I've heard a few people say that they bought two of the Base Sets for IA. Now I'll be honest I thought about it due to the fact that I plan to use the tiles and miniatures during our EOTE RPG. (We like using Miniatures, what can I say.) but outside of having extra tiles and miniatures for the RPG is there a reason to buy a second Base Set? I haven't had the chance to play IA yet. That's happening next week. Would like some feedback from you guys that have played it.
Thanks!
From what I've seen, a second set is by no means required.
A lot of people I've seen who bought multiple sets liked having access to extra squads of minis (a complete second set for elites). However, the extra tiles certainly make it worth considering.
Now I'm debating a second set myself.
For the Campaign mode, a second Core Set will give you nothing other than extra dice. A single Core is all you need for the campaign.
For the Skirmish mode, it is seeming like a better investment all the time. The extra minis and deployment cards and tiles (plus the dice!) all add value to your second Core Set.
So the question is which mode of play you're more drawn to at this point.
While I don't think it is required, I decided to buy two sets right away as I wanted to be able to field certain squads in skirmish play. I also liked having an extra set of tokens and tiles since those are sure to wear out over time.
You shouldn't need two sets for campaign play, but it can come in handy if you are running two campaigns at the same time.
The rules actually state that you can't use more deployment cards in the campaign than are in the box. Skirmish, however, is a totally different thing.
If you want the list-building flexibility of having access to a complete second set, then another Core box is a good idea. If you just want to build a Trando-heavy list, or need a few more Stormtroopers, you can probably grab the minis and deployment cards off eBay. There are a few people parting out the Core Set minis for skirmish.
I can't imagine I'll ever buy a 2nd core. I suppose your Skirmish squad building potential is going to be stifled just slightly, but there are so many cool options with what you get in one box I think I'll live.
I wouldn't be surprised if we get some expansions in the future to fill in those gaps anyway.
If you're considering it, why not wait until a tournament scene picks up in your area or some more expansions are out before making that choice?
I still hope they release the models in the core game as "expansions".
If FFG really wants to make us happy they could do alternate sculpts for the models like Trandos and Stormtroopers.
Listent to me, talking about expansions when I haven't even played a single skirmish game...
Listen to all of us, wanting expansions and additional packs when we haven't even received Wave 1 yet...
*cries*
Wave 1 should've been out already...and now it says on the boat, which means a few weeks more...
*clears throat* They altered the deal. Let's pray they don't alter it any further.
and now it says on the boat, which means a few weeks more...
With the dock workers issue, I don't think anyone knows how much longer it will be.
I'm sure well see certain alternate sculpts for Snowtroopers, Hoth Rebels, Scout Troopers (Endor), giving you more choices for troopers, but they will probably have slightly different ability sets.
Unless Trandoshans and Stormtroopers get announced for Wave 2, I highly doubt you'll see them as expansions.
I'd be surprised if you can't buy more basic models at some point. If not there is always the older SW:CMG stuff.
Even "at some point" is really doubtful. Let's be honest here: FFG plans their releases a couple years out, they already know if they are going to release core box set stuff as an expansion or not. We know what Wave 1 is. The question is, what will Wave 2 be? Will they follow the Descent release schedule, or will they break from that? Every wave is gonna be something new and shiny and you are going to want the old stuff less and less. My point is, if these things aren't already announced, it would be kinda of odd to be releasing models for an old campaign past Wave 2.
I'm seriously considering buying a 2nd core so that I can paint one set of minis and leaving the 2nd set plain.
I'm seriously considering buying a 2nd core so that I can paint one set of minis and leaving the 2nd set plain.
Until you realize the painted ones are rolling dice a lot better.
Even "at some point" is really doubtful. Let's be honest here: FFG plans their releases a couple years out, they already know if they are going to release core box set stuff as an expansion or not. We know what Wave 1 is. The question is, what will Wave 2 be? Will they follow the Descent release schedule, or will they break from that? Every wave is gonna be something new and shiny and you are going to want the old stuff less and less. My point is, if these things aren't already announced, it would be kinda of odd to be releasing models for an old campaign past Wave 2.
