Maybe someone should make a token uhaul to attach to the ships to carry them around the playing area

I've won countless games because people forget there tokens at home. It's in the rules for a reason.

Funny thing is, the only truly redundant component of X-Wing are the actual ship models!

This post appeared in another thread. Is that redundant? Even if true.

Funny thing is, the only truly redundant component of X-Wing are the actual ship models!

This post appeared in another thread. Is that redundant? Even if true.

If I understand it correctly the ship models are the only thing in the game that actually adds NOTHING except for a visual appeal. Throw out all of your models and nothing changes but get rid of anything else and things aren't the same.

Critical tokens which remind you of a specific effect would be good , I agree.

when its being bogged down by 3-4 TIE fighters dont flippin' put the dial in that cluster.

Actually, TIE swarms don't have that problem. I put my dials on top of the TIE fighter in question - it sits nice and securely on top of the wings, so even in the tightest scrum there's no problem and no question of mixing up which pilot card is nominally which ship....

I can't tell, is this a troll?

I always use them and I demand my opponents to do the same. It's too easy to forget you have a crit and with the token right there, it's in your face - you have a crit that may apply.

Critical tokens which remind you of a specific effect would be good , I agree.

when its being bogged down by 3-4 TIE fighters dont flippin' put the dial in that cluster.

Actually, TIE swarms don't have that problem. I put my dials on top of the TIE fighter in question - it sits nice and securely on top of the wings, so even in the tightest scrum there's no problem and no question of mixing up which pilot card is nominally which ship....

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

Honestly, never even knew what they were until recently when XBear blew his top over nothing, but, again pulling out my Crit Bus, I think thing could get crazy on the Deci and the YVX-100, unless it's just one token for all your crits. I mean, the Bossk in the list is designed to deal A LOT of critical damage.

They aren't markers for specific crits. They're reminders that you have an on-going critical effect on that ship (console fire, damaged engine, weapons failure etc.) You just put out one regardless of how many crits the ship has. It's just there to remind you to look at the pilot card for the actual crit effect when selecting maneuvers, activating and shooting. They're there to help you avoid messed up gamestates where you might realize two turns later that you never rolled for that console fire.

It is one crit token per ship. The token is there to remind you that there is at least one face-up damage card to deal with. The reminder isn't card specific and if you're looking for one then you should see all of them.

I'm still learning the game

Good, get in the habit of using them. Also get in the habit of assigning all damage cards, always taking your actions even if your ship is out of range of anyone and not cutting corners. Don't pick up your green dice until the opponent has modified his attack dice so you can't mistakenly roll before he has decided wether or not to spend tokens for instance. Return your dice to the same place when done rolling. Line up your templates in a certain way and stick to it. Always assign your ship ID tokens.

Get those good habits ingrained early. Anything that becomes routine leaves you with more room in your head for the actual game, you don't want to spend energy hunting for that 1 straight while your opponent is waiting.

They aren't markers for specific crits. They're reminders that you have an on-going critical effect on that ship (console fire, damaged engine, weapons failure etc.) You just put out one regardless of how many crits the ship has. It's just there to remind you to look at the pilot card for the actual crit effect when selecting maneuvers, activating and shooting. They're there to help you avoid messed up gamestates where you might realize two turns later that you never rolled for that console fire.

It is one crit token per ship. The token is there to remind you that there is at least one face-up damage card to deal with. The reminder isn't card specific and if you're looking for one then you should see all of them.

Thanks guys. I haven't done anything but casual play, so mine never really see use, but I'll remember that if I ever go to a tournament.

Some great opinions here.

Just to clarify, Even if I wonder out loud whether Critical Hit Tokens (being IMO, functionally redundant on account of the more visible faceup damage cards they represent) that isn't to suggest that I think anyone can ignore or bend the rules around these tokens. These tokens are presently required , and not optional , and my post is not intended to suggest that they are. What I was musing about, was whether they are a (functionally) necessary component of the game.

