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Deadlift
01-01-2014, 06:36 PM
Right then, I've watched the intro video on you tube and I'm looking at giving the game a go. Obviously the core starter set is a must, but what else should I be looking at ? Should I get another couple of ships (expansions), one for each faction ? And if so which 2 would you recommend to keep both sides balanced. I'm looking to have both a Rebel and Imperial list as I know my mates will only play if I supply everything.

Also any other tips ? Not list building so much but just what to get to make the beginners experience well rounded.

Cheers

Dead.

sangrail777
01-01-2014, 09:09 PM
My friends are very much the same way (looking to me to supply) so here's what I did. I got 2 starter kits, it does help to have the additional dice and moving templates.
2 tie interceptors
1 tie bomber
1 xwing
1 b wing
1 a wing
That's what I started out with. Of course now I got so much more.

Nabterayl
01-02-2014, 12:40 PM
I think that Sangrail's list is a good one to start with if you're literally looking to copy something. My advice for people looking to do a "starter experience" kit is this:
The joy of imperial fighters is that a good pilot (here meaning a combination of skilled player and high Pilot Skill) can make them dance.
Because a good imperial pilot can fly rings around a rebel fighter, rebel fighters work best in elements.
If you know anything about mid-20th century air combat, then you already know pretty much everything you need to know about agile fighters (imperial) vs. tough (rebel) ones. The only way for the tough fighters to win is either (i) the pilot in the agile fighter to make a mistake, or (ii) to work together. Teamwork can compensate for agility.

For this reason, my personal preference is to have no fewer than 2 of each fighter. I also think that the age-old advice to miniatures collectors in any wargame applies here too: buy what you like. I am very impressed by how well FFG has balanced everything they've put out so far. There are no bad ships.

Beyond your two starters, my advice about rebel ships would be:
Buy ships whose lore and/or look you like.
Buy them in pairs, unless you're just buying for the extra cards (e.g., even though you have two X-wings from your starters, you might want to buy an X-wing blister because the cards in it are different).
You don't need more than one of the non-fighter ships (the HWK-290 and the YT-1300), although there are certainly ways to use multiples of those.
Personally I don't have a preference in terms of Y-wing, B-wing, or A-wing. They're different ships for different things (upon which I'm sure we could all wax eloquent if you were interested).

For imperial ships, my advice is the same, except I would also say:
Get some TIE interceptors.
Seriously. The TIE/in is the epitome of imperial starfighter philosophy: tied for fastest ship in the game, the most agile ship in the game, and without the anemic cannon loadout that hampers the TIE/ln, TIE/x1, or TIE/sa. They aren't the best ship in the game (again continuing the mid-century analogy, the TIE/ln has some really good aces, even if it's an inferior design - think ME-109 vs. FW-190), but they are the most imperial. For that reason, I recommend they be included in the expanded starter set for imperial boxes.

Deadlift
01-04-2014, 12:36 PM
Thank you both very much, I've got some old GW stuff on eBay atm and I'm going to use whatever I make on it to fund my purchases. I already have enough for 2 core boxes and the rest will depend on how much extra I make :).
I have a feeling after watching many videos on YouTube that I'm going to really enjoy this game.

Once again thank you for the time and effort you put in your replies.

Nabterayl
01-05-2014, 03:09 PM
No problem, and good luck with the purchase! If you find yourself torn between liking two different classes of ship equally, I'm sure we can talk more about the tactical strengths and weaknesses of the various classes.

Cody Seeger
01-05-2014, 03:56 PM
I'm in a similar situation as Deadlift, so your help has been much appreciated!

One question i do have is why do i not see the Tie-bomber that often? or A-wing?

