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X-Wing?

3K views 29 replies 8 participants last post by  Klajorne 
G
#1 ·
So how many of you have tried this so far? I've got right into it, the idea of pre-painted ships for like a little over a tenner each is not bad, couple that to the simplicity of the rules yet the strategic difficulty of outmanoeuvring your opponent and it has all the tick boxes checked for me. Now I'm just waiting for a decent Capital ship version so that I can go head to head properly. :)
 
#2 ·
Tried it and love it. As you said rules are super easy and the pre-painted ships are great. Already bought two starter sets, Y and Tie advanced...now just waiting for all my wave 2 releases to come in. Even some of my non-gamer friends like it. Really, really great game! Can't wait for wave 3 releases to come out.
 
#4 ·
I play Wings of War, and Aeronautica, and it's basically the same thing. Yeah, XWing is cheaper than AI and easier to find than WoW, but it would be like buying a copy of the same game on 3 different platforms. I can't use my AI stuff with WoW, and can't use my WoW stuff with XWing. I also play a very old game called Canvas Eagles, which I got started in for less than $5 since it's played on a hex-grid and doesn't really need any models (we use printed markers). CE has the same feel as the card driven games - each player selects a maneuver from a list available to their plane, which lays out a pattern for hex movement. However, there are better rules for gaining/losing altitude, damage effects, and a tracker for fuel and ammunition - it is a lot more detailed than the other games which have their roots in CE's system.

I have played it though, and it is pretty fun. There was a big following at my LGS right after release, but I don't hang out there anymore. If I find somewhere that's playing it regularly - maybe a bookstore with a league or something - I might buy in, just for the social aspect, but other than that, I'm not interested in another card-based, watered-down flight game.
 
G
#5 ·
Yeah, got 2 starters and a y-wing here. Always did have a bit of a soft spot for the old workhorse. She's tough and takes some crap. Stick R2D2 in there and she's hard as nails. Could use more Imperial ships tbh, just to balance it out more easily.
 
#7 ·
Reviving this old thread to get some discussion going on all things X-Wing.

This game has had a resurgence around here, and we've been having loads of fun playing it. Just curious to hear how you guys are enjoying it, and what you've found to work for you.

I'm still goofing around with my lists. I've been sticking with the rebels, because I have a really hard time with how slow and clumsy they are compared to the Imperials. As of right now, I've just got 3 X-wings and 1 Y-wing, and have been running them in a pack. 4 ships seems to be a good number, as 3 ships seems too "fragile" if I lose one in the initial onslaught. I don't want to have too many eggs in one basket.

The X-Wings have been great, as they represent a good "workhorse" and foundation for my army. Now that I'm learning the skills to actually maneuver them (slower ships seem to require a lot more forward planning than faster ships), and I'm able to maximize their offensive output, I've really fallen in love with them.

The Y-Wing, though, has just never sat well with me. I've been running it with an Ion Turret, which has been nice for the 360 degree firing arc, but it just never "feels" right. I like the concept of a "debuffings" weapon, to better utilize the remainder of the ships (I was also able to fly the Slave 1 off the board one game because of it, which was more luck than anything), but it's either too subtle for me to appreciate, or it's just too lackluster.

So, I'm thinking of swapping out the Y-Wing for a B-Wing (I hear it has sensors or something), and maybe one of the X-Wings for an A-Wing (to break off and attack a flank).


Anyways, just want to try to get some talk about X-Wings going. Let me know if you've been playing, what you've been liking, what sort of ships/styles have been working for you, etc.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I played this game a lot. It served as a nice lil' distraction game (and there was nothing to paint!!!).

I usually played as the Rebels, one of my favourite builds and probably one of the most easiest to fly is the 4 X-wing ship build. Usually I split them into two groups (one with Luke+Swarm tactics and a Rookie, one with Garvin Dreis and a Rookie).

