X-Wing Newbie - Advice?

[Erik Setzer]

I'm likely going to branch out into non-GW games again soon, and X-Wing has always had my interest as I love Star Wars and the X-Wing series of novels by Stackpole and Alstone (RIP, pal) were pretty much my absolute favorites. I have the core box and I've just dragged out the quick-start and full rules to read over the next day or two, will probably set up for a test game against myself on my table.

I'm considering jumping into the third faction, the wonderful bounty hunters and smugglers and all who don't care about the war and just want to do their own thing. It's got ships like Slave 1, IG-2000, and a bunch of other fun stuff. Then I might go Rebels later, but very much thinking "Scum and Villainy" sounds like fun. (Also, the other people I know are likely going to go Rebels and Imps.)

Is there any advice you all can give to a new X-Wing player, and especially with that particular faction?

[energongoodie]

I's tough to go wrong with a firespray. There are great builds with both Emon Azzamean dropping bombs all over the place. The other pilots are also good and there's Bobba of course.
I'd start a scum list with a firespray definitely and if you fancy doing tournaments...get 2!

[Mr Mystery]

Fly it like you stole it!

Defy your opponents predictions by having no idea what you're doing!

Has worked for me so far!

[Erik Setzer]

Well, that was pretty much how I won a 40K tournament, so might as well.

What's the usual points value for a game? Rulebook suggests 100. I can throw a Firespray (Emon), an Agressor (with any of the IG-88's), and a StarViper (Black Sun Vigo) in there. Or swap out one for some fighters and/or upgrades. The Most Wanted Pack has a Y-Wing and two Z-95s. Heck, Emon, two Black Sun Soldiers in Z-95s, and Drea Renthal (the middle option for Y-Wing in this army builder program I have) is 84 points, which only leaves 16 for options (or another Z-95). That'd only be just a touch over $50 from Amazon (Most Wanted and Slave 1). I can add IG-2000, a Starviper, and an M3-A Interceptor, and it'll come to $102, which would let me go with 150-200 points (would have to go with elite pilots and some addons to get to 200).

Is that a solid starting point? (I'd have to break it into two waves, but thankfully I still have a $50 Amazon gift card from my birthday.)

[Deadlift]

To begin playing, you will need at least 1 core set. Most people buy two. This gives you the rule books and all the items you will need to play the game, like templates, damage cards, dice and meteors etc. That will also give you 4 tie fighters and 2 x-wings, not the sexiest ships but to learn the game mechanics they are great. 100 pts is the size of most games, especially in tournaments. Once you have the stuff you will need then you will branch out and pick a faction. Looks like your into the villainy stuff which I've not played but looks pretty nice.

Edit....oops read you op properly. You have the core set.......then start playing like a bounty hunter and have fun. I have 2 fires sprays, imperial ones but the are great. I repainted mine as well. Lots of fun dropping mines all over the place.

[Erik Setzer]

I think the only change to the Firespray is some additional cards in the Most Wanted pack, but you still have to buy Slave 1, which is just under $25 on Amazon. Seems that's a must-have pack for the Scum and Villainy group (is that actually the official title for the faction?).

I'm surprised there aren't options for other YT-2400 pilots. I'd say YT-1300, but the only one of those available is the Millennium Falcon, and it's a distinct ship (IIRC, they modified the sensor array, among other things, so the profile isn't the same as a standard YT-1300, whereas all of Slave 1's mods are under the skin). As it is, I have to get Rebel fighters (and a light freighter) for about half the options in the faction... and since the cards for them will be in Most Wanted, yeah, looks like that's the pack for me.

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Good point on the second boxed set, though. I was looking at more dice and maybe some extra counters, but it'd be most cost-effective to just get a second starter box. Throw in an X-Wing and TIE Fighter add-on and it'll be three X-Wings and five TIE Fighters with plenty of options for how to run them, decent core for Rebel and Imp factions down the line.

[Brenlak]

Is there any advice you all can give to a new X-Wing player, and especially with that particular faction?

