Tag: Aturi Cluster

The joys of simple X-Wing lists

Fresh off a shuttle that had stopped at the Steamline Space Tavern to refuel the Bith walked to the bar and sat down. Dans, the two-headed Troig bartender, asked the traveler what he was drinking.

“I’d like a Ramble Blaster, with a cucumber wedge instead of an olive,” the Bith said, wearing a black turtleneck and looking slightly out of place at the remote saloon outside the Aturi Cluster.

“A Ramble Blaster,” said Dans from his left head, annoyed and amused at the same time. “Where do you think you are? At some royal function. A Ramble Blaster is one shot of sloe gin from Coruscant aged in oaken barrels and a jigger of sweet vermouth from Mon Cala, shaken with six ounces of tonic.”

Several patrons at the long,  horseshoe-shaped wooden bar, mostly smugglers at varying levels of sobriety, laughed.

“What would you suggest?” the Bith asked meekly.

“Whiskey on the rocks,” Dans’ right head said as he reached for a bottle of cheap booze. “Since the Tavern Wars began everybody has had to make do with less.”

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Making do with less is one of the fun parts of running X-Wing missions with 50 or 75 points. A standard 100-point squad list is cool, too, obviously. But at times playing with myriad upgrades, astromechs and elite pilot skills gets cumbersome and confusing. When you’ve only got a few points to spend you have to pick your additions wisely. It also makes each round faster and more focused on the flying.

Below are three of our favorite 50-point lists, one for each faction:

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Tavern Wars: The Beginning

Just outside the Aturi Cluster, on the rim of the Hook Nebula, there are two space taverns. The Steamline and Argy’s operate within large space barges. The two hulking vessels can accommodate about 500 drinkers each. The patrons are mostly smugglers, though Rebel and Imperial pilots or shuttle crews looking for a stiff belt and a meal from the joints’ surprisingly good kitchens frequent the operations as well.

Given the remote location keeping the establishments’ beer, ale and booze inventories stocked is a constant problem. For many years The Steamline and Argy’s cooperated and tried to coordinate deliveries from the best smugglers in the galaxy, who were also some of their most enthusiastic regulars. But in 31 ABY – 3308 in the Lothal Calendar – Steamline owner Lew the Hutt and Elmer, the human who runs Argy’s, got into a nasty feud over the annual inter-tavern darts championship. Lew said Elmer used Sullustan ringers to win the coveted Hook Cup, violating an unwritten rule that contestants had to be picked from the six drunkest customers at each respective bar on the day of the competition.

Thus began the Tavern Wars.

The Steamline and Argy’s bosses now compete violently over the delivery of spirits, with each employing pilots to get shipments to their respective watering holes. There has been much death and destruction and, most tragically, a sharp rise in drink prices.