Family Affair

I have no illusions about my wife’s interest in the bulk of my gaming hobby. Bemused by my fixation on systems and processes, collecting the correct and balanced forces and the variety of subjects I bring up when thinking about gaming, she has been well saturated with enough “Nerd” to stay well away.

This lockdown (such as it was in Tassie) and the reality that we are really home bodies anyway, has made us look deeper for entertainment. Netflix etc failed to excite for more than a month or so, so I hatched a rudimentary plan to ensnare my beloved in a cunning web of trickery….I digress. I bought Wingspan with the knowledge that it is;

• A well respected game

• Beautiful

• Mechanically different to most of my other games

• May hold some interest for Meg, my wife.

Broad hints went by seemingly unnoticed, then two things happened. My brother in law sent us a copy of Kingdomino for Christmas and friends also bought Wingspan ata bout the same time, giving us a more social opportunity to try it out as a group of beginners (only our host had read the rules and only once, so we got a few things wrong).

Meg and I tied for first! This convinced her that her main fear, the fear of playing against and slowing down “natural” gamers, was unfounded.

We now play something most nights while the TV does it’s best to regurgitate something bearable (mostly T20 Cricket at the moment).

Wingspan is our “Big” game (with both expansions), already very mildly house ruled and played usually in a three game “set”.

Kingdomino is the light game, often played in three sets of three.

Catan (Star Trek version with Fed Space expansion) is the favourite though which surprises me on a couple of levels (Meg not being at all interested in franchise Sci Fi), but it goes to show how a good game catches you regardless of it’s delivery.

I plan to add Pandemic (Cthulhu version), Star Trek Panic, Star Wars Risk, then the deeper Eldritch Horror and Batman Talisman as needed to keep things fresh, but don’t want to push things too fast. Buying vanilla versions would probably help, but our gaming friends have most of these and in many cases (Panic/Catan/Talisman) the franchised variants have extra or improved mechanics.

Cigar Box Battle Mat Review pt 2

Last time we looked at a few of my personal Cigar Box Battle game mats. This time we will look at the rest of my current collection with the exception of the little 3x3 poly mat.

No excuses for the images, still suffering the same issues as yesterday, but I will update them as I can.

First, lets look at “The Valley” mat, which was an impulse buy when I ordered the “Frontier Town” along with the little X Wing 3x3 (review later). I knew about the western themed ones for a month or more and was waiting in anticipation for them to arrive in Australia. With the late December release looming, but still no sign, I went ahead and ordered it direct instead, using three mats to equalise the freight (which is quite high for one mat). Way to economise!

This is probably my favourite mat.

A few wrinkles, but a new mat, expected and not nearly as bad in situ.

Lovely details, great colours and a very useful river running right through the middle. Printed rivers, like roads can be either treated as major or minor features or simply ignored, so I am grateful there is a decent sized one available on a nice general purpose mat.

The details on this mat are gorgeous and timeless.

A little scale specific, but yummy.

First figures I grabbed, Arthurian later Roman. This thing is “lush”.

A well scaled environment for this little M5, if not a healthy one.

I think that this mat is going to be a favourite for Dark Age through to WW2 in 28-20mm games. My various basing techniques “through the ages” also blend perfectly with this one.

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The next mat is a good example of the “out side of the box” versatility of these mats, as it is not used for the designed purpose.

The “Redwood Fight” mat is meant to represent the deep dark temperate rain forests of Canada and it does that beautifully, but I have other plans for it.

I do not have any 7YW or later woodland Indians, and probably won’t (Indians vs Vikings?), but I do have several figure collections in need of Jungle terrain.

Another “cracking” image ;). What drew me to this one was the brilliance of the greens, which matches my re-purposed aquarium and fake indoor plant jungle and the red of the soil, is very in keeping with rich Pacific Island, volcanic soil.

A long weekend of repainting the edges of my scenery and figure bases and adding some bright green static grass and I am happy with the new look jungle.

20mm Marines cautiously move over open ground.

A hapless African militiaman stumbles over something from the “Lost Valley”, but on the bright side, he now knows where his friends went. This poor chap probably won’t survive to get re-based, so he will go to his doom unmatched to the terrain.

The Avengers on the hunt for something the Black Panther lost (his wallet?). Re-purposed Heroclix on useful clear bases. These clear bases do not like abrasive terrain, so the mats are a real boon.

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The next mat is part of a huge project that has far out stripped it’s immediate need, but I hope to flesh it out with more options.

The “Roaring 20’s” mat was the culmination of a long search for a decent generic modern city mat for my huge Heroclix supers/super natural/horror/sci fi collection. The Cigar box trick of underlaying terrain is wasted on this one, as it is used flat, but even then, I found it was the best bet from a long list of contenders**.

A bland, but versatile colour palette. The one thing I under estimated was the building density needed to populate it. I ran out of steam after the first 15 or so buildings, with a half dozen left to go, but the beauty of these mats is I can literally fold it and play smaller as needed. This and the Redwood mat are slightly smaller than my others, only just covering the 7x5 table top.

Guardians of the Galaxy facing down an alien robot menace. The slightly cold blue-grey is fairly accurate, making most of my dirty grey paints look at odds with it, but that is my fault, not the mats. The light used is also daylight balanced flash, so you have to imagine the mat under normal tungsten lighting which is warmer.

My only real issue is the relatively limited range of games for the mat/city investment. My Heroclix collection is vast (a wonderful range of cheap second hand figures, some even decently painted), but all comes down to basically similar themes, so I will possibly add some gangsters or zombie apocalypse later.

The last mat for this review series is the “Crossroads” mat with 2” Roads.

I ordered this on impulse a year or so ago, as an option to the “European Fields” and “La Haye Sainte” mats and because I liked it.

At least I am consistent! The obvious grid lines are because I have not used this one yet. Notice though how the grid lines are invisible on the detail shots below.

This one is greener and lighter than the La Haye mat, with smoother looking grassland than the Europe one. I would not buy it now in hindsight as I have other options, but at the time, it added a different grass look and a scenario driving mid-point. This mat, like the La Haye, needs hills to break it up.

The grass colour is better here. I went for the 2” roads again as a good scale compromise. At a pinch I can also line up the roads with the Europe mat for an unlikely huge game.

18mm figs again, looking fine for larger scale games. 20mm WW2 are great as are smaller 15mm’s.

If I could change anything, it would be the perfect straightness of the roads. They don’t allow for things lurking around corners, which in WW2 games especially is a standard tactical consideration and also preclude ideal lining up of two mats the same (a single dog-leg would fit my needs perfectly).

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The take-aways from this little preview are;

• The mats do topography in the only flexible way, that looks natural.

• They have a natural dullness that generally suits war gaming, except the plush that have a slight sheen. A friend bought a newer plush one and disliked the shiny finish.

• They can be washed if needed.

• They protect against handling mistakes and wear.

• They are bigger than 6x4’, which is better for big games, but don’t have to be.

• Their size adds overall capacity or segmented versatility. I have used the same mat in smaller parts for quite a different feel.

• They can be used in small spaces (just fold them).

• You get what you expect, based on their own images and most other online sources (not always the case with mat purchases*).

• They have obvious handling, storage and travelling benefits.

• They can post cheap because of the weight and foldability, but don’t always, so watch that.

• The range is huge and always growing/improving.

• There have different looks for different modelling and simulation tastes.

• Like everything, you get back what you put in.

• The felt-like fabric is not the most ideal option for “push and slide” movement games like Sails of Glory or X Wing, but will work (heavier neoprene is best here, but they do offer slippery poly in some mats to help with this). My extra layer of under-plushness is not used with this type of game to make for a firmer base.

*I will do a Deep Cut mat review next which will touch on this.

** If I need a modern, moody concrete or bitumen plain mat, I have a $50au “Kate” grey mottle backdrop, that looks very similar to the concrete or Gotham offerings from Deep Cut or CB.

Cigar Box Battle Mat Review pt 1

One of the most vexing things in gaming for me is the seemingly eternal struggle with scenery.

The base (literally) of the struggle comes from the game table itself. Many years ago I settled on a medium brown for my boards, based on a combination of a “Stone Effects” paint, matching Humbrol #29 and Davco #27 tile grout.

These formed many boards large and small, very few of which are still with me, due to weight, size, shape permanence (being a bad thing sometimes) or simply me losing interest. The only survivors are a 6x3 desert base, which will likely go soon (has), the desert painted 6x4 top of my game table (buried under a mountain of neoprene and cloth mats), and a 4x3’ cobble stone board, that may also go with the possible addition of a new CB mat.

The holy grail for me includes a flexible and natural form of gradation, preferably one that does not look like foam dumped on a bowling green, a blend of natural and “game-ish” looking terrain as a base and something that can take many forms easily.

This has been nearly impossible until I took a punt on Cigar Box mats.

The mats themselves are, with few exceptions, either 3x3’ or 7x5’ (1500x2000) soft microfibre cloth. This cloth has the ability to mould around shapes placed under it, prints to a high level of “gamers realism” (not photo-realistic, but that would clash with model terrain and mini’s), packs up flat (all of mine are in one plastic tub) and can be used fully or in part on smaller surfaces, just like a table cloth.

The “over” size is for two reasons. The mats can be placed from any corner, literally changing the terrain on a smaller table and secondly when reasonably large terrain pieces are placed under it, the mat will still guarantee a 6x4+ surface. Personally, I use them as 7x5’s with plenty of gentle sloping under.

The finish is dull and natural in most cases. Some newer mats, especially the plush double sided ones have a shinier finish, but all of mine, except my 3x3 Frontier Space are the dull. Unlike Vinyl and some neoprene, no odd shininess and no slipperiness. The Space mat is a smoother surface like soft shell poly, to help with X Wing or similar “slide” movement I assume.

The mats can be ironed, washed and stored folded in a small space.

Preparation; They can be placed on any surface, but I like to place a cheap K Mart velour blanket down first which tends to stop slippage of the mat and the foam hill pieces and makes the surface softer and more comfortable to work with.

Like neoprene, the mats can be very kind to mini’s. Handling and figure wear/damage compared to my old “gritty” desert surface is worlds apart. My old boards pretty much precluded using clear bases as they scratched too easily.

Below are the basic steps for setting up in my main game’s space/photo studio.

• The base table (750x1350).

• Three left over (from an old board project) 450x1800, 18mm panels for weight and support (in my upstairs game’s room, the 6x4'‘ table top is enough support).

• Five 400x1500 thin shelf panels for full width cover.

• The cheap black blanket base, which tends to smooth out any lumps and bumps.

• Some hills “carved” out of insulation foam.

• A mat laid over it all.

A note on photography, which was a disaster today. The light on the room is on the fritz so I was shooting literally blind, my camera (an old OMD EM5 is banding, I thought a little, but it turns out a lot, and the space, which is new, cramped me a little with the gear at hand.

Ok, now the specific mats.

One of my newest is the “Frontier Town”, which covers western, modern and any arid terrain campaigns. There is another plain version in the range, but this mat with a river and roads is nearly identical in design to my current option, which is too heavy (the reverse of my 18mm table top, taking two hearty souls to flip). It is also rough surfaced, has fixed hills and is smaller than this.

