To get an idea of how Imperial TIEs are doing compared to everything else, check this out: http://lists.starwarsclubhouse.com/get_tourney_details?tourney_id=2593 That's a nearly complete tournament report from an 88-player regional a few days ago. There are about half a dozen unknown lists. Of the 80 or so complete lists, there is one swarm of Imperial TIE Fighters (looks like they dropped early), and one other squad that features Scourge (also did not pick up many wins). A good amount of First Order TIEs, though. Galactic Empire TIEs only need a title (or something) if you think it's important that they get more than a notional representation in tournament play. Which I do. Backstabber's ability is perfect for low PS TIE Fighters, and would go a long way toward bringing them back as filler ships and swarmers. Assassin Squadron Recruit: Title. 2 points. Galactic Empire TIE Fighter only. When attacking from outside the defender's firing arc, roll 1 additional attack die. You cannot equip this card if your pilot skill value is "4" or higher.

The standard tournament deathmatch may still be 100 points, but scoring rules have changed a few times, intentional draws have come and gone, and several cards have been rewritten to be better balanced. FFG has been willing to make changes in an attempt to keep tournament play from tipping too far in certain directions. We're due for an update to the format, that's all. For me it's really a question of when and how. I hope it's soon, and I hope it's pretty drastic. I know some of you will hate this idea, but I would make deep cuts with these two new restrictions: Restricted to 2 turrets per squad. Counting all PWT icons and all upgrades with the word Turret in the title. Miranda + Twin Laser Turret is 2 turrets. Dash + Outrider + Heavy Laser Cannon is just 1 turret, though. There would be quirks like this. I'm actually totally okay with the way that one works out. Restricted to 2 of any card. Uniques are still limited to 1. All generics (pilots and upgrades) are restricted to a maximum of 2 each. Homogeneous swarms would vanish, but that can only be a positive thing. And you couldn't complain about wasting money on things you could no longer use in standard tournaments. If you think you'd feel ripped off because you couldn't run all 6 copies of Light Scyk Interceptor that come with the C-ROC, I'd just remind you about the C-ROC itself and how you can't use it in standard tournaments either.

I won't say that the sky is falling, but something has to change, because the gulf between the starter game experience and what we see in tournaments is too vast. I'm only nostalgic for a time when ship positioning and facing were very important for competitive squads and an expected feature of gameplay. We've lost much of that in the turret meta, and tournament matches rarely look or feel like what I'd call a dogfight. I certainly don't suggest banning every single decent upgrade. I suggest seasonal ban lists or other card limits, or a change in scenario or mission objectives, the assumption being that these would be nuanced and themed, intended to create competitive environments for as many ships as possible on a rotating basis.

You typed a lot of unnecessary static, but this one was actually a good question. The problem is that the standard 100-point tournament match format is the same format most new players expect when they show up at an X-Wing game night for the first time. All of the problems of high level competitive gameplay (the proliferation of netlist clones, overuse of turrets, excessive dice control, obvious power creep, etc.) are present in casual store play. For someone just trying to get their head around the core set and a couple of B-Wings, it's entirely possible to encounter Emperor Palpatine your first time out and realize that your idea of what a good squad might be is completely defeated by abilities and flight patterns that aren't even hinted at in the first few waves of the game. That's a problem from a new player's perspective, and for tournament organizers trying to bring in and retain players. The very game format FFG hopes I'm going to sell new players on has become an exercise in frustration too often. Something really needs to change or tournament play is going to lose its appeal to all but an elite few who don't think anything's missing from the game. ("Look, Biggs is there. There's an X-Wing, so what are you complaining about?")

I'd like to see FFG begin using seasonal ban lists, or a new scenario/objective for the standard tournament match, or both.

If squadron cards cost points, how would that work in tournament scoring? Should I have to destroy the entire squad in order to collect the points they paid for their squadron cards?

I would fix things, with cards such as: Jump-Strike Group: Rebel only. All of your equipped [astromech] upgrades costing 2 or more points are reduced to 1 point each. Royal Escorts: Imperial only. TIE Interceptor pilots with a Pilot Skill value of "5" or greater gain 1 [elite pilot talent] icon if they do not already have one.

The Force Awakens set (the blue one) is the better choice for now. If you enjoy the game, you'll eventually want the original core set too.

They certainly could have some other use, and I can imagine some possibilities -- some kind of EMP device for the C-ROC, an epic ion cannon that knocks out small ship weapons temporarily, or part of a mission (going along with those hyperspace jump tokens).

With only two weapons disabled tokens showing, I'd guess they're not related to the cannon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe SLAM is currently the only mechanic that specifically assigns a weapons disabled token.