Consider this example: If the rules stated that when you assigned "Target Lock" tokens, you had to, at the same time, flip a special "Target Lock" card faceup and place it next to the card of the ship that had acquired a target lock, and place another faceup "Target Lock" card next to the opponents ship which received the Lock. This would certainly remind the players that these ships had an on-going TL. Would that kind of redundancy be necessary ? Using the same apologetic I see for the Critical Hit Tokens - having a redundant visual cue on the table is better because it helps to remind you that there is some game affect in play.

If I follow the logic being used in this thread by some, the idea of Target Lock cards should be one that many would rally behind - since more mnemonic cardboard on the mat should reduce the chances of forgetting something.

It seems to me such an addition would be unnecessary in the same way having a critical token follow a ship around on the mat seems unnecessary on account of the very visible faceup damage card sitting in plain sight next to the wounded ship's card. Having both a faceup card, and a token seemed like more cardboard that was necessary to play the game - and hence this post was written to see if those (vocal) in this community likewise felt that Critical Hit Tokens were (functionally) unnecessary.

Having said that - I really don't have anything against using Critical Hit Tokens other than it seems an unnecessary bother to me. But having read in this thread both reasonable and zealous opinions to the contrary, I am willing to accept that for many, these tokens are regarded as not only beneficial, but necessary.

Fair enough.

Locally we tend to not use critical hit tokens when playing. No doubt we compensate for this lack of a secondary visual mnemonic, by exercising a greater due diligence, which might be relaxed if instead made wider use of these tokens. Yet it is because we experience no ill effects by ignoring these tokens locally, that I wondered whether their inclusion in the game constituted a big deal or not.

From what I gather a significant number of players not only use and rely upon these tokens, but feel the game would suffer without them, and that players who do not use them are diminishing the game (at the very least).

That's something I wasn't expecting.

Either way, I have determined to start using them as a matter of habit - even if my local scene doesn't really use them much. It's really just a bad habit on my part, and perhaps I will, when it becomes second nature to do so, develop the kind of zeal for them, as some of you have expressed in this thread.

Cheers.

I'm still learning the game

Good, get in the habit of using them. Also get in the habit of assigning all damage cards, always taking your actions even if your ship is out of range of anyone and not cutting corners. Don't pick up your green dice until the opponent has modified his attack dice so you can't mistakenly roll before he has decided wether or not to spend tokens for instance. Return your dice to the same place when done rolling. Line up your templates in a certain way and stick to it. Always assign your ship ID tokens.

Get those good habits ingrained early. Anything that becomes routine leaves you with more room in your head for the actual game, you don't want to spend energy hunting for that 1 straight while your opponent is waiting.

Are ID tokens mandatory when all ships are unique? Honest question, no sarcasm intended.

I'm still learning the game

Good, get in the habit of using them. Also get in the habit of assigning all damage cards, always taking your actions even if your ship is out of range of anyone and not cutting corners. Don't pick up your green dice until the opponent has modified his attack dice so you can't mistakenly roll before he has decided wether or not to spend tokens for instance. Return your dice to the same place when done rolling. Line up your templates in a certain way and stick to it. Always assign your ship ID tokens.

Get those good habits ingrained early. Anything that becomes routine leaves you with more room in your head for the actual game, you don't want to spend energy hunting for that 1 straight while your opponent is waiting.

Are ID tokens mandatory when all ships are unique? Honest question, no sarcasm intended.

No, but it is still a good habit to get into, you're always prepared for mirror matches and again, you won't even have to think about it eventually.

I'm still learning the game

Good, get in the habit of using them. Also get in the habit of assigning all damage cards, always taking your actions even if your ship is out of range of anyone and not cutting corners. Don't pick up your green dice until the opponent has modified his attack dice so you can't mistakenly roll before he has decided wether or not to spend tokens for instance. Return your dice to the same place when done rolling. Line up your templates in a certain way and stick to it. Always assign your ship ID tokens.

