Auto-includes/must-haves for newbie

By zedward, in X-Wing

Hello. I am returning to X-Wing since my first foray into it during Wave 2. I am looking for the pilots and upgrades that are considered auto-includes or must-haves. I have googled a few lists and looked at the Index of useful links, but all the info is overwhelming.

Here is a list of products I have:

Original Core set

Force Awakens Core Set

X-Wing Starfighter Expansion

2x Y-Wing Starfighter Expansions

Millennium Falcon

TIE Fighter Expansion

Imperial Aces

TIE Interceptor Expansion

I want to run Empire/Order mostly, but want to build a decent Rebel/Resistance force so that I can teach the game to friends. I have been looking at the Decimator or Lambda Shuttle for my next E/O purchase while I wait for the upcoming Imperial Assault Carrier. I also have a soft spot for Z-95s, but I don't want to build a swarm for R/R.

What critical cards/pieces am I missing? I will probably buy be using the secondary market for cards if I don't need the ship they are packaged with.

TIA

Edited by zedward

Autothrusters, they come in the StarViper pack.

Your Interceptors will thank you.

Check the X-wing wikia to see what comes with each expansion.

Autothrusters, they come in the StarViper pack.

Your Interceptors will thank you.

Check the X-wing wikia to see what comes with each expansion.

Thanks :) Should I get copies for each of my Interceptors?

Edited by zedward

Starviper comes with two copies you won't need more than three honestly.

Welcome back!

You don't need 2 Starvipers. One Starviper pack comes with 2 Autothrusters, and--particularly when you're just (re)starting--2 can be perfectly sufficient even for some triple-squint lists. Autothrusters are also good for T-70 x-wings.

Once you've gotten back into the game for a while, you can use your greater experience to decide whether another Starviper pack is worthwhile.

Decimators are much easier to fly than shuttles btw, and come with useful cards that ship. (I'm not saying Decimators are the better ship for their price, just that they're easier to fly. : )

Also, as long as your meta is okay with it, just skip buying packs for cards and proxy (print) them instead. That way, you can test run cards to see if you truly do need them.

Edited by IndyPendant

Wow, thanks for all the feedback :) I will pick up a Starviper today (same price as eBaying 2 copies of Autothrusters). Should I also pick up a second set for my T70s?

What should my next R/R purchase be?

Edited by zedward

Wow, thanks for all the feedback :) I will pick up a Starviper today (same price as eBaying 2 copies of Autothrusters).

What should my next R/R purchase be?

You can just call them Rebels, Alliance and Resistance are subfactions, but all rebels. ;)

A K-Wing would give you two Twin Laser Turrets, they are all the rage right now.

You could look into buffing your Y-Wings with some extra turrets and the BTL title, that would open up the third faction through the Most Wanted pack. Seeing as how you are already buying a StarViper...

So my shopping list is as follows:

Decimator

K-Wing

Starviper

Most Wanted

Am I missing anything? Should I get a Z-95 expansion so I have Rebel pilot cards for the Zs in Most Wanted?

Oi. Merry Christmas to me :)

Edited by zedward

Personally, I would push the Decimator back a bit, I don't rate it as high a purchase.

The Slave 1 is applicable to both Imperial and Scum.

It also comes with a slew of upgrades that come in very handy. 2 Stealth Devices, another Veteran Instincts, some crew (gunner!) and a few bombs.

The shuttle comes with a whole lot of crew that can also be used cross faction.

Personally, I would push the Decimator back a bit, I don't rate it as high a purchase.

The Slave 1 is applicable to both Imperial and Scum.

It also comes with a slew of upgrades that come in very handy. 2 Stealth Devices, another Veteran Instincts, some crew (gunner!) and a few bombs.

The shuttle comes with a whole lot of crew that can also be used cross faction.

So Shuttle or Slave I over the Decimator? Boba Fett vs Han Solo is always a classic match-up :)

So Shuttle or Slave I over the Decimator? Boba Fett vs Han Solo is always a classic match-up :)

There is that, but I leave the choice up to you.

I would personally take the Slave 1 first. Those Stealth Devices will come in handy, along with the Autothrusters.

The shuttle is the best bang for the buck in X-Wing. For 21 points you get 10 hits and 3 attack. For 28 points you can run advanced sensors and engine upgrade for a very fast turning steal of a ship. The shuttle is still widely used in top level play where the Firespray is not very prominent.

