In a recent store championship I came across a player who habitually held his dial in his hand before revealing them. I was bit annoyed at this behaviour but not wanting to spoil the friendly atmosphere of the setting I avoided confrontation. Although I reported the player to the TO later on. My initial thought was that my opponent was definitely cheating but I have come across some x wing videos like this one from a regional event in atlanta

at time points 8:45 and 18:25 the scum player keeps holding his dial before revealing. This makes me think that I might have overreacted given I lost that game.

My question is what is a polite way of asking opponent to not fiddle with their dial once some of the ships have moved? Should this be discussed before the game?

Aforementioned player is a local and I expect to see him in upcoming tournaments so any help would be very handy for me. Thanks.

Yawn... We have seen this before.. Yes is appears... yes it sucks.. No its not cool.. but neither is clubbing baby seals.. So what is your plan on this subject.. Tell people to place their dials in the play area and only touch them when they reveal them or simply don't play with them .. Just a question but what do you think you should do?

I am amazed that you happen to of been recording him... I have yet to see camera's in any event.. what did you finish?

yeah I agree there is not much that can be done without ruining the game before it starts.

I am amazed that you happen to of been recording him... I have yet to see camera's in any event.. what did you finish?

Oh this is not a recording of my game this one is from Atlanta regional where as my game was at much smaller store championship. just the handling of dial was very similar and it made me think that I overreacted by reporting the player.

To ask someone to do the right thing isn't being mean nor is it impolite. If he reacts poorly to your request then simply seek outside help. Please above all have fun.. what gets me going is when people are victimized... Don't be a victim..

yeah I agree there is not much that can be done without ruining the game before it starts.

I am amazed that you happen to of been recording him... I have yet to see camera's in any event.. what did you finish?

Oh this is not a recording of my game this one is from Atlanta regional where as my game was at much smaller store championship. just the handling of dial was very similar and it made me think that I overreacted by reporting the player.

Ask them to place their dials next to their ships on the mat.

If they refuse, call the TO over.

If this makes them angry, it's on them.

The one at 18:45 is a bit sketchy. He moves his thumb on the surface of the dial, which could be interpreted as trying to change it.

Best practice is to ask nicely and explain that there have been incidents involving people modifying dials and the best way to avoid suspicion is not to handle the dials unless it is being flipped.

FFG thought this out very well.. The rules are there for this very reason

There used to be a rule in the tourney rules that stated if you would like to look at your dials during the activation phase you must let your opponent know first. Since then, that rule has been removed, and I still don't understand why.

If your opponent likes to fiddle with his dials, just ask them to please make sure to let you know when they pick them up. It's common courtesy and a fair (and used to be a legal) request.

it's a very american (and british) way of dealing with a problem: not say anything to their face but involve an authority. honestly the best thing is to simply say "hoy, no touching of the dials" or don't say anything but then don't report them to the TO. you should only report them to the TO if you point it out and they refuse to stop.

it's not a "friendly" atmosphere if you're bothered by their fiddling and don't say anything. it's just a very superficial "friendly" atmosphere. if you say politely tell them to stop (no need to get angry) it's much more friendly than reporting them to the TO when maybe they were just nervous.

I get fidgety (part of my ADHD) and unconsciously hold my dials before flipping them occasionally. It's entirely subconscious for me and I'll stop myself if I actually notice myself doing it or if someone says something.

I've never seen someone do it maliciously though. I've heard about it in other areas, but never seen it here in Atlanta.

I guess (long-time TO, longer-time player) I just don't understand why you would hold your dial?

I mean, the "intentional change" is trivial to do (obviously illegal), but I've seen players nervously holding their dials come to the point where they flip it over, and it's a maneuver they PLAINLY didn't intend (their nervous fiddling obviously moved it) and they seem mortified by (like, I dunno, a red stop maneuver on an otherwise-undamaged Yorr+Palp sitting on a board edge with two stress tokens...)

It's so much safer to just do what the rules say - put the dial ON THE TABLE and NEXT TO THE SHIP IN QUESTION. Problem solved!

I get frustrated when playing someone and they think putting their dials/tokens next to the pilot cards is ok.

I don't like dials being there, but as long as they activate in order doesn't bother me too much.

However, I've encountered a few times where a player wants to put tokens on the pilot cards instead of next to the ships. I find this VERY frustrating because it's difficult to tell the status of each of his ships easily, or even with difficulty.

And they always act indignant and offended when I ask them to please place the tokens next to the ships on the board

Personally, the only time where I will look at one of my dials and not reveal it for a while is if I am agonizing over a choice as to whether I do an advanced sensor boost with my IG before performing my manoeuver. Other than that, I usually inform my opponent that I'm looking at my dial, doing it and then putting it right back down.

It's just more polite this way.

Just ask them! Letting possible cheating happen is worse for the spirit of the game. If you are agonizing about their dials, you either aren't playing with your full attention, or are playing slightly frustrated.

It's easy to say "Do you mind not messing with your dials until we reveal, or let me know when you want to look at your dials?"

And if the opponent gets upset, then say "I trust you're not cheating, it is just beneficial to both of us to avoid the appearance of cheating."

Redirection!!! This is how you get things done without the offending party getting all uppity.

"Hey man, I played against a guy a while back who cheated by changing his dials as he flipped them over. I don't believe you're cheating, but could you just flip them over in place so my anxiety doesnt go through the roof?"

Regardless if the story is true or not, people usually respond pretty well to that.

I flip my dials in place using 2 fingers across the diameter of the dial simply because I don't want even the slightest thought to enter my opponent's mind that I might be playing unfairly. It's just who I am. The dial upgrades also help with this.

