Bare Bones Tactics (Rebel)

Lets look at the basic tactical structure for a Rebel squad in BB.

The Rebels are the Hero faction of Star Wars and the game dynamic supports that. Crew, Pilot abilities and Droids, all support the idea of team work, mutual support and resilience. The Rebels arguably suffer least in BB. Many shunned ships regain their place and most of the better combinations are more or less intact.

The core of most squads is the fighter in all it’s forms and the option of a support element.

Fighters.

The loose grouping of fighters come in any form you could want allowing you to almost build from upgrades up.

• X Wing (Medium,Ordnance + Droid, lots of Pilots), 5 Max.

• Y Wing (Heavy, Ordnance + Turret + Droid), 5 Max.

• B Wing (Heavy, Ordnance + Systems), 5 Max

• A Wing (Light, Ordnance, Pilots), 5 Max.

• ARC 170 (Heavy Ordnance + Crew + Droid), 3 Max.

• E Wing (Medium, Droid + Systems + Ordnance, Pilots), 3 Max.

• Z95 (Medium, Ordnance + cheap, Pilots), 8 Max.

• Attack Shuttle (Medium, Turret + Crew, Pilots), unique.

Which ever combination you choose, the Rebels have almost infinite choice at hand, or they can make solid one type squads.

Support.

Support in the true sense of the term comes from several Legendary ships, which define the Rebels as much as their iconic fighters.

The HWK 290 is like a light Lambda, but also packs a Turret. Most Pilots synergise well with their counterpart crew in a cheap if relatively weak ship Build a squad, then work out how the HWK can strengthen it. You might be surprised.

The YT 1300. A legend and deservedly so, the YT/Falcon is a nimble Large ship (less so without Mods, Titles and EPT’s), with a Turret built in, and 2 crew slots, which are now key to it. Do you make the Turret stronger with Luke of Gunner, the ship tougher with R2-D2 or C-3P0, a better support platform or any combination of these? It makes a great sniper, tough blocker, or a focus ship, distracting the enemy while your fighters do the damage.

The YT2400 is a smaller, trickier version of the YT1300. It adds a Cannon at the expense of a Crew slot, but is more agile and many crew options love asteroids, making it a good ambusher. Without title, it lacks the super Turret as Primary option, but is still difficult to handle with a 2d Turret and Cannon combination. This ship is much like a mini Falcon or nimble HWK with more bite.

The VCX-100. The Ghost is the toughest ship in the Rebel fleet. Slightly tougher than the Decimator or C-Roc cruiser, the VCX has one of only two 4d primary attacks, Turret and Ordnance options and a Systems slot. Systems in BB are far stronger than in regular X Wing. Without EPT’s Mods and Titles, most ships only have their basic Pilot, Ship and Action Bar for combat mods, some have Crew or Droids, but most not, so Systems add that real edge to the ships lucky enough to have it. The VCX tend to define a squad, but it is hard to argue with it’s power.

Auzituck Gunship. A strong, but simple ship, the Auzituck only offers crew slots as upgrades making it an ideal blocker with support capabilities, which it has proven to be effective at in recent years.

The GR-75 Transport is one of only two types of Huge ship used in BB (the other is the C-Roc). The reasons for this are the single ship card, relative weakness and smaller size (not much bigger than the Ghost). The Transport has no offensive weapons other than a couple of Cargo options, but has plenty of support to add to a squad (Jam, Coordinate, Crew). It is also the only Rebel ship that can regenerate shields. If blocking and support are your main tactic, the Transport cannot be beaten.

Sheathipede Shuttle. This little ship was one of the first of a new breed. The Coordinate action and Crew slot with some extra-ordinary Pilots, make it a true support ship rather than front line fighter, but if cornered it can still scrap. It could be added to fighters above, but the lack of Ordnance and it’s mediocre dial relegate it more to a supporting role.

*

In Crew, Droid and Pilot synergies, the Rebel player is spoiled for choice, making their HR department the hero of the faction. They also have the only two ships with Coordinate or Reinforce actions, and lots of Pilot, Droid support synergies improving their resilience.

In overall combat performance, they tend to like Ordnance with only three ships lacking options, are generally strong in primary weapon attacks and have plenty of ships that can mount Turrets.

In Manoeuvres they are weakest, rarely offering 5 speed, few Evade, Boost or Roll options, lacking the tricks of the Scum faction or the general arc dodging capabilities of the Empire, so strong squad support tactics are required. They can take a beating and hand one out, so try to balance their lack of flight options with their personnel/support strengths.

With the Rebels you are always assured of a tough squad, usually with plenty of offensive options, it just may be a little dry to fly.

Bare Bones Tactics (Empire)

After stripping away some levels of choice/variety/density/synergy, Bare Bones tends to determine the tactics for each faction.

First up, the Empire.

The basic squad will usually be a Swarm or Ordnance platform with or without support, or occasionally a Brute with escorts.

Swarms (large and small)

Tie Fighter (8 Max) and Interceptor (5 Max) swarms are usually either Howlrunner, Soontir or Vader led, using massed, flanking or waves attacks with a variety of attack and defensive benefits that can be useful for one, but often better for all. Synergies are important here, so squad building will be variations on similar combinations. Without EPT’s or Mods, these can only offer their straight pilot and ship, simple but effective.

Defender and Advanced squads rely on individual Pilot and Ship abilities over group synergy, but if mixed with others can give a little of both.

The Prototype and Phantom can be used as “wild cards” in the above squads.

Ordnance Platforms

These come in three forms, Punisher (heavy), Bomber (medium) or Aggressor (light) that form the base or entirety of a squad, with either fighters or heavy ships for support. Basically, if you more resilience and fire power, these can some or lots at the expense of manoeuvre, which gives the Empire a “plan B” or alternative style.

Punishers have excellent ace Pilots and Systems and a huge payload (no Mods limits ships to one-off loaded ordnance, no failsafes or extra munitions). Punishers can be a tactical edge or points sink and tend to be best used as finishers or support.

The Bomber looks to be better value on the surface, but lacking Systems, Shields and an Ordnance slot, makes then more fragile than they seem. Bombers work better in teams, backing up fighters.

The Aggressor is unique in BB as the only Imperial ship that can add a Turret (the Decimator has one built in). This gives the Empire a play style that the other two factions use regularly, the Turret-sniper or stand-off arc ignorer.

Support and Brutes

The Lambda Shuttle (usually with Palpatine -not included in BB for a variety of reasons unless the Raider is present), adds a support element to a squad. The Empire has the fewest crew options (but still some good ones), fewer large ships and a fairly two dimensional fleet, so the option of a Crew heavy, Cannon mounted space cow is complicated, but often rewarding.

The Decimator is often thought of as the Imperial Millenium Falcon, but I prefer to think of it as the smallest Huge ship in the game. Able to cripple a C-Roc cruiser, offer three crew and some Ordnance (twice the Falcon’s), but lacking any inherent agility, it even acts more like a huge ship than a large one.

It can be surprising. The Decimator has three weapon and plenty of stress inducing crew options, which gives it a totally different feel to the Falcon, more like a YV-666 “Party Bus” with sharper teeth. The only real issue with it is the cost, at half a squad, but if the Decimator takes the lead, the Empire can do a lot with 50 odd points of support ships (4 academy pilots).

The Raider. Late inclusion for scenario driven or bigger games, the Raider adds a vast amount of variation (more Hard point and Team options than all of the other BB Huge ships combined), deeper mechanical depth (complication*) and an intimidating presence on the table, as befits the Empire.

*

Seemingly the most predictable faction, the Empire has a couple of strong core squad ideas with a few surprises. Blind squad building against them can be difficult. Build for a swarm and run into a couple of Punishers and Interceptors in support or a Decimator patrol, build for variety and get swarmed.

The Empire has lots of arc dodgers (agile ships able to out manoeuvre or react with an action, to an enemy arc). They can also supply these in great numbers, varying power and variety. Their main short coming is in Turreted ships (2), Ordnance platforms (3 with a few Missile sporting fighters) and Crew support options (3). In fully X Wing, Mods equalised the effect of turrets to some extent, so without these BB balances the ledger to some degree with weakened Turret ships. Never the less, the Turret squad is often the undoing of an agile, but fragile Imperial squad.

*The idea of BB is not to over simplify play, but to reduce upgrade drag, improving balance and game speed.

An optional house rule that lets the Imperial player build up to half a squad out of one (only) Mercenary or faction (Scum) element, that can add plenty of variety and plot support also.

The Rationale Behind Upgrade Restrictions in Bare Bones X Wing

Why a Bare Bones style X Wing game? There are a few reasons, many of which have been covered by others, but maybe some more case specific clarity is needed.

The goal is to calm down the game, defuse the meta and make early game entry easier, then continued growth and enjoyment through a better supported structure in both semi competitive casual and scenario based or themed play.

I am on record as saying I like (prefer) non game mechanic dominated play. The feel of the game is all. FFG felt strongly enough about this they were compelled to re-invent the game. Editions after the first are not uncommon. Many of the most famous games in history have editions syndrome (DnD, Warhammer etc). Even Chess has evolved over the centuries. After coming to X Wing late, I was impressed by the support it had, but quickly tired of the “best build” forum bashing and min/maxing. So quickly the game could have soured for me. I found myself scouring the web for the rare “fly for fun”, “fly what you like”, or even rarer “stick to canon” posts. This fix has headed off the time and money wasting bogeyman of game fatigue.

The reality though is, sometimes, something that needs fixing sometimes needs fully breaking down and re-building, rather than just applying more and more bandaid measures.

Removing these “Bandaid” fixes are the point of Bare Bones with the hope of making or returning to a simpler, more naturally balanced game, much like the 2e re-build.

Why? Because I like 1e, have had little chance to get to know it. 2e has supplied a better path for the later ideas to be fully realised. Almost all of the things I dislike about 1e are seamlessly absorbed or cleanly cut out of 2e, but the classic simplicity of 1e is still relevant in it’s own right.

The core game was brilliant. The gradual growth of the game took on a predictable pattern. A new wave comes out, new builds dominate, nerf’s are released to re-balance, (ironically often taking the fun out of the new ship or upgrade), a new wave comes out…. . Second edition even has a built-in nerfer, with it’s floating, adjustable points system, so they can fix what is likely to happen again.

No Starviper II, leaves Thweek or Dalan with S-Loop and their own unique skills. The Vaksai title could turn a Kihraxz into almost any ship, But Viktor Hel and friends still add tricks that fit. The Headhunter has a great cost to punch ratio, quantity and dirty trick on it’s side.

The base issue is upgrade synergy. Nearly limitless, it is the core of the game and potentially it’s nemesis. On one hand you have a mini game in it’s own right with squad building, but on the other hand this often leads to casual players being unable to mix with serious or tournament players as a little knowledge goes a long way. This is not like Chess, where tactical knowledge is based on the same pieces with set moves, where being used better by one player leads to victory. It is more like a game of Chess where you can constantly swap out pieces, or change their very role (a Rook moving diagonally is a Bishop by another name), making them act, well, not like they should.

Bare Bones removes the upgrades that are most responsible for either under or over balancing the game. It also removes the upgrades that (I feel) are more game play based, not theme supported.

What is Removed

Elite Pilot Talents.

Almost always filling the bulk of top ten upgrade lists, EPT’s allow pilots already with their own unique and themed ability, to have another, sometimes even two. You could argue that this is reflective of a tactic, a frame of mind or a pre-meditated adaption, but in play it tends to strip away the Pilots uniqueness, often giving several pilots in a squad the same ability. It is also not very logical sometimes, with contradictory or nullifying talents bought for style defined pilots.

This layer of the “synergy onion” is often the one that makes those impossible to beat combinations. The one layer too many, that makes some builds famous/infamous. I think FFG made good use of the inherent pilot abilities, giving each pilot a role to play that suits their back story, so why strip it away with a contradictory or exaggerating second or third talent. Lets face it, there are plenty of pilots out there to pick from if the massive fleets available can be better balanced.

Ship Modifications

This upgrade goes even further to “breaking” both the game and my personal belief in the story and simulation over the game. Want a ship to act like another (removing the unique nature of the other ship), then add a mod. These then became predictable, effectively nullifying the slot. They were often made to balance ships that underperformed either on table or were too dear points wise.

Aside from rare mods added in extended universe plot lines, most ships were as packaged through their careers. The reality is though, in the stories and movies, an X Wing was an X Wing more often than not. Mods were just not really a thing. The game did move on, leaving some ships looking a bit boring and limited, but take out the Mod upgrade option and things tend to settle back (regress?) well enough. An X Wing is a fairly boring brawler, a Y Wing the same but exaggerated, the Interceptor rules as the most nimble, the A wing the fastest and the Star Viper the quirkiest. Add in mods and each ship starts to look like the other. In reality the dynamic is the same just muted. The intent is to use the ships within a reality and story telling envelope, not a min/max dynamic.

Ship Titles.

Much like Mods, Titles, especially generic or class based ones, tended to either fix perceived issues* (Star Viper II, Vaksai, X Wing S-Foils), exaggerate already available abilities (Concord Dawn Protector, A Wing Test Pilot), or irrevocably change ships into totally different beasts (Heavy/Light Scyk, Tie/D or 7x) that then cause mass extinction of their original forms. Ships like the Defender or E Wing in BB are still expensive, but also very powerful in this form of the game.

Named titles are a slightly different matter, but after much thought were dropped, as again they tend to exaggerate what is already there. The un-nerfed JM500 is powerful enough without the Punishing One upgrade. The Falcon is a less “Fat Han”, the Starviper does not have a Virago identity, but Guri and Xisor still work as a team as intended. These can be re-added seamlessly into the game, making for an “advanced” option, but so far, no need.

Tech

BB does not have TFA era ships or ships from the later movies, sticking to the theme and feel of the early movies and expanded universe (and game on release), so Tech is not included.

This leaves us with;

• Core ship and pilot synergies, often leading naturally to faction preferred tactics and style.

• Ordnance in all it’s forms (where would we be without our Proton Torps)

• Crew, both generic and faction limited. The Rebels excel here.

Points of Difference;

• Systems as a rare upgrade shared by the more advanced (expensive) ships in each faction.

• Illicit and Salvaged Droids as Scum only advantages.

• Droids as a Rebel only advantage.

• Unique ship actions, such as Cloaking or re-load.

*Also removed are the Ordnance upgrades that act like Titles or Mods, such as Bomb Load-out, various refits etc. These are identified again as bandaid fixes or game re-freshers, not wanted in this purer game.

Upgrades that are clearly linked to the later movies are also removed for consistency, unless they do no harm (Unkar Plutt and Rey-out, Inspiring Recruit-in).

X Wing Now and in the Future

X Wing has been sidelined for me for the last few months as I find my feet in a new job.

The imminent release of some new packs, the late release of some much anticipated ones and the future direction of 2e have combined to re-invigorate my interest.