Hello. I am returning to X-Wing since my first foray into it during Wave 2. I am looking for the pilots and upgrades that are considered auto-includes or must-haves. I have googled a few lists and looked at the Index of useful links, but all the info is overwhelming.

Here is a list of products I have:

Original Core set

Force Awakens Core Set

X-Wing Starfighter Expansion Z-95 Expansion or B-wing Expansion

2x Y-Wing Starfighter Expansions

Millennium Falcon and Tantive VI
YT-2400 and E-wing

TIE Fighter Expansion

Imperial Aces

TIE Interceptor Expansion

VT-49 Decimator or Raider

Shuttle

2x Aggressors

STar Viper Expansion

I want to run Empire/Order mostly, but want to build a decent Rebel/Resistance force so that I can teach the game to friends. I have been looking at the Decimator or Lambda Shuttle for my next E/O purchase while I wait for the upcoming Imperial Assault Carrier. I also have a soft spot for Z-95s, but I don't want to build a swarm for R/R.

What critical cards/pieces am I missing? I will probably buy be using the secondary market for cards if I don't need the ship they are packaged with.

TIA

Had to make some adjustments to that list. Had some that were not needed and others that were.

The shuttle is the best bang for the buck in X-Wing. For 21 points you get 10 hits and 3 attack. For 28 points you can run advanced sensors and engine upgrade for a very fast turning steal of a ship. The shuttle is still widely used in top level play where the Firespray is not very prominent.

But which one is more FUN to play? I will mostly be playing casual games in my living room and FLGS

The shuttle is the best bang for the buck in X-Wing. For 21 points you get 10 hits and 3 attack. For 28 points you can run advanced sensors and engine upgrade for a very fast turning steal of a ship. The shuttle is still widely used in top level play where the Firespray is not very prominent.

That's a bit misleading. People don't run the dogfighting shuttle much- They use the shuttle to carry around Emperor Palpatine, and most build involving Palpatine are pretty expensive monetarily and pretty skill intensive.

The shuttle is the best bang for the buck in X-Wing. For 21 points you get 10 hits and 3 attack. For 28 points you can run advanced sensors and engine upgrade for a very fast turning steal of a ship. The shuttle is still widely used in top level play where the Firespray is not very prominent.

But which one is more FUN to play? I will mostly be playing casual games in my living room and FLGS

Firespray for the casual player. The Shuttle can be incredibly powerful, but it takes a lot of practice and forethought to use effectively in most builds because it takes forever to bring it back into a fight. The only exception is the "doomshuttle" which is just the generic pilot with Vader crew, and that's because that build kills the shuttle so quickly you only need to worry about the innitial approach (The Vader crew card lets a ship suffer to damage to deal one <crit> result after making an attack).

That being said, the Scum firespray is much more fun than the Imperial version because the unique pilots have better abilities (Imperial Kath Scarlet vs. Scum Kath Scarlet. Imperial Boba Fett vs. Scum Boba Fett). Of course, if you have the firespray and some y-wings already, buying the Most Wanted Expansion is a great next step (Most wanted includes pilot cards and ship bases to run Y-wings, Firesprays, Z-95s, and HWK-290s as scum ships).

My personal regarding other ships;

-B-wings are solid all-purpose rebel ships that are easy to fly but still have room for customization and some neat tricks. Rebel Aces is optional for B-wings themselves, but worth it if you also have A-wings.

-Z-95s are respectable filler ships that can block, harass enemies, and just generally be annoying. They're not the Workhorse the Tie Fighter is, but they're still solid.

-The K-wing expansion has some solid out of the box builds (Miranda Doni+Twin Laser Turret, Warden Squadron Pilot with Conner Net, Extra Munitions, and Advanced Slam), and contains a fantastic card for your Y-wings

-A-wings are solid blockers, and Rebel Aces adds a lot of fun interactions.

-The YT-2400 is used in some of the cheapest (monetarily, I mean) tournament builds in the game. On the other hand, some people really, really hate playing against it.

-The E-wing's generics are rubbish, but Corran Horn is incredibly powerful

Imperial Advice

-The Tie Phantom can be a blast to fly and comes with a lot of solid upgrade cards, but it does have a bit of a negative reputation in casual crowds.

-The Decimator can be a fairly forgiving yet powerful ship, although a lot of the key cards for it come in the shuttle expansion.

