Hey all, so I've been playing X-Wing for nearly two years now, and I love the game, and I love the community we have in our local game store. I even over the year managed to get some friends into playing X-Wing.

However there is one big chip on my shoulder that has developed over time; borrowing and loaning items.

Now, I got a friend of mine playing X-Wing and he always used to borrow my stuff since he was waiting for when Scum and Villainy came in so he could start off with them as his faction.

Another friend of mine got into it about 9 months ago and has frustrated me because he never seems to buy anything too new. He kept with a YT-2400, and a YT-1300 list for a long time before finding his 4 Y-Wing build and making a go of that which has been strengthened due to Twin Laser Turret. We have a tourney coming up soon and he has requested of me if he can borrow a hull upgrade, and 3 R7 astromech cards, all my R7 astromechs essentially. He has one E-Wing and I told him "Why don't you buy another two E-Wings" and he said "because i don't want to buy another two E-Wings just for one card."

I feel like saying "Tough ****, some of us have gone ahead and done that, by this stage if you want a card you need to be prepared to acquire that card yourself, not rely on other people to lend it to you." however i can't think of a decent way to say that. After having a friend constantly use my stuff over the year it really started to irk me in the end to the point where I now no longer loan anything out, I have sunk a LOT of money into this game, while other people feel they don't have to and I don't think it is fair on me and the others in the community.

I'd like to see what people think I should say to him, or what I should do to encourage him to get his own stuff rather than rely on others, and what people think of this aspect of community in X-Wing.

Tough call. I think it's an awesome thing that you loan components to friends- I do it so I can have an opponent to play against instead trying get a game in with random people at my LGS.

As long as you don't get shorted when you play a tournament (and all your gear is returned unscathed), I see it as no problem.

I just print cars I don't have... but that's only stuff from the Raider, becuase it's too expensive, and I need the Tie Advanced fix.

Do you need the card yourself?

Do the cards return worse for wear?

Does he need the card again and again, rather than for the occasional tourney (in which he always seems to ask for something different)?

If you answer 'yes' to any of these, then you might want to suggest he looks into sourcing his own, with the first two being outright grounds for stonewalling. The third is more subtle, and a judgement call. I generally end up buying one or two of each ship. If I wanted to play a single build for a certain tourney, I have no issue asking others for cards to make the build legal. If I'm constantly asking for the same cards, though, that's different.

Fundamentally though, you have to ask yourself a question: Would you prefer to loan these guys cards, or see him out of the hobby? Not everyone is willing to invest in everything to run every build that strikes their fancy; Bugzapper 7Z being a classic example of something people will borrow for, because unless you're into Epic you'd never justify the purchases (4x IG-88s!) anywhere else...

I say be happy you have people to play against honestly

I have two people and one seems to be taking a break

We have no problem lending out things to others, but still over a year I've tried to get a community here but to no avail.

I think your lucky

Even though they may not have everything, count your blessings you have people that will play.

It's pretty crappy when there is literally only 2-3 people to play against, and that's it

Well, since you put it out there on the internet, I'll be happy to judge. You are both being poor friends, at least to each other, or perhaps you just aren't friends. Where I come from, a friend happily loans his stuff to help a friend. They would SUGGEST it and INSIST upon it. ("No, don't to buy ships you don't need, I'll loan you those cards"). Yes, this means some people will just abuse the "friendship", and that is how you know who your friends are.

Meanwhile, a friend doesn't mooch, even if the other guy INSISTS that he just borrow. He feels bad for always borrowing and eventually gets his own.

So it sure sounds to me like the question you should be asking is "do I actually intend to commit to being friends with this person, and do they intend the same?"

Now, we have many interactions with others in life, and we don't always choose people as friends even though we still associate with them. In that case, the answers you seek only you can provide. Is the inconvenience of loaning the cards outweighed by the positives of the association? Are you willing to loan the cards because you will have more opponents because of it, or because you have more fun because of it, or whatever? That is your own personal weighting, which none of use can speak to.

If you are worried about offending him if you request that he look into finding another source for cards to use in his builds, you can suggest looking on eBay. It is possible to pick up single cards from sellers cheaper than if you purchase the ship. Or if you don't foresee needing a card since you have multiple copies, you could sell him a copy.

