Star Wars X-wing Second edition’s Squad Builder is now live. We’ve also got the latest on what changes have been made to the game and more from FFG.
Fantasy Flight Games just dropped word that their squad-building site is finally live. But that’s not all. They’ve also previewed the changes to the game that makes everything feel more smooth and streamlined. Let’s take a closer look.
X-Wing 2.0 Squad Builder Has Arrived From Hyperspace!
The website is finally up and apps for all of your mobile devices are on the way. For now, let’s break down the website’s interface.
You’ll have to create an account which honestly shouldn’t take you more than a minute. Then a screen like this will pop up where you pick your game mode and faction.
Once you’ve got your faction, you can name your Squad and start plugging in the ships you want to take. Hover your mouse over the crew for each ship to take a look at their stats. The points are next to each selection which can change with updates. That way, your physical cards won’t become obsolete.
Your points will be totaled up at the top of the screen and any ships you decide to take will be thrown into the roster that takes up most of the screen. It’s as easy as point-and-click!
Sit down and take your time exploring all your options with a brand new edition into the game.
X-Wing: New & Improved
Don’t worry, the game still feels exactly like the X-wing you know and love. Both players will still pick the maneuvers for their ships at the start of their turn. However, all of the ships have a firing arc printed in the center of their base for more in-game effects.
One of the most dramatic changes is the inclusion of a bullseye arc printed inside every ship’s front arc. While this arc has no inherent effect, some card abilities refer to it, unlocking new opportunities for ace pilots who can line up the perfect shot. A pilot who displays a high degree of Marksmanship, for example, can hit an enemy ship where it really hurts, changing a hit to a critical hit while attacking. The best pilots will anticipate their opponent’s movements, opening up opportunities to squeeze off a few shots while avoiding return fire.
Maneuvers in the Heat of Battle
Each ship has the maneuvers it can make printed on their stat card. To add in another level of depth and strategy, your options may change depending on what pilot you take.
For example, if you take a Force-sensitive pilot like Luke Skywalker, he can use one of his Force tokens to change a focus to an evade move.
Before you even begin selecting maneuvers or choosing actions, your strategy will be defined by the ships, pilots, and upgrades you choose for your squadron. In our preview of squad building, we explored the different ways that you can create and customize your own squadron of starfighters. Between the Core Set, Conversion Kits, and ship expansions available at launch, you can outfit your ships with a wide variety of upgrades, including torpedoes, cannons, astromech droids, and other modifications.
Be sure to look at the Squad Builder and playtest all kinds of different combos.
Pick up & Play
If you’re brand new and still trying to get a grasp on the game, there are cards that have set-gear. They’re designed to get players into the game quickly so they can learn the mechanics. The little bar on the cards shows the “threat level” of the card with all the gear and pilots combined.
Of course, once you get a better understanding of the game, you can ditch these cards and branch out into your own combos.
It’s a big day for X-wing fans with all of this dropping at once.
What combos have you been working on? What faction will you be playing? How do you feel about the new edition and the Squad Builder?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