Based on everything we've seen released so far, this is 100% going to follow the Descent release model of Core-Small Box-Big Box-Small Box-Big Box, etc, with the Ally/Villain packs releasing alongside the box set they are meant to supplement. We can glean as much from the releases thus far, and the upcoming Twin Shadows.
What will make newer players still want "the old stuff" will depend on which game they want to play; campaign or skirmish.
For campaign, having all the SKU's going is always going to give you maximum variance in your games, and having the extra models to replace the tokens will make those boss fights seem appropriately epic. Fighting through Core's campaign to have the final showdown with a cardboard General Weiss token isn't the same experience as having this big ED-209 looking thing on the board.
For skirmish, I've noticed that the command cards released in the Core and expansion packs thus far have all been unique, and you've gotten the maximum allowable quantities for a deck; so if the card has 2 pips, you get 2 copies. What this tells me is that down the line, players might find some of these "older" cards to still be of some utility. For instance, there are cards that buff Wookiees and droids, but you're limited to only Chewie/Gaarkhan and IG-88 and Probe Droids currently. The door is always open for more of those keywords to show up, and we know C-3P0 and R2-D2 are up next.
Rebels and Imperials each have a command card that interacts with a Force User from their specific faction, but only Luke/Diala and Vader fill those roles currently.
Right now, I'm just happy that they haven't put duplicates over different SKU's. I'll have less redundancy in the card collection. Anyone that's seriously collected X-Wing since it came out will attest to how many Proton Torpedos they have, and how often they make it to the table (read: rarely)
Anyone that's seriously collected X-Wing since it came out will attest to how many Proton Torpedos they have, and how often they make it to the table (read: rarely)
Yeah, but how many copies do you have of Predator? Or Engine Upgrade? I'm sorry, but I think having more than you need falls under the category of "good problems to have", as opposed to the very different situation of needing something you're missing. I find it more than a little irritating that I need a pack of Rebel Troopers to make my skirmish list of Stormtroopers more effective.
- H8
Anyone that's seriously collected X-Wing since it came out will attest to how many Proton Torpedos they have, and how often they make it to the table (read: rarely)
Yeah, but how many copies do you have of Predator? Or Engine Upgrade? I'm sorry, but I think having more than you need falls under the category of "good problems to have", as opposed to the very different situation of needing something you're missing. I find it more than a little irritating that I need a pack of Rebel Troopers to make my skirmish list of Stormtroopers more effective.
- H8
I have 13 Proton Torpedoes. I won't even use half of that in a game, never mind any of them. By contrast, I have 3 Predator and 4 Engine Upgrade cards, from getting 3 TIE Defenders and 2 Falcons. I can't see myself needing much more than that, so my card storage isn't needlessly clogged with a bunch of copies of cards for an upgrade that has a niche use in a competitive game at best.
I can routinely drop a Predator and Engine Upgrade in a list, sometimes several, and that to me is good utility. We can talk about the problems of having to buy the Rebel Troopers pack to make your Stormies more effective in skirmish, but I think it's also fair to say that if you're planning on taking skirmish to the next level, beyond an "out of the box" game as it was provided, then you might be picking up the lot of packs at some point anyways.
Your referencing of X-Wing cards implies that you have some knowledge of that game, perhaps through collecting it yourself. It's a similar complaint people have for that game, such as faction loyalists not wanting to buy Rebel Falcons to get Engine Upgrades for their Imperial ships, and things like that, or flat-out "having to" buy a ship pack they have no interest in. It's just the way the game is rolling out. It's like collecting a LCG and only wanting cards for your specific faction of choice and not having the others.
