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[MisterAnderson]

To put it simply, I recently became obsessed with this game. Surprisingly, the only post on NeoGAF related to X-Wing that I could find was posted here in a miniatures thread by BattleMonkey back back in 2012. It's a great introduction to the concept of the game, so I hope he doesn't mind if I quote him below.

However, I highly recommend that anyone curious at all, or anyone who has no idea what this game is about, to watch this short video tutorial. It does a great job breaking down the basic gameplay structure and demonstrates how its played. It basically sold me on the game when I first watched it since it looked like so much fun.

Also, if this type of game interests you but you either hate Star Wars or are more of a Star Trek fan, the company Wizkids purchased the game engine rights from Fantasy Flight Games in order to essentially "reskin" the game with its own flavor of Star Trek themed ships, pilots, upgrades, etc. for their game called Star Trek: Attack Wing. Sir Fragula made a thread about it that can be found here.

Here's what BattleMonkey had to say about X-Wing back in 2012 before the game launched:

What is it?
- Fantasy Flight Games first real original miniature game comes to us in the form of one of their first Star Wars licensed products. All previous mini games put out by FFG have been made by other studios and FFG has simply done the work of publisher. So how did their first real miniature creation turn out? Pretty darn good. Game is still not widely available yet but will be out very soon. While much of it feels like it is copying a game they used to publish, Wings of War, the game does make quite a few tweaks to make it fairly different. X-Wing focuses on space combat on a dog fighting level using a simple and functional game system.

The rules
- First thing you do is of course build up a force by using cards. The cards contain all the ship stats and represent the pilot of the ship. You can have cheap rookie pilot X-Wing, an elite piloted one, or even a unique character such as Luke Skywalker. Certain pilots will have on them unique abilities also that set them apart. Stat wise, ships are all standardized, so all X-Wings no matter who pilots them has the same stats, but the difference lies in pilot skill level and access to unique abilities. Like most miniature games, pilots have point values which you use to build up to a specific army build level. Along with pilot cards the game also has the nice feature of having smaller upgrade cards that can be used to further customize your ships. Add proton torpedoes to a ship will cost you some more points, while some ace pilots also have access to being able to purchase for points some extra ability cards.

Game breaks down in a pretty simple structure. Each ship has it's own dial which on that unique dial has all the speed and maneuver combinations that ship is capable of. All players take all their dials at once and selects a maneuver they plan on doing this turn. Once that is done, playing in Pilot skill order, the ships are moved one at a time by revealing the dial of that ship and the chosen maneuver. Maneuvers are performed instead of measuring, but using templates that the core game comes with. The templates attach to guides on the base of the figures so a person can easily determine where a ship goes with no need for careful measuring. Templates come in variety of moves as well as speed options. maneuvers are done in ascending order till all ships are moved. After a ship is moved, you get the option of performing an action, actions basically are what the pilot is doing while moving around, so you can choose to be evading which gives you a bonus against being hit. Other actions include stuff such as locking onto a nearby ship, doing a barrel roll, focusing on combat, and many other abilities. Doing this in ascending order represents how higher skilled pilots get to see the maneuvers of lower skilled pilots and hence get to make a better choice on actions to choose.

After all ships move, combat is conducted one ship at a time again by skill level of the pilot, but in descending order to represent higher skilled pilots having initiative on combat. Combat in X-Wing is performed with dice instead of cards like Wings of War, using custom dice you get in the games starter. Range does impact your chances so maneuvering your ship well is very important and not just about firing arcs. Get in close, and you get an extra attack dice. Attacker rolls the calculated attack dice, while defender gets to roll the defense dice which is determined by how agile the ship is. Tie Fighters for example being more maneuverable tend to have higher agility than Rebel fighters so they are harder to hit. To deal damage, the attacker must roll more hits than the defender has rolled evade results. The number of hits over the amount of evades rolled, determine how many hits are done to the target ship. Some results on the hit dice also represent critical hits. Damage is represented using damage cards that come from a single damage deck shared by both players. If a ship has as many damage cards as it has hull points, it is destroyed. Some hit results on dice cause critical hits, when this happens you simply flip a damage card faceup where it has a random critical effect that applies to a ship. An example of a critical hit is engine damage, which makes it harder for a ship to do specific maneuvers on later turns. Players continue performing attacking in the skill order and once done, a new round is done till the mission is completed, or all of one sides ships are dust.

While I'm still what I would consider new to the game (I only got into it about a month ago), two and a half years after launch, it's quite apparent that this game has not only grown quite a bit in its depth due to subsequent expansion packs, but it also has picked up considerable momentum in the competitive scene and continues to grow.

BattleMonkey explained the game elegantly, but here's the official description on Fantasy Flight Games' website:

I've never played a miniature game before, but this drew me in quite fast. While easy to learn (the rulebook is only 24 pages long) it becomes obvious after your first game how complex and difficult to master the game really is. Squad customization - like deck building - plays a large role in each and every game. A huge part of the fun is creating unique and effective builds that utilize various ships, pilots, upgrades, and ordnance to win. Standard battles are typically considered to be a max of 100 point squads (competitive games are played this way), but you and a friend are free to regulate the max points per game as you see fit. "Epic games" are considered 300 points, are typically played on a larger surface area, and allow you to field capital ships such as the iconic Tantive IV Corvette and the soon to be released Imperial Raider.

Part of what makes the game so accessible from a casual standpoint is not needing to paint the ships (although many people do apply custom paint jobs and some are extremely impressive). As the screenshots below will demonstrate, the ships are amazingly detailed right out of the box, allowing you to jump straight into the game with great looking pieces right away.

