Hi all,

Possible upcoming new player here.

I'm a bit bamboozled about the release of second edition and was wondering how this would affect entry for me as a new player, so naturally i have a few questions.

What would i need to buy to get into the game competitively? Like i know the second edition core set is a no brainer but what about after that? I also hear the recent waves for Xwing 1.0 also have 2.0 cards which adds to the complication of things.

Additionally, is there any chance of a new player like me being competitive at all in second edition? I mean the conversion kits would have ships for 1.0 that i wouldnt have access to as a 2.0 only player right?

Appreciate the help!

Kind Regards,

- Ken

I'm in the same boat.

My suggestion would be to pick a faction & try to grab the ships to fill out your conversion kit from Ebay or similar.

You can find them pretty cheap with a bit of patience.

FFG has stated that they will be running some competitive events using only wave 1 content. If you stick to those then you will have the same full options as everyone else.

That said, even with the conversion kits available, wave 1 is looking to be pretty good, and should be competitive with everything else. I'd also expect the other ship releases to come very quickly, so you shouldn't have to wait long for the rereleases.

If you can buy a lot on eBay for cheap then go for it and grab a conversion kit, if not don't worry about it, FFG wants these products on the shelves asap, you won't have to wait long.

24 minutes ago, Irokenics said:

What would i need to buy to get into the game competitively? Like i know the second edition core set is a no brainer but what about after that? I also hear the recent waves for Xwing 1.0 also have 2.0 cards which adds to the complication of things.

It's hard to say with absolute certainty until we see point costs and get more details on the different formats FFG have hinted at. It's entirely possible that the new "standard" -- or whatever it gets called -- competitive format will be restricted to just officially released second edition ships. Even if not, though, the Wave 1 releases look strong enough that you could probably be competitive with just a core and 1-2 copies of your preferred faction's individual packs.

Wave 14 of 1st edition (the Reaper and Saw's Renegades) did come with 2nd edition content, but I don't think it's "must have" from a competitive stand point. Again, waiting on points costs, though; for all I know the pilots are hilariously undercosted and will wreck everything come September. ?‍♂️

19 minutes ago, Rodzaju said:

My suggestion would be to pick a faction & try to grab the ships to fill out your conversion kit from Ebay or similar.

You can find them pretty cheap with a bit of patience.

This is a pretty solid plan. Stores will likely look to clear out their 1st Edition product at some point, as well, so picking up a conversion kit and buying 1st edition on the cheap looks very possible.

With the look of the rules it’s as much a matter of what you want to spend and how much you want to overwhelm yourself with all the mechanics. As has been stated we’re not sure of a lot of things.

Personally I would say take the core and figure out which side you prefer. If you already know then pick up enough of the ships from the individual expansions to fill out your first list. The nice thing with the reboot is your not as far behind as more seasoned players. We have to figure out new mechanics and how we want to use things. Stuff will fly differently than we’re used to among other things.

Being competitive early may benefit from just a few ships or list your flying over and over with. Where seasoned players who may want to fly a dozen list to play all thier ships are still a bit sloppy or at least not as sharp early on.

I’d personally avoid buying collections as a new player. Getting a ship or two that you go I love that ship I’d fly it a ton is fine to get one if it’s a large ship and 2-4 if it’s small unless a TIE which you may want more. Though that may also mean getting individual cardboard and cards from 3rd party sources. Though honestly it may just be best to wait if you have the patience to do so.

Normally my advice for new players is to buy the ships you know and love from the movies/books/etc. because you’ll have the most fun with those and worry about being competitive later. But if you’re wanting to dive into the competitive scene right away, then your best bet as far as your wallet goes is definitely to pick up someone’s used collection off of eBay (you may want to keep an eye out on Facebook and Craigslist and any other local marketplaces, too), and preorder the 2.0 Core Set and the conversion kit(s) for the faction(s) you want. and start playing first edition right away.

Yes you’ll have to change rules in a couple months, but a huge part of the game is just being familiar with how ships move and getting your spacial awareness figured out, and none of that is going to change with 2.0. Plus by playing a variety of things now you’ll get a better feel for which faction(s) you like and you’ll know what you want to focus on when 2.0 drops.

Also as another piece of advice for competitive play, be prepared to lose when you first start out. A lot. X-Wing does have a learning curve that you’ll have to overcome before you’ll be able to start winning games with any regularity. Fortunately there are ways to speed up that process.