Seeing the Resistance getting more ships (The twin T70 and RZ-2 pack) and the availability of the First Order Xi shuttle pushed me to finally add a CR-90 Corvette to my fleet, thanks to that great scene in the last movie where they all take off for the last big battle (groan…, I just knew they would do that).

The CR-90 was the one that got away in 1e, but I know it is possible to retro-fit it with second hand 1e templates and cards if I want, or just use it in 2e, where the Huge ship and Epic game is better placed (I kind of like the idea of the Raider being the undisputed brute of 1e).

My plans to only do 2e with later movie factions (and selected Scum) and the early movies and extended universe with 1e are still solid, but a newly announced Imperial heavy Tie fighter may tempt as I (like many) split my fleet between full ship/fleet coverage in 1e and comprehensive ship type representation in 2e.

Out of the darkness, doom approaches.

First Order is nicely represented now. The fleet I have can produce any variation of light squadron, with or without Heavy support and the Raider adds the Menacing element the “Bad Guys” need and en-masse (Epic), it is a daunting 22 ships strong. The Xi shuttle will give me a scenario driver, support ship, some tricky upgrades and adds Illicit into the First order fleet, (as the Fireball did for the Resistance) closing that loop.

The options available in 2e for the later era fleets is comprehensive enough to go on with. The jamming-in of Tech into 1e did not sit that well with me, but in 2e it gives the later factions much needed variety and depth. The numbers I have also fit well with Epic and Huge game play.

The Resistance still has some options to come even after their new 3 pack is launched, as the later versions of the Y and B wings were both represented in their fleets. In Epic, the fleet clocks in at 25. I will wait patiently for future releases, but as it sits now, their fleet has all of the needed elements (versatile front line and light fighters, support, random and heavy options).

The Scum faction, limited a bit by the upgrade pack, can field solid and balanced factional squads. The lack of Star Vipers is still annoying, especially as most of them fly in the same faction, but I will wait until someone gets some second hand dials in. All else fit quite well with my collection.

Not possible in 2e yet, but soon maybe.

Man The Canon(s)

What is in a story?

When it comes to trivial pursuits of the mind like gaming, we all have an opinion point or two that draw us to or repel us from the hobby.

Some just like the game play and are willing to look past inconsistencies in story or relevance.

Others need to feel connected to the story lines that interested them in the first place.

One of my personal “pillars” of happy gaming is sharing the story of my favourite characters in the most realistic and genuine way.

I think Kirk should be on the Bridge of the Enterprise (Not B to E, but the original), Luke and R2-D2 should fly together and timeline, faction and story specific realities should not be tampered with too aggressively*.

If you do throw all conventions out the window and play the game system before the story, I strongly feel you are missing the point.

Unfortunately for game designers, trying to anticipate the needs of their players, often find that gamers are cut from several different cloth’s and they cannot hope to cover all of these bases.

Tournament style players will maximise their chances of winning, using what ever tools are at hand and within the rules as written. If this means Kirk on a Borg Cube with Malcolm Reid on weapons and a Klingon crew are game legal, then go for it.

I personally dislike this. It is only a game you say, but that cuts two ways.

If it is only a game, then surely the only thing that counts to an individual player are what drew them to the game in the first place. Were they drawn to the tournament play, the back story or the companionship. Would I like to be crowned world champion of X Wing with a totally unrealistic and cynical list, playing against the exact same ships in the enemy squad just because they are the top dogs at the moment?

No, I would not.

I would rather play using thematically correct (or at least acceptable) ships in an asymmetrical scenario, just like in the movies, books and TV shows they came from, win lose or draw. For me, the shared gaming experience and the simulation are important.

Nasty but nice, Royal Guard Interceptors.

Designers obviously do feel a certain amount of obligation to the story roots of their games.

FFG releases expansion packs with (generally) the right upgrades for the theme of the ship. It is not entirely their fault these upgrades are often used on any other ship but these**. They also limit pilots to ships that they were known to fly.

Wizkids certainly do, they even supply scenarios to help fit the ship into it’s place in it’s universe. Sometimes expansions are used to “tournament balance” elements of the game, but even then, there is an effort made to keep things on theme. Unfortunately, they are heavily abused at tournaments, as the designers allow almost any combinations to keep tourney players happy.

The other advantage of keeping to Canon, is generally the more even application of your available tools. While making X Wing lists recently, I deliberately limited my squads to the squadrons they were a part of. Black Squadron, Blue Squadron, Onyx Squadron, all got a look in. Some are stronger than others, but by applying the upgrades that FFG supplied with the packs (to all factions), applying modifications logically (and avoiding EPT’s), the balance was generally good, the flavour of each squad was varied enough and the “engagement” level much better.

I suppose the final word from my side of the fence is, I never want to leave a game resenting the game itself, because an opponent did not get that the play is the thing, not the victory at any cost.

But that is just me, your take may obviously differ.

*Hypotheticals are fine, Star Trek is full of “cross over” stories, but there is a limit.

**The Tie Aggressor is a good example. The Twin Laser Turret and Unguided Rockets are their take on the ship’s known capabilities and make those ships quite well rounded. TLT’s and Unguided Rockets find themselves on other ships regularly, but rarely the Aggressor and the Aggressor is then considered a mediocre ship in comparison.

Bare Bones X Wing. The Bones; Scum.

The third faction for Bare Bones* is Scum and Villainy.

On the whole, the Scum ships are slower than Imperials, lean more towards hull and manoeuvres over shields than the Rebels. Overall, the Scum faction has by far the most upgrades offering exclusive Illicit, Salvaged Droid and plenty of Crew upgrades, combined with a variety of ship give them an unpredictable feel.

Marauders prey on a hapless C-Roc Cruiser.

M3-Scyk

The Scyk interceptor is slow for an interceptor and is often considered to be the “poor mans” Tie fighter. Cheap and with plenty of Pilot options, it needed lots of help in full X Wing to be of any interest, including purchasing a C-Roc Cruiser for two titles and upgrade cards (unpopularity made picking up lots cheaply, easy to do). A hair too dear to do a full 8 ship swarm the ship still has something to offer in BB. Unlike the Tie, it has a Target Lock, can K5 turn and is a little tougher (1 shield/2hull vs 3 hull).

Strengths; A Scum Tie with benefits.

Weaknesses; A slow swarmer.

Z95 Headhunter

The Headhunter (sounds cooler than Z 95), is a better ship for the Scum than the Rebels. The addition of an Illicit slot opens up a heap of nasty tricks, so when faced with a big or small swarm of them, an opponent is unsure whether to stand of or get close. They can also be fielded as a slower, tougher 8 ship semi-X Wing swarm. A lack of manoeuvres (no mod or EPT upgrades hurts these guys), can be partially off-set by Inertial Dampeners, EMP, Cloaking and Deadman’s Switch to add to the fun. Beware the 7 ship swarm! Where did the points go?

Strengths; A cheap swarm or platform for all sorts of Ordnance + Illicit combos, plentiful.

Weaknesses; Not many top tier pilot options, slow and weak X Wing.

Kihraxz Fighter

The Kihraxz is very much like the X Wing, predictable but solid. Two K-turns with Illicit + Missile slots make a less predictable ship than the X Wing and it has some interesting Pilots. For flavour, Harpoon missiles are only available to Scum (nasty things), which boosts the Kihraxz a little against it’s natural enemies.

Strengths; A solid work horse, Illicit, Pilots.

Weaknesses; Predictable, bit boring to fly.

Fang Fighter

My favourite Scum ship, the Fang (or Protectorate) fighter is the Scum Interceptor with bells on. Not many ships are equipped to deliver the Advanced Proton Torpedo (potent 5 attack) as it requires the ability/desire to get in close. With most of it’s Pilot’s skills leaning towards head to head, range 1 confrontations, it can and actually wants to get close.

Strengths; Fast, Talon Roll, Boost+Barrel Roll, Range 1 Pilot skills + Torpedoes.

Weaknesses; Brittle, predictable tactics

Star Viper

The beautiful Star Viper, like the Fang Fighter, has a BB trick up it’s sleeve. It is one of the few ships in BB that can S-Loop and the only small ship that can. Like a slower, slippery version of the Fang, the Viper likes to get close and dart around it’s opponent. In BB it pretty much has this to itself. Suffering in full 1e from losing it’s uniqueness (the common problem with full 1e), the Viper got some added uniqueness, but in BB, it needs no such help.

Strengths; Boost + Barrel Roll + S-Loop, Pilots.

Weaknesses; Expensive.

Y Wing

The arrival of the Scum Y Wing breathed new life into the much ignored Rebel Y Wing, adding new options and coming at the perfect time to mount the Twin Laser Turret. Even without some of it’s specific new upgrades, it is still worth considering. Not only is it still a tough brawler, it also allows you to field large numbers of Salvaged Droids, that are similar, but different to the Rebel Droid options.

Strengths; Tough ordnance platform, cheap, Salvaged Droid.

Weaknesses; Slow and un-manoeuvrable, needs a Droid to fix that.

Scurrg Bomber

The Scurrg is an interesting ship. A bomber that acts like a fighter, it has a Talon Roll, Barrel Roll and lots of Ordnance choices. Flying a few of these can be fun, flying one as a finisher, even more fun.

Strengths; Moves like a Butterfly, Stings like a Scorpion.

Weaknesses; Not many.

HWK 290

See the Rebel entry, except the Pilots and Crew lean more towards dirty tricks than support.

Jump Master 5000

This ship reigned supreme for a time, as both multi ship “U-Boat” squads and in mixed teams. The nerf was massive and has carried through to 2e, but I like to play it as originally made (minus title). A ship similar to the YT 2400, the JM 5000 moves like a smaller ship, including a lop-sided S-Loop. It has the only Illicit + S/Droid + Crew combination in BB, making for some quirky combinations. Taking some of sting out of it’s power is the fact I only have one.

Strengths; Moves cleverly, lots of options.

Weaknesses; Expensive, unique.

Aggressor

One of two Scum ships in BB with the System upgrade, the Aggressor is an odd bird. It loves to get close as it can S-loop and Evade, has lots of green manoeuvres, but it only moves at speed 3 so getting close can be tricky. 2 Cannons, can offer lots of punch. The ability to synch with another ship’s pilot through IG-88D cannot be ignored.

Strengths; Lots of close manoeuvre options, 2 Cannons + Systems.

Weaknesses; Slow as a Lambda space cow, that likes to dance.

Fire Spray

The Iconic Scum Slave-1 (and many others), the Fire Spray is simplified in BB, lacking 2 titles, it still offers plenty of options. Sporting several interesting Pilot, Ordnance, Illicit and Crew combinations, a multi arc Primary and Evade, gives it the character it deserves.

Strengths; Versatile, Pilots.

Weaknesses; Not many.

GA-1

Considered by many to be the Scum B-Wing, the GA-1 is a a heavy fighter with a Crew + System+ Illicit slot combination, making it one of only two ships with Systems in the Scum fleet and the only Illicit + System ship in BB. It also has Evade.

Strengths; Versatile.

Weaknesses; Mixed Pilots.

Lancer

The Lancer pursuit ship is a contradiction, so probably typical of a Scum ship. Tough and fast, it has a rotating primary weapon (not a full turret), the highest hull of any Scum ship, Evade and 15 non-red manoeuvres, so it looks on paper like a small ship with too much hull.. 2 Illicit slots and a Crew slot make for some interesting options. Without it’s title, it is slightly less efficient, so the rotating weapon becomes more like a dual arc option. For added factional flavour, only Ketsu Onyo has access to Tractor Beam, making her crew card irrelevant.

Strengths; Tractor Beam, Rotating Primary, Dual Illicit, strong, fast.

Weaknesses; Expensive.

M12-L Kimogila

The Kimogila is a heavy fighter/ordnance platform. It’s “Ace in the hole” is the ability to reload it’s ordnance, effectively giving it an unlimited, if sometimes disabled supply. It flies like a cow, so good luck getting the Bulls Eye arc to work for you. It sort of acts like a Ninja. A big, fat, slow, brown Ninja. Have you picked up on it being my least likes Scum ship?

Strengths; Pilots, Reload.

Weaknesses; Boring to fly (but fun getting the Bullseye to take), ugly.

YV-666

The big lump of a tramp freighter which is the YV-666, made famous as the “Hound’s Tooth”, but also known as the “Party Bus” in X Wing circles, is the ultimate support ship. Horribly un-manoeuvrable, it does sport a 180 degree front arc (which it needs) and plenty of crew slots.

Strengths; 3 Crew, wide primary arc.

Weaknesses; Big, predictable and expensive.

C-Roc

The C-Roc is one of three single card Huge ships and only two that we have included in BB. This ship is not much more powerful than a VCX-100 or Decimator, nor a lot bigger**, but adds a lot of options, including Cargo, Team and Hard-point upgrades with Jam and Reinforce on their action bar. I have two, thanks to a luck buy (so cheap, the included M3-A alone was only slightly over priced), so it is a shame not to use them (and the characters they support). My second will eventually be re-painted. The Huge ships also add energy mechanics to the game, which is handled differently to 2e and in moderation, I quite like them.

Strengths; Lots of upgrades only available to Huge ships, Great scenario driver, re-usable shields.

Weaknesses; Ultimate space cow, adds Energy and Huge ship movement to the mechanics.

*

The Quad Jumper is outside the purview of this form of the game, introducing Tech, unless this is swapped out with a Systems or Illicit slot.

*Bare Bones uses original movie or early extended universe ships (what were available before the new movies), with inherent Pilot skills, basic Ordnance and Crew load-outs, with Illicit, Droid, Salvaged Droid and System upgrades as a point of difference. There are deliberately no title, Modification, Tech (TFA era) or Elite Pilot Talents.

The reasons for this are two fold. EPT’s especially “break” the game, add too many layers of synergy for casual players and too much advantage to more experienced ones, make some classic ships sub-par and rob the game (in my view) of it’s natural balance and feel. The excluded upgrades, I feel, are game based, not simulation based.

**Originally, I intended to only get the single card Huge ships, because both (GR-75 and C-Roc) added new small ship options and were “tame” enough to fit in a small ship dynamic. I eventually lusted after the Raider, so the good guys had something truly intimidating (mini Death Star scenario) to take on and it had some Tie Advanced options.

Originally, Bare Bones excluded all ships with actions that fell outside of the norm (Rotate, Reload, Cloak etc) and some weapons (Tractor Beam), but this excluded a lot of interesting options that did not break the Bare Bones idea.

Bare Bones X Wing. The Bones; Rebel

Lets look at the Rebels in Bare Bones* X Wing 1e.

The Rebel “vibe” is generally tough ships, plenty of Ordnance, good and numerous Crew, Pilots and Droids. Overall, they are slower and less manoeuvrable than Imperials** and lack the tricks of Scum, but are solid and team up well.

Note; the E and K wings have been excluded as they are post Vader/Palpatine (New Republic) ships.