If you're interested in getting into the game, I can't recommend enough getting two Core Sets. The value is just too good not to, and unless you and a buddy are each buying into the game and each buying one Core Set, you technically won't be able to play with a friend since it's assumed that your opponent owns their own Core Set. Each Core Set comes with one X-Wing and two TIE Fighters, so getting two sets will start you off with two X-Wings and four TIE Fighters (and buying those extra three ships individually would have taken a larger chunk out of your wallet). On top of that you get enough dice to play properly without needing to buy an extra die pack, a second damage card deck which is required, and more tokens, which only adds to the value of the purchase.

The Core Set

Luckily, there aren't any randomized "booster packs" that give you random pilot or upgrade cards. You can find or make a build using various Squad Builders like this one, then purchase the necessary expansion packs that would allow you to field it. If there's one or two cards that are missing but you have the necessary ships to fly your squad, you can always just make a proxy card or two when playing casually with friends (but this obviously wouldn't be allowed for tournament play).

So what ships from the Star Wars universe are currently available to fly? Let's take a look at the three factions currently in the game.

The Rebel Alliance

Note: All Rebel ships can equip Modification upgrades by default and Titles can be equipped if there are Title cards available for that particular ship.

X-Wing Expansion Pack

Designed by Incom Corporation, the T-65 X-wing quickly proved to be one of the most effective military vehicles in the galaxy and a boon to the Rebellion.

Attack: 3
Agility: 2
Hull: 3
Shields: 2

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock
Upgrades: Torpedo, Astromech, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

Y-Wing Expansion Pack

The durable BTL-A4 Y-wing was one of the Rebellion’s most versatile starfighters. Its flexibility in weapon loadouts made up for its low maneuverability.

Attack: 2
Agility: 1
Hull: 5
Shields: 3

Movement Dial:

Action Bar: Focus, Target Lock
Upgrades: Turret, 2x Torpedo, Astromech, Title*

*Included in Most Wanted Expansion Pack

A-Wing Expansion Pack

Due to its sensitive controls and high maneuverability, only the most talented pilots belong in an A-wing cockpit.

Attack: 2
Agility: 3
Hull: 2
Shields: 2

Movement Dial:

Action Bar: Focus, Target Lock, Boost, Evade
Upgrades: Missile, Title, Elite Talent*, Elite Talent**

*Available with higher skill level pilots
**2x Elite Talents are available if the A-Wing Test Pilot Title is equipped

Millennium Falcon Expansion Pack

Fly the legendary Millennium Falcon into fast-paced battles for the fate of the galaxy! The Millennium Falcon Expansion Pack for the Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game allows players to blast through hyperspace with Han, Chewie, Lando, Nien Nunb, and more.

Attack: 2|3* (360 degree firing arc)
Agility: 1
Hull: 6|8*
Shields: 4|5*

Movement Dial:

Action Bar: Focus, Target Lock
Upgrades: 2x Crew, Title, Missile*, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

B-Wing Expansion Pack

Because of its heavy weapons array and resilient shielding, the B-wing solidified itself as the Alliance’s most formidable assault fighter.

Attack: 3
Agility: 1
Hull: 3
Shields: 5

Movement Dial:

Action Bar: Focus, Target Lock, Barrel Roll
Upgrades: System, Cannon, 2x Torpedo, Crew*, Elite Talent*

*Crew upgrade is unlocked if the B-Wing/E2 Modification is equipped
*Elite Talent is available with higher skill level pilots

Rebel Aces Expansion Pack

Only ace pilots were granted the right to fly prototypes for the Rebel fleet. Fast reflexes were required to pilot the agile A-wing, while the B-wing - with its rotating cockpit and complex Fabritech ANv-9q sensor system - could only be mastered by seasoned veterans.

HWK-290 Expansion Pack

The Corellian Engineering Company’s Hawk series of light freighters, including Rebel agent Kyle Katarn’s ship the Moldy Crow, are simple yet reliable starships, often flown by smugglers or spies who require a nondescript transport that can put up a fight when necessary.

Attack: 1
Agility: 2
Hull: 4
Shields: 1

Movement Dial:

Action Bar: Focus, Target Lock
Upgrades: Turret, Crew, Title, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

E-Wing Expansion Pack

Specifically designed to combine the best features of the X-wing series with the A-wing series, the E-wing boasted superior firepower, speed, and maneuverability.

Attack: 3
Agility: 3
Hull: 2
Shields: 3

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock, Barrel Roll, Evade
Upgrades: System, Torpedo, Astromech, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

Z-95 Headhunter Expansion Pack

The AF4 series was the latest in a long line of Headhunter designs. Cheap and durable, it became a favorite among independent outfits like the Rebellion and Black Sun.

Attack: 2
Agility: 2
Hull: 2
Shields: 2

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock
Upgrades: Missile, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

YT-2400 Expansion Pack

A favorite ship of smugglers like Dash Rendar, the YT-2400 had a large cargo capacity for its size while retaining the speed and maneuverability of a smaller vessel. Although stock models came equipped with turret-mounted lasers, Rendar upgraded the weapons on the Outrider to help "guarantee" deliveries.

Attack: 2 (360 degree firing arc with secondary Cannon Upgrade when Outrider Title is equipped, at the expense of being unable to fire primary weapon)
Agility: 2
Hull: 5
Shields: 5

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock, Barrel Roll
Upgrades: Cannon, Missile, Crew, Title, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

Rebel Transport Expansion Pack

Recreate the drama of the Rebellion’s desperate escape from Hoth and explore new adventures in the Star Wars galaxy with the Rebel Transport Expansion Pack for X-Wing! It comes with one huge, pre-painted GR-75 medium transport miniature and an X-wing escort. With rules for “energy” to fuel your shields and abilities, plus a new maneuver template that gives your transport the feel of a truly huge ship, the Rebel Transport Expansion Pack enhances your missions and Cinematic Play experience. It also opens all-new possibilities in the game’s Epic Play format!

Tantive IV Expansion Pack

Equipped with 11 Girodyne Ter58 high-output ion-turbine engines and a hardy hull, the Rebel Alliance prizes the CR90 for its sublight speed and durability. Armed with Taim and Bak turbolaser cannons and powerful shield projectors, the Tantive IV can holds its own in combat, but keeps escape pods at the ready should evacuation be the only option.

