I am writing a series of reviews of the X-Wing Miniatures expansions. My criteria for reviewing each expansion is how well it can be used in a standard 100-point game, as well as the usefulness of the included upgrade cards. I do not consider the mission (if one is included). My ratings are based on the fighter's usefulness in semi-competitive play. If you just want the model and don't care so much about its usefulness in competition, I will offer a blanket review that all of these miniatures are outstanding for the price. They come pre-painted, and are usually very-well detailed.
On to the play review:
This is the game that starts it all. There is another, more recent core set, based on the ships and characters from "The Force Awakens." This one is just fine to get started playing X-wing miniatures. Everything you need is included in this box. So you can conceivably tell yourself that if you don't like it, then you're only out $40, and if you do like it, that's all you need to spend to have a good time. The box is an incredible value, and can suffice as its own expansion pack if you want to supplement your X-wing or Tie Fighter squadrons. There are pilots, upgrade cards, and droids available in the single X-wing and Tie Fighter packs that do not come in the base set, and vice versa, however.
The box comes with: Maneuver templates, range ruler, attack dice, defense dice, Determination and Marksmanship elite pilot talent cards, Proton Torpedo upgrade card, two astromech upgrade cards for your X-wing (R2-D2 and R2-F2), asteroid tokens, four X-wing pilots, six Tie Fighter Pilots, one X-wing miniature, two Tie Fighter miniatures, all the necessary cardboard tokens needed to play, a basic and full rulebook, a book with three mission scenarios for the three included ships, and a deck of damage cards (note: the damage deck in the newer Force Awaken core set is different, and is the one currently used by the competitive community. The one in this set is just fine, however, and will not stop you from enjoying a good game of X-wing. It's just not the one used in tournaments and such.)
Base set boxes like this can often be far more expensive. For the price and for the quality of the gameplay, this is one of the best miniature gaming sets out there.
Gameplay is easy to pick up with the basic rulebook, but where the game really becomes fun is when you add asteroids and upgrades. There is only so much you can do with the included miniatures, however, and you can't come close to reaching the 100 points that are used in a standard game. In some ways, it is actually harder to play a game with just one X-Wing and two Tie Fighters on a 3'x3' play area (standard size) than with full 100-point squads. You may want to consider playing on just a 2'x2' area if you're just playing with the core set. That will be up to your gaming group. Or, once you discover how much fun the game is, gradually add some expansion packs to round out your squad. I am posting reviews of each one of the expansions. The included missions in this set add a bit of depth, but we have found them to be a bit unbalanced and badly tested overall, and we hardly use the missions included in this set or the expansions. That's all I will say about missions throughout this product line.
Again, everything you need to play the game is included in this box, and it is easy to learn, and fun. A game using just this set can last up to an hour, but that is very rare. However, once you start playing with 100-point squads, you'll find that, if you don't use a timer (one hour is standard, after which points are counted), it can take as long as two hours to achieve absolute victory (no enemies left on the board). One of the more frustrating things about this game is set-up and breakdown. It takes quite a bit of time to get your miniatures, all of your pilot and upgrade cards, and the starfield set up. It takes just as much time to break everything down once the game is done. Count on adding at least half an hour to the time spent actually playing.
Be warned: this game is highly addictive, and can be a gateway into spending hundreds of dollars on expansions. Even if you are determined to stick to one faction (Empire, Scum, or Rebels), you will find that there are upgrade cards available only through one particular expansion or another, forcing you to buy it whether you want the actual ship or not.
Another frustration is that Fantasy Flight does not adequately playtest their expansions. Some go to the market only for players to discover that they are massively overpowered, or absolutely useless in competition. Fantasy Flight then either changes the rules to nerf the ship (say, for example, the Tie Phantom), or releases an expensive expansion with additional upgrades that are basically a patch (such as for the Tie Defender).
These issues do not stop the base set from being a fun introduction to X-Wing Miniatures. It is probably my favorite game.
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Choose your crew and arm your starfighters
- Build your own squadron using X-Wing’s advanced rules to select your favorite starfighters, pilots, and upgrades.
- Before the game begins, you’ll have a set amount of Fleet Points to invest, which you may spend to customize your squad.
- Whether you enter the fight with a Rookie Pilot, an experienced Red Squadron Pilot, or even the resourceful Luke Skywalker, you’ll have a range of options before you even fire up your engines.
- Moreover, arm your ships with astromech droids, extra weapons, or special skills, which have a significant impact on your fighter’s battle performance.
Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game
“We'll have to destroy them ship to ship. Get the crews to their fighters.” –Darth Vader
Fast and visceral, X-Wing puts you in the middle of fierce Star Wars firefights. Use each craft’s unique maneuver dial to secretly plot its movement action for each turn. After each player has locked in his movement decisions, the dials are revealed and ships are moved starting with the lowest skilled pilots.
“That little droid and I have been through a lot together.” –Luke Skywalker
Pepper the enemy with blaster fire as you rush into the dogfight, or move into combat range slowly, attaining deadly target locks before you launch a devastating attack. No matter your plan of attack, you’ll be in total control throughout the tense action.
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Intuitive rules have you fighting in minutesX-Wing includes everything you need to begin your battles, such as thirteen Ship cards (featuring nine Imperial and four Rebel pilots), five Upgrade cards.. |
Highly detailed ModelsJump straight into the game with highly detailed pre-painted models. |
Recreate the most memorable battles in the galaxyWith the quick-start rules, you can simply select one of the exciting missions, position your ships on the playing space as instructed, and choose your opening move. |
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Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game Core Set
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Reviews with images
I'm not really a tabletop gamer but I do enjoy collecting high quality Star Wars toys and I'm super
I'm not really a tabletop gamer but I do enjoy collecting high quality Star Wars toys and I'm super, super pleased with my purchase. I was not expecting this to be so immersive and I've already bought a bunch of extra ships and a carrying case to keep it safe. Very good game!
Top reviews from other countries
César de la Torre
Excelente Juego y Miniaturas
Reviewed in Mexico on August 12, 2018
ivan De leon
Exelente contenido para el precio.
Reviewed in Mexico on March 22, 2018
