Episode VI: Pyerce Rising

[MKJoshA]

Moff Pyerce served the Empire faithfully while the Emperor was alive. After the Battle of Endor he kept his star systems in line and hoped for the best. But when he received his orders for Operation Cinder he decided the Empire he once served was finished. It wasn't that his orders made him squeamish. Pyerce just saw Cinder as an act of desperation from a dying government. He convinced five Star Destroyer captains as well as a handful of frigates to join him and they've formed their own Imperial faction.

They did not join the Battle of Jakku but watched as much of the Empire was defeated there. Now Moff Pyerce is seeking to form the Pyerce Empire. He has split his fleet up to create blockades around key planets. If they don't join him, he's threatened to bombard them with his Star Destroyers until there's nothing left on the planet's surface. Each planet has sent out a distress signal to the New Republic asking for aid. But this signal was intercepted by each faction.

Now the factions are mobilizing their fleets to respond to this new threat. Some want to help the New Republic defend the planets. Others just want to take advantage of the strife to try to gain these planets for themselves.

Each planet with a blockade has an essential export:
Tibanna - Kril'Dor (I7)
Minerals - Bonadan (S3) 
Foodstuffs - Uyter (P9)
Starships - Fondor (L13)

 

Contest Specifics:

Factions can build on any of the 4 planets regardless of current access. Each faction can build on as many different planets as they want, but are encouraged to concentrate their efforts for maximum effect.

Cat A) With the blockades, fleets can't get through to the blocked planets without getting stopped or spotted. But smaller craft can avoid the patrols and make their way to the planet's surface. This allows for small strike teams to begin attacks on the planet's surface. Show your land forces fighting with Pyerce forces or natives. Size limit: 32x32.

Cat B) Pyerce's forces need to be driven off or eliminated if the planets are going to be saved. His blockade is going to need to be dealt with. Show a space battle with at least 2 ships, one from your faction and one from Pyerce. Pyerce's doesn't have to be a TIE variant, just make sure your story explains the ship choice. You can build any size for this including minifigure or mini scale. You can build fighters, capital ships, or both. Size limit: none.

Cat C) As the different Faction's fleets take on the blockades, someone has to be in command. Show the interior of your faction's command ship deck. Think Star Destroyer bridge, Home One bridge, etc. Size limit: none

The Rules:

• Entries should be set during the Factions Era, roughly 6 ABY.
• All entries must be posted as a new topic in the Factions subforum, the title prefixed by [Factions Ep. 6- Category][Build Sector - Build Planet - Faction]. For example, “[Factions Ep. 6 - Cat A][I7 - Kril'Dor - CS] Strike Team”.
• Each person is only allowed 1 entry per category.
• All entries must be entered using this form: Link to Submittal Form
• All rules in the Core Rules topic apply unless otherwise stated in this explanation or the rules above.
• There are no extra restrictions on the size/form/content of the builds beyond what's explained in the Contest Specifics, as long as they follow the above described goals.
• The Episode will run from July 1st to Aug 30th Aug 31st. As long as it is still Aug 31st somewhere in the world, you can still enter. 
• Entries posted after the deadline will be disqualified from the episode and will not be eligible to receive points or XP.
• Entries will be judged according to the following rules:
  • Your build can earn up to 50 points.
  • The amount of points you earn is also the amount of XP your character earns.
• This episode/contest is open to all players of Factions, even if they joined EB or signed up for the game after the episode has begun, with the exception of the Star Wars staff, who are not eligible to win prizes.
• All entries must be new creations, not posted anywhere else prior to the start date of this episode. You can use creations for this contest in other forums or contests, but it should not have been displayed before the start date for this contest. You may be asked by a staff member to change your entry if it is too similar to an earlier creation.
• All entries must be built from real LEGO or with Lego Digital Designer. No third-party molds may be used for the subject non-human.
• If you are using Lego Digital Designer, please remember you can only use existing colors and pieces. Also be aware that the judges will watching to make sure your LDD model could hold itself up in real-life.
• Post pictures no larger than 1024x768, as specified in the EB Member Guidelines.
• You may do a 'full-blown photo edit' with all the text, effects, background compositing, support erasing, and other effects on ANY picture. For obvious reasons, any photo editing that changes the shape, functionality, or color (not tint or adjustment, but actual color) of a LEGO piece is prohibited,.
• All entries are considered WIPs (Works In Progress) until the deadline passes. Until the deadline has passed, you are allowed to change and improve your MOC.