The Galactic Empire

Note: All Imperial ships can equip Modification upgrades by default and Titles can be equipped if there are Title cards available for that particular ship.

TIE Fighter Expansion Pack

Developed by Sienar Fleet Systems, the Empire used the fast and agile TIE/In as its primary starfighter throughout most of the Galactic Civil War.

Attack: 2
Agility: 3
Hull: 3
Shields: 0

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Barrel Roll, Evade
Upgrades: Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

TIE Advanced Expansion Pack

The TIE Advanced improved on the popular TIE/In design by adding shielding, better weapons systems, curved solar panels, and a hyperdrive.

Attack: 2
Agility: 3
Hull: 3
Shields: 2

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Barrel Roll, Evade
Upgrades: Missile, Elite Talent*, Title**

*Available with higher skill level pilots
**Included in the Imperial Raider Expansion Pack

TIE Interceptor Expansion Pack

Seiner Fleet Systems designed the TIE interceptor with four wing-mounted laser cannons, easily allowing it to outgun its predecessors.

Attack: 3
Agility: 3
Hull: 3
Shields: 0

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Barrel Roll, Boost, Evade
Upgrades: Title, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

Imperial Aces Expansion Pack

The signature coloration of the Empire's most skilled pilots strikes fear into foolish enough to face them in battle. Only members of the Emperor's Royal Guard may fly their unique crimson fighters, often seen escorting the Emperor's shuttle - or one of its decoys. The pilots of the 181st are among the galaxy's best, identified by the blood-red stripes adorning their ships.

Slave I Expansion Pack

Originally intended as a prisoner transport, the Firespray-class patrol ship features a versatile weapons array and heavy plating. Its devastating potential is epitomized in Boba Fett’s Slave I, one of the most feared ships in the galaxy.

Attack: 3 (Also has a rear auxiliary firing arc)
Agility: 2
Hull: 6
Shields: 4

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock, Evade
Upgrades: Cannon, Bomb, Crew, Missile, Title*, Elite Talent*

*Torpedo upgrade is unlocked if the Slave I Title is equipped
*Elite Talent is available with higher skill level pilots

TIE Bomber Expansion Pack

While not as agile or fast as other TIE variants, TIE bombers can carry enough firepower to destroy virtually any enemy target.

Attack: 2
Agility: 2
Hull: 6
Shields: 0

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock, Barrel Roll
Upgrades: 2x Torpedo, 2x Missile, Bomb, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

Lambda-Class Shuttle Expansion Pack

Noted for its tri-wing design, the Lambda-class shuttle served a critical role as a light utility craft in the Imperial Navy. Due to its heavy armament and reinforced durasteel hull, the shuttle can hold its own in a dogfight.

Attack: 3
Agility: 1
Hull: 5
Shields: 5

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock
Upgrades: System, Cannon, 2x Crew, Title, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

TIE Defender Expansion Pack

The TIE Defender outclassed all other starfighters of its time, though its size and array of weapons greatly increased its weight and cost in credits.

Attack: 3
Agility: 3
Hull: 3
Shields: 3

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock, Barrel Roll
Upgrades: Cannon, Missile, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

TIE Phantom Expansion Pack

The primary result of a hidden research facility on Imdaar Alpha, the TIE Phantom added a small fighter with cloaking capabilities to the Imperial fleet.

Attack: 4
Agility: 2 (+2 when cloaked)
Hull: 2
Shields: 2

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Barrel Roll, Evade, Cloak
Upgrades: System, Crew, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

VT-49 Decimator Expansion Pack

Heavily armored and packing a pair of turret-mounted quad laser cannons, VT-49 Decimators were primarily used for long-range reconnaissance and border defense. One of the most feared warships in the Imperial arsenal, command of a VT-49 Decimator was only granted to the most promising officers.

Attack: 3 (360 degree firing arc)
Agility: 0
Hull: 12
Shields: 4

Movement Dial:

Actions: Focus, Target Lock
Upgrades: Torpedo, 3x Crew, Bomb, Title, Elite Talent*

*Available with higher skill level pilots

Imperial Raider Expansion Pack

Fantasy Flight Games is thrilled to bring you the all-new Raider-class corvette, a new Imperial ship for X-Wing Epic Play and a new addition to the Star Wars galaxy! Designed in partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd. for use within the game’s Cinematic Play and Epic Play formats, the Raider-class corvette is the highlight of the upcoming Imperial Raider Expansion Pack.

 

[MisterAnderson]

Scum and Villainy

While having a set of their own unique ships, the Scum and Villainy faction takes some of the existing Rebel and Imperial ships and re-purposes them by fielding mercenary pilots and bounty hunters or by equipping various illegal upgrades only available to this faction. FFG appears to be focusing primarily on the Black Sun with the initial wave of Scum and Villainy content.

Most Wanted Expansion Pack

Get your Scum and Villainy faction quickly up to speed with the Most Wanted Expansion Pack for X-Wing! Featuring three starship miniatures with alternative, Scum-themed paint schemes and a whole fleet’s worth of ship cards, upgrades, tokens, and maneuver dials, the Most Wanted Expansion Pack serves as the core of your Scum and Villainy faction, establishing its flavor and allowing you to quickly assemble a fleet by repurposing your existing X-Wing starships for use within the faction.

(Pilots/Dial/Ship bases for Scum Firespray, HWK-290, and an additional Y-Wing are included)

M3-A Interceptor Expansion Pack

The lightest starfighter designed by MandalMotors, the M3-A "Scyk" interceptor features a versatile weapon mount that quickly made it a mainstay among the fleets controlled by the galaxy’s most powerful and ambitious scum.

