“The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.”
–Darth Vader, Star Wars: A New Hope

This past weekend at the Star Wars Game Experience , new players and new heroes emerged in the ongoing battles for the fate of the galaxy!

The event set a new record for pre-registrations, and its strong attendance set the backdrop for a weekend full of exciting contests and other events:

• Rebel forces and their allies fought desperately against the might of the dark side in Regional Championship tournaments for both Star Wars ™: The Card Game and X-Wing ™.
• Enthusiastic attendees were able to sample the tournament experience by participating in the “Second Chance” and “Padawan” tournaments for Star Wars : The Card Game.
• Our X-Wing dogfight events pitted Rebels versus Imperials in massive, multi-ship battles.
• So many players showed up to play the Star Wars ®: Edge of the Empire™ Roleplaying Game with the game’s designers that we had to add tables.
• Chris Gottschalk demonstrated his mastery of Star Wars trivia, defeating several teams by himself to win our trivia contest and a set of sculpted ice trays from Kotobukiya.
• Members of Minnesota’s 501st Legion arrived in costume to pose for photos and add color to the event.
• Author Troy Denning and game designer Jay Little spoke with attendees and shared their experiences with gaming in a galaxy far, far away....

…and

• We announced the next four upcoming starships for X-Wing !

Forty-five players competed in the Star Wars : The Card Game Regional Championship

Regional Championship Tournaments for X-Wing and Star Wars : The Card Game

The weekend’s action-packed Regional Championship tournaments for both X-Wing and Star Wars : The Card Game each drew more than forty contestants and highlighted the growing diversity of each game. In both of the events, the tournaments’ semifinalists all relied upon the strengths of unique deck and squad lists.

In fact, the semifinalists in the Star Wars : The Card Game Regional Championship ran decks from every affiliation except Scum and Villainy. In the end, Chicagoan Jim Cartwright took the day with his Imperial Navy and Rebel Alliance decks, winning a tense match with Minnesotan Mick Cipra; after two games, nothing separated the two, and it took a third, tie-breaking game to determine the champion!

Star Wars finalists, Mick Cipra (left) and Jim Cartwright (right)

1. Jim Cartwright

2. Mick Cipra

3. Sean Heath

4. David Bergstrom

Meanwhile, the X-Wing Regional Championship drew forty-six players and nearly as many different builds. As reigning World Champion Doug Kinney predicted in his preview of the Regional Championship season , the game’s new large-base ships featured prominently, and players ran everything from TIE swarms to squads pairing just two YT-1300s, each helmed by different pilots.

The X-Wing Regional Championship drew forty-six contestants.

After five rounds of Swiss play, Doug Kinney took the top seed, undefeated, and seven other players made the cut to single-elimination, including Minnesotan David Bergstrom, who had to take a first-round loss because he was still in the semi-finals of the Star Wars : The Card Game Regional Championship at that time. Still, David fought back from his early loss and piloted his way to victory, defeating Doug in the finals with his seven-ship squad that relied on the talents of “Howlrunner,” “Backstabber,” and five non-unique TIE fighter pilots.

Doug Kinney (left) and David Bergstrom (right) in the X-Wing finals.

1. David Bergstrom

2. Doug Kinney

3. Troy Perry

4. Jacob Picklemeyer

The Star Wars ®: Edge of the Empire™ Roleplaying Game Preview Event

Dozens of participants participated in Edge of the Empire sessions with the development team. While many of them ran through an adventure that can play as a simple bounty hunt, the game’s narrative style allowed players to pursue a wide range of amusing and unexpected plot twists:

• Half of one party was arrested and taken to an Imperial prison, leading to a daring jailbreak.
• Another party piloted their starship in a dramatic, high-speed chase through an asteroid belt.
• Other players participated in a vicious war against an infestation of tenacious mynocks.
• Some heroes reined in a rampaging dewback and rode it through town to scatter their enemies and liberate a warehouse full of slaves.
• In one game, the party’s Wookiee traded their entire reward to free his extended family from Imperial control…without telling the rest of the party!

In addition to the excitement of the weekend’s games, roleplay fans had their chance to attend a campaign-generation workshop, where developers talked about several different styles for running a campaign, then had audience groups generate their own campaigns based on the Obligations and Motivations for a potential party of PCs.

Will the Empire Strike Back?

All told, the Star Wars Game Experience was a fantastic success, and we look forward to seeing attendees return for the World Championship Weekend in November!

Until then, Fantasy Flight Games would like to thank all those who attended and departed with fond memories. May the 4th be with you!