Because some people play games more like magic the gathering where you can count on playing certain things, so you can build and mold your squad to fit certain circumstances. In minis you just can't do that. You can not plan on facing anything or everything. you can try to limit your bad match ups or hope you don't play a bad match up. As far as balance goes, yeah I like where the game is at a lot more then wizards where it was like 4-5 squads over and over...

7 factions.

And the 2 New Republic squads were quite different.

And none of the 3 top squads from regionals made the top 8.

And I think it is too bad that people feel that way. Do you want a game where matchups are the most important factor, or where play skill and familiarity with a squad is? Do we really want the top 8 only to be 2-4 different squads? Where is the fun in that.

Now, this may mean the game has entered a less cutthroat competitive arena, where there are rigid top tiers. But I say good riddance. The way it currently is, is for the most part, completely fun. Play what you like and feel comfortable with. This rewards skill, more than luck.

And while I don't think the environment is 100% perfect, I feel we are close. Just a few things that need to be ironed out.

you can't ever say there is no Meta in this or any collectable/construction/variable build game.

All that metagame means is "game outside the game". The game may be balanced at the top more so than it ever has been but that doesn't mean there is nothing you can do to predict what will turn up or what you can do about it.

The fact that the top 3 squads from regionals and the NZ championship squad were played and didn't make top 8 is proof that it exists.

People took note of the various tournaments and adapted their squads and playstyles to fit the results of the regional season.

What you can say is that there is no top squad, or that the squads that will do well rely on good build strategies, strong player skills and in-game tactics; everything that the Vsets strives towards. Although, i will say that Ricky's squad is perhaps one of the most versatile i've seen being able to adapt to opponents using 30 points of reinforcements and stealing a CE to boost Jareal, Marn and 10 points of bribery.

When designing Marn, it was hoped that he would be too cost prohibitive to run both Lobot and Marn but never underestimate the mind of a gamer, someone was going to figure out how to get the best out of it, mad props to Ricky.

I won't say that anyone can win this game, it will take a top player. I won't say any type of squad will win, there are some that just arn't good enough but 7 different factions in the top 8, up from 2 in 2009, is a complete success of design methodology.

The top tables were full of Star Wars legends from the hero's of the OT to the recent Clone wars cartoon and a spattering of characters from a large range of story arcs.

I voted for Ricky's squad because it is so adaptable. I think Mandos would have done well depending on what else showed up. While Trevor was right in that he handled my squad pretty easily on Vassal a few months ago, that was when it was still in the concept stage. Still, I think Mandos give it trouble. I remember struggling to beat Pastor Budwine in New York running Mandos. I think both Ricky and Tim would have benefited more from a rematch with me than I would have, while I think my 2 best matchups in the top 8 were against Ben and Bryan. While I have beaten Gerry's deathshot with this in New York, it is a tough matchup where he can afford more mistakes than me. Deri's squad would have been as much of an uphill battle for me as Tim's and Ricky's, and Daniel's squad would have been difficult as well. I think a top 4 finish for my squad would have been as far as I could have gone, considering what I would have had to face.

I voted "other" because I feel that my Caedus/Zannah squad that I took to the Wisconsin Regional and ended up in 2nd place is a very good well rounded squad. It's the most tanky squad there is (to my knowledge) and can deal with many top squads. It's not CE dependant, so ABM and disruptive don't work against it. Zannah can absorb tons of damage, and even Cad Bane in stealth and blue has a 50/50 chance of getting damage to stick i the force bubble (better chances than your normal jedi beatstick). It has a few bad matchups, but those matchups aren't unwinnable, just hard. When I played it, I knew I had a chance to win every game. I never felt that I was going to automatically lose. It came down to skill of both players to get the win, and that is what made that regional experience very fun. I think this game is in a good state right now and the designers are doing a good job keeping the game going strong.

I can know that, because I have talked to multiple people that were there that all said the same thing about the way people were playing. In no way can I agree to an act 8 thon squad, or a revan/krayt squad being top tier. I guess I am beginning to see why people were still stuck on saying Mace Windu was not top tier just because he won gencon, and I may have to issue them an apology, lol, because I am going to have to go back on my argument with them about if it makes top 8 it should be tier 1.

not blaming anyone as I said in my previous post they made the top 8 and if they want to play that way as long as you aren't called over so be it. I was just saying that my major concern to take from this gencon is that a top 8 playoff game ended 18-14... not a lot of fighting/risk taking in that game to try to get a winner, instead it went to tiebreaker, but that is those players right to play that way if they choose to do so. I am justing pointing out things I am taking from this gencon, they may be completely worthless to anyone other then me, but I felt like bringing them up so I did. Not trying to blame anyone or say that any of these players are not good. I don't agree that these top 8 squads were the best squads of the year or that all of them are even top tier, but I hope I am not blaming anyone or saying that anyone is a bad player because that is not my intention.

Very well may be the reason for the low scores, and I think this is one of the fundamentals of the game that I personally struggle with, I seem to get bored in these type of games and force the action and put myself into bad situations because I could care less at that point if I win and care more about trying to reach 200 points or loose trying. They have the right to play it however they want though, so more power to them.

I absolutely love pontificating on a game you were not there to see, first off the game did not go to a tiebreaker I was losing to Deri 18-9 before I scored gambit at the end of the round. The match up was very tough, in hind sight I wish I had just rushed all of my Naboo up the long road on Theed. Deri is a superior player who has the firmest grasp on the mechanics of this game and would have compensated for this i believe. In each of my victories in Swiss I scored well over 100 points, so this must have been slow playing right? Good grief Charlie Brown, methinks your concerns are illfounded as this is also a cerebral game wherein an 18-14 game illustrates the concentration on both players parts to gain the adavantage.