Nabterayl
01-05-2014, 04:35 PM
Like you guys, I have mostly played with my own miniatures (though some friends are getting their own collections now), so I can only speculate from my own experience. But my guesses are these:

One of the most admirable things (to me) about this game is that its mechanics feel very Star Wars. The A-wing is, lore-wise, an interceptor. Its job is not to sweep fighters from space, but to track down big lumbering targets before they can do their jobs, and harry them into oblivion. In game terms, its two attack dice are not likely to land a lot of damage against the three agility dice of Imperial fighters, and its missiles are best used against targets with low agility. It isn't even especially likely to win a turning dogfight against a TIE fighter - although slightly more nimble, it lacks a TIE's ability to shift laterally. Until recently, A-wings haven't had a lot of their natural prey - the TIE bomber and Lambda-class shuttle only came out very recently. And using them to best effect in a dogfight requires, in my opinion, a lot of teamwork. As the rebels discovered in reality (well, "reality"), the A-wing is not a better dogfighter than the X-wing. It's a good craft, and it has its uses, but it isn't a straight upgrade the way the TIE interceptor is simply a TIE fighter, only better in every way.

In some ways the TIE bomber is similar. I haven't played with my TIE bombers yet, but as far as I can tell they really are built to carry large amounts of ordnance, and the natural prey for ordnance is tough ships with low agility - Y-wings, B-wings, YT-1300s, and HWK-190s. If you don't see a lot of those in your local scene, then I wouldn't take TIE bombers either.

PalinMoonstride
01-06-2014, 09:03 PM
I'm in a similar situation as Deadlift, so your help has been much appreciated!

One question i do have is why do i not see the Tie-bomber that often? or A-wing?

The Tie bomber is a missile boat in a game where missiles are expensive points wise and not very reliable.

The A-wing is highly maneuverable but doesn't have the fire power to accomplish a whole lot. Basically they get treated as over costed Tie fighters.

Hopefully the "Epic" battles with capital ships will give them more use as I personally enjoy playing with both ships in casual games.

spaceman91
01-07-2014, 05:49 AM
Right then, I've watched the intro video on you tube and I'm looking at giving the game a go. Obviously the core starter set is a must, but what else should I be looking at ? Should I get another couple of ships (expansions), one for each faction ? And if so which 2 would you recommend to keep both sides balanced. I'm looking to have both a Rebel and Imperial list as I know my mates will only play if I supply everything.

Also any other tips ? Not list building so much but just what to get to make the beginners experience well rounded.

Cheers

Dead.

If you ever want to go competitive then in would say pick up 2x tie fighters 2x tie interceptors maybe a bomber. For the rebels 2x xwing 2x b wing and maybe an a wing and a y wing. The maybes aren't used very often but are good.

eldargal
01-07-2014, 06:19 AM
Buy all the things, such pretties...

spaceman91
01-07-2014, 06:26 AM
Buy all the things, such pretties...
What she said

Bigred
01-07-2014, 11:51 AM
I'm drooling just waiting for Imperial Aces - and the Big Rebel Ships.

We have a guy here with all the spacefighting scenes music from the movies on a loop on his phone. It's now etiquette to play it all during games. Somehow it really makes things better.

Deadlift
01-07-2014, 12:17 PM
I've seen a few videos on how to "pimp" some of the models. Yeah I will be doing just that. But I have to say one of the attractions of the game is the not having to paint, and what looks like easy to pick up rules. My daughters even interested in having a go and that's a bonus for me :)

Deadlift
01-07-2014, 12:49 PM
Actually I have a question about availability, some of the ships I have been recommended like the Interceptor and y wing are a complete pain to get a hold of and I've given up for the time being. Is this usual and can I expect availability of some of these popular ships to pick up again. At the moment it's either pay over double or nearly triple price or pay for shipping from America.

spaceman91
01-07-2014, 01:52 PM
Actually I have a question about availability, some of the ships I have been recommended like the Interceptor and y wing are a complete pain to get a hold of and I've given up for the time being. Is this usual and can I expect availability of some of these popular ships to pick up again. At the moment it's either pay over double or nearly triple price or pay for shipping from America.

