From what I understand, its less a "hard date" and more a cutoff so that there is a clear division between regionals (which start in May) and store championships. My question is why, at Mid February, you don't have a date set? Here where I live we got on facebook and by 1 Jan we had a list of every store championship within 4 hours and their dates. Just have the stores chose their own dates and if players make it, so be it. If not, well, all you need is 4 to make it an official event......

I have a ton of fun, and competitive time, flying the following list Talonbane Cobra (31) -VI -Glitterstim Boba Fett (44) -VI -Tactician -Glitterstim N'dru Suhlak (24) -Cluster Missiles -Glitterstim -VI Total: 99 They may not be "true" aces in the Imperial sense, but combined they do a good job with high alpha damage, high PS, and decent health.

I use my Plano TackleBox that I use for all my major tokens and range rulers. Plenty of room for what I need.

Have you considered adding Omega Leader with Juke and Comm Relay? The good news is all cards can be found in the TIE/fo expansion. A full working ship for $15. Add that to Tempests and Soontir and you have something fun to play: Omega Leader (26) -Comm Relay -Juke Soontir Fel (32) -Title -PTL -AutoThrusters 2x Temptest (21) -Title -AC 100 Points. 2 blockers, 2 aces. Stress is no problem.

Bob Randall and all the math he has done for the game gets my vote.

Alpha Strike A wings only really work if you are guaranteed to get the first shot off, or at least be able to maneuver after your opponent to guarantee the range 1 shot and still have your focus available. If you must have prockets on your ships, then here is my suggestions Keep them both the same setup. A Wing Test Pilot, Prockets, VI, Autothrusters, PTL. Total points for Jake and Tycho - 68 For 32 points add Horton + R2 Astro + TLT Dutch will be going far to slow to be able to reliably pass that target lock......

Here is how it works. This works for spending anything - target lock, focus, evade, abilities like Han, or the R7 Astromech w/ Tarn. "Omega Leader" Enemy ships that you have locked cannot modify any dice when attacking you or defending against your attacks. So, you can't spend a focus and/or evade to dodge an attack, or spend a focus and/or target lock to generate additional hits or crits. Tarn can't spend a target lock to force you to reroll your attack dice. As for spending something to change 0 results, well you said it with Keyan Farlander. The FAQ says you can spend a stress token to change 0. So why not spend a Target Lock to change 0? Or have something spend a focus to change 0 so Chaser gets a focus? Basically, why can't you spend the modification cost (Stress, Target Lock, Focus) and then have 0 dice modified because of Omega Leader?

4xY w/ TLT is great. However, if you can swing it, go scum for Unhinged....... Having all the 3 speeds green is much better, and gives better ways to turn to the opponent without getting stressed....

IMPERIALS: Tie Defenders, Firespray, Shuttle REBELS: HWK, E Wing, T-65 SCUM: HWK, Scyk, YV-666, Firespray

Well, the reason I am asking is from now until early March I can hit a Store Championship every single weekend with a drive time of 3 hours or less (I live in Kansas City), and there are even a couple held on Sunday for the option for two on those weekends. Some, like the one in Bellevue, NE (The Game Shoppe) have no maximum players. Others like The Geekery in Shawnee Mission, KS are capped at 32. There are even a couple like Hometown Games in Laurence, KS that have a limit far fewer (20). It ticks me off that I will be unable to go to some of these smaller events because of the limit seating that doesn't even cover what FFG provides in their kit. Of course, your first question is why go to so many? I love the competition, meeting new players, and seeing old friends. I love the community, where there is an almost no toxic atmosphere compared to other games like 40K, Magic, Pokemon, or similar. Saying I can't play because you don't have the room for at least 32 shows poor planning on your part, bad judgement on FFG for allowing championships to be held with less than 32 players, and can upset even local players who are unable to attend due to space restrictions.

While I have no problem with Store Championships capping players at 32 for their event (64 for regionals), as that is what FFG provides prize support for, is there anywhere that says that stores are allowed to cap players are less than that? Otherwise, stores could limit to 4 players, or 8, or whatnot? I saw nothing in the standard tournament FAQ other than there needs to be at least 4 for it to be official.

