X-wing lacks a clear "second" purchase.

Just the other day a couple was playing with a original base set in our local store and asked the regulars what they should buy next. General consensus was they should buy a TFA starter set. While it's a smart buy if you want a two player collection it's not really what I would call a great buy. Especially if a player is really excited about a particular faction

So my recommendation is this.

Rebel set with a y wing. X wing and e wing.

Imperial set with tie advanced, bomber, and defender.

These sets would include enough upgrades to get a starter set to 100 point armies and provide upgrades to patch old ships like a new x-wing and tie advanced title.

Well that's my thought.

I would say that currently, the best second purchase is the factions' aces packs. After that, I would suggest the large ship you like best.

Reble, its French for yum!

Why does a "clear second purchase" need to exist? What advantages would that have, to both players and FFG, compared to the current model?

Very interesting idea. I like how it makes it much easier to get a 100 point list. But there are some things I don't like.

1) Most Wanted isn't really comparable to this because it comes with so much extra stuff you can't use if you don't already have the ships. If you did this, Scum would need a new pack that helps you get to 100 points (which is a lot of points considering you don't get any Scum in the starter sets).

2) If you do this, most new players will end up with very similar lists right out the gate. The current system lets people pick and choose the ships that they want to fly so you can get so many different squads from different folks.

3) There's no reason a new player needs to get to 100 points unless they're playing in tournaments, in which case they might as well by ships the same way everyone else has. If they're just casual, they don't need 100 points-worth of their faction and if they're gonna play in tournaments, they'll want to get a tournament fleet -- not a premade 100-point fleet.

4) It needs to appeal to new and old players alike or it simply won't sell well. What would you put in there to get existing players to want to buy it without alienating them? If they don't buy it, you can't make it. If you make cards powerful so they want to buy it, you get limited squad variety as everyone uses it.

What about the exact opposite? What about making The Hutt Awakens core set containing nothing but Scum?

I have thought of something like this myself before, and I really like it. It would also be a handy way of expanding the game for existing people, and get the existing ships that only have two named pilots some more stuff. So I think I'd prefer to see the Rebel Z-95 and phantom in place of an advanced and another X-wing.

It would provide a nice way of getting three different ships relatively easily, and since they will be coming with their fixes or more options you know they will be decent ships.

Most wanted pack is a bit different from just additional pilots and ships. It is not really a starter set as much as it is a conversion kit as well. Also there was a need for the most wanted because when it came out the 2 original factions already had several different ships.

I'm down with more "big boxes" like Most Wanted. It lets FFG get out a wider variety of new stuff for ships than the Aces packs.

I don't think I agree. Maybe it's because I come from more traditional wargaming and I assume that I should be able to buy stuff I want instead of stuff I have to. Boxes like that would most likely contain some very valuable cards making it a yet another must-have that you would not want to use aside from a couple things.

It is hard enough for me to explain to my wargaming friends how buying stuff they don't need when starting just for a card is a good idea. I personally don't mind at this point as my collection is rather large and I own at least two of almost every ship from the game, but I can see how others, especially when they want to get into the game, can see it as a big downside of this business model. Adding even more layers to that would be bad as I am sure that such sets would also have different cards inside, thus leading to an absurd situation when you might need a rebel ship set for some upgrades for your Empire squad.

...thus leading to an absurd situation when you might need a rebel ship set for some upgrades for your Empire squad.

Which is still better than having to buy 3 ships you will never use or sell before you get your first brobot or firespray. I've been teaching a lot of people how to play x wing, both irl and in vassal, but I'm tempted to never get the **** thing at all and just mooch asteroids and manoever templates from someone who's got extras.

I'd just like to see more pilots, alternative titles and mods (chardan refit, BTL-A4, E2) for existing ships, aces/most wanted style boxes are a good way to do that.

I think the idea has -some- merit if these faction boxes are geared to people who only wish to buy one faction and the boxes have upgrade cards that are difficult to acquire for these players. Like an empire player who cant buy a ship with engine upgrades could get one in their empire squad. Also if these three ships come in like a pre-made 100pt squad list that might be good or that at least these ships and the core ones reach the 100pt mark.