I get frustrated when playing someone and they think putting their dials/tokens next to the pilot cards is ok.

I don't like dials being there, but as long as they activate in order doesn't bother me too much.

However, I've encountered a few times where a player wants to put tokens on the pilot cards instead of next to the ships. I find this VERY frustrating because it's difficult to tell the status of each of his ships easily, or even with difficulty.

And they always act indignant and offended when I ask them to please place the tokens next to the ships on the board

This annoys me as well even though I know it shouldn't. It doesn't annoy me to the point where I am actually frustrated, but it irks me. Irks me more when people do it with tokens i.e. focus/evade etc.

It annoys me for the following reasons:

1. I cannot tell when you have placed your dials and ready to proceed unless you say something to that effect. Sometimes, people don't.

2. I cannot see what you have dialled in unless I get up, lean over the table and almost stare at your crotch. It's not that I don't trust you but if you have dialled in a left turn and you are playing it to the right, I want to make sure.

3. Personally, I find people that do this are more closed off, don't communicate as much during games and take THE LONGEST TIME EVER to place their two dials compared to my six - eight.

4. You are more likely to play with the dial if it is sitting right in your lap as opposed to being in the middle of the table that requires you to, in some cases, actually get out of your chair to view it.

However, back to the OP, if I believe someone is handling their dials too much, I move the conversation to it. X wing isn't just played on the mat, its a open game with free flowing communication between two fans of Star Wars. If you can't ask someone why they feel the need to hold their dials so much then you have more issues going on then just that. Some times people don't know they are doing it, other times it is a nervous reaction to a clutch moment in the game. I have never known someone to intentional dr. . . cheat in the game.

Hey, Just wanted to say.. Good call everyone... be kind, be polite, and quote rules to get it done.. enjoy this, dont let anyone make it anything more than a fun get together...

it's a very american (and british) way of dealing with a problem:

Unlike those Sweeds and Uzbeks who solve their problems like this.

Set the dial next to the ship on the mat.

Activate by flipping it over and leaving it there.

Done.

Anyone doing anything else does not understand the purpose of having a preset dial.

Holding it before a flip...looks nervous and is shows fear.

Laying them out on the cards is laziness or an inability to organise.

Fidgeting with them at all is shady.and amateurish.

You set a maneuver. Set the dial by the ship. And wait. Patiently..like a confident adult player that knows what they are doing.

When it's time...you flip it over where the opponent can actually see it.

You can even verbally tell them what it is as you flip so there's no confusion.

That's it.

If someone wants to nervously fidget with something use something that's not part of how the game is played.

Dials..no touchy.

Do something else.

Flop a challenge coin across your knuckles

Practice with a butterfly knife

Stir a cocktail

Paint a ship

Read a book

Just...something else.

Be han solo sitting in a cantina

Don't be c3po twitching and fidgeting and fretting.

My a-wing dials are so loose now that sometimes it falls inbetween bearings... I feel like a ****** because I need to correct them sometimes because its directly between two. if it moves over to the wrong one, oh well I do that... but I always leave them next to the ship until tis time.

My a-wing dials are so loose now that sometimes it falls inbetween bearings... I feel like a ****** because I need to correct them sometimes because its directly between two. if it moves over to the wrong one, oh well I do that... but I always leave them next to the ship until tis time.

This is one of the main reasons I got the new dial upgrades. Even my most loose TIE Fighter dial fit snug in the new holder.

I get frustrated when playing someone and they think putting their dials/tokens next to the pilot cards is ok.

I don't like dials being there, but as long as they activate in order doesn't bother me too much.

However, I've encountered a few times where a player wants to put tokens on the pilot cards instead of next to the ships. I find this VERY frustrating because it's difficult to tell the status of each of his ships easily, or even with difficulty.

And they always act indignant and offended when I ask them to please place the tokens next to the ships on the board

*trimmed long post*

If I'm playing a mirror match and there are a lot of ships on the table, I will sometimes place dials on pilot cards instead of on the table. It helps with keeping track of which dial is actually for which ship, especially if everything is going bump-crazy in the middle of the board. There's nothing more annoying than your opponent accidentally flipping your dial with the crazy good and unexpected move on it because it's ambiguous which is which.

HOWEVER, I always place the dials on the table when I flip them, so my opponent can clearly see it.

I agree with not putting tokens on cards. That would be horrible to keep track of. The only exception being Tycho, who I'll generally follow around the board with 2 stress tokens to make it clear he is super stressed and then put the rest on his card.

one question with regards to this I have. I see a lot of players who keep their dial miles away from their ships or sometimes on their cards. I know that's a minor grip but is it inconsiderate to ask them to put it by their model while we play?

one question with regards to this I have. I see a lot of players who keep their dial miles away from their ships or sometimes on their cards. I know that's a minor grip but is it inconsiderate to ask them to put it by their model while we play?

This aspect comes down to a lot of variables. Personally, I use the dial upgrades and I've painted them to correspond with my ships so putting them on the table, but off to the side is usually not a big deal for my opponent. I just don't want them getting in the way.

I've seen people fly swarms and just put the dials in the same formation off to the side. That is usually acceptable.

If you're flying with standard dials, especially with more than one of the same ship, the better be next to the ship or in the same formation next to the formation.

There are situations where there's a big furball. It's hard, impossible, or just inconvenient to put them next to the ship. As long as both people clearly declare which dial is for which ship before declaring the end of the planning phase, all is good. Be respectful and clear in how you play. How is that difficult for some people?