The B-wing is a lot to fun to use and an awesome assault ship, it flies like a bathtub, but once it's in close it has all the 1 and 2 turns and banks so it is able to maneuver incredibly well at close range. The high shield value gives it more crit immunity than the Y-wing. Plus the B-wing is just a fun ship to load up. Blue Squadron pilot with full Proton Torps and Dutch in a Y-wing with Proton Torps passing out target locks makes for a great Turn 1/2 range 3 surprise (remember you don't get the extra evade dice at range 3 vs. secondary weapons) before the B-wing closes in to deal with what's left.

A-wings are great. Tycho with Push the Limit is arguably the most maneuverable ship in the game, although it does take some getting use to when you're use to flying the less maneuverable X-wings.

Haven't played as much as the Imps. Tie Interceptor is by far my favourite ship, currently I only have one and have been sorely tempted to pick up another. The Shuttle is also quite the scary opponent. Flies like a brick but has can be upgraded with multiple tricks. Slave 1 I haven't used either, I would like to test out a Firespray build that sits in the back and just fires away with the Blaster Cannon.
 
#9 ·
How does the B-Wing fly compared to the Y-Wing? I feel like the Y-Wing is particularly immobile, which is something that I don't care for. Not that I need Tie Fighter level of maneuverability, but having something that can kind of keep moving with the X-Wings would be nice. I guess: does the B-Wing move better, worse, or about the same as the Y-Wing?
 
#10 · (Edited)
having something that can kind of keep moving with the X-Wings would be nice. I guess: does the B-Wing move better, worse, or about the same as the Y-Wing?
Y-wing's will never move as fast as the X-wing. Although, and this is something it took me a few games to learn, when playing Rebel's it isn't always necessary to blast forward first turn to try and get into Range 1 of the Ties first turn. Sometimes it pays to keep it slow, bait the Tie's into coming to you before splitting up the swarm and bringing two ships to bear on a poor, poor Academy pilot...

B-wing maneuver dial is here.

Y-wing's is here.

Also, it's important to note that the Y-wing can take an R2 Astromech droid which turns all 1 and 2 speed maneuvers into green maneuvers (making it much easier to shake stress after pulling a 4 Korrigan turn).

Cannot recommend this website enough, great site for anyone looking for tactics, pilot, upgrade and ship breakdown on almost every aspect of the game: http://www.themetalbikini.com
 
#11 ·
Huh, looking at it, it looks like the B-Wing is even slower than the Y-Wing, though more maneuverable at the lower speeds. Seems like it's about as tough (or tougher due to all it's HP being in shields over hull) than the Y-Wing, but more offense. It seems to be weaker in the "utility" department, which was what I was wanting in that slot. I'm not keen on the Ion Turret, but it does provide some buff/debuff power that complements a list in a way that I find extremely fun. It adds extra toys/options beyond just shooting things within my firing arc. It doesn't seem like the B-Wing does that in the same way, or if it does (by adding missiles, cannons, etc), the B-Wing gets very expensive very fast.

Now, do you have much of an opinion on the difference between 3 ships or 4 ships in 100 point games? 4 ships seems to mean bare bones, whereas 3 ships makes a more "elite" list where pilots can be better, and more options (missiles, astromechs, etc). What's the difference in how they play to you?

EDIT: Oh yeah, and definitely thanks for the links. I'll check those out as I get time.
 
#12 ·
Read the Metal Bikini link. It answers a lot more of those questions better than I can. As well, when looking at the ships, don't forget the upgrades. The B-wing has the option to take Advanced Systems (Fire Control system, Advanced Sensors) as well as a cannon upgrade (Ion Cannon, Heavy Laser Cannon, etc).

As well, the Y-wing also has the option to not just pack an Ion Turret, but can use a Blaster Turret instead which is available in the HWK-290. Or you don't have to run a turret at all, and can just use the Y-wing as a cheap torpedo delivery system. If you do want more of a utility ship the HWK-290 can provide lots of utility. Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors are both great pilots for passing out actions, focus tokens, etc.

Regarding list building, there really is no right or wrong answer regarding number of ships. Generally I tend to lean towards 3 or 4 ships, but then 2 Falcons can be just as viable.