And we're back! Almost a year has passed since we last checked the value of these upgrades on a category-by-category basis, so let's get updated! We have two new additions: Tractor Beams (cannon) and Dorsal Turrets (turret). How do we feel about the costs of these cards now, and what cost would you assign to them in order to make them difficult to pass up? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CANNONS Autoblaster (5) Flechette Cannon (2) Heavy Laser Cannon (7) Ion Cannon (3) Mangler Cannon (4) Tractor Beam (1) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TURRETS Autoblaster Turret (2) Dorsal Turret (4) Blaster Turret (4) Ion Cannon Turret (5) Twin Laser Turret (6)

Push your squads into overdrive with new Command Packs for X-Wing™ coming in the fourth quarter of 2017. Command Packs are a thrilling new way to expand your squad-building options with new Pilot and Upgrade cards for your favorite ships, new matching ship base tokens, new obstacles, new Squadron Cards, new missions, and new faction-specific Damage Decks. X-Wing™ Rebel Command Pack #1: Scramble the Fighters features a new version of Luke Skywalker with the ability to zero in on an enemy target and deliver a pinpoint-accurate shot. See if you can fly as casually as Chewbacca at the controls of a stolen Imperial Lambda-class Shuttle. Corran Horn makes his first appearance in a Rebel Alliance X-Wing, and you'll find other exciting pilots and upgrades for A-Wings, E-Wings, B-Wings, Y-Wings, HWK-290s and YT-2400s. X-Wing™ Imperial Command Pack #1: No Mercy adds to the Empire's might with new pilots and upgrades for TIE Fighters, TIE Interceptors, TIE Bombers, and TIE Punishers. Terrorize the skies with new Firespray-31 mercenaries, MSE Droids, and Maarek Stele in just about everything. Woah! X-Wing™ Scum Command Pack #1: Just-a Jizzin' and a-Wailin' is the Scum one! StarVipers and Kihraxz fixes! You get 'em in here! MSRP $19.95 each

No, it really isn't. Please use your own CCL threads for CCL things.

The way I see it, Miranda's regen is conditional at the same rate that R2-D2 astromech is. Once per round, at most, you get a shield back, but only if the conditions are right. You can't always take green maneuvers (ionized, or near the board edge) and you can't always attack (out of range, weapons disabled), so they're not guaranteed. I'd argue that R2-D2 is more reliable regen, actually. But I don't see regen alone as the reason why we should consider half points for some small ships. Consider free evade tokens. Mechanically, an evade token works exactly like a temporary shield token. Once per round, a TIE/x7 Defender gets one free shield (of a sort) if it meets a certain condition. It's not shield regen, but it's certainly a form of renewable shielding/armor. So I don't think we should pick on Miranda when there are Defenders shrugging off tons of damage in a slightly different way.

I think it would be fine if we scored half points on all large ships, and all small ships costing 33 points or more, the first time they're brought to the half damage threshold.

Yes. That's how I confirmed that my dice are fine.

Are you interested in playing competitively, or do you want something more fun and thematic?

Are you interested in playing competitively, or looking for something more fun and thematic?

Since a a ship's base is an abstraction of its size, position and orientation, I consider its firing arc to be an abstraction of its ability to make aiming adjustments and deflection shots from that general position. Banking and juking "in place" are what I imagine the ships are doing during the Combat phase, sort of the way that barrel rolling makes me re-imagine the maneuver that was selected.

Lots of different firing arcs would be irritating. It wouldn't be hard to learn two different forward firing arcs, though, which is what I would expect if it was a fundamental sort of mechanic. You'd have your narrow forward arc for whatever reason (maybe for secondaries, or +1 attack die with primary), and your wider front arc for standard primary attacks. And I have Actually Tried This with my Crimson Skies FlightPath conversion, and it's not difficult to get used to.

A game can have all of those things and still not be fun. FFG was heading into uncharted territory with this and I'm sure it has surpassed their wildest expectations.

FFG can still introduce new firing arc stuff (we already have the YV-666 breaking with tradition). I expect they will design another small or large ship with a non-standard arc before too long. And each pilot has its own base plate token, so if FFG wants to add a new X-Wing pilot with a different firing arc or whatever, that's no problem. They haven't missed the boat.

Warden Squadron Pilots are competitive bombers that don't rely on either of those.

Let's do this again. How do we feel about the costs of these upgrades today? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TORPEDOES Advanced Proton Torpedoes (6) Bomb Loadout (0) Extra Munitions (2) Flechette Torpedoes (2) Ion Torpedoes (5) Plasma Torpedoes (3) Proton Torpedoes (4) Seismic Torpedoes (2)

Same thread, new year! Let's talk about how things have changed, and what the costs of these cards should be now. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MISSILES Advanced Homing Missiles (3) Assault Missiles (5) Chardaan Refit (-2) Cluster Missiles (4) Concussion Missiles (4) Homing Missiles (5) Ion Pulse Missiles (3) Proton Rockets (3) XX-23 S-Thread Tracers (1)