Do you guys do anything in your group that you think makes the game more fun from a balancing standpoint?

I do those 24 or two 24 pt list games, which help improve flying.

I also do a Tie Advanced fix of -3 pts and add systems slot, which is pretty fun.

Also sometimes do a -1 pt reduction in cost for pre-Wave4/pre-Rebel Aces ordnance. Ex. Proton Torps = 3pts. Assault missile 4 pts. Seismic Charge two for 3pts.

I'm considering dropping a point off the PS 1 and PS3 interceptors, but I think its probably not worth it. If its only one point, there are too many cases where this is the case for many ships... HWKs, Y-wings, generic E-wings.

I think I might try more rigourous point fixing when my new player friends come over and start picking really weird list choices, like Darth Vader, Fel's Wrath, Captain Kagi and Maarek Stele. Its like... gee. Could you actually do any worse?

After drinking homebrew I have difficulty in balancing....

Instead of modifying existing rules why don't you try say missions and scenarios. Figure out which side has the advantage then hit the home brew.

Do you guys do anything in your group that you think makes the game more fun from a balancing standpoint?

Yes, I do something that helps keep the game balanced: I stick to the published rules.

As a fairly experienced RPG player, I've acquired a sort of allergy to homebrew stuff--sometimes it's good (and honestly the TIE Advanced and ordnance fixes listed in the OP don't sound bad at all), but more often it's made without adequate understanding of the possible consequences and/or without enough playtesting to discover the likely consequences.

If I had a dollar for every game I've seen wrecked because the GM decided that prestige class needed a bump to its base attack progression, or because the GM's girlfriend wanted to play a pixie, or because the GM made up a unique magic item or unique monster to fit with the flavor of his or her homebrewed campaign setting... okay, so it wouldn't be all that many dollars, but it would at least buy me an X-wing expansion pack. At the retail price, mind you!

So I'd rather leave things to the professionals who I can generally trust not to break the game (at least not any more than it's already broken, depending on the system), rather than make changes on my own--where I feel I can generally expect to break something, and I just have to hope it's nothing major.

I too, will not try and recreate the rules as you can easily tip the balance way off from something that seems completely innocent. I once ran into a guy who insisted we both have the same number of ships regardless of points and he had to play Rebels and would only play against Imperial list.

No homebrew balancing on my end. It can simply cause too many problems.

If someone ever printed an unreleased card, however, like say something from rebel aces, I would not mind since those would be coming soon "anyway" and I'd be curious to see how it affects the game.

I'll echo Vorpal Sword on GM making bad balance decisions; I've had that happend often (ex from a GM: "oh I don't want players to count arrows, so I'll just give the warrior with all the arrow feet an unlimited quiver of +2 arrows...")

I feel if I start to change even minor things about the game that it is ml longer balanced

The game needs no adjustments to be balanced, it is fine the way it is.

The only home brew or special rules required are for scenarios.

If you're going to introduce players to the game and reduce points costs for this and that, you aren't showing them the true game. Which is likely to confuse things later down the track if they decide to really get into it. They'll suddenly discover they can't field Darth Vader in his Adv with a Heavy Laser Cannon, Cloaking Device and Adv Proton torpedoes for just 24 points. And the last thing you want is for them to roll up to a tournament not realising this isn't legal.

Leave the points alone so they can learn the subtle art of squad building and let them choose what ships they want to, even if it makes no sense to you. They will pick Darth Vader, because it's Darth Vader, and they'll want Fel's Wrath because he seems cool, and they'll want to take that big white thing, because it's big. It's the only way they'll learn.

As Vorpal Sword said: "If I had a dollar...". Well I'd have more than a few bucks, too.

I'll go the other way than most posting on this thread, and say that I am slowly building up a list of house rules intended as technical balance fixes. FFG can't go back and change the printed point costs to fix known issues, but you can for house rules.

For example, if a new player takes TIE Advanced with Missiles, it makes me cringe a little, because I know that it is hopelessly overcosted.

I too, will not try and recreate the rules as you can easily tip the balance way off from something that seems completely innocent. I once ran into a guy who insisted we both have the same number of ships regardless of points and he had to play Rebels and would only play against Imperial list.

See if you can take him up on that offer again now that you have a Decimator and some Defenders!

The game needs no adjustments to be balanced, it is fine the way it is.

That really depends on your criteria for "balanced". I would find it almost impossible to defend your position looking at the Regionals / Nationals results and statistics. Of the 16 ships in the game, only 5 have consistently done well with generic pilots:

• TIE Fighter
• Lambda Shuttle
• Z-95
• B-wing
• Y-wing + Ion Cannon Turret

Not coincidentally, this list consists of the 4 ships with the highest jousting values in the game, and the most cost effective platform for the Ion Cannon Turret.

In 18 wave 4 Regionals tournaments, the only generic pilots that won were TIE Fighters, Z-95s, and B-wings. If you brought a generic pilot of anything other than these 3 ships, then you did not win a Regional. Dom came very close with his 3 Shuttles + Fel.

I too, will not try and recreate the rules as you can easily tip the balance way off from something that seems completely innocent. I once ran into a guy who insisted we both have the same number of ships regardless of points and he had to play Rebels and would only play against Imperial list.

Ok, you need to fly a Decimator mini-swarm against his 4 X-Wings and report back.

Decimator mini-swarm... it's gonna be a thing.

Edit: Or better yet, a full Decimator swarm against his 8 Z-95s.

I too, will not try and recreate the rules as you can easily tip the balance way off from something that seems completely innocent. I once ran into a guy who insisted we both have the same number of ships regardless of points and he had to play Rebels and would only play against Imperial list.

Ok, you need to fly a Decimator mini-swarm against his 4 X-Wings and report back.

Decimator mini-swarm... it's gonna be a thing.

Edit: Or better yet, a full Decimator swarm against his 8 Z-95s.

I would agree to play on his terms if we could play 2 games, first me as Rebels vs Imperials, and then he could play as Rebels.

Then I would put my two CR-90s on the table.