This mat has a 28mm feel, but easily covers down to 15mm. The river can be be deep or shallow, so it can be effectively ignored if wanted. I really like the inclusion of water and roads, as these, like hills, can sit on the board like a crude add-on, but a printed river can easily be ignored as an ankle deep nothing or a raging torrent.

A 28mm USMC patrol sweep, “questioning” the locals. The roads clearly stand out, or can be ignored as suits.

The colour tones match reasonably well with my three base tones (above), although some of my figures have a little too much grass on their bases.

My first “dry ground” love, 28mm western. The mat’s resolution matches the slightly “hyper” real look of the buildings. These figures are Davco grout based only, so a little of the darker brown and some specs of grass like the mat will be added.

The (20mm) green recruits of Alpha Coy moving into a German ambush in Tunisia. Based more for Europe, these are a little over grassed for this mat also, but work ok. Napoleonic Spain, the Crusades, Greece and Italy and most Ancients are all good for this very versatile mat. They do a true desert mat, but I prefer my games with a little more terrain, like you find in arid, but not sand dune geography.

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My first CB mat now and a long thought out process that was! I went for the older design of the original “European Fields” mat, because the newer one was closer to photographic realism, which I felt was not in keeping with my terrain or figures. This worked out well as later mats gave me a newer, better look for some games, leaving this one to it’s own special periods.

Poor image, but plenty of others around on the net of this older mat. The roads are the larger ones for 28mm. This is to my mind a good compromise for 15/20/28mm figures (15mm Roads, 20mm minor roads, 28mm horse trails).

The hardened survivors of Alpha, now on mainland Italy. The road width suits most Normandy or Italian back roads.

My 28mm ECW figs are mostly used for “grand skirmish” games, so the one-cart trail is ideal.

Equally suitable, my 18mm ECW figures are used for bigger battles, which means major roads.

About the earliest period that suits this mat is high medieval. As the fields are many and regularly shaped, so they are a little too neat and plentiful for Dark Ages.

This mat is one of the older mats and has a couple of features I don’t love but can live with. Some of the field colours are a little odd (see the two fields above). Their later mats are more natural looking, but really I am being harsh. Recently i grabbed some mid brown teddy bear fur, that I will cut to cover some of the less natural looking field sections with “standing wheat”.

The thing I do struggle with though and something that in later mats seems to be either a specific feature or completely avoided, is the use of printed-on trees and hedges. This mat has some (the new version does not), but not so many they cannot be covered by terrain pieces if they annoy.

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The last mat in this first review segment is probably my favourite do-all mat, the “La Haye Sainte” 15mm mat from the Waterloo range. The green on this mat really suits my original basing colours, it is very scale agnostic and the little road and field are surprisingly useful for context.

Another crappy image :). I have two of these after an ordering stuff-up* and it looks like I grabbed the unused one with plenty of storage wrinkles. After a few uses these will go or you can try the damp towel in the dryer trick, or just iron it. The only thing to avoid is storing with defined creases, which will stay at least for that use. In real life, these ripples are far less bothersome, but my single light has exaggerated them.

*If I ever have enough room I suppose I could do a 5x14’ game?.

I think “hills” with this mat. The lower left corner of this set-up has a two level hill, about 4” tall and the green edge is actually the ridge line at La Haye.

Not a great image, but you get the idea. This heart breaker adds to my gaming versatility.

It is a decently long way from this tower top to the base of the hill.

Enough to stop this lot? Big fights, lots of figures and gentle rolling slopes are the theme here.

The little trail for my 28mm Vikings, becomes a major road for 10mm figs and is even ok for 6mm (Zulu Dawn anyone?).

20mm figs work well. I like this a lot for WW2 20mm non-jungle Pacific/Vietnam or North African games.

I do not do much in the way of 6-10mm gaming, but do have some figures. Of all of my mats, this is the best for these. I can use the huge grassed area for a pitched battle or the little road is acceptable for a major road in these scales. My 10mm cowboys, 6mm Samurai and colonials and my smaller 15mm ancients will find themselves here more often than not.

A 6mm Samurai castle. If the units are sizeable (one way of using 6mm figs), then the road looks fine.

These three mats are probably plenty for most uses, but I have more, so I will be back (hopefully with better images), to share my thoughts on “The Valley”, “Crossroads”, “Redwood Fight” and “Modern City” mats.

Bare Bones House Rules And Title Upgrades

Bare Bones is working well. The game when seen from an overarching perspective fits in well between the simpler “Guess and Play” games like Wings of Glory and Canvas Eagles and the more complicated, but streamlined X Wing 2e.

House rules are pretty fixed now and include;

Excluded are all upgrades that are game or time-line breakers (and bandaid fixes for these breaks).

• No TFA era ships.

• No Crew or Droids from same (No BB8!).

• No Huge ships.

• No Elite Pilot Talents.

• No Ship Modifications.

• No generic or “thinly” named Title Upgrades**.

Included are upgrades types that are considered to be mandatory and non game breaking.

• Only ships from the first three movies and the expanded universe that followed from these and Rogue One, being from the same time-line.

• (Optional) Named “Legendary” Title upgrades**. Left out for basic games.

• Crew, within the above guide lines (factional Point of difference).

• Droids, within the above guide lines (factional point of difference).

• Salvaged Droids (factional Point of difference).

• Illicit (factional Point of difference).

• System (technological point of difference).

• Ordnance (some specific types are faction limited).

*

Base squads are 40-120 points (120 assumed maximum with 40/60/80 point options for mix and match.

Squads should have a theme.

Title Upgrades are strictly limited to the actual named pilots**.

No single character can be played more than once (logically), even in different upgrade classes/factions.

If these clash the Rebel player always has first choice.

Some Scum are faction specific (Black Sun, Tansarii Point, Protectorate, Binayre Pirates) or are independent cartel thugs, mercs and bounty hunters.

Rebel and Imperials may optionally make up less than half of a squad from a single Scum faction ally or one Independent merc/bounty hunter. All clashes go to the Empire.

Scum may be made up of one faction and an ally faction, but may have any number of mercs.

A nice themed squadron on a mission to destroy a crippled Imperial Raider. The story fidelity is tangible (although maybe their immediate futures are not so much).

*R2-D6 is omitted and Tomax Bren, “Youngster” and “Duchess’s” abilities are ignored as their pilot skill levels are well enough priced in a BB world.

**Title upgrades on the whole are one of the major culprits when it comes to FFG’s mechanically over-controlling of the later game. Mark 2’s, special re-fits etc were all simply re-balance mechanics thinly disguised thematically. The community as a whole hankered for them because they were needed in the competitive meta, but from a Bare Bones perspective they are the enemy!

Named Titles, limited to famous ships and always unique are, on the other hand kind of needed in the FFG design paradigm. Taking the weapon upgrade option from the “Outrider” or “Punishing One”, the extra slots from the “Virago”, “Sabine’s Tie”, “Mist Hunter”, “Shadow Caster”, “Havoc”, various Fire-sprays etc, takes away their uniqueness and they are clearly designed to be used with them, but only by the pilots that are actually connected to them. It is possible to leave them out, using their pilots and upgrades to make up the difference with only a few inconsistencies such as Nym’s “Havoc”, but we allow them optionally.

One Unique Thing

In many fields, especially areas of Japanese influence, there is a term (or terms) for the “One Unique Thing” , “Unique Selling Proposition”, or “Point of Difference” that any product or service needs to bring to the table.

In X Wing Bare Bones, each ship has one or more of these, as holds true in full X Wing, but in BB, these subtle, or not so subtle differences often stand out as the very justification for a ships existence. Full X Wing then tends to dilute these “O.U.T’s”, through more upgrade layers.

Lets have a little look at what makes each ship type different.

Manoeuvres

In BB basic dials are important as the Action economy layering is missing compared to later X Wing 1e. With the new movies, new ships were rolled out (not used in BB), new manoeuvres were introduced and rules with them. These are mainly limited to TFA era ships, but a few Scum ships that were included later get them as well. On the whole this can be harmoniously accepted.

Ships that have K Turns that go further than their highest speed;

• Kihraxz, Scyk, Kimogila. Scum pilots who would push their often less than cutting edge ships hard looking for any edge.

• VCX-100, Bomber, Punisher, Aggressor, YV 666. We will call this momentum at work and ignore the science.

Ships with a white K-Turn;

• The Defender. Those bizarre wings should do something special.

Ships with an S-Loop;

• Star Viper. Designed like a butterfly for a reason.

• Aggressor. Gnarly maintenance ship, flown by a Droid effectively immune to physics.

• Jump Master. Shaped like a horse shoe and turns like one.

Limited to the slippery Scum, which is fine with me.

Ships with a Talon Roll;

• Fang Fighter. The wings rotate around the body, so it makes sense.

• Scurrg. Shaped the most like a kite, giving the most drag - again, science aside.

Again Scum only, which is still fine.

Ships with awesome repositioning/defence;

• Tie Interceptor (7 Greens, Roll, Boost, Evade)

• Phantom (Roll, Cloak + Adv Cloaking, Evade)

• Aggressor (9 Greens, Roll, S-Loop, Evade)

• A Wing (Boost, 8 Greens, Evade)

Love being able to love these.

Speed 6;

• A Wing (green 5 + boost = 6 and clearing stress)

• K Wing (3 + SLAM = Potentially 6)

• Interceptor, Fang (White 5 + Boost)

Combat Effects

Ships with multiple fire ARC’s;

• YT-1300, YT 2400, Decimator (Turreted ships - nerfed in BB with Range 1-2)

• Lancer (Rotating main weapon, not nerfed like full turrets which feels right)

• ARC 170, Slave 1, Sheathipede (Dual Arc)

Ships with 4d Primary Attacks;

• Phantom (the ultimate hit and run “Glass Cannon”).

• Ghost (a lot of “front”).

Ships packing Ordnance;

• Tie Aggressor (the only ship with a Turret and Unguided Rocket option).

• K Wing, Punisher, Bomber, Scurrg (just lots).

• Kimogila (reload which in BB is the only real Extra Munitions option. Explains the big belly).

Upgrades

Unique Upgrade Combo’s for their faction or the whole game;

• E Wing (Droid + System + Torps).

• B Wing, Punisher (System + Ordnance).

• GA-1 (Crew + System + Illicit).

• ARC-170 (Crew + Droid + Ordnance).

• VCX-100 (Crew + System + Turret + Ordnance).

• Lambda (Crew + System + Ordnance).

• Jumpmaster (Crew + Illicit + S/Droid + Ordnance).

• Y Wing (Turret + Droid + Ordnance).

Factional Unique Elements in the BB universe;

• Rebels (Droids, the most and best team-work Crew and Pilots, Proton Rockets, Reinforce and Coordinate).

• Scum (Illicit, Salvaged Droids, Harpoon Missiles, Flechette Torp/Cannon, Mangler Cannon, Bomblet Generator, Autoblaster Cannon, all S-Loops and Talon Rolls, Rotate and Re-load).

