Champion of the StarsA New Starship Ace Joins the Hall of Heroes
A new starfighter pilot rose to the top of the pack at Gen Con Indy 2013. Fantasy Flight is proud to induct Jacob Pichelmeyer into the Hall of Heroes for his victories in X-Wing™ at the North American Championships this year.
A Battle in the Stars
Jake’s road to victory was fraught with peril, as he led his squadron of seven TIE Fighters into combat again and again. Jake had always been a devotee of the Galactic Empire and its swarms of cheap TIE Fighters, but they faced a massive test in the North American Championships at Gen Con Indy. The competition spanned sixteen hours, but Jake and the other pilots present continued to battle for the prize of victory.
Although some other pilots in the Top 16 favored swarm tactics like Jake, other competitors elected to lead different squads into battle. Squads composed of two YT-1300s were represented in the championship, alongside groups of two Firespray-class Assault Cruisers, supported by a TIE Fighter, and other builds.
In the championship match, Jake Pichelmeyer faced off against James Naegele, who fielded three X-Wing starfighters, piloted by the heroes of the Rebel Alliance – Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker, and Biggs Darklighter. Ultimately though, "Howlrunner," "Backstabber," and the pilots of the Imperial Academy were able to overrun the Rebels in this battle of the Galactic Civil War, securing a victory for the Empire at Gen Con 2013. Below, Jake recounts the most intense moments of the 2013 North American Championship.
A Champion’s Perspective
Two of the highlights of the North American Championship came after the Top 16 cut. Both of these matches were actually rematches of a sort. In the last round before the cut to Top 16, I faced and lost to a dual YT-1300 list. In the first round of the Top 16 I faced the exact same setup – with a different opponent – and won. That felt great.
The second highlight was an actual rematch, against Lyle Hayhurst, a player I had played against and lost to during a Regional Tournament in Chicago. We had both flown nearly identical seven-ship TIE swarms in that tournament and I had designed my North American Championship list with him specifically in mind. We faced off again the semi-finals. I won, but it was a pleasure just to have a rematch with him. Lyle’s very nice and his formation flying with large groups of TIE Fighters is exceptional.
Visit the Hall of Heroes
Jake had a great day at Gen Con Indy 2013, and he’ll be hoping to defend his title at World Championship Weekend, this November in Roseville, MN. We hope to see you there as well, as the battles of the Galactic Civil War rage on. Learn from the best at Jake Pichelmeyer’s place of honor in the Hall of Heroes, where you can view his champion squad list. Are you willing to test your mettle in an interstellar dogfight? Register for World Championship Weekend today!
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Champion of the Stars
