Too many QQ threads (and QQ over QQ, be it QQ^2), let's talk some X-wing.

The idea of a new damage deck has been thrown around (in the 2015 predictions thread for instance).

• What would you like to see in this new deck?
• How powerful should the effects be?
• How do you think it could be packaged?
• Will it replace/complement current deck?

I'll start: I think it would permanently replace the current deck for all official tournaments. I am not sure about packaging, since we would see it as a cash grab if it's mandatory and included in some big package. I see it packaged on its own, but if FFG ever released a new starter set (think Attack Wing with one ship from each faction), then that would be the perfect place.

Now, on to content. There are several cards that would be affected:

• Marksmanship
• Proton Torpedoes
• Mercenary Copilot
• Moff Jerjerrod
• Chewbacca (crew)
• Darth Vader (crew)
• Saboteur
• Proton Bombs
• Ten Numb
• Maarek Stele
• Chewbacca (pilot)
• Winged Gundark
• Rexler Brath

(probably left a few out). Of all these, there are only a few that get regular play. A higher density of "nasty" criticals would benefit all of them (and hamper some indirectly, such as HLC and Ion Cannons). Some I would consider underpowered would get a buff and only some of them might become too powerful: Chewbacca (pilot), Darth Vader (crew) and Rexler. I would be more than happy to buff the other cards. Proton Bombs is quite on the edge between those two categories, but being an expensive, one-use card it would probably be ok with a buff to effectiveness.

We've seen how nasty criticals can be in the Epic ships. In normal mode, on a low-PS ship it could be 50-50 between cards that have an effect and cards that don't matter that much or are temporary in nature. I've even had a critical save me once: I received a stress token via a critical on Soontir, giving me a focus token, and allowing me to survive the next crucial defence roll!

All in all, I think it's a great way to shift the balance of the game and bring more mechanics into it, without changing any of the ships, same as different obstacles.

As for ideas of "fun" critical hits:

Catastrophic drive failure: When this ship is destroyed, deal 1 damage to all ships within range 1

"I just got this bucket back together." If your hull is value is 6 or greater, this card counts as 3 damage against your hull

Electromagnetic Pulse: All ships within range 1 lose 1 shield token

"It's just a scratch." When this ship is destroyed, after removing the ship from the play area, place a space debris token in the same location

Unintentional EVA: Lose a crew card

HUD partial malfunction (yeah I know they don't have HUDs in OT): When this ship would gain a stress token, assign it 2 stress tokens.

I would just like to see it printed on regular sized cards so it would be easier to shuffle.

I would just like to see it printed on regular sized cards so it would be easier to shuffle.

Do you sleeve your cards? I find it particularly easier to shuffle cards when sleeved, irrespective of size.

I would like to see crit cards that deal with upgrades that weren't released until after the core set. Such as a crit that flipped over a crew card (suck 3P0), or made you discard a modification/system upgrade (in your face ACD).

I would think these could just be cards added to an expansion as opposed to a whole new deck. The current deck works just fine, it just needs updated.

I would like to see crit cards that deal with upgrades that weren't released until after the core set. Such as a crit that flipped over a crew card (suck 3P0), or made you discard a modification/system upgrade (in your face ACD).

I would think these could just be cards added to an expansion as opposed to a whole new deck. The current deck works just fine, it just needs updated.

Adding on the fly is an interesting idea. But how do you regulate this in a tournament setting. If the new damage cards come in 5 different new packs, a player must have all of them to compete... Or maybe you start having damage deck-building? Choose your own death?

I was thinking more along the lines of the new obstacles coming with wave 5, that since you were going to buy it anyway, they might as well just added them to those expansion packs.

However I see your point. Maybe sell a 17 card expansion to the damage deck then, so everyone has access to it.

There's the additional point that a 17-card expansion (as opposed to complete redesign with different ratios and total number of cards) would dilute present threats such as Direct Hit.

Possibly, or if there is a ratio of Direct Hits that FFG want to see in the damage deck (currently 7/33 or about 21% of the time) they simply could add more direct hit cards in the expansion. Say three of those 17 cards could be more direct hit cards, making it 10 out of 50 cards, or a 20% ratio.

There's the additional point that a 17-card expansion (as opposed to complete redesign with different ratios and total number of cards) would dilute present threats such as Direct Hit.