• Imperial (Advanced and stable Cloaking, Unguided Rockets, Thread Tracers, highest percentage of Boost/Barrel Roll ships and Jam).

There are others, often in the form of individual Pilot abilities or factional ordnance lock-outs, but you get the idea.

Head To Head; YV 666 vs Ghost

These two ships have a lot in common. They are brute/support ships without built in turret primaries, but none the less strong offensive weapons.

Points;

YV 29 to 35 (64 max) vs 35 to 40 (74 max) VCX

The YV can be relatively cheap at 1/3rd of a squad’s points or less, allowing the user to slot it into a support role or as a front liner, the VCX is usually going to be dearer, but the maximum of 74 points is unlikely.

Base Stats;

YV 3w 1 6 6 vs 4 0 10 6 VCX

The VCX has 4 more health, but the YV has the “perpetual health” of 1 Agility, giving the Ghost the slightest edge unless the fight drags on. The wide fire arc is not a replacement for a turret, but it is useable at R3 vs the less wide but brutal 4d primary (one of two in BB). The Ghost has no inherent agility, but may Evade as an action, the YV has permanent agility.

Actions;

YV Lock vs Lock, Evade VCX

Finally some big ship love.

Upgrades (BB style);

YV 3 Crew, Missile, Cannon, Illicit vs 2 Crew, 2 Torpedo, Turret, System VCX

A true “party Bus” vs a more refined and dangerous Turret, Systems combo. With 2 Torp, a Turret and 4d Primary, the Ghost has the most offensive options of any ship in BB, but that is where the 70+ points comes in. The YV can pack the Heavy Laser Cannon and some Illicit trickery, but the real benefit will likely be in wingmen for the points difference.

Moves;

YV 7 White, 5 Green, 3 Red vs 8 White, 4 Green, 4 Red VCX

YT Speed 4 vs Speed 4, 5 K Turn DM

The K Turn is a real point of difference. Most large base ships, especially the tougher ones lack much in the way of manoeuvring power, but the Ghost, with it’s big base can cover some ground and come back in your face! Other than that, they are pretty even.

Pilots;

YV 4 (3 Elite) vs 4 (3 Elite*) VCX

The YV does have a weaker pilot choice than the Ghost. This is to some extend mitigated by their Illicit upgrade, adding in the “X” factor better Pilots often add, but the Ghost has amazing crew synergy and a system slot, making them pretty even.

Summary;

The Ghost is a beast, making even the Imperial Raider look more regularly sized and it packs a wallop for it’s points. The YV is cheaper, which it needs, allowing for some extra help.

*No Ghost Pilots have Elite talents (and neither does BB), but three have inherent talents.

The New Order

There is little doubt that X Wing 2nd edition is on the whole a better systemic skeleton than the belaboured 1st ed.

Starting from scratch with a fully developed pathway laid out, has allowed the designers to re-prioritise and set new boundaries. No more insidious power escalation, priority shifting or balance issues.

Well…so far.

I am committed to the game as a whole and to 1e in it’s various deliberately limited forms, which go some way to reducing the issues outlined above.

That does not mean I have no interest in 2e, in fact far from it.

My (big) toe dip into this edition is very much one of circumstance and factional preference. I like the new movies, which match the feel and look of the new edition and the new ships as a combined whole. In a nutshell, 2e just feels more “Disney”.

I also have an abundance of these new ships from my early purchase of 5 cheap TFA starter kits, that happened to line up with the cheaper conversion kits nearly perfectly. This pretty much set me on my way.

Now that that was so effortlessly settled, lets take stock of what it all means.

*

The Resistance only offers 8 ship types, two of which are unique if you stick to canon (9 if you fudge the CR-90, seen in the final movie). In 1e this would be the makings of a nice small collection from your favourite faction, maybe even a varied and powerful enough one to win tournaments, but as the sum total of what is available, all of the ships need to do some serious heavy lifting, both thematically and systemically.

In 2e the Resistance has a deeper, but more controlled build path with fewer super builds and little chance of really stuffing one up (making piloting and story fidelity kings again), so the faction offers one of the most stable and satisfying platforms to work with, beginner or not.

The XT-70 (15) is a very solid start. With 16 pilot options (including generics that can be fielded in different ways), this one ship can decently replace the XT-65 and XT-70 from the first edition and go some way to replacing the ARC-170, B and E Wings also.

The basic dial was good in 1e and that has stayed roughly the same, offering a Talon Roll. It also has the S-Foil configuration as standard, added to the new Overdrive Thrusters, there are manoeuvre options that make the ship truly versatile, if more complicated to fly.

The Hard Point allows the T-70 multiple personalities as an ordnance platform or gunship or Interceptor and the new Underslung Blaster Cannon effectively makes it a semi-turreted ship. Tech, Droid, Title, Mod, Config and EPT’s with the many pilots available allow for almost endless combinations.

So, more Ordnance and flight choices with a bunch of pilots. The X Wing has come a long way since the basic XT-65 of the 1e core set.

As a perfect foil to the X Wing, the RZ-2 A Wing (10) is the lighter, faster, funkier little scout or flanker ship that any faction needs (or at least wants to have). Better again than the original and sporting front/back firing lasers, the RZ also has the dual EPT option baked in. Again, this little ship with 12 Pilots and a Tech slot (no Mod, but that’s bare bones A Wings) has options galore.

With S-Loop, Boost and Green 5 max speed, it is not only one of the fastest ships available, but nimble as well.

Already with just two ships, the Resistance faction in 2e has effectively replaced the roles of the 1e X’s, A, E, Y, B Wings and ARC 170 and all with 2 more pilot options.

The Fireball (1) adds a Scum like ship, Illicit upgrade and all. With 2 Mod, Illicit, EPT, Title, SLAM and Droid slots, the unique Fireball is a genuine wild card a bit like a Vaksai Kihraxz crossed with a Kamikaze Z-95.

The MG-100 Bomber (3) is an odd fish. It is vastly better then the 1e version with a decent crew compliment. Playing the role of the “Memphis Belle”-like Flying Fortress, it is way more than a K, Y Wing or ARC-170, adding another dimension entirely. Love it or hate it, this one is a scenario maker.

The Transport/Pod (2/2) and GR-75 (1) are a comprehensive support offerings compared to a complete lack of faction specific support ships from 1e. Each is a true support platform, with Force, Coordinate and Jam, in tiny, medium and Huge packages.

The Scavenged Millennium Falcon (1) adds a medium support and second “wildcard” ship, bringing the Resistance to 2 Illicit capable ships and that legendary “something” that the Falcon always brings.

Optional; CR-90 Corvette (1) is not officially supported by FFG in the Resistance faction, but the reality of one is in the final movie, which will likely force a fix of some kind. The easiest fix though is to simply play the Rebel one with generic or Resistance crew.

Total 1 (2) Huge, 4 Large, 28 small ships, 33 (34) in total.

A really well rounded offer, especially considering the deeper upgrade path and inherent capabilities of each ship. With Illicit and Turret upgrades heavily reduced in 2e, the balance of what is on offer and what is usable sits well.

*

The First Order is similarly well balanced and robust.

Like the Resistance, the depth of ships is shallow at this point, but the breadth of role coverage is, as of the Xi Shuttle expansion, now fully rounded.

The basic Tie/fo (12) is tougher and more versatile than the Tie/ln, with Mods, EPT’s and Tech to choose from. This little, unassuming ship has multiple personalities, an abundance of pilots and is still cheap as chips.

The Tie/sf (4) gives the First Order an ordnance platform that is also a genuine fighter, not a slow moving target like the Bomber or Punisher. In 2e it gained one speed, tying in with Po’s comment in the first movie.

The Raider (1) is the “Big Bad” the faction needs, which the Upsilon can also fill, but with two options the First order has tactical choices or can double up the fear. Like the MG-100’s this one is a scenario maker.

The Upsilon (1) is almost as big as the Raider (wing span to length), giving the First Order two intimidators. One is a weapons platform with bells on, the second is a crewed support platform with teeth. Loaded with Tech and personalities, the Upsilon is a points hog, but interesting to fly.

The Gozanti class Cruiser (1) is another huge ship that adds support and muscle, even if it is less brutish than the two above. An excellent scenario driver and fleet strengthener, it will get a lot of use.

The Tie Silencer (2), with Ren at the helm or not, is a fast and dangerous heavy fighter, like the Tie Defender, but more versatile and even scarier looking. This is the Tie Advanced of the First order and it shows. Strong fast and lethal, this one is a good ride for Kylo.

The Tie/ba Interceptor (4), like most FO ships, is also an improvement on the Imperial one. This is the close quarters knife fighter, giving the FO different paths to the same end point and an equally different feel to the A Wing. Where the A Wing is great at high speed fly-throughs, the Interceptor wants to stay in close, like an angry hornet.

The final piece in the First Order puzzle is the Xi Shuttle (2). This has added some scenario interest, a supply of Illicit upgrades and a support option. How useful it is generally is up for debate, but what is not contested is it’s role in the FO fleet. Basically it adds what was missing.

Total, 2 Huge, 1 Large, 2 medium and 22 small ships, 27 in total.

Optionally, other generic Imperial era ships could could be pressed into service as long as there are no thematic conflicts (Crew, Title etc), such as the Decimator or Lambda.

One thing that dawned on me when looking at these factions, and something that sits really well, is that unlike 1e where each faction tended to have equivalents in their opponent’s fleets, these two fleets are very different.

There are no direct equivalents in the First Order to any Resistance ship, which effectively doubles the variety available and makes them play differently.

*

The above can comprehensively support Epic and Huge ship games and any form of smaller format play.

I have a reasonable coverage of the other factions through the conversion sets, but for the moment they will take a back seat as they are (1) incomplete in coverage and (2) do not fit into my settled vision of the old game > old movies (and extended universe) and new game > new movies dynamic.

Adding in Scum expands variety massively and with little that jangles the nerves thematically, but without, there is still plenty to work with, after all how long is life with sooo many games to play.

Head to Head; YV 666 vs Decimator

These two are the “Party Bus” (3 Crew) options for the Scum and Imperials respectively, so are worth matching up.

Points;

YV 29 to 35 (64 max) vs 40 to 46 (69 max) DM

The YV can be relatively cheap at 1/3rd of a squad’s points or less, allowing the user to slot it into a support role or you can max it out with all the trimmings, which will have mixed results.

Base Stats;

YV 3w 1 6 6 vs 3t 0 12 4 DM

The Decimator has 4 health more, but the YV has the “perpetual health” of 1 Agility and more shields. The wide fire arc is not a replacement for a turret, but it is useable at R3 (house rule of R2 max for turrets assumed to be in play). Both look like cumbersome brutes, but the YV is a little deceptive here.

Actions;

YV Lock vs Lock DM

Move along, still nothing to see here.

Upgrades (BB style);

YV 3 Crew, Missile, Cannon, Illicit vs 3 Crew, Torpedo, Bomb DM

The “Party Bus” terminology comes from the three Crew each ship has, although a “Party” held on an Empire ship sounds a bit iffy. Three crew for each of these factions is not as powerful as a Rebel offering might be, but they can still throw up tons of options offensively or defensively.