Yesterday

There is nothing wrong with loaning or borrowing stuff. Better to have people borrow stuff from you and that play with you than no one borrowing or playing. We loan stuff all the time. Not everyone can afford tons of stuff, if you're not using it what harm is there in loaning it out ?

I solved this problem by being neither a lender nor a borrower. I run lists with what I have available but plan purchases for future lists. My inclination is to play rebels but I also bought into imperials so I would have factions to play with at home with my son and friends who don't play the game. I had no interest in scum at all but I now, with the purchase of most wanted, have enough ships to run decent scum squads if I want to. Some of the upgrade cards I have bought singly off ebay becuase I had a list idea and want to try it but don't want to buy expansions I will never use to do so. For example I have 4 copies of Expose but only one decimator.

Ultimately your ships and cards are yours to choose what to do with. I would frankly discuss the situation with your friends and tell them that uou would like them to sponsor their own plastic crack habit but you wouldn't mind loaning them a ship or card now and then if the request is more reasonable than just because they want it.

I feel your pain. I have about 80 ships so several of my friends who love the game have bought nothing because they know I have at least 2 of every ship.

If it's so they will play in a tournament and I'm not using any of the cards, models, or pilots, I see no problem. Just return it at the end of the day. For league nights or more casual games just proxy the cards.

What would he need the real cards for outside of a tournament?

You don't need to insist but there is nothing wrong with saying "dude(ette), I can't afford this hobby for the both of us."

If they don't bite then they probably aren't really that interested. If you'll help them decide on the proper course to collect (start with just a single faction) then you probably have someone who actually enjoys the game.

I just print cars I don't have... but that's only stuff from the Raider, becuase it's too expensive, and I need the Tie Advanced fix.

In the given example that is not an option, since its for a tournament.

It depends on what you want to do. If you are a collector then sooner the better as the hobby miniature range is only growing faster. Still that is the most expensive method of getting into the hobby. If you are strictly playing competitive then again pick two factions buy an competitive list and buy from those two factions what you need. The top competitive lists only cost $200-$300 but you have to know what is competitive and how to play it.

Still ask any miniatures player this hobby is expensive. Even though X-wing is the most affordable miniatures game out there it isn't cheap. The best advice to anyone getting into the hobby is budget yourself.

I would consider myself more of a collector but it is rather restrictive and yes I only have 1 E-wing. I still limit myself on buying no more than 2 of a set or expansion pack. And although I have not gotten 2 of everything have one of each and doubles of the most important ships gives me enough flexibility to almost make any competitive list. As for lending upgrades and cards, I will loan them for a match to someone who wants to try one out and figure if they should buy it. I loaned a C-3PO back in the days of Wave 4 and tore up the fat falcon list with one I was trying out. I can't remember if it was ion control or Jan Torps, but still torn up a Fat Falcon to where even C-3PO could not save it. Still when it comes to tournaments they can get their own ships and cards.

I've loaned stuff out before to new players. What happens is that they leech off of you and won't buy their own ****. Not for casual playing, but for tournament days. Because I'm a doormat I usually accept.

So from this point forward nope. I mean whole lists more than once, not the occasional upgrade or whatnot. If you want to try the game out that's fine, but I'm not going to lend you quad TLT every time you show up, buy your own ****. It also seems to be just me that gets stuck with leeches.

Honestly I'm going to start saying no for small things like upgrades and stuff unless you're a good friend of mine also. Not because I think you'll steal them, but because I'll legitimately forget. Just proxy it, I don't care.

There are plenty of viable 2 and 3 ship broken Turretwing and Acewing lists that are relatively economical.

I mean no offense in anything I say here but you asked for opinion so here it is.

If I was able to convince _any_ of my close friends to get into this game I would be more than ecstatic to let them use anything I had. I invite pretty much every friend I have who plays to every tournament I go to, offer them rides and sometimes will even pay their buy-in just cause I love going to events with them. It's fun to have someone else to hang out with on the drive and while there as well as root for. I feel like maybe you're taking that for granted a little bit.

That said you have absolutely no obligation to do anything for them. You paid for it all and it's yours so you can do with it whatever you want but me personally I have no problem sharing any of my stuff with my friends. I mean It's not like sharing a car and having them put mileage on it, they're just cards, sleeve 'em up and they're fine for wear. Ships maybe are a different story but as long as they would replace anything they broke I would still be fine to lend those out.