You know what bugger it, lets go one bigger and instead of a three ship box it should be a full epic 300pts faction box! with 8-12 ships and unique tournament meta breaking cards like 3po and rare ship "fixes" like ATC that can only be obtained by those who buy it.

MSRP: $300

Very funny dodt.

I think these faction packs could function as conversion or patch kits for ships that are not included like including extra x-wing titles would encurage a new player to buy more single x-wings. Same thing with the tie advanced. Only with the tie it should include a new ship title so there is still some incentive to buy a raider but it's not the only viable option.

I don't think they kill the urge to collect everything but they could help ease the pain.

The issue is with the big box as a companion to the starter, is that at this point, getting almost anyother 2-4 single expansions gives you almost as many options for 100 pts. There are very few bad options for a Rebel or Imperial player to get if they want a 100 pt squad.

I don't see how this is an improvement over Aces packs. It's just increases the chances that you'll have to buy more ships you don't want. It's why Imperial Aces is my favorite multi-ship package so far. I'm getting exactly what I want, and if I didn't want more Interceptors, there's no reason for me to get the pack.

For example, at this point, the Advanced does NOT need more pilots and upgrades. It's in a really good place. I'd really rather they didn't package a bunch of unneeded Advanced cards just to give the Bomber and the Defender some love.

well, my first purchase was small collection, my second purchase was a larger collection. (Sold a bunch of Magic cards recently so, my missus doesn't mind )

Now I want to trim it down a bit, but there are still plenty of ships on my wishlist. Ships I probably would never have bought if I started buying only new stuff, yet those ships on my wishlist I probably end up buying new (so FFG will get my money eventually).

(I see no point in buying another collection, just to fill in a few gaps, unless I really want to field 2000vs2000 epic games myself)

So my first buy advice for a new player is to go on the lookout for a small collection (worth of 150-200 retail) for roughly half and 2nd buy advice would be to buy whatever you're currently lacking most or newly released ships.

I don't see how this is an improvement over Aces packs. It's just increases the chances that you'll have to buy more ships you don't want. It's why Imperial Aces is my favorite multi-ship package so far. I'm getting exactly what I want, and if I didn't want more Interceptors, there's no reason for me to get the pack.

For example, at this point, the Advanced does NOT need more pilots and upgrades. It's in a really good place. I'd really rather they didn't package a bunch of unneeded Advanced cards just to give the Bomber and the Defender some love.

But unless someone is holding a gun to the heads of your loved ones, demanding that you buy more X-wing, you don't HAVE to buy anything! Some people don't view the game in terms of "need" but instead of flavour. To use your example of the advanced, not everyone wants/can afford the raider, however an aces box with some alternative (but not quite as good) improvements for the advanced would be a great option for them, as well as providing some extra repaints more pilots from the background etc.

As a new player I bought most wanted about two months ago, since then I've been out and bought an HWK, a firespray and an extra z-95 and Y wing. All because of the extra content in that box!

As a new player I bought most wanted about two months ago, since then I've been out and bought an HWK, a firespray and an extra z-95 and Y wing. All because of the extra content in that box!

I don't have 'Most Wanted', but the imp/rebel collections I've bought do have those ships, so I'm bound to get 'Most Wanted' (first for the alternate color-scheme's to use in big rebel fleets), because that one extra expansion basically gives me 6 ship options to play Scum. And once I go down that road...

To use your example of the advanced, not everyone wants/can afford the raider

That's because packaging the Advanced with the Raider was a horrible decision.

Packaging it with a Bomber and a Defender looks good by comparison, but it's still bad.

Hell, I don't even like the way Imperial Aces is implemented. It's just the best of these types of packages.

I think it would be way better if these Aces packs, instead of being packaged together, were just additional solo expansions.

So instead of having a Rebel Aces pack, you'd have an A-Wing II Pack and a B-Wing II Pack, each with the new pilots and upgrades, and the repainted model.

And instead of having Imperial Aces, they'd made TIE Interceptor II Pack and TIE Interceptor III pack. Each with it's own unique pilots. One is the striped Interceptor, one is the red one.