Moves;

YV 7 White, 5 Green, 3 Red vs 10 White, 4 Green DM

YT Speed 4 vs Speed 4 DM

Unlike the Falcon-Decimator comparison, things settle down a lot here, but there are differences. The Decimator can turn better than the YV, but the YV can do a full stop, which if timed well can give it a manoeuvring edge over other big ships.

Pilots;

YV 4 (3 Elite*) vs 4 (3 Elite) DM

The YV does have a weaker pilot choice than the Decimator. This is to some extend mitigated by their Illicit upgrade, adding in the “X” factor better Pilots often add.

Summary;

Like the Falcon comparison, these two were designed to fill roughly the same role in their respective fleets, but do it again in factional style, in large part from their reliance on Crew upgrades. The YV, like the Falcon shows it’s smugglers-ride roots, the Decimator is still that a simple brute. The YV’s blind spot can offer an interesting trap for the Scum player, with several Illicit options in play and Jabba can make these double whammy’s.

The YV, unlike the Decimator can play the role of a cheap, giant HWK 290 support ship or be armed to the teeth with it’s rear defended by smaller friends, much like a mini Raider. In BB without Title it has no Nashtah Pup option unless this is used as a scenario option.

*Only one Pilot has an unused Elite slot, but three have Pilot talents, which makes them Elite in BB.

Head to Head; Falcon vs Decimator

This head to head pits the two turreted brutes of the Rebel and Imperial factions against each other. The Outer Rim Smuggler YT 1300 variant is omitted as it is a weaker and quite different ship.

Points;

YT 42 to 46 (62 max) vs 40 to 46 (69 max) DM

The ships are both points hogs, taking up about half of a BB 120pt squad each. This may seem excessive and in some builds it is, but remember these ships are the only ones with a native 3d, 360 degree turret, which are considered game breakers in 1e (house ruled to R 1-2 max to reduce their effectiveness).

Base Stats;

YT 3t 1 8 5 vs 3t 0 12 4 DM

The Decimator has 3 health more, but the Falcon has the “perpetual health” of 1 Agility. The full “Fat Han” build is not available in BB (No 1 Evade Title), but with C-3PO, Chewbacca as pilot and other options, the Falcon can really hang in there. The Decimator is just a big fat target with lots of bulk.

Actions;

YT Lock vs Lock DM

Move along, nothing to see here.

Upgrades (BB style);

YT 2 Crew, Missile vs 3 Crew, Torpedo, Bomb DM

The extra crew (and the Empire do have some decent options) and two Ordnance slots give the Decimator an advantage here, making up for it’s generally predictable nature. No Illicit option for the Falcon makes it more main stream, but everything you see in the movies is there to use.

Moves;

YT 10 White, 4 Green vs 10 White, 4 Green DM

YT Speed 4, 4/3 K-Turns vs Speed 4 DM

This is the real difference between these ships. The Falcon is slippery and agile for a big ship (even without a Title option), the Decimator is a big angry Space Cow with wolf’s teeth, happier to “touch park” than go around. If the Decimator did not have a turret, it would be a bit of a lame duck, but with it, it’s like a Bumble Bee with a Scorpion’s Tail.

Pilots;

YT 3 (all Elite) vs 4 (3 Elite) DM

Each ship has three Elite Pilots, with a defensive, manoeuvre and offensive option available to both. The Decimator also has a decent generic (the Falcon has the Outer Rim Smuggler, which is effectively a different ship).

Summary.

These two fill roughly the same role in their respective fleets, but do it in factional style. The Falcon shows it’s smugglers roots, the Decimator is a simple bully, that arrives, intimidates and shoots. Both can be a little boring, with variety and tactical nuance provided by their respective escorts, securing their roles as squad leaders and aggressive supports.

Catching My Tail

1e X Wing is still supported and played by some, but coming into it at the end of it’s run (Feb this year), put some ships out of reach with no news yet of their return in 2e.

Finally, the gang (timeline inconsistencies accepted) are all here!

Recently I picked up a second K Wing and Sabine’s Tie, both of which are long gone from most new sources, but are available through Amazon UK, in SPANISH editions! These compliment my cheaply bought 2e Tantive, all supported by cards sourced from Big Orbit in the U.K. (thanks Paul) and miraculously I found a Gozanti Assault Carrier (Spanish version) to, but have to use the damage deck either translated or modified until a second hand one turns up.

“Ok, peel off to the right”.

“Que?”.

The only ship missed from 1e is the Alpha Star-wing, which for some reason I could care less about, but if they release it in 2e, I will source more cards for 1e also.

The hardest to find are 2e dials for the various “Wings” and Vipers, but these will come eventually.

Looking like a busy Christmas.

Making The Game Fit

So far on this blog, the hobby side anyway, I have almost entirely focussed on X Wing (both editions) and lately a little Attack Wing. I have many interests in gaming, but before I start looking at these, lets finish off some basic thoughts on the above.

All three of theses games have levels of complication, a required simulation stretch and even some recognised problems that may or have put you off playing them.

I have offered a couple of fixes, especially to the story line fidelity side that I find so necessary, but also a couple of fixes for mechanical issues in X Wing 1e.

There are more out there, so lets look at some common ways of reducing the broken or overly deep elements of these games.

X Wing. “C’mon guys, lets get ‘em”.

Bomber. “What version are we in?”

Transport. “Yeah, should I even be here?”

A Wing. “Aw man, I swatted up on my EPT’s, is that even kosher?”

X Wing. “Ok fine, I’ll go it alone”.

X Wing 1st ed

Bare Bones

Play as normal but remove Titles, Mods and Elite Pilot Talents (EPT’s). This reduces the action economy layers that plague the full game and seems to bring all ships back to a more basic manoeuvre and shoot dynamic. The only real losers are the basic swarm ships that lack any other upgrade slots and Titled ships that are bought back to the pack, which is generally good. We play this with only Rebel, Imperial era ships, with Scum included and only ships with the basic 4 upgrades.

This format is ideal for pick up games with new players as the base pilot reigns supreme and action economy layering is kept to a minimum or experienced players tired of the action economy is all play of later 1e. It also tends to give all ships a fair go.

Classic

As above but add in named Title ships and all the ships with more advanced upgrade bars. This adds a level of rules complication, but returns the extra capabilities of the Legendary ships and helps round out the fleets. It also opens the door to Huge ships.

Optionally add back in EPT’s, but be aware of their potential to break the game or give an experienced player too much of a systemic edge over a newbie or casual player (as opposed to just flying better). Granted they also have the potential to increase fun. We also play this with only Rebel and Imperial era ships, Scum included.

Full Bore

Full options, but a 60 point squad maximum. Reducing squad points seems to make maxed out ships more workable and really makes for a fast game. Luck plays a bigger role, blunting the super squad dynamic. You can still squeeze in a 4 Tie swarm, an Ace and wingman or Brute like a Fat Han, but nothing else.

Generic Full Bore

Play generic ships only and (optionally) keep them to PS4 or less, but allow any upgrades. There are no Pilot based abilities, only reasonably rare EPT’s. The EPT’s tend to land on ships that have no Systems or Droid slots, so they help even these out. The A Wing, Tie, Interceptor, M3 and Fang get them, making those ships the intuitively flown, bare knuckle ships as opposed to the advanced Systems, Illicit or Droid assisted ones. We still play this with only Rebel and Imperial era ships, Scum included but this format tends to naturally exclude some ships with no generic option.

A small problem with this format is if you leave out TFA era ships (as we do), is that the Rebels are a bit screwed with only the A Wing getting EPT’s, but many of their enemies do not have the Droid or Systems options. This effectively makes the X Wing a “heavy” ship, like the Y and Punisher, missing out an EPT option, which I am ok with (on closer analysis this actually works well. Most of the ships with other upgrades do not have an EPT slot unless the specific ship is also the type that would one such as the JM 5000 Contracted Scout). *The YT1300 is poor with only the Outer Rim Smuggler option so we allow the Resistance Sympathiser from the TFA era in.

Restricting the PS to 4 is a fix for the top heavy Scum (Black Sun Assassin and Ace) and Imperial (Royal Guard/Glaive Squadron) choices, but this can be evened out with the inclusion of TFA ships and no PS limit. The PS 6-8 pilots are then better spread through these factions.

Play to a Theme

Original movies only, or early or later period or Scum vs Scum. Better still play to a scenario, like a Death Star attack or escape from “X” game. These are not only satisfying, but any other limits imposed tend to sit better with players. To fix unbalanced games switch sides and go again.

*

X Wing 2nd ed

Second edition has fixed a lot of the balance issues from 1st ed, but has added in more moving parts, so to make the game more approachable, here some options.

Quick Builds (official).

The official Quick Builds, available as a print out from FFG.

Simplified points.

This is a version of our own creation using 1/5th points, making upgrades 0-2 points (most are 1). This simplification actually ends up like the Quick Builds, but with variety. There are of course maximum builds for those that can be bothered, but if you can control that, it works well.

Generics only.

The same as the first edition version, but a better spread of EPT’s. This is especially good with Epic Play

Reduced Squads.

As above, maybe 120 or 100 points.

*

Attack Wing

Although it is a less aggressive game overall, Attack Wing has even more balance and scale/timeline credibility issues than X Wing 1e.

Timeline Specific

Each timeline (TOS/TAS, TOM, TNG at 2 scales*, Ent) is self contained. Each tends to have the advantage of balance built in either by design or as a sign of the gradual evolution of the game, but either way, each Enterprise fits it’s time!

*There is a scale forced sub grouping of TNG Skirmish and TNG Battle, just because we (I) cannot deal with the massive discrepancies in size, but this again seems to help with relevance and balance.We play timeline and faction limited almost always.

Timeline specific may also allow cross factional builds, which fit in ok and are often based on precedent. Basically if there is a reasonable “Trek Solid” scenario suggestion, it is taken on board.

Generic

The Named ships in Attack Wing are all consistently 2 points dearer. This tends to make them sooo much better for the points, you would only take a generic if there were literally no other options available. This is especially exacerbated by the non graded curve. The 40 pt Scimitar is 2 points dearer than it’s generic, so is the 14 pt Apnex, but they are very different ships. This format allows the player, their upgrades and Captain to determine the ship’s fate, not the built in and sometimes odd inherent ship’s ability (like one version of the Enterprise that is inherently harder to hit….because???).

Some ships are weakened considerably, but this just makes the limit of choices more flavoursome and a lot less predictable. Will Kirk use Scotty, Bones, Spock or Sulu for his cunning plan?

An allowance that is often played, but is optional is to start the game with all upgrades (and optionally the Captain) facing down. The upgrade is revealed when used and the Captain is used at a nominated CS of their actual CS or lower until revealed (the player forfeiting the game if they embellished).