StarViper Expansion Pack

Prince Xizor worked with MandalMotors to ensure that the StarViper-class attack platform would be one of the most formidable fighters in the galaxy. The StarViper Expansion Pack for X-Wing features one pre-painted StarViper miniature, sculpted at 1/270 scale and brought to life as a potent, well-balanced ship that can quickly destroy opposing ships even while evading enemy fire. Naturally, the expansion also allows you to field Prince Xizor in his custom StarViper, the Virago, which makes use of various system upgrades and illicit technology.

IG-2000 Expansion Pack

A heavily modified Aggressor assault fighter, IG-2000 was the signature vessel of one of the galaxy’s deadliest bounty hunters, the Assassin Droid IG-88. In X-Wing, the IG-2000 is a powerful, large-base starfighter capable of performing the demanding Segnor’s Loop maneuver.

Wave VII Released!!

SLAM into the middle of your enemy’s starfighters. Pummel your foes with plasma torpedoes and ion bombs. Eliminate everyone who would come between you and your bounty! Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of four new starship expansions for X-Wing™!

The game’s explosive seventh wave introduces new starships to each of the game’s three factions, including two for the Scum and Villainy faction and one each for the Rebels and Imperials.

• Hound’s Tooth Expansion Pack
• Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack
• K-wing Expansion Pack
• TIE Punisher Expansion Pack

Scheduled to hit retailers by the end of Q2 2015 (which I doubt - the Raider still hasn't even been released yet). Official announcement and details can be found here.

Hound’s Tooth Expansion Pack - Scum and Villainy

A modified YV-666 light freighter, Hound’s Tooth was the signature vessel of one of the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunters and slavers, the fearsome Trandoshan Bossk.

(Z-95 Dial/Ship Base is included to be used with the Hound's Tooth title upgrade which spawns a Z-95 in its place before the ship is destroyed. Z-95 ship model not included.

Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack - Scum and Villainy

The Kihraxz assault fighter was developed specifically for the Black Sun crime syndicate, whose highly paid ace pilots demanded a nimble, powerful ship to match their skills.

K-wing Expansion Pack - Rebel

A heavily armed bomber that could double as an escort or reconnaissance vessel, the Rebellion’s K-wing was frequently flown on strafing runs against planetary targets and slow-moving capital ships.

TIE Punisher Expansion Pack - Imperial

A beefier version of the TIE bomber, the TIE punisher built upon that starfighter’s success by adding shielding, a second bomb chute, and three additional ordnance pods, each equipped with a twin ion engine.

Believe it or not, this game is amazingly balanced. And if the meta shifts and certain ships are looking a little under powered/under represented in competitive play, Fantasy Flight Games will throw the ship some interesting Modification and Upgrade cards in a later expansion to give them a buff (an example of this would be a new Title card being released for the Y-Wing in the Most Wanted Expansion).

The game has been a joy to play, but it definitely excels if you have at least one friend to consistently play with. I've been lucky in that so far every friend of mine who has allowed me to introduce the game to them ends up enjoying it just as much as I do, so as long as you have anyone willing to give it a try with you (it helps if they are Star Wars fans), it shouldn't be too difficult to get a game or two in relatively often. Typically your local gaming store might hold weekly meetups, so if you don't have any friends who are into this kind of thing, you should definitely check them out.

What's also great is that the game technically doesn't need a board (although I believe this in inherent to most miniature war games). Any flat surface will do (regulation size for a 100 point game is 3' x 3'), but it really shines on a mat with some kind of star/space design. The one I personally ordered is this one:

You can find space mats across multiple websites made of a few different materials, but I fell in love with the designs by http://www.deepcutstudio.com/. Reviews have nothing but praise for the quality of the surfaces and especially the level of detail in the designs, and I can attest to the incredible detail in the art and the ease of positioning ships on the mat itself.

Storage Solutions

Another thing to consider is how to store your tokens and ships. Some people aren't as picky as I am about safely storing their collection and just buy a tackle box, toss the ships in some compartments and call it a day, which works fine for the most part.

I, however, am a bit more particular and anal about how I store my stuff. There are foam cases you can buy, but to store all of my ships using those would have gotten very expensive quickly. So after doing some research on storage options, I ended up going with this Plano Double Cover Two Sided Tackle Organizer and cutting out foam with an x-acto knife to save some cash. A friend of mine went for this one, which has various trays you can swap out depending on what ships and tokens you want to bring with you. It has been more challenging to get my collection to fit in my case but I ideally wanted something that wasn't as large, so I went with the first option.

It's symmetrical on each side and has plenty of space. If you plan on getting every one of the large ships, it will have some issues without doing something similar to my method, but it's definitely possible to fit the various ships in the game. When I got the Decimator and Shuttle, I had to cut/modify part of the innards of the case to get that Shuttle to fit with my current layout, but luckily I managed to make it work. Here's what my collection currently looks like (I apologize for the shitty quality photos, my phone's camera sucks):

Here's one side of the case, which contains all of the main tokens, templates, asteroids, and Rebel ship bases on the outer layer, and my Rebel fleet and movement dials on the lower layer (I have a second Y-Wing scheduled to arrive this week).

On the other side, I have miscellaneous mission tokens, two damage decks, mine and bomb tokens, space debris obstacles, and Imperial ship bases on the outer layer, and my Imperial fleet and movement dials on the lower layer. I also added side compartments using adhesive Velcro to be able to fit the large ship bases since I had run out of room (visible in the second image).

Since my cards no longer fit anywhere in the case, I store them in a binder protected with sleeves. Nothing too fancy to see here.

If you guys have any interesting storage methods or advice, please feel free to post them and I'll be happy to add it to the OP.

