Gift Guide- X-Wing Miniatures Game

For this year’s gift guide I am going to rectify an oversite; I have never actually recommended the X-Wing miniatures game as a gift. Which is weird because I write about it all the time. I have a buying guide for getting into the game competitively. But I’ve never talked about it as a gift and it’s a really great gift.

First, X-wing is a fun game. Whether or not you or your Gift Recipient ever gets into it competitively, it’s a fun game to throw onto the table for a quick game. When not playing competitively, you are free to make use of online squad builders and printed lists so you don’t have to worry about having all the upgrade cards, just the ship models you want to fly. This makes it a far more affordable game.

Second, even if you never play the game, the models look amazing. When I first got into the game, I half did it just to have the models to put on my shelf. In my game room right now I have a book case devoted to X-wing mini’s, another one to Armada mini’s, and a third to some Star Trek ships (sadly not from Attack Wing because those models look like crap, at least the early versions). Makes the whole room very geeky (and therefore awesome).

If you have a friend that loves Star Wars, you can’t go wrong with giving her some Star Wars ships, regardless if they end up liking the game. And maybe they will love the game. Then they will have a cool new game they’ll probably want to play with you. Win-win.

So, you’re probably asking yourself what you should buy? There are quite a lot of X-wing ships out there now. Below I’ll outline a few options for ways to get the most bang for your buck.

The Basics

X-Wing Miniatures Game ($39.95)
or
X-Wing Miniatures Game- The Force Awakens- ($39.95)

If you want simple, you can’t go wrong with the core box. In fact, you kind of need that to play the game at all. MSRP has the game at about $40 but you can often find it cheaper, especially online. This set is enough to get a feel for the game. Either version works too. If you think they might get into playing more seriously, the TFA core is the better choice as it has a more balanced damage deck, updated rules and better ships. But you can’t go wrong with the classic ships either.

The Classics- MSRP ~$85, Online ~$70

X-Wing Original Core Game ($39.95)
Millenium Falcon ($29.95)
TIE Advanced ($14.95)

This set of ships provides you enough to play out the classic trench run; Luke Skywalker being pursued by Darth Vader and TIE Fighters with Han Solo jumping in at the last minute to save the day. It won’t necessarily allow you to create the most balanced lists (the Imperials might need a little help) but it gives the ultimate Star Wars feel.

The Force Awakens- MSRP ~$110, Online ~$90

X-Wing Miniatures Game- The Force Awakens ($39.95)
Heroes of the Resistance ($39.95)
Special Forces TIE Expansion ($14.95)
TIE F/O Expansion ($14.95)

With this set, you can create a battle right out of the Force Awakens. You have Rey in the Falcon escorted by Poe Dameron and another X-wing facing off against four First Order TIE’s. This group is by far the best competitive collection, as you can make a decent list out of Rey and Poe.

Rebels Fan- MSRP ~$165, Online ~$125

X-Wing Original Core Game ($39.95)
Ghost Expansion ($49.95)
Rebel Aces Expansion ($29.95)
Inquisitor’s TIE Expansion ($14.95)
Imperial Veterans Expansion ($29.95)

Okay, this set is a bit pricey. But if you have a Rebels fan you really want to get Ghost. It’s an incredible model. Now, if your goal is mostly just a shelf display, getting Ghost by itself is completely worth doing. Even without the core game. If you’re looking for a set of ships to play with, the whole set gives you enough to play out most of the events from the Rebels TV show.

You have Ghost (obviously), an A-wing to represent Phoenix squadron and a B-wing for good measure. The Imperials get some TIE’s, the Inquisitor along with a TIE Defender and TIE Bomber.

The Ultimate Triple Gift- MSRP ~$330- Online ~$265

One Core Set- ($39.95)

Rebel Set

Heroes of the Resistance ($39.95)
Rebel Aces ($29.95)
Y-Wing Expansion ($14.95)

Imperial Set

TIE Advance ($14.95)
TIE Interceptor ($14.95)
Imperial Veterans ($29.95)
Inquisitor’s TIE ($14.95)
TIE Striker ($14.95)

Scum Set

Most Wanted ($39.95)
Slave-1 ($29.95)
Guns for Hire ($29.95)
HWK-290 ($14.95)

Designed for three friends this collection allows you to give each friend a set of ships from a different faction. This allows each set to be stronger than if it had to be completely fieldable by one person. Granted, no one friend can play without the other, but that’s part of the gift right? An incentive to play together.

You’ll also notice that no set contains a core box. You’ll have to get one separately for the friends to share and can distribute the Imperial/Rebel ships accordingly.