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Atomic Mass Games (AMG) took over X-Wing for Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) around November of 2020. Starting in mid-2021 they began discussing substantial changes they plan to make to the way the game is played, and they released their changes on February 22nd, 2022. This article is meant to be a summation of the changes from X-Wing 2.0 made my AMG, popularly known as 2.5 Edition X-Wing or AMG-Wing.

While there is debate over the validity of it being referred to as a new edition, substantial changes to the game have been made, which alters the core of how the game is played and how various aspects, such as list building and obstacle choice, are approached.

Rules Changes in 2.5[]

Building a Squad[]

Squad Building has two point types:

  • Squad Points are spent buying pilots. You have 20 points and each pilot costs 2, 3, 4... up to 10 or so points.
  • Loadout Points are spent buying upgrades. Each pilot has their own pool of loadout points.

Squads must contain at least 3 ships, and up to 8 ships.

The goal of this change is, in part, to give players permission to equip upgrades instead of running all ships as lean as possible to fit one more pilot. The points are also designed to favor fielding named pilots over generic ones. Luke Skywalker or Jek Porkins can spend a lot on upgrades, while Blue Squadron Escort has fewer to work with.

BTW: The Squadron Builders YASB 2.5 and Launch Bay Next are great ways to build fleets and learn by doing.

Deficit Scoring[]

Any unspent squad points are scored by your opponent at the start of the game. So you want to spend all your 20 squad points during squad building. Unspent loadout points don't matter.

Scenario Play[]

Scenario Play is now the normal way to play X-Wing in 2.5. Instead of simply dogfighting, players will play one of four scenarios with the goal of gaining Mission Points. You get these Mission Points either by killing ships or interacting with the scenario objectives. One of the scenarios is like a dogfight, but has one objective in the middle.

A major goal of scenarios is to give more strategic options for victory than just chasing your opponent down. They're designed to encourage engagement instead of running away: if your opponent tries to run away to run down the clock, you can grab objectives and often win while they flee. Victory comes from both killing ships and taking objectives, as both have a meaningful impact on your score. There's some advantage to aggressive hunting (if it's successful) since it takes opponents off the table (limiting their ability to kill you, and to hold objectives), so effective dogfighting is still very valuable as long as you're engaged.

Games typically end when a player has 20 or more mission points. They can also end at the round cap of 12 (rare), or a player is eliminated, or if a game timer was set (which is important for tournaments which are under a time crunch).

Scenarios[]

  • Assault at the Satellite Array: Place 5 satellite objectives. Gain points for destroying foes. At the end of the round, gain a point for each satellite you control (by having the most ships by it).
  • Chance Engagement: Place 1 satellite objective. Gain points for taking foes to half health, and again for destroying the foe. Also if you contest the objective by having ships near it, gain another 1 point at then end of the round, or two if you're the only one contesting it.
  • Salvage Mission: Place 5 cargo objectives. Grab an cargo objective as an action, placing it on your pilot card. Gain points for destroying foes, and at the end of the round for each cargo you're carrying. Carrying cargo limits how you can move and act.
  • Scramble the Transmissions: Place 3 satellite objectives. Take control of satellites as an action. Gain points for destroying foes, and 1 point for each satellite you control.

ROAD and First Player[]

Random Order After Dials means players roll 3 dice after the planning phase.

The first player is determined by getting the most of these results, in this order:

  • Most crits
  • or most focuses
  • or most hits
  • Otherwise roll again

The winning player becomes the first player (whether or not they want to). This means the first player will change throughout the game, and players are planning their dials without knowing whether they'll go before or after their opponents ships when initiatives are tied. This keeps players (e.g. aces like Vader) from trying to run away on rounds when they won't have an advantage and only engage on rounds when they do; instead, they need to plan for both contingencies every round.

Different results are not added up or anything; it's simpler than that. Whoever has the most crits is first player. If no one does, then whoever has the most focuses. If no one does, then whoever has the most hits. No one does (both players rolled the same results), then roll again.

Note that the reason for the priority above is the odds of each result: Crits are 1/8 chance, Focuses 2/8, and Hits are 3/8. Rolling 3 dice lends itself to multiplayer scenarios like Aces High, so you're using the same method for whatever scenario you play.

The ROAD roll is made at the start of the game to determine the first player during Setup. Unspent squad points no longer matter for determining first player (see Deficit Scoring).

Bumping Into Ships[]

If you overlap ships during your maneuver and have to back up, some of the rules have changed. After the Check Difficulty step:

  1. If all the ships you overlapped are the opponent's, you can perform a red focus action, skip your Perform Action step, and you cannot perform any other actions during your activation.
  2. If any of the ships were friendly/allied, roll a red die. If you roll a hit/crit result, suffer a Hit damage. Then skip your Perform Action step.