A band of Brothers, still potent even without titles.

The X Wing

The best known and probably most loved fighter in the Star Wars universe, the X Wing got some love early, then fell out of favour as newer builds outperformed it, returning too late in 1e with some “tacked-on” options. If looked at in it’s purest form and against it’s true peers (Tie Advanced, Kihraxz), it holds up as a conservative but solid ship. What makes it special of course are the Pilot and Droid synergies available.

Strengths; Pilots, Droids, balanced.

Weaknesses: Predictable to fly (without Pilot/Droid abilities).

The Y Wing

The Y wing had a similar history to the X Wing, that managed to rise a little higher in later life with new upgrades, which more often than not were used with the Scum faction. Again with BB, it has a role to play as the tough ordnance/gunboat option as it was in the movies. Most useful builds tend to revolve around a semi swarm of tough ships or as turret platforms.

Strengths: Turret, cheap, Droid.

Weaknesses; Boring to fly, Droid upgrades tends to be predictable.

The A Wing

The little A Wing, much loved by many, but not as often flown could be quite a package after the Rebel Veterans pack was released. In BB it lacks many of the EPT/title options that made it strong (but so to do it’s opponents) and it holds the title as the fastest ship in BB with Boost and a green 5 move. Straddling a middle ground between interceptor, front line fighter and swarmer, it is a typically “heroic” Rebel ship. The Pilots have a dare devil feel, even without double EPT’s.

Strengths; Green 5 speed + Boost, Proton Rockets, Pilots, can be cheap.

Weaknesses; It’s all in how you fly them.

The B Wing

The odd B Wing is a hard to classify ship. Heavy fighter, light bomber or special function platform, it has the ability to be a surprise packet or just a slow blocker/damage absorber with it’s strong shields.

Strengths; Systems + ordnance, tough, quite manoeuvrable close, versatile, some interesting Pilots.

Weaknesses; Undefined, slow.

ARC-170

Possibly my favourite Rebel ship, even without it’s “Rebel Refit” option, the ARC 170 has a unique Crew + Droid combination, rear arc and can be interesting to fly (it also looks tough). To me it is like a B Wing/Y Wing/X Wing hybrid.

Strengths; Crew + Droid combo’s, Multi directional Primary, Pilots, Tough, well rounded.

Weaknesses; Weak primary attack (but multi directional).

Z95 Escort

The Z 95 (Headhunter) is a cheap, solid but boring ship. A marginally weaker X Wing, it does offer good value as a blocker/filler and even has a couple of good pilot options. As a rebel ship, I see it as an escort, slotted into a squad with a lazy 12-20 points to spend or a cheap support swarm.

Strengths; Cheap blocker/Missile platform/squad filler, The Rebels only swarm option.

Weaknesses; A slow swarm ship.

HWK-290

The Hawk is like a weak Lambda Shuttle. It can support well with it’s turret and crew, as well as the Rebel pilots are generally very supportive. Unexciting, but often underestimated, The HWK can be the hinge an interesting mixed squad can swing off and it has tons of history.

Strengths; Turret, Pilot + Crew synergies.

Weaknesses; Worst primary attack of 1 forces points being sunk into the turret, not fun to fly, butt ugly.

Attack Shuttle

A ship only available in 1e (the 2e Ghost only offers the later Sheathipede), the Attack Shuttle or Phantom (1) is attack heavy, making it the perfect sacrifice escort, annoying distraction or ambusher. It is also one of very few Rebel ships that offers Evade + Turret + Crew upgrade.

Strengths; Turret + Crew, Evade.

Weaknesses; Unique, Brittle.

YT1300

The famous Millenium Falcon is still a potent ship without it’s titles and is indeed one example of how BB makes the ship good because of it’s Pilot, Crew and player, not simply because it has a tile that adds Evade. Sporting one of only two turret primary weapons in BB, some iconic and strong Pilots (The TFA crew and pilot options are allowed giving you two Han and Chewbacca options), and plenty of hardiness, the Falcon is a pivotal ship for the Rebels and can still be fielded as a slightly less indestructible “Fat Han” on a diet. Like the Decimator, the turret primary weapon makes flying it a bit two dimensional, but as a unique, legendary (and expensive) ship, it is forgiven it’s excesses.

Strengths; Strength, Turret + Crew, Pilots, manoeuvres well (for a big ship).

Weaknesses; Half a squad of points, only two weapon options, tends to get picked on.

Auzituck Gunship

The Wookie Auzituck gunship is a strange one. It looks pretty tame on the surface. Not much of an action bar, run-of-the-mill looking dial, only crew upgrades, but it’s pilots and those crew options can make it a good squad player and it has the unique to BB, Reinforce action. It can play as a tougher, faster HWK or a small and light YT1300.

Strengths; Tough and fast.

Weaknesses; Not versatile.

YT2400

Like the Falcon (above), the non titled 2400 is an interesting option. The pilots still tend to give it the slippery, rugged character it was known for and with Crew and a Cannon, it can pack a punch, while pulling off some amazing manoeuvres for a big ship. It has 16 non-red manoeuvre options, which is tied with the best ships in the game, plenty of toughness and a Barrel Roll, so manoeuvring is key.

Strengths; Moves well, takes a beating, strong Pilots.

Weaknesses; Needs to be flown to it’s strengths (in asteroids).

VCX-100

The Ghost is the strongest ship in the Rebel fleet. The title would have only added the option of docking the Phantom, so as is, it is effectively at full strength in itself, with or without the Attack shuttle as back-up. Packing a massive 4 primary attack (the highest in BB without the Phantom), 16 total hits, equal to the Decimator, an Evade option, a System slot to go with 2 Crew and a Turret, the VCX is unique and dangerous, not to mention about twice the bulk of the Millenium Falcon.

Strengths; Overall a mauler, lots of synergies, very tough, intimidating on the table, Evade.

Weaknesses; A big ship that hogs points and becomes the primary target.

Sheathipede Shuttle

The Sheathipede, or Phantom 2, introduces Coordination into the BB game. This is again a team oriented ship, like many Rebel options, and can be both useful and surprising. It also sports some fine pilots.

Strengths; Coordination, Pilots.

Weaknesses; Brittle.

(Late Inclusion) GR-75 Transport

One of two single card Huge ships in the game**, the transport offers lots of support options, for the price of a n X Wing Ace. Cargo, Huge ship crew and it’s action bar with Jam, Reinforce, and Coordinate, make it the ultimate backup/blocker.

Strengths; Strong in defence and support.

Weaknesses; Basically no offence (some Cargo options), Huge ship movement and energy mechanics.

*

The U wing is from the new movies and the T-70 and Bomber COME FROM A DIFFERENT TIME IN THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE (and are separated in 2e for that reason) so they are not included.

*Bare Bones uses original movie or early extended universe ships (what were available before the new movies), with inherent Pilot skills, basic Ordnance and Crew load-outs, with Illicit, Droid, Salvaged Droid and System upgrades as a point of difference. There are deliberately no title, Modification, Tech (TFA era) or Elite Pilot Talents.

The reasons for this are two fold. EPT’s especially “break” the game, add too many layers of synergy for casual players and too much advantage to more experienced ones, make some classic ships sub-par and rob the game (in my view) of it’s natural balance and feel. The excluded upgrades, I feel, are game based, not simulation based.

**Originally, I intended to only get the single card Huge ships, because both (GR-75 and C-Roc) added new small ship options and were “tame” enough to fit in a small ship dynamic. I eventually lusted after the Raider, so the good guys had something truly intimidating (mini Death Star scenario) to take on and it had some Tie Advanced options.

An option is to expand the game to unique named Titles only, giving the Rebels and Scum an advantage.

**Most Imperial ships have Barrel Roll or Boost, only one Rebel has Boost and only four have Barrel Roll.

Bare Bones X Wing. The Bones; Empire

With bare Bones 1e X Wing* cementing itself as a favourite, I thought it time to analyse the factions more closely.

The Empire;

The overall feel for the Empire is swarms, elite killers and brutes. They tend to be fast and fragile, slow and intimidating, or ideally a mix of the two. Imperial squads rely less on upgrades (No Droids, fewest Crew, limited Ordnance options) and more on swarm tactic synergies. They work well with pack tactics, with or without support and have a few surprises available to break the monotony.

The Tie Fighter

The classic Tie. No other ship offers a faster, more agile and cheap package. EPT’s and Mods are usually the only options for Tie fighters, so without them, they rely on their variety of pilot skills to pack a punch, in a bunch.

Strengths; Pilot variety, numbers, manoeuvrability, swarm synergy.

Weaknesses; Fragile, weak attack.

The Tie Interceptor

A personal favourite, the Interceptor can be unstoppable force when fully realised in full X Wing, but in Bare Bones it becomes simply a “super Tie”. Usually relying on Mods and EPT’s to make them near un-killable, in their Bare Bones form, the best action bar in the game and some brilliant Pilots are their edge.

Strengths; The only ship with Boost + Barrel Roll + Evade, Pilots, fun to fly.

Weaknesses; Fragile.

The Tie Advanced

One of the most maligned ships in X Wing, the Tie Advanced is the Empires X Wing (made to give Darth Vader a superior ride to the base Tie). If you strip it back to it’s core and align it with it’s peers (the closest thing they have to an X Wing or Khiraxz), it is a pretty solid ship. It is especially good at leading Tie swarms or as a finisher.

Strengths; Pilots (Vader is very strong- arguably the strongest Pilot without EPT’s), Missile + Target Lock.

Weaknesses; Weak primary attack.

Tie Prototype

Similar to the Advanced, but with better close in manoeuvring, the Prototype offers an alternative, with some neat pilots. Purchased as a 2e ship with S/H 1e cards, I only have 2 Pilot options and use it as a unique ship.

Strengths; Manoeuvre and speed, Missiles + Target Lock, fun to fly.

Weaknesses; Unique.

Tie Aggressor

The Aggressor was a popular ship in it’s day. Not because it was a liked ship, but because it packed some brutal, even game breaking upgrades (Twin Laser Turret and Proton Rockets). The only small ship in the Empire fleet with a turret and 2 missile upgrade slots, it is quite useful in BB as a solid escort/striker, much more so than full 1e.

Strengths; Ordnance, Jack of all trades.

Weaknesses; Jack of all trades….

Tie Bomber

The bomber is a ship that has had it’s moments in the sun, then deep shade and towards the end of 1e, with the Imperial Veterans pack, maybe returned to “dappled shade”. If you go down the ordnance/swarm path in X Wing, these can be strong, or they can eat up points and die early. They look tough on paper, but 6 hull with no shields, is not as strong as it looks.

Strengths; Cheap weapons platform, varied personalities.

Weaknesses; Can be a points sink, not fun to fly.

Tie Punisher

The Punisher is a “super” Tie Bomber, adding even more ordnance and some shields. One of the clumsiest ships in the full game, it does offer Boost and some good tricks (one Pilot adding Barrel Roll). The addition of a Systems slot, does offer more Ordnance efficiency than the Bomber and in BB it will not be facing as many untouchable opponents.

Strengths; Systems + Ordnance, toughness, Pilots.

Weaknesses; see Tie Bomber and add “more expensive”.

Lambda Shuttle

The Lambda is slow, predictable and frankly not fun to fly, but it’s support role is well known with some Crew + Systems combinations it can be a strong support ship and packs a decent punch up front. It can also be slow to kill.

Strengths; Crew + System, tough.

Weaknesses: Slow, boring, can be expensive, defines a squad.

Tie Defender

The Defender is one of the most balanced and iconic Imperial ships in the X Wing game. Fast, manoeuvrable, tough and hard hitting, the Defender was considered too dear, so two Title upgrades were introduced to balance it. Without these in BB, it is still expensive, but also still potent and a standout. It offers two strong ways to play it. The first is a bare three ship “ultra” interceptor squad, the second is as a hard hitting, super fast Ordnance based squad. The only ship with a white K Manoeuvre, it offers an interesting “Fly through” tactic (oops, I went and spoiled it).

Strengths; Balance, versatility, very fun to fly, white K4 turn.

Weaknesses: Expensive.

Tie Phantom

The Phantom brings the only real package of dirty tricks to the Empire, Cloaking. Without it’s Title, cloaking is a bit less potent, but never the less, this ship packs a 4d primary weapon (one of only 2 in BB), Crew + Systems upgrades and good manoeuvrability.

Strengths; Cloaking +System + Crew, Primary Weapon.

Weaknesses; Hard to fly well, Glass Cannon.

Decimator

The Decimator is one of the few ships in 1e with a built in Turret Primary. Turrets in 1e are very powerful, offering an any direction attack with no real draw backs, but making flying them a bit ho-hum. Something missing from BB is the ability to reduce turret effectiveness, making turreted ships a little more powerful. Thankfully they are rare.

Strengths; Crew options, Turret, very tough (second toughest in BB), intimidating.

Weaknesses; Two dimensional, predictable, expensive, damage magnet.

The Raider

A late inclusion, the Raider adds an entirely different dynamic to the BB game.The full Huge ship rule package is a little cumbersome in 1e, but I like the feeling of a clumsy, intimidating monster on the table. It adds to the Empire’s fleet that “X” factor and heavy handed brute feel they need. The Decimator is a strong ship (one of the strongest in BB, including the other Huge options), but he Raider is in a class above.

The Raider allows for a mini Death Star dynamic of the big bad vs the motley fleet of desperate Rebel or Scum mosquitoes.

There is no doubt when the Raider is on the table, that the game is all about it, but that is exactly how it should be.

Strengths; Just look at it! More Hard points, more Crew, more Hull, more Shields = more fear.

Weaknesses; Defines the game, 100+ points, weak to the rear (which is what escorts are for).

The Striker and Reaper are the right time line, but from the later movies and the Tie/fo, Tie/sf and Upsilon COME FROM A DIFFERENT TIME IN THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE (and are clearly separated in 2e for that reason) so they are not included.

*Bare Bones uses original movie or early extended universe ships (what were available before the new movies), with inherent Pilot skills, basic Ordnance and Crew load-outs, with Illicit, Droid, Salvaged Droid and System upgrades as a point of difference. There are deliberately no title, Modification, Tech (TFA era) or Elite Pilot Talents.

The reasons for this are two fold. EPT’s especially “break” the game, add too many layers of synergy for casual players and too much advantage to more experienced ones, make some classic ships sub-par and rob the game (in my view) of it’s natural balance and feel. The excluded upgrades, I feel, are game based, not simulation based.

The Benefits Of Less

A few months after the Bare Bones X Wing offer was floated, opinions have been on the whole positive.

Playing ships like the B-Wing, X-Wing, Y-Wing and Tie Advanced or Bomber, without the baggage of too many options has allowed a very real Star Wars feel to come into the games, much different to the later competition circuit.

A shot from fantasy land., a B-Wing on the tail of a Tie. Better shoot well and where are his friends?