The Prizes:

• You will receive XP equal to the number of points you are awarded from the judges.
• XP will be converted to IP to be distributed by the Faction Leader to any planet within the build sector. So if Clan Elder has 5 builds totaling 33 XP on Uyter, Ross Fisher can choose any planet in P9 to get 33 IP. Factions must distribute at least 10 IP to any planet they choose (so Ross couldn't give 1 IP to each planet - "seeding" them for later builds). If a Faction earns less than 10 IP in a sector, they may only choose one planet to distribute the IP they have. If two Factions distribute 50+ IP to any one planet, the Faction with the most XP on that sector's target planet will get their IP attributed first.
• The player with the most XP overall will win this custom minifigure:
• The player with the second most XP overall will win these minifigures:
• The Faction with the most XP overall will get 50 IP on any/all of the four planets where they earned a majority of the XP compared to the other factions.
• The Faction with the second most XP overall will get 25 IP on any planet where they earned a majority of the XP.
• The Faction with the third most XP overall will get 10 IP on any planet where they earned a majority of the XP.
  • For example, if the Tirumvirate has the most XP in the whole episode and a majority of the XP on Kril'Dor and Fondor, they will each 50IP on those planets. If CorSec earns the second most XP overall, they will receive 25IP on any planet where they earn a majority of the XP. If the first, second, or third place Factions did not earn a majority of XP on any planet, they will not receive any extra IP not earned through their XP conversion.
• One Holocron is hidden on a (canonical) planet in an adjacent sector to each target planet, a total of 4 new holocrons. Factions that gain a majority of XP on a target planet will be given the precise location of the Holocron adjacent to that planet

[MKJoshA]

Reserved

[Ross Fisher]

Hey, just a heads up, Fondor isn't in T15. It's in L13. 

[goatman461]

4 hours ago, Ross Fisher said:

Hey, just a heads up, Fondor isn't in T15. It's in L13. 

Fixed. Must have been left over from shuffling planets around. Thanks. 
DB’s map added too. 

[Ross Fisher]

13 minutes ago, goatman461 said:

Must have been left over from shuffling planets around. 

*Eyes T15 suspiciously*

_______________

To be clear about the wording, when you say a Majority, do you mean "at least 51% of the awarded points", or just "more points than anyone else"?

If its the former, it encourages us to be more tactical about which planets we target. If its the latter, then it's a free-for-all.

Edited July 2, 2020 by Ross Fisher

[goatman461]

Just more xp than anyone else

[MKJoshA]

Pictures of the physical prizes have been updated!

[Ross Fisher]

I'm guessing that builds on these planets must be for these 3 categories? Or can you also put in builds that will score IP? Can I seed Kril'Dor with some IP in case I wanna build there later?

Similarly, could I spend a whole bunch of SoNE XP on Uyter so that I own the planet before the end of the Episode? Make it less appealing to other Factions?

[MKJoshA]

4 hours ago, Ross Fisher said:

I'm guessing that builds on these planets must be for these 3 categories? Or can you also put in builds that will score IP? Can I seed Kril'Dor with some IP in case I wanna build there later?

Similarly, could I spend a whole bunch of SoNE XP on Uyter so that I own the planet before the end of the Episode? Make it less appealing to other Factions?

I think I understand your question correctly. You may build on these planets outside the main episode challenge. So you may enter freebuilds for Kril'Dor if you currently have access to it. I think we need to draw the line at spending SoNE XP though. That does start to become unfair since you probably wouldn't have spent the SoNE conversion points on Uyter unless this challenge had come up. So freebuilds are fine, SoNE XP conversion is not.

[MKJoshA]

On 7/5/2020 at 4:23 AM, Ross Fisher said:

I'm guessing that builds on these planets must be for these 3 categories? Or can you also put in builds that will score IP? Can I seed Kril'Dor with some IP in case I wanna build there later?

Similarly, could I spend a whole bunch of SoNE XP on Uyter so that I own the planet before the end of the Episode? Make it less appealing to other Factions?

The leadership has decided that you can spend SoNE XP on planets connected with this Episode. Seeding planets is still not allowed, but spending some of your SoNE conversion XP is okay.

[Ross Fisher]

4 minutes ago, MKJoshA said:

you can spend SoNE XP on planets connected with this Episode

Thanks, that's very generous. I'm not sure whether we will go ahead and do this, but I appreciate the option. 

[n1majneb]

Question for Cat A, how strict is the 32x32?

Can figures straddle the edge of build, but the 'actual' build remains solely within the 32x32 parameter.

(as a newbie, not sure how strict so would rather check now)

 

[Ross Fisher]

Not speaking for the admins here, so wait for official confirmation, but my understanding is this:

I think it's a 32x32 "footprint". So none of the base bricks can be outside this area. But a certain amount of overhang is allowed. 

