I just got into X-Wing, and have bought the original starter and Imperial Aces. I'm looking at my options but I'm still pretty **** inexperienced - I've only played the training session so far. Any advice for what to use for my first 100 point list, Imperial side? Any advice on what to get in the future would be welcome, as well!

Here's a 100-point build that you might enjoy.

• Howlrunner (or Mauler Mithel)
• Dark Curse
• Carnor Jax + title + Push the Limit + Targeting Computer + Hull Upgrade (or Shield Upgrade if you use Mauler Mithel instead of Howlrunner)
• Tetran Cowall + title + Push the Limit + Targeting Computer + Hull Upgrade

The next set I would recommend—because you already have Imperial Aces—is TIE Interceptor. That will get you Soontir Fel, one of the best pilots in the game. I also generally recommend getting the other Core set. It's nice to have both, plus the extra dice are useful.

Yeah you'll want to pick up a couple more expansions so you can get an idea of different ships and their roles in the game. It's nice to have the upgrade cards that come in them as well. Depends on your budget for the game and what you like to fly really. They are bringing some ships back to the table for Imperials with the Imperial Veterans pack that comes with a TIE Bomber and a TIE Defender. I would start there and you can see how you like them with your TIE Fighters and Interceptors.

Just a quick overview from the Imperial perspective of roles for the ships so you can decide what you might want to fly. Just about any of these can be used in competitive lists at this time:

TIE Fighter: cheapest and weakest of Imperial ships. Used in swarm lists or as filler to reach your point max

TIE Interceptor: flanker ship that's more offensive than the fighter but just as fragile. Used to dodge arcs and hit from behind.

TIE Advanced: more durable TIE Fighter. Wouldn't recommend picking these up without the title you get from another pack though. And it's a pretty expensive pack.

TIE Advanced Prototype: kind of an in between zone of the fighter and the advanced. Has a couple other tricks like native boost and a title that is nice.

TIE Bomber: long range ship used to deliver hard-hitting missiles and torpedo alpha strikes and also has the ability to drop bombs behind it.

TIE Defender: what we call a 'jouster' in the game. Something that likes to fly right at something head on. They excel at jousts because they're not very maneuverable otherwise but they can do 180 k-turns with ease. They're durable and can dish out damage.

TIE Phantom: the stealthy surgeon of the Imperial fleet. Cloak, decloak and set up devastating shots with this one. Not recommended when first playing but if you like the challenge, phantoms can reward the advanced player when he makes the perfect move. But can punish him if any mistakes are made. A high risk / high reward glass cannon.

TIE Punisher: larger version of the bomber. Has a system slot and native boost.

Large ships:

Lamda Shuttle: usually used as a support ship for the pilot abilities and the crew slots. Tough to get it turned around.

Firespray: Rear firing arc and lots of options for loadouts. However they aren't used much for Imperial as the Scum versions are typically better for this ship.

Decimator: the only turreted ship for the Empire currently. Lots of hit points so it's very durable. Can take crew for support and dish out good amounts of damage.

So there's a good idea of what each ship does so you can figure out what might fit your playstyle. I definitely recommend the Imperial Veterans pack to give you a taste of a couple other ships you can try and the Decimator is a great ship for like half a list. Easy to fly too, being turreted and all. Good luck and welcome to the game.

Imperial veterans is a nice pack to grab, as it will give you a TIE bomber and Defender with the necessary "fix" cards to give them an edge. I happened to start off in the same way, but also buying Rebel Aces so myself and friends could have full 100 pt battles. Using just the core set and Imperial Aces, I'd go with:

2 x Black Squadron Pilots (14 points)

Opportunist (4)

Targeting Computer (2)

2 x Royal Guard TIEs (22)

Push The Limit (3)

Shield Upgrade (4)

Something you'll learn early on is that TIE fighters and Interceptors can explode in 1 shot, and do so quite often due to their low health. Black squadron pilots work very well with crack shot which is available through the scum expansion Kihraxz fighter, but opportunist and targeting computer will give them a lot more kick. The royal guard TIEs are Pilot Skill (PS) 6, which is the highest in the game of the non-unique ships. Push the limit is widely regarded as one of the best upgrade cars in the game, and the ship its best used on is the interceptor, as it has both the boost and barrel roll actions to zip around outside of enemy arcs. The shield upgrades almost guarantee that your valuable interceptors can't die in one hit.

If you are wanting to play only imperial ships, I would suggest the following purchase order:

1. Imperial Veterans. It has great cards, great pilots and fantastically painted minis. TIE defenders are very forgiving to fly, so mistakes can be made.

2. TIE phantom. An enormously powerful ship, it will teach you about maneuvering to dodge enemy arcs, which is a key aspect of the game.

3. TIE Advanced prototype. The Inquisitor really comes into his ow with pusht the limit, and is used commonly in top tournament lists.

4. TIE Interceptor expansion pack. Soontir Fel is the best plot in the game, but requires enormous skill to fly effectively.

5. Anything you want. You've already got the essentials to play with and build strong lists, now go out and find packs that have cards to suit your playstyle.

If you're happy to branch out into the Rebel and Scum factions here's a more rough guide:

1. Rebel Aces. Provides some phenomenal cards, as well as letting you play full 100V100 point games with only your equipment, which is useful for getting friends into the game.

2. Y-wing + K-wing. They need to be bought together for wither to be really worthwhile. The K-wing gives you 2 Twin Laser Turret cards, which both the Y-wing and K-wing can use effectively.

3. Most Wanted Expansion Pack. This is the entrance pack into the scum faction. Its "core" set, if you will. It gives you 1 Y-wing and 2 Z-95s, so if you use it in conjunction with your second Y-wing you can now field 100 pt scum squads, which are a lot of fun.

4. Starviper Expansion Pack + TIE Phantom Packs. These will provide you with the necessary tools to field a viable tournament squadron* in each of the 3 factions. The Starviper provides 2 x Autothrusters, which is one of the best upgrades to have. The Phantom provides itself, as well as the tactician upgrade which is great on your K-wing.

5. Again, whatever you want. I personally did a lot of research into the most cost-effective ships to buy that would get me tournament ready soonest, but your mileage will vary depending on what you want out of the game.

*By "viable" I mean good enough to play with and win a good deal of games. Sill will always be the determining factor, so have fun and gain some experience!