Been wondering this for a bit now. Among my small group we've been doing this "blind" unit selection thing wherein you don't reveal what ships you're flying until the ship placement step. I like it because it injects a bit of drama/immersion into the proceedings. Kind of an in-universe scenario where ships out on patrol don't know what kind of enemy force they will bump into (and it's always satisfying if the person you're playing against has that"Oh good Lord this is what I'm up against?!?" face).

But what about if you're playing someone new at your local comic store/game spot? Do you wait to see what they're fielding and then choose accordingly? Wouldn't they see what you are fielding in response and just change their list, and back and forth?

I have yet to play a stranger, so I'm hoping to see how the community usually operates in situations like that.

I find the goofiest cards and pilots.

That's it. Seriously.

You're still here? It's over! Go home!

I've normally picked out my lists well in advance of organising a game - I'll have some ship or other that's caught my attention, and want to fly that. (Currently this is the TIE/SF, and has been for some months now...)

I usually build a list based on either something I want to try or based on something I know my opponent wants to try. I don't go in with knowledge of it, but I can guess sometimes.

I just use what I like - often Vader or some TIE Bomber - and move in different parts.

So, yeah, no matter the faction, I pick a concept or pilot I want to build around. Then I either:

• decide how to protect that concept or core piece
• how to enhance that concept or core piece
• bring something different to counter the weaknesses of the core piece or concept

Usually, I enjoy high PS Imps. Vader, Quickdraw, Juno, Duchess, Carnor Jax, the Baron, they're my jam. One of my go-to wingmen is Deathfire because he brings a very different set of abilities and weapons to the table. Then I just fill in whatever I've got left with something that can dance alongside high PS well or bring masses of guns for focus firing.

In my area, most of the players make their lists at home and bring them to the store. While some of us bring multiple lists, we still have a limited pool to "react" to an opposing list.

As for picking lists, I am all over the place. It is very much dependent on mood. Sometimes I'm there to experiment with a combo I like the look of, other times I'm just running ships I like the look of. I'll sometimes venture into themes (like for like a month stretch, I ran variations of all Mandalorian lists or my more recent preference for First Order Aces), other times I'm just throwing ships together. All depends on mood.

I usually have a theme or idea that I want to try out. Or maybe I haven't used something yet. Or it's been a while.

If it's someone new, I'll pick a real softball list for the fun of it.

Then again, I don't usually do 100/6 games that often.

I net list and then tweak based on the expected meta/match-ups.

I put my dials in a bag. Shake. Pull out 3. Go from there

27 minutes ago, Fuzzywookie said:

I put my dials in a bag. Shake. Pull out 3. Go from there

Is this really how you list build

5 minutes ago, Rinzler in a Tie said:

Is this really how you list build

Yes. I own a lot of defenders and aggressors. Lol

I usually bring at least two list to game nights. Usually one main list that I plan to play (during tournament season it will be a really competitive one) and one secondary. Something fun, old, weird or just that I haven’t played much before (I’m mostly an imperial player, so this list will usually be a rebel list). When I sit down with an opponent and ask what they want to play. I’ll tell the about my list, and if they have a preference, I’ll play that one (if they want to practice for a tournament for example). If not I will pick one based on what I think will be fun for both of us. Sometimes my main list won’t make for a pleasant game. I won’t play a tournament list against a really casual one, and if my list is based around a gimmick, I won’t play it if my opponents squad ruins it (or my squad theirs).

I always fly Dash. I then choose which type of Dash and who to pair him with.

34 minutes ago, Yearfire said:

I usually bring at least two list to game nights. Usually one main list that I plan to play (during tournament season it will be a really competitive one) and one secondary. Something fun, old, weird or just that I haven’t played much before (I’m mostly an imperial player, so this list will usually be a rebel list). When I sit down with an opponent and ask what they want to play. I’ll tell the about my list, and if they have a preference, I’ll play that one (if they want to practice for a tournament for example). If not I will pick one based on what I think will be fun for both of us. Sometimes my main list won’t make for a pleasant game. I won’t play a tournament list against a really casual one, and if my list is based around a gimmick, I won’t play it if my opponents squad ruins it (or my squad theirs).

This. Except I bring 3 or 4 to choose from.