Pricing/Buyer's Guide

If you're curious about where to purchase these, the cheapest prices I've been able to find is at www.miniaturemarket.com, but their stock typically appears to be very limited for some of the ships. Barnes & Noble's website (the stores themselves are usually cleaned out, but you can get lucky sometimes) is more reliable but is at retail price ($14.99 for small ship expansion packs, $29.99-39.99 for the larger ships - not including the Transport/Tantive IV which are in the $60 and $100 ranges). These are a bit more than what Miniature Market lists them as (generally $9.99 for smaller ships and $19.99 for the larger ones like the Falcon and Slave I), and another option is obviously Amazon, but even they sometimes have increased prices due to some ships possibly being harder to find at times, so make sure you always double check ship prices before purchasing them from certain sellers. The Core set can be purchased for as low as $26.99 (retails at about $39.99) at Miniature Market but it's currently out of stock if I'm not mistaken.

Battle Reports:

I figured we could use this thread as an opportunity to post about interesting or close games we may have. Feel free to share your stories!

MisterAnderson (Rebels) vs. TrevBot (Imperials) - 2/2/2015
UncleO (Rebels) vs. his son (Imperials) - 2/1/2015
One Foul Note (Imperials) tournament - 2/8/2015
wookieofdoom (Rebels) vs. his buddy (Imperials) - 2/20/2015

Other links you are encouraged to check out (Thanks for the contributions everyone!)

Listbuilding for Beginners

Proven Ships

Wil Wheaton's Tabletop review of X-Wing

World Championship finals match in November 2013 with great commentary and on-screen graphics by one of the bigger websites for the X-Wing community, Team Covenant (really great match)

World Championship finals match in November 2014, with play-by-play announcers from Fantasy Flight Games, including one of the game's designers

DGA Plays: Star Wars: X-Wing - Common Rule Mistakes

Really cool Kickstarter for high quality movement templates, range rulers, tokens, etc.

Sir Fragula's Star Trek: Attack Wing thread - A Star Trek miniatures game that utilizes most of the same mechanics found in X-Wing.

I wasn't sure if it was more appropriate to post this OT in the Off-Topic section, but since this is a game after all, I decided on posting it in the Gaming section. Please move it accordingly if it's better suited for Off-Topic since it's a miniature game and not a videogame.

 

[Bog]

I saw these at Barnes and Noble of all places. Seemed kind of neat.

 

[Seductivpancakes]

I bought the starter set and the Millennium Falcon set, but I have no one to play with.

They are sweet, quality figures tho,

 

[Leunam]

Going to dig these out and get a game or two in this weekend. Great write up!

I saw these at Barnes and Noble of all places. Seemed kind of neat.

They've been expanding into board games, puzzles, model building, and collectible hobbies for a while now. It's a welcome change.

 

[BuddyL33]

Looks like a hobby that could get really expensive, really quickly.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

Cool OT OP. I also bought the starter pack with the intention of playing this but I it's difficult to find people to play with.

 

[lol internet]

I tried to convince some friends to get into this. No dice. I want to so badly...maybe I need new friends.

 

[Tensketch]

Looks like a hobby that could get really expensive, really quickly.

It is pricey, but when you consider the fact that you have to spend hundreds on a single army to play against someone else who has spent hundreds on a single army in 40K, you can spend less hundreds on ships that allow both you and a friend to play.

Also consider the fact that you dont have to buy extras like:
- paints/glue, as theyre pre painted and assembled.
- army books, each ship comes with upgrade cards and rules for that ship
- core rulebooks, the starter set comes with the rules

amazing game. I've been hooked since last summer. I'm Liverpool based and anyone interested in playing, know that you can get games in the following places (that I know of):
- Scythe & Teacup - they dont have set days, but if you leave a message on their facebook, you'll find someone to play with
- Forbidden Planet - Saturdays 10:30 - 4:30, they are also hosting the official store tourney (date to be announced soon)
- WarGameStore - Based over the water in wirral, £5 entry to the game room but it's a great store

 

[XiaNaphryz]

A boardgame/miniature/tabletop thread on gaming side? We should have those other threads moved over here too! ;D

 

[Tensketch]

Oh hey I'll take this time to big up the UK/IRL X-Wing Community on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/xwingukirl/

Bunch of guys who play the game but most importantly it includes a map of player locations, stores that support the game and more importantly stores that will be hosting official tournaments etc. There are a few American/Canadian guys on there but the map doesnt reach that far.

 

[Flying Toaster]

Looks like a hobby that could get really expensive, really quickly.

At first it seems quite daunting but honestly it is cheap as hell compared to other miniatures games...

This is a great thread. I hope it continues as it is a great game.

 

[Icefire1424]

Really neat OT, OP - subbed. The number of times I've almost picked this up is...crazy, to say the least. Once I finally decided to pull the trigger (and basically had several squads already dreamed up), FFG games had essentially "sold out", with most everything, including the core set "on the boat". I have alerts set up at CSI for the Core Set, X-Wing, Tie Fighter, Tie Advanced, A-Wing, Y-Wing and Falcon to pick 'em up as soon as they're available again.

FLGS still has regular games, and I think I have a few co-workers talked into it - one of the perks of having a few SW fanatics at my work.

 

[PittaGAF]

Bought the core set a month ago and I couldn't play anything else during the weekends.
I do not know anyone else near so I played solo using the web AI I found on boardgeekgames and (mostly) with my son.
Had a TON of fun everytime.

Great game, great miniatures.
Capture very well the Star Wars dogfighting.

 

[5taquitos]

I play this game just about every week with my brother, and between the two of us we have a fairly decent collection.

I've been tinkering with a Lambda Shuttle + TIE swarm combo lately for my Imperial game. I recently picked up an E-Wing expansion, and Corran Horn is a fucking beast.

 

[Danthrax]

You put some impressive effort into that OP, MisterAnderson. Welcome to the game. I've been playing X-Wing since it came out at GenCon in 2012. It's fun, although turrets taking over the metagame has been frustrating to me. #BanC3PO

For storage options, I recommend JoAnn Fabrics, which has lots of sewing-related containers that are great for holding miniatures and cardboard chits, and there are always nice coupons on its website for like 20 percent any item.