A further option is to allow the player to chose their upgrades during the game, until all of their slots are used (this only works with faction and period restrictions). Kirk can activate any of his crew, even different versions of them, but only until his upgrade slots are used. This really simulates the quick thinking of the Captain in the actual show, choosing who and what on the fly.

Another option is to allow a ship to field any faction legal upgrade, but at double cost once it is outside of the base allowed.

Because the ships are lower in upgrades power and complication*, this format suits larger actions well. The player may have their favourite upgrades, but these can be spread over more ships or they simply get by with fewer choices, so they have to strategise better.

We play this with bigger games as well as above.

*+1 shields, +1 or more upgrade and an inherent ability for 2 points.

Named Only

This option is almost irrelevant, because it tends to mirror reality. Named only takes out the dead wood of generics, if needed. It’s only real effect is to reduce the maximum fleet options of each faction.

Fleet Limited

If using faction and or timeline limits, then there is little reason to look too hard at fleet limits as each period tends to even itself out.

A points per ship limit can help reduce over complication (say half ship cost maximum).

*

At the end of the day, it’s just a game, so playing with house rules (assumed in some gaming forms like miniature war games and role playing) is all in the spirit of fun.

A Brief Retrospective Of Our Attack Wing Analysis

This has been fun and enlightening.

Before I go gangbusters into the two biggest periods (TNG Battle and TNG/DS9 Skirmish, which I will explain later), I would like to revisit the previous posts and ponder what has been learned (and since bought).

The house rules used are;

• All upgrades, even the Captain’s are hidden until revealed/used.

• As an option, in some periods where it suits (TOM, TOS, Ent, Voyager), the players may buy from their upgrade choices “as they go”, until their points or slots are exhausted. This give Kirk, Khan or Chang for example more choices per game.

The Original Period.

The TOS period(s), including the Animated Series and Kelvin timeline have proven to be most satisfying and surprising. The TAS (1970’s Animated Series) has fleshed out TOS with some tasty Tech and Weapon upgrades, fully allowable as they are for the same ships and timeline, but the animated Crew and Ship cards are kept segregated.

The same for the Kelvin timeline. The Weapon and Tech options can be interchanged for a little spice, the Crew and Ships not. The Kelvin Enterprise let loose on the other original ships would be just mean.

The Mirror Enterprise (the dark one, not the Kelvin), also adds options which can partially, go both ways (no Agony Chamber for the USS fleet please).

By spreading the Tech and Weapon upgrade love, each sub-faction of the TOS period is deeper, with no harm done to any (for example there are no Federation Photon Torps in the Kelvin pack!?).

Reviewing this period (or periods), apart from soothing my doubts that it was not really a going concern on it’s own, did lead to some more purchases. A third Gorn ship, the Mirror Enterprise, the Animated Series pack and making a commitment to repaint some D7’s to fit the period better (and I do have lots!), has rounded out the range nicely.

Cheap ships with powerful upgrades are this period’s vibe. The Enterprise loaded with the original cast can pack a real punch and stay under 50 points, so 2-3 ship a side jousts, at 80-100 pts are the realistic limit (the whole Federation fleet comes in at 95pts, as do many others).

The Enterprise Era.

This one always sat quite nicely on it’s own. The models are great and largely in scale (avert your gaze from the Xindi Aquatic now) and the faction choice is interesting, balanced and diverse.

Separating it from other periods has only made it better. The NX is a weak ship in some company (actually equal to a Tie fighter in X Wing, see below), but it is a solid option here thanks to good upgrades. The emerging Romulans and Klingons, the paranoid Xindi and frenemies such as the Vulcans and Andorians make the squadron builds thematic, flexible and appealing.

Cheap and relatively weak ships, there are still agile (NX, Insectoid, Romulan), powerful hitting (Xindi, Andorian), robust (Xindi, Vulcan) and tricky (Romulan, Tholian) options. Crew are important here as is an awareness of individual ship strengths and weaknesses, which fits in well with the series.

There is actually more variety in this era than most, even though the power level is generally low.

A second Muritas found by accident while searching for something else has completed this period, which in turn helped rekindle my waning interest in STAW generally. A second Romulan Drone was also added to go with the new card pack, because damn they are nice to fly.

This period lends itself to small fleet actions, both thematically and mechanically (100 pts goes a long way).

The Original Movies.

To be honest this was my least favourite period and probably still is. Not a huge fan of the movies at the time, I have watched them with older eyes and appreciated their legacy, but the STAW offering was seen more of an annoyance than a benefit.

I will admit to judging it too harshly. Sure there are limited factions (2 and a half) and limited ships, but nice ones and more than in the same factions in TOS. The models are nice-ish (love the Excelsior, but the Enterprise refit has moulding issues, which I have bought a couple of Deep Cuts to fix).

What the ships lack in variety, they make up for in upgrade options (53 in my collection). Chang in his BoP has multiple tactical choices and powerful ones, Khan is not faction limited and Kirk is a powerhouse with Crew to match, in fact most of the major characters have more than one option (Gorkon has 3!).

This is a good period I feel, for simulating the deeper tactics shown in the movies. Full of flavour, it is just begging to be used thematically.

Nothing added here because as it turns out, it is pretty healthy, but lots of re-paints.

1:1 duels in complicated, tactical scenario’s are best here.

The Delta Quadrant.

The first of the Next generation periods and one of the two “skirmish” options*, the Delta Quadrant at first looks like the graveyard of Federation dreams. The lone Voyager, with the later Delta flyer for support is a neat and strong little combo, especially when you look at the upgrades on offer, but the catch is, the Delta Quadrant is dangerous enough to give even the Borg pause.

Species 8472, The Krenim, Hirogens, Vidiians and even the Kazon are capable of giving a single ship as good as the Intrepid class, even with a little support, a good run. Add in the Borg and things start to look over whelming, as they are meant to.

To add variety and survivability, there are options for the Feds other than alliances. Other ships, stranded in the Quadrant, such as the Val Jean (destroyed), Equinox (destroyed) and even the Dauntless (fake) could be pressed into service or used as another enemy, to keep games interesting (maybe a Hirogen allied Equinox or Kazon allied Val Jean?). The Klingons and Romulans (the nearest Alpha Qd neighbours?) can also be used, as they were (lost experimental Drone ship anyone?) and the enigmatic Tholians it seems can pop up anywhere and anytime. You could even switch out the main ship entirely (lost Defiant?)

Optionally other factional conflicts, maybe between the already demonstrably combative Borg vs Sp 8473, Kazon vs Hirogen or the Vidiian vs the Krenim, allow you to pit the quadrant’s power houses against each other. Other Skirmish scale ships could also be added including Enterprise era/Xindi or even TOM ships as they will fit well enough size wise and could make for interesting scenario games.

Like the Enterprise series, the ships are nice and if kept to their designated grouping*, well scaled (the Borg are always a stretch, but are too much fun to ignore).

I have not re-painted one ship in this period, but relented and purchased the Dauntless for variety and a second Krenim Time ship to empower that faction a little.

Small squadron actions are good here as are the excellent scenarios provided.

*

*The TNG period has been split into “Battle” for big ships and “Skirmish” for smaller ships.

The Battle category has the bigger BoP (K’Vort or bigger) is the smallest big ship used, even though it looks a bit out of place and genuinely small ships such as the Hathaway are included as the minnows of this group. The core assumption is a ship will be in the 500ft+ class. Battle has fighters, representing a full squadron strength per unit.

Skirmish considers the Voyager or a B’Rel BoP to be the “big guns” of the group with most ships coming in at 100-200 ft maximum. Fighters represent wings, with 2-3 making a squadron. Generally more agile and fragile, this is the dog fighting group. WizKids seem to have settled on two scales to make most ships look the same on the table. Often within one period there is only the odd exception to this, and many are up for debate anyway, but in the TNG era, the big ships are really big, the smaller ones quite tiny in comparison.

The Ex Astris Scientia or an equivalent size chart is used for a loose categorisation, but the micro scale knit-picking is ignored.

*

In comparison to X Wing.

They may share the same movement system, turn sequence and even some terminology, but STAW has a very different feel to X Wing. The ship to upgrade dynamic makes upgrades the primary tool for an enjoyable and competitive game and better connection to story. This has the benefit of greater customisation within a single ship type (the equivalent of separate Pilots and even more upgrades for X Wing), so a few go a long way. Even when strictly limited as here, the build options are many, allowing for a more epic style long game vs a manoeuvre for the first strike feel of the dog fight designed X Wing.

Somehow STAW is just less hard edged than X Wing. We have made some allowances in our games to reduce the built-in competitiveness of X Wing, where STAW tends to start with a scenario idea and grow from there naturally.

Why is it STAW generally starts with an “ok what is A trying to do that B is trying to stop” while X Wing has a “how many points and what’s in or out” feel?

The greater reliance on upgrades, but their lower individual impact on the game, allows for a lot of “soft” experimentation and build options.

The Action Bar dynamic is also very different.

In X Wing the Action Bar is a large differentiator between ships.

In STAW, the bulk of ships have the same bar (BS, Sc, TL, Ev), with the “alternate” being the cloaking capable ships who swap out BS and Sc for Cloak and Echo. Some (few) ships have fewer than the basic 4 options, but not many. These actions are more in line with larger ships so there are no Boost, or Barrel Roll actions.

By comparison, lets look at the NX-01 Enterprise (16 points) vs the standard Tie fighter (12-18 pts).

Base Stats

NX 2 3 3 0 vs 2 3 3 0 Tie

Action Bar

NX Ev TL Sc BS vs Br Ev Tie

Moves

NX 4 GR, 7 Wh, 2 Rd vs 4 Gr, 10 wh Tie

Manoeuvres

NX Red 3 and Wh 2 K-Turns, Sp 3 vs Red 3 and 4 K-turns, Sp 5 Tie

Upgrades

NX 4 Crew*, 1 Weapon, 1 Tech**, 1 Elite* vs Elite (some) and Mod Tie

*with Archer as Captain.

** with T’Pol

So very similar in some ways, totally different in others. These two really highlight the differences between the design goals of the two games.

The tie is faster and can be more agile (Roll), the Enterprise has 4 Action options (Crew not withstanding), but is considerably slower (on par with it’s contemporaries). They can both turn, the NX maybe even better and tighter, but has 2 Red moves to the Ties none.

The most expensive Tie/ln in the Game is a 26pt Howlrunner (usually 23 though and 18 in Bare Bones).

The Enterprise can come in at 33pts with a multitude of choices and free Hull Plating.

Head to Head; B Wing vs Tie Punisher

Odd matchup? Maybe, but these two (especially with the K Wing excluded from BB), actually have much in common.

Not a regular occurrence but infinitely more likely with a Punisher to chase.

Points;

BW 22 to 31 (64 max) vs 21 to 27 (73max) TP

Ok, the elephant in the room is a maxed out Punisher, just sitting there waiting to be well….punished! The B Wing is more expensive out of the gate, the Punisher potentially as dear as a large ship. Realistically, both would likely come in at 30-40 points, but with 7 slots to fill, there is much to ponder. The 4 B and a Z95 squad has proven itself over time and in BB may be one of the strongest options. The Punisher on the other hand tends to sit in a difficult over/under costed 3 ship squad. The reality is, the Punisher is best in a mixed squad, the B Wing massed cheaply or as a scrappy finisher.

