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View Full Version : Need some advice! How to start collecting and playing!



Gloks
09-01-2014, 05:26 PM
Hey guys, first post here.

I've had my eye on this star wars game for a very long time. I have to admit, it looks like a brilliant game. As many people may be here, I am a very avid 40k player. Have been for 10 years. Its great and I still play it, but I want to know more about this X-Wing game. I've been reading about this armada pack and what not, and I really just don't know where to start. Is X-Wing the game itself? Is armada like an expansion for the game? Or is it a separate game altogether?

Whats a standard point game?
How long does it take to complete a game?
Can you play with more then 2 people?
Is it overly expensive to collect?
How competitive is it? I ask because me and my friend are very competitive and always try to play to the best of our ability and with the best lists at the time while still having fun of course.
How complicated is it? Are the rules like 40k? Where theres a ton of rules. Or is it easy to learn
Are there lists that can break the game? Or is it more about the fluff and people playing whatever they want.
What would you buy starting out? So 2 people could play the game
Are there factions where you can only play with ships from the rebels and so on? Is there a stronger faction?
How large are the X-Wing cards? Are they sleevable?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the questions.
Gloks

Brenlak
09-01-2014, 07:53 PM
Welcome to the Lounge!

I haven't been playing for very long but here's what I can tell you:

-Standard point game is 100 points (In my experience 3 to 6 ships) and is played on a 3x3 playing surface.
-Once you get going and know what your doing they say about an hour. A game takes us around an hour and a half to two hours. played a 200 point game it went on four and a half.
-You can play with more than two people, we did a four person at 75points each two people a team, Three player might be weird unless your playing a scenario.
-Compared to 40k, I would say it's cheap. Standard ship is around $16 starter pack for around $50 (Starter packs have all the measuring kajiggers so you need one).
-My friends and I aren't too competitive, but down at my FLGS they use the tournament rules that FFG released with there FAQ. makes for fair play and we are using the rules now too.
-I'm too green to say if there are lists that break the game, there are some cheap ones out there though but they are not unbeatable (With the way maneuvers work pilot error can really hurt).
-Pilot cards fit into standard American game sleeves and the smaller cards into FF Mini American Board Game size (41x63mm)
-You can pick up a starter set and play through your first time while learning the rules they are so simple, but complex enough to make you feel like your not playing a kids game.
- I think you can still field the ships from diffrent factions, but not the unique and faction specific cards (Don't quote me on this, I'm unsure, plus who wants to play Rebel Scum ships anyways.
-Really you can pick up a starter set and away you go. I base most of my new game purchases on my experience with games workshop (Spend $100, if I like it then spend more, if I don't then I shelf it) that's what I recommend. I bought a Starter set (Comes with an X-Wing and two TIE-Fighters) another TIE-Fighter and a Y-Wing (Shop owner threw in a free ship for me, foolishly I picked the HWK-90 because it was the last one there so obviously valuable) and after the first three scenario games that come with the main game I wished I had bought more.

There are lots of reviews on Youtube and a ton of info on FFG website so if in doubt check those out.

Let us know what you decide in the Tale of X-Wing gamers thread! You know you cannot resist the power of the Dark Side!

Wizzardx3
09-02-2014, 06:19 AM
Been playing since release.
Yep, 100 points in standard. 300 points is 'Epic' and included the really big ships. Some tourneys are 'escalation', first game is at 60, then 90, and finally at 120.
Games generally take 1 1/2 hours at 100 points. 60 is a great point level too, games are done at an hour.
He's right... 1-on-1 or 2-on-2. With the new faction being released in the next 6 months, a three way would be possible.
Expensive? For the equivalent cost of a 40k army, you can have just about everything FFG has released... literally enough for 4 people to play just about any list that they want to.
X-Wing can be very competative, and the meta shifts constantly. Some ships are very difficult to fly well (Phantom and the Shuttle come to mind) but very rewarding when you get it.
Rulewise, you'll get the basics in 1 or 2 games. It's fast to pick up, difficult to master. I learn something each game, but it is on the tactics side of the equation.
Broken combos in the game? No, I don't think so. There are some combinations of pilot, elite pilot talent, and gear that create a really powerful ship... but that is expensive so he won't have much else in his list. It may take a game or two to figure out how best to defeat it, but there is always a way.
I always recommend buying 2 starters and a X-Wing and two Tie expansions. That will give you all the Tie and X-Wing pilots and enough models to play a 100 point game. There has been very little power creep since release... and they are releasing new cards that can go with old ships to give them new abilities... a very nice system. Literally, a well flown 6-Tie squadron can win at tourneys.
Both factions are pretty well balanced... things will get interesting when the Scum and Villainy make it to tables.
As far as sleeves, Brenlak covered it. FFG has a color coded sleeving convention. On the back of each box or pack, there is a colored square with a number in it. The number is the number of sleeves that product needs of that color. Very cool, but also very expensive. There are other sleeves that will fit, and you can find them on line. Most of the cards don't need sleeves (imho), but you do want to sleeve the damage cards since you will be shuffling them for every game.

