Just as Squadrons rewards experimentation with its various modifications, trying out the various upgrades to fine-tune the perfect A-Wing for splashing TIEs, X-Wing offers tons of ways to customise your starfighters with upgrade cards and combos.
The excitement of their uncertainty complements the deterministic precision of the movement mechanics without making the game’s outcome feel like it hangs too heavily on them. The dice allow for moments of triumph and calamity despite the odds. X-Wing rewards good flying and your actions board position determined in the activation phase translates into crucial ways to modify the dice when they don’t roll in your favour. You’re not completely at the mercy of the dice, however. This is where luck plays a part, as you roll attack dice hoping to land hits on target before the defender rolls to try and evade the incoming fire. Once every ship has moved, it’s finally time to pull the trigger.
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Image: George Barker X-Wing takes events that might only last a few seconds in Squadrons and breaks them down into a series of key decisions. The Grand Army of the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems are the most recent factions to join the game, allowing you to reenact your favorite trade disputes. The developers at Motive even credit X-Wing as one of the sources of inspiration behind parts of Squadrons’ design. Just as pulling off the perfect drift in Squadrons makes you feel like you could take on the whole Empire by yourself, slotting down the template and discovering you’ve manoeuvred into the perfect position is electric. Are you going to fit around that asteroid or crash through it? Even in this simplified 2D form, it creates some incredibly satisfying moments. This is where the spatial element of X-Wing comes into play you’ll have to look at your ships on the table and estimate where your planned moves will land them.
It’s not enough to predict your opponent, though - you’ll need a few moves of your own to win the day. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. At it’s best, it’s a game that asks you to read and react to your opponent, demanding both strategy and tactical flexibility. Sometimes described as a blend of chess and poker, X-Wing not only asks you to try and think moves ahead, but to lock eyes with your opponent and correctly read what they’ll do. X-Wing, on the other hand, takes events that might only last a few seconds in Squadrons and breaks them down into a series of key decision points. The kinetic pace can mean moments flash by, the chance to savour a precise kill ruined by the whine of the missile lock alarm. Image: George Barkerĭogfighting in Squadrons is a rush of quick decision-making, from how best to pursue your target to correctly angling your shields. Time for Wedge to teach Poe a few things about flying. It’s in these first two phases where you’ll find some of X-Wing’s best moments - and where you’ll discover if you’re a Maverick or a mallard. Then one by one you’ll move your ships using special templates that simulate their flight path. You set a manoeuvre for each of your ships in secret, planning how best to get your opponent in your gun sights. The action in a single round within a game of X-Wing breaks down into three phases: planning, activation (movement) and engagement (shooting). Not only do you choose which ships to put in your squad, you also pick who’s flying them - from unnamed rookies to unique characters with their own thematic abilities.Īt its best, X-Wing is a game that asks you to read and react to your opponent. X-Wing puts you in command of a squadron of ships from one of seven available factions, from the Empire and Rebel Alliance through to scum and villainy from the Outer Rim, covering all three eras of Star Wars.