It is great to see a solid 5 Y-Wing or 4 B-Wing squad do well against traditional foes. Sure 2e has bought back a lot of ships, but the old school feel of X Wing Bare Bones* is as effective, and for our small and relatively inexperienced group, a good fit thematically and mechanically.

Safety in numbers, doomed if separated. This Y-Wing better have some friends around.

Pilot ad ship selection keeps coughing up old favourites.

The 60 point “anything goes” option has not hit a sweet spot and neither has 2e yet. Plenty of time to evolve.

*Early trilogy and extended universe ships only. No Elite Pilot Talents, ship mods or “generic” titles, just named ship, systems, ordinance, illicit and droid upgrades.

The ships are as they come unless named, the EPT’s come in the form of the pilot skills of those who fly them and the Droid/Illicit/System dynamic allows for plenty of faction character.

An End of Collecting (For Now)

I have finally tracked down the last ships missing from my X Wing collection, the 1e Ghost and Phantom (1).

The reasons I wanted the 1e version were two fold;

It has the Phantom 1 Attack Shuttle, that the 2e one does not (I have the Phantom 2).

It seems nearly impossible to get all of the upgrade cards (Sabine you elusive devil!) for this expansion.

Unlikely to have been seen in one place at any one time, the Ghost, Phantom and Phantom II.

I do not have all of the ships for 1e. The Rebel Tie and Alpha Starwing dried up a long time ago, but I have 2e options in the future and may even paint my own “Rebel” Tie.

The Starwing does little for me, and the Rebel Tie is cool, but the Ghost and P1/2 fill the hole in the Rebel’s timeline.

I have been lucky, almost destined. When alerted to some clearances by a Marketing email, my heretofore luke-warm interest in X Wing (Star Wars to be truthful) was peaked and I went looking closer to home for bargains. Two local retailers were also clearing out, so I picked up one, then two then two more TFA core sets for $100au total. The idea was to stick to later period only. This was financially wise as they were good value, common (some were even unwanted) and cheap. I filled out the available options, giving me a large fleet of low variety, but enough of each play dynamic, I felt.

Scum and villainy called me for the same reasons. More variety, soft, flexible timelines and plenty of unpopular ships available cheaply.

Somehow (maybe the R2 card?), I decided it would not hurt to have some earlier stuff, then everything went to hell. Dozens of ships later I have a decent, comprehensive and varied collection.

The 2e First Order and Resistance, then Scum and Villainy upgrade kits were added soon after (a good move*), then the Rebel and Empire ones (not as clever, but I did not want to regret missing them), which left the door open for a few missed ships, whether they were exclusive to 2e or “down-gradable” with separate cards to 1e (Striker, Prototype). There are possibly a few itches still to scratch (CR-90 Corvette), but these can wait.

My short love affair with the game has settled on 1e for older timeline/movie and 2e for later (Scum for both).

*I am probably one of the very few who fit the Resistance and FO upgrade packs really well.

The State of Play For One X Wing Converter

As I guess many X Wing players are, I am in a bit of a state of flux with 2e conversions.

My original (and likely) direction, is to do 1e in a variety of forms, sticking with Rebel, Empire and Scum fleets and do 2e with Resistance, First Order and Scum for variety.

Why?

Several reasons.

First Edition

1) Feel. I am looking to capture the feel of the original movies and early extended universe. I like the duality of sticking to storyline and to the original game design concepts. The core game, with basic ships and limited upgrades is a sublimely interesting and balanced game. The ships feel right. Building a squad is about choosing one or more ship types, sprinkled with built in pilot talents and loading on ordinance.

2) Look. I like the “grungy” ships, original rules/upgrade cards and feel of this dynamic. I played this game a few times in it’s early days and quite enjoyed it. What I really enjoyed was the feel of the early game. It is not without it’s flaws, but there are fixes, many of which are a matter of less, not more. The points on cards shine here also. I get why they changed this in 2e, but it makes things less about the game table and more about quick builds or apps.

One of the big advantages of filling out my 1e collection, then converting; unique ships, that may or may not be coming in 2e.

3) Conversion. The conversion kits for the Rebel and Empire truly suck. Switching to 2e exclusively would mean side-lining a large chunk of my fleet (keep in mind, most of this is less than 6 months old and not yet heavily used). You get large amounts of ships you do not need and far too few of the ones you do (2 Ghosts and only 2 Y Wings? Seriously?). I do have the conversion kits just in case they disappear, but I have not even unboxed them yet.

Maybe when the second hand dial market is better filled out, I will fix this, but at the moment it looks like most other players are in the same boat. Don’t even get me started on the wisdom of changing some ship models (Y Wing, B Wing, Silencer), so that mixing old and new is even less appealing.

4) Relevance. The First Order and Resistance were to me a “wedged” in to 1e as a late compromise. They just fit the game mechanically, but not thematically (more important to me than tournament play allowances). They also add another level of complication with tech upgrades, that create inconsistencies. I started my journey with 5x TFA core sets bought very cheap, so my commitment to Resistance and F.O. was solid, but the choice of only 7 types of ship sucked.

5) Utility. The back to basics “Bare Bones” style of play that most of my 1e stuff will be used with, has gone a long way to re-balancing the field again. It allows all the included ships (and pilots) to be relevant. Sure the Punisher is a slow, ticking time bomb, but without most of the re-positioning and action economy options that mods and EPT’s allow, not many ships have the ability to dodge even that lumbering whale forever. The Interceptor has the best action bar, but without certain EPT and pilot combinations it is killable. Adding mods (Basic), deepens the experience , but still avoids multilayered layered clutter and even adding EPT’s to 60 point squads (Classic), lets you stretch the game, but not too seriously.

Second Edition

1) Feel. 2e is the dawn of a new game with much better support for the later movies. To me, the Resistance and First Order factions are a perfect match for this game especially with the added ships and clear faction identification. The later ships also benefit from less edition stress as they are similar to what we already know, playing to their strengths, not breaking the older game. The Resistance Bomber is a good example of a ship able to breathe in 2e, rather than being stifled in 1e.

2) Look. The ships look different. The paint jobs are cleaner and more consistent, fitting in well with the look of the new game components and movies. The Tie/ba is a brighter red than the original Tie Interceptor, the Resistance ships are more uniform (Matching Transport, A and X wings!) and the washes are toned down. 2e is the “shiny new” game, 1e the grungy old friend.

The new kids on the block. Nicely uniform and some are not even available in 1e.

3) Relevance. The new mechanics, availability of all upgrade types including Tech upgrades for this period (either edition) and the expanded game (Huge + Epic options) are a good fit for these more robust and flexible ships and my fleets. The Tie/fo and XT 70’s are just better ships than the earlier ones (although points balance this out head to head) and they have more options available to them, which means the “pick and play” dynamic of 2e is more about piloting than exhaustive ship choices. With a few XT 70’s you can field a couple of light missile platforms supported by canon toting escorts and Tie/fo’s can come with several different tech upgrade themes, which the older Tie Fighters lack.

4) Conversion. Last and certainly not least, the cheaper conversion kits fit what I have much better. This was of course easier with only a few ships to cover and a friendlier second hand market. After picking up some extra dials, I can field 12 Tie/fo and 9 XT-70’s, with little other wastage (2 Silencers, a YT1300 and 1 Tie/sf). The only foil to this is the Silencer is now a smaller model, but I may pick up another old one cheap, or not. I undid some of the value of this by buying the Reb/Emp kits, but for a while it was a sweet deal. In hind-sight, the conversion kits probably suck as much for most as the Rebel and Empire did for me. Too many XT-70’s and Tie/fo for most players needs, fattening up the second hand market.

Scum?

Scum add variety and character to both games. Being able to use the “Solo” YT 1300 or the Xisor Star Viper as wanted really adds a lot to both games. They are also a little more timeline ambiguous, so quite flexible. The conversion kit is not perfect, but considering the mix of options and factions, it is perfectly serviceable. The Scum faction has also seen a lot of 2e changes, so it is easy to play them where you like them best. In 1e for example, I like the pre-nerf Punishing One (used with care), but really do not like the Lancer as I find the mechanics hard to reconcile with the original mechanics. The opposite is true in 2e.

Nobody told the pilot of this unlucky GA-1. In 2e the Scyk interceptors got faster!

FFG had a nearly impossible task, reconciling an old game with a new one. This was made all the more difficult by their own older game getting out of control, then balanced better with 2e, but with little to reconcile the two. Everyone will have cause to complain, especially if you hate waste, but as time goes on, the second hand suppliers will fill the holes. I do wish FFG would look at the obvious holes in 2e upgrades, making small grab sets of certain “swarmy” ships more available, but it is probably not viable.

My solution suits me both thematically and mechanically, but each of us will find our own happy place I guess.

Revisiting X Wing Part 2

Style 2

Classic

Last time we looked at a (my) preferred way of playing 1e X Wing, especially for a beginner or casual player. Next we will look at the polar opposite, “Classic” squad building.

Classic is basically full tournament squad construction, but limited to 60 points. It is slower to build, but fast and deadly to play. The limit of usually one good ship with an ace pilot and a side kick allows even new players to get their head around all of the upgrade options available and develop tactics to suit, but it avoids the much deeper, more complicated and powerful multi ship synergies that 100pt squads have.

It even allows the player a small swarm of 3-5 very basic light ships, all the way up to a single Large ship, but that is a riskier proposition. The “Fat Han” and similar Decimator option are still brutal, but have no support.

All options are on the table, meaning a single Ace pilot can easily top out at 45-50 points, with the assumption that you will use the best build possible. Squad building is fun, accessing all of the layers of synergy available, and all the work FFG put in to the later upgrades shows through. As Bare Bones highlights player piloting skill and basic ship character, Classic does the same differently by offering all of the options.

Some “Ace” repaints. These ships get the full treatment, but not all do.

A “Vaksai” Talonbane Cobra can Boost, Roll, increase Shields, discharge an EMP and Cloak, while firing Missiles with Deadeye or use Outmanoeuvre, but at 40 odd points, he only gets a low end “Blocker” wingman (Cartel Spacer Kihraxz or pimped out Z95).

60 points still allows for some cool synergies, especially with two middle of the road pilots teamed, a small swarm or a brute and a decoy.

All upgrades are relevant, but by limiting the number of points, super squads of 3 or 4 very tough ships (U-Boats* for example) are not possible. Do not get too attached to your killer squad, because one wrong move, a well thought out or luckily built opposition or even a poor string of rolls and it is all over. It helps defuse the over-competitiveness of some players, by just being too twitchy to trust.

Soontir being Soontir and unlucky Y Wing (unless they sport a twin laser turret). He only gets a single wing man once “fully loaded”.

Each player can try several combos a night, with some games being very short. The squad “pulled from the hat”, with each player playing both squads format, a great option.

Many of the builds are either based on known tournament winning combo’s or variations on a theme. No point in wasting time with bad set-ups, so research, research, research. Unlike Bare Bones, that is trying to capture the beautiful simplicity of the original core game, Classic lets you explore the full tournament squad building dynamic “lite”.

Not a likely situation in late 1e X Wing. The X Wing gained some good upgrade options in the last wave, but had little chance to prove itself.

Revisiting X Wing A Little Later On.

So, after a little while list building and playing from those lists, there are now two main play styles that seem settled on and a third we are working on.

Bare Bones

Squads of 100 or 200 points (or as near as you can get with an initiative bid).

No Elite Pilot Talents, no ship “class” Titles, no Modifications.

The ships are “Bare Bones” as the title suggests offering only two or occasionally three layers of upgrade synergy. Even a new player can build a list with a little guidance. Without the deeper layers of EPT’s and the “bandaid” fixes of the later title mods, (like Vaksai and Starviper Mk2) that over balance some ships and rob many of their uniqueness. Named titles on the other hand are intrinsic to many ship’s uniqueness.

Who are these guys without their titles?

The ships are all from the three original movies or early expanded universe, which also removes “Tech” upgrades with no TFA ships. They are also the more straight forward ships.

Empire; Tie: Fighter/Interceptor/Bomber/Punisher/Prototype/Phantom/Advanced/Aggressor/Defender, the Decimator and Lambda.

Rebel; X/A/B/Y and E wings, Z95, ARC-170, HWK-290*, VCX-100*, and Attack Shuttle and the two YT’s*.

Scum; Jump Master* (pre-nerf), GA-1, Scurrg Bomber, Aggressor*, Kihraxz, Z95 Head Hunter, M3 Scyk, HWK-290*, YV-666*, Fire Spray-31*, Star Viper*, Lancer* and Fang Fighter.

*Named out title ship options.

*

Lets look at some of these stripped down ships compared.

The work horse, or front line fighters for each faction, capable of making a 3 to 4 ship squad, are the X Wing, the Kihraxz and the much maligned Tie Advanced. The Tie Fighter is synonymous with the Empire, but game wise these three are head to head.

The solid but boring Kihraxz. A Scum version of the X Wing, losing the signature droid, but gaining an Illicit slot (sneaky buggers).

All come in at 10 primary stats. The Advanced has the worst attack, but the best evade, the Kihraxz the lowest shields, but highest Hull, otherwise they are quite even.

In upgrades, the character of the ships comes out a little more. The Kihraxz has Illicit + Missiles, the X Wing offers Droid + Torpedoes, the Advanced only Missiles.

Action bars are a balancer here with all three having Target Lock, but the Advanced adding Evade and Barrel Roll, making up for others having slightly stronger upgrade options.

So far, factional character and balance.

Manoeuvres are also a point of departure. The X Wing and Kihraxz are both pretty solid, but predictable. Without many repositioning options (Pilot, Droid and Illicit options aside), squad tactics and good flying are vital. They all have a K4 turn and the slower two, a top speed of white 4, but the Kihraxz has a tricky K5. The Advanced shows it’s Tie roots here with a top speed of white 5.

Pilot wise, they all have stars and duds, but a 3 to 4 ship list can be made from each that is balanced and quite different. The X wing has the most pilot options, The Advanced arguably the strongest pilot in Vader and the Kihraxz a mix of elite, tricky and solid base line pilots.

I can see that problems were looming in the future for these ships with better builds, synergies and upgrades, but as is, they offer flavourful and different (enough) character. I strongly feel, this is the dynamic the designers were aiming for, before it all got out of hand.

Moving on.

Now, comparing the light “swarmy” fighters that make up the 5+ ship squads, The A-Wing, Tie Fighter and M3 Scyk. The Rebel ship is the dearest here, so it should punch a little higher and can just make a 5 ship list (in this form of the game). The Z95 technically also fits here for both the Rebel and Scum factions, but tends to play the role of a blocker or light missile platform.

Here come the “A” Boys. Fast(est) but not the most furious, they are fun to fly, when they get a go.

Stats wise they all offer 2 attack and 3 agility, but the Tie is weakest with 3 hull/0 shields, the Scyk a little better with 2 hull/1 shield and the A Wing stronger again at 2 and 2.