 

[Bog]

Is it fun just one on one? Or is it meant for more people?

 

[5taquitos]

Is it fun just one on one? Or is it meant for more people?

It's designed to be one-on-one, but you can have different people controlling each ship if you want.

 

[jstevenson]

Terrific game. I have waaaaay too many of these ships considering how rarely I get to play

 

[Danthrax]

Is it fun just one on one? Or is it meant for more people?

It's meant for one on one, although there are rules now for "epic" games that involve two-on-two. It's plenty of fun one-on-one, though.

I like to describe this game as chess with spaceships and dice. When you're deciding on your maneuvers and trying to 1) anticipate where your opponent is going to move this turn, and 2) anticipate where you'll want to be in the next two or three turns, it'll feel a lot like chess.

 

[sobaka770]

This must be one hell of a coincidence, I also recently got hooked on this thing, bought two starter sets, the Falcon and the Slave. Then I looked all around Neogaf and found not a single mention about this wonderful game. (this should not be on the gaming forum though?)

Anyway, this is a very cool little game. It's expensive but you get quality figurines, no need for painting, it looks great out of the box. The average game time varies but if you play with a recommended number of points (100) then it's about an hour of game time.

Played it yesterday 2v2 with some friends - awesome feeling. highly recommended.

WARNING: if you want to dive in get 2 starter sets, otherwise you won't have enough dice and extra movement templates are always welcome. Moreover it's the best price-to-ratio for the simple ships which already offer a lot of replayability.

 

[Danthrax]

GAFfers might be interested in watching a few videos besides the tutorial linked in the OP:

Wil Wheaton's Tabletop review of X-Wing

World Championship finals match in November 2013 with great commentary and on-screen graphics by one of the bigger websites for the X-Wing community, Team Covenant (really great match)

World Championship finals match in November 2014, with play-by-play announcers from Fantasy Flight Games, including one of the game's designers

 

[ColonelSkills]

Great OP for this.

I play, but my local group isn't too keen on this. I see friends on a very irregular basis that do dig it, though. We mostly play with my set because of the entry price and how it can be non-trivial to maintain a collection.

I haven't played with any of the Epic scale stuff as yet, but it looks hilarious. Looking forward to Scum ships and trying to houserule them into Empire/Rebel fleets if I can't get enough ships for a full side.

 

[MisterAnderson]

GAFfers might be interested in watching a few videos besides the tutorial linked in the OP:

Wil Wheaton's Tabletop review of X-Wing

World Championship finals match in November 2013 with great commentary and on-screen graphics by one of the bigger websites for the X-Wing community, Team Covenant (really great match)

World Championship finals match in November 2014, with play-by-play announcers from Fantasy Flight Games, including one of the game's designers

I added these to the OP - thanks for linking them! That 2013 championship game really is insane and probably the closest game I've ever seen. It's pretty awesome that every championship game so far for X-Wing has been Rebel vs. Imperial. I find more enjoyment spectating championship matches when games like these don't end up having a mirror match in the final game.

I've never played an epic game before but I would certainly like to. How do those of you who play team games go about working that out? In the rulebook it talks about each player controlling an individual ship, but I feel like having 4 players (2 on each faction) fielding their own separate 100 point squad would be more fun and make more sense. I'm just wondering how complicated it would be to coordinate the ship activation ordering.

 

[5taquitos]

WARNING: if you want to dive in get 2 starter sets, otherwise you won't have enough dice and extra movement templates are always welcome. Moreover it's the best price-to-ratio for the simple ships which already offer a lot of replayability.

Yeah, getting two Core sets is highly recommended, and I'd go as far as to say pretty much necessary. It gives you enough dice so that you don't have to remember and reroll, each player gets their own movement templates and damage deck, and you get six ships for cheap.

Two core sets plus Rebel and Imperial Aces, and you'll have tons of squad-building options that will allow two people to play.

 

[Bastos]

The only friends I have that are interested in playing tabletop games don't live near me :c

 

[Grimsen]

Damn, now I have to get this.

This thread's got me looking for the best canadian price for starter sets lol.

 

[5taquitos]

The only friends I have that are interested in playing tabletop games don't live near me :c

Head on down to your friendly neighborhood game store! X-Wing is pretty popular, and chances are good that your local store is running weekly games (assuming you live in an area with a local game store ).

 

[Phinor]

We have all wave 1 and wave 2 ships but I don't think we've played the game in the past year. It says 60 minutes on BGG, but our games always take 2-3 hours and usually after the start it's mostly just trying to avoid giving the opponent any chance to shoot. And then it's all decided by a poor dice roll.

But the fact that games like this exist now with proper licenses is pretty amazing. Seeing how far people have taken this with custom game boards etc. is just fantastic.

 

[jstevenson]

We have all wave 1 and wave 2 ships but I don't think we've played the game in the past year. It says 60 minutes on BGG, but our games always take 2-3 hours and usually after the start it's mostly just trying to avoid giving the opponent any chance to shoot. And then it's all decided by a poor dice roll.

But the fact that games like this exist now with proper licenses is pretty amazing. Seeing how far people have taken this with custom game boards etc. is just fantastic.

proper 100 point games, with players who know how to play, are 60-75 minutes.

 

[TrevBot]

Great OT MisterAnderson!

I cannot recommend this game enough to just about everyone who has been a fan of Star Wars, Board Games, or even Magic the Gathering. "Magic you say, what the how?!" Building a squad list of 100 can feel as robust as crafting a Magic deck. It is seriously amazing how much you can customize each and every ship.

Me and MisterAnderson will be playing a few games tonight, maybe we can post up pictures of the battle at the end of each round.

BTW if anyone is in Austin, Texas and picks the game up hit me up and we can organize something. I don't mind teaching anyone to spread the gospel of the X-Wangz.