• Whenever you lose a game, ask your opponent why you lost and what you could have changed about your list and your tactics in order to turn it into a win. You will learn a lot very quickly that way.
• Keep an eye on the forums (while filtering out all the whining and other toxic garbage) for potent combos and lists. Try to understand why they’re potent, and try a few of them out yourself to see how they work
• Play a lot, and enjoy the game for the game’s sake, whether or not you win.

Good luck, and welcome!

3 hours ago, Irokenics said:

What would i need to buy to get into the game competitively? Like i know the second edition core set is a no brainer but what about after that?

I suggest just getting a core set and playing that first. There is a very nice escalation format that will keep the core set fresh for a while just with the 3 ships included. I suggest not worrying about competitive play when starting out. Use the quick build cards and just learn to game mechanics. After playing the core set for a while, then you will be able to make a more informed purchasing decision.

3 hours ago, Irokenics said:

I also hear the recent waves for Xwing 1.0 also have 2.0 cards which adds to the complication of things.

I recommend holding off on purchasing Wave 14 ships (Saw's Renegades & TIE Reaper). Many of the cards are wrong, they do not have 2.0 tokens, and do not have quick build cards. You also get 1.0 content which will be useless for you.

3 hours ago, Irokenics said:

Additionally, is there any chance of a new player like me being competitive at all in second edition? I mean the conversion kits would have ships for 1.0 that i wouldnt have access to as a 2.0 only player right?

I wouldn't worry about being competitive when you first start out. As for the upgrade cards, you could always pick up a conversion kit for your desired faction later. FFG also stated they will sell card packs so that is another way you can get upgrade cards.

Also, I would hold off on getting into the game right now as 1.0 is an unbalanced mess that is no longer supported.

thanks for all the helpful responses everyone!

are there any good battle report channels out there to watch and learn?

5 hours ago, HolySorcerer said:

That said, even with the conversion kits available, wave 1 is looking to be pretty good, and should be competitive with everything else.

Having run several demos of 2nd Edition, Luke in his Quick Build setup is going to be an absolute nightmare.

5 hours ago, Irokenics said:

What would i need to buy to get into the game competitively?

Additionally, is there any chance of a new player like me being competitive at all in second edition?

Listen to (most) of these fine folks.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with second-h and 1.0 stuff.

That new core and a couple 2.0 blisters of whatever faction you want to run with should get you going great.

$100ish bucks.

Awesome game.

Check out podcasts (see index of useful links ).

Yeah I gotta be honest, I strongly disagree with everyone who is saying don’t buy any used ships, hold off until 2.0 is released, etc. Now is the perfect time to get into X-Wing because so many people are getting OUT of the game and selling off all their stuff for cheap.

Now, to be fair, I guess it depends a lot on your budget and what you want to get out of the game. You can, as some people suggest, wait and pick up the 2.0 Core Set and a couple of the wave 1 expansion packs. If you held yourself to $100 it would get you 5-6 ships in two factions. Roughly $16-$17 per ship and barely enough ships to put together 1 or 2 full sized lists from 1 or 2 factions (so long as those factions are rebel and/or imperial).

Or, if you don’t mind spending more, you can hunt for a good deal on someone’s used collection (usually ~$200 to $300 NOTE: if you are deal hunting then don’t spend more than 50% MSRP at the absolute most, and you should be able to find ships for cheaper than that. I’ve seen them going for $5 per small ship (33% MSRP) in my area), then pick up the Core Set ($40) and conversion kits for whichever faction(s) you want to play with ($50-$150) and have a complete collection. This would likely cost you anywhere from $300-$500, give or take, and you would end up with anywhere from 30-50 ships to play with (rough guess of and average of $10/ship when you add large/huge ships to the mix).

The second option also has a couple added benefits. Not only will you have more ship models , you’ll have everything you need (dials, tokens, bases, ship cards) to proxy any ship in the game (except for Lando’s Falcon, technically, unless you make a separate purchase). So you could try out any ships that you don’t have in your collection before deciding whether or not to buy them. Also, if you decide you don’t like a particular faction that you purchased or the game in general, you can turn around and sell part/all of your collection and make nearly all of your money back on it. So that $300-$500 could be viewed as a deposit- if you don’t like the game then sell it off and get your money back, if you do like it then keep it.