Get those good habits ingrained early. Anything that becomes routine leaves you with more room in your head for the actual game, you don't want to spend energy hunting for that 1 straight while your opponent is waiting.

As an ex Magic player I relied a lot on habit to ensure that the mechanical parts of the game were not only done but in the correct order every time without having to even think about it. I've sort of brought some of that with me to X-Wing and I sometimes get a strange 'look' when I not only clear away my focus tokens but also my opponents and hand them back to them or make sure to move the target lock token back to base contact with the ship they just moved. I probably shouldn't do that as it's not really 'etiquette' to be moving other peoples game pieces but it does avoid the late game questions of 'why has he got a focus' or 'who does this lock belong to'.

I think the reason that I don't use crit tokens at the moment is that nobody else at the FLGS does and I've learned through playing people much more than consulting the rules. I'm going to start using them though.

Wow, love the comments condemning everyone who doesn't use a token I didn't even know existed but have "fly casual" as a sig or something similar.

You guys ARE NOT in any way shape or form even close to "flying casual" you are the people who give games a bad name. People like you are despised in magic and I hope you at least recognize you deserve to be despised in this game as well. You aren't ambassadors of the game you are who the ambassadors have to apologize for.

Play as strict as you want but you are everything that is wrong with every gaming community.

But, how do you really feel?

You guys ARE NOT in any way shape or form even close to "flying casual" you are the people who give games a bad name. People like you are despised in magic and I hope you at least recognize you deserve to be despised in this game as well. You aren't ambassadors of the game you are who the ambassadors have to apologize for.

Play as strict as you want but you are everything that is wrong with every gaming community.

Erm, as a person who played magic since Onslaught block I've never despised anyone for 'following the rules'. I have disliked playing people who, for example, don't want to play against 'counterspells' or 'land destruction' or 'control decks' not because they are against the rules but simply because they personally didn't like them. I've never in all those years despised anyone over a simple game. Could you please expand your position on this because I'm not sure how you qualify to talk for such a large and varied community as 'all magic players'.

Am I correct in understanding your second point to be saying.... By playing to the published rules of a game you become everything that is wrong about the community who plays that game? That simply does not make any sense.

I always use crit tokens. And I've had my opponents forget their own crit effects often enough that I wish more people used them as well.

The players who would ask every 5 seconds if you were done yet, and if you made any head move would state you had said your turn was over and begin theirs. Technically it could be interpreted that way but you are being an ass.

I played mtg from revised til masque block and it was prevalent.

You want to be militant about the rules? Fine. But don't then pretend you care about casual flying. You are a militant rules lawyer who is exploiting a minor rule to dq a player at an event.

Wow, love the comments condemning everyone who doesn't use a token I didn't even know existed but have "fly casual" as a sig or something similar.

Fly Casual is not an excuse to break the rules, ignore rules, or sloppy play.

Fly Casual is "Hey would you mind putting a crit token next to that ship? That way we both remember it's got a crit effect." Not Fly Casual is "Put a crit token on that ship or I'll call the TO over and have you expelled from the tournament."

The fact that so few people actually understand what Fly Casual actually means, has made the term completely worthless, which is a shame because it was a great idea at one time.

Flying casual isn't demanding that they do it or you force them to forfeit as one player claims to enjoy. It's yet another token that we have to pack when it's obvious if you have a crit already. If you care about it so much bring extras.

I play in northern Virginia I guess I should've screamed for a to when any of the greats failed to put a crit token out eh? Maybe I could've rules lawyered my way into a top 4.

Next tournament I guess I'll just have a printed out tournament rules and start tryin to dq people?

You're ranting about two clear as day troll posts in this thread. Seriously come on man.

Ok, well one troll post and another from a poster that everyone thinks is at best a jerk and at worst a jerk that cheats.

Based on this theory ALL tokens are optional.