Range 0 Shots[]

All ships can now perform primary attacks at range 0, so if you bump a foe you can still get a shot. However, R0 shots have some tight restrictions:

  1. Attacker doesn't add any dice. There's no range bonus at range 0, and effects like the TIE Advanced x1's ship ability and Jan Ors cannot add a bonus die.
  2. Attacker's dice cannot be modified, except by the defender.
  3. Defender's dice cannot be affected by the opponent: enemy ships cannot reduce the number of defense dice rolled, cancel defender's results (other than through the standard process in the Neutralize Results step), or modify defense dice results. So no Juke, Wedge, etc at range 0.

If you're shooting a ship that's at range 0 (your bases are touching), then the attack is range 0.

Ships that used to be able to shoot at range 0, such as Arvel and Captain Oicunn, now treat range 0 shots as range 1. This allows them to enjoy the full benefits like modifying their attack dice or messing with the opponent's dice. Likewise some upgrades like Zeb crew have been errata'd to provide utility for R0 shots.

Changes to Obstacles[]

Obstacles in 2.5 are a lot more dangerous. On the friendly side, some have some useful utility effects too (e.g. breaking locks), and you might still get to perform an action after plowing through one.

All obstacles have been modified to provide an automatic result and a result you roll for. The Setup Obstacles have relatively consistent rules for whether you can perform actions or shoot after passing through. The mid-game obstacles like Loose Cargo have more scattered rules.

Impacting an Obstacle: Ouch[]

When you overlap or pass through an obstacle, suffer an effect based on its type:

Setup Obstacles

  • Asteroid: Suffer a hit damage. Roll an attack die, and on a hit/crit result suffer another hit damage. (you don't suffer a crit on an asteroid)
  • Debris Cloud: Get a stress token, roll an attack die, suffer any hit/crit damage rolled.
  • Gas Cloud: Break all your locks and all locks on you, and get a strain token. Roll an attack die: on a hit gain an ion token, or on a crit gain 3 ions.

Mid-Game Obstacles

  • Electro-Chaff Cloud: Break all your locks and all locks on you, and then get a jam token. Roll an attack die; on a hit/crit get a stress token.
  • Blaze: Roll an attack die. Hit/crit gives you a hit damage, Focus gives you a stress token. Skip your perform action step.
  • Loose Cargo or Spare Parts: Gain a strain token. Roll one attack die: on a hit/crit result, gain a stress.

Landing on an Obstacle: Uh Oh[]

If a ship ends a maneuver overlapping an obstacle, it skips its Perform Action step. All obstacles do this.

Did you stay on the obstacle because you don't get an action? Probably! Most ships don't have the ability to get off the obstacle (save for Mining Guild TIEs, Dash Rendar, etc). Depending on the type, you might not get to shoot but maybe also protected from locks.

Staying on an Obstacle: Oh No[]

While a ship is at range 0 of an obstacle it has even more fun:

  • Asteroid & Debris: You cannot perform attacks
  • Gas Cloud: You cannot perform attacks. Cannot acquire locks and cannot be locked.
  • Electro-Chaff Cloud: Cannot acquire locks and cannot be locked.

Summary[]

  • Every obstacle does something savage when you hit it, and then has you roll for additional excitement.
  • If you land in an obstacle, you don't get to perform an action, and in some cases can't lock and be locked (gas and chaff).
  • Passing through an obstacle still does bad things, but you can still shoot and perform actions (except Blaze skips your perform action step no matter what).

No Double Crunch[]

If you start on an obstacle and successfully move off it, it doesn't affect you again even if your maneuver template passed through it. If you land on it again though you are affected.

This is so you're not suffering the brutal effects of obstacles twice just because the front of your ship was partially on the obstacle.

Ignoring Obstacles is Useful[]

Modified TIE/ln Fighter, Dash Rendar, Grappling Struts, Landing Struts, and Collision Detector, etc let you ignore obstacles or get away with a bit more instead of having your day ruined over some scratched paint. They're pretty handy with these new changes.

Tractored[]

Along with the newly brutal obstacles, Tractoring can no longer move the target on or through an obstacle.

Ionized[]

When you become ionized, break all locks you have (but not locks on you).

While ionized, you still assign a dial to your ship during Planning. Instead of revealing the dial (and triggering effects on revealing it), just flip it over. Then perform your ionized maneuver which will be a 1 straight or 1 bank left or 1 bank right, depending on the bearing of your revealed maneuver. Because you set your dial, you have a revealed maneuver for effects that check for that.