And lastly, you mentioned wanting to play competitively. While you will be able to put together a few lists with the $100 option, they might be reasonably competitive but the laws of statistics tell us that they probably won’t be top-tier competitive. If you go with the 2nd option it’s just a matter of figuring out which ships/lists are top tier and then playing with those.

Anyway, that’s my 2¢. Again, whatever path you decide to tread, welcome to the game! It’s a lot of fun!

9 minutes ago, Herowannabe said:

Yeah I gotta be honest, I strongly disagree with everyone who is saying don’t buy any used ships, hold off until 2.0 is released, etc. Now is the perfect time to get into X-Wing because so many people are getting OUT of the game and selling off all their stuff for cheap.

Now, to be fair, I guess it depends a lot on your budget and what you want to get out of the game. You can, as some people suggest, wait and pick up the 2.0 Core Set and a couple of the wave 1 expansion packs. If you held yourself to $100 it would get you 5-6 ships in two factions. Roughly $16-$17 per ship and barely enough ships to put together 1 or 2 full sized lists from 1 or 2 factions (so long as those factions are rebel and/or imperial).

Or, if you don’t mind spending more, you can hunt for a good deal on someone’s used collection (usually ~$200 to $300 NOTE: if you are deal hunting then don’t spend more than 50% MSRP at the absolute most, and you should be able to find ships for cheaper than that. I’ve seen them going for $5 per small ship (33% MSRP) in my area), then pick up the Core Set ($40) and conversion kits for whichever faction(s) you want to play with ($50-$150) and have a complete collection. This would likely cost you anywhere from $300-$500, give or take, and you would end up with anywhere from 30-50 ships to play with (rough guess of and average of $10/ship when you add large/huge ships to the mix).

The second option also has a couple added benefits. Not only will you have more ship models , you’ll have everything you need (dials, tokens, bases, ship cards) to proxy any ship in the game (except for Lando’s Falcon, technically, unless you make a separate purchase). So you could try out any ships that you don’t have in your collection before deciding whether or not to buy them. Also, if you decide you don’t like a particular faction that you purchased or the game in general, you can turn around and sell part/all of your collection and make nearly all of your money back on it. So that $300-$500 could be viewed as a deposit- if you don’t like the game then sell it off and get your money back, if you do like it then keep it.

And lastly, you mentioned wanting to play competitively. While you will be able to put together a few lists with the $100 option, they might be reasonably competitive but the laws of statistics tell us that they probably won’t be top-tier competitive. If you go with the 2nd option it’s just a matter of figuring out which ships/lists are top tier and then playing with those.

Anyway, that’s my 2¢. Again, whatever path you decide to tread, welcome to the game! It’s a lot of fun!

This was my plan.

However, my enthusiasm rolled crits vs my caution & budget blanks.

So far spent about £700.

I need 22 more ships to fill out all 3 faction conversion kits.

But then I've also recouped £80 so far selling on the 1.0 dials, baseplates & cards.

9 minutes ago, Rodzaju said:

This was my plan.

However, my enthusiasm rolled crits vs my caution & budget blanks.

So far spent about £700.

I need 22 more ships to fill out all 3 faction conversion kits.

But then I've also recouped £80 so far selling on the 1.0 dials, baseplates & cards.

Lol yeah, I hear you. And it reminds me, it’s also worth mentioning that the $100 buy-in plan is largely a lie and a trap meant to ensnare you. The reality is depicted in this (now famous) comic strip (more true than you can possibly imagine):

@Irokenics Here's a question: do you have any friends that already play X-wing?

If you want to be competitive, that's where I'd start. Borrow some maneuver templates, range rulers, tokens, damage deck (either one) etc. In my experience, most folks that have been around for more than a year have extras that they can spare. A lot of folks in my area have slowed down their involvement but still carry a lot of love for the game. If you're familiar enough with them, they can be a great tool at helping you learn the basics of the game.

First edition and Second edition essentially have the same "bones". Developing your eye for ranges, becoming familiar with the different phases of the game: placing asteroids, setting up ships, setting dials, moving ships, attacking/defending, and so on will benefit you if you learn these things now, before Second edition comes to town.

Yes, you'll have to re-learn a number of aspects once 2.0 arrives, but most people will be in the same boat.

OR if you are willing to put in some effort you can proxy a 2.0 experience using the 1.0 elements. The 2.0 rulebook has been released: Link . A great number of pilots and upgrades have already been revealed. If you go this route, I'd use the Quickbuilds for making your ship lists.

