A very welcome first hello to anyone that may be reading this.

I am not sure if this is the correct place to put this post but I have done a small amount of research and have finally decided that X-Wing is a better game for me than Armada, purely for it being more simplistic and quick from what I understand.

I have a couple of friends that are keen to get in on the action and we just don't know where to start.

• Is there anything that is a recommended first purchase?
• Is it worth getting in to as a new player (Are there planned expansions yet to come out)?
• I also have an 8 year old brother and want to know if the learning curve would be easy and the game engaging enough for him to have fun

Many thanks in advance

You will need a core set or a couple of them. There's the red core set with original movie ships and a blue core with episode 7 ships. After that I would just buy whichever expansions you like. Most of the ships are pretty fun for casual play.

there is a lot of growth left in the game. Definitely not too late to get into it.

8 is a little young for a full game, but a demo with an x wing and 2 ties he could probably handle.

Take a look at the thread on the main page called Index of Useful Links. It's stickied. A lot of starter resources in there.

2 core sets(1 of each color) is typically recommended once you decide you're in... it's nice for each player to have their own movement templates, and 6 of each type of dice is handy. Along with a good price per ship $value for those in the box.

That'll get you enough to play fun simple rebel/imp lists. Most Wanted would be the scum starter box if you want that faction too.

Unless there's a particular ship you want to fly, and assuming there is you should go for that sooner rather than later, the aces/veterans 2-ship boxes are a good value to look at to start filling out fleets.

Welcome aboard. Sorry for the wall of text, but you asked a BIG question or two.

I'll get to recommendations in a minute. First off, if Star Wars is something you like, then this game is definitely worth getting into. It's not hard for an 8 year old to get into either; at a store championship I got trounced by a 10 year old. Developmentally they're better off the older they are. The biggest obstacle for younger players is getting them to focus on the game, which plays for about an hour.

There are a lot of expansions for Rebels, Imperials and Scum & Villainy factions. Choose a faction you're interested in and start there after getting a core set.

There is the Red core which includes Luke, Biggs, R2-D2 an a pair of generic TIE fighters and the Blue Core is what I would recommend because the ships (currently) are a bit more competitive. In this set you get Poe, BB-8 & a handful of First Order TIE fighters. Eventually, you will likely want to get the other core, but no rush.

There are single ship, large ship expansions and multi-ship expansions. The singles are great for building up your collection. The large typically contain a lot of useful upgrade cards, about twice as many as the single ships. The mulit-ship expansions have variant paint jobs and usually contain elite pilots and about twice as many upgrades as well. And then there are the Huge ship expansions. Unless you have the $$, stay away from these until you consider yourself seasoned. One thing to note here: Darth Vader in the TIE Advanced isn't that a great ship until you acquire the TIE X/1 and Advanced Targeting Computer upgrades from the Imperial Raider expansion, which is a bit over $100. Save yourself the money on the Raider if you get the TIE Advanced and proxy the cards until you can buy them off ebay.

Speaking of proxies, if you are playing friendly, casual games with friends/family I would recommend trying out different upgrades you don't currently have via proxy--Sort of "try before you buy". There are two X-wing squad list builders online that can help you see all the upgrades available currently. Having so many options can be overwhelming at first, so maybe just stick with what you have until you've learned the game well enough not to run back to the rule book every other turn. The two list building sites are here and here . The second one has an option to view and print the upgrade cards you are using. Very helpful if you want to get familiar with what the cards look like.

Getting back to your next purchase. If you are Rebel minded, I would suggest the Heroes of the Resistance (Millennium Falcon & T-70 X-wing). If you are Imperial leaning, you're going to want the TIE f/o (First Order TIE), the Imperial Veterans (TIE Bomber & TIE Defender), the TIE s/f (Special Forces), TIE Aggressor, TIE Advanced Prototype and/or the VT-49 Decimator. Some combination of at least 3 of those ships should work.

Imperials "pop" somewhat quickly and are generally more about evading and getting out of arc since they have little hull and even less shielding. I would say they are harder to fly, but more rewarding when you do it right. Having said that, the TIE Defender and the TIE s/f are fairly robust ships that are in that regard comparable to a rebel X-wing (but they are better ships!). The TIE Aggressor is a good little ship. It's not great, it's not bad--it's good, and that's what you want: something that you can count on. It is also the only small based ship the Imps have with a turret. The TIE f/o and TAP are both really fun ships to fly (i.e. rewarding when used/flown well).

Scum is... in a great spot, actually. If you want to win, win, win then go to them. They are currently the "best" faction in the competitive scene, but in my opinion it's more about the upgrades and pilot abilities rather than the person flying the squad. At least for now. The game changes every time there's wave of expansions released or a new FAQ released. Some card text has changed, so be sure to download and read the latest FAQ.

Check out the Rules Questions , Squad Building threads and the Painting/Mods thread too!