-The Tie Advanced was, prior to the release of the Imperial Raider, considered the worst ship in the game. Vader was still functional because his ability was just that good, but he was the exception. I'd avoid this expansion for now.

-The Tie Bomber and Tie Punisher have potential, but building them right is tricky and not something I'd reccomend to a new player.

-The Tie Defender is a very skill intensive ship. I don't recommend it to new players.

Scum advice post Most Wanted+ Starviper

-The Aggressor comes with a ton of fun illicit upgrades, and is a solid ship. On the other hand, once you have one, you'll probably want another, and that's a list by itself!

-Most of the Scum ships are a blast to fly and either strong or at least reasonable, so the Kihraxz, Hound's Tooth, and HWK-290 expansions are decent purchases. The exception is the Scyk expansion- The Scyk is not very good, and the only upgrade unique to the Scyk expansion that other ships can use is forgettable.

Edited by Squark

...

Had to make some adjustments to that list. Had some that were not needed and others that were.

Thank you :) I do not plan on running S&V just yet, and have a budget, so I will hold off on the Aggressors :) Are there any cards in the Aggressor that are "must haves" ?

Most Wanted depends on whether you want to get into Scum as a third faction. If so, then get your Starviper and a Firespray and you have some flyable lists in all three factions.

I would second the K-wing. Buy one and you have some decent Rebel squads right there. Down the road, two rebel Z's will get you some swarmy goodness. for both scum and rebels.

For Imperials? You are probably going to want some of the goodies that come with the Raider. Shuttle is OK but shuttle with Palpatine is amazing. Then you will probably also want a Tie Advanced expansion for Vader... Anway that's going to get expensive fast. I'd say grab a Tie Phantom. Cheap and adds some great crew and makes for some variety in your Imperial lists. It's the only small based Imperial ship that can really do work on its own.

Edit to sum up

  • K-wing for rebels
  • Tie Phantom for Imps (controversial choice maybe but gives you variety on a budget)

If you decide to go into scum:

  • Most Wanted (gives you scum Y's)
  • Starviper for your autothrusters
  • Firespray can fly as Imperial or scum
Edited by gamblertuba

Here's a compiled list of all the top-performing pilots/builds at Worlds, which is a great representation of the current meta: https://tm42xwing.wordpress.com/2015/11/22/proven-ships/

My recommendation would be any ship that sounds interesting from the "Proven" list. Careful of builds that require Tantive IV or Imperial Raider, though.

Where do you play? At home with friends or at your FLGS?

Where do you play? At home with friends or at your FLGS?

Both. Home with friends (who are new to the game) and will be playing casual at my FLGS.

So my shopping list is as follows:

Decimator

K-Wing

Starviper

Most Wanted

Am I missing anything? Should I get a Z-95 expansion so I have Rebel pilot cards for the Zs in Most Wanted?

Oi. Merry Christmas to me :)

Scratch the Most Wanted, get a Phantom and an extra TIE. Alternatively, since you're already getting autothrusters, get a shuttle so you can run double squints.

Since you are a mostly imperial player I would definitely invest in the Tie Advanced and the Raider. The Tie Advanced has suddenly become one of the best per points ships in the game. Vader, Stele & Eclipse are all really great pilots. In my opinion Vader 2.0 is hands down the best ship in the game.

Since you are a mostly imperial player I would definitely invest in the Tie Advanced and the Raider. The Tie Advanced has suddenly become one of the best per points ships in the game. Vader, Stele & Eclipse are all really great pilots. In my opinion Vader 2.0 is hands down the best ship in the game.

I'd caution this. It's a significant expense for a new player, and with the exception of the Accuracy Corrector Tempests, they're tricky to fly (Managing the advanced's medicore dial and the demanding action economy of Advanced Targeting Computer makes them a lot harder to fly than interceptors and Whisper).

Since you are a mostly imperial player I would definitely invest in the Tie Advanced and the Raider. The Tie Advanced has suddenly become one of the best per points ships in the game. Vader, Stele & Eclipse are all really great pilots. In my opinion Vader 2.0 is hands down the best ship in the game.

I'd caution this. It's a significant expense for a new player, and with the exception of the Accuracy Corrector Tempests, they're tricky to fly (Managing the advanced's medicore dial and the demanding action economy of Advanced Targeting Computer makes them a lot harder to fly than interceptors and Whisper).

Couldn't agree more. Start with Soontir or Whisper. Proxy an ATC Vader, then decide if you want to buy the Raider.