Another route you can take, is to try out the game in a simulator. For me, Fly Casual is probably the most user friendly. It has both Second edition and First edition options. Here is where you can download the latest iteration. It has its quirks, but it gives you a good sense of Second edition.

As far as purchasing 1.0 ships, or waiting, that's between you, your wallet and how patient you are. Good luck! And we'll see you in the space lanes.

11 hours ago, Irokenics said:

Hi all,

Possible upcoming new player here.

I'm a bit bamboozled about the release of second edition and was wondering how this would affect entry for me as a new player, so naturally i have a few questions.

What would i need to buy to get into the game competitively? Like i know the second edition core set is a no brainer but what about after that? I also hear the recent waves for Xwing 1.0 also have 2.0 cards which adds to the complication of things.

Additionally, is there any chance of a new player like me being competitive at all in second edition? I mean the conversion kits would have ships for 1.0 that i wouldnt have access to as a 2.0 only player right?

Appreciate the help!

Kind Regards,

- Ken

This is one of the reasons FFG wants to limit at least some official play to just 2e releases (for wave 1, it'd be X-Wing, Y-Wing, U-Wing, TIE Fighter, TIE Advanced, TIE Reaper, Protectorate Fighter, Firespray, and Lando's Falcon), and not conversion kit materials, so that new folks won't have to buy old ships and conversions in order to keep up with the collections of established players. Personally, while there are lots of ships I don't want to wait to fly, I think this is generally a good structure for tournaments, as long as there are some (perhaps every other tourney?) which allow converted content.

In a 2e-released ships only environment, without older "only converted" content, you'd be about as competitive as your skill. Newer players in any game usually make a few more mistakes and errors of judgment compared to veterans, but that's the case in any game.

As to a converted environment, beyond skill differences, it's impossible to be sure. We just don't know--maybe released ships are the core ones in the meta, or maybe converted ones are. However, it seems likely that some released-only lists will be close enough to competitive with common converted kits. There are a lot of variables which matter as much as list building, such as player strength and matchups. A bigger pool of ships changes and perhaps lowers the potential number hard-counters to a given list, but that's going to depend on the list.

//

Anyhow, I'd strongly suppose it'll be safe and close-to-competitive to just buy the 2e content, and not get 1e ships and conversion kits.

If 1e stuff is a good value (used collections, clearance priced new ships), it might be worth it, but I don't really think it's "necessary."

I agree with everything Herowannabe has said.

Something I'd point out about the 1st Edition collection and conversion kit route is you'll still be able to play 2nd Edition only events with that. You'll just be limited to part of the 1st Edition collection.

Remember also that Saw's Renegades and the TIE Reaper are hybrid expansions. You are buying a 2nd Edition expansion if you pick either of those up.

The other thing is if you've got some other guys you could go in together on a 1st Edition collection and the conversions and split it all up in some manner you all find equitable.

The big questions you need to answer are how much you have to spend and how fast you're willing and able to spend it.

I’d try picking a faction you want to fly, maybe by watching 2e demo videos.

Then, get prepped to buy on a core set, the expansions to get started with your faction of choice, and the saws renegades (if rebel) or reaper (if Imperial) because they are basically 2e expansions already.

Yes, many folks are cashing out of xwing - if you see someone who’s willing to sell only the specifics of one faction it could be worth it plus a conversion kit.

i wouldn’t worry about being competitive or not - focus on 2e wave only events at first unless you’ve picked up a conversion kit and old ships.

welcome to the party!

11 hours ago, Irokenics said:

thanks for all the helpful responses everyone!

are there any good battle report channels out there to watch and learn?

Most of them will apply to first edition, but some of the basic strategies remain. Stele TV, Team Covenent and VTTV live will all have a lot of quality content, and I enjoy most of them.

13 hours ago, Irokenics said:

thanks for all the helpful responses everyone!

are there any good battle report channels out there to watch and learn?

Oh yes, my friend, there is a GREAT video! And welcome aboard!

This video shows 2.0 in all it's glory, and the player are really fun to watch with great personalities.

8 hours ago, Boba Rick said:

Oh yes, my friend, there is a GREAT video! And welcome aboard!

This video shows 2.0 in all it's glory, and the player are really fun to watch with great personalities.

Ah was asking about channels in particular to follow but thanks!