To upgrades and the A Wing shows again why it has the higher base points cost offering the only one, a Missile slot. The Tie is the only ship without a Target Lock.

The A wing is fastest ship in this game, with a green 5 + Boost, the Tie a white 5 and the Scyk only a white 4 (it got faster in 2e).

In other manoeuvres, the A Wing offers Boost and K3 and 5-turns, the Tie a Barrel Roll and K3/4-turns, The Scyk a Barrel Roll and K3/5-turn.

The A wing is clearly in a slightly higher class, but is also dearer.

*

Now, my favourites, the true Interceptors.

Rebels offer the A Wing that was covered above, which is now at a lower cost than it’s peers. The Empire offers the Tie Interceptor and Scum have the Fang Fighter. We will look at the latter two.

Stats wise, (ignoring the A Wing) we have two similar ships. The 3-3-3-0 and 3-3-4-0 stat lines of the Tie and Fang are very close. The A Wing offers a point of difference at 2-3-2-2.

An unlucky Jump Master 5000 suffering the wrath of three Fang Fighters.

Upgrades tell a different story. The Tie’s offer nothing, the Fang has Torps to match the A Wing’s Missiles. The Fang is probably the only ship in this form of the game suited to Advanced Proton Torps, which can be hard to deploy without speed and good re-positioning options, but offer some of the most devastating attacks available with the right pilots.

The Interceptor is the only ship on the roster that sports the Boost, Barrel Roll and Evade actions (this uniqueness goes away when most ships can add an Engine Upgrade or Vectored Thrusters. I love that Bare Bones lets ships keep the uniqueness the designers created for them). The Fang lacks an Evade option natively, but most of it’s better pilots have a “head to head, close range” Evade variant, which again helps with Adv Protons. With EPT’s and other Mods the Interceptor can be untouchable, as can the Fang if flown well, but without them, they are good arc dodgers, that can be brittle.

*

One rung higher up are the E Wing, the Star-viper and Tie Defender, which are the “Superiority” Fighters or interceptors with bells on. These ships are in some way technologically superior to the mainstream front line fighters and more powerful than interceptors, but cost more for it. They are all considered too expensive in their original form to be competitive, but maybe in this form they will show their true value.

The Defender is a 3-3-3-3 ship and very well balanced. The 3-3-2-3 of the E wing offers a slightly more fragile option and the 3-3-4-1 Star Viper (like the Kihraxz) has the highest Hull at the expense of Shields, which is a 1e Scum pattern.

the E wings offers System, Torp and Droid slots allowing for a pretty powerful package and the only Droid + System combo. The Defender has an interesting Cannon and Missile combination allowing it to be fielded as a fast interceptor (3 can just fit a 100 pt list) or a fully tricked out gunboat. Both can push 50 points with a good pilot. The cheaper Viper only has a Torpedo option. The Viper is the only one in this form of the game with a Title option, giving it Illicit and Systems.

Manoeuvre wise the Defender has a Green 5, a Barrel Roll and the only white K-turn in the game. The E Wing sports a straight white 5, K3/4 turns and the only Evade action of the three (making up some for the lower hull), The Viper has a slower white 4 maximum speed, but has the slippery 3 S-Loop and Boost, effectively giving it speed 5 with options. In later 1e and 2e ships the S-Loop has becomes pretty run of the mill, but in 1e “Bare Bones” it is rare and edgy.

So, looking at the core fighters of the game, they seem to be, and to play, true to their original design concepts in a balanced and nuanced way. The character of each faction is intact. Games, especially competitive ones, tend to grow (or die) and with this growth comes change, which in turn brings balance issues.

Boost, Cloak and Evade actions, S-loops and Talon Rolls are rare, which makes them relevant and powerful. If you go “full noise” with upgrades, most of these unique features are nullified by upgrade options. Excluding Pilot, Title and Modification upgrades makes for a simple, but nuanced fleet, each ship with their place. Even ships considered poor in 1e like the Punisher might still have their role to play, offering System+ Boost and Payload options in a tough bruiser.

Pilots with inherent abilities become proportionately stronger by excluding EPT’s and they stick closer to their true character. Again, excluding EPT’s stops the “all pilots can do the same special thing cos’ they picket the same upgrade over and over” syndrome.

*

Overall the numbers do tell a story of faction variance.

The Empire has 11 ship options, with all but two offering a Lock, 7 with Barrel Roll, 2 with Boost and 4 with Evade. Most have a K turn (the Defender has the only white one in the game) and only 4 have any red base moves. Their ace in the hole is the Phantom with Cloaking. Oddly, they average a little higher in Hull than the others, thanks to the Lambda, Punisher, Bomber and Decimator. The Empire has some excellent Pilots and Crew and only the Empire can use Unguided Rockets, giving them the “heartless barrage” vibe. They have no title ships, making them feel more “rigid” and conformist. Ships like the Interceptor are to be feared and the Punisher no longer scoffed at (as much). Even the Aggressor is looking pretty solid.

The Rebels are generally higher in shields, lower in agility and fire power. Their main weakness is that they only have 4 Barrel Roll, 1 Boost and 3 Evade manoeuvres spread over 12 ships (the E Wing is a standout with 2 of them), although all but 1 have a K-turn.

Pilots, Crew, Titles and Droids are their the biggest advantage here, as in the stories. X, B and Y Wings are strong, if predictable, the E and A wings are manoeuvre standouts and the teamwork heavy nature of a Rebel squad comes to the fore and the heavies are very strong.

The Scum faction are really flavourful and varied, with full Target Lock cover over all 14 ships, and rocking 6 Barrel Rolls, 2 Boosts an 5 Evades. On the whole, they have higher Hull, but lower shields, consistent fire power and mixed agility. In move options, there are the only (3) S-loop and (2) Talon Roll options, which make the slippery Scum, well, slippery.

Illicit and the often forgotten Salvaged Droid upgrades also add a level of unpredictability and Harpoon Missiles and Bomblet Generator are limited to Scum. Lots of Scum ships have useful titles, often making the generic pilot the odd one out and effectively adding several variations of the same ship.The Scum faction does what it should, offering a mix Empire and Rebel-like options with a villainous, unpredictable twist.

The gorgeous simplicity of the ships and their key options really starts to shine through.

*

The more upgrade options that are added, the more diluted this becomes. Add Engine Upgrade and anyone can Boost, which became pretty standard for many ships. The same can be said for most mods, that give any ship the opportunity to steal another’s one unique thing, thus levelling the playing field and removing the subtle advantages. This is often the major cause of a mediocre or even solid ships falling away as their designed-in edge becomes less relevant.

In a nutshell;

Layer 1, all ships have their inherent and canon strengths and weaknesses.

Layer 2, (add Mods/EPT’s) all ships can effectively become other ships,

Layer 3, (add Titles for ship classes) ships effectively become better ships.

A good example of this is the Tie Aggressor, launched with Unguided Rockets and Twin Laser Turret which make this combo pretty strong, but in the meta are usually employed elsewhere. The Tie Punisher is similar. This thing has Boost (and Barrel Roll with one pilot), which is cool, until everyone else is equipped with Engine Upgrade.

The only real issue is the difficulty you will face making exactly 100 point lists with some ships without upgrades to fill the holes. Many ships, like the Tie Fighter and Interceptor, have no upgrades at all. Initiative bids become part of the squad building process.

Next up we will look at the Classic play style.

A Mechanic-less RPG Idea

Table Top Role Playing is a long time passion of mine. I cannot say I am a regular or even overly serious player, but my interest in the core principles of the hobby have never wavered since first encountering them in high school. To be able to share a social “adventure” story telling experience with selected friends is a precious thing, in the same vein as the even longer tradition of tribal or village story telling.

Recently, social barriers to playing different forms of games have reduced, introducing more and more players, so I would like to offer a new way of introducing these new players to the hobby.

*

Table top role playing games have been around for a long enough to have developed “habits” that seem to be hard-baked in. This is natural, but not necessary and can both create stereotypes for detractors to latch onto and coral players into slavish processes (D & D as played on Stranger Things should not be the only standard bearer for a massive and diverse industry).

Sometimes looking at something from it’s roots up can change these habits, break long adhered to routines and re-invent the norm.

For those of us who play sport, we start out by setting our own commitment level. Want to go all in, then you commit and take the injuries, pain and knocks that come with that. Want to exercise for the fun of it or to stave of mother time, then different processes are used.

RPG’s ask similar, if slightly more complicated questions concerning how much we “pay into” the hobby, how embedded we want to become and whether we or not we put story telling above simple game play. Some want to sprint, some run a Marathon, some just jog occasionally and within their comfort envelope.

This is usually decided just by playing. One of the skills a Game Master develops is to adapt to their players style and desires, while policing the basic standards that good gaming needs.

There is an idea I have been kicking around for a while now, that comes from an occasional dissatisfaction with the current RPG process and a desire to increase player immersion without a commensurate bloat of mechanical complication.

First “myth” to bust is that we all need to have a character sheet in front of us, laden with stats and figures and little checks against things we intend to develop.

This is after all the core of a role playing character isn’t it?

The question is, does reducing a “character” to mere statistics reduce our immersion in the other side of Role-playing, which is the story telling? To put it another way, is the game a game, or a story telling device and where do the lines blur. Sometimes, for me, the “game” or mechanical side dominates the story telling side and leaves me feeling short changed. Something I have always battled with, depending on the game, is the mechanical nature of the processes.

Isn’t a role playing character, solely a creation of our imagination. One that we placed into a setting to face puzzles, dangers and other interactions as our on the spot persona. If so, mechanical constraints are only in place to give us limits and provide a logical level of unpredictability and randomness. Without this our character’s actions cannot be in balance with other forces in the world and “what if” turns into “what ever”.

Is it realistic or even desirable to know your own capabilities in defined mathematical values?

Is this how we live our own lives?

If pressed, I would describe myself in terms of generalisations. I would not assign myself, especially with any surety, specific numerical values or give my skills, experiences and knowledge better than vague qualities. My assessment of self may be way off, but regardless, I attempt what is in my reality envelope and avoid (usually) what is not.

The habit of using highly specific characteristics and rigid systems is a reality for most role-playing games, but it can also be a chain around our imagination and an unrealistic insight into the very workings of our gaming universe.

There are many RPG’s that are reducing or even eliminating our reliance on more mechanical processes, but many still fall victim to this same (as I see it) short fall. They allow the player to see their characters systemic “bones”. This is inherently unrealistic and forces a game oriented perspective.

How do we change this?

By placing a wall between the player’s imaginations and the mechanics of the game.

This works really well with new players or even experienced players trying out an unfamiliar game system, but you, as the GM need to do some prep*. Ironically, the best systems for this tend to be the most mechanical by nature!

Step One

Vet your players. Explain your intentions with this new way of playing and express your desires as a GM to increase their enjoyment and reduce their game playing burdens. This is especially effective for new players put off by increasingly thick gaming tomes and a feeling of being out of the games insiders loop*.

Be ready for some resistance from older players who may feel disempowered by this, but they hopefully will come around, if they see value in this style of play. Min-maxers will be the hardest, especially those with an intimate knowledge of the system used.

Step Two

Character creation. I will assume the use of a D&D style game, especially one like Adventures in Middle Earth, where character choices are logical and concepts are clear, but moderate.

The players talk to you, the GM, about their character concept as normal. This is the key point now, so listen and offer sound advice. The characters are not led by dice rolls or character descriptions in the game so they only have their concept to go from and it is your job to guide them forward, without revealing any mechanical results.

For example ask then the following;

“Tell me the order of importance you would place the following character traits in the context of your character” using generalisations that suit the games needs (for example Strong, Fast/Nimble, Tough, Smart, Wise/Level headed, Charismatic/Commanding - taken from D&D’s STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS and CHR).

Three very different games mechanically, but all candidates for this style of play. The Witcher is one of the most detailed and mechanically in-depth RPG’s out there. Ironically, this form of mechanically immersive play is ideal for a change in style. Adventures In Middle-Earth is based on D&D 5e and it’s sister product The One Ring, uses it’s own system that works fine. Achtung Cthulhu can be played as Savage Worlds (not a good fit) or as D100 game, which is better.

Generate the base characteristics either randomly or by using points to suit the player’s wishes, again without revealing any mechanical values. It is probably best to use some randomness here to assure player confidence that you are not taking too much control of their character, maybe even letting them roll 1-2d and assign them as above and then you roll the balance.

Another way is to have three pre-set, points based characteristic sets made up. One can be a moderate or averaged, without any true extremes (max 15, min 9), the second can have a couple of stand out characteristics and a couple of lower than average (max 17, min 8) and the last can have a “hero” characteristic, a couple of strong ones and the rest lower than average (Max 18, min 6-7).

Now describe their character back to the player, using terms such as “you are tall healthy and powerfully built and tend assume you are the strongest person in the room” for STR 17, Con 13, and “prone to always accepting the friendship and compliments of others who are drawn to your wit and warmth” WIS 9, CHR 15 and so on. This is again a two way street. The players need to describe their character concept, you supply the details with general descriptions of their actual characteristic values, then the players flesh out the resulting “feel” they get from you.

It is possible here, depending on player and GM interaction, for the GM to even deliberately mislead the player, to suit a concept, such as an over inflated sense of self worth, subsequently not lived up to or great potential hidden by humble beginnings, such as the player’s desire to have a great warrior and acting like it, but not being supported by rolls.

The player’s character then becomes very much a case of “know thy self” through game play and experience.

Notice the subtle difference here. Instead of having hard, fixed numbers to base their expectations on, the characters will develop a “feel” for their character’s abilities by playing. If they fail, they will not have a spread of chances to review, but simply a life lesson learned.

The next steps of character generation, like skills and class, are then worked through as above. The GM needs again to use non-game terms here, applying the systems requirements as appropriate. This an ideal time for the GM to apply some more reality from their world and for the player’s to tell more character story and effectively the reverse of the norm, with experienced games topping off a character with some personality after the numbers have been crunched. 13th Age is ideal here, as it has no skill system, just backgrounds, helping to develop character back-story and supporting this play style.

As the character is developed mechanically by you, the player’s add “described” traits to their resume.

Step Three

Game play.

Ok. So what is different at the table?

First up, the players still roll their own dice. Without this, they will truly feel powerless and rolling represents the reality that they can see their own arm swing a sword and see if it hits their target, but do not know the odds of success before hand.

They must also be aware of the dice mechanic (a high roll is good etc.), but little else. There may be some mechanics here that can work in your favour as a GM. The 5e “advantage/disadvantage” dice for example can be used for player confusion. You could describe a trap saying “it looks easy enough”, giving the players a second dice (they assume for advantage), that is actually a dis-advantage dice, representing the hidden trigger that the players missed. The GM describes what happens, but does not say which dice was responsible.

