As a fun side project, I have been quietly working on my own casual alternate rule set for X-wing. It's not necessarily intended to be a '2nd edition' but it does incorporate a lot of ideas I have had about that. I think of it more as a 'mod' like one would see for a video game. I am currently building a website for it that will act as its own squad builder and plan to release it for free to the community to use or critique (similar to what MajorJuggler is working on).

Saga Edition is aiming to accomplish a number of things:

• Operate as a free alternate-rules squad builder that does not require any new physical components to be added to the game (no new bases or dials). The FFG cardboard and models are fantastic and I want to be able to keep using them.
• Only use Canon (post Disney buyout) starships and crew. Existing old-EU pilots for Canon ships (like Dash Rendar in the YT-2400) will still be in the game, but no JM5K, no Punisher, no K-wing etc.
• Bring all of the ships and upgrades under one design paradigm that is consistent and as balanced as possible from direct community feedback. Unlike MajorJuggler's project (which I am very excited about) I am not focusing on mathematically re-balancing the existing game, but basically making a version of X-wing that focuses on theme and setting. Iconic pilots like Vader and Luke will be re-designed to be top tier (but hopefully not broken)
• Use the existing basic structure of the game (i.e. pilot skill, dice, dial reveal and action system) but alter them to account for thematic discrepancies between the game and source material.

As a disclaimer to anyone wanting to rain down negativity on me, I still love and enjoy playing competitive X-wing (though I admit that it is going through a rough patch). I am active in the tournament scene. I'm just putting this together as a design exercise and to hopefully give people another option for casual play between friends or at a store event.

Here's a preview of some rule changes that will be incorporated:

• Firing out of arc (whether primary weapon turret or secondary weapon turret) grants the defender +1 green die, much like the range 3 bonus.
• Pretty much all of the EPT cards are revisited. Some no longer exist, some have different names and slightly altered text, a few are directly ported but re-costed.
• Every ship type has a baked-in ability in addition to any pilot ability it has. For instance TIE Fighters get to re-roll one attack die if there is another friendly TIE Fighter at range 1. X-wings can perform a free boost action after they execute a green maneuver. For some ships this means that their existing auto-include title (like TIE/x1 or Special Ops Training) is now included on every pilot card. For others it means they are getting a brand new ability that brings the ship more in line with their thematic role in Star Wars (TIE Bombers are going to be the best bombers in the game for instance)
• There is a new upgrade type: Force Ability. Only a select few pilots will have it (Vader, Luke, Kyle Katarn etc.). Expertise and Rage have been moved into this category, in addition to a few new ones (don't worry, there are no rules for force pushing other ships and assigning tractor beam tokens, that's just silly).
• Munitions work very differently and are limited to less exotic varieties (no harpoon missiles for instance). Missiles will be good at hitting fighters and torpedoes will be good at hitting slow low agility targets.
• Large base ships will not have access to the boost action by and large (with a few exceptions that make boosting a hard trade-off)
• Critical hit results require 2 evade results to cancel completely. A single evade result downgrades it to a regular hit. This allows 2 dice attacks to potentially hit green dice fortresses and remain relevant. It also means that any abilities that grant critical hit results become either very expensive and/or hard to use (i.e. no more mangler cannon). It also allows for critical hit results to represent accuracy in the design space instead of raw damage output.
• Fewer trigger windows for abilities over all. The goal is to NOT require an attack phase flowchart. As of right now only 1 pilot can attack outside of their own attack phase activation.
• Currently there are no 6+ red dice attacks.

More details will be forthcoming

4 minutes ago, KommanderKeldoth said:

Missiles will be good at hitting fighters and torpedoes w

Cool idea. Maybe certain pilots like Wedge get abilities to treat torpedoes like missiles (based on Rogue Squadron books)?

This could be interesting...

So if it's a saga edition does that mean prequel factions and ships?

Does it also mean resistance and first order are their own factions?