This browser based squadron builder can provide a wealth of info on what all the cards do, all the pilots do, ship stats, etc.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Yeah, too busy playing some games to read the link yet. :p

It's not a reasonable thing, but I don't like the HWK-290. Maybe it was because it came after the main X-Wing/Tie Fighter video games, or maybe because it's not coherent with the aesthetic of the old Letter-Wings. For that reason, all my list building is restricted to just the Letter-Wing models. I might have to give it a go, though, if it's that "buffing" ship that I was hoping for.

Looking at it closer, the B-Wing is more of a gunboat than anything else. It just takes the Y-Wings toughness for the X-Wings "speed". After having fun with Ion Cannons, though, I was pondering an all Ion Cannon list. Perhaps I'm being won over to the Y-Wing afterall. That, and you're advice of "taking it a little slower" with the rebels really made a difference at improving my game. I'm learning that I don't need to always be in a big rush or how to win games without trying to outmaneuver my Imperial opponent.

Game last night was:

Rebels-
X-Wing Rookie Pilot w/ Proton Torpedoes
X-Wing Biggs w/ R2D2 (for maximum tank-ness)
Y-Wing Gold Pilot w/ Ion Cannon & Some astrodroid that I always forgot to use
A-Wing Prototype Pilot w/ Concussion Missiles (or something, never fired them).

vs

Imperials-
Tie Fighter Rookie Pilots x 2
Tie Fighter Mithril guy
Tie Advanced
Tie Bomber w/ bombs

So, I had one of those "well, huh" moments. I started the game with this great master plan. My opponent placed his Imperials in the center of his deployment zone. I was going to put my two X-Wings and Y-Wing on the right side of the board, and face his squadron mostly head on. Then, I placed my A-Wing on the far left side of the board, with the intent of zooming up the flank and hitting them in the side.

Of course, we start the game and my opponent turns and goes straight toward the lone, unsupported A-Wing looking for an easy kill. For some reason, I had convinced myself, in my head, how the first turn was going to play out, that this completely surprised me. It ended up working out in the end, as the A-Wing was able to duck and weave madly, thereby breaking up my opponent's formation and get all his ships tangled up in the ensuing dogfight, as well as placing them in a poor position so that when the remainder of my ships came around, it was a shooting gallery. He died, of course, as no pilot can be expected to survive a scrum like that, but that initial "breakup" really helps me in one of the problems I have with the game (that initial onslaught as one of my ships always gets focused fired on the first approach). Plus, after that, my opponent was never able to really get his ships back into a good position and I was able to, more or less, maintain my positional superiority for the rest of the match.

In retrospect, I should have used the A-Wing's speed and made a run for it, instead of trying to take on all 5 ships alone. I could have sent him around the board and brought him in to outflank again later. The things you learn as you go.

I am going to keep those main 4 ships as the bones of my main list going forward, but I need to juggle the details (I need a more survivable A-Wing), and I might go for one of the named guys on the Y-Wing. I feel like Biggs is my crutch, as I have a hard time making a list without him and his R2-D2 droid. He's always on a Sunday drive, mulling around taking shots at targets of opportunity, set on cruise control of "Green Maneuvers", while everybody around him is doing all the killing. And the Y-Wing is working better and better, as a single Ion Cannon shot, while not doing much as far as damage goes, can easily remove a model from play if fired at the correct target. Still not sure how I feel about missiles/torpedoes, though.


Is the game still balanced out? Does one side have it any easier than the other? I might have to get into this some time.
I get the feeling it is. It seems FFG tries to do their best to "shake up the meta" with every new release. When one dominant strategy comes to the fore, it seems like they try to plan the next release to counter it. Now, they're not doing revisions on old models, so there will only be so much good balancing that can be done, but the meta seems to change fast enough to keep from becoming stale.

That, and when you play, there are some aspects of randomness and list building, but you always get that feeling that what wins you games is how well you can maneuver. Or rather, how well you can out-maneuver your opponent. I always feel like a few good rounds of either putting yourself where you want to be, or having your opponent end up where he doesn't want to be, means more than having an extra dice on the roll.

