Hi,

a while back I bought some X-wing stuff but never really got around to playing. Now there's a community at a local store that wants to do casual tournaments and such so I'm looking at X-wing again.

However, I don't have the biggest budget for the game so I'm wondering if I can play alright casually and in small tournaments and still do okay and not auto-lose without having to buy one or multiple copies of every ship?

Yes.

Usually there is a card you want in each pack. If you eBay strategically or trade with friends you could just collect one faction and even skip some of the ships you don't care to play or don't really like in general.

Proxying upgrade cards would save you a boat load of investment, however, for official tourneys you need the actual cards

Maybe.

Well, based on your collection, you should totally run your (insert ship model here) with (upgrade upgrade & upgrade) and pair that with (insert other ship here) with (upgrade upgrade upgrade). It will do well against (current meta list) but not so well against (other meta list) but really it all comes down to pilot skill and experience anyway, so yeah, go for it!

Nah, we're all just here for the talk. Who actually plays?

Honestly, it's the best game I've ever got into, so give it a go and see if it fits well.

I was just typing out an optimistic warning that you can continue to play and be reasonably competitive, but midway through, I realized that you can't.

You will never be in an "auto-lose" situation, but you will be handicapped.

Interceptors now need Autothrusters from the Starviper. The TIE Advanced need the title from the Raider. Any ship using torpedos or missiles needs the upcoming catds from the Jumpmaster, K-Wing/Punisher, and Imperial Veterans.

This is part of FFG's busimess model and you should expect to continue making purchases if you want all of you ships and upgrades to be as efficient as your opponents.

Well I understand that I'd be handicapped a bit but would it be to the extent of just not having any fun with the game? And like, not looking at super competitive play, mostly just casual play and maybe a casual tournament here and there.

I was just typing out an optimistic warning that you can continue to play and be reasonably competitive, but midway through, I realized that you can't.

You will never be in an "auto-lose" situation, but you will be handicapped.

Interceptors now need Autothrusters from the Starviper. The TIE Advanced need the title from the Raider. Any ship using torpedos or missiles needs the upcoming catds from the Jumpmaster, K-Wing/Punisher, and Imperial Veterans.

This is part of FFG's busimess model and you should expect to continue making purchases if you want all of you ships and upgrades to be as efficient as your opponents.

Excellent! Somebody else to add to my ignore posts list!

Seriously, this is some of the worst drivel I've read on here in awhile.

Pilot skill is the ultimate equalizer. There are plenty of things you can fly competitively that don't require a huge investment.

Besides, this game is about having fun. If you can't go to a tournament and have fun regardless of outcome you are doing it wrong.

And Rapture, feel free to respond to my post but just know I won't see it.

Well I understand that I'd be handicapped a bit but would it be to the extent of just not having any fun with the game? And like, not looking at super competitive play, mostly just casual play and maybe a casual tournament here and there.

Personally, I don't see how you could have fun playing your ships against someone using the same ships for the same point cosy that are better because of fix upgrades. But, if you are not at a tournament, you can just write out a list and pull the cards up on your phone, which removes any purchase based advantage and keeps the game both fair and fun.

Well I understand that I'd be handicapped a bit but would it be to the extent of just not having any fun with the game? And like, not looking at super competitive play, mostly just casual play and maybe a casual tournament here and there.

Go for it. Ignore Rapture, he is a bit too focused on the top tier.

I was just typing out an optimistic warning that you can continue to play and be reasonably competitive, but midway through, I realized that you can't.

You will never be in an "auto-lose" situation, but you will be handicapped.

Interceptors now need Autothrusters from the Starviper. The TIE Advanced need the title from the Raider. Any ship using torpedos or missiles needs the upcoming catds from the Jumpmaster, K-Wing/Punisher, and Imperial Veterans.

This is part of FFG's busimess model and you should expect to continue making purchases if you want all of you ships and upgrades to be as efficient as your opponents.

Excellent! Somebody else to add to my ignore posts list!

Seriously, this is some of the worst drivel I've read on here in awhile.

Pilot skill is the ultimate equalizer. There are plenty of things you can fly competitively that don't require a huge investment.

Besides, this game is about having fun. If you can't go to a tournament and have fun regardless of outcome you are doing it wrong.

And Rapture, feel free to respond to my post but just know I won't see it.

^ this guy ^

Little brash and obviously has a chip on his shoulder but totally right...

*some* ships REALLY want certain cards from other ship's packs (Autothrusters and interceptors for instance) but it isn't needed...

On the other hand... You could run a tie swarm using only the base set and a few blisters and do really well too...

Seriously, this is some of the worst drivel I've read on here in awhile.

So, you don't think that FFG uses subsequent products to fix and patch previous products and rules? How would you explain Chardaan Refit? What about the TIE x/1 title? What about Guidance Chips? The upcoming TIE Defender titles?

And Rapture, feel free to respond to my post but just know I won't see it.