The goal here seems to be to make it harder to force a player off the table or onto obstacles etc. Ionization still messes you up (lose your locks, can only focus, very limited maneuver choice, etc), but not quite as much as in the past.

Dials are Sacred[]

Effects which look at opponent dials or allow changing dials are no longer allowed in Standard play. The goal is to re-emphasize the importance of the planning phase and getting into the opponent's head. A few effects like Ailerons (TIE Reaper and TIE/sk Striker) and system phase boosts (e.g. TIE/sa Bomber and Eta-2 Actis) are allowed, but abilities like Advanced Sensors and Informant are not.

Released Products and Errata/FAQs[]

  • Product Waves 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and Trident. These are products initially planned by FFG and released under AMG's watch; how much AMG tweaked them before release is unknown (TODO?), but they've made some changes via Errata and FAQs since.
  • New Errata:
  • New/Modified FAQ:
    • TODO
  • FAQ from Rules Forum:
    • AMG has been especially affable with the community in this regard, directly answering questions with quick turnaround times (compared to FFG's arms-length approach to community and glacial turn-around times).
    • See Rules Forum; summarizing it all here is not a good idea...
  • Points/Slots Updates

OLD Info[]

A bunch of old stuff that includes summaries of their intentions during development etc.

Confirmed[]

  • See Stream Summary: 2.5 Core Rules Announcement
  • Rules update will be live in 2022, Jan or Feb, and will be accompanied by errata and points update.
  • Stated Design Goals are to bring things back to X-Wing's roots:
    • Action packed
    • Lower skill floor while maintaining a high skill ceiling
    • Incentivize engaging

ROAD and First Player[]

Random Order After Dials means players roll 3 dice after the planning phase. The winning player becomes the first player (whether or not they want to).

The winner is determined by getting the most of these results, in this order:

  • Most crits
  • Most focuses
  • Most hits
  • Otherwise roll again

The same roll is made at the start of the game to determine the first player during Setup. Unspent squad points no longer matter (see below).

More developer notes: Why ROAD?[]

  • Why Not RPO at the beginning of the game? This condemns one team to being 1st/2nd player for the whole game
  • Tried back & forth player order, didn't accomplish what they wanted
  • Idea was x-wing needs to get back to its roots. It's a dogfighting game and you are not supposed to have perfect information. High adrenaline, high octane feel of being in a dogfight
  • AMG wants you to have choices in the game that don't have perfect information
  • They found players can wait it out until they have the perfect opportunity, and will do so (highly cagey play).
  • You may not like this; old x-wing may have been the game of your dreams. They understand this. That was not the direction they wanted the game to go in, nor the way of the future (bringing in new players etc)
  • Intend to lower skill floor while keeping ceiling high
  • Have to pay more attention to the opponent, more bluff game, more reading
  • More opportunity for unique plays because things are not set
  • Won't have agency over the ROAD/RPO roll; not planning to have upgrades etc that control or circumvent it
  • Three dice instead of 1 because it lends itself well to multiplayer scenarios. And also rolling dice is fun, creating a moment of wonder.
  • Dials are sacred again -- when you flip it'll be a surprise. No more dial peeking; cards will be banned or errata'd to remove this effect, or cards that do peek will be restricted.

Unspent Points[]

Deficit Scoring[]

Any unspent points are now immediately scored by the opponent, so players are encouraged to spend all 200 points.

No Points Bid[]

Previously, players would leave some points unspent as an initiative bid. This allowed them to choose the first player, which was very valued by aces who want to move last to make the most of their repositions and other decisions. This is being replaced by ROAD, and unspent points no longer matter.

Why Deficit Scoring?[]

  • Bidding points hides points, which allows for fortressing. This wasn't fun. This way there's always 200 points for you to score.
  • You should be incentivized by game rules to spend all your points instead of penalized.

Scenarios[]

Scenarios are intended as a pillar of competitive play, instead of always being elimination deathmatches.

  • Widens squad building options
  • Want to think about all scenarios when list building for an event
  • Scenarios are imperative for incentivizing different play styles, and choices in list building because not every ship is good at everything
  • Having the game be only about list destruction leads to people not engaging and dancing around each other, waiting for the perfect moment, and fortressing points by running away when ahead
  • Can't win by ONLY playing by objectives alone
  • If in a casual game, you bring your list beforehand and will randomly select a scenario

There are for scenarios

  • Zone control: be close to objective
  • Snatch and grab
  • Control: not area control but "tagging" points and removing your opponent's control
  • Chance Engagement: dogfighting

Each player each round will play the same objective

Goal is to force engagement. If you fortress in a corner, your opponent can score objectives.