And instead of having Imperial Aces, they'd made TIE Interceptor II Pack and TIE Interceptor III pack. Each with it's own unique pilots. One is the striped Interceptor, one is the red one.

I love the red one, but FFG wants to make sure that Imperial players will buy both, so each of those individual pack will contain a valuable upgrade that everyone flying interceptors will want.

I sometimes think it would have been more interesting if X-Wing had come out as collectable ship and card game.

For example you buy an X Wing ship, A Wing and a Y Wing.

You then buy separately booster packs that contain the cards.

Pilots could be specified to only fly Rebel or Imperial or Scum or a combination of the 3 and specify the ship type.

Each booster would be say 12 cards and contain a random selection of 1-2 pilots, 1-2 EPTs, 1-2 Modification, 1-3 secondary weapons, 1-2 crew...etc.

As per MTG the good cards (like engine upgrade, lone wolf) would be more scarce than (photon torpedos).

A core pack could then contain the dice, measurement templates, rules and 4 boosters.

The ship packs would just contain the ship, flight stand and a movement dial.

I sometimes think it would have been more interesting if X-Wing had come out as collectable ship and card game.

For example you buy an X Wing ship, A Wing and a Y Wing.

You then buy separately booster packs that contain the cards.

Pilots could be specified to only fly Rebel or Imperial or Scum or a combination of the 3 and specify the ship type.

Each booster would be say 12 cards and contain a random selection of 1-2 pilots, 1-2 EPTs, 1-2 Modification, 1-3 secondary weapons, 1-2 crew...etc.

As per MTG the good cards (like engine upgrade, lone wolf) would be more scarce than (photon torpedos).

A core pack could then contain the dice, measurement templates, rules and 4 boosters.

The ship packs would just contain the ship, flight stand and a movement dial.

That's what I grew to dislike about MTG. it became very expensive to acquire the required 4-copies of desired cards.

Most boosters had a terrible value-for-money, so you were either forced to moneysink on those or buy the cards at high price from 3rd parties.

And once boosters go out of print, it's much more of a money sink.

I like variety and get bored playing the same deck all the time, so in order for me to get some different competitive deck-lists (with different playstyle) I invested well over 2k just to get 3 competitive Tier 2 decks to choose from, yet I could have easily spend that amount on a single Tier 1 deck. And after 1 year, half of the expensive deck turned out the be worthless because the meta changed entirely due to new sets.

I'm very happy with X-Wing, because it kinda combines the customization options of Magic (trying to find a perfect build one way and then try a totally different theme), the lovely miniatures of war gaming and it sits a reasonable price tag. (much cheaper than Magic or Warhammer)

Regarding the original post, pretend for a moment that you were in Target a few months ago and had never played a minitures game, or MTG or the like. You were there for some action figures and saw this box with little ships in it and grabbed it. Minutes after opening it you were hooked. Say it never occurred to you to visit FFG's website or look up battle reports on youtube. You might eventually be wondering at Barnes and Noble and see these guys on an end cap so you would go there looking for more.

That is the person that FFG would be marketing to with these types of sets and from that perspective it is probably a great idea. Yeah we would all hate it but you know many of us would buy them anyway, even though we already had 2 or more of every model in the box.

I sometimes think it would have been more interesting if X-Wing had come out as collectable ship and card game.

For example you buy an X Wing ship, A Wing and a Y Wing.

You then buy separately booster packs that contain the cards.

Pilots could be specified to only fly Rebel or Imperial or Scum or a combination of the 3 and specify the ship type.

Each booster would be say 12 cards and contain a random selection of 1-2 pilots, 1-2 EPTs, 1-2 Modification, 1-3 secondary weapons, 1-2 crew...etc.

As per MTG the good cards (like engine upgrade, lone wolf) would be more scarce than (photon torpedos).

A core pack could then contain the dice, measurement templates, rules and 4 boosters.

The ship packs would just contain the ship, flight stand and a movement dial.

Hell no.

FFG has rightly run away from the random collectibility model. And I think Attack Wing has shown the issue with pilots not attached to ships.

The only people who want a random model are those that want a secondary market to subsidize their purchases.