JESUS that is brilliant!!!!! **** you for coming up with such brilliant stuff.

Ok, I have run the campaign several time and have only played the skirmish once last year at a regional event. This year I want to REALLY get back into the swing of things and go to several store championships and regional...... Anyway, I remember their being a ruling a few months ago before the 4/4 - Sab nerfhammer that was their first attempt to fix the problem. Something about forcing your opponent to go first or activate their groups if they had more active groups. Something along those lines..... Anyone have any further information, as I didn't see anything in the FAQ about it??????

With the new FAQ released today, there was a nerf to the TLT Stress Bot Y Wing Build. Here is what I mean: Twin Laser Turret: Attack: Perform this attack twice (even against a ship outside your firing arc). Each time this attack hits, the defender suffers 1 damage. Then cancel all dice results. Attack: 3. Range: 2-3 and on the FAQ: Twin Laser Turret is treated as two separate attacks against the same target. During the second attack, the “Declare Defender and Weapon” step is skipped. R3-A2 When you declare the target of your attack, if the defender is inside your firing arc, you may receive 1 stress token to cause the defender to receive 1 stress token. Latts Razzi (on the new FAQ) Latts Razzi’s ability is used when a ship is declared as the target of an attack. Therefore, when used with an ability that performs multiple attacks against the same target such as Cluster Missiles or Twin Laser Turret, Latts Razzi’s ability can only be used during the first attack and only applies to the first attack. Does this now mean that TLT-Stress Bot build no longer gives out 3 stress and is now back to two? Granted R3-A2 was out before the new system of declaring an attack and target, but since you only declare an attack target once with the TLT, well, R3-A2 should still only do 2 stress and not 3........

I ran into the same problem. What I did was vary up the weapons that players faced against. I also intentionally made things harder by perma adding in a red die or two. I threw them curve balls.... like the planet were blasters and "vibro" weapons wouldn't work...... Then, it still got to the point where they were to powerful and had to hard reset the group and then limit the xp to 5 per session, no matter what they did. Make them really work for their xp and how they want to spend it.

You are on the right track, however you need to maximize your Latts Razzi potential. For me, what I did was have a squad of 3 ships, one with a higher PS than Latts, and one lower. (An example list on the bottom of the post). Why? Well with his ability you perform a target lock and get two of them with Weapons Engineer. That allows your ships with a higher PS to have the target lock. Latts then hopes to NOT do damage - never spend any focus or target lock or anything for your first attack - trigger Bossk, and then have two target locks and a focus available to use. With Gunner you can then spend that new focus to attack and STILL have a target lock for your last ship. Laetin A'shera (27) Heavy Scyk HLC Latts Razzi (49) Bossk Weapons Engineer Gunner Glitterstim Engine Upgrade Cartel Spacer (23) Heavy Scyk HLC The basis for this list is simple. Do as much damage as possible with each shot. Having HLC's with 4 potential damage vs a ship with 1 reduced Agility makes them VERY deadly. Sure, they are the ultimate in glass cannon, but are fun none the less!

Ok, so with the Store Championship season right around the corner, and FFG having its own software that they want players to use, how do we, as TO's get our hands on it to practice and make sure we know how it works in detail beforehand?

