Hello all,

With much talk now about alt-art cards in the upcoming Summer 2016 kit, I'm curious about your various opinions on earning the cards through play, as opposed to acquiring them aftermarket or through friends.

I do want to get my hands on alt-art cards, but feel weird not putting in the (unavailable to me) tourney-time.

Am I overthinking this? Or is it not a big deal? I know it's just a game, and it's not like I'm buying war medals and pretending to be a vet (which is undeniably horrible).

I'm totally overthinking this... but I want them SO BAD. D:

As an aside: I am a casual player (which isn't to say I don't love the game, play as often as possible, have committed myself to financial ruin collecting as many ships as possible, and spend way too much time lurking here), and after over a year finally feel confident and curious enough to try a tournament, if only for the experience but mainly to acquire some of the great alt-art cards or if my luck and skill prevail, a prize. However, my work schedule pretty much keeps me away.

Thanks for any input!

You're totally overthinking it. No one is going to ask you to prove you "deserve" an alt-art card. If it's something you want, and your work schedule keeps you away from tournaments, get thee to eBay.

It's a card for a game you play, not an Olympic medal.

I'm sure there are people who treat xwing like it's a serious thing (and fair play to them, to each their own) - but it is just a game.

You want a card and you see it on eBay or you've got a mate who has one going spare? Good for you. Enjoy.

It's a card for a game you play, not an Olympic medal.

I'm sure there are people who treat xwing like it's a serious thing (and fair play to them, to each their own) - but it is just a game.

You want a card and you see it on eBay or you've got a mate who has one going spare? Good for you. Enjoy.

I once saw someone implying that winning an X-Wing medal was as worthy as winning the Olympics... I had a pretty good laugh...

You're totally overthinking it. No one is going to ask you to prove you "deserve" an alt-art card. If it's something you want, and your work schedule keeps you away from tournaments, get thee to eBay.

This. I have in my collection a few alt art cards that were released before I started playing, I've never received any negative feedback for playing them.

It's a card for a game you play, not an Olympic medal.

I'm sure there are people who treat xwing like it's a serious thing (and fair play to them, to each their own) - but it is just a game.

You want a card and you see it on eBay or you've got a mate who has one going spare? Good for you. Enjoy.

I once saw someone implying that winning an X-Wing medal was as worthy as winning the Olympics... I had a pretty good laugh...

Ha! Thanks, all. Just had to externalize my anxiety over it to see I should relax.

Overthinking it . If somebody buys the medals or prize rulers, I might pity them a bit, but I would still play them and so on. I like the prizes in x-wing are cards and such, helps keep things in perspective.

First of all: don't be scared of tournaments. Go to one if you manage to find the time, you'll have a great time.

As for buying: there are some cards that were released before I started playing (especially the super-sexy Push the Limit) so ebay/friends is my only choice. Too bad I can't seem to find one...

I think things like acrylics, rulers and coins etc are things I would want to win - measuring tools in particular often show the tournament you won them in, so I think they're worth earning.

The alternate art cards - not so much. I'm a big Corran fan, the main one in our group who flies him regularly. Am I gonna win the alt-art - not with only two up for grabs, I'm just not good enough. So I will try and buy, beg or steal one so I can use it in the future. I have a few alts from before I started as well.

Having said that, this is mainly because I use Corran so much. If it was an alt-art B-wing pilot for example, I probably wouldn't bother!

In our house we pay the iron price

You should not feel bad buying anything short of a medal or trophy. Getting alternate art cards is usually not that hard, they are not the top prize in most tournaments and often if the tournament is smaller there are enough for everyone as a participation prize. The last tournament I went to had a bunch of leftover cards and tokens from previous tournament kits and despite the fact that I came in 8th out of 11 I still snagged some alternate art cards and acrylic tokens.

The alt art cards are pretty and while they're given as prizes they aren't innately prize material. I wouldn't be surprised if there are so many so that they do go on the secondary market. C-3PO for example. Same with acrylic tokens: they're not medals.

Now if you bought a set of templates that say "Store Championship Winner 2013" then I might give you a funny look.

Hello all,

With much talk now about alt-art cards in the upcoming Summer 2016 kit, I'm curious about your various opinions on earning the cards through play, as opposed to acquiring them aftermarket or through friends.

I do want to get my hands on alt-art cards, but feel weird not putting in the (unavailable to me) tourney-time.

Am I overthinking this? Or is it not a big deal? I know it's just a game, and it's not like I'm buying war medals and pretending to be a vet (which is undeniably horrible).