Any bases that are half a plate too wide would probably be generously ignored, but any more egregious breaches would likely see you docked points. If you just completely skipped that rule, admins would likely have a word with your faction leader and try to reach an alternative solution. 

[MKJoshA]

6 hours ago, n1majneb said:

Question for Cat A, how strict is the 32x32?

Can figures straddle the edge of build, but the 'actual' build remains solely within the 32x32 parameter.

(as a newbie, not sure how strict so would rather check now)

Ross laid it out well. Some overhang is okay. Just don't abuse it.

[n1majneb]

7 hours ago, MKJoshA said:

Ross laid it out well. Some overhang is okay. Just don't abuse it.

Thanks, for me it’s likely to be one small instance,

[marvelBoy123]

Just wanted to clarify whether the Cat B has to be in space itself or whether it could be in-atmopsphere above the planets surface?

[MKJoshA]

57 minutes ago, marvelBoy123 said:

Just wanted to clarify whether the Cat B has to be in space itself or whether it could be in-atmopsphere above the planets surface?

You could show an atmospheric battle, that'd be fine.

[n1majneb]

So I’d be ok to depict a hangar battle with space battle beyond?

[MKJoshA]

4 hours ago, n1majneb said:

So I’d be ok to depict a hangar battle with space battle beyond?

Not really. The idea for Cat B is to build starfighters. You can show a hanger, but the emphasis needs to be about the starfighters not any other battles.

[n1majneb]

6 hours ago, MKJoshA said:

Not really. The idea for Cat B is to build starfighters. You can show a hanger, but the emphasis needs to be about the starfighters not any other battles.

Gotcha, thanks - I was planning on having a crashed ship in a hangar but not to worry, back to the drawing board

[Ross Fisher]

7 hours ago, MKJoshA said:

The idea for Cat B is to build starfighters. You can show a hanger, but the emphasis needs to be about the starfighters not any other battles.

That's my bad. I told Ben that it's supposed to be a space battle between two ships, but a Tantive IV situation with one ship inside another's loading hangar would meet the criteria. Interior of one ship, exterior of the other. 

Are you definitely saying it has to be starfighters, now? The category entry says it can be a capital ship. 

[MKJoshA]

5 hours ago, n1majneb said:

Gotcha, thanks - I was planning on having a crashed ship in a hangar but not to worry, back to the drawing board

 

5 hours ago, Ross Fisher said:

That's my bad. I told Ben that it's supposed to be a space battle between two ships, but a Tantive IV situation with one ship inside another's loading hangar would meet the criteria. Interior of one ship, exterior of the other. 

Are you definitely saying it has to be starfighters, now? The category entry says it can be a capital ship. 

Ah, a ship crashing into a hanger makes more sense. The emphasis is still a space battle. So I think if you have the focus of the picture be outside the hanger bay you're good. If you're showing from within the hanger I feel like that starts to lose the space battle emphasis. But maybe @goatman461 and @Darth Bjorn can weigh in with their opinions. If you do show a hanger bay, unless you're also showing the entire rest of the capital ship then you need to have at least 2 other complete ships in your entry.

I used "starfighters" in too general a sense. Capital ships are indeed fine.

[Darth Bjorn]

4 minutes ago, MKJoshA said:

Ah, a ship crashing into a hanger makes more sense. The emphasis is still a space battle. So I think if you have the focus of the picture be outside the hanger bay you're good. If you're showing from within the hanger I feel like that starts to lose the space battle emphasis. But maybe @goatman461 and @Darth Bjorn can weigh in with their opinions. If you do show a hanger bay, unless you're also showing the entire rest of the capital ship then you need to have at least 2 other complete ships in your entry.

Definitely. In the hangar example, I think your point about perspective is great! As you esphasise we want to see a space battle. A fighter crashing into a hangar is a great idea. It should be clear that it is part of a space battle rather than a ship placed in a box...

Personally I'm also breaking the star-fighter/dogfight - my space entry will be a fighter pursuing a freighter/shuttle...

[n1majneb]

Thanks, 

I've started to rethink but as i'd started to build at least the floor of my hangar i'm tempted to pursue it though i'm currently challenging myself to build a starfighter from only the parts of 70609.

Don't have enough grey parts (that aren't in my batcave moc) free to have ship to ship so i was trying to think outside the box...

[n1majneb]

Question on the entry forms, after I submitted my entries I noticed a spelling mistake in the title and have changed since - This i'd expect to break the link on the entry form i submitted?

Should I therefore resupply?

thanks and sorry!