Not so say that list building doesn't help, but it doesn't win you games in the same way that it does in Warhammers. Though, this might not apply to big capital ships that don't really maneuver, since we don't play with those.

I do think that you take to certain factions easier than others, as they do play completely different (ie: fast versus tough). I feel like I rock with the Imperials, and I struggle with the Rebels. But I feel that's more due to my natural aptitude (probably from playing too much Tie Fighter as a kid) rather than a game balance thing.
 
#13 ·
heh. Looking at the Metal Bikini site, it seems that they're going really heavy with the cards and different effects. You have to remember that I only played this game when it was first released, and at that time I sort of expected that you would only have a handful of named pilots and the rest would just be squad-mates. Not sure if I like the idea of running a fleet of "super groups". Still, it makes it a little bit more interesting than Aeronautica or Canvas Eagles. Less detailed, same general mechanics, and (especially for a space game) same 2d limitations that you get from AI (canvas has altitude markers), but you have a lot more room for variation between the ships. Again, Canvas Eagle has more planes, but no points costs, so we tended to just use the production values in a more "historically accurate campaign" format, and while it was certainly cool to have an ace flying a Pup in a squadron of Neuport 17s, there were only a handful of leveled skills that you could give your pilots through advancement.
XWing seems to go right out of the gate with the skilled pilots, and now they seem to have a few more ships than just the TIE and titular XWing.

Is the game still balanced out? Does one side have it any easier than the other? I might have to get into this some time.
 
#15 ·
Man, it's funny. When I started playing 40k back in the day, I got a TON of info from this site. Now years later, I see on my Google Analytics tonight that I'm getting some traffic from here, and well, whaddaya know? My old login still works even.

I'm Clint from TheMetalBikini.com, by the way. :)

Thanks for the kind words y'all, glad you're getting some use out of my little website!

And yeah, I still think the game is fairly balanced. I think the main thing to keep in mind about X-Wing is how well you maneuver your ships is much more important than what you spent your points on. It's definitely one of those games you get better at the more you play it. When I first started out, I was asteroid bait non-stop. I mean, for reals- I was my own worst enemy 90% of the time. Once you get the hang of the templates though, it gets much easier and you can start focusing more on selecting pilots and upgrades and stuff that support the ships you like to use and the way you play the game.

Best advice I can give is buy the models you like and learn to fly them. Don't listen to the internet too much when you first start out- just like any other game, ships come into and fall out of popular opinion. Play with the stuff you like, learn to fly them effectively, and you'll always be at least competitive. Most of all though, have fun. X-Wing seems to be developing a pretty competitive player base as time goes on and more people get into it, but there's still a whoooole lot of people out there just playing it with their buddies on the weekends and stuff too.

Peace!
 
#17 · (Edited)
Since this thread was bumped again, I thought I'd throw in a more recent post.

Had a couple days home from work, so I called up my old dog-fighting buddy to have another game. List went something along the lines of:

Rebels (me)
Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Elusiveness (2)

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R2-D2 (4)

Rookie Pilot (21)

"Dutch" Vander (23)
Ion Cannon Turret (5)
R5 Astromech (1)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

vs

Imperials (buddy of mine)
Col. Jendon Lamda Shuttle w/ Advanced Sensors, ST-321, a crew member (maybe?)
Darth Vader TIE Advanced w/ Squad Leader, Missiles
TIE Bomber w/ lotsa missiles and torpedoes
(sorry, a little loose on my buddy's list, didn't eyeball it too closely)


Still having a lot of fun with the game. I had never played against a shuttle before, so I was curious how it's buffing mechanism would function. I thought I should focus fire down the smaller ships, since they are where the damage output was coming from, and then go back to the shuttle once I'd taken the teeth from the list. Oddly enough, it played out much as expected, though in the end there was just my fully healthy Dutch and a marginally wounded Vader, where we called it as a draw because we weren't much interested in playing out the million turns where Vader flies circles around Dutch and we see who has a bad roll first.

