The one question that remains is how this game compares to a card game with a ever shifting 'metagame'. With a game like Game of Thrones lcg, you had to keep up with the latest expansions to be able to play and the earlier expansions became obsolete. I'm a collector at heart and would love to buy all expansions for X-Wing as well, just hate to buy the first ones only to realise they were essentially worthless since the 'metagame' had already moved away from those kinds of ships.

There is a shifting meta, but it's quite different to an LCG. In terms of the current top-tier ships I'd say there are 4 at the moment: TIE fighter, Millenium Falcon, B-wing, TIE Phantom. Respectively that is one ship from each of wave 1, 2, 3, and 4; so its not simply that the newest is best. Also, there is a much narrower spread of effectiveness than in an LCG, I don't think there are any ships in X-wing that are unplayable but there are lots of cards in AGOT which you would never put in a deck.

Put it this way, if I were to start buying now I'd still buy everything I have currently; there's nothing I would avoid buying due to it having been outclassed. The only ship I have which has never seen the table is the Falcon, and that's just because I don't really like it; it's probably the best ship in the game currently.

Fella,

I was in a similar position as you .. coming in at Wave 4. I live in Nagoya, Japan which seems to have zero interest in the game. There are some gaming groups in nearby cities but not much happening here.

It was a little daunting at first. I bought a Core Set, an Xwing and 2 Tie Fighters. I play with my Mrs. and some mates and LOVE it. I have since bought a few other models.

My only advice is to consider what you enjoy about gaming. For example, for some, it is the competitive nature yet for others, it is the thematic feel of the game. I love the OT and only play OT ships. Maybe the Tie Desructeriser is a great ship .. but I don't care. I just love seeing the iconic ships blaze away at each other on the table top. Find what excites you .. and run with it.

I'm a short term visitor to the Netherlands, so I searched quite a lot for X-wing possibilities. The places where people meet are:

• http://www.gwhobby.net/forum/index.php?board=79 - most of the tournaments get posted around here, as well as "calls to play"
• Facebook group Netherlands - I don't use Facebook but presumably those that join get notified of events
• https://www.facebook.com/DeTafelridder - I included Tafelridder in Leiden because they organized the Dutch X-wing Nationals.

Tournaments are friendly and a great way to see what other people are playing and test your skills. The places with constant tournaments are Zoetermeer, Haarlem, Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, Eindhoven (?). I think I also heard of some events in Groningen and in the far east. Be sure to search, you might find some events. Of course the Nationals/Regionals would be worth a trip from Groningen. This year the Nationals had 39 people and we played 6 rounds, it was amazing!

Tournaments are friendly and a great way to see what other people are playing and test your skills. The places with constant tournaments are Zoetermeer, Haarlem, Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, Eindhoven (?). I think I also heard of some events in Groningen and in the far east.

You already mentioned the Tafelridder in Leiden, but I just wanted to add it to the list of places with regular tournaments (far more often than here in Haarlem).

Maastricht seems to have some tournaments now and then as well, but they are probably in the far east

Definitely valuable as a casual game. Start small (a core set is fine for you and a friend, then add 1-2 expansions at a time when you feel interested). Remember that Fantasy Flight's acquisition by Asmodee may improve European distribution. Skip the TIE Advanced for now, pay attention for the rumored fix, then reconsider.

No idea what to suggest for player base in the Netherlands.

Welcome to the game.

You can play this game casualy with friends at home or at a FLGS, play in a league, and also do tournament play. You can proxy cards from expansions you don't have if you are into casual play. You can find almost all of them spoiled online. At tournaments, you will need the actual cards to have a legal squad.

There are store tournaments, regional tournaments, National tournaments and Worlds. You can play online on Vassal as well.

We interact here where we ask many questions, for list advice, what's new and how does this card work with that one. You can also find great battle stories (most with pictures) and artistic repaints.

And we try to follow the saying "fly casual".