I’d have to disagree with the conclusion to this thread, the X-Wing does need a buff.
I will however agree that this ship, and all ships with an Astromechs slot, need better Astromechs.
But back to the X-Wing, this ship suffers from the same problem that the TIE advanced and the Y-Wing suffered from in that they were wave 1 ships and the game and the game designers have grown since then.
While in casual play good players can make strong showings with the X-Wing, it doesn’t hold up in the current meta at the competitive level. An extremely talented player, ie an out layer, might be able to pull the X-Wing off in competitive play, but mechanically its been out done and its over pointed.
See the math wing threads for more on the math behind this and empirical evidence of current tourney play. It’s not a question of opinion but evidence. We have to beware of our own personal experience because people, myself included, are venerable to narratives and experiential bias. That’s why we need mathematical modeling and large data sets to see what is really going on rather than our own experiences alone. Narratively we have all seen the X-Wing flown well (and eat its lunch), but overall the math and the tourney turn out tell a clear tale. The X-Wing needs a patch. Especially with a comparison between it and the new TIE Advanced, which many are already test running using proxy cards while we await the real card.
My only hope is that FF does and X-Wing patch that works as well as the Y-Wing and TIE advanced patch did.
The TIE advanced is a great parallel in that it was the Empire’s answer to the X-Wing. In the fluff only the most elite Imperial pilots flew the TIE Advanced and the TIE x1 star fighter was capable of fighting a T-65 X-wing star fighter to a draw.
But as it stands now with the Advanced Targeting Computer, the TIE advanced is the better ship. It has better fire power, can arch dodge with its barrel roll, and better defenses with 3 agility. The X-wing needs both the hull point and the ability to barrel roll to be able to fight this ship to a draw and be the TIE x1's mirror like it should.
The barrel roll is essential in the X-Wing has never lived up to its rep as a versatile dog fighter.
For my suggestions I think this is a two card fix.
For one card, I’ll borrow from the master of mathematics, MajorJuggler, who suggested giving the x-Wing a title card allowing it to reduce the cost of one upgrade by 3, to a minimum of 0. My alteration to this would be to change this slightly and limit it only to modifications.
Icom T-65
X-WING ONLY. TITLE.
If you equip an (modification) upgrade, its squad point cost is reduced by 3 (to a minimum of zero).
Squad points 0.
This gives the X-Wing versatility, which it was famous for fluff wise, but also allows for an extra hull point or a stealth device, which it needs defensively to match the TIE Advanced. Of course players can opt for a shield, or even an engine upgrade for a point more. But the boost action for a point would not break the x-wing or make it over powered, it would just make for an interesting upgrade and more interesting to fly. See the math wing threads for more on the math behind this and why its not OP for the ship.
The other card fix would be to have a card to give the X-Wing the ability to arch dodge with a barrel roll. This is need to make the ship the type aces would want to fly and keep it neck to neck with the TIE advanced.
For this card I would suggest an astromech card limited to the X-Wing.
Enhanced Astromech Port
X-WING ONLY.
When you equip this card you must take 1 Astromech upgrade. Your action bar gains the barrel roll icon.
Squad points 0.
This upgrade gives the X-Wing a barrel roll but adds at least 1 point to the cost. Also it encourages use of the old R2 and R5 if not other Astromechs. It also keeps the ship more in balance with the TIE advance. The TIE advance is paying a point for better than 3 attack dice in fire power. So the X-Wing should pay a point for its better maneuverability and the mech bonus that rounds out its firepower gap with a crit immunity or extra green maneuvers. The other astromech powers for higher points also help but the barrel rolling is a feature the X-Wing has always need to fly and feel more like an X-wing and an ace dogfighter.
The X-Wing has never felt like this ship that won the Rebelion the war. The X-Wing was the reason for the TIE x1 The intercepter and the TIE Defender, and none out classed it. The X-Wing was able to hold its own against each of them. But no barrel rolling, especially for higher pilot skill pilots, leaves the X-Wing flying like older generation ships, like the Y-Wing and the Haedhunter.
I think these types of card would make the X-Wing far more maneuverable and actually be the versatile ship it was always meant to be; point for point one of the better ships in the game that can take on about anything. The new TIE advanced hits this mark, the X-Wing for the same points (sorry 1 less) does not defensively or in maneuverability.
No matter what I wish FF the best of luck with doing for the X-Wing what they did with the TIE advanced. Making a truly versatile star fighter that is fun to fly and tournament viable.
Edited by Oenomaus