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TABLETOP REVIEW: FTN Reviews X-Wing Miniatures Game – The Force Awakens Core Set

November 20th, 2015 by Irwin Fletcher Comments

 

 

The Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures game is a two player game of high-octane space combat.  It could be understood if you thought The Force Awakens Core Set was just a slight rebrand of the original X-Wing Miniatures Game Core Set released in 2012 (see our review of the original Core Set review here), but it is much more than just a new box with some slightly differently painted miniatures.

The Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Core Set contains everything two players need to play the game and provides plenty of variety.  The three ships provided, along with the extra cards and pilot selection provide enough to keep you going for a long time without the need to immediately add more ships.

I won’t go in to too much detail about the rules for X-Wing as the previous review of the 2012 Core Set still stands and a fantastic tutorial is available on the Fantasy Flight Games website.

What I will cover is what has changed and been updated in the Force Awakens Core Set.  The Force Awakens Core Set does contain much of the same components as the original Core Set, but this is because many of the components required to play are much the same.

Fantasy Flight Games have assured players that this is not a reimagining of the original Core Set, but that the Force Awakens Core Set stands alongside the original. 

The Force Awakens miniatures are the T-70 X-Wing and First Order TIE Fighters from the upcoming movie, as opposed to the 2012 set based on the original trilogy.  You can see from the photos below that they are not simply different paint jobs, but the moulds have been slightly updated to the new standards.

There are new equipment, droid and pilot upgrade cards that align with the upcoming movie release but the main change is the updated rulebook and damage deck.  FFG have made the new rulebook available online so veteran players can see the rules changes without picking up a copy of the Force Awakens Core Set, but to get the updated damage deck, as well as the new ships and options, a copy of the new starter set will have to be picked up.

New players will be able to jump straight in with the new rules, but veteran players will have to take a little time to consider what’s been changed and how it affects their game.

The X-Wing Miniatures Game is a fantastic pick up and play game.  There is more than enough life in the Core Set to give fantastic value for money and the option of adding additional pieces from the available expansion packs just adds to the games’ longevity.  The components are of a high quality and the miniatures are great.  The Core Set was grand and the Force Awakens Core Set revises an already great system.  Superb on its own, great with expansions, value for money and easy to play with some fantastic tactical workings.  It should be an addition to everyone’s collection and veteran players will want to pick up a copy for the updated damage deck and new options.

4.5 out of 5 Nerds

 

Note – My original review in 2012 cited price as a factor for the original Core Set.  This has changed because of the sheer amount of play time you will get out of the miniatures game, even if you only buy the starter set.

I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.