Main takeaways from the match:

-We really need to find some missions to play. Dogfights are fun to start with, but really get tedious after an hour. We'll probably start playing the missions that come with the big ships next time around, but I've not heard of any missions that are exclusively small ships beyond the ones in the starter set.

-It might be time to retire Biggs. At first, I really liked Biggs because it put a damper in my opponent's plan. He couldn't aim for softer/weaker targets, and so had to go for Biggs instead. Now, my opponent is aware of my Biggs strategy, and just goes straight for him. In this game, Biggs went down fast and hard in the first volley of shooting.

-While ion turrets are great in a target rich environment, in this situation (big ship and Vader), it was pretty useless. Dutch definitely "earned his points" just by handing out target locks, but the turret I could have left at home. I'm not sure how I feel about keeping it in my list. Without the turret, I'm always getting aggravated by how like a boat that old Y-Wing flies.

-Vader is pretty much impossible to hit if he doesn't want to be hit. Fortunately, TIE Advanced are fairly toothless for their points. Still frustrating when my lone Y-Wing is trying to dogfight with Vader. I feel like I'm trying to swat at a mosquito.

-I don't know how I feel about A-Wings. Actually, I've just been horribly spoiled by the offensive power of the X-Wing, so anything with 2 attack dice really feels weak. I was able to solidly flank with the A-Wing, came in perfect, and it just felt like a slap fight.


Mostly, at this point I'm just narrowing down my preferences. I might jump ship over to the Imperial side, as my buddy's son plays Imperial, and so he's usually playing Rebels when he's at home. Ergo, it makes more sense to build up an Imperial force so he's not jumping back and forth. I'm excited about the prospect, just because in my initial playings I was taking to the Imperials more, and only chose the Rebels because they were harder for me.

Ordered up a slew of ships with my last 40k order, so they'll be waiting for me when I get back home. I think I'll start off with one of those "one of everything" lists, just to see if there's a ship type that really speaks to me. I'm not really excited to play a swarm style army, but the prospect of playing an elite 1 Defender + 2 Advance does sound interesting. Also picked up some templates from Team Covenant. I'm such a sucker for those little extra add-ons. :p
 
#18 ·
Since this thread was bumped again, I thought I'd throw in a more recent post.
-While ion turrets are great in a target rich environment, in this situation (big ship and Vader), it was pretty useless. Dutch definitely "earned his points" just by handing out target locks, but the turret I could have left at home. I'm not sure how I feel about keeping it in my list. Without the turret, I'm always getting aggravated by how like a boat that old Y-Wing flies.
The ion turret seems like a double edged sword to me. Every game I take it on my Y-Wing it does nothing just like in your game, but when I leave it out of my Y-Wing maneuvers like a beached whale while my opponent jukes out of its line of fire and it STILL does nothing :/ If Dutch weren't such a good support, my Y-Wing would probably never see the light of day again.
 
#20 ·
Take it for what it's worth, but I usually get pretty good mileage out of switching my turrets- try sticking an Ion on a HWK and take a Blaster Turret and try it on a Y-Wing. Maybe it's just me, but I think both perform better that way. If you're worried about the whole Focus token necessary to fire the Blaster Turret deal, try sticking that BT on Dutch Vander and let him fly around with his best pal Garven Dreis.

Hey also, if any of y'all are interested, Miniature Market and my website are running an X-Wing painting contest. First place is a free Imperial Aces expansion and a TMB t-shirt! For more info, stop on by the site or click this- TheMetalBikini.com- X-Wing Miniatures content updated daily through the week!: TMB.com X-Wing Painting Contest Sponsored by Miniature Market!

Peace!
 
#22 ·
Hey also, if any of y'all are interested, Miniature Market and my website are running an X-Wing painting contest. First place is a free Imperial Aces expansion and a TMB t-shirt! For more info, stop on by the site or click this- TheMetalBikini.com- X-Wing Miniatures content updated daily through the week!: TMB.com X-Wing Painting Contest Sponsored by Miniature Market!

