With Wave VIII on its way into our hands and Imperial Veterans on the horizon, we should be hearing something about Wave IX in the forthcoming days or weeks. I'm hoping we have something concrete courtesy of GAMA, but we shall see!

What do you fantastic/fanatical forumites want or expect to see in X-Wing? Be it nostalgia, theorycrafting, or just plain cool factor, I want to hear it!

My personal expectations:

IMPERIAL

—Alpha-class XG-1 "Star Wing" Assault Gunboat

REBEL

—Raven's Claw light courier

SCUM

—GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat

I'm hoping the Raven's Claw would be the first Large Rebel ship without any degree of Turret access. We have pages and pages of Gunboat ideas, but I would love whatever interpretation FFG engineers. The Blastboat feels like a solid Large ship with a dizzying array of options, loadouts, and model variations that could prove an incredible Control option for Scum, hopefully by virtue of built-in ion cannons.

But I'll gladly admit there are lots of potential X-Wing entries! What is everyone else getting excited for?

Obligatory T-85 and Tie S/F guess.

After that maybe that Scuurg(sp?) bomber.

As usual, the only thing I'm willing to predict is that no one's predictions will be completely accurate. (c:

Special Forces Tie

Orange and Black X-wing

Kylo Ren's Shuttle

Toothbrush/Cell Phone B-wing/Transport

Millennium Falcon Nerf Gun

New Force Awakens 3 seconds of screen time Lambda

"Special" Special Forces Tie (the special one)

"Special" Special Forces Tie w/ original The Force Awakens paint job (Because we don't have enough Ties that are basically all the same aesthetics wise yet)

Kylo Ren's Big ol' winged Shuttle special edition (Wings spread length of mat)

GunBoat

BoatGun

Tie "I played Star Wars Galaxies and this is special to me and it should be to all of you too"

YT-Another 3+ attack turret pew pew pew this is so much fun (personal favorite)

The timeless EU IS STILL GETTING SHIPS I'M NEVER LETTING IT GO NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY (another personal favorite)

/silliness

The only solid guesses I have are similar to TasteTheRainbow.

The scurrg h-6 bomber comes in as a heavy favorite for Scum, as it is (I believe) the only fighter ship in Armada which has yet to appear in X-wing.

Special Forces Tie I think needs to come in before the Force Awakens hype is totally gone. Otherwise, I think we will have to wait for Episode 8 to see it.

Rebels is scary though... I would rather they delve into the EU than take something awful like the Resistance transport... Man that would be so awful.

As usual, the only thing I'm willing to predict is that no one's predictions will be completely accurate. (c:

IDK Vorpal, I'm pretty confident in my list.

_Empire

_{I am hoping for the Tie Avenger...a mix between the interceptor and tie advanced. Otherwise, the assault gunboat would be cool as well. Probably expecting the tie SF with a turret.}

_Scum

_{Scrug bomber. Makes the most sense. Scum does not have a dedicated bomber yet and the ship already appeared in Armada.}

_Rebels

_{This is a hard one. All of the known ships are already in the game. Some of what is the best of EU has also been pulled in. Perhaps Wave 9 will not have a rebel offering.}

My head says further Force Awakens/Rebels ships. Strike while the iron's hot.

TIE/sf seems like the most likely, predictable; Kylo Ren's Upsilion-class, Poe's black X-Wing and the Millennium Falcon Redux are outliers. Scum options are less predictable - the Shadow Caster or the Gauntlet-esque fighter from Rebels? neither have made an amazing amount of appearances, if I recall correctly.

My heart hopes for a return to the EU sources (specifically, the X-Wing video game series our beloved miniatures game is named for); YT-2000 for the Rebels (and/or Scum); Skipray Blastboat for the Imperials (and/or Scum); Gunboat, Gunboat, Gunboat...

Some good ideas!

If I had to pick alternates, I'd probably throw in the T-Wing, Chiss Clawcraft, and Dunelizard for Rebels, Imperials, and Scum respectively, but I feel like those three are far too similar to things those factions already have.

I will be surprised if we get more than three ships total though! The VCX expac was a total surprise to me when they revealed it, coming alongside two Scum ships and a single lone Imp fighter.

I won't predict but what I want is those Mandoloria fighters from Rebels and the prototype b-wing

IMPERIAL:

- What I want: Assault Gunboat

- What we will get: TIE/sf

REBEL:

- What I want: H-Wing

- What we will get: YT-1300 ("square radar dish" Millennium Falcon from TFA) - hopefully (at least) with Scum pilots and dial, or Wookiee Gunship.

SCUM:

- What I want: YT-2000 - with Scum and Rebels pilots/dials.

- What we will get: Scurrg H-6 bomber. Or that ship that looks like a smaller Kom’rk/’Gauntlet’ fighter, seen in Rebels.

Extras: (in-between waves?)

- Ubrikkian Industries Minstrel-class Space Yacht (Star Jewel, with Jabba and other crew cards. Bonus: comes with a repaint and fix for the Scyk) [huge ship]

- Rebel Veterans (with X-Wing and E-Wing repaints and love)

- Scum Aces

- Imperial Light Cruiser (with Admiral Thrawn crew card) [huge ship] - OK, that is a longshot, but maybe sometime in the future?

Scurrg

CloakShape

Otana (YT-2000)

TIE Avenger

I'm going to go more vague and say:

Rebel + Imperial will be some new ships from Rebels

Scum will probably have a mix of remaining iconic EU ships and then Rebels stuff.