Its normal. They do a 'print' that at the min is not lasting long. You then have to wait 3-4 months for the new print to go through and arrive from China. On a better note amazon contacted me today to tell me that the y wing and advanced will be back at the correct price in Feb. I think the A wing will probably be month after. I feel you pain on this. Been waiting for the y and advanced since Dec.

spaceman91
01-07-2014, 02:06 PM
Also of its OK I have pics from the new rebel transport. These are the unique pilots for the x wing66316632
Also there is the standard two (rookie and red)
From these I have made out
Porkins: pilot skill 7
Hobbie klivan: pilot skill 5
Wes janson: pilot skill 8 and I can't work out the last dude tarr or tark .

Deadlift
01-07-2014, 02:29 PM
Thanks for that info mate, very much appreciated. I will checking with Amazon then :)

pgarfunkle
01-09-2014, 03:41 PM
He could be Tarn Mison, who was an escort for one of the transports fleeing Hoth.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tarn_Mison

I'm looking forward finding out what all those new icons on the transport are :D

Nabterayl
01-09-2014, 04:31 PM
That name does look very much like Tarn Mison.

Deadlift
01-11-2014, 09:19 AM
My initial purchases arrived today ;) 2 core sets and 1 tie fighter. There's another core on its way but I'm very excited about giving this game a go. Wife has agreed to play tonight and were just starting with the 1 core to begin with. Can't wait and I will likly do my own review / take on the game on here and my blog.

Weidekuh
01-12-2014, 03:34 AM
Maybe a bit late but here is my take on starting X-Wing:

- 2x Core Sets. The best value you can get and with 2 X-Wings and 4 Tie-Fighters you have a very solid base for any squadron.
- Buy whatever ship you like. Maybe proxy and try them out. Maneuver dials are easy to find online. X-Wing is extremely good balanced. You can build good squadrons with basicly anything. If you're a hardcore competitive player avoid the tie-advanced, it's just slightly (!) weaker. (But i would still go for one because Darth Vader is freaking awesome to fly :) ). Also A-Wings and Lambda Shuttles are a bit harder to fly as well.
- My choice in more or less chronological order was: 2x Core Sets. 1x Tie-Fighter Expansion, 1x X-Wing Expansion, 2x Tie-Interceptor, 2x A-Wing, 3x Y-Wing, 2x Firespray, 1x Milennium Falcon, 3x B-Wing, 2x HWK, 2x Tie-Bomber, 1x Lambda Shuttle

My favourite Ships to fly: (This is an arbitrary personal choice)
Rebels: B-Wing > Y-Wing > A-Wing > X-Wing > HWK > Milennium Falcon
Imperium: Firespray > Interceptor > Lambda > Tie-Fighter > Advanced > Bomber

PS: This game is awesome! :)

lobster-overlord
01-12-2014, 06:51 AM
target has but the core game on clearance. wa have 3 copies at the store here at 50 % off. I was thinking of getting into cause eof that but I have no one to play against except my 7 year old

Weidekuh
01-12-2014, 07:00 AM
There are both factions in the core set and the rules are very easy to learn. You can play with any friend that likes board games. Just lend them your minis for the game. I do that all the time.

Nabterayl
01-14-2014, 08:20 PM
Saw your thread about your game with your daughter, Deadlift. Dad tip re: the YT-1300s - in my experience they're best dealt with by focusing all your fire on them early, while you still have tons of attack dice to throw at their weedy little one defense die. They're a big fat chunk of points that, if neutralized early, can make things very hard for the Rebel player. If you let them get into a dogfight they're surprisingly hard to deal with even though they aren't especially maneuverable, since they can put 100% of their maneuvering consideration into avoiding you, without any need to maneuver to bring their guns to bear.

Use, or deliberately don't use, as your dad conscience dictates :)

Deadlift
01-16-2014, 10:54 AM
Had a day of it today, 3 core sets and various lists and using the full rules. Started out with smaller games and worked our way up to 80pts. This game easy to pick up, fast to play and just so much fun.

spaceman91
01-16-2014, 12:08 PM
Had a day of it today, 3 core sets and various lists and using the full rules. Started out with smaller games and worked our way up to 80pts. This game easy to pick up, fast to play and just so much fun.