If I could offer you one possible solution. In the future maybe plan out with them joint purchases for upcoming waves. I would never buy 3 **** E-Wings either so I can totally relate to your friend when he says he doesn't wanna drop $15 on it, but at the same time if he wants to run that list so badly then some responsibility falls to him to make that happen so maybe in the next wave you guys split the difference and that way you can borrow from each other and not feel like you're being used.

I'd argue this is a "be the bigger man" situation.

Excluding scenarios where you wish use the card(s) yourself, no amount of loaning will actually cost you anything tangible. That's the bottom line.

By all means, mock your friend for being a lazy moocher. Mock him for being an entitled tool Mock his sense of honour, mock him for being a dilettante casual. Paint one of every ship a painful shade of fuschia, and only let him use those.

But don't try to superimpose your own code of ethics onto somebody else and/or punish them for not living up to it. It's not worth it.Fly casual and all that.

Are they friends, or acquaintances? A lot of young people confuse the two these days. I blame facebook.

Friends have your back. They will talk through things. They will understand your point of view. Acquaintances, well you catch up with them, talk **** and go your own way.

I'd lend my friends anything.

I am from the other side of the fence on this one. I only play imperial and so the 3 times I have wanted cards from other factions (autothrusters, conner net and EU) I have brought the set and passed the ship on to our rebel and scum players that way they can use as generics.

As for your friend that's a tough one. Do you play the same faction? If so say you are considering running a list that requires some those cards so they might not be avalable at the event. Or sit down and talk to him about sharing cost as said above or starting his own card collection.

I learned this lesson with MTG with my spouse. We had a combined collection, until she got snotty that I traded some cards she had drafted at a torni mentioned that she would never have used. Now all our stuff is separate and she struggles for cards as I put way more money in over the years.

Buy each of your friends a small ship expansion as a present or something. Get them off coolstuff or miniature market or amazon for a nice price.

Then you can borrow stuff from them!

Buy yourself an Imperial Raider and adamantly refuse to lend out any of the components for it though, that thing is a special case. Tie Advanceds with ATC are not for peasants!

Unless you plan on using the cards for yourself, you should loan them to your friend. I think it just comes with the territory when playing with miniatures. When I was in high school, my buddies and I played the Star Wars Miniatures game from Wizards of the Coast. I owned every piece and when it was time for tournaments, my buddy would always look through my miniatures and pick which ones he wanted to play with. It never bothered me because I knew he couldn't afford to buy the pieces individually like I could. Maybe it's the case with your friend. As long as my cards and miniature were returned to me in the same condition that it was loaned out, I never had a problem.

You don't need to insist but there is nothing wrong with saying "dude(ette), I can't afford this hobby for the both of us."

In my (3 guys) friends group I've never had any issues with loaning stuff I don't use under 'you break it, you buy it' rule.

X wing seems IMO to be aimed at people with the 'gotta catch them all' mentality, but in my local meta most people aren't like that, due to either cash or time concerns. Most of them (me included) are 1 or 2 faction guys. I play Scum with a bit of Rebels and if I wanted let's ssy the triple tactician k-wing list, I'd rather look into borrowing 3 Tacticians from Empire players rather than buy 3 Phantoms I have 0 interest in playimg ever.

It's nice of you to loan them your stuff, but if your friends keep borrowing the same cards, then they really should buy the expansion that has them even if they don't need the rest of it. Or they should scourge ebay for the individual card (or sell of the rest from that expansion).

Especially if your friends borrowing your stuff limits your own squad building options or they damage your stuff, just say no.

But how hard is it for your friends to buy some expansion offers? They should use their christmas bonus or something

If someone wants to borrow the odd card or model now and again that they don't own...I'm fine with that.

If someone wants to regularly borrow cards and models because they don't have the money to buy their own...I'm fine with that too.

If however someone wants to regularly borrow cards and models because they just don't want to spend their own disposable income on X-Wing for whatever reason then I wouldn't be fine with it for long.

Why should I drop regular money into the game/s I play while someone else gets to play and see the balance of their savings account rise at the same time? ;-p