Tractor Beam (1) Attack: Attack 1 ship. If this attack hits, the defender receives 1 tractor beam token. Then cancel all dice results. Range 1-3 Attack value 3. Flechette Cannon (2) Attack: Attack 1 Ship. If this attack hits, the defender suffers 1 damage and, if the defender is not stressed, it also received 1 stress token. Then cancel all dice results. Range 1-3 Attack value 3. Ion Cannon (3) Attack: Attack 1 ship. If this attack hits the target ship, the ship suffers 1 damage and receives 1 ion token. Then cancel all dice results. Range 1-3 Attack value 3. NOTE: From what people have been able to decipher from the TIE Veterans posting, what the tractor beam token does is reduce the agility of the target by 1 until the end of the turn. As of right now, these are the only cannons that work with the TIE/D title. The question is, which one is the best choice, and in what situation. I will say up front, the best TIE Defender that this title works on is Colonel Vessery. The reason is that if his target has a Target Lock on him, Vessery will have the opportunity to earn, and spend, a target lock for each attack. Tractor Beam. This card is interesting. When coupled with a miniswarm, or a couple of other aces of equal or lower pilot skill, firing first with Vessery and hopefully applying the tractor token to make all future shots works well. Imagine having a 3 agility ship at 2 agility. Or a 1 agility ship at 0. Imagine cancelling the use of C-3P0. Imagine being able to make it so that the Y-Wing is unable to roll defense dice. The catch is, when applied to Colonel Vessery, having his support ships in the squad able to take a target lock action at a lower pilot skill than Vessery so they can shoot AFTER he attempts to apply the token. For example, at 40 points you have have Vessery with a Stealth Device, Crack Shot, and the Tractor Beam. For 60 points you can have 4x Epsilon Pilots. Or a couple of Tempest Squadron Pilots and an Omega Squadron Pilot. Remove Crack Shot, add Veteran Instincts, and then add Juno and Maarek. The point is, the Tractor Beam is useless in many builds, but with the right squad setup, being able to reduce the agility of your opponent for your remaining ships can be a game changer. Flechette Cannon If you only have two points and don't want to add a Tractor Beam, or your other ships have a higher pilot skill, this isn't a bad choice. Like the Ion Cannon it is able to deal 1 damage max. However, the stress token is applied ONLY if your opponent doesn't already have a stress token. That is the biggest weakness of the Flechette Cannon. You can either chose your target carefully to take advantage of that fact, or take a different cannon slot upgrade. That being said, there is no need to have more than 1 TIE/D equipped with this cannon as the stress mechanic is wasted if you concentrate your fire on 1 target. Ion Cannon This is the current reigning king idea as far as cannons are concerned. Hit your opponent, deal that 1 damage, apply the Ion token, and know where your opponent will be next turn so you can repeat the process. Control, with a potential 4 damage (without factoring in crits) makes this a deadly choice. However, there is a unique possibility. How about designing a squad that takes advantage of all three of these upgrade cards? 3x Delta Squadron Pilots 1 Tractor Beam 1 Flechette Cannon 1 Ion Cannon 3x Twin Ion Engine Mk. II This presents a unique opportunity to be a total prick to your opponent. You fire the Tractor Beam ship first, hopefully reduce their agility, and then fire the other two ships. Having a ship stressed and then perform a white 1 forward keeps them in 1 location, and they are unable to perform any actions. However, the biggest drawback is the three very tempting targets at PS 1. A good enemy had a decent chance to kill one Defender before they can shoot...... Anyway, these are my thoughts on the TIE/D title and the cannons that work with it.

Because of action economy it bring. Normally you get 1 action and 1 maneuver. In combat, it would be like many with the "Aim -> Shoot". You can get 2 stress to add another maneuver, such as moving into position. Now, with the Xexto, you can perform that 2nd maneuver without getting two stress in the process........

Ok, I have a question on the talent Jury Rigged (Edge 138). " The character chooses one PERSONAL weapon or piece of armor per rank of Jury Rigged..... My question is on the word PERSONAL. As the GM I ruled it mean personal scale, not planetary scale. The reason is that I believe that the player can jury rig just about anyone's gear, not just his own. It also plays well with the group, as we have a heavy who is really working to be able to wield an E Web blaster........ Finally, it means that the players can't give the ship to the player (and have it be "his") and allow him to jury rig the weapons or armor or some other stat.

Why would you want Inertial Dampeners? Can't the 666 already do that 0 maneuver?