They will get to see how well they think they have gone, but they do not get to post or pre-analyse the factors at play. It is unlikely that a character totally outclassed would take on an enemy if the math were known to them, but without that mathematical probability laid plain, would they take a chance? Maybe if they strike an opponent solidly and do no damage, they will re-think their next action, again realistically assessing the situation. This is also where a good GM can award clever thinking and bravery, without the players feeling that the world is their play thing.

I feel this adds both realistic vagueness to the game world and tons of room for the GM to “fudge” as needed*. In The The One Ring RPG, fatigued players ignore some dice values. The GM could conceal the mechanical reality of fatigue (hinting at the characters state), but apply the effect as needed.

Oft used descriptive talk like “your sword hits home, but glances off the huge warrior’s armour doing little harm” is a commonly used at a good RPG table, but is now it is the norm and indeed the only way the player gets any feed back. The player knows only what their character can see. Their roll to strike was good, but unsuccessful. Why?

The players can only interact with the world you create in terms of their projected, but relatively unquantified self.

One of my favourite RPG’s, The Mouse Guard is already strong in story over mechanic style, but a little more emphasis in that direction does not hurt.

Without numbers to qualify their statements, they cannot “play the system” only their character.

You as GM will have to do some more preparatory book keeping (simple spread sheets are good here**), but you also have complete control of the wheels that make your world turn. Lots of systems have been created to promote better mechanical two-way flow, or attempt to “hide the dice” but could it be as simple as this?

The players should now be unconcerned with the game’s systemic needs. They will describe their characters actions is normal terms, applying their skills and abilities as they see fit. They will drop game terms like Dice Mods, Levels, and Armour Class in favour of normal conversational descriptions like “I am considered a true warrior in my tribe, handy enough with a sword, but more comfortable with my trusty bow”.

Will the players have nothing to do, or more to the point will the GM have too much on their plate?

There will likely be more cases of you, the GM having to play through circumstances not covered by the rules, which is actually ideal, so stay in control and set the pace.

All of the pressures of the mechanical game system are under the control of the GM. The system becomes irrelevant to the players (I guess it would even be possible to change systems mid campaign, as long as player expectations and their game reality still line up or even keep the actual game system used, a secret!).

Nothing is used that is counter to the story and nothing happens that is contrary to story driven enjoyment. The GM may fudge anything as needed without having to produce “proof” of their logic so “Games Lawyers” are excluded from the rules interpretation process. An inexperienced GM or one not fully conversant with every aspect of a new system can hide behind the far superior dynamic of story telling while acclimatising to the rules. One situation most GM’s have faced is the “rules lawyer” more conversant in the rules than they are, challenging every call.

Do not abuse this. Embrace it for what it is.

The GM’s character sheet(s) can be as ugly and workman-like as required (and probably need to be) and will often take the form of a spread sheet, but the players are the opposite. They should look like a page lifted straight from their saga**.

Step Four

As the characters gain experience, they should grow in the direction the player wishes. If they have some success in fights, but not as often as they would like, then they should practice those skills. In a levels based system, targeted, incremental increases are ideal, in skill based systems the GM can be more precise and incremental.

What do you think? Worth a try?

Maybe the perfect fix for jaded players and GM’s.

*Don’t worry, your job as DM may get easier, not harder from here on.

** The character sheet should be a labour of love. The character’s physical and personal descriptions can be as deep as desired, and their skills and background not just a set of numbers and a few notes, but fully fleshed out story lines. Who knows, this could lead to a stronger player to character connection.

Attack Wing Or X Wing

I will put my head into the bears mouth by tackling one of the more contentious comparisons in modern gaming.

Which is better, Attack Wing or X Wing?

Lets look at my take on the good and bad from both.

Components

Attack Wing

The physical ships in Attack Wing are probably the most contentious issue. They suffer badly from both inconsistent scale, and paint jobs. For example the Enterprise D class has at least three different paint jobs. I have had to re-paint several ships, mostly Federation and this has taken away some of the buy and play advantage of these games.

Personally, I struggle with some scale compromises like the Enterprise E next to a Dominion patrol ship or Romulan Scout or the Scimitar along side the Delta class shuttle.

If game play matters more to you than ascetics, then you are all good as the ships are generally differ a little in relative size on the table (i.e. smaller ships are a bit smaller), just don’t go looking at any official size charts.

The Scimitar on the left is actually the size of a modern air craft carrier (it dwarfed even the Enterprise E), the Delta flyer, was more the size of a school bus, so a little gamers fudging is needed.

I do not doubt that the huge variety of ships make it impossible to fix this to some extent. Some ships would be the size of an X Wing epic scale and some smaller than they are now. For my games, my fleets are split into acceptable size groupings, which generally adhere to their relevant TV series also. This is not as anal as it sounds, because there are only a few groups if you also keep the ships to their relevant timeline*.

Same ship? I have even seen another variant and none are to my liking. The colour we are all used to seeing is “space ship grey”,, but the company seems torn between the original light blue used by the modellers and a silver proxy. Just grey would do.

The cards are thick linen stock, but can look a little dull, based on printed screen shots from the series and movies, which look a lot like they were shot from an actual TV in a dimly lit room. These are the only cards I have not sleeved, because the sheer volume of them, their dullness and thickness do not compel me to. Each ship has separate Captain cards (rather than pilot/ship specific cards that X Wing uses), meaning you can collect multiples of the same ship and get plenty of spare “Kirk” or “Picard” cards and even assign them to other ships (1 only of course).

The counters, bases and other components are nearly identical to X Wing, some even interchangeable.

X Wing

X Wing ships are sublime if a little fragile (a recent drop of a container broke 8!). I have even started to buy “spare ships” of some types, when I found them cheap as 1st edition clearances.

The paint jobs however are so good, I hesitate to re-paint them unless they need it for faction accuracy. Several Z95’s have seen changes, some as Binayre Pirates, one as Suhlak and two of my Starvipers (a Guri & Thweek/Dalan), One Kihraxz (Viktor Hel/Graz) and the Slave 1 (just better).

Very good and consistent. Some of the ragged ships vary in their raggedness, but that suits them. Re-painting them for me is an issue of doing as well, not better.

The cards are bright and compelling, using consistent and original art. Each ship/pilot combination is hard-baked in, which keeps the right pilots on the right ships (yay!), but misses an opportunity for in-faction variation (why not have Han Solo fly the “Outrider” or Luke fly a Y Wing or E Wing?).

Second edition has added factions separating First Order from Empire and Rebel from Resistance, which fixes one Bug-Bear of mine, unrealistic timeline overlap.

I have noticed that the early movie/game ships are “grungy” and the later ones “cleaner”, that fits with the feel of the two editions and the movies. The Scum faction are good for cross-overs here to.

In a recent survey, Daisy and Lucy voted Attack Wing ships “Most satisfying chew”, saying that X Wing had more variety, but they were “altogether too spiky and brittle”.

Game Play

Attack Wing

This is where I feel Attack Wing generally beats X Wing, in two key areas.

First up you can do more with less with Attack Wing. To have an interesting series of games in AW, you only need a couple a ships, as each represents a capitol ship and can fit a wide variety of upgrades and these upgrades are generally less varied. Even unnamed ships have plenty of upgrade slots allowing you to try various combinations of the “perfect” crew. Very Trek.

There are (were) more factions, which adds natural variety, (although the Scum faction in XW adds a lot here and second edition expands from three to seven factions although again if timelines are important these are spread over three time periods). The ability to use different captains on different ships adds hugely also, which is equivalent to swapping pilots to different ships in XW, which you cannot do.

The nature of the ships (mostly capitol ships of the line), makes them more robust on the table, so their table presence is stronger and play is a little less brutal. You actually get the feeling of a big ship taking a few hits, then mitigating their effects with crew options, before real trouble sets in. Upgrades are also less aggressive and universally more consistently available, making squad building more forgiving.

AW also feels to me to be a better fit for the mechanics of the game. This is ironic as XW came first, but the manoeuvring system just feels better with bigger ships. That is personal so YMMV.

X Wing

It gets tricky here, because X Wing has two editions and three or more official play styles.

First edition, where it all started, is a great, straight forward game and fits it’s skin well enough as long as you don’t get too caught up in the obsessive later squad building antics. As the game grew (and AW is guilty here to), the sheer variety of options forced changes which met with mixed acceptance, so use them, modify them or don’t as makes you happy. My preference for 1e is “Bare Bones”, where Elite Pilot, Title and Modifications are removed, leaving you with the base Pilot, Ship as it should be and Ordnance, Illicit, Droid and Systems or variety.

This led to second edition which is a refinement of the game, but quite different to the original and as it turns out, quite similar to Bare Bones as it has dropped many upgrades and absorbed others.

Added to that are the Huge ship rules in 1e (I like them as they make big ships clumsy but daunting, but many struggle with them). Much improved in 2e, along with the Epic rules (also usable with 1e).

The potential for variety is greater in XW, but AW has managed to stay fairly true to itself due to fudged scaling differences and limited upgrade paths.

Something to be aware of with 2e. You have an option of pre-made quick builds or the more precise App based squad building (or download the points costs and do it manually) or to make your own system up (I use a 1/5th point cost with 1 point per upgrade to make 30/40/50 point forces that actually works fine for casual games). This can be off putting, but really isn’t.

I am a late comer to X Wing and can confess to being addicted. Both editions find play and along with AW, Wings of War and Sails of Glory make for a good variety of experiences. Favourite? Depends on mood and inspiration.

How Well Do They Simulate Their Roots

An odd thing is, I play the two games very differently.

Attack Wing

Attack wing feels like it needs a scenario. They crew, upgrades and enemy need to have a reason to be used. Each pack comes with a scenario, usually lifted from a relevant episode, which makes you feel like a problem solver, not a fire team leader.

If played competitively, this goes completely out the window. Odd mixes and a win at all costs attitude make for a game that bares little resemblance to it’s roots, but take that out, place some restrictions on factions and limit timeline cross-overs and it makes you think Star Trek. Go “full noise” and it really just feels like a min-max game.

There are a lot of Trek games out there. I have or have tried FASA’s, Star Fleet Battles, Fed Commander, Full Thrust and ACTA Star Trek variations. All have their place, but for a playable “Kirk on the Bridge” feel, Attack Wing is the one to go with.

X Wing

XW tends to fall into squad building dynamic easily which does not detract from it’s Star Wars feel unless you let it. My preferred take on X Wing, which is a heavily upgrade reduced, Rebel/Scum/Empire only game feels like the Star Wars of the original movies. With Elite Pilot, Modification and Title upgrades removed, you get a balanced, simplified, but still challenging game that is more about piloting than squad building. It also simulates the films well, where full upgrade X Wing can drift away from that quickly. Realistically, my take on the game would not suit the vast horde of competitive players out there, but there are many who game in a more simulation-ist sense and that is where faction specific, upgrade reduced play comes in. We may explore the rest of the upgrade options later, but will likely just switch to the better balanced 2e*.

Second edition with all of its options, feels more like the newer movies to me. The newer, slicker, but deeper mechanics and better range of options for the later period factions ties together well. They had a tacked on feel to the earlier edition, but feel tailor-made for the new.

This suits me, my fleets and the way I want the game to feel, but obviously your take may vary.

Which To Get?

To be honest, there is only one answer to this. Get the one you like. No point in getting X Wing for the ships if you are a Trekkie, nor jumping onto Attack Wing for the cheaper entry point if all things Star Wars will nag at you. Although a Trekkie at heart, X Wing 1e clearances finally got me.

If torn, probably go Attack Wing for the easy entry point and lower learning curve. It also helps that most people are familiar with the characters from non stop TV re-runs, where Star Wars, especially the extended universe can trip up many (FFG really go looking for some obscure characters to fill gaps in their line).

What to Get?

If you do jump, do your research first. X Wing and AW have the same entry point (core set), but think through your next steps first.

X Wing

For X Wing, a fleet of 3-5 ships, with one of Large or medium size will do per faction. Variety is the spice of life for tournament play, but if you are a stickler for story lines, a core and one or two of the same ships (lots of pilots) and a “Hero” ship like the Millenium Falcon” works well. Usually 3 ships a side makes a good game with a squad ranging from 7 to 2 ships. If you do go small squad then all upgrades are good.

If you want to go 1e X Wing, maybe look at the clearance of the less popular but slightly better “Force Awakens” core sets (I got 5 for $100 au which started this madness). This will give you the basics of a Resistance vs First Order fleet, which can lack ship variety, but the individual ships are stronger than the earlier period ones and they have the Tech Upgrade slot, adding upgrade variety. Throw in some Scum and you can cover most options. The 2e upgrade packs for these are also cheaper (because they are smaller) and this opens the door for the new ships for these factions. This will also give you multiples of the damage decks etc.

For 2e X Wing, maybe one or two matched factions (First Order vs Resistance or Separatist vs Republic). The problem being the starter set as it is Empire vs Rebel focussed, but it is possible to download the rules, buy the separate move gauges, damage decks and ships without getting the boxed game (most ships come with enough counters). If there is a large player base in your area, maybe one faction or two from the same side but different periods.

I would strongly recommend buying what you like. If you want to add upgrades that are only available in certain ship packs, look around for stores that sell them separately like Big Orbit Cards. This is especially relevant for 1e with massed dumping of cards. This was a lesson I learned too late.

Attack Wing

Attack Wing is playable with a single core set, but two or one and 2-3 more ships adds lots of variety. You only need 1-3 ships in AW for a game and each comes with a scenario to play.

AW has a few different starters, with a Federation vs “X” dynamic and they have several fleet sets. It is very possible to get a good fleet up with two boxed sets, then a few ships from 2 or three factions or even a couple of core sets (Fed, Romulan, Klingon) with the odd Borg or others for variety. Everyone fights everyone in Star Trek so buy what you like. Remember all upgrade cards are interchangeable, even captains, so a few ships gives huge variety.

It is certainly not impossible to get matching fleets that do not need repainting or scale fudging, especially with the Voyager or Enterprise series. If I had my time over, I would buy the Voyager, Original and Enterprise series only.

*I do have the Rebel and Imperial upgrade sets for 2e, but I am happy for the moment playing modified 1e.

Happy Gaming.

More Thoughts on Old School X Wing

Having both editions of X Wing game has allowed me to look at each on a strengths and weaknesses platform.

I fully intend to use first edition (1e) as a separate game and an good introduction for new players. This gives me a sound and simple platform to work with, uses recently purchased components and allows 2e to be a new experience after 1e has been played through.

The problems with 1e have been covered by many before, but still need dressing. I thought in my naivety that I would be immune, playing on a casual basis but I have three issues that need dealing with.

1) I have too much knowledge. This gives me an unfair edge over my player base. I can guarantee you I am not the best player I know, but a little knowledge goes a long way. I want to be able to squad build without always hampering my own, better researched choices

2) The choices are mind boggling for the newbie, with only the a little knowledge giving the more experienced player a huge edge (see point one).

3) Some ships just do not see any table time due to balance issues or because they are just not fun to play (compared to other ships).