It could include some Direct Hits though to keep the ratio about the same.

I would love to see an Ion Cannon deck. Maybe 7-8 cards that would have a different Ion effect. Say you roll a crit with your Ion attack. He would have to draw an Ion card in addition to the Ion token. Probably too powerful though as it might mess with the balance too much.

I like the idea of different Ion effects. Perhaps it should be temporary, while you have *at least* an Ion token? That way, large ships would be hit by Ion but small ships would have a very small window of opportunity to be affected. They would really need to be very toned down, since Ion in itself is balanced already. Once per round, when you roll attack dice, re-roll one hit result if you obtained one or Once per round, when you roll attack dice, one critical hit becomes a hit.

I don't know why some players keep wanting to change basic fundamentals of the game. The damage deck is fine and changing it would cause an uproar. At tournaments you'd have to verify that every player had the new deck. No thanks. Don't fix what isn't broken.

Agreed. The game is fine as it is. sure some builds are sub optimal but just give it a while and i'm sure it will even out.

I don't know why some players keep wanting to change basic fundamentals of the game. The damage deck is fine and changing it would cause an uproar. At tournaments you'd have to verify that every player had the new deck. No thanks. Don't fix what isn't broken.

It's not broken, it's out of date. Also, a lot of the upgrades and pilots seem to point in the direction that critical hits should be a bit stronger.

I honsestly dont see the issue with the deck.

I got into xwing quite late (A wing wave) and i've not found the damage deck at all lacking.

Agreed. The game is fine as it is. sure some builds are sub optimal but just give it a while and i'm sure it will even out.

I agree that the game is fine. I love the game. But they did add space debris (probably will be tournament legal to field them too), they might at some point redesign the damage deck, and we're just throwing some ideas into the air, for the sake of the discussion.

The core set is required to play. It comes with the required damage deck. You're suggesting FFG release a new damage deck. It would have to compulsory to buy somehow. Hate to burst your bubble, but it ain't gonna happen.

Yeah i see that, i just think that its the least thing to worry about.

If anything needs a tweak its munitions/ordnance and the TIE adv.

Everything else to me (bar the phantom/falcon fuss that i dont really see is a probem) is pretty well balanced.

I honsestly dont see the issue with the deck.

I got into xwing quite late (A wing wave) and i've not found the damage deck at all lacking.

Please read OP again. I'm just asking what would players want to see in a new hypothetical new deck, I wasn't QQing on the present one. It would be interesting to see what different kinds of criticals there *could* be, how that would affect current balance of certain cards etc.

If you don't want to discuss this in particular, I would refer you to other threads:

QQ thread 1

QQ thread 2

erm, its not that i 'dont want to discuss it' , its more i think its a 'non starter'

I'll leave you to it.

The core set is required to play. It comes with the required damage deck. You're suggesting FFG release a new damage deck. It would have to compulsory to buy somehow. Hate to burst your bubble, but it ain't gonna happen.

That's your opinion. I wouldn't like to be forced to buy something new to play tournaments either. But they might find a way, if they really wanted to. The question in the OP was more related to how they would do it, not if they would do it.

erm, its not that i 'dont want to discuss it' , its more i think its a 'non starter'

I'll leave you to it.

Well it's interesting to me. "How 'bout them Phantoms?" doesn't quite do it for me anymore.

I would just like to see it printed on regular sized cards so it would be easier to shuffle.

Do you sleeve your cards? I find it particularly easier to shuffle cards when sleeved, irrespective of size.

I do just to make them manageable, but I have a problem with one hand that makes the small cards more difficult to handle.

Rather than updating the damage deck, I could see them adding an EPT or Pilot Ability that allows players to take out modifications or crew with a crit.

I would just like to see it printed on regular sized cards so it would be easier to shuffle.

Do you sleeve your cards? I find it particularly easier to shuffle cards when sleeved, irrespective of size.

I do just to make them manageable, but I have a problem with one hand that makes the small cards more difficult to handle.

Sorry to hear that. I pile shuffle the damage cards if I'm not in a hurry, perhaps that would be easier? There are also other techniques with which you can shuffle sleeved cards with no particular effort on one of the hands (just holding the packet).

If it's purely hypothetical, then I don't see the point, but enjoy.