploy for the Jakku Open: 14 T-70 X-Wings were sighted in battle, providing The Resistance with more firepower than their enemies had expected.
Once the dust settled on the Jakku Open’s first day, 38 players had earned at least 18 tournament points, ensuring their return on the final day to play an additional three rounds against other battle-tested pilots. After three tense rounds, the top eight competitors who proved their skill and daring advanced to single-elimination rounds.
The probability of successfully winning the Jakku Open was approximately 111 to 1. But don’t tell these eight players the odds. One of them was a mere three victories away from claiming the title of Open Champion and joining Ryan Fleming at the Coruscant Invitational.
When the final ship had been destroyed, only one pilot remained: Fernando Pascual, our Jakku Open Champion! We asked Fernando about how he had taken the steps in order to achieve victory at the event.
Why did you choose the squad you played at the Jakku Open?
AdvertisementFernando: “Well, this list is an evolution of my first option of list. I enjoy playing Aces, so my first option was Whisper, The Inquisitor, and Omicron/Palpatine, but the Monday before the tournament I lost the games because of Whisper mistakes. So I decided to play Soontir. He´s my favorite ace since wave II. The Wednesday before the tournament after playing, I decided to add Proton Rockets to The Inquisitor for the extra damage. And last, but not least, I decided to go with a 2-point bid on initiative.
I knew that the current meta was full of Jumpmaster 5000™s after seeing Roanoke Regionals and the Hoth Open, so [my] best option was Imperial Aces.”
What match-up did you fear most coming into the event?
Fernando: “Since I discarded bringing Capt. Yorr, I was worried about a list that could give me lots of stress tokens.
Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Any list with Stressbot, Chopper, or Tactician with high initiative…
I hoped to see Paul Heaver´s list but I didn’t see any.”
Any advice for aspiring players who will want to fly your squad at their local events and maybe win some prizes from the X-Wing Spring 2016 Tournament Kit?
AdvertisementFernando: “Fly very conservative, try to take advantage in the first round of combat at Range 3, then try to get the Shuttle in the middle of the combat to get extra firepower and cause some bumps. Use Proton Rockets to get rid of an important ship, and then let Soontir [Fel] and The Inquisitor do their job.”
Fernando Pascual’s Winning Squad List
You can read the full interview on FFG’s page right HERE. It’s a quick peek inside the mind of a Tournament winner and worth a read!
At this point we’ve seen TWO Imperial lists win and One Scum list make the final cut…
Hoth Open – Scum Wing: Winning List
Endor Open – Imperial Win: Winning List
It’s very interesting the way these winners approached the meta of Star Wars. It’s also interesting to see the World Wide Meta adjust after each of these big wins. What was truly telling is how Imperial Players have adjusted in a post Jumpmaster playing field. Keep in mind that the Endor and Jakku Open Events started on the same weekend. It would have been virtually impossible for the results of one of those major tournaments to impact the other’s meta. It’s also telling that both lists had the Emperor in the Shuttle as well as The Inquisitor with almost the same load out. And why not! Those are very potent weapons in the Imperial Arsenal and if you’re going to head to a major tourney you better be prepared for that match-up.
Well Rebel Aces, you’ve seen Scum score a victory and now The Empire has two under their belt – who’s going to step-up and win one for the Rebellion?