It being so easy to pick up is a massive plus. It's a simple game but at the same time it's very complex. So many tactics can be used.

Deadlift
01-16-2014, 02:43 PM
Yep, we started at 10am (ish) and just used the starter set of rules and one set of core ships for a couple of games. We took turns with each of the sides and to begin with it really felt that the Imperials had the edge on the Rebel ship. Then we upped the game to 50pts a side and stuck with the starter rules. The games went well and then we dived in and played some 80pt games using the full rules. We again took turns with each side but experimented with upgrades and named pilots which really opened up the "tactics" of the game. R2D2 repairing shields is just awesome and Mith Mauler is easily my favorite Tie pilot. Luke predictable is awesome and with between 8 and 9 ships starting on the bigger games it really upped the dog fight feel of the game.
We finally knocked it on the head about 6 and a half hours later. I've been playing 40k for years and I still struggle with the rules, but I think with one day of playing X-Wing we really have the mechanics of it down. Now it's just learning what combination of ships, pilots and upgrades work well together.

spaceman91
01-17-2014, 08:53 AM
Yep, we started at 10am (ish) and just used the starter set of rules and one set of core ships for a couple of games. We took turns with each of the sides and to begin with it really felt that the Imperials had the edge on the Rebel ship. Then we upped the game to 50pts a side and stuck with the starter rules. The games went well and then we dived in and played some 80pt games using the full rules. We again took turns with each side but experimented with upgrades and named pilots which really opened up the "tactics" of the game. R2D2 repairing shields is just awesome and Mith Mauler is easily my favorite Tie pilot. Luke predictable is awesome and with between 8 and 9 ships starting on the bigger games it really upped the dog fight feel of the game.
We finally knocked it on the head about 6 and a half hours later. I've been playing 40k for years and I still struggle with the rules, but I think with one day of playing X-Wing we really have the mechanics of it down. Now it's just learning what combination of ships, pilots and upgrades work well together.
I don't get on with Luke. Whenever I have used him he just sort of commits suicide( with help from the since gods).

Psychosplodge
01-17-2014, 09:02 AM
Actually I have a question about availability, some of the ships I have been recommended like the Interceptor and y wing are a complete pain to get a hold of and I've given up for the time being. Is this usual and can I expect availability of some of these popular ships to pick up again. At the moment it's either pay over double or nearly triple price or pay for shipping from America.

Amazon? (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ax+wing+miniatures+gam e&page=2&keywords=x+wing+miniatures+game&ie=UTF8&qid=1389970571)

Deadlift
01-17-2014, 09:38 AM
Amazon? (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ax+wing+miniatures+gam e&page=2&keywords=x+wing+miniatures+game&ie=UTF8&qid=1389970571)

not at £30 for a new y-wing no :(

Psychosplodge
01-17-2014, 09:43 AM
Ah. is that not the going price?
That Corellian corvette looks nice :D

Bigred
01-17-2014, 10:18 AM
I don't know how much this helps outside of the United States but FFG has fantastic deals with lots of big-box stores. For example gamers have reported X-Wing ships turning up at:

Target (boxed sets)
Barnes & Noble (everything)
Gamestop (everything)

I was especially surprised to see X-Wing merchandise at the videogame store Gamestop - but they do carry some.

It's now a standard hunting ground for when I can't find them via game stores or online retailers.

Psychosplodge
01-18-2014, 11:48 AM
Oh they've got them in forbidden planet (https://forbiddenplanet.com/?q=xwing) as well DL but no idea where your nearest one is.

Deadlift
01-18-2014, 01:02 PM
The y-wing and tie advanced popped up at the normal price of £11 on ebay last night. Ive ordered 2 y-wings and 1 tie advanced (Darth Vader) for now. But thanks for the info guys :).

pgarfunkle
01-18-2014, 03:55 PM
Thanks for the tip DL I've just ordered the same :D