Base Stats;

BW 3 1 3 5 vs 2 1 6 3 TP

The Punisher has more health, but the B Wing has some of the strongest shields on the game. The native 3 primary is as relevant as ever, even though the Punisher is an ordnance platform.

Actions;

BW Lock, Roll, Focus vs Focus, Lock, Boost TP

The B Wing takes on the traditional role of the Empire with a Roll (one of few available to the Rebels) and the Punisher is one of the few Imperials that cannot Roll, but Boost helps it’s drop and run role. A bit of role reversal can be healthy.

Upgrades (BB style);

BW 2 Torp, Cannon, System vs 2 Missiles, 2 Torp, 2 Bomb, System TP

Both offer a Systems slot, but the way they will use them is very different. The Punisher will likely take something Ordnance based (Trajectory Simulator or Minefield Mapper), while the standard build for the B Wing is to boost close in fighting (Fire Control System or Advanced Sensors). Plenty of Ordnance options for both, but again, the Punisher will load up on projectiles (Unguided Rockets are popular and Empire limited in BB) while the B Wing can go either that way (Nera is lethal with Torps), or add a Cannon for close combat.

Moves;

BW 5 White, 4 Green, 5 Red vs 7 White, 5 Green, 2 Red TP

BW Speed Red 4, 2 K-Turns vs Speed 3, 4 K-Turn TP

With the Punisher’s boost option, both ships are similar in maximum speed, but the B Wing has the tightest K Turn in BB. At speed two it is more like an S-Loop, pushing the role of the ship closer to a close quarters knife fighter role than long range jouster. The Punisher has more white and green moves than the BW, but is otherwise slow and fairly conventional.

Pilots;

BW 6 (4 Elite) vs 4 (no Elite) TP

An aggressive lot, the B Wing and Punisher jockeys are strong on attacking options, but lack any manoeuvre or support options, except EPT’s (if used). Both aces for the Punisher are very Ordnance supportive, the B’s have all sorts of tricks, but it is safe to say, these ships are first strike or finishers, not lurkers. The B Wing has more than it’s fair share of EPT slots, the Punisher, being a bigger ship, has none.

Summary.

Very different ships these two, yet similar in many ways. Offering Systems slots in BB makes them stand out, not just in their class (multi-role), but in BB in general. This means that a player including them has access to some interesting and rare upgrades. The Punisher differentiates itself from the more straight forward Bomber here and the B Wing from any other Rebel fighter other than the E Wing, but is quite a different machine to others. They can take punishment, dish it out and mix it up a bit, but what ever role they take, they can be squad defining.

Star Trek Attack Wing; The Delta Quadrant.

The Delta Quadrant offers a whole chunk of the universe in and of itself. This group I really struggle to cross-pollinate with ships from other periods, quadrants or time lines, as the combatants are literally a universe apart. The Borg and their enemies Species 8472 are fine, but any others are just a real stretch.

There is of course ample room for odd encounters in the Quadrant. The Klingons do make an appearance, the Romulans and others are hinted at, but the core ships are the ones that could have been part of an ongoing presence during the Voyager’s time or are native races.

Because of the variety here, 60 to 200 point fleets are possible and scenario play is recommended.

A good, but not great model, the AW ships do the job.

The Federation have The Voyager of course, namesake of the series, the Equinox, that could have allied with her if things had gone differently, or maybe just more Crew if they were open to switching ships and the Delta Flyer.

Not much of a fleet and a bit of a stretch even, but in upgrades the Federation are pretty flush in both quantity and quality. 7 possible Captains (without a generic), 12 Crew, 19 Tech and Weapon upgrades (some cross-over) and 1 Elite (others are also possible such as Self Destruct), make this little fleet as strong as any. Standouts are plenty, showing the strength of the crew with a myriad of synergies to explore.

The Voyager had some success against the Borg, even using their own tech to get home, and it shows. Powerful Weapons, Tech and tactics help reduce the Borg threat, which is good seeing as there is no help at hand and plenty of other things to worry about in this part of the universe.

The Voyager is the equal fastest ship in the game at white 6, but she has the typical Federation issue of not turning well. The Delta flyer is nimble and a pocket powerhouse, so they team well. The Equinox is a little tame, but brings some excellent upgrades that add variety and power to the faction as a whole and that all important wingman for the Voyager, if story line is toyed with a tad.

The Dauntless, a late purchase because I felt it was a little too hypothetical, has been added, because the actual ship is representative of it’s alien (Species 116) capabilities and in that form (with the Federation costume) it did exist, so deserves the same hypothetical life chance the Val Jean or Equinox get. A fast and tough ship, it is offensively complicated. Only 2 Primary with no Weapon or Crew slots means you have to think outside the box, using up to 4 Tech slots for some kind of edge or an imaginative Captain option. It is also in scale (yay!).

Another option is to play the Marquis ship, the Val Jean with a Marquis/Federation crew, for a hypothetical “all hands to the wheel” team effort which assumes it survived the first episodes and could keep up. The ships are in the “Skirmish” class of TNG ships (more on this later), so any from that grouping will fit fine.

The Voyager had a fated life in the DQ, which is evident when you look at what she was up against.

The Kazon, a race apparently not worth the Borg’s time to assimilate can still cause some problems. With two ship types, a half dozen Captains, and 15 other upgrades, there is enough depth and variety to place the Federation (or others) under some stress, but even at full strength, they are a bit of a “warmup” faction compared to what is coming.

Many of their upgrades are Crew disabling or upgrade thieving, so the faction’s character (or lack there of) comes through well.

The ships are a light raider, about the same strength as the Delta Flyer or Equinox or the larger Predator class with a decent 4 Primary and some fleet support effects. Not the most impressive, but not duds either.

The Hirogen, who gave the later Voyager some genuine grief, are dangerous and thanks to a later card pack, unpredictable as well. 5 Captains with 5 Elite, and 9 other upgrades, with decent numbers make the Hirogen a top tier and flavourful faction.

Karr is a rare Captain with 2 (!) Elite talents, and two other Captains (semi-generic ones) also have Elite slots, making the most of the ample choices. The role of the Hirogens is similar to the Romulans. Hard to hit, even slippery, and decisive when they strike.

The fearsome Borg, scourge of the Alpha Quadrant have a bit of a tough time in the DQ. The Federation have plenty of anti Borg upgrades and tricks, Species 8472 are effectively immune to Borg strengths, the Krenim are a handful and even the relatively unexciting Kazon have some immunity through obscurity (yes, they are that unexciting). Being Borg in the Delta Quadrant is not as easy a ride as before.

All of the impressive Borg power is there, in the form of sheer Toughness & Regeneration, Drones and plenty of raw punch, leaving lots of room for some juicy high octane confrontations, but unlike in the Alpha Quadrant, in the DQ there is more of an even playing field for all.

Species 8472 are a scary and enigmatic bunch, even to the Borg.

Packing 6 Primary, on teleporting and group supporting ships, with tough Captains, lots of Tech and powerful Weapons, they are a match for any combination of protagonists.

I have 4 of these (2 A’s & 2 B’s), enough to take on a decent 200pt Borg force or half my full Federation fleet, something few others can claim.

The Krenim, only have a single ship if played to canon, may seem like a fairly thin one trick faction and to a certain extent they are, but it is a good trick.

With the ability to control time, they can be a thorn in the side of the best a faction can offer. The ship and upgrades are expensive, but bizarre and powerful, so a 1 ship, 60 point offering is a potent alpha striker ally, but a 100pt, 2 ship fleet is even stronger.

A fleet of these would be up there with Species 8472 or the Borg. Maybe……(just ordered a second, now we are talkin’).

The Vidiians, I have not included because I just do not like/own them, but if added they increase the DQ’s variety.

The Delta Quadrant offers a very different feel to the Alpha Quadrant. Lots of big, powerful ships or swarmy factions and all with their own strong flavour. It is also nice to not play the “usual guys” some times.

Can the Delta Quadrant, as a sub-genre of Attack Wing stand on it’s own two feet?

Build depth 4/5 A reasonable range of strong factions with deep upgrade choice.

Interest value 4.5/5 Some of the most unique and powerful factions in Star Trek.

If I could only play one period or faction group, I would be torn between this and the Enterprise era, with this one probably winning through sheer interest value and ship strength.

The State of Play

Lots of words and opinions shared on these pages about my (our) gaming preferences, so after everything has settled, what are we left with?

1e X Wing Bare Bones (favourite)

80-120 point squads (or more), with a push towards thematic squads.

Original Movie and Extended Universe ships only and only those with basic Action bars only (Focus, Lock, Roll, Boost) which gives us 9 Imperial, 12 Rebel and 13 Scum options.

Scum can be used as allies/mercs for the other two factions or each other.

No Title, Modification or Elite Talent upgrades and no Huge ships which leaves us with;

The ship and inherent Pilot ability, Ordnance (some made faction specific), System, Droid/S-Droid and Illicit as factional or “advanced” ship, points of advantage and Named Titles. Some upgrades that fall into the “made only as a game fix” category are also dropped, like Extra Munitions, Bomb load-out, all Refits, Targeting and Flight Assist Mech.

Any that are inconsistent with the above are dropped.

The result is a game that takes us back to the early days of X Wing and has a genuine dog-fight feel.

Best for; Squadron fights with 3+ ships using team tactics and themed squads.

1e X Wing Classic

100-200 point squads.

Scatter guys. Looks like we’re playing “Classic”.

The above with all ships from this time period, including Rogue One (U Wing, Striker, Huge ships etc) with named Titles, but only for the correct pilots. No TFA period ships.

Best for; Squadron Fights or Hero ships and scenarios.

1e X Wing “Full Noise”

60 point squads, fixed, not flexible.

All options allowed including TFA ships as long as they do not cross pollute the timeline.

This creates a less robust squad dynamic, fixing to some degree the super build syndrome of full X Wing. It is nice to get out all of the old alpha combo’s and give every card a little love, but the point limit stops players from getting too precious about this builds.

You can still have a 5 ship mini swarm, a super brute or ace with a decent wingman, but the games are quick with luck playing a greater role.

Best for; Head to head face-offs of ideal squads and nostalgia.

2e X Wing Official

6-10 Threat level squads made from the official FFG Quick Build lists.

200+ squads made form FFG point lists. All factions from The original and later movies and Expanded Universe, but nothing from the Prequels. Epic play is possible, especially for TFA fleets.

Best for; Jousts, pickup or scenario games.

2e X Wing Unofficial

30-50 Pt Squads

My own quick build squads using 1/5th point values, which tends to make similar ship builds to the QB’s but with more variety and thanks to 2e upgrade balance, works cleanly enough.

Best for; Pick up games.

Timeline Specific Attack Wing

50-200 Points, often determined by Time period.

TOS, TOM, Enterprise, TNG (Battle), DS9/Voyager (Skirmish) fleets.

All options within the time period, faction pure or with limited cross-over.

