So recently I had to take a break from X-Wing. Lots of people do and for all sorts of reasons. Burnout, work, stress, family, there are a million reasons out there.

For me I had to move across the country, more than 3000 kms to a new posting for my job, find a place to live and with my wife and two dogs welcome the newest members of my family as my amazing wife had our first children, yup twins, boy and a girl. And before you ask Luke and Leia got shot down as names faster than Han's Kessel run.

So back around regionals I had a bit of a last hurrah, playing in two, but to be honnest as much as I was having fun, I was kinda done for a while. The tournament scene is a ton of fun and I love it, but poorly run events and a few situations soured me a bit, and with everything going on I just stopped playing. I had so much on the go and this game that I've loved had become a burden. So I took a break.

I was still watching the game out there, be it battle reports or youtube videos, then worlds which I gawked over online and enjoyed, but found myself wanting more, how had there not been more games filmed?!

The kids did, and do take up all my time. They're a handful and in an instant my life had changed No longer could I just sprint out the door to play tiny space ships for hours on end without notice, or thought to who would care for my family. Add to that the fact that now I live in a perpetually half asleep world, where I'm either highly sleep deprived or half asleep listening for their cries every two hours through the night. All in all it doesn't add up to a lot of gaming.

So fast forward a bit to tonight, we're driving home from some shopping and my again AMAZING wife asks 'hey are you gonna go play X-Wing tonight'? We had found a new gaming store locally that was hosting monday night X-Wing play. While I had been interested I had no time or really payed it much heed, but there is my wife looking at me asking why I'm not going. I say I can't that there is too much going on with the kids and that and she tells me its fine, go, go play X-Wing. Well i only can object to logic like that for so long.

With excitement and trepidation I headed down to the new store. It was like a first date. I wasn't sure what I was doing there, if they'd like me or if I could get the job done, but hell 50% of life is showing up on time, so I had that going for me.

In a military manner I was there early, scouting the premesis, learning the lay of the land, where the washrooms were and what the stock of product was like. First guy there, looking like a newb. It wasn't long before one of the regular players showed up and after seeing my stuff asked if I wanted to play, I was being asked out, to a game of X-Wing. I felt like the prom queen.

He said he had a new rebel list to play, I said I had an old school list I was going to play, to which he laughed saying I hope its not old school like a tie swarm, they aren't competative. I smiled and began to pull ties out.

He was running Heavers version of Poe and the top 4 Miranda with TLT and tactician, along with some bandits, very, much inspired by worlds the list looked like that meta and had some power behind it for sure.

I was running Howlrunner, and four shinning new Academies along with the Baron, Soontir fel with AT and Ion Engines.

The game was a turn and burn fight with my morale plummeting on the first engagement as Howl went down for nothing in return. But as I earned back my space legs things got better and we ended it with Poe on one hull facing the wrong way against 3 ties and Fel.

Time away had been good, it let me take care of my life and set the right priorities, but man o man did it feel good to be back, it's like falling in love with the game all over again. I can't wait to play again. I know my swarm was really rusty, so next time maybe I can make it look a little more polished, or perhaps I'll play A-Wings, or a Defender, or....

Still haven't seen the new movie, but I'm really excitied about playing this amazing game again, and hopefully sometime soon. And who knows maybe I'll get to see the movie as well!

When I got back home I kissed the wife, grabbed a baby and happily sat there my nerd battery recharged and wanting to share my good mood with my family. I think it worked.

Thanks for listening to a ramble.

Fly Casual.

Hey man glad to see ya back

Hope everything is going good.

Best post I've read today, thanks for sharing. I have 2 kids under 2, I get your lack of time and thankfully for us both, sounds like we have equally awesome wives. Mine asked me today if I was planning on going to play tomorrow night and when I expressed similar doubts to the ones you laid out above, she said just laughed.

Great post.

Nice thing about a miniatures game is you can take a break for a year or two and get back in easily as long as you don't sell off your collection. Good luck.

Thank you very much for the post, it's the best I read in months! I can relate on so many levels, as I am looking at a very similar situation - sans the relocation, but who knows?

Our twins are on the way, and similarly the same name suggestion was promptly shot down, faster than you could shout "Howlrunner, pull ou...".

So glad you had fun, got back in the game - and in style.

Fly casual and enjoy every moment of it ;-)

Can only relate!

Our baby girl will be six months the 4th of january, and play time has been sparse! It's getting better now, going for a 30 pt furball fight this evening. Last expansion i bought was the rebel transport last year but i'll manage!

My beloved gray y wing/ion turret/r2astro /proton torpedo will just ion stuff and watch the others pounce on the helpless bugger

Best topic I have read for a looong time

Great story and very recognizable and inspiring

My eldest daughter is slightly over two years, my youngest daughter is 8 months.

I rarely play, also because I moved several times and my regular group is 180 kilometer north.

Now that I am truly settled it is time to find likeminded opponents in the area

Congratulations to you and the misses! Children might cause worry and sleep deprivation, but also a lot of fun!

