I have a friend just trying to get into the game with Scum and I am realising that the upgrades are a massively limiting factor for new players. That being said I encourage all new players to proxy stuff and use the upgrades they want. Start with buying the ships you want to play, not the upgrades you need. In a tournament environment there will always be someone you can borrow the cards off (unless it is something dumb like engine).

It wasn't till I thought about it that I realised just how difficult it can be to break into the game at this point. But we really are just going to have to casual and welcoming to new players. They will pick up the bug too, and go out and buy everything eventually

I hope FFG puts more upgrades cards out as tourney promos. The PtL is a great start, but it needs to continue since they function as standalone cards, whereas, pilots do not.

X-Wing Expansions with model and cards are still cheaper than like a $40 Codex or Supplement.

And an $80 rules update every two years with a new $45 codex a year after that.

X-Wing rules are free

LCG style games would go out of business if they didn't make you buy models/expansions you don't want to get the cards you do.

The alternative would be to have booster packs with a random card and rarities. Imagine if it was $4 for 3 random upgrade cards, and the best ones, like PTL and HLC, were "rares" that only showed 1 in every 10 packs. Does that sound better?

If you're just paying for fun, just use proxies, nobody cares. If you're going to play in FFG's tournaments, you have to pay their fee.

This isn't a "rarity" game, there aren't even rare cards. There was a quote from the celebration stating, no "card packs". You are required to "own" a core set etc, like any game, it's an investment for entertainment / competitive purposes. Like I said in another thread, I sold my XB1 + games to fund my first $200 purchase. I understand the requirements for list building, but a few less coffees, energy drinks, smokes .. er whatever will buy you at least 1 expansion per week!!

I don't have an issue buying 4x$15 expansions, trade / sell off my dups etc.

As for $29-99 expansions, depending on need I'll at least get one each and buy / trade for stuff as needed.

Eventual goal is to own at least 1 of each, not sure if some will ever get played with. You should see my SW Pocket Models

I bought another shuttle for another sensor jammer. I'm not especially proud of this but then again I don't have kids to feed.