So, simplify and balance.

Seldom seen on gaming tables, let alone at tournaments, some ships were simply purchased for their upgrade cards. What a waste. Without EPT’s the targets of these ships may prove to be a little “action economy” lacking (less slippery) and their original ship concepts may show through.

In an attempt to dumb down first edition X Wing (simplify and clarify options - much like the reinvented 2e), so that a newbie can feel connected to it, I have made the following changes, maybe just for the near future until players become more conversant with the system, or maybe not.

No Elite Pilot Talent upgrades (gasp!).

Each named pilot has their own defining pilot talent as is and they are usually true to the nature of the pilot (the little medal upgrade symbol can denote this only for the time being). EPT’s are the most powerful upgrades, meshing with pilot skills and other upgrades to make for multi layered super combinations, especially in “action economy”, where games are won or lost. The reason for their power is their variety and with that comes the huge depth that puts new players off.

With ship built in Pilot skills, Mods, Titles, System* and various weapon upgrades, there is plenty to keep a new player busy. It looks like there are only a couple of pilot abilities that are contingent on EPT’s (Major Rhymer at PS8), so house ruling may be needed. Or not.

No class specific Title upgrades (excepting specific big name ships).

These are mostly the more recently introduced bandaid fixes that were welcomed by the tournament community as they made poor ships better, but to me just seem contrived, especially when the ships are now never taken without them. The cracks in the game were showing, with some cards simply reducing points values under a thinly veiled “Mk2” or special refit. Proof of this comes in the wholesale dumping of these “titles” in 2e, and their integration as standard.

Titles (Named ships, not classes) made the cut for the same reason as intrinsic pilot talents are used. The combination of title and the correct pilot makes sense at it suits the legendary ships.

If you strip these away, most ships balance up with each other. If there is a lack of direct balance from ship to ship, then that will come out as we explore the game from fresh and is to be considered a reality of life. By removing EPT’s, layers of complication and interconnection have been shed. Is the game less for this? Most seasoned players will say yes, but for those new to the game, I doubt they will miss what they have never known.

My hunch is the base line used when designing ships has remained much the same, but the meta-game beyond that has grown out of control. By shedding some layers of choice, the strong core may yet show through.

*

Otherwise all other upgrades are kept as is. Long time players will likely be put off by the lack of their favourite combinations (especially A-Wing players). That is fine, because they are not playing in my group.

Pilot Core Ability + Ship Mod + rare Title + Weapon choice + Droid, System or Illicit options if available are plenty for now.

Remember, the expectation is for a new player to have choices from the start, but not to be overwhelmed. EPT’s are often at odds with, or are much the same as the pilot’s actual inherent ability and the cascade of options, often contradicting or multiplying these effects can be counter productive.

The vast majority of EPT’s are offensive in nature, which makes them very powerful. Many others are mimicked closely by other upgrades (Expert Handling = Vectored Thrusters or Flight Assist Mech effects). Anyway, how many upgrades do you need to play the game and have fun?

With the exception of twin laser turrets, EPT’s were most responsible for breaking the game, unless they became relegated to the bin as useless (Soontir Fel with PTL and other upgrades is almost untouchable). It is no coincidence that EPT’s (and the TLT) were removed in 2e.

I have thought of limiting some upgrades to some ships, especially keeping to canon, but I will let it play itself out, offering suggestions in ship lists and hoping that the points values are pretty balanced as is*. Twin Laser Turrets or massed turret ships are a good example of game controlling squad builds. Limiting the quantity naturally by just not having too many of them will mostly address this.

The removal of EPT’s has also made pre-made “quick” squad building a lot easier. I have over 50 ships, so the combinations are already almost endless for casual players.

*I believe that the designers and developers have made some effort to stick to canon when designing their products and the base point values (I assume based on the early ships) are stable in their own right. It is the synergy of multiple layers of upgrades that have broken the game. Lets see how that theory holds out.

*

So what do we have left?

Looking at the Scum and Villainy faction as an example, we can see a pattern emerging.

Some ships become limited again;

Non Vaksai Kihraxz, is solid and boring (see X Wing, Y Wing, B Wing etc). The Scum equivalent of the X Wing, this ship does have a couple of good pilots and room for some added punch and manoeuvre options. This ship is the tough filler for a squad, or the slightly better ride for a bounty hunter with their own tricks. Vaksai title makes them much stronger, effectively changing their role.

The non Mk2, or original Star Viper. This one has moves that are slippery enough as is (“S” Turns are rare in 1e, making them special), retains some punch, but generally feels brittle. This fits the original concept of a floating death butterfly. The pilots are good to ok and the “Virago” Title gives Xisor an edge.

Not as exciting as Star Viper Mk2’s and “Vaksai” Kihraxz, but their opposition is similarly ham-strung.

M3. A poor swarm ship, likened to a poor man’s Tie. That is exactly what it will be. Without the heavy or Light titles, this one is again a swarm/filler. Their role is a budget scum ship relegated to rim stations and escort duty, so that is exactly what they will be. There a few pilots with tricks up their sleeves and lots of variety, so they may surprise.

These three are the ships I first think of when I ponder of FFG’s “weakness mitigation” path of the last few years.

Some ships will hardly change;

Fang Fighter. Little will change here. The basic pilot abilities are similar to the title and most popular EPT’s so they will lose some punch (like most others), but no character. Removing the Protectorate title allows the Fang Fighter to be a mercenary ship, much like it’s 2e direction. As Protectorate ships, I struggle to find a logical place for them.

Fenn Rau Advanced Proton Torps Munitions Failsafe (35), Old Treloch Advanced Proton Torps Munitions Failsafe (33) and Kad Solus Ion Torpedoes Autothrusters (32) = 100 pts Kad is used at range to stun or as a late game blocker, the other two to wait for a massive strike at close range.

or

Mandalorian Mercenary (Slave 1) (35), Concord Dawn Ace (23), Concord Dawn veteran (22), Zealous Recruit (20) = 100 pts. Bare bones fire power. Not competitive on the circuit, but without EPT’s, quite versatile. The Starfire acts as a blocker and arc guard, the Fang’s swoop in for the kill.

The Z95 Headhunter & Y Wing. These will be liked more than the M3, but my lists are slightly faction based, so there will be a place for all.

The Quad Jumper. This one has a frustrating and illogical tech slot (which it retained in 2e??), that will be house ruled as an “anything you want” slot, making this quirky little ship a true surprise packet.

ML-12. Not my favourite ship, but maybe a little stronger again, now it is against reduced opponents.

C-Roc. With no EPT anyway (Huge Ship), this one will likely benefit from a slight levelling of the field.

Scurrg/Aggressor/Lancer/GA-1/YV-666/HWK/Starfire. These will all be much as designed. Choices in pilot and mods will have some effect so there is room for a trick or two.

Some will get tougher (again);

The Jump Master. At original card face-value, this is a tough if expensive ship (especially with the Title). I have only one and will not get any others, so the triple U boat threat is out. It will be feared, but not unbeatable. It will likely be played a lot more than the heavily nerfed 2e version!

*

An added advantage of fewer upgrades is more ships on the table. This is the 2e direction (better pilots and ships, weaker upgrades), so it seems sound and desirable practice.

Generally, the ships become simpler and more in keeping with the feel of the original game. Some ships stand out, some for the wrong reasons, but the super strong synergies are gone, making for a fairer and simpler playing field. There is already more variation in the base game than Chess, so the question could be asked “how much complication makes a good game?”.

Later, we will (may) re-introduce EPT’s, but that is when we have tapped the available options (or when one of my players gets hooked and starts researching better builds). Maybe we never will as 2e is calling.

A good place to start for beginners, or maybe anyone wanting to take the analysis paralysis out of their game?

*Tech upgrades are also gone, as I am only doing Rebel, Scum and Empire in 1e.

Going Old School With Classic X Wing

As a new comer to X Wing, I feel like I have missed out on something great, something seminal. A gaming high-tide mark that others had the privilege to enjoy before it became too serious and obsessed with it’s own flaws (which lead to 2e).

Thinking along those lines and with a need to simplify X Wing for my very occasional players, but without sacrificing the enjoyment of squad building, I have decided to wind the clock back to the beginning and re visit my collection from it’s beginnings, then re-build to a point I feel represents the game before it was thematically “broken” to balance tournament play. Looking at a lot of blogs and forums while researching the game, it became clear pretty quickly that the tournament circuit drifted from one good thing to the next, with FFG devoting as much time to balance issues with older ships as they did to making new content.

Some of the big names of the game, under or over played due to their balance issues.

The intent;

To create a play space similar to what FFG have done with 2e, using core or “quick” builds for each ship type (not pilot). I will be using this as an opportunity to assign the right (thematic and mechanically balanced) upgrades to the intended ships, but with plenty of scope for variation with mods, pilot talents, weapons etc. There will be some strong cards in the game, but I will place no emphasis on them, letting the players decide (the lists then make me play nice). Basically to revisit the Rock-Paper-Scissors feel of the games roots.

To allow for the original game dynamic to return, with it’s subtle variations bought to the fore. Revisit a time before the “balancing” elements that forced power creep and inconsistencies. Simpler times.

To have some fun.

Pew Pew. The good ol’ days.

What is In

1) All Rebel, Imperial and Scum ships. “Classic” X Wing is Luke and Darth, Biggs and Boba slugging it out with a handful of dynamic upgrades.

2) I have also decided to take the ship and upgrade cards at face value. Errata and other complications are not in the spirit of what I am working towards. The Jumpmaster 5000 as printed is a really powerful (and expensive) ship, but with a soft limit placed on it’s weapon choices and only a single ship to pick from, it will likely become a game favourite, but not a game breaker, so no 3x U-boat squads. Imbalance is natural, creating legends and heroes. The game is robust enough to offer checks and balances, certainly for novice players.

What is out

1) All of the competition balancing, ship specific, upgrade or title cards like Vaksai, Star Viper mk2, A wing test pilot , B Wing E2 etc. This has been expanded to include specific ship title cards, leaving the pilots to make them special. These were used to make old ships better or balance short-comings revealed in later squad building. They tend to create super squads and make ships balanced to death. They strip away the simple little advantages ships have, which is where the power creep starts. It actually took until waves 14 at the end of 1e before the game’s name sake became competitive again. These advantages have been fully integrated into 2e where they will be used there**, but were tacked-on to 1e.

The Star Viper for example has an S3 turn, which is one of only a few in the 1e game (and all “S” turn and Talon roll ships are Scum faction in my collection, which suits their slippery faction better). This is it’s point of difference. Upgrade selection becomes critical here. You can add a barrel roll, boost or shield upgrade to an X Wing, but not all of these. Some ships will have native advantages such as Flight Assist Astro-mech (limited free boost and barrel roll) or Illicit upgrades.

I see the upgrades as a selection of tactical choices, taken after the ship is chosen, not balance patches or rights of birth. Balance is pretty good in the early game.

2) Odd or unrealistic upgrade combinations. This is not a free for all, so certain ships and upgrades will be locked in, keeping to theme and common sense. This will also reduce, with the general reduction of available upgrades, the multi layered synergy available to deep players of the game*.

3) Tech upgrades are automatically out without the later factions. The only ship left that could have them is the Quad Jumper, which can have a house rule of another Systems or Illicit slot (or maybe just an open slot).

4) Resistance and First order. Leaving out the First Order and Resistance, making them the back bone of 2e (with Scum as a variant faction) just makes sense. They are improved and expanded in 2e and seem to fit that game’s feel better for me. They are also redundant squad competition for the Rebels and Empire, offering similar, but more powerful ships. I would also prefer a game that does not cross timeline boundaries. The thought of Darth Vader and Kylo Ren flying together (or against each other), just jars, but I will “fudge” some of the Scum factions as needed.

The Resistance fleet for 2e. The big transport gets a dedicated card and smoother play experience, the little transport/pod and A Wings are new to 2e and the bombers have crew! Add to this, the quantity of ships is catered for with the Epic expansion (yes, you can play them all at once!). I may even add the Fireball later.

Cross-over

The Scum and Villainy faction add variety to both games and are very different creatures in each game space. They have the dynamic in 2e of the ships that are new and improved, as thirty years of so of development would do.

*I am not so worried about my player’s power squad building, but as I am starting to learn the strengths and advantages of the upgrades and where to find them, this brings me back to just playing also.

**In 2e, set a little later with TFA themes, the better/later versions of the ships make more sense.

Another Solution To Dungeons And Dragons.

In the last post we looked at Adventures in Middle Earth or AIME as a better take (for me) on D&D 5e. In this post we will look at a game that surprises me still as an equal, but very different alternative.

Between 3e, and 3.5e D&D and Pathfinder, I purchased the 13th Age RPG. The designers openly taut it as their own “Home Rules” version of D&D. Who are they to publish what most of us do regularly, as if anyone cares? They are Jonathon Tweet and Rob Heinsoo, each lead designers of previous D&D editions.

My very small hold over from 4e. One of it’s many problems was rules redundancy. Not long after coming out, the original three core books were effectively out of date. In the 11th hour, these little, weighty travel books came out with a much clearer presentation of the concepts, but too little too late. The game was likened by some to a video game. Others said all of the character classes were the same, just dressed up differently. If you had issues with it, you were not alone, but it kept the game going. Some even liked it.

Just another D&D clone would probably have worked in the low point that was D&D 4e, but to survive in the future, 13A needed something more. Pathfinder for example took the cast aside 3/3.5e and kept running with it. Still effectively recognisable as D&D 3e, Pathfinder let the grumbling, persevering 3e gamers stick with a trusted friend, and the presentation was awesome. You could even take most 3e content and squish it into the Pathfinder world, so minimal waste of those massed volumes.

Some useful bits left over from my Pathfinder days. 3e done better, but still the book bloat and creeping rules redundancy. Second edition has come out, which would have annoyed me if I had stayed.

13th Age spent a year or two lost on a crowded book case, waiting patiently for me to see the light. I had browsed and what I saw was not to my liking. It was more D&D than D&D. It had fast track levelling (I thought), tiny monster stats blocks that just looked like combat stats and the art was not my taste (too much awesome Wayne Reynolds in Pathfinder spoiled me). I almost sold it a couple of times, heck, I almost threw it in with another clear-out for nothing!

I cannot remember the exact day, but one day I sat down with it and it clicked. I think the Icon section at the front left me cold and I have read that in other reviews. The Icon relationships are an optional pivot point for the game (everything is optional, which is made very clear when you read it). Being the first rather dense chapter made them a mild obstruction for me to moving forward, but once I got into the text proper, the game started to sing.

What did 13th Age do differently?

Lots of stuff, but lets look at the core mechanics first;

Levels. There are 10, they are meaning-full, you can/should improve incrementally and being world changers, each marks a stage in your saga. If you are going to have levels, this is how to do it. The designers even shun experience points in favour of DM driven turning points. If the DM thinks you have earned a reward through adventuring or role playing success, they are encouraged to dole out bits of level improvement, getting rid of hard level jumps.

