Confirmed by email, posted to X wing world's 2014 facebook group. Just Aces.

Just a heads up for those praying beyond hope that Wave 5 would be legal for Worlds... I have bad news. Here's an email I sent to Alex Davy of FFG:

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"Alex,

Jaffer recommended that I contact you with my question. I hope you don't mind.

I know that Wave 5 is on the boat and Rebel Aces are in the store. Inquiring minds NEED to know... will Wave 5 be out for Worlds? I don't want to spend all my time practicing with ships that won't be out for the tournament. I know you might not be able to say, but here's to hoping. Thanks for all you guys do. Love the game. Keep on truckin!"

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His response:

"Hey Joe,

Unfortunately, Wave 5 will not be released in time to be legal at the World Finals. Rebels Aces will be legal.

Cheers,

Alex"

With 5 weeks to go, and no Wave 5 date for sure, I think this is the right decision. Make it clear now so players can prepare their lists with content up to and including Rebel Aces, but not Wave 5.

This seems to be the only fair way of doing it, not that I was ever going to be there either way, but now there is a fair playing field for everyone to test with for the next month for those lucky enough to be in a position to go.

Incidentally, whether its just a slip of the tongue or not but Alex's statement saying that Wave 5 wont be "released" by worlds leads me to believe that the release date and the time for the rest of us waiting to be able to get our hands on wave 5 is going to be mid November at the earliest.

I think that likely means Wave 6 will not be coming this years as I cant see them releasing another wave barely 1 month after wave 5 drops.

Indeed, people already argue that pre-releases are unfair. I would disagree as it gives other consumers more information on the product and gives players time to figure out strategies. It also gives FFG more data to see if they need to add errata or FAQs. Now for official tournaments it would be unfair to allow products that not every participant has access to or a chance to purchase.

Indeed, people already argue that pre-releases are unfair. I would disagree as it gives other consumers more information on the product and gives players time to figure out strategies. It also gives FFG more data to see if they need to add errata or FAQs. Now for official tournaments it would be unfair to allow products that not every participant has access to or a chance to purchase.

Yeah a pre-release of product 1-2 weeks before shelf sales is fair (similar to what MTG does) however by the time mid November comes around it will have been a full 3 months since people first bought them at Gencon which is quite staggering really.

Probably the right move. Interesting because we'll get to see some performance data on how Rebel aces plays BEFORE we see wave 5. Small data but at least we can see what the best players in the world make of ACES.

OF NOTE: I believe Imperial aces was slatted to be available in November and finally was in circulation closer to MAY THE NEXT YEAR. We might get Wave 6 at GEN CON NEXT YEAR. HA!

In my opinion, FFG made a wise decision.

Makes for an odd meta. Halfway between TC Open and US Nationals.

Not a big surprise really though is it same happened after imdar alpha, can't let the lucky sods who went to gen con have the advantage.

totally disagree. Wave 5 is a much more fun meta so far.

He said "released IN TIME", not that it wasn't going to be available. Even for the LCGs, they tend to keep product that came out close to the major tournaments, like Nationals or Worlds, from being legal. I think it is a little early to be making assumptions about when things are going to arrive and be legal. I can easily see Wave 5 being a late Oct release and still not being legal, because X-wing has a bit more of a supply chain issue than the LCGs.

He said "released IN TIME", not that it wasn't going to be available. Even for the LCGs, they tend to keep product that came out close to the major tournaments, like Nationals or Worlds, from being legal. I think it is a little early to be making assumptions about when things are going to arrive and be legal. I can easily see Wave 5 being a late Oct release and still not being legal, because X-wing has a bit more of a supply chain issue than the LCGs.

Can you blame us for being a bit pessimistic my friend, we've been waiting on rebel aces forever it seems like.

It's ffg you have to accept dates will slip but it's worth the wait usually, but you do have to be fair about it other wise we get attack wing issues where people with the fattest wallet get a considerable edge.

Yet, Wave 3 and 4 where very much on time, for the most part. October seems to be very likely for Wave 5. And yes, with Wave 6 likely being intended for a late Dec release, it is very likely to slip to next year.

But, I was here for the Wave 2 delay. And the subsequent shortages.

When I joined it was during the great interceptor drought, we'd travel from town to town just searching for a little interceptor but there were non to be found.

These things happen you either deal or pout, I chose to pout!

WAN MY DECMATOR NOW!

He said "released IN TIME", not that it wasn't going to be available. Even for the LCGs, they tend to keep product that came out close to the major tournaments, like Nationals or Worlds, from being legal. I think it is a little early to be making assumptions about when things are going to arrive and be legal. I can easily see Wave 5 being a late Oct release and still not being legal, because X-wing has a bit more of a supply chain issue than the LCGs.

This is what it says:

“Unfortunately, Wave 5 will not be released in time to be legal at the World Finals”

For wave 5 not to be LEGAL at worlds, it will not be released before hand by virtue of the FAQ saying anything released is legal for play. (with exception of course if they update the Tournament rules etc.)

This surely means that it won't be legal/released till after the weekend of worlds (8/9^th of November I think?) so at the earliest I'm assuming mid November.

October seems to be very likely for Wave 5.

You're being very optimistic there...

Every X-Wing product to date, other then the GR-75 hits stores 8-10 weeks after being updated to On the Boat status.

Wave 5 was updated to On the Boat on Sept 19th. 8 weeks from there is Nov 14th. Oct 31st is 6 weeks, so there's next to no chance of it being here in Oct. Wave 6 in Dec seems fairly unlikely, IMO. But that's due to it not being ready it just went to the printers in late Sept... 3 months to get it "printed" and shipped is pushing it.

It's disappointing that the champion will be within this "exciting" wave 4 meta.

I would really like to see something 'official' from FFG, however this appears to be true. This will have some drastic effects on the lists that people are testing with to play at Worlds! I was really expecting to see a PTL Dash list on the top table, now it will fall back to the 'Rock-Paper-Scissors' of the Fat Falcon, Phantom, Swarm meta we live in now.

While Rebel Aces was really cool, I do not see it having that big of an impact on the meta, not nearly what Wave 5 would have had.

Its disappointing, and a shame, but it will still be an awesome event.

I would really like to see something 'official' from FFG, however this appears to be true.

There's no real need, I'm sure they consider that email to be official enough. Plus the rules clearly state that only Released products are legal for these events. What happened at GenCon is not considered a release any more then Wave 4's pre-release events were.

That being said, if Waves 5 and 6 are in very close proximity this super-turret-meta a lot of people are worried about will be fairly short-lived.

I asked my favorite online retailer if he was going to put pre-orders up for the Wave 5 stuff. I was told to check in about a month for the pre-orders. This was to wait until closer to time of release. That means we won't even see them go on pre-sale until Nov. Not sure when they will be released. Hope before end of year.

now it will fall back to the 'Rock-Paper-Scissors' of the Fat Falcon, Phantom, Swarm meta we live in now.

And how many swarms are we actually seeing?

"[The] meta we live in" is Fat Han's phantom pizza parlour.

Swarms can kill phantoms as long as they don't stick in formation and block the decloaks. You've got to learn the tricks of how to do it but a phantom is NOT a swarm counter. It's a formation counter.

RPS exists in the sense that phantoms are almost hard countered by Fat Han, which is to say it doesn't.

I'm interested to see how the six-dicer Keyan build'll do. That many (modified) dice should be able to punch through the defences of both Falcons and Phantoms.