Cheers!

Great post!

I have a -almost- 4 months baby girl and last game i played was when she was 10 days old (a Summer championship, which I ended to win despite the lack of sleep but surely due to my little Miranda giving me luck & strenght).

I played some Vassal games lately, so I feel lucky i did not cut the hobby completely out.

But it's impossibile to leave Queen and Princess alone if I know they may be in need of my help... so, no professional x-wing player career for me!

But... with two diamonds like those i have, should i care?

Family is great (and you seem to have good priorities), and as kids get older things definitely get a lot easier. Mine are 9 and 11, just getting into Star Wars, and I just bought the TFA Core set to start this week. I fully expect the kids to get into this as much as I will. I was also luck enough to at least get to name the boy, Luke

And get out there and see the new movie!

Great to have you back! I was wondering what happened to you. I took that Tie Bomber article you wrote and ran with it for a while. It was great for my Store Championship and I came in 3rd for it. I was the only undefeated going into Final Four. I switched to Xizor and Z-95 swarm through the rest of competitive this past year. Did well and missed the cut to Top 16 due to poor dice in my last game (really, really poor dice). Since Extra Munitions has come out, I've been loving the Tie Bomber list!

So, pretty much like your list before:

4 x Scimitar Bombers w/ Extra Munitions, Homing Missiles, and Seismic Charge

Works very similar to your old list, but don't need Jonus. He was a weak point. Don't have to fly in formation, but can. The enemy doesn't get to use their Evade, which is great for some ships. It's working very well these days.

With the new expansion they announced, "Imperial Veterans", they are bringing out Long Range Sensors! It allows you to get a TL on anyone on the board...except at R1-2. It will make Tie Bomber lists even better. I'm looking forward to this expansion quite a bit.

I credit you with how I got good with Tie Bombers. There is another local ace who has learned to fear Tie Bombers!

As for the kids, things will improve in a bit and you will get to go out. Then, it gets worse when they start signing up for activities. You find yourself driving them to and fro most nights out of the week and then going to parent show nights where they show off whatever it is they are doing. Eventually they learn to drive. My oldest just did that this year and it makes life much better to get to game night.

Congratulations! Great story.

I have a 6 and a 3 year old, and frankly they are the best things that ever happened in my little world. Hard work - but entirely worth it.

Your wife is spot on right pushing you to take a break from it all however ( even for just a couple of hours) - it is good for the soul, and thereby good for the children.

Reciprocate! She might even let you teach them "the glorious game" in a couple of years...

my amazing wife had our first children, yup twins, boy and a girl. And before you ask Luke and Leia got shot down as names faster than Han's Kessel run.

I'm in exactly the same boat - first kids were girl/boy twins. I had to pretty much take an 18 month break (only got a handful of games in) and only started playing again a couple months ago. Welcome to being a Dad of multiples!

And at least you can get them little Luke and Leia costumes at Halloween.

I've got a son inching up on two years, and a daughter inching up on two months, and I can relate!

IMO, you have to keep yourself happy, healthy, and sane in order to be a good parent; sounds like your wife recognizes that. Sometimes that means slipping out to the FLGS to roll some dice for a few hours.

Besides, this way you're being a good role model by showing your kids that it's important to have hobbies, right? My son already recognizes the pieces as "Daddy's game," and while he's too young to understand the concept of "game rules" right now, I'm really looking forward to playing with him (the daughter too, though we'll need FFA rules or something by then).

Congrats on the little ones!

Cheese and Rice ...

What the eff is this? No spoilers? No whining about spoilers? No whining about needing to put spoilers in a subject line? No whining about over-powered, under-utilized, fix-required stuff?

Just a story about family, a great game called X-Wing, a better, understanding, 2.0 new core set called Wife? A fun night out at a previously unknown FLGS? Having a great time, and welcoming back a former player, not to mention two new Imperial recruits?

BEST **** POST IN THE PAST MONTH !!!

Awesome story OP, makes me feel good.

I recently got back into the game after about a year. There was a lot of catching up I needed to do. So many acronyms to learn!

I move in and out with pretty much all of my games; family, work & no local community to my knowledge, nor even a FLGS at which to build one, so opportunities are limited. Mostly, I play with family, and we tend to run a pretty wide variety of games to keep everyone entertained. Lately, that's meant alternately X-wing and Armada for me, Ghostbusters for my brother, and Zombicide for my nephew. None of us keeps current with anything, really (gaming wise), so I haven't run into the horror of the TLT, nor is every season and expansion forbZombicidevstacked in the corner. We buy what we think will make our games more fun, and given that every week's gaming night is met with enthusiasm all around, I'd say we're doing pretty good.

Welcome back to the game. Like a good friend, it never seems to stop inviting us back, whether we're gone for weeks or years.

I've been list building and getting excited about playing more. I don't know when I'll get the chance next but I get the giggles every time I make a two ship build, ah the twins....

Thanks again for listening.