It's a great game, and I love how I can spend a relatively modest amount and have enough for all of my friends to play.

Eberk
09-02-2014, 11:46 AM
How complicated is it? Are the rules like 40k? Where theres a ton of rules. Or is it easy to learn

Perhaps I'm stating the obvious and you already know... but you can download the rules from the FFG X-Wing site.

Deadlift
09-02-2014, 11:49 AM
The guys have pretty much covered it.

Welcome to the "dark side"

Daredhnu
09-03-2014, 11:27 AM
since nobody else has mentioned this yet.

Star Wars: X-wing and Star Wars: Armada are 2 different games, the scale is completely different (and it has to be to be able to play with things like victory class star destroyers)

and i agree with everything the others have already said.

as for advice on what to pick up first, wizzard pretty much nailed it, 2 starter sets will give you all the dice and other gameplay Essentials so both players can have their own set (it's also a pretty good deal money wise) besides those, 2 extra Tie Fighters and an extra X-wing will be enough to give 2 players a well rounded 100pt list.
after that though it's pretty much up to personal taste on what to get, every ship has it's upsides and downsides the game is really well balanced, who wins comes down far more to tactics used (maneuvers, actions and focussed fire) than it does to lists, the game also scales up incredibly well pointswise though personally i would recommend to play in teams then with several people on each side (perhaps even more people on the empire side considering that factions tendency for lots of cheap ships) to speed up play.
the planning phase can start to take up a large amount of time when the fleets get bigger.

Mr Mystery
09-03-2014, 12:25 PM
You can get going with just a mate, and a single starter box.

That'll give you a taste of the mechanics, and do remember to play both sides to start with!

Me? I went all mental, and have spent loads, but there's really no need to!

Daredhnu
09-03-2014, 12:41 PM
You can get going with just a mate, and a single starter box.

That'll give you a taste of the mechanics, and do remember to play both sides to start with!

Me? I went all mental, and have spent loads, but there's really no need to!

i canīt disagree with this, you truly only need the starter box to start playing.

though i think the going mental with it is par for course once you get hooked on this game :p

Brenlak
09-03-2014, 09:46 PM
Me? I went all mental, and have spent loads, but there's really no need to!

Yeah I went a bit nutty but know I have a fleet of ships I can use in a game and look great on the shelf. I'm sure lots of us have a couple TIE-Fighters and X-Wings (If your really lucky an AT-AT) from Kenner, and it's just not realistic for me to have a bunch of big ships hanging from my living room ceiling. A shelf (Coming up on two...) of beautiful to scale models seems to fit both roles perfectly.

Mr Mystery
09-04-2014, 05:13 AM
Two of everything is what I tend to do.

Opens up the cards somewhat, and the models are really, really nice, even given they're pre-painted which are normally pretty rubbish!

Bit of a Johnny Come-Lately, but picking up speed now.

And as the prime spender of my group of friends, I'm quite happy to let them use my collection for engagements. Part of the fun!

Daredhnu
09-07-2014, 12:10 PM
And as the prime spender of my group of friends, I'm quite happy to let them use my collection for engagements. Part of the fun!

I've found that a lot of my friends will tend to buy extra ships when they've tried them from me first and liked them.
I personally have no problem with being the Guinea pig so to speak and getting everything first.

Mr Mystery
09-07-2014, 01:27 PM
Indeedy.

I'm Star Wars mad, and have been as long as I can remember (and I can remember not knowing there are sequels!) so spending oodles of cash on Star Wars toyses is hardly something I'd ever object to!

Brenlak
09-07-2014, 09:44 PM
I'm the only guy in our immediate group with any X-Wing models, this is how I justify so many ships. And like any good chef I share my candy (Go ahead and use my ships, not like your gonna beat me with them[ Currently re-thinking this candy sharing strategy because I constantly get beaten by them!], and with what I have for models (One each of the huge, two of each of the large, three of every other ship and seven X-Wings and twelve TIE-Fighters) we have managed to play a 125 point a piece four player game with everybody being able to chose exactly what they wanted. I can't fathom a larger game than that one at the moment because it lasted all afternoon!
Oh and just in case, everybody using my ships knows there is a break it to own it program but so far that hasn't been an issue, and let me tell you the idea of one of my pre painted and (For the most part) easily replaceble ships getting busted over a Warhammer work of art helps me to not get worked up when something does get dropped.
Hope this post goes to help the OP in their decision making process instead of coming off as me bragging about my wicked large Geek Fleet; there's a different thread for that!