Ha. Is that why you made such a big deal out of it? Because you don't care? Sure.

Well, I guess I just lost the benefit of interacting with you in the future. What a shame.

Well I understand that I'd be handicapped a bit but would it be to the extent of just not having any fun with the game? And like, not looking at super competitive play, mostly just casual play and maybe a casual tournament here and there.

Go for it. Ignore Rapture, he is a bit too focused on the top tier.

The "top tier?" One player is flying an A-Wing with the Green Squadron Pilot for 19 points. His opponent is flying an A-Wing with the Green Squadron for 17 points. The difference between those two opponents is that one of them bought the Rebel Aces pack and added one of the fix cards to his A-Wing. This isn't a questions of tiers, but of having access to the fixes that FFG published.

However, a lot of people of receptive to proxies or not having the actual cards. The OP just needs to be aware that he may have issues with some players if he expects to play without those cards.

I was just typing out an optimistic warning that you can continue to play and be reasonably competitive, but midway through, I realized that you can't.

You will never be in an "auto-lose" situation, but you will be handicapped.

Interceptors now need Autothrusters from the Starviper. The TIE Advanced need the title from the Raider. Any ship using torpedos or missiles needs the upcoming catds from the Jumpmaster, K-Wing/Punisher, and Imperial Veterans.

This is part of FFG's busimess model and you should expect to continue making purchases if you want all of you ships and upgrades to be as efficient as your opponents.

Excellent! Somebody else to add to my ignore posts list!

Seriously, this is some of the worst drivel I've read on here in awhile.

Pilot skill is the ultimate equalizer. There are plenty of things you can fly competitively that don't require a huge investment.

Besides, this game is about having fun. If you can't go to a tournament and have fun regardless of outcome you are doing it wrong.

And Rapture, feel free to respond to my post but just know I won't see it.

^ this guy ^

Little brash and obviously has a chip on his shoulder but totally right...

*some* ships REALLY want certain cards from other ship's packs (Autothrusters and interceptors for instance) but it isn't needed...

On the other hand... You could run a tie swarm using only the base set and a few blisters and do really well too...

Really want, sure. Unplayable without, not really. There are plenty of A-wing builds that are forgoing Chardaan. The worst is the X1, of course. But even then, Vader is still playable and fun without the title.

Well I understand that I'd be handicapped a bit but would it be to the extent of just not having any fun with the game? And like, not looking at super competitive play, mostly just casual play and maybe a casual tournament here and there.

You just nailed what's important about the game; fun. Some people have fun sweating over what power-meta build will win them the tournament, others have fun in casual play (and of course some love both). Re-visit the game with what you have and see if you have fun! If you find you're getting a good amount of enjoyment with your initial investment minus all the new bells and whistles that come out with every wave, you're home free!

I was just typing out an optimistic warning that you can continue to play and be reasonably competitive, but midway through, I realized that you can't.

You will never be in an "auto-lose" situation, but you will be handicapped.

Interceptors now need Autothrusters from the Starviper. The TIE Advanced need the title from the Raider. Any ship using torpedos or missiles needs the upcoming catds from the Jumpmaster, K-Wing/Punisher, and Imperial Veterans.

This is part of FFG's busimess model and you should expect to continue making purchases if you want all of you ships and upgrades to be as efficient as your opponents.

Excellent! Somebody else to add to my ignore posts list!

Seriously, this is some of the worst drivel I've read on here in awhile.

Pilot skill is the ultimate equalizer. There are plenty of things you can fly competitively that don't require a huge investment.

Besides, this game is about having fun. If you can't go to a tournament and have fun regardless of outcome you are doing it wrong.

And Rapture, feel free to respond to my post but just know I won't see it.

^ this guy ^

Little brash and obviously has a chip on his shoulder but totally right...

*some* ships REALLY want certain cards from other ship's packs (Autothrusters and interceptors for instance) but it isn't needed...

On the other hand... You could run a tie swarm using only the base set and a few blisters and do really well too...

Really want, sure. Unplayable without, not really. There are plenty of A-wing builds that are forgoing Chardaan. The worst is the X1, of course. But even then, Vader is still playable and fun without the title.

I agree

I was just typing out an optimistic warning that you can continue to play and be reasonably competitive, but midway through, I realized that you can't.

You will never be in an "auto-lose" situation, but you will be handicapped.

Interceptors now need Autothrusters from the Starviper. The TIE Advanced need the title from the Raider. Any ship using torpedos or missiles needs the upcoming catds from the Jumpmaster, K-Wing/Punisher, and Imperial Veterans.

This is part of FFG's busimess model and you should expect to continue making purchases if you want all of you ships and upgrades to be as efficient as your opponents.

Excellent, someone to add to my list of honest heroes

If it's just casual play... will they let you proxy cards you don't have? that will help your squad become more comptitive?

