Ok, so a couple of days have passed since FFG announced the new expansion Heroes of the Resistance. Like many of you, I wasn't expecting it at all. I was hoping for a Scum Aces pack, or even a E-Wing/HWK/T-65 type "Veteran" pack. Not what was expected, but I am curious as to what else is in the pack.

What got me the most is what wasn't revealed in the pack as to what was revealed. What I mean is, the following cards were spoiled:

1. Millennium Falcon Title

2. Rey (Falcon Pilot)

3. Poe Dameron

4. Black One (T-70 Title) - Not truly spoiled, but you can read the card.

We can also see several other cards whose names are spoiled, but the only other card in the box that we know the text of is the previously released Integrated Astromech. So, we don't know the text/cost of 10 upgrade cards and 5 other pilots.

What I don't like is the fact that a couple of months ago when FFG posted the Imperial Veterans announcement article, they spoiled the following cards:

1. Gamma Squadron Veteran

2. Long Rang Scanners

3. TIE X7

4. TIE/D

5. TIE Shuttle - Not truly spoiled, but you can read the card.

6. Tomax Bren - Not truly spoiled, but you can read the card.

7. The first part of what a Tractor Beam Token does (reduce Agility part, but not the boost/barrel roll part)

Four other pilots were not spoiled (Countess, Maarek, Glaive and Deathfire), but from what we could see we could make out enough to come to the conclusion of what Maarek's ability was. Also, with the exception of the Systems Officer, all the other upgrade cards were already known (which means 3 pilots weren't spoiled, and 1 upgrade card).

Basically, we knew 90% of what was in the Imperial Veterans pack, and we know less that 20% of what is in the Resistance pack. I mean, simply put, the Resistance Pack announcement article kept me wanting, well, more. And, without knowing more, I am really not that excited for it.

I think this way they can spread out articles a bit longer. I honestly prefer this method.

The longer the striptease the greater the anticipation.

I like the idea of only spoiling a few cards in the initial reveal article so that there is room to build anticipation in the follow ups. The trick is in picking the right cards and I don't think that they did that this time around. Nothing in the reveal article made me go out and want to buy stuff again that I already owned as an X-Wing player, and I think its a pretty safe assumption that the main group of people who are interested in preview articles are the already invested player base as opposed to new potential customers. It is my heartfelt belief that Heroes of the Resistance will be a great boon for getting Force Awakens fans into the game(who I hope for FFG's sake exist), but that will happen when the set is out. Right now all I see is some re-paints and a few underwhelming pilots, a perception that FFG could easily have avoided by showing off some of the new upgrades that no doubt will be what would tempt me to pick up a new expansion like this one.

I would actually argue they spoiled too much in the original Imperial Veteran announcement. So much of the pack was spoiled that it led to months of proxying and play-testing. Nothing wrong with that but the release will feel old-hat before it actually reaches the shelves.

Tease us with a few ***-bits when it is first announced but save the big spoilers for when it is on the boat.

Typically they spoil a few cards in the inital reveal announcement, then post at least one more article about each pack before release, usually leaving one card in each pack unspoiled before release.

Imp Vets was an outlier because (as I understand it) some playtest material leaked, so they had to spoil a lot more a lot earlier than perhaps they would normally have done.

I don't have a firm source on that information though, just rumour.

I'd expect to find out the majority of the contents of HotR before it is released, but for them to hold back a single card; in this case I'd guess that that would be probably one of the ones top row left, which we can't see anything of at all - I can't see them holding on to Finn, Han or Chewie, and if they spoil the illicit they would also have to spoil Smuggling Compartment and probably vice versa, which more or less leaves us with Snap Shot and Hot Shot Copilot, both of which sound interesting enough to save.

Or maybe they'll keep the generic pilot like they did with the TAP.

Not really. They practically spoiled all of Imperial Aces when they announced that. Rebel Aces had a fair amount spoiled as well, if I recall correctly.

I wish they'd spoil less .

Every tournament I've gone to for the past infinity months I've been sad that I don't have TIE/D. Being able to use it on vassal's nice, but it's not the same.

Hot-Shot

Co-Pilot

Generic Crew?

I like knowing less. Guessing is fun.

Most likely they'll reveal more about the content of "Heroes" when it's closer to the release date.

Ace packs seem to have a higher proportion of rapid-fire spoiling, and indeed, you know almost every card in the pack (if not every card in the pack) by the time they arrive. Other packs seem to be spoiled more judiciously - fewer, slower, and usually a card or pilot in there they never revealed.

I guess it's because with Aces Packs, there's the desire to put out quickly and concisely exactly what the fixes were, to stem the torrent of complaining about the Ship Of The Day.

You'd think by now people would have already figured out FFG's press release schedule in regards to new x-wing products.

Oh well here is a chronological order for those who count figure it out.

1. Pre-announcement (all the stuff from conception to the first announcement, prototype, game testing, up to the production shot.
2. Announcement (more like a teaser, a model and a splay of the cards of what is to come, very little in details as most of the product is still unfinished)
3. Finalizing development and manufacturing of the product
4. Slow shipping boat from manufacture to distributors
5. Spoiler article for each product (2 if it is a multiple model product) to drum up interest before product is released Again not all the information is spoiled.
6. Boat still on its way.
7. Product is released, look online to find out the rest of the info.

That being said which # do you think Heroes of the Resistance is at? (hint you don't have to count high).

Now of course this is probably the only TFA product that follows the standard PR schedule, but it still follows the schedule. If I were to guess when the full spoiler articles are coming up I might say before Imperial Veterans are released.

Honestly, I would be more inclined to buy this if this was all they spoiled. I like the idea of opening a pack and reading a card ability for the first time. The way they are currently doing it, it's like I'm buying something I feel like I've already owned for a few months.

I think this way they can spread out articles a bit longer. I honestly prefer this method.

As long as they spoil everything eventually, this is fine.

It always sucks when they have that one card that they don't spoil at all. It always ends up having a lower quality image on the wiki...

I think this way they can spread out articles a bit longer. I honestly prefer this method.

As long as they spoil everything eventually, this is fine.

It always sucks when they have that one card that they don't spoil at all. It always ends up having a lower quality image on the wiki...

This, I must admit, even if I dislike being spoiled as much as FFG spoils, is annoying.

I think this way they can spread out articles a bit longer. I honestly prefer this method.

As long as they spoil everything eventually, this is fine.

It always sucks when they have that one card that they don't spoil at all. It always ends up having a lower quality image on the wiki...

This is the Gencon release. They will spoil it the week of.