I returned last May from a 8 month deployment, and we played a lot of card MAGIC games during that time. So, i went down to the local geek shop, and i noticed a couple of friends playing STAR WARS X-Wing. It looked super fun and amazing, but what really got me was the fact that i didn't have to paint a single thing because the models were already painted. i traded magic cards in to buy some stuff. fast fwd a couple of months now i got a few other guys playing and we got a bi-weekly game.

I came up with 2 lists that i will share. One for the Rebels and the other for the Empire. i would love to know if these would be ok to play so i don't totally get mopped the floor with.

Rebels:100 points

X-Wing Garven Dreis;Proton Torpedoes;R2-D2

HWK-290 Kyle Katarn;Ion Cannon Turret;Recon Specialist;Moldy Crow;Push The Limit

B-Wing (Blue Squadron Pilot;Ion Cannon;Fire-Control System;Proton Torpedoes

Empire:

Firespray-31 Bounty hunter;Slave 1;Assault Missiles;Adv. Proton Torpedoes;Weapons Engineer;Proximity Mines

Tie Bomber Scimitar Squadron Pilot;Proton bombs;Proton Torpedoes;Homing missiles;Assault Missiles

Tie Fighter Night Beast

Thanks for the help!!

Welcome home. I know what it's like to get back from a deployment.

The first thing I wanted to mention was your Imperial List. Conventional wisdom is that you should avoid loading up vessels, especially bombers, with a full loadout. They often get destroyed in the first couple rounds of shooting, so most of those points will be lost. I would drop the APT from the Bounty Hunter and Proton Torpedoes and Homing missiles from the TIE Bomber to start. That'll give you enough points to either get another TIE Fighter or to upgrade your ships in other ways.

In a 100 point game, current wisdom is to shoot for having at least 4 ships (large ships counting as 2) for a list, otherwise you are putting too many eggs in one basket and the loss of one ship puts you in a serious rough spot.

What sable gryphon said.

Couple things,

Thanks for serving your country!

Next, play a couple different styles (fully loaded, fleet of rookies, ect.) You have to find the style YOU want to play. I try and have 4 ships, but if you can only field 3 do so. and really look at what your getting in return for points.

to start, go without the missles until you get used to flying the ships, then you can start to think about how you can get shots off with them later if you want.

For the Rebel squad I'd be ok with the three ships selected but quiver a little with the upgrades. The most challenging ship to me is the HWK; I'm not sure PTL would be a good fit for it as it is hard to get rid of the stress and you also can NOT take two Focus actions to load up the Crow if that was your intention. With Kyle, Crow, and Recon specialist you'll usually see someone running a Blaster Turret. I do like how Kyle could had a Focus to Garven who could then give it right back. The B-Wing is something I'd do something different with although what would vary. I see a lot of Ion attacks as presented and while they have their uses they also have drawbacks as you're giving up damage potential.

With the Imperial squad you simply have too much stuff on the Bomber. It may have a lot of upgrade slots but using all of them is not a great idea as it still only has six hits before its all gone.

You won't get mopped with the rebel...the imperial you might, cause that tie bombers gunna get thrashed before it gets it's ordinance off.

Definitely experiment though. A lot of imps like swarms (6-8 Ties) or tanks (firesprays+support) or the new Ordinance/bombers. All have their strengths and weaknesses. Rebels have a ton of synergy that you can exploit, in addition to beefier ships and unique upgrades (Astromechs, Turrets)...

Movement is quite likely the most important thing you have to learn for this game. If you can out-maneuver your opponent you have an excellent chance of beating them. Get the visualization and formation flying down and you'll be in good shape most games

my advice. play both squads as is. see what works. see what doesnt. learn from how ur games go. make some tweeks and play them again

for ur imperials list that bomber is overloaded meaning it will be a primary target early on for your opponent. Use this to lure them in for ur mine and proton bomb. its risky but if u know what ur enemies tactics will likely be you can use that knowledge to lay the trap

as for ur rebel list proton torps are a little subpar for the points investment but they can let u inflict a crit early - they r just hit or miss so see how they work for you. the torps would be the 1st thing id look at replacing but try them out. i tend to play at least two x-wings in all my rebel squads as they r durable with shields, have a solid movement dial and 3 attack dice at med range.

I returned last May from a 8 month deployment

Thank you for your service.

I agree a lot with what has been said about keeping points spent on upgrades low and number of ships high. Secondary to those recommendations I would recommend that you start with X-wings and TIE Fighters. Some people have accused these ships of being under priced, I disagree. X-wings and TIE Fighters are the work horses of their respective fleets. And I think how they are priced reflects that. With all the releases I don't feel like either side has a ship that replaces these basic staples.

I am not saying you have to use X-wings or TIE Fighters in every list, but I believe that not doing so should be a conscious decisions. They are an excellent place to start. This all goes more for the Empire than the Rebellion, mostly because you can get so many TIEs for your points.

This kinda goes along with the other piece of advice. Buy starter sets. You get the most ships for your money and you get the ships you will want the most of.