Peace!
Hrmmm... I meant to reply earlier, but...

I only know how to paint in two speeds: slow, and mach slow. That being said, I'm excited to see what people have submitted to you as I'll be looking for inspiration for down the line. I think the base paint jobs are great on the X-Wing minis and it's particularly nice being able to play out of the box without any time investment spent on painting, but it'd be nice to be able to differentiate a little bit when playing mirror matches.


I am interested in a small elite list built around the Tie Advanced. Would something like this work?

Tie Advanced - Darth Vader - Squad Leader - Concussion Missiles.
Tie Advanced - Maarek Stele - Wingman - Concussion Missiles.
Tie Bomber - Scimitar Squadron Pilot - Proton Torpedos x2 - Cluster Missiles x2.
It looks like you're really banking on that alpha strike. My concern would be that your bomber never lives long enough to get all his secondaries off. I think this has to do more with the fault of the Advanced more than the Bomber, as once you fire off your missiles, the Advanced don't have much for offense to really draw attention.

Not to say you couldn't make the list work (the game is spectacularly balanced so that it is tough to make a bum list), but I think you're really going to have to work to keep that Bomber firing off missiles every chance it gets. I know they tend to be my first targets, especially when there's a super evasive ship like Vader on the board. I tend to go for easy kills before hard kills.

You'll have to let us know how it works. General internet vibe is that missiles/torpedoes are rather "not worth their cost". But, it's a bit different when you're loading up on them.
 
#21 ·
I am interested in a small elite list built around the Tie Advanced. Would something like this work?

Tie Advanced - Darth Vader - Squad Leader - Concussion Missiles.
Tie Advanced - Maarek Stele - Wingman - Concussion Missiles.
Tie Bomber - Scimitar Squadron Pilot - Proton Torpedos x2 - Cluster Missiles x2.
 
#23 ·
Something like this is going to depend a lot on you personally.

This may change somewhat after Wave 4 drops, and by that I mean it will in all likelihood change when Wave 4 drops, but right now low ship count lists are pretty unforgiving- especially low count Imperial lists.

Again, this isn't to say it's a bad list necessarily, just that you'll likely take some lumps trying to fly it. It'll be fairly unforgiving.

Squad Leader on Vader potentially gives either Maarek or the Scimitar a Focus with which to make those shots count, so you've got some potential for really hurting somebody bad, but as Klajorne said, you're going to be fairly dependent on the alpha or some pretty slick maneuvering to make something like this work.

Good luck!
 
#26 ·
I'm jealous. I've been eyeing that TIE Defender for a while now. I've really been wanting to do an Elite Imperial list with only 3 ships or so. How are you using your current Bomber? That's a ship that I just want to love, but haven't been able to make it click quite yet. I really wish I could stick the Deadeye talent on one ship that wasn't just the two named guys.

Lately, my buddy and I have been playing more and more of the missions that come with the ships, instead of just the basic furball kill-'em-all game. Lots more fun, and enjoying the tactical depth involved. Wish there were more missions like that about.
 
#29 ·
I just bought X-Wing today. My girlfriend seem interested in playing it which is great - she likes Carcassonne and Blood Bowl (BB7s especially) but have never had any luck with Fantasy or 40k, even at skirmish level (1000pts and under) which is where I prefer to play.

That TheMetalBikini site seems a really good resource. Any super basic advice?

Any players around Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK?
 
#30 ·
Since I am an Imperial player, I had to post up that FFG is finally releasing an EPIC Star Destroyer. I'm genuinely excited about this release. I love these big ships, not just for use as obstacles (it's awesome dogfighting in a capital ship graveyard), but they provide a whole new edge to the game.

On a second note: they added a stealth point drop to the Tie Advanced with the title upgrade. Considering it's supposed to be the most overcosted ship in the game, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

It's so far out, though. I haven't even had a chance to get a Decimator yet. Or a Slave1, for that matter. Lrn2supplychain, FFG!
 
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