I have an actual manilla folder with physical printouts of the best version(s) of every list I have any intention of playing again that I keep in my hangar (tackle box full of plastic spaceships) from which I can choose an appropriate list as determined by my own inclinations and the seriousness of the game my opponent wants to play.

2 minutes ago, E Chu Ta said:

I have an actual manilla folder with physical printouts of the best version(s) of every list I have any intention of playing again that I keep in my hangar (tackle box full of plastic spaceships) from which I can choose an appropriate list as determined by my own inclinations and the seriousness of the game my opponent wants to play.

this is an awesome time saver and it's the way i introduce new players to the game. that way they don't get bogged down in the piles of cards.

http://xwing-builder.co.uk/build being the best list builder for this purpose, because you can print the image of the card.

When I want to try something new, I generally pick a pilot or upgrade card that I rarely or perhaps have never used before, and try to build a list around it to maximize its use. The last one I did was with snap shot, and I decided to go for 3-die snap shots (Mauler, Sabacc and Zeta Leader, all with SS, and a palpmobile), played it a couple of times and later went 2-1 at a Q2 kit tournament. Other lists involved triple strikers and a Hux+Sensor shuttle, Carnor Jax and 3 FOs with juke and comm, Carnor with 2 Sensor Jammer phantoms, Hobbie with R3-A2 alongside Dutch (that interaction is a lot of fun), etc.

Some of my lists fail miserably, and others go shockingly far, but most tend to have a >60% win rate because no one knows how they work the first time they face it, even when my opponent has a top tier lists.

I play regularly every week. I usually prep my squad the night before. So I'll bring whatever I'm currently tinkering with, or practicing with for an event, or something I tossed together just for fun. But I do bring just that squad or sometimes two squads for the night.

I ask myself a few questions:

Do I want to fly a sepcific archetype/ship/combo/pilot? -> Pick the apropriate ships or what I think is the strongest at the moment, though in that case that descision moves behind the next step.

What do I expect to fly against? -> Tech against that if possible.

Can I increase the power of my list under the limitations I gave myself? -> Do that. This means that if I want to fly 4 Punishers, I will try to build the most powerful TIE Punisher list possible, or that I try to get enough points to give Miranda Bomblets.

When my brother and I play, we only have a vague definition of the requirements: usually the point total and the faction. So, the actual list is a total surprise.

If you're going in totally blind it's probably good to plan a couple lists in advance. Then just ask your opponent what level of match they are looking for and choose your list that seems to match it

There's nothing wrong with revealing lists ahead of time but counterpicks in X-wing are very real and can make a big difference even at a casual level. Knowing this can easily affect your list building if you know what you are going to play against in advance, even if you're not really trying to. If you know that your opponent is bringing Whisper, you might put a little more "insurance" in your list than you would have otherwise, even if you are not trying to directly counter it. If you don't know what you are playing against, then nobody can really complain if they happen to get a bad matchup.

It's always good to establish player expectations ahead of time. If someone is looking to practice for a tournament or just have a really competitive game, then they might be disappointed if you're not coming at them with the same level of intent. Likewise a casual or beginner player is probably not looking to get stomped by something really powerful, so they might not have a great time if you do come at them full force. If you have a facebook group or something to try and arrange a match in advance, even better.

Knowing in advance what you are flying against before list generation is bad IMO. Going in blind makes you make a list versus all comers, anyone can make up a tailored list, but it wont make you a better player.

I think most of the people at my game store make up their lists ahead of time. They may have a couple different lists to choose from, but I don't think I've ever seen someone pick a list specifically to counter their opponent (though if someone has a tendency to play the same, tough deck week after week, someone may decide to try a list to counter it).

Depends on what I'm flying in.

For a casual game I'll fly anything, whether I wanted to try major stridan or Dace bone arm ( for the record I have not yet flown Dace bonearm). Usually there is a theme here.

For store tourneys something that blends competitive and casual, so I have a chance to win, but more importantly I'll have fun with the list no matter if I win or not. So something middle of the road. Usually I take a squadron list, so like 4 b-wings for example. Or something thematic.

for regionals and nationals I've tried running "anti meta" lists in the past, but haven't had much success with them. My approach now is going to be following the meta a lot closer at these events. However I don't want to fully commit to meta wing, so there might be some variations thrown in.

"Hey, that looks fun."

Or: "How many strikers can I fly along a support ship/ace and still be viable enough to- ah screw it, just run 5 of em."