Ok, so here it goes. I have a group now, two Force Users, 1 from Rebellion, and 3 from Edge. Given the time period of the campaign (Battle of Hoth-ish) the Force Users know that there are limitations to their powers and what they can "show". For example, if they wish to try to build and use a lightsaber that would be a big no-no as people would see that and turn that PC into the Empire. Same thing with flashy force powers like move. However, just straight up mixing the core books? Go for it. They all work well together.

How? Ion Tokens make a 1 WHITE forward. BB-8 doesn't activate.

Ok, so FFG has announced that they are now going to - for the foreseeable future - allow both damage decks in tournaments, except for Worlds where the Core 2.0 damage deck is required - and provided to players. People are upset with this ruling change, and I think I know why.... 1. This ruling directly contradicts their earlier ruling making it mandatory starting 1 Jan 16. That ruling directly contradicts the rules supplements found in Core 2.0 stating that the new damage deck should be used, but is optional. So players are mad with the wishy-washy way FFG is handling the new damage deck. 2. Multiple interpretations. There are some cards that are specifically better under the old deck, and FFG has ruled that the decks are interpretated as written, so Blinded Pilot doesn't use Core 2.0 wording. This will go towards players getting confused and lead to more messy games. 3. Players are equating what FFG has done with Core 2.0 and requiring the new damage deck as something GW would do. They are upset that they had already gone out and bought the new core set - saying that they would only buy it for the new damage deck (yah, right), and now they don't have to. They are accusing FFG of forcing players to buy a product and then reversing their decision. 4. They don't like the additional variation to the meta scene. Two different decks adds a wrinkle that they don't want to deal with. 5. They are afraid that players will game the damage deck ruling and choose the one that best works for their squad. Much like deploying Debris Fields and playing with ships that don't worry about them, this type of thing has been going on for quite awhile. 6. They are cry babies and just want to ***** and moan. Most probably complain just for the sake of complaining. Grow up, deal with it. Don't like it? Quit.