We're NOT getting any of the barely recognizable EU ships from that one video game you played as a kid (T-Wing, TIE Avenger, etc.) because the niches they fill have already been filled by the TAP TIE/Fo.

I guess the exception is the Gunboat, because the Empire don't have a SLAM capable craft, but even then it'll tread on the Punisher's toes a bit as a 'heavy, unmaneuverable bomber'

Tie Avenger is the Imperial Starviper- a good knifefighter but without the greens to support being an arcdodger

Gunboat is Imperial Bwing.

I guess the exception is the Gunboat, because the Empire don't have a SLAM capable craft, but even then it'll tread on the Punisher's toes a bit as a 'heavy, unmaneuverable bomber'

Hey now. Be mindful which ship is actually doing the treading. That punisher stole what rightfully belonged to the starwing.

I don't expect gunboat or avenger.

TIE/SF, or maybe a white winged shielded/palette swapped interceptor/bomber maybe.

I guess the exception is the Gunboat, because the Empire don't have a SLAM capable craft, but even then it'll tread on the Punisher's toes a bit as a 'heavy, unmaneuverable bomber'

...apart from the fact that it wouldn't actually carry bombs, you mean!

I'm going to go more vague and say:

Rebel + Imperial will be some new ships from Rebels

All the new ships in Rebels are Scum with the exception of the yellow TIE which doesn't belong to any of the fractions.

My prophecies:

I highly doubt we will ever see "special snowflake" T-70 X-wing, we already have Poe in game and his card shows a gray-blue T-70 which he also flew in the movie.

I hope the square dish Millenium Falcon won't appear soon, and I think if it will be released at some point it will be after Episode VIII or IX, we simply don't have enough material as of yet.

Skipray Blastboat for Scum would be fun (still waiting for Tyber Zann!), but I bet they will get that bomber from Armada.

Empire will most likely get a TIE/sf, but I would love to see the Rogue Shadow, Juno is in game already so FFG acknowledges the existence of TFU.

For the Alliance, I don't know what to expect. Maybe something from Rogue One? Unless they go with a repaint pack with Rebels A and B-wings, but repaints aren't usually part of a wave and that'd be a second repaint pack for those two ships.

I'd like to see a TIE Avenger that sits in between the Defender and the Interceptor in terms of cost and maneuverability.

Gunboat that flies more or less like a B-Wing but maybe with SLAM. Sadly, it probably won't be very competitive, but at least it will make people happy.

Rebel Veterans with a new T-65 paint scheme and some kind of 0-1 Point title that will give it a native Boost action. Something to make it less sucky and slide in just behind the T-70 in terms of cost and performance. Heck, maybe even an updated dial for the T-65. Could easily price and package it like Most Wanted and just throw in extra dials. A Rebel Veterans package like that could be used to "modernize" quite a few ships in that regard. Printed cardstock and plastic pegs are cheap.

Scum Aces that offers up some kind of competitive fixes for the Scyk and Khiraxz.

What we'll probably see is some stuff from TFA, like the TIE Special Education and maybe a new YT-1300 with a rectangular dish. Only really makes sense if it gets released with Scum pilots too, though.

I guess the exception is the Gunboat, because the Empire don't have a SLAM capable craft, but even then it'll tread on the Punisher's toes a bit as a 'heavy, unmaneuverable bomber'

...apart from the fact that it wouldn't actually carry bombs, you mean!

Ah yes bombs! I forgot they existed. What a crazy world we live in when Torpedoes and Missiles look like a better point spend than bombs.

Tie Avenger is the Imperial Starviper- a good knifefighter but without the greens to support being an arcdodger

Gunboat is Imperial Bwing.

I'd never have thought after the disaster that was the Starviper that anyone would want one in their faction.

TIE/sf is a lock, I reckon.

Beyond that, it's hard to call. I wouldn't be shocked to see just three ships for the whole wave; one for each expansion. Smaller expansions, slightly more frequently would be interesting. The four-ship expansion concept was great to fill out the ranks of two factions, but we're brimming ships for three now, and that'd keep the meta rolling forward rather nicely.

TIE Aggressor!

Tie Avenger is the Imperial Starviper- a good knifefighter but without the greens to support being an arcdodger

Gunboat is Imperial Bwing.

I'd never have thought after the disaster that was the Starviper that anyone would want one in their faction.

Keep in mind that Guri sees play as a TLT counter- between Sensor jammer, Autothrusters and 3 agility/Lone Wolf, she can shrug off a LOT of fire.

The starviper's problems are just in point value. Remixing it like the G1A is a remixed Bwing gives a perfectly valid advanced craft.

TIE Aggressor!

I feel like the Aggressor could just as easily be a Title for the Advanced that allows it to equip a Dorsal Turret for free. Hm. I'm going to have to play test that...

Tie Avenger is the Imperial Starviper- a good knifefighter but without the greens to support being an arcdodger

Gunboat is Imperial Bwing.

I'd never have thought after the disaster that was the Starviper that anyone would want one in their faction.

Keep in mind that Guri sees play as a TLT counter- between Sensor jammer, Autothrusters and 3 agility/Lone Wolf, she can shrug off a LOT of fire.

The starviper's problems are just in point value. Remixing it like the G1A is a remixed Bwing gives a perfectly valid advanced craft.

Guri and Xizor are great, although maybe not Corran-Horn-great; however the StarViper and E-Wing share the same problem with overcosted and squishy generics. If a TIE Avenger were to come out and impact the metagame similarly I'd be okay with a couple great pilots and fix-fodder for down the road.