It's an entirely separate concern from what I noted, which was just having a stack of redundant cards that were sprinkled throughout various expansion packs that a lot of people were buying anyways. Those Proton Torpedoes came in 4 different SKU's; Core, X-Wing, Y-Wing, and B-Wing, and I feel like the Y-Wing gave you 2 copies.
At the end of the day, FFG needs to make all of these packs "essential" to a collector so that a player than wants the full experience is buying 1 of everything. If you were playing a CCG like Magic, how many packs are you buying to fish for the cards you need to optimize your deck's playing experience? This is all a drop in the bucket to those expenses. They have to balance price point entry barriers with things like the Core Set, while still providing a complete experience. Though I feel like we're probably paying more as consumers who go "all-in" than if we just got the Core for like $200 with a similar amount of content as the Core and figure packs, that steep price point would turn away new players of the hobby who would think it was too expensive, whereas veterans might not even blink because they know that $200 is happening one way or another.
Anyways, these release models aren't going to please everyone. If it's that game-breaking that you were seriously not going to get the Rebel Troopers ever, and were going to purchase around them, then I suppose that's a little annoying, but for the $15 or so to get "1" card, you could probably shop around and find a singles vendor. I don't know if they're doing it yet, but Team Covenant did singles for X-Wing, so check with them for Imperial Assault singles.
I have a similar but different "problem"; I have more deployment cards for my Rebel Troopers and Sabs than I do actual physical models to play them legally in a skirmish event and that tickles my OCD in a bad way. I can't just buy more Troopers or Sab packs because then I have even more deployment cards I can't match to models, as well as all the other cards made redundant; command cards, missions, insert, etc.
Sadly, the price of buying the Troopers and Sabs on their own is too close to just buying the pack, so that's all there is to say about that.
I got part of a second set. A friend wanted to split one so he could get the tiles for custom Descent scenarios. The way we split it, I got all of the non-unique Imperial and Mercenary deployment cards and miniatures, as well as the dice, and he got the rest of the box. I feel like that was a pretty good deal for me. Now I have all the Stormtroopers, Imperial Officers, and Probe Droids I can use in skirmish, as well as second sets of everything else for the Imperials and Mercenaries. I might at some point buy more regular Trandoshan Hunters, Royal Guards, or Nexu piecemeal, if I have a specific plan for them in a skirmish squad (IG-88 plus four groups of regular Trandoshan Hunters is interesting as a conceptual list, and Royal Guards are just so good for the Empire).
I feel like splitting a second core set to get what I did was a really good value. If my friend wants to split a Twin Shadows box to get the tiles and Rebels, I'll probably jump on that deal, too.
Couple reason why I purchased a 2nd set:
1. Extra Rule Books are an amazing thing to have, especially when learning the game or teaching others (sure you can download them).
2. More Miniatures for Skirmish. So you can convince your friends to play and you can both be Darth Vader!
3. Map tiles. So when everyone is done with the Campaign and you want to all play skirmish you could have separate battles going on. Except for that 5th Imperial Player they can make snacks or something...
4. Also for the same above reason, If you have 7 people show up to play, you could easily have some play the Campaign and some play Skirmish.
5. More Stormtroopers!
6. Sometimes you can't convince people to spend a $100 on a board game but if I have all the stuff they'll play.
7. Customization! With the 2nd Core Set miniatures I don't mind experimenting on them a little with out fear of "ruining" the figure. Different poses, paint schemes, part swaps... Like with that 2nd Luke I really want to put him in Stormtrooper armor to match that exclusive card coming out.. I'll probably put a magnet in his head and the trooper so I don't lose a Stormtrooper... anyway....
To anwser you original question, No you do not need one..
I bought a 2nd set for skirmish, so I had more units to run. We tried out a bunch of gimmicky lists at first (2 AT-STs ain't that great) and we've found that more powerful lists also tend to have more diversity. The lists we're running now only use a single box set. I don't think I've run any lists that have required units from a 2nd box set in quite some time.
So the answer is "no." You do not NEED more than 1 base set.