Where do I start? Star Wars: X-Wing — Wayland Games Blog

When it comes to starting with a new game, you want to be equipped and ready to jump headfirst into battle. It is hard as there are so many components to any tabletop game. When it comes to Star Wars: X-Wing it can be pretty daunting too. There are Core Boxes, X-Wings, Tie-Ins, missions… the list is practically endless. So here is a starter guide to get your ships out of the box, and on to the tabletop.

Usually, the first attraction to a game is familiarity. People feel attracted to a game for multiple reasons. Maybe you’re a Star Wars fan, and want to get in on some tabletop action. Maybe you’ve seen a ship and think it’s pretty cool and want to buy it. All players are welcome: Star Wars veterans and noobs, but the main question stands: where and how do I begin this crusade?

Regardless of any of the advice you read on the internet, you are going to be drawn to your personal taste and your ability to buy eye-catching looking miniatures. There is nothing wrong with making your army to your taste, but when starting out with X-Wing it is so important you don’t bypass some of the most important recommendations, to just settle and buy whatever ships “that look cool”. That doesn’t mean your ships will not be awesome! So if you are looking for a bit of expert advice and recommendations, this is for you to get your battleships out of their packaging and ready for action.

Gaming Mat - Crimson Gas Giant / Frozen Star System

Where do I start? The Aesthetics

Getting a game mat is crucial if you want to put 110% into your game. You are basing game-play off of imagination and in some cases, nostalgia. You’re going to want to add more depth to your immersion and functionality within the game itself.

With your mat, this takes your game from being “just ships on a table” to action on the battlefront! If you want to be immersed into your game-play as much as possible without distractions of your day-to-day life, and avoid the thought of just setting up all the miniatures on your kitchen table, a mat is without a doubt - a game-changer.

To see space in all its glory and submerged into the battle of the rebellion, a gaming mat makes all the difference.

You do not have to learn alone!

Why start an adventure on your own if you can bring a friend with you? Although having somebody to play with all the time is not necessary - and in fact, it is quite hard given the current events of being confined into your own home, you’ve opened the ability to learn together. Packs such as the multiplayer mission, “Never Tell me the Odds” allows you and a friend to get to grips of the goals outlined if you are doing it cooperatively.

In my personal experience, learning the laws of the campaign will go further in your benefit than having lots of shiny new additional ships that you might not actually need just yet. So pull in a friend and learn together!

What products are good to start with?

If you are somebody who comes from a competitive background - it would really benefit you buying the Core Sets. Starting off with two of these are really effective. These packs allow you to have extra ships, dice and other necessities that will see you prepared for the game.

For example, using two Tie/In fighters and one T-65 X-Wing will get you the final "blister exclusive" pilots and other upgrades to enhance your list using. With a total of six Tie/In, and 3x T-65 X-Wings, you have enough individual chassis to build out several list archetypes, and your ships will all share the same upgrade types. Easier progression and smoother game-play for you as you are utilising your abilities correctly.

You can also run three rookie X-Wing pilots on a training mission with only their astromech droids to protect them from 3-4 Imperial Aces in their customised Tie Fighters, or you can go head-to-head in battle with two X-Wing aces with game-changing pilot abilities against a swarm of Academy trained Tie pilots.

The possibilities are endless, and it is down to you to put some dedication into your style of game-play to master your arena.

Bottom line: do your homework!

Trust us, we are aware that it does seem really easy to jump straight in and collect all the ships because they are “so, so pretty”. But being tactical with your money and purchasing the correct items within the game will not only boost the enjoy-ability of the game but will increase your replay-ability due to you being well equipped and stocked out for the missions and obstacles.

Regardless of what you buy, no ship that you put into your game will be worthless, but learning the ships that come with upgrades ensures a smoother game-play, and you can utilise this by making your collection more efficient and more streamlined than your rivals.

Do your homework, buy the necessities, and most importantly: have fun! Star Wars X-Wing will take you to another galaxy far, far away and if you allow it to run smoothly, you will see yourself immersed into countless hours of exciting, strategic and effortless game-play.