There was a time when I believed the answer to this question was obvious. Only an idiot would try to play a game he doesn't know the rules to, but then I discovered that the rules were downloadable for free from this very website. FFG have just given me the rules in a download, which is now sitting on my desktop to read, at the cost of a few seconds of my life.

Truth be told, I was just going to buy the miniatures to use with Edge of the Empire but I have come to the understanding that this is a great game to get into. Here are the various points as to why the starter may or may not be worth getting.....

1. Miniatures

I've done the maths and if you want Tie Fighters and X-Wings then the Starter Set will save a little money. Three Starter Sets cost less than 6 Tie Fighter Expansions and 3 X-Wing Expansions.

But this argument doesn't really apply to me as I wasn't thinking of playing any X-Wings or Tie Fighters in my lists.

2. Rules

Nobody gains or loses here. Bearing in mind the bargain gained on the miniatures alone, it's fair to say the rules are as free in the Starter Set as they are sitting on my desktop right now. Frankly, this is one of the reasons I'm really starting to like FFG.

3. Tokens

In the download I see it mentions the tokens. Now this is where those in the know can help with the decision.

Looking at the Expansion Packs....

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4645

.....it appears that all needed tokens come with the ship so these are not that vital. When it comes to asteroids, I plan to get some GF9 asteroids anyway and mission objectives are things I plan to make up myself too.

4. Maneuver Templates

Something that is available in the Starter Set, but I believe I can get templates from elsewhere. If I'm wrong, then this is one thing that makes the Starter Set a very important purchase. If I'm right, please provide a link to where they can be bought from.

5. Damage Cards

Now I'm stuck. It seems that the Damage cards are only available from the Starter Set. I might be wrong, and each ship comes with it's own damage cards, but I'm not certain about this and believe I need the Starter Set to get the Damage Cards.

So to sum up, here is my impression.

1. Don't want the miniatures. Starter Set not needed.

2. Got the Rules downloaded. Starter Set not needed.

3. Each ship has it's own tokens. Buy/build asteroids and objectives. Starter Set might be needed.

4. Can get the Maneuver Templates elsewhere. But they are free in the Start Set; so might be needed.

5. Damage Cards? Need at least one Starter Set?

Your help with this is appreciated.

I'd love not to have to get the Starter Set if it isn't needed.

Don't forget dice as well - these will need to be purchased separately, but are 'free' in the core box.

There are also the question of dice, but those too can be acquired elsewhere.

No, it seems that the damage deck is the only concern. But you don't need one if you can convince your opponent to share his/hers with you during a friendly game. And should you want to participate in tournaments later on I'm sure you can get the damage deck from someone who has two too many .

As you pointed out the damage deck is the main thing your missing, in reality most players buy more than 1 starter set but never need more than 1 damage deck.

if you very much wish not to buy a starter set then that is your choice and you may be able to buy a spare deck from someone who has multiples.

you are of course missing out on all the upgrades that come in the core set as well.

^{I think the only sticking point would be the damage cards. However people have bought more than one starter set to get cheaper models, so it kind of stands to reason some one out there will have a spare damage deck and may be willing to trade for it.}

^{See if you can find a spare deck, have you tried ebay? you never know there might be one on that site.}

Don't forget dice as well - these will need to be purchased separately, but are 'free' in the core box.

Doh! The one that got away. That should have been number 6.

Why would you not want Tie Fighters or X-Wing. Both are great.

Loads of people buy more than one starter box, maybe you can find some one to buy/ get a damage deck from.

you are of course missing out on all the upgrades that come in the core set as well.

Upgrades are important, though I've seen on X-Wing Squadron Builders that points and rules are provided for upgrades. If I REALLY need the cards, there are images of them on the web that I could download and print.

Again, they do come free in the Starter Set so it does seem a lot of hassle for something that can be bought once.

Why buy anything at all? There are pictures of everything and you can use saltshakers and chess pieces to stand in for the ships?

Why would you not want Tie Fighters or X-Wing. Both are great.

Fair question.

Because I feel that the B-Wing is more my style. Like me, they're not very agile but can take and dish out a lot of hurt. It's how I tend to play. The fact that it is currently my favourite model is just a coincidence.

Why buy anything at all? There are pictures of everything and you can use saltshakers and chess pieces to stand in for the ships?

Because I'm a grown man who can justify buying toys by saying I need them for the game.

If you are only going to play casually that could work. But any event or tournament you need the cards.

The price for a starter set really isn't much. And for what you are getting it is worth it. Yes you can buy all the things separate but in the end you are not going to win that much if at all. Why the resistance to get the starter?

I just started with x-wing a week and a bit ago, it cost me a bit to get everything and by that I mean I bought at least one of everything,

And it still isn't close to how expensive other miniature games are.

Why would you not want Tie Fighters or X-Wing. Both are great.