I'm totally overthinking this... but I want them SO BAD. D:

As an aside: I am a casual player (which isn't to say I don't love the game, play as often as possible, have committed myself to financial ruin collecting as many ships as possible, and spend way too much time lurking here), and after over a year finally feel confident and curious enough to try a tournament, if only for the experience but mainly to acquire some of the great alt-art cards or if my luck and skill prevail, a prize. However, my work schedule pretty much keeps me away.

Thanks for any input!

The only things it's not okay to just buy off eBay are medals and Store Championship plaques and such, you should have to earn those. But alt arts are fine.

Challenge coin is borderline. Just buying one kind of goes against the whole challenge coin thing but I wouldn't really consider it not okay. They're cool and it's understandable.

Challenge coin is borderline. Just buying one kind of goes against the whole challenge coin thing but I wouldn't really consider it not okay. They're cool and it's understandable.

Meh, as long as you don't go as if you won it yourself, I think they are great collector items. I was really surprised of the quality when I won mine, I thought they would have been cheaper than that.

Alt-art cards are pretty much collectors items, The older ones are the most rare and expensive and players have diffirent opinions on them. Some "need" to collect them all, some likes them as a fun bonus and reward for playing in tournaments and some don't care at all and are selling/giving them away, no need to get anxious over it.

Buying and selling throphies and medals is maybe a bit sketchy like selling other awards and prizes but hey it's a free world (well some of it) so go nuts if u want. I have 2 regional trohpies and 5 medals form armada and x-wing and I'm very proud of them but I have sold/traded promo items since I don't play all factions/ships and some promos are worth more and less to me depending on what it is.

Challenge coin is borderline. Just buying one kind of goes against the whole challenge coin thing but I wouldn't really consider it not okay. They're cool and it's understandable.

Meh, as long as you don't go as if you won it yourself, I think they are great collector items. I was really surprised of the quality when I won mine, I thought they would have been cheaper than that.

The medals are cool collector pieces too. I wouldn't wear them in public unless you work at Chotchkie’s though.

Oh you bet you have to EARN them and if you play me i will want detailed references of the glorious battles you won in order to have recived them!! notarized 3rd party videos are the only credentials i will except!!

Challenge coin is borderline. Just buying one kind of goes against the whole challenge coin thing but I wouldn't really consider it not okay. They're cool and it's understandable.

Meh, as long as you don't go as if you won it yourself, I think they are great collector items. I was really surprised of the quality when I won mine, I thought they would have been cheaper than that.

The medals are cool collector pieces too. I wouldn't wear them in public unless you work at Chotchkie’s though.

True that medals are cool too, and if people wants to collect them I see nothing wrong with it. It's just an old perception that medals must be earn... But then again, we're speaking about a spaceship game so...

'Earning' is also a relative term. For example here we've never had a tournament with more than 16 players for as long as I've been playing, which means all you need to do is show up and you leave home with an alt art card.

Oh you bet you have to EARN them and if you play me i will want detailed references of the glorious battles you won in order to have recived them!! notarized 3rd party videos are the only credentials i will except!!

Does shaky, 8mm Zapruder-footage work?

My FLGS is even more egalitarian about the seasonal kits due to the number of players. At the end of league season, people get to take one item, in order based on ranking. So, if you took Vader, then you'll miss out on the tokens.

I still don't have any Imperial Gunners.

I'm probably going to receive a lot of flak over this statement, but here goes anyway. I love to play this game but I do not care for the tournament scene. That being said if you never play in anything above local game nights and leagues then you miss out on a great many nice acrylics and cards. I have been lucky enough to trade for many of the promos that I wanted from higher tier tournaments. I don't try to acquire these promos because I want people to think I have been to tournaments and placed high, I try to acquire these items because I prefer the pictures of the pilot and acrylic tokens look better on the game mat. I've never encountered anyone, even when I was still attending tournaments last year, who have asked me where my tokens came from. I have however had some interesting contact with people all over the world through my trades. Anyone looking for alt art cards or tokens should check out the big x wing trade thread. It's a very good resource to find those cards your looking for. Shameless plug here but, I have some of those alt art push the limit cards a few of you were talking about. And Imperial Gunners too.

Just buy them and don't feel bad - some parts of the world can't even get them tru normal channels (licenscing issues - ffg cannot actually provide support to those regions).

I figure as long as it doesn't say I won anything to get them, it's okay. The only thing I've bought is a challenge coin because it looks cool, but I won't take that to a store championship.

I'm not clear how walking into a store tournament that only has 15 people at it and they immediately hand everyone 2 threepio cards counts as earning them.

I feel a little different about the top 4 and up prizes.

I have one more chance to fight for a coin in a couple weeks...after that I'll just suck it up and live life without one.

But cards?...meh...get them however you can.