Hey sometime soon i hope to buy the X-wing core set, so far i don't know which expansions to buy, i do not want to spend a ton of money, but i did find a site to get large ships for $20 and small ships for $12, i would like to spend at most $30-$40 do have a fun game, but i still want to be competitive with other players. So far i have been the most attracted to the HWK-290 for the Rebles and The Tie-Advanced for the Empire. Would those be good choices? or is there something better i could do? Maybe just buy 2 core games (same site has them for $26 a piece) i don't know, but please reply with any ideas for me.

Thanks!

The best buy for your money is IMO 2 starter sets. X-wings and TIEs are the clasics of the game and they are pretty commonly used.

This is also the cheapest way to buy ships.

After that I would probably get another x-wing expansion - for Wedge

and a TIE Advanced - for Vader

That gives you 100 points in both factions and you can field some really good ships.

The extra dice and movement tiles are nice too.

I definitely echo the 'buy 2 core sets' sentiment - it's a great value, the ships are iconic, and 2 X-Wings and 4 TIEs is a solid start to your fleet.

From there, it's probably not a bad idea to play at least a few games before you start buying more ships, just to see what your play style is like and what ships complement it.

You'll probably want at least 1 core set, it is a great value for what you get which includes two ties, 1 x wing and all the stuff you actually need to play like a rule book and range rulers. You could just get two like Hrathren said. That being said you have enough for about 2 more expansions (if you only bought one core). Not enough for a imperial swarm, rebels might be a better choice.

1 core set 26 bucks (2 ties, 1 xwing)

1 Xwing expansion 12 bucks

1 Bwing expansion 12 bucks

2 x wings and a B wing would have a lot of decent options to play around with. You can't go wrong with x wings and the b wing is a point sink with alot of upgrade options. 50 bucks.

OR

1 core set 26 bucks (2 ties, 1 xwing)

1 Tie Advanced 12 bucks

1 Tie bomber 12 bucks

This gives you 2 tie fighters, vader, and a bomber where you can dump your left over points on missiles / upgrades. Probably wouldn't win a world tourny but you could have some fun playing and still make a decent list. 50 bucks.

OR

2 core sets 52 bucks (4 ties , 2 xwings)

not really super competetive here, too few ships to make a really good list. Still could have a lot of fun and gives you options for playing rebels and imperials (especially if you have a friend who wants to play with you).

Also note that you might not be able to hunt down some of these expansions. FFG is trying to keep up with the demand, though alot of em are out of stock at a lot of stores.

If you want to be competitive with other players you will need to stick with one side, either rebel or imperial. Trying to do both won't be possible with a small starting budget.

Getting two core sets is the best value for your money. After that I would go for the ship that you really want to fly.

Competitive ships (from tournament lists) to more "fun to have" are (IMO):

IMPERIAL :

Slave 1

Tie interceptor

Tie fighter

Tie Bomber

Lambda shuttle

Tie Advanced

REBEL :

X-wing

Millenium Falcon

B-wing

Hwk-290

Y-wing

A-wing

If you are just playing with a couple of friends and the occasional tournament I would go for ships that you wan't to have and fly over something strictly for a tournament.

Han Shot First has got to be one of the more affordable of the competitive squads. I think you can do that with the core set ($28), Falcon ($21) and some other Rebel ($12). You're over your budget, but that's the best I can do for now.

If you're shopping at Amazon, watch the prices. They go up and down a little bit from day to day. Right now everything seems a little cheaper than normal, so I just snagged an Interceptor.

I definitely echo the 'buy 2 core sets' sentiment - it's a great value, the ships are iconic, and 2 X-Wings and 4 TIEs is a solid start to your fleet.

From there, it's probably not a bad idea to play at least a few games before you start buying more ships, just to see what your play style is like and what ships complement it.

Normally, I'd just say that too.

I am also on a smaller budget, though maybe not quite as small as your initial investment. If you are in an area where there are others playing regularly, and where you don't have to provide all the ships, I would echo the sentiment of sticking with either Imperial or Rebel forces, as opposed to trying to get both sides. Using myself as an example, my small Imperial squadron is made up of 3 TIEs, 2 TIE Interceptors, 1 TIE Advanced, 1 TIE Bomber, and 1 Lambda-class Shuttle. That includes the 2 TIES from the core game, so this squadron would cost (at the prices you quoted) $80 above the price of the core game. Dropping the Lambda and 1 TIE would put it close to your goal, and still give you a decent, versatile little strike force. Not quite for tournament play, but definitely good for a fun afternoon.

Before you buy, if you have the opportunity to do so, observe any ships in action to see if they fit your playstyle. This should be easy enough if you live near a store that provides gaming facilities, as I'm sure people will be playing it all the time.

Although it is bit more expensive the Falcon (YT-1300) is widely regarded as an easy beginner piece that is also very competitive. With just the core set and Falcon you could play a two ship squadron although adding one more fighter would give you more options.

It is usually much cheaper to field an inexpensive rebel squadron than an inexpensive Imperial one. Rebel ships typically have higher point values meaning you need fewer ships and while the core set gives you TWO TIE Fighters and just one X-Wing you'll usually find T/F fielded in larger numbers and/or using the pilots from the Expansion pack.

hey thanks for all your replys, i forgot to say the $30-$40 is OTHER THEN the first copy of the core game.

I think i'll start out with 2 core sets, then go on from there get a tie-advanced and another x-wing.

After that i will most likely pick a side and start building it.

For me i also want to have a fun game if i'm playing someone without the game them self, that way they will buy the game (Friend buys game = More play for me)

You're not likely to find any Wave 1 ships in stock for a reasonable price right now. That means the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, TIE Advanced and Y-Wing should be off your list until later this year when the reprints come back. (If you can find any of those for close to $15, get them!)

You should have no trouble finding Wave 2 and Wave 3 stuff now, though. Consider a B-Wing and a Bomber for slow ships with lots of firepower, or go for the A-Wing and Interceptor for ships that are maneuverable but fragile.

You're not likely to find any Wave 1 ships in stock for a reasonable price right now. That means the X-Wing, TIE Fighter, TIE Advanced and Y-Wing should be off your list until later this year when the reprints come back. (If you can find any of those for close to $15, get them!)

You should have no trouble finding Wave 2 and Wave 3 stuff now, though. Consider a B-Wing and a Bomber for slow ships with lots of firepower, or go for the A-Wing and Interceptor for ships that are maneuverable but fragile.

There's some Tie fighters for $16 with shipping

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1616613785/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Go crazy