The way I see it (And I'm crazy as a road lizard) Most Wanted tells you everything you need. It includes dials for a Y-wing a HWK-290 and a Firespray (That's in addition to the dials provided for the included ships) so in addition to Most Wanted I would get those three ships.

I have always loved the Y-Wing because of their turret weapon and Kavil uses it like a boss


The Rebels use the HWK-290 as a support ship, Scum use it as a denial ship!


The Firespray has been covered already but my bets on Fett's Vette!


On top of that the ships themselves will have cards for the relevant faction so it will be growing your other two factions, heck even if you plan to NEVER play those brave men and women of the Imperial Navy a Firespray will give you these:

That you can use with this:


Of course that's just the bare bones your gonna want a Star Viper or four and some Interceptors, and don't forget the galaxy's most maniacal metal menace...
Ig-88 (I'm serious this droid is insane!!!)

A second starter box is always a solid buy more asteroids means more fun!! And though it hasn't happened yet I know I'm going to lose a template or two.

As far as options for other ships I bet my bottom doughnut there will be repaints released as new sets (Just like Imperial Aces and the rebelly one) as well as some iconic Scum (I'm holding on for a Hounds Tooth)!

[Mr Mystery]

Hounds Tooth and Punishing One are coming to Armada, so see a safe bet for X-Wing too.

[Brenlak]

Someone couldn't wait...

[Erik Setzer]

I took the plunge when I got home tonight... Got one of everything relevant: Mosted Wanted, Slave 1, IG-2000, HWK-290, Starviper, M3-A. I looked at some stuff online and I like the shenanigans you can pull with these guys, like the one HWK-290 pilot that can steal Focus from a nearby enemy. I'll have about 150-200 points depending on loadout, plenty of variety to select for a match, but I'll have to wait to read all the cards to figure out how to load out ships to try to build lists. I have an army builder on my Kindle, but I have no idea what all the options mean, so it's not helping more than give me a general idea.

I think X-Wing is going to give me a much-needed change of pace from GW games. First off, I was able to get all of these ships (even if you take out the gift card) for less than I spent on a Bloodthirster. I also don't have to paint them, and after recently painting 7000 points of Undead, I'd like to take a bit of a break from that (though I'll probably do some repainting of ships later for my own preferences). And the last few games of WFB and 40K I've played have been ridiculously brutal affairs, where I think I've been completely wiped out in four turns or less in every match (one of them might have taken five turns... and the first three hours I had to put up with my opponent whining he was going to lose before he slaughtered me). In each case, I felt helpless and just felt drained at the end. Even the End Times mega-battle on Saturday that I thought would make me feel pumped ended with me feeling annoyed at rules-lawyering, some stuff that didn't feel cinematic at all, and so much boredom. I don't mind losing, but I'd like it to be fun. X-Wing seems like every match is cinematic, and every faction has crazy tricks, and even if I lose I can still pull off some fun crazy stuff that at least feels like I'm doing something interesting.

Sorry, didn't mean for that to come off sounding like GW-bashing. Without ranting on too much longer, it's been a rough few weeks of work having to bust my butt on major projects with emergencies everywhere and doing basically three jobs at once, and on the weekends I want to have some fun but it's just been getting my face caved in with games that didn't feel remotely interesting at the end (only one was really any kind of fun, and that wasn't the game so much as the verbal sparring with my opponent, who's a good friend and actually asked if I took offense to any of it, which was a bit silly as I gave back as good as I got).

So I think X-Wing is right up my alley, and will be my return to branching out in gaming. And Scum and Villainy sounds like a faction where even if I lose, I can have some hilarious fun!

Thanks for the help so far guys, I'll probably have more questions, especially when my stuff arrives on Thursday.

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Oh yeah, I also saw that I can make a 100 point force with Wedge, Wes, and Tycho (with a few boosts to their vehicles). That might not be the most effective force, but I totally want to do it, because of my aforementioned love for the X-Wing novels (where those guys formed the leading trio of Rogue Squadron).