Best for; Scenario or joust games.

Basic, Timeline Specific Attack Wing (favourite)

The same as above, but with generic ships only (reasoning in the previous post). This reduces upgrade and ship, ability drag by about 30-50%.

Best for; Fleet actions.

Lots to go on with.

Attack Wing Legends

The designers of Attack Wing have a design pattern when making ships for the game.

If a ship is named, it;

• is 2 points dearer, which is a diminishing penalty for higher value ships,

• has a special trait (ship talent?)

• has an extra shield, unless it starts with none (in which case a shieldless ship is further penalised for having none to begin with).

• has one or more extra upgrade slots.

The first one is logical, better = dearer but could be graded for ship strength, the second is odd (why would a ship have a personal trait or special ability not imparted by it’s crew or Captain?) and the third is just a game play leveller.

The last makes some sense on it’s own, but less sense when the previous are considered.

Why are the Enterprise or Venture 1 shield point better than any other ship of the same class? Is this a “luck” point, a legacy point, or simply a game balancing consideration?

If it is a game balancer, then the ship has, I feel, already earned it’s two points in it’s special ability and/or extra upgrades. Some of these are very strong, arguably better than a 2 point bonus would warrant, others are just a slight benefit, often nicely themed, but still, 2 Points doesn’t usually get you that much anywhere else.

The Enterprise D (the later 26 pt version) gets a -1 mod to all attackers weapon values and a + 1 extra shield benefit and an extra upgrade that could conceivably give something similar all for 2 points.

If the Captain (card or player) are actually crap enough to need all that, then why is it special?

Wizkids have baked into the ships likely effects to mimic the TV or movie outcomes. This is similar to the Pilot skills in X Wing, except that each Captain comes with their own and many have an Elite Talent slot also (EPT equivalent), so in some cases, there are three “special” talents available to a Captain and his hunk of metal.

The question to be asked, if purely game requirements are shelved for the moment, is why would a ship have a talent. Is it a representation of the ship’s very Legend, The Captains skill (already accounted for in CS and ability and sometimes Elite slot), of the Crew’s ability (also recognised with crew slots of their own) or simply a vibe the designers wanted to add?

*

One way of reducing this effect is to drop the generic ships, making all ships themed, but none stand out as “plain label”. It still defies some logic, but the ships get the full swathe of benefits.

As another alternative is to use the base class type only and let the Captain, Crew and other upgrades determine, along with the player, how well it performs.

Make sense?

This is similar to the no EPT slot in Bare Bones X Wing, avoiding double dipping, but even more logical.

The net effect is, fewer upgrades, cheaper ships and less upgrade synergy/complication/unbalancing, much as with BB X Wing.

Attack Wing; Faction Pure or Timeline Pure?

The AW community has a line drawn in the gaming sand which tends to define it’s players into two groups.

Do you play free form or faction pure. Tournaments and casual game alike are played generally within these two frameworks with opinions split and arguments common.

I get that from both a gaming and canon purist perspective, to a point, but I feel there is something they are overlooking.

If you are playing faction pure, is it because of a desire for an artificial limit for builds, or is it to strengthen the story line of the games and the player connection to them? If that second one is the justification, then what about time line?

Kirk and Harry Kim together makes as much sense as Kirk on a Xindi Insectoid ship.

Timeline pure on the other hand, does allow for some cross factional upgrade or even Captain sharing, because it happened.

Kirk and crew on a Bird of Prey? Actually happened, or maybe Riker on a Bird of Prey? Also happened, but in both cases, they were in their own time.

It also occurs to me that Wizkids (and FFG for X Wing) go to great lengths to make sure their expansions make “historical” sense. Rarely do reviewers complain about canon accuracy, only game relevance (such is the designers cross to bare). It is curious that most also review the expansion from it’s own point of view, as designed, then when released into the gamer-verse, all of that becomes irrelevant, as good upgrades are stripped for use on all and sundry, bad ones consigned to the scrap heap.

By sticking to timeline and generally to faction pure, our games tend to find a use for most upgrades and ships as in their correct era, they are all relevant.

The Enterprise NX-01 for example is not considered more than cheap cannon fodder in the open ‘verse or a good expansion for some decent Crew upgrades, but used “correctly” it stands up well enough. A lack of shields is balanced with some good defensive upgrades , great Crew and high Agility, which just feels right and makes it competitive against it’s foes. Put is up against a Borg Sphere or later Klingon battle cruiser and it is toast. Put it up against an Andorian cruiser, Romulan or Xindi ship and point for point, it can hold it’s own.

My point is, as usual, do you play the game only, or are you looking for more than just a winning fleet, regardless of accuracy to the very story that you, the gamer, are likely a fan of?

I, it seems, can only play to the story. if that limits me, then I am happily shackled, thriving within the limits of my game. Join me, it’s worth the effort.

Star Trek Attack Wing; The Original Movies

This post will look at the original cast, in their later incarnation (probably viewed at the time as the magnum opus of Trek), the movies.

Not my favourite period I must admit, but it is growing on me. When I started collecting AW, this period frustrated. It was not the Original Series, nor did it fit in to the raft of later offerings. It did however offer my favourite ship the Excelsior class, which fits into this and the later eras and some strong upgrades, so in I went. One of the periods I found it hard to mix with others, when I went strictly period specific, it turned out to be quite self sufficient.

AW offers a surprisingly deep offering here considering there were only really two main protagonists and a minor player on offer. This is a real case of the expansions fitting the ships and period well, but tending to be bought just to be stripped for parts.

Fleets in the 60-120 range suit this era perfectly.

The Federation has 8 Captains, 13 Crew, and 12 other upgrades, with a good spread of Tech and Weapons, which is more than many.

The ships on offer are a bit sameish, but three ship types to chose from is a enough and they are strong none the less. Only one ship in the combined fleets has Agl 2 (the Miranda Class) and all but the Miranda have 3 Primary with a wide arc and the Weapon upgrades are varied enough to allow for good tactical choice. All Fed ships can reverse, but not turn.

The ships in these fleets very much fit the resilient, but not primarily warship based feds vs the glass cannon feel of the Klingons.

The Klingons have a similar dynamic. 5 strong ships with 4 primary attacks (smaller arc), which are weaker in hull snd shields, but can have more manoeuvres and a K-Turn, but no reverse. The Klingon upgrade options though thinner, are still deep enough for tactical variety. 6 Captains, and 9 other choices are plenty, especially considering the Klingons will often field another ship rather than upgrades, as their way.

Tactics are the key in this period. Many of the characters and Captains are variants of the same person (2 choices of Chekov, Sulu, Chang etc) and the upgrades are very much powerful one-trick-wonder Elites like “The Games Afoot”, so the games have a tense dynamic of predictable options in unpredictable combinations and a sudden death feel. Will Chang be option A or B and will he bring Cry Havoc, The Games Afoot or Once More Unto The Breach with him?

The final sub-faction is Khan Singh’s merry band. Not on the surface seemingly deep in options, Khan can field any upgrade from the other two factions (which is an exception to our cross faction strictness) and could conceivably captain any ship. The variety he offers is huge. Khan is a powerful captain (equal in skill to Kirk at 8 in this era), with his own unique upgrades (4), and that unpredictability that makes this period so intriguing.

Scale wise, they are fine. The Miranda is a little big, as is the Constitution refit, but they are ok. Chang’s B’Rel Bird of Prey is also maybe too large or at least in comparison to the D-7’s, but it seems to fit ok on a ship to ship basis, so I can deal.

Can this period stand on it’s own two feet?

Build depth 3.5/5 A lack of ship variety is made up for some what with upgrade depth

Interest Value 4/5 WK have captured the feel of the first movies well, if faction restricted.

Star Trek Attack Wing; The Enterprise Era.

Earliest period chronologically, but the second newest show (apart from the Kelvin Timeline movies), the Enterprise era tracks the voyages of the first Earth crewed ship reaching out to an unfathomable universe, which culminated in laying the groundwork for the Federation as it later became known. Technically calling it a Federation ship is a mistake until the end of the series.

Unlike the TOS offering, the Enterprise era is deeper and more varied by far. The ships are generally about the same power level as TOS (low when compared to the Next Gen era), but have more upgrades and greater variation overall.

This was not a well followed series apparently, but I liked it (it is the only DVD ST series I own). I was drawn to the rawer, more dangerous universe, with a real feeling of fragility. To help with my appreciation, the ships are some of the best WK have produced, almost X Wing standard and with the exception of the reduced from huge Xindi Aquatic ship are all acceptably scaled.

Xindi Orassin, probably my favourite foe of many.

The best fleet size for a single faction varies from 50 to 100 points, but mixed fleets are more common in this young universe so 200+ point battles are very possible. The Earth/Vulcan, or Earth/Andorian vs a mixed Xindi fleet are precedented.

Another possibility is a Delta Quadrant cross over, as the ships look and are scaled similarly. A lost NX-01 vs Hydrans or Kazon? Could be fun.

Earth (not yet The Federation).

The Enterprise NX-01 and a sister ship. Hardly a fleet, Earth made a solid little ship that got better through the series. Lacking Shields is a bit daunting, but in it’s own time line, the NX, with excellent Crew and other upgrades can actually hold it’s own against most.

Earth does not have the best ships, Weapons or Tech, but does have good Crew. The fully loaded Enterprise comes in at 38pts (including Admiral Forrest and a free Hull Plating upgrade), which does not seem much, but most of her upgrades, as good as they are are only 3 points and the ship itself is only 16. What does not fit on the Enterprise can be put on the other NX, effectively covering the whole faction’s options.

Apart from Crew, the NX is quite nimble, with 3 Agility and 2 K-Turns (1 white), but she is slow, which is only matched in these respects by the Romulan Drone. It is comparatively weak in primary armament, but with the Xindi threat looming and realities of the universe dawning on the fledgling fleet, it was quickly upgraded. The agility of the ship, with the option of either Torps or a rear firing cannon give it a unique feel, one that I feel is accurate to the series.

My only complaint is Hayes as a Captain. He was used in that role, but I would have preferred a Mako Crew card and another named Captain (there were at least two in the series) or maybe Tucker.

Andoria.

The Andorians are Earth’s most active allies. After a rocky start, Shram and Archer became tight, making them the natural option for an expanded fleet.

Boasting a stronger ship and some more advanced Tech, the warlike Andorians favour Weapons over Crew and most of their Tech is aggressive. The faction is not huge (I do not have the Motley Fleet expansion which may have bulked it up), but even so, 2 Captains and only 6 other Upgrades is a little thin compared to lesser factions in this universe. It is good then that they are strong at what they do.

Vulcan.

The Vulcans, Earth’s first contact, have an uneasy and sometimes combative relationship with the Enterprise and the Andorians. The fleet is very capable and potentially huge (I have three ships), with several strong Captains, 2 ship classes, a combat re-fit for one and 11 other upgrades.

Typical of the Vulcans, Tech and Crew feature highly, but they are no slouch in a fight.

Xindi.