Depends on your SKILLZ level

Seen pros eat netlists alive with pure undiluted fun builds.

but you'll generally want some good upgrades that are always in other, unwanted packs like PHANTOMS or LAMBDAS

(that aren't really interesting for S&V player otherwise)

Play the game to have fun. Period. In casual play don't worry about winning just have fun. Learn from your losses as well as your wins.

With store competitions, as mentioned above, you'll be at a disadvantage by not having all the latest and greatest cards available but some of that can be mitigated by knowing your builds better than your opponent knows his and flying better.

This is a game. For me the rewards are meeting new people and enjoying the time spent gaming. The "rewards" for tournament wins pale in comparison. Tokens, coins, alt art cards and bragging rights, for me, take second place. They won't make me rich. The fame is fleeting.

I know it's the wrong universe but Spock it best. The wins are "sauce for the goose".

I only own ships from the original movie trilogy (and one k wing for the TLT ).

You can still be competitive with a minimum investment. I'm stooped nobody has mentioned BBBBZ yet. (4 b wings and a headhunter, all at the lowest pilot skills)

just 5 expansions to buy and uses no upgrades at all, and works fine! And they do what you wanted in the first place, push ships around and make pew pew noises without having to keep track of cards.

For imperials you can go with a tie swarm, wich will cost you a little bit more and is harder to master but wich can still hurt anything it faces due to sheer numbers.

True you won't make the latest list you see online, but that doesn't matter when you are having fun anyway!

What have you bought and wich faction would you like playing?

Well I understand that I'd be handicapped a bit but would it be to the extent of just not having any fun with the game? And like, not looking at super competitive play, mostly just casual play and maybe a casual tournament here and there.

You just nailed what's important about the game; fun. Some people have fun sweating over what power-meta build will win them the tournament, others have fun in casual play (and of course some love both). Re-visit the game with what you have and see if you have fun! If you find you're getting a good amount of enjoyment with your initial investment minus all the new bells and whistles that come out with every wave, you're home free!

Define 'casual tournament.'

Where I play, lists can sometimes be 'highly competitive' which I find discouraging to new players' getting a good feel for the community and the high points of the game's fun factor.

If your place to play is truly casual, than people will most likely either a) lend you the cards that you need to equip upgrade cards (if not ships themselves), crew, weapons, etc. to you if you promise to return them and take care of them; or b) let you proxy. (For example, I only have 1 copy of the 'Accuracy Corrector' card, but I often run four ships with it. I'm 'proxying' three cards. I often proxy cards that I don't have at all (but again, not pilots, not ships themselves).

Try not to get caught up on 'keeping up with the latest releases.' Play the ships you like, buy the ships you want. There is no wrong purchase; all ships have a place, and all offer something you need or want.

In general, though, newer ships have 'better' (whatever) by nature of 'power creep'. It's not too bad in this game, but for example, if you want to fly rebel, you are going to probably want to buy a K-Wing, if only for the Twin-Laser Turret (which is a great addition to your rebel arsenal). In my case, I don't buy much in the Scum & Villainy line. I only have 1 Scyk (purchased for the weapon cards), 1 Khiraxz (a gift), and 1 Star Viper (for the auto-thrusters card). That's all - not even the "Most Wanted." I like to fly Empire, so I have all of those in some quantitiy, and I love the Huge ship models anyway, and since they came with both ships and upgrade cards/pilots for those ships, I have those too. If you bite the bullet for anything, I'd recommend the Rebel Transport (X-Wing ship & pilots) and the Gozanti Carrier (awesome pilots for the basic TIE fighter).

The most essential thing to re-discovering the game is that you become aware of what the other pilots and card abilities are, and what they can do. Easier said than done, I know.

But the best thing you can do to learn what is out there is to find one of the X-Wing list-builders out there and experiment with making lists out of the pilots/ships you currently own, but see how you can equip all of their upgrade slots.

Give it a go!

The power creep in this game is 90% in the upgrade cards so one or two new ships will get you some of the cards you want to bring the older ships up to speed. but don't even worry about that yet just play with some ships dude.

ace lists tend to be where the most expensive shinanagins crop up. but there tend to be people willing to loan cards for events so proxy whatever and play on.

Most "top tier" lists are fairly expensive because they often use upgrades from a wide number of expansions and/or use an upgrade card only available in the huge ship expansions (which can be from $60-$100 depending on the ship). However, player skill still plays a pretty big role. People can and do place highly in the competitive events like Store Championships and Regionals with atypical builds.

As far as cost goes... The current metagame is pretty upgrade heavy. Even generic pilots are usually running an upgrade like Crack Shot, Twin Laser Turret, Accuracy Corrector, or Autothrusters, and most upgrades are only available in a small number of expansions. However, you can still get enough for a number of fun, reasonably solid lists if you're an informed consumer- And thanks to the X-wing wikia and Squad builders such as this one, it isn't hard to get the information you need.