 

[Yarbskoo]

Looks pretty fun, and the actual miniatures are neat, but no way would I be able to afford it, and I don't really know anyone nearby who would be willing to play with me.

 

[Tom_Cody]

I have some friends who are into this who are trying to bring me into the fold and we've got a game scheduled for this Friday, I'm looking forward to learning the game. I love the miniatures.

 

[Danthrax]

I added these to the OP - thanks for linking them! That 2013 championship game really is insane and probably the closest game I've ever seen. It's pretty awesome that every championship game so far for X-Wing has been Rebel vs. Imperial. I find more enjoyment spectating championship matches when games like these don't end up having a mirror match in the final game.

I've never played an epic game before but I would certainly like to. How do those of you who play team games go about working that out? In the rulebook it talks about each player controlling an individual ship, but I feel like having 4 players (2 on each faction) fielding their own separate 100 point squad would be more fun and make more sense. I'm just wondering how complicated it would be to coordinate the ship activation ordering.

There are a lot more rules to X-Wing than just what appears in the Core Set's rulebook. Those are basically starter rules. The FAQ, tournament rules, epic rules and huge ship rules are on Fantasy Flight Games' website.

Here are the epic rules, scroll to page three for team epic rules: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/x-wing/support/X-Wing-Epic-Tournament-Rules.pdf According to this, table talk between teammates is allowed and teammates are allowed to secretly show maneuver dials to each other as they plan out their next turn.

I've never played a team game, only a one-on-one epic game involving my friend's two capital ships (the GR-75 transport and CR-90 corvette) against practically every Imperial ship I own. Played Star Wars soundtrack music for most of it. Took six hours, haha, but it was pretty cool.

 

[MisterAnderson]

TrevBot and I played a couple of games last night. In the first one, I tried a silly but fun build involving 3x Proximity Mines that failed miserably, but then again I dumped two of the mines too early and the third didn't even get to be used. It was a quick, one-sided game in his favor.

The second was the closest game we've both ever played. I realize in image form it isn't the most exciting way to describe a match, but we took some pictures as the game played out. Here was the match-up, starting at opposite corners:

Me:

2x Blue Squadron Pilots (B-Wings) + Fire Control System + B-Wing/E2 + Gunner
1x Biggs Darklighter (X-Wing)
1x Bandit Squadron Pilot (Z-95 Headhunter) + Ion Pulse Missile
Total: 100 Points

VS

TrevBot:

1x Echo (Phantom) + Veteran Instincts + Advanced Cloaking Device + Gunner
1x Howlrunner (TIE Fighter) + Swarm Instincts + Stealth Device
3x Academy Pilots (Tie Fighters)
Total: 99 Points

The initial approach:

We ended up circling opposite sides of the board for a few turns before I committed to an approach by K-Turning my squad and steering towards the TIE Swarm. I chose to stay on course and accepted that the Phantom was going to flank and likely get in some shots, but I was hoping Biggs' ability (for anyone who doesn't know, Biggs forces enemy ships to attack him as long as his friendly ships in the attacker's firing arc are within range 1 of him) would cover my B-Wings as they approached the TIEs.

TrevBot's perfect decloak flank:
(Note: Board orientation relative to previous screenshot is rotated about 180 degrees)

Trev executed a perfect flank after decloaking his "Echo" Phantom, positioning him directly behind Biggs in range 1. Me misjudging Biggs' maneuver and barely bumping my Z-95 was the worst thing I could have done here, as it forced me to be unable to take an action (in this case, a defensive Focus), which is literally the worst case scenario being in this position.

As you can see from the image, Biggs took a huge hit (dat attack roll) and was one shotted by the Phantom, which was a really bad start for me. Note: He rolled 5 attack die (4 + 1 for being within range 1), not 6 as the picture makes it seem. My agility roll was a complete whiff...thanks for nothing Biggs.

Luckily I was able to whittle Howlrunner down to 1 Hull and strip her of her Stealth Device, reducing her agility back to normal. This also allowed both of my B-Wings to acquire two free target locks on her with their Fire Control Systems upgrade, hopefully setting me up for success in my next turn.

Traffic jam:
(Note: Board orientation relative to previous screenshot is rotated about 180 degrees)

It's a good thing I got those free target locks in the previous round, since I wasn't able to take a single action here after bumping all of his lower pilot skill ships. The positioning ended up favoring me since Trev misjudged his Phantom's maneuver this turn and I had an amazing opportunity to finish off Howlrunner. His Phantom still had a shot on me but it wasn't as well positioned as Trev would have liked for the turns to follow.

I ended up taking out Howlrunner and only absorbing some minor damage from his Phantom and Ties this round, which put me back in the game.

Stressing out:
(Note: Board orientation relative to previous screenshot is rotated about 90 degrees counterclockwise)

We both perform some stress maneuvers to try to get a good angle on each other. Trev's unfortunate move with one of his TIES landed him on an asteroid (the TIE all the way to the left of the image - it's hard to tell it's on an asteroid since the base is covering most of it at this angle). Even more unfortunate for TrevBot was after rolling to see if his TIE received damage after colliding with the asteroid, it took a hit. My B-Wing (directly behind that TIE) was barely able to fit after a barrel roll set him up for the kill at range 1 against an action-less, damaged TIE.

The B-Wing took out the TIE and damage was traded all around, closing the gap that my wasted Biggs had caused after Trev's opening flank earlier in the game.

Not looking good for the Rebels:

A turn after this one, one of my B-Wings had to make a hard call. Go after a damaged TIE Fighter behind an asteroid (which would give him +1 defense dice), or try to start softening that Phantom. With 4 agility on the Phantom (when it's cloaked), it was a hard choice to make, but I went with it and managed to get one hit through, taking his shield's down by 1. After a couple of turns in this general vicinity of the board, we dwindled each others forces down to this:

One B-Wing with 1 HP left and a critical hit that took his already low 1 agility down to 0 (no defense rolls...yikes), a Phantom with 1 Shield and 2 Hull (and stressed...my only hope), and an Academy TIE Fighter with 1 Hull left, also stressed. The bump caused by this maneuver put me in prime position to swing this game around, but it was going to take a godly attack roll to do it. The Phantom had to die here and now, or I would never have any hope of hitting him again, and with 0 Agility and 1 Hull remaining, it would be game over for me. This was the best and only chance I was going to have, since if I could take out the Phantom, I could K-Turn and finish off his TIE since his TIE was stressed and unable to K-Turn himself.