Combat. Is cleaned up and simplified and the mechanics have returned to the “Theatre of the Mind” style that 4e replaced with war-game like figures and grids. Yes there are hit points, but this is epic stuff. This is D&D high power, just as the originators would have liked. These characters, like Conan or John Carter do get hurt and fight on tomorrow. They are destined, they are not going to be held up by trivialities like broken bones or twisted ankles. It also borrows from the best of 3e and 4e editions, without any stodginess or rigidness.

Magic. Magic is also simplified, logically and epically. Less spells, that grow with the magic user and the characters are playing big time heroes, not piddling mages who may or may not make it to next week. The core concept that you need to get your head around in 13th Age is, your characters are going to be world changers. They are starting out as minor legends in their own circles, moving in to the big time. This is the other extreme of the D&D spectrum from AIME. Instead of ordinary people doing extra ordinary things, this is about extraordinary, fated beings taking the express road to high danger.

Classes. This is the big one for me. As stated in magic above, the player characters are special, not just fillers in an artificial class based structure. You are not a thief, you are “Xxxxx” The Thief of Shadow Port. Your class is as flexible as any in the D&D world, but it is also a definition of you as a mover and shaker. That just makes sense to me. If you are going to have prescribed classes, then make them special, points of difference. Make class a pedestal not a cage. One of the classes, The Oracle can only be represented by one character in the world at a time.

Skills are also handled in a broad background/career form, so class abilities are specific specialist abilities, with general stuff like swimming, boating, rope handling being handled by your past life as a fisherman for example.

Ok, that is the core four mechanics addressed, now for some other stuff that makes 13A unique, not just in D&D, but in RPG’s generally.

The “One Unique Thing” or OUT concept allows you to add in a story element that really promotes player ownership. The OUT is a non game breaking anything that only your character has or does. It can be anything really, so expect to be surprised*. This, along with the writing style that openly promotes player driven world building, encouraged GM modifications and embedded story driving elements wake my imagination up.

The Bestiaries, adventures, core and add-on books all stir up ideas with plain speak and gentle humour. The authors even talk about their differing opinions in the text. The side bars are enlightening, welcoming and hilarious. I find the openness of the writing refreshing. Sometimes I just pick up a book at random and read for the pleasure of it. No other game does that for me!

There are other aspects to 13A that I will leave for you to discover, but I am hooked. If I am in the mood for D&D done right or want to introduce new characters to the hobby, it is my go to. There are just too many story creating aspects built in and as pure D&D it is clean, fast, approachable and relatively easy. A good night can be had, just coming up with character concepts.

Ironically, there is a 13A take on Glorantha (D100 Rune Quest), that I find much more appealing than the original. Wheels within wheels :)

*While reading the Bestiary 2, I thought of a character concept based on a white Dragon-born Necromancer, who is the last surviving custodian tasked with the sacred duty of ushering the recently departed faithful into the after world. He can see/speak with the dead within the confines of his cemetery. The problem is, his cemetery has been swallowed by a living dungeon without him (The Stone Thief pictured above), leaving him with a quest, with a sacred mission and unfinished business. He is also hated by the Necromancer, one of the world’s Icons, who sees him as a competitor.

Another character idea is a living Dwarf-forged who spent an age guarding a chamber in a lost Dwarven city in silence, listening and watching until a seal was broken to a vault he is bonded to. He now travels the world seeking those who broke the seal to put things right. He has a complicated relationship with the Dwarf Lord (another Icon) as he is seen as property, not an independent being.

An Option To Dungeons And Dragons

So, after lambasting D&D, why have I had a mild change of heart, a softening of rhetoric?

After selling most of my huge Pathfinder collection and reasonable clutch 4th edition of D&D, I swore never to fo down that path again. I did keep another D20 game called 13th Age, but that was more out of book bloat hiding it from culling eyes than design. More on this later.

So, in a moment of open minded weakness, I bought D&D 5e!

Lots of positive press about the improvements in play, clarity and application of needed fixes sucked me in. Also came the promise that they would not bloat the landscape with countless-useless tomes as the past editions had done. Three core books, all done. No Harm.

The books were a good if slightly dry read, addressing a lot of the more obvious problems with 3rd and 4th editions and promising a play style more in keeping with earlier editions, without their system clunkiness and pitfalls. Their main focus seemed to be on curving out of hand magic and making any character of any level always vulnerable.

This prompted me to get the Adventures in Middle Earth (AIME) books by Cubicle Seven. I love their take on Tolkien’s work in The One Ring RPG, but found the system suffered from an “evolving as it comes”, syndrome and some slightly too rigid processes that force players down some strict systemic pathways. I still like the system for all of the right reasons and was disappointed to hear the cleaner and more complete second edition, indeed the whole line, has been canned*.

Beautiful art, good to great writing and a successful capturing of the feel of genuine Tolkien.

AIME is for me the perfect combination of original D&D concepts as refined in fifth edition, blended with the low magic, low power world of Tolkien. Even at high levels, characters feel lower powered.

I am a strong supporter of the D&D 3e “E6” movement, which places a strong limit on character power, usually 6th level, but sometimes higher or lower. It came from an article arguing that Gandalf was only a 6th level Wizard (and he used a sword!) and that a Dragon, any Dragon should be at least region shaping event and frikkin’ scary, not just a “speed bump” for high level characters on their way to demigod status. This led to my own “E10” Pathfinder re-boot and more time wasted, when D100 games were set up this way anyway.

The beauty of AIME is it’s successful combining of the better concepts of The One Ring seamlessly and some say more efficiently, into the well trod mechanics of D&D for a coherent and complete game (the benefit of coming second after TOR is no catch-up). The game is so complete, that it only needs twenty pages from the free 5e intro rules (“Playing the Game”) to work. I traded my 5e books for some X Wing ships and moved into full AIME mode quickly.

Straddling the fence between main stream D&D and The One Ring look, the books are more cohently organised, even if most of the story lines and art are identical to TOR, but who cares. There is enough content to play both without crossing over, but I will be sticking to AIME.

Why does it work for me? Lets look at my main complaints about D&D.

Levels. It does use levels, but the 5e take on levelling up is less powerful than previous versions and AIME feels even gentler, due in part to it’s inherent mechanics. The 5e designers intent was to make even high level characters vulnerable to hordes of low level “mooks”, but magic is still an unbalancing element (see below). Ironically, levels in AIME line up perfectly with the “adventuring year” concept and the decades long campaigns that the designers have created. One year of adventure, an off season of retrospection and contemplation, leading to more preparedness, equals levelling up, then off on another adventure year stronger, better prepared and wiser. This forms decades long stories and it fits the Tolkien ethos perfectly. I have two long campaigns and dozens of filler adventures to fatten up the years of character challenges as well as countless adventure hooks in their region guides. Elven Characters for example could even adventure with multiple generations of the same family.

Magic. Magic is, just like the books, out of the hands of the characters. Some races may have access to magical items and the world has many powerful magical elements, but there are no magic using classes and few powerful magical artefacts or weapons, again just like in the books. Remember a clutch of magic rings and a handful of magic swords changed the fate of the entire world. You may meet a Mage, maybe even Gandalf, but you will not be one.

Classes. There are classes in the game, but they are in keeping with the character types common to the world and heavily influenced by race, region and personal choice. Without magic using classes they are limited to six robust types, with lots of customisation. I cannot find fault with the designers choices. Early trepidation at having only six classes was replaced with much excitement after making up three very different characters from just one class. The classes are D&D equivalents, but fit the genre better.

Combat. Combat is what it is. I have to admit, 5e has addressed a lot of the hit point bloat and un-touchableness of 3e, high level characters and I can accept that long earned experience works as an abstract hit point pool in this game. Hypocritical of me I know, but maybe the original concept has found a harmonious home (for me). I like the story first, old school feel of this world and the mechanics as is.

So, this is one way of liking D&D from a D&D critic’s perspective, but there is yet another.

*Cubicle 7 has relinquished the licence for any Tolkien based work. Fear not though! There is plenty around still and the PDF’s are still available cheaply.

The Problem With Dungeons and Dragons

A long time ago, there was One.

It was first called Chainmail, then Dungeons and Dragons and it created an entire hobby, a genre of gaming in a form never seen before.

Soon after there were three others, Tunnels and Trolls, Rune Quest and Traveller. The last two are where I came in.

D&D has a certain style, but one that I did not personally like. In fairness it has carried the game through good times and bad to a point where it is still standing strong, even dominantly over seemingly countless competitors. My dislike has not stopped me from buying into all five editions and some mirror games like Pathfinder, but that is what being number one can do to a person (I currently have only selected bits left of these systems).

My problem with the game comes from the very limiting and specific core mechanics it uses. These are needed to control what would otherwise be totally open, ad hoc play action, which is the secret of table top RPG’s, constraining otherwise no-holds-barred play with regulated game mechanics, but that does not stop me from having an almost allergic reaction to them.

The four offenders are;

Levels. An artificial feeling mechanism for character reward and advancement.

Class. Another artificial control of character capability and in the field performance.

Magic. Vancian magic as it was called, just plain annoyed me and still does to this day.

Combat. Combat in D&D was abstract in the extreme and way too unrealistic.

There are other ways of controlling these four game elements and the methods tried are pretty varied, some are even brilliant. It is interesting to note that almost all other RPG’s developed since D&D have moved away from these basic concepts.

What is even harder to argue against though is the basic play paradigm of go down a hole, kill stuff, get treasure and cash that in for experience to become a better person. This is just fundamentally unrealistic and unlike any fantasy book I have read.

Many defend D&D’s choices simply on the basis of being “the first”, others just play the game and ignore the abstractness. This is the privilege allowed to the foundation stone of the medium, but the reality is, two of the genres earlier titles strayed from the path right from the get go.

Rune Quest, which became the corner stone for countless off-chute D100 games such as Call of Cthulhu, which is still the longest running “true form” RPG, staying much the same for 6 editions. RQ used a more logical and straight forward percentile system for it’s mechanics and this allowed the game to use single percentile advancement of individual character skills usually advanced through use under pressure. These skills were in turn not limited to a single class (upbringing, race, background and career usually, but this varies) , allowing the player to pursue any likely and logical road of development. You may go dungeoneering and get rich from it, but that is you get, a rich character in a make believe world.

A small part of the D100 inventory. Classic Fantasy on the right is Mythras crossed with D&D - old school.

Want a barbarian-rogue, foot-pad type who dabbles in a few minor spells, can whip up a herbal healing salve, use a boat, climb a mountain all while worshipping their chosen god(s)? No problem. D&D at the time made you choose a Thief or Cleric or Druid, with little workable cross-over. It is telling that 50 years later, most D100 games are using this same basic system, effectively unchanged (and it is surprisingly flexible** when change is made), where D&D has been fundamentally reinvented at least three times in this space and in countless minor ways by copies and off-chutes.

Combat in D100 games has a reputation for being brutal and short lived (i.e. realistic and scary and more fun for it). In D&D players have a tendency to feel like actions do not have consequences. In D100 games they surely do.

D&D uses a highly abstract system of “Hit Points” that have become a catch-all for defences and wound effects. Hit points in D&D raise with level, simulating the characters increased survivability, which has never been properly explained to my satisfaction, especially when Joe the fighter has more than an ancient Dragon. These hit points also tend to come back far too quickly and don’t even get me started on full magical healing and resurrection.

D100 games use either a similar hit point pool, but with very real critical hit effects, or actual body location hit points that are linked to the character’s physical characteristics (only) and seldom increase artificially (levels). You can lose a limb! As the character increases in skill and their opposition stiffens, they must get better at not being hit, not just increase their vague and “squishy” hit point pools.

Rune Quest and it’s successors also handled magic more logically. It often used a power point pool, much like magical endurance that allowed you to potentially cast the same spell over and over until your reserve was tapped, rather than limit the character to one-off spell use per day/fight or rest period. Alternately, the spell could be a skill learned like any other. Tunnels and Trolls, did the same thing, becoming D&D’s main competitor back in the early days.

Ironically, most people that dislike D100 systems say they are too “swingy”, referring to it’s linear dice curve, but D&D uses basically the same system with less granularity (5% jumps).

*

Second, and my true favourite, was first edition Traveller, not the actual original edition with varied weapon damage that a friend owned, but the one after (original 1.1). Coming at the same time I discovered the Stainless Steel Rat books, Star Wars movies and 2000 AD comics in the early 80’s, Traveller allowed me to play Sci Fi in a sandbox environment, using just three slim black books in a little black box (which also held d6 dice and pens etc). The systems were logical, realistic and sublimely succinct.

Again, Traveller managed to avoid the trap of levels, experience points and class, using skills alone. It used one of the best, and most lethal character generation systems ever devised (a mini game in it’s own right).

Combat in Traveller had the brilliant idea of applying wounds to the character’s physical characteristics, directly reducing a wounded person’s capabilities. So simple, so realistic.

Traveller also gave us (after T&T) a dice curve, using two six sided dice added together. This removed the linear chance spread that D100 and D20 D&D had, providing an average. This was more logically sound and predictable.

Mongoose, among others has carried Traveller through to now. The book on the left copies the look and feel of the original, jamming a fully workable game into this slim volume. The slicker book on the right has added colour and smoother mechanics, but both still resemble the original, over forty years old now.

The biggest problem with all of the others is profile.

Most people have heard of D&D, using the term to describe all Role Playing like we use “Hoover” (or maybe Dyson now) for vacuum, but few can name many other table top RPG’s. Even “The Big Bang” and “Stranger Things” reference it directly (though the characters in TTB do not play it correctly-there are no it locations in D&D, for shame), ignoring the hundreds of other options in the hobby.

I have owned enough D&D, Pathfinder etc to sink a barge. I have given it a go, always coming back to different systems for the above reasons.

Until now.

I will explore my (mild) change of heart and the two systems that are at it’s core in the next posts.

*In early versions of D&D, you needed a representative from each major class for your party to survive, which I suppose was the point and promoted team work, but it felt very contrived. In later versions, many tasks and abilities went the way of the Dodo, but some did not. A Cleric that could only kill with non edged weapons, to avoid blood shed (but could still kill by pounding something to pulp with a mace!), Wizards could not use armour because of an ever changing excuse and only thieves were able to pick a lock? How about a big ass axe dude!

It is true that later versions softened these rigid limitations, but the fundamentals have stayed the same.

** It is entirely possible, with minimal effort to interchange core rules from D100 games from any period or genre. The Big Gold Book, a generic RPG tome of great standing, can be cherry picked for ideas for any D100 game from 1980 to now and any genre from fantasy to super heroes with little harm done. It is even possible to play around with the core rules to suit. My own system for rolling D100 is different to most, but works fine. It is not possible, for example, to use a monster stat sheet from any editions of D&D interchangeably.