Almost the undoing of Earth before the Federation was born, the Xindi are a people made up of several different species, being used by an outside force to attack Earth, who has tricked them into thinking they are fighting for their survival.

The two main combat sub-factions are the Reptilians, who are the main aggressors and the Insectoids, who tag along with them. The massive Aquatics actually helped Archer to save Earth, but are potentially a powerful addition to an aggressive Xindi navy.

Two of the Xindi ships pack 4d Primary weapons, which is strong at any level, and the Insectoids balance 3 Weapons with 2 Agility.

In other upgrades the Xindi have plenty to chose from, but they come with some restrictions, usually within their own races. When facing a Reptilian ship, you will not have to deal with a Hatchery card or an Insectoid Raiding Party, so each sub-race needs a different strategy.

My favourite scenario in this period is a combined Xindi fleet vs an evenly matched Earth/Andorian/Vulcan fleet. I missed out “Weapon Zero”, but maybe that is for the good as it was pretty powerful.

Klingons.

Making an early appearance in the Enterprise universe, the Klingons then very much take a back seat. There is enough for a decent faction though.

The Raptor class is closer to the later Bird of Prey, than a TOS cruiser. It boasts 10 white moves and decent fire power, but is pretty pedestrian otherwise. For a small faction with only a single ship on offer, WK produced a card pack, giving the Klingons 4 Captains, and 13 other upgrades, so variety is not an issue.

The flavour of what is to come from these warlike people is intact .

Romulans.

The enigmatic Romulans have representation probably a little excessive for their few appearances in the show.

With 5 ships, 6 Captains, and 16 upgrades, many of them Tech, this fleet is a deep and interesting build.

The Drone is a real piece of work, bringing a beautiful model (possibly the best in AW) and a compelling ship to the EU game. The Prototype has the same stats as an X Wing Tie Defender (3 3 3 3) and it is just as powerful in this game. A catch-me-if-you-can combatant, the Drone hits hard, fast and disappears as quickly. One wonders what a fleet could have done, so I have a second for a “what if” scenario.

The Bird of Prey is as powerful as the TOS one minus shields. Cloaking, limited to one ship is as mysterious now as ever and possibly more powerful due to it’s rarity. One thing that can also be tricky, the is picking the non-cloaking BoP, so facing two BoP may mean you need to use mixed tactics, not knowing which is the slippery one and which the tougher decoy.

Tholians.

A limited Tholian presence is allowed in the EnU, because they were there, but the full web thing is optionally avoided.

Suliban?

No Suliban. These would have been interesting.

Can this period stand as a rounded game in it’s own right?

Build Depth 3.5/5 Lots of factions, each with a solid, flavourful, but not exhaustive spread of upgrades.

Interest value 4.5/5 I really like the factions, especially as a change from the usual.

The ships manage to balance well, each faction offering it’s one unique thing. In the company of later period ships they can be overwhelmed, but stick to period and they work well.

Star Trek Attack Wing; The Original Series

Starting at the start, with Star Trek the original 1960’s series (TOS), lets look at what Attack Wing offers from two perspectives.

The first perspective is in comparison to the games other periods and the second is in comparison to X Wing.

If X Wing Bare Bones is an attempt to reduce Upgrade clutter to enhance the game by prioritising it’s core principals, then limiting Attack Wing (AW), to a single period is possibly even more Bare Bones than that.

The Original Series sports 5 small factions and a Mirror universe version of the Federation and they are all unique, just as the writers intended.

The ever threatening Tholians, lurking potentially in any period.

A Squad size of 60-100 points is assumed.

Please keep in mind that this is reflective of my collection, not every possible option available.

The Federation.

Federation player has the iconic Constitution class cruiser (although the Hathaway could be proxied as it comes roughly from this period and is the correct size).

As two of the dearest and most powerful ships in TOS, scenarios often start with the Federation player outnumbered, but that is how it should be. A maxed out Enterprise features a Kirk with PS9 (highest), 2 Elite talents out of a choice of 3, 4 Crew from 6 options, and a Weapon slot. The single Weapon slot is fine as the Enterprise only has a single option (Photon Torps) and these can be re-used, unlike in X Wing.

In a nutshell, the Enterprise is the Federation fleet, potentially coming in at 57 pts with the maximum available options, which is impressive as the base ship is only 22pts. If you want to field everything available, simply add another ship, with Pike in command, 2 more Crew and more Torps for another 38 or so points.

A player facing the Federation will know they have a versatile and resourceful enemy, but will not know which options were chosen and on which ship until they confront them. The Constitution class also has a 180 degree arc, the only one in TOS. It is also conspicuous as having no K-Turn, but the only reverse move.

From an X Wing or even Attack Wing perspective, this may seem ridiculously slim, but look at the upgrades and you will see a ship capable of out fighting/thinking/manoeuvring multiple enemies, just as the series showed. So of course, this makes these enemies important for variety and interest.

If the Animated Series expansion is added, several upgrades become available such a Legacy of the name and Phaser Barrage as well as a nice paint job Enterprise.

The Klingons.

TOS Klingons have a decidedly “evil pseudo-Chinese empire” feel to them, which I guess was a sign of the times. Communist fears after Korea mixed with the exoticness and mystery of Chinese culture allowed the writers to impart an equal dose of paranoia, loathing and interest in their characters.

The classic D7, the second physical model made I think and used at short notice as a fill in Romulan ship (spawning a them against us lend-lease evil coalition), is bigger than the Fed ship, but not as strong overall (3143 vs 3132 for named ships) and is only 16 points for the generic. The Klingons can field up to 3 fully armed and crewed ships, vs 2 for the Federation in an 80 pt fleet. The battles look lop sided, as they should, as the Klingon player uses muscle, where the Federation player must use guile.

The Klingon does however have a few tricks available. The Gr-oth has a Tech slot for it’s one Stasis Field option (the Generic does not), 1 Weapon and 1 Crew. The Klingons have the opposite dynamic to the Federation favouring Weapon choices (3) over Crew (1) and only 1 Elite talent, so they can be predictable, but pack a variety of punches.

Dial wise, the D7’s are slightly better at turning than the Federation, with a 3/K-Turn, but lack reverse.

If the Animated Series expansion is added, several upgrades become available such as Worthy Opponent and Magnetic Pulse, rounding out the offer (mixing Animated and Live cards is a matter of taste) and one ship has a cloaking option.

The Gorn.

Thanks to a later card only expansion, the Gorn in my collection are actually stronger in options than any other faction in TOS. Two named and a generic ship, one the equal strongest in this game at 22pts, 5 Captains, 4 Crew, 3 Weapons, a wildcard and a massive 5 Tech, bely the oddly crude looking reptilian Gorn.

Each ship has a Weapon, Crew and Tech slot, so no weak ships here. The generic ship and Captain can be quite dangerous and is also the best value ship in TOS at 3133 for 14pts.

The Raider’s Dial is slightly weaker than most, with nothing notable and a few less green and white moves than most. This and a lack of top flight Captains are their only real weaknesses.

The Gorn played a minor, but insidious part in TOS lore, so options and unpredictability fit in perfectly with them.

The Romulans.

Rather than a Russian styled enemy as the other main protagonist, the writers went for a more militaristic, Roman Empire styled foe in the Romulans (see what they did there, and there will be Reman’s to?). Less exotic looking, but more enigmatic, the combative but code of conduct governed Romulans are an enemy equally cunning and honourable.

Sporting the most ship options (2 types!), thanks the the Klingon D-7 cross-over, the Romulans have the game’s major ace up their sleeve, Cloaking. Cloaking adds two special Actions to their bar, but strips them of the Battle Stations and Scan Actions, making them, in one stroke, quite different to play than any other faction in TOS.

The main difference in their two ships is the Tech slot, only available on the heavy hitting D7’s vs the extra Crew on the lighter and more agile Bird of Prey and of course they have two dials on offer, the solid D7 (identical to the Klingon) and the Bird of Prey, which is better at turning wide than the Fed ship, but not as good in close.

The Romulans like (need) to get close, so the cat and mouse game of manoeuvre and cloaking/de-cloaking sums up their play, or does it? It all feels a bit like a game of Submarines.

If the Animated Series expansion is added, several new upgrades become available.

The Tholians.

The bizarre Tholians that I can only imagine pushed the special effects people to the very edge of madness in the 60’s, have the slowest, but the most manoeuvrable ships in TOS with two white K-Turns. Turning is vital for them with their web ability, speed not so important.

Not particularly tough on the surface, the Tholians make up for that with a brutal, game controlling web effect and numbers. At 14 points, they can be fielded in a small swarm (I have 4), filling the table with dangerous web barriers that can cripple or control a ship without even directly engaging it, but they can also attack normally, forcing their enemy to close before it is too late.

They have the only 6d weapon option in TOS, the Tricobalt Warhead, allowing them to strike hard at R3 or in closer with Plasma Torps.

Their only real weakness is a lack of strong Captains. They only have Loskene at PS4 and two generics, at PS1.

I cannot say if they are the easiest or hardest faction to play in TOS, but they are great in a scenario game.

Orion Pirates.

No Orions. Shame Wiz KIds.

Mirror Universe.

Kirk vs Kirk? Why not. The Mirror Universe Enterprise adds some options to the TOS game as a whole and the USS Enterprise as well. We permit the Phaser Barrage option on the Enterprise and sometimes the USS Elite talents on the ISS.

*

The TOS era of Attack Wing is an interesting microcosm of the AW world with the strongest historical precedent of any Sci Fi represented. True to it’s inspiration, as limited as that is, this small group, if timeline can still offer an interesting exercise in ship to ship combat, with clear and defined factional differences. The devil is in the detail. A reverse manoeuvre here, white K-Turn there or an upgrade ability pulled out of nowhere are the decision points that will win a game.

There is no doubt that any other period in the AW franchise, with the exception of the Kelvin Timeline, offers more choices. The strength of TOS is the clear delineation between the factions available. It is simple, uncluttered and precise. Pure AW.

This is an ideal period to play a hidden or pick as you upgrade game style, especially with Elite Talents.

TOS also helps us see the clear differences between X Wing and AW. Even with the limited resources available in TOS, the differing nature of the two games is apparent. AW is Ship and Captain driven, with individual upgrades playing an overall less important role, with the total combination being more important than the individual. A base ship’s cost can easily be dwarfed by it’s upgrade costs and it has a less urgent feel.

XW is very much upgrade driven, even in Bare Bones format, but rarely does an upgrade suite match the ship cost. You get more of a dog fight or bomber vs fighter feel from X Wing, while AW manages to simulate the bigger ships well. An AW ship feels more like a carrier for crew abilities, than a fragile ordnance carrier.

With so few moving parts, the TOS era can still offer an evening’s entertainment true to the AW/XW ethos because everything needed is here, but it is probably best cracked open more occasionally though, between games a little deeper in options to avoid getting stale.

Oh, and play the scenarios. They really make the game.

Can this era make it as an individual?

Build Depth 3/5 Good faction choice with lots of provenance, but limited builds (3.5 with the Animated and Mirror expansions).

Interest value 4/5 Because this is where it all started.