Monday 22 September 2014

X-Factor!

Having almost zero self-control I knew there was an element of delusion in saying I was swearing off games purchases for a year - I lasted all of two weeks. On Friday Little Joe and I wandered into Area 51 and he picked up X-Wing Miniatures game and suggested we buy it. Normally my resistance to pleading eyes is pretty good, but ally them to a game I had a previous interest in, and I instantly cave.

A couple of weeks back we were filming at the shop on a Monday and I popped upstairs to see what the Area 51 games club were up to - there were four tables on the go, and on one of them was X-Wing.  It's a straight on combat game where (in the base game) one player takes the role of the Empire and controls two Tie Fighters, and another is the good-guy rebels and controls an X-Wing.

I'm not a huge Star Wars fan by any stretch, but the boys are and for that reason it caught my eye. From the base game described above you can potentially add more and more (and more varied) ships, such as the Millennium Falcon etc. It's definitely one for the fans and completists, although the guys at Area 51 argued that the ongoing expense was was "cheaper than cocaine"

So (later trading in The Adventurers to get it half-price) I picked up and Stanley and I have already played three games of it.

I am his Father

The introductory game is very simple indeed - program your ships' movement, move it, and if anyone else is in range, fire at will. The game comes with several movement templates that you use to propel your ship around an agreed playing area: in this case, our coffee table is standing in for the depths of space.

soft right

We haven't actually finished a game yet - I imagine the 'full' game resolves the issue, but it can drag a bit. The fun of moving the ships around wanes slower on Stanley than it does me, but to be still firing hopefully at each other after half an hour feels a teeny bit long. Stan wants to progress to the full game though, so we'll give that a go soon. All those coloured numbers probably do something interesting, and the way of measuring ship damage becomes more complex too. Plus there's character cards and a load of chits we haven't had use for yet...

And in the meantime just the miniatures and the simple ruleset means he enjoys it a lot - and I am happy to indulge him. I will update the blog with the full rules in case anyone fancies at shot at it one Tuesday soon...

8 comments:

  1. Miniatures, Sam? You know where this is heading, don't you . . ? If I see you in Games Workshop I'm staging an intervention. Because I'm your friend.

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  2. I was sorely tempted with this one as my roots are firmly in wargaming and miniatures. I talked myself out of it due to a reason you stated. It's a collectable game and the extra ships, although fantastic, will put a serious dent in your pocket.

    I understand it comes into it own when there are scenarios to accomplish and more ships flying around causing havoc.

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  3. I'm definitely not going down the road of endless expansion with this one. Maybe a ship or two at a push if the boys stay interested, but nothing more. I don't like the game enough for that and even if the full version is awesome, I don't have the room either. So - I'm safe. I think. Just one or two more ships… just one or two...

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  4. Welcome to the rabbit hole Sam. I am already somewhere in the depths with this one, having bought a second base set and accumulated quite a few of the expansions over the past year and a half. I was playing on a weekly basis for a while at the beginning of this year.

    I really enjoy it and the 'full' game definitely resolves the issues you have. Upgrading weapons and adding droids and crew etc provide a lot more variation to the game. Plus each expansion introduces new pilots, weapons and abilities so you end up with a lot of options and having a bigger fleet is a lot more fun (although the occasional game can still drag, especially if you decide to play a 300 point game that lasts 5 hours and primarily involves trying to remember what each of your ships can do, I don't recommend that).

    You are still essentially just flying around shooting at each other so it depends how far your patience for that stretches. I think being a Star Wars fan definitely helps get the most out of it so I probably won't see you this far down the rabbit hole any time soon. I'd be up for a game one Tuesday though, it's been a while since I last played.

    Fortunately Jo, despite my love for the cocaine that is X-Wing I have yet to be tempted by the Warhammer heroin (Space Hulk doesn't count right?).

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  5. If nothing else, I recommend a second base set. It's the cheapest way to get more ships plus you then have the extra dice and spare templates.

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  6. Who did you play with, Matt?

    I'd be up for a game at some point but yes, need to familiarize myself with the rules first…

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  7. Do you know Dom Pitt? He was a UWE graduate and now often works at Arthur Cox. We often play games together.

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  8. Ah no I don't think I've met him. Though the world of games being what it is I'm sure I will.

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