Other notes:

  • First is in center of board
  • Then alternate: your side, then opponent's side
  • Scenarios will have print & play tokens, but you can use Epic tokens
  • Next kit will include objective tokens
  • Obstacles cannot be placed overlapping an objective token; otherwise same obstacle placement rules.

Scoring:

  • Play to 20 points. If tied at 20+, keep playing until someone gets ahead
  • No half points for ships half damaged, except in Chance Encounter
  • Points are scored by opponent no matter why the ship died (removed, flees, etc)
  • Whomever has the most ships at range 1 of objective gains 1 point. Medium/large shjips count as 2 ships for this purpose.

Obstacles[]

Intent: Want them to be more meaningful to the game, and simplify. All have been changed: You fly over, something happens, then roll.

  • Asteroids: Suffer 1 damage, roll hit/crit to suffer another damage
  • Debris: Stress, roll hit/crit to suffer a damage
  • Cloud: Break all locks and gain a strain, roll hit for 1 ion or crit for 3 ions
  • Rigged and others: Gain stress, roll hit/crit to gain strain

If overlapping Asteroid/Debris/Gas, cannot attack , and skip perform action

If you move through but do not overlap the obstacle, you can still take an action if able.

Tractor[]

Tractoring can no longer place a ship on top of an obstacle

Ships Overlapping Ships[]

When you bump another ship during your maneuver, the effect depends on whether that ship is friendly or enemy.

  • Friendly: Roll a die. Hit/crit: take a damage (facedown), and skip the Perform Action step.
  • Enemy: If you are not stressed, you may perform a printed focus/calculate action from your action bar, gain a stress, and skip your perform action step.
  • If both: Counts as hitting a friendly only.
  • Only checks the last ship you'd hit (at the end of the template), not who you technically collide into. Thus you could end up touching a friendly ship but treat it as ramming an enemy ship (so you get an action but don't roll damage).

Range 0[]

  • Ships can attack at range 0.
  • Only primary attacks at R0
  • When you attack at R0, you cannot modify dice or add dice.
  • If defending at R0, enemy cannot modify your dice.
  • No range bonus for R0
  • Ships/upgrades that allow R0 attacks will be changed to allow the range bonus, and possibly other effects

Formats[]

Standard Format[]

  • The defacto tournament format
  • Only reprinted ships
  • Intent: Tournament environment is very open and fair to new players (e.g. meta not affected by supply shortages and scalpers)
  • Other ships only available in extended
  • If reprinted at all, can use it in other factions (Standard cares what model is reprinted). So because the HWK is available to Scum through a 2.0 product, Rebels can fly it as well (using Rebel cards).
  • Some banned cards.

Extended[]

  • Wild west. All ships allowed, no bans.

Hyperspace[]

  • Doesn't exist anymore

Banned List[]

  • Intimidation
  • Others to be confirmed in 2022

Official Play, Scenarios, and Tournament Scoring[]

Taking Notes[]

Will be allowed to track the score as you play

Half Points and Regen[]

  • The moment you score half points on a ship, you score. No more regenerating above half and removing the points.

Ties and Final Salvo[]

  • AMG considered ties and final salvo to be bad
  • Draws will be allowed
  • You must reach a certain threshold of points scored
  • MOV is now not a part of the rules (TODO: need a better explanation of what will replace it)

New Official Play and Tournament Scoring[]

  • in new OP, trying to make the game feel more thematic. we want more starfighter battles, not starfighter tower defense. There will be thresholds based on the points scored in the game. Each new level scores you more tournament points
  • even losing, if I destroy more points, I do better in the tournament
  • the game will be fundamentally shifty
  • if you're going to lose, lose big. If you're going to win, win big
  • continuing to score points will be worth it. It's possible that someone that lost games could rank higher than someone that won all of their games

Time Limit and Game Speed[]

  • There will still be a time limit, important for tournaments
  • They're finding games resolve MUCH quicker, because players are incentivized to engage and score, rather than run
  • Still think aces do well at getting out of arcs, but this pushes the needle away from being conservative
  • Less worried about how many points you're giving up, and rather how many you can score

Proposed[]

TODO

Scoring[]

  • When ship destroyed, divide ship points by 10 (round up)

Round Limit[]

  • (TODO: May be Confirmed?)
  • Round limit of 12 rounds, time limit of 75 minutes. Whichever limit is hit first ends the game.

Banned List[]

  • Likely any card that looks at or alters dials, though these may simply be errata'd to other effects
  • Luke Skywalker (Gunner)? Or errata?

Sideboards[]

  • Exploring allowing players to bring extra cards to a tournament, to swap in & out between rounds
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