With the release of Core 2.0 we have a lot of new players to the X-Wing scene. This, I love. Not only to increase the amount of casual play, but to increase the size of the Tournament scene, as well as to add many new faces to FLG stores. I had a blast right after Force Friday teaching the game to new players. And seeing their perspective of the game not having seen the phantom pre-nerf, the old damage deck, or even their ideas of how the game is to be played. It is a blast of fresh air, and some of the lists that I have seen new players come up with are almost inspired to the point of brilliant. However, casual play is one thing, Tournament play is another. After attending a FLGS casual event, I feel that I need to post here some things for new players to consider and plan for, based on the observations that I saw as a player. I do this because the new Store Championship/Regionals season starts in a couple of months and I want the new players to do as good as they can. 1. Know the rules. Not only that, but also read and understand the FAQ and tournament rules as well. Especially sections that relate to the cards/abilities you are using in your squad. Especially when you go to a high level event like regionals, it is required that you know and understand how the game works. 2. Practice your list. Make sure you know how it works, and how your cards interact with each other. Make sure you know how to fly it to the best of your ability. 3. If you plan on borrowing ships and cards, plan ahead with fellow players to know who you will be borrowing from before the event starts. Most players are happy to share with new(er) players, but it looks bad on yourself when you shout out looking to borrow a specific ship/card/token that you don't have. 4. Condense your items. Usually there isn't a lot of spare space in a tournament. So try to condense your items you are taking from table to table to as minimum as possible. Many players use a single small Plano (or similar) box, or even a Tupperware container. You don't need much more than your rulers, ships, cards, dice and tokens. All your extra ships don't need to come to every match you play. 5. Carry with you a printout of your squad list. Not only does this make setup quick if you don't remember what exactly goes with what, but you can hand it to your opponent so they can see what you are flying. 6. Bring a Pen and Pencil for record keeping. 7. Remember to shake your opponents hand before and after the match, make sure you know their name, and they know yours. Yes, the goal is to win, but making friends is a close second in a large event. Especially if you are going out of your local area to play. 8. Don't just go straight to playing in a Regional event. Play in a casual FLGS tournament, and then at least 1 store championship. You will notice many things different than what you are used to in a normal casual match or even a league match. 9. Support your FLGS. They are giving you space to play, support them with a purchase from time to time. 10. Remember, have fun. Wining is cool and all, but until you are REALLY good at the game, you will lose many of your games. Keep a positive attitude! 11. Let your opponent know you are a new player. While they don't have to do anything different, they may be more inclined to help you out if you forget something....... 12. When rolling dice, make sure that they are rolled in an area that your opponent can see, and keep them visible on the table until the attack is done, even if you use the Dice App, a tower, or a tray. It is common courtesy so your opponent can see exactly what is going on and who rolled what. 13. Finally, unless you are using your phone/tablet to take pictures, record the match, or use the Dice App, keep it put away. Nothing is more distracting that when a player is on the phone talking to someone else or texting or whatnot. It also means that you are not focusing on the match at hand. Oh, I do absolutely recommend taking photos/notes of your opponents list, and the map before the first move is made, as well as the final attack/move before the end of the game. It helps to remember what happened and how the match went. Forum Members Thoughts: (Updated 10/27) A. Zathras 23: I'd like to add, if you're attending a tournament, personal hygiene is very much appreciated. A shower/bath on the day of the tourney plus whatever deodorant to eliminate the funk will be received well. It may sound like unneeded advice but I've been to tourneys for other games where some of the players were, shall we say, using biological warfare on the people in their vicinity B. HERO: Get into a habit of narrating what you do as you're doing it. e.g. Bank right with Soontir, barrel roll to the left, push the limit for Focus, he gets a stress and another focus..etc. Next to move is Zeta 1..etc. To save time, it's okay to let your opponent move your ships if you're out of reach if you ask them pilotely. This particular table-top is very.. how do I say.. interactive. Not only do you alternate turns of moving and shooting, but there's going to be a lot of bumping and grinding which leads to a good amount of ship jenga. C. Zero 8855: Be sure that you've eaten before the tournament begins or pack a lunch/snack for in between rounds, and bring water. Tournaments can go on for hours and it doesn't help to have an empty stomach and/or dehydration. D. Dagonet: Ask your opponent if she minds being in the picture. Not everyone wants their face on Facebook. E. DailyRich: I'd add to be respectful of the other games going on. Multiple tables of X-Wing games are going to make for an inherently loud environment anyway; try not to add to it by yelling or shouting or otherwise being disruptive. If you need to have your phone with you, put it on silent or vibrate. If your match finishes early and you want to watch the other players, be a good spectator and don't interrupt with questions or suggestions or rule interpretations. Behave how you'd want someone watching you play to behave. Also, don't wander off in between rounds. A good-sized tournament is going to be a lengthy affair as it is. Having to corral the players because they've dispersed to all corners of the store/con/venue is only going to make it take that much longer. F. Blail Blerg: Don't be egotistical. Whoever you are. New or old. Narrating, as brought up, is something awesome to make sure everyone is on the same page... but "talking" while playing can be really really egotistical. Don't say things like, "oh I should have done this and I would have beaten you." "the right move here would be to do blah blah". These are really dumb things to say. G: Zathras23: Another thing, expect to be standing for the majority of the day. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and make sure to get off your feet between rounds if possible. H. ShockBlocked: One thing I would add - If you arrive early (I was about an hour early out of sheer excitement), offer to help the organizer set up tables or clear out space. It's a great way to introduce yourself, have your name remembered, and meet players trickling in. I. catachanninja: Hydration goes a long way. J. Radzap: Roll It Off: If you get into a tiff regarding arc/range/etc? Just roll for it and move on to keep the game moving. Deep Breaths: We all get Dice ****ed from time to time. Take a deep breath, stay composed and keep going to the best of your ability. Know where the restrooms are and the locations of places to restock on snacks/coffee (gas stations are great for this). As a side note, right now the meta is wide open, and the truth is there is no meta. Their are squad archetypes, arc dodgers, turrets, bombers, jousters, but with the rapid release of Core 2.0, Wave 7, the Imperial Raider, and the Tourney FAQ updates, well just about anything goes. Anything I missed?