Fair question.

Because I feel that the B-Wing is more my style. Like me, they're not very agile but can take and dish out a lot of hurt. It's how I tend to play. The fact that it is currently my favourite model is just a coincidence.

Fair enough I love the B-Wing too. I bought two of them, but you will need to protect it with something.

Well if you do plan on playing the game then yes the starter is a must.

You will eventually want to use a tie or X-wing at some point.

Even if you don't you still have the starter set only upgrade cards and pilots like R2-D2and Luke Skywalker.

Then(as mentioned above) you have the dice that are quite expensive to buy on their own.

The asteroid tokens will still be needed as they are the legal shape. If you have the GF9 roids, you will want to use the templates as the base for them to sit on.

The movement templates and other tokens can be bought from many third party websites like Cog'O'Two or Litko but again that is an extra cost you may not want to worry about yet.

Yes you can get the rules from the FFG website but nothing beats having a handy manual in your hands

Seriously get the starter, its the most convenient way to start this great game.

Im on my fourth now :-P

Core costs 2.5x as much as a ship and gives you three times as many ships. Two starters is six ships. Same amount of money in expansion ships is five ships.

Plus there's the starter pilots.

Why the resistance to get the starter?

No resistance at all. I think it is an absolute bargain and believe FFG are spoiling those of us just getting into the game. But I wanted to see how accurate my impression was on not needing the Starter Set. After all, there might be a stranger looking in on the forums with the same question so now there's a topic with all the answers he/she could want.

Why would you not want Tie Fighters or X-Wing. Both are great.

Fair question.

Because I feel that the B-Wing is more my style. Like me, they're not very agile but can take and dish out a lot of hurt. It's how I tend to play. The fact that it is currently my favourite model is just a coincidence.

Fair enough I love the B-Wing too. I bought two of them, but you will need to protect it with something.

Millennium Falcon and HWK-290 are both on my radar. Former I feel I can use, latter because I like the ship and want to use it.

So can I take from these comments:

"No you don't need the starter; but you'd be a silly numpty not to get at least one"

So can I take from these comments:

"No you don't need the starter; but you'd be a silly numpty not to get at least one"

Exactly.

Well folks,

I'm having a lazy Friday at home so will get some rules reading done. By the time a Starter Set arrives, I should be reasonably familiar with how the game plays.

Well folks,

I'm having a lazy Friday at home so will get some rules reading done. By the time a Starter Set arrives, I should be reasonably familiar with how the game plays.

Enjoy it. Not in the mood to work anymore want to play some X-Wing.

Well folks,

I'm having a lazy Friday at home so will get some rules reading done. By the time a Starter Set arrives, I should be reasonably familiar with how the game plays.

Enjoy it. Not in the mood to work anymore want to play some X-Wing.

Ditto, hit that wall already. Sitting here thinking about new squads when the RebTrans pilots are released :L

When it comes to asteroids, I plan to get some GF9 asteroids anyway ...

Placing a ship on top of a GF9 asteroid will be rather tricky. You will need card tokens.

When it comes to asteroids, I plan to get some GF9 asteroids anyway ...

Placing a ship on top of a GF9 asteroid will be rather tricky. You will need card tokens.

Yeah, and it's kinda hard to place a measurement template over a big 3D asteroid.

Got to agree with the consensus here, you do not need the starter to play as you can buy everything separately, either other companies (asteroids & templates) or from people on ebay who have broken down the starter.

However by the time you have bought the bits that you want individually you will probably have spent as much or more as you would on a starter. Also with the starter if you decide that you really do not want the ships you can sell them on to recoup some money.

You don't really need a core set, you need TWO (or more).

As others have said:

Damage deck is "unique" to the core set. You could buy it off crazy people like me that have gotten multiple cores. But that's a lil silly IMHO.

Dice are in there, and are way way more expensive separately.

You get 1 X-Wing, and 2 TIE Fighters in the core set. You also get some unique pilots in the core set. For the X-Wing: Biggs Darklighter and Luke Skywalker. Both of which are important X-Wing pilots, and useful options for lots of lists featuring X-Wings. R2-F2 and R2-D2 are unique to the Core set on the upgrade side. Both are super useful and important astromech upgrades. On the TIE Fighter side: Mauler Mithel, Dark Curse and Night Beast. All three are useful named TIE pilots.

The upgrade cards are easy to get from someone with multiple core sets, the pilots not-so-much. The pilot cards themselves are no big deal, but you also need the pilot base, which limits the generic pilot (on the back side of the named pilot) that they can use.

You also will get a set of maneuver templates and a range ruler and tokens. That gives you time to decide which acrylic ones you want to buy. Shameless plug for a friend: http://www.appliedperspective.com/acrylic/product-category/x-wing/

There is so much good stuff in the core set, it's really not worth skipping even at full retail, and it's never full retail.