But I only play rebel so the extra ties will just be collecting dust, I picked up a extra set of dice already. So the templates and x wing will be all i use, which I can get for 30. The shop I play at has a demo set to teach new players, so no reason for me to have 2. I can spend the 30 on 2 exspansions or 1 big ship which would be more useful for competitive play.

Ok, you may not make use of the additional fighter(s) from the other side. If the "ships" you own are your only concern and you have the extra dice then that second core set isn't all that important. If you never need to supply both sides of a fight that is even more reason you can avoid a second core.

A thing about playing only one side is that you miss out on the other goodies that come in the enemy expansions. Maybe no one takes issue with using card forgeries or you have a group that is all great with sharing but with those aren't certainties for many players. Getting upgrades leads to purchasing from the other side. Also, having and playing the other side allows you to expand your own game even if you aren't into them; "Know thy enemy" is sound advice for a reason.

It has been answered many times but I'll just repeat the reasons for the second core set:

1. It is the most economical way to get the additional ships,

2. extra dice,

3. second damage deck,

4. and spare templates.

I guess the reason to stay away from a second core set are:

1. You don't need the "extra" ships.

2. You already have the additional dice.

3. You never need to get a second damage deck.

4. You get by fine with one set of movement templates.

Those are basically the opposite of the reasons you'd want the extra core set so the one other reason to stay away:

5. You want to spend the money to advance into other ships.

Realistically, many people have reasons 3 and 4 covered but 1,2, and 5 can come into play especially for the "Rebel" player. For the Rebel player that second core is two "useless" ships and the X-Wing is available two other places which you'll actually want for those pilots. While you can fly more than three X-Wings it just doesn't happen as often as you'd see multiple TIEs flown. The Rebels also rely more on ships other than the X-Wing in this game.

At some point it may be worth getting a second core set. IMO, it's not an ideal purchase early anymore at all. If you get the second set you still need the x-wing/tie expansion to get the additional pilots there. It has great value, but I'd only suggest it if you know you'll be playing 5 ties or 3xs.

Let me tell you I started with 4 starters, (got them on clearance at target last year) let me tell you best choice ever. First the cost of the box pays the ships. (Online outlets have them for 27ish which is 9 per ships) second have extra dice is totally worth it. Having only 3 of each really is tough to deal with. If you play with a friend but of you having 6 dice is good as you can hit that many. (phantom with expose is 6 dice range one)

Next 4 xwings/8 ties is a great start. If you decide only to play one side sell the extra ships. Ships go for about 15 on eBay, which pays back the cost really quick.

Also something small but take your extra range ruler and cut it at the 1/2 line because having a range 1 ruler is super useful.

At some point it may be worth getting a second core set. IMO, it's not an ideal purchase early anymore at all. If you get the second set you still need the x-wing/tie expansion to get the additional pilots there. It has great value, but I'd only suggest it if you know you'll be playing 5 ties or 3xs.

Agree with the above. If you prefer a larger variety and know you don want to get stuck with repetitive TIE swarm vs X-wings games then I would recommend you just buy one starter set and work from there.

You can make your own templates from wood or any other material if it gets damaged, buy some dice if you or the kids lose one. Make sure your damage cards are well packed and that's it.

If you want diversity and keep your collection small, just buy what you like, but doubling up on the core is not a necessity then.

If you want many ships, go into Epic-play, scenario play, swarms, tournaments etc.

Well, then two core sets might be just what you need!

Finding places with stock of core sets isn't a problem, but stock is running short on just about everything else - so if you're faced with a choice of an extra Core set or say a couple of expansions, get the expansions now while they're still in stock and worry about a second core set further down the line.

What are the reasons for having two damage decks?

I understand the reasons for the other duplicates, but not sure about the damage deck.

I am planning to get the game to play casually with my family, and will be able to get Imperial Aces + X-Wing expansion + extra dice for barely more than the cost of a second core set, and would prefer the variety.

Well each player should have their own dmg deck.

If you draw a direct hit then that is one less your opponent may draw if sharing a deck for example

Each player using their own gives an equal chance to draw crits. In some cases there are only 2 of the same crit cards.

Just makes the game more fair in a way.

Though I'm sure you can survive with only one.

Aside from that it's nice to have a spare incase you lose a card.

It is possible.

I lost biggs from my first core set

I know where I had him last and he's still never been found

What are the reasons for having two damage decks?

I understand the reasons for the other duplicates, but not sure about the damage deck.

I am planning to get the game to play casually with my family, and will be able to get Imperial Aces + X-Wing expansion + extra dice for barely more than the cost of a second core set, and would prefer the variety.

In tournament play each player is required to have his/her own damage deck. It can be easier to keep track of things that way and you don't need to let other people handle your stuff. Having an extra damage deck also means you have replacement cards should misfortune fall to the deck you usually use. The damage deck is a specific collection of cards and can/should be checked before playing to ensure fairness.

Krynn does mention that the 'balance' of a deck changes as cards are drawn from it but in a casual setting that should NOT be an issue as the actual odds of drawing a given card is still the same for both players. If one player draws a Direct Hit card that does mean there is one less in the deck for the next person to draw a card but it's just a matter of who drew what.

Now if you do get two damage decks DO NOT SHUFFLE THEM TOGETHER. The odds for the first card may be the same as a single deck but after that the odds shift. To put it another way drawing a given card doesn't reduce the chances of drawing that card again nearly as much when there are two decks as opposed to one.