So a little bit more than movie only format (wave 1-3 minus HWK). Try to put in in a published format like mission control.

https://tools.fantasyflightgames.com/xwing/

13 hours ago, KommanderKeldoth said:

Critical hit results require 2 evade results to cancel completely. A single evade result downgrades it to a regular hit. This allows 2 dice attacks to potentially hit green dice fortresses and remain relevant. It also means that any abilities that grant critical hit results become either very expensive and/or hard to use (i.e. no more mangler cannon). It also allows for critical hit results to represent accuracy in the design space instead of raw damage output.

While several of these ideas are good, this one stands out to me. So simple and so clever.
hit hit crit still does the same damage, but now needs 4 evades? One of the super rare "crit crit crit" results that has everyone cheering is not just evaded like it's nothing? sign me up!

(Sadly it's also the change that is probably least compatible with the current game - there are just too many crits around)

13 hours ago, KommanderKeldoth said:

It also means that any abilities that grant critical hit results become either very expensive and/or hard to use (i.e. no more mangler cannon). It also allows for critical hit results to represent accuracy in the design space instead of raw damage output.

It also makes them much more appealing; Marksmanship, for example, is probably priced about right in your proposed system, since everyone is essentially Bossk.

I will look forward to seeing the result.

On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 8:53 PM, markcsoul said:

So if it's a saga edition does that mean prequel factions and ships?

Does it also mean resistance and first order are their own factions?

No prequel factions. I am only using existing ships and cardboard so it can be print n' play. And yes, resistance/first order are split out into their own (fledgling) factions. They'll get more stuff I'm sure in the next couple of waves.

On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 2:48 PM, BlodVargarna said:

Cool idea. Maybe certain pilots like Wedge get abilities to treat torpedoes like missiles (based on Rogue Squadron books)?

Oh don't worry. Wedge is going to be a monster in Saga Edition (as he should be).

Alright, it's been a while since I teased this. Figured I would post a more complete write-up of rules changes for Saga Edition.

• If you have a Focus token, you may change one eyeball result to a hit or evade result (as Poe's ability).
• If you have an evade token, you may roll one extra defense die when defending.
• If you have a target lock, you may re-roll one attack die when attacking.

This is in addition to a token's normal effect when spent. This change is built into the game in order to balance squads with a small number of high cost aces against swarms. Upgrades like Push the Limit and Attani Mindlink will not exist in Saga Edition. In fact, it will be quite rare to get more than one token per turn. This puts more emphasis back onto action choice instead of putting passive attack and defense modifiers into upgrade list building choice.

• Critical hit results require 2 evade results to cancel completely. A single evade result downgrades it to a regular hit.

This opens up the possibility of a 2 die attack hitting a very dodgy ship. It also allows crits to represent accuracy in the rules. Only a few abilities allow you to turn hits into crits.

• When defending, if you are out of the attacker's firing arc roll one additional defense die.

This puts a blanket incentive on turret ships to care about their firing arc more without completely nerfing them.

Ship Abilities:

Each ship type gets a baked-in 'title' ability that gives it a little more flavor and distinction and it allows ships to fill their thematic roles. I'll start with Wave1-2 ships first:

• X-wing (T-65): After you execute a green maneuver, if you are not touching another ship, perform a free boost action.
• TIE Fighter: When attacking, if there is another TIE Fighter within range 1, you may re-roll one attack die.
• Y-Wing: When you receive a face-up damage card with the Ship trait, if you are not stressed, you may receive a stress token to flip it face down.
• Firespray-31: After you perform an evade action you may perform a barrel roll action
• YT-1300: After you execute a 3-speed bank, if you are not stressed and not touching another ship you may rotate your ship 180 degrees, then receive one stress token.
• TIE Advanced: When you perform a primary weapon attack, if you have a target lock on the defender you may add one critical hit result to your roll. If you do, you may not use your target lock to re-roll any dice.
• TIE Interceptor: After you perform an action, you may perform a free boost or barrel roll action, then receive one stress token.
• A-wing: When you perform a primary weapon attack, if you are not stressed you may change one hit result into a critical hit result.

The 'title' upgrade does not exist anymore. Unique ships like the Slave 1 or the Millennium Falcon are married to their pilots now. So Han Solo is always flying the falcon and he can't be in a list with Chewbacca pilot or Lando pilot who are also flying the falcon. Unique ships are differentiated by their upgrade bars instead of with unique title abilities.