Use the force, Blue Squadron Pilot:

The B-Wing's 4 die attack roll was initially evaded by the Phantom. Blue Squadron Pilot's Fire Control System kicked in, giving him a target lock, then Gunner allowed me to roll again since I missed my first attack...

I roll a decent attack roll, and burn my Target Lock attempting to re-roll my misses to make the roll as good as possible so I had a chance...

I couldn't believe it. 1 evaded hit and 3 criticals took out the Phantom and poised me to win the game. If it hadn't been for that tough call I made earlier in the game to target the Phantom which got 1 hit through, his Phantom would have survived this attack and I would have surely lost.

On his six:

My B-Wing made the obvious K-Turn maneuver while Trev's TIE was forced to move straight or turn, but no matter what move he made, the B-Wing would have a shot on him so he opted for a green maneuver to shed that stress and throw on a last ditch effort evade token to hopefully survive the round.

Lucky for me, the B-Wing closed the deal on that 1 HP TIE Fighter and I was able to take the win on what will have been the closest game we both have ever played.

GG TrevBot. The force was with me.

 

[TrevBot]

An absolutely epic game. Swinging dramatically from one side to the other multiple times. We had several sub 5% chance rolls this game, practically miracle shots. The major players being Biggs getting 1 shot, and that final roll by Mr. Blue Squadron Pilot.

The force was with the Rebels this time. But, the Empire might be striking back at some point... Either way, this matchup was a blast and I now have an even greater respect for the B-Wing.

GG Anderson, you Rebel scum <3

 

[Icefire1424]

If anyone is having difficulty locating the Core Set, CSI (Cool Stuff Inc.) just got a bunch more back in stock. Most of the Wave 1 expansions are still on the boat, but should be available soon.

 

[espher]

I've been incredibly tempted to get involved in this but I just know it would get prohibitively expensive (as I'm one of these people that loves to have options in any CCG/minis game and would thus have to have lots of everything).

Certainly enjoyable to watch played, though.

 

[DashReindeer]

I guess I never realized that we could talk about board games on gaming side. That's cool. Board games have certainly been more interesting than most video games coming out these days. So badly want to try this and the Star Trek one out.

 

[MisterAnderson]

I guess I never realized that we could talk about board games on gaming side. That's cool. Board games have certainly been more interesting than most video games coming out these days. So badly want to try this and the Star Trek one out.

I wasn't really sure where to post this, I chose the Gaming side since it's a game so it made sense at the time, lol.

 

[CosmicQueso]

I need friends so I can play this. After watching Will Wheaton's video and then reading all this... man what a rabbit hole. I want to fall down it.

 

[phazedplasma]

I've got the core set, e-wing, imp aces + the yt 2400. I beg the gf to play sometimes.

Game is super fun and addicting. Easy to learn hard to master.

Not that expensive either. Anyone play in NYC?

 

[WanderingWind]

This is a surprisingly fun game. Me and the missus break it out to settle who is going to do the dishes. She's fucking adept at running me out of bounds. Once she learned that little strategy, I was more or less boned.

 

[Dragoshi1]

I own the starter set, and try to play now and then with my brother.

I wish there was a play by play walkthrough of a normal regular match, so that way I kn ow what I'm doing. I usually lose as the X-Wing and win as the TIEs.

I was looking into buying the Decimator soon, though, as its description and abilities appeal to me.

 

[MisterAnderson]

I wish there was a play by play walkthrough of a normal regular match, so that way I kn ow what I'm doing. I usually lose as the X-Wing and win as the TIEs.

This might not be what you're talking about, but in case you haven't watched it, I definitely recommend checking out the complete tutorial video. It's not very long and should give you a quick rundown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuhwSma960Y

If you already have those basics down though, it's probably redundant, but I'm sure there are some videos around that break down a regular match.

 

[TrevBot]

I guess I never realized that we could talk about board games on gaming side. That's cool. Board games have certainly been more interesting than most video games coming out these days. So badly want to try this and the Star Trek one out.

I'm a little biased, but from what i've seen of the Star Trek Attack Wing game, it appears to not be quite to the level of quality and polish that Fantasy Flight has taken X-Wing to. Hell, the upcoming Imperial Raider was actually designed jointly by Fantasy Flight and Lucasfilm just to give the Imperials a counter to the Tantive Corvette. (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5274)

 

[Flunkie]

I've always wanted to play this, but we have this instead:

 

[UncleO]

Played a nice pre-super bowl game with my step son. He made a the mistake of allowing me to split his squadron and i was able to concentrate my fire. That and the dice were not on his side. My Rookie Pilot with R2-D2 was the MVP. We were playing on my homemade top.
Let the battle begin

Splitting the pack

Zeroing in

 

[UncleO]

I own the starter set, and try to play now and then with my brother.

I wish there was a play by play walkthrough of a normal regular match, so that way I kn ow what I'm doing. I usually lose as the X-Wing and win as the TIEs.

I was looking into buying the Decimator soon, though, as its description and abilities appeal to me.

Check out the Team Covenant guys. Their site is full of helpful articles and the do a really good job of showing X-Wing battle reports on their YouTube channel.

 

[UncleO]

I guess I never realized that we could talk about board games on gaming side. That's cool. Board games have certainly been more interesting than most video games coming out these days. So badly want to try this and the Star Trek one out.

If your into board games i will direct you here then. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=825268