Play Variations

In X-Wing Second Edition, you assemble a squadron of iconic starfighters from across the Star Wars saga and engage in fast-paced, high-stakes space combat. This combat can take many different forms, ranging from officially supported game modes to legacy formats to player driven formats. Below is a listing of some of those play variations.

Game Modes officially supported by AMG

Standard Game Mode

Standard is the format used for officially supported tournaments. This game mode includes only ships which miniatures have been printed or reprinted for second edition in at least one of the factions. Furthermore, some upgrades and pilot cards are banned from the mode, and can be found on the ban list on AMG's website. A standard game is played with a 20 points squad,

A standard game is typically played by randomly choosing one of the four scenarios available, which description can be found on AMG's website.

Extended Game Mode

Explore all the starfighter battles X-Wing has to offer. The Extended game mode encompasses every component for X-Wing Second Edition, including the ships only found in the Conversion Kits.

Narrative scenarios

AMG has released two scenario packs, Battle of Yavin and Siege of Coruscant, that feature asymmetric scenarios intended to recreate the corresponding iconic battles fro the movies.

Official Supported Game Modes (obsolete)

Extended Game Mode

Explore all the starfighter battles X-Wing has to offer. The Extended game mode encompasses every component for X-Wing Second Edition, including the ships only found in the Conversion Kits. Choose a faction, then select up to 200 points of pilots and upgrades to create your squad.

Hyperspace Game Mode

The Second Edition game mode is an ideal introduction to players new to X-Wing. This game mode includes only those components found in the second edition Core Set and ship expansions. Choose a faction, then select up to 200 points of pilots and upgrades to create your squad.

Variants Game Mode

Enjoy new ways to play in the Star Wars galaxy with a series of tailored and unique experiences. Each one introduces a specific pool of pilots and upgrades to build your squad from.

Battle of Yavin

Relive the Rebellion's attack on the Death Star from Star Wars: A New Hope using only the ships that appeared in the movie. This is also a Deluxe Wave 1 Kit Thematic Event game mode.

Evacuation of D'quar

The First Order has discovered the Resistance base on D’qar. Relive the high-stakes battle as the Resistance makes their escape! This is also a Wave 2 Thematic Tournament game mode.

No Glory

These pilots, who shall remain nameless, fly with a steadfast commitment to their faction. This variant only allows Generic Pilots and non-limited upgrades (with a few exceptions).

Playing Favorites v2

Just one pilot for each ship is available, with a wide array of upgrades to complement them.

Season of Giving

Many pilots and upgrades give benefits to each other. When playing with a squad built using this variant, every player’s ships gain a Red Coordinate action on their action bar. This is also a Seasonal Challenge W2 game mode.

Custom Game Mode

The Custom Game Mode allows the creation of your own variants. You can adjust the pool of factions, ships, pilots, and upgrades. You can also assign special instructions and objectives.

Quick Build

The Quick Build cards included in the X-Wing Core Set and every ship expansion give you a way to quickly assemble a squadron and get flying right away. These cards use a separate, modified set of build rules that allow players to quickly build a squad and start playing, without having to worry about point costs, upgrade slots or deckbuilding restrictions.

For more information, please see the Quick Build page.

Escalation

Instead of a normal match, players can enjoy an Escalation match, in which they control a series of increasingly dangerous ships. To play an Escalation match, players build a squad as described in the Quick Build section with a threat level of 4. During the End Phase, if a ship was destroyed during that round, its player chooses one or two pilots from their collection of Quick Build cards whose total threat is one higher than the destroyed ship’s threat. At the end of a round, if a player has destroyed enemy ships whose total threat is more than twice the match’s threat level, that player wins!

For more information please see the Official Rule Book, page 16.

Epic

Epic Format involving Huge Ships has been released. The Epic Battles Multiplayer Expansion introduces a totally new way to play X-Wing, inviting two to eight players to engage in epic multiplayer battles as they command massive fleets in large-scale games that evoke iconic Star Wars scenes.

Featuring eleven cinematic Scenarios, Epic Battles gives players the chance to fly coordinated wings of starfighters into a wide variety of situations.

For more information, please see the FFG Epic Play Forum.

Solo Play

This new game mode gives you the chance to test a players skills against a dynamic and unpredictable automated opponent whose behavior is dictated by simple rules using components found in the X-Wing Core Set. The rules are still being alpha tested by FFG and no date for release is set.

For more information, please see the Flying Solo news article.

Player-Driven Formats

X-wing players have come up with plenty of their own house rules, scenarios and custom formats. This section list just a very few of them. Please feel free to add additional play variations and links to rules where possible.

Muckle

A custom mode made by Herowannabe and the players at Game Night Games. Furball variant where you only gain points by grabbing the ball and holding onto it. Rules Link

Droid Match

A custom mode by Wazat. Like muckle there are tokens spread around the play area and they're the key to points. Each droid you pick up gives you 1 power, and 1 problem. The more droids you collect the more points you can gain, but the more you're worth too. And those problems start to pile up... The rules can be found here: X-Wing Game Mode: Droid Hunters (Rune Match)

Man with the Golden Gun

A custom mode made by Herowannabe and the players at Game Night Games, this is Furball with a twist: a weapon that can be picked up that fires an insta-kill shot. Rules Link

Heroes of the Aturi Cluster

A mode created by Josh Derksen and converted to 2.0 by Hinny. It is a game mode that features a long campaign with AI controlled ships. Rules Link

King of the Hill

A custom mode made by Herowannabe and the players at Game Night Games. Furball variant where you gain points by being near the token in the center of the play area, or from killing enemies that have points. Rules Link

Mario Kart

Each player has 1 ship and is racing along a track. Players can shoot each other with their ship weapons, drop bombs, etc, and turrets at various points of the track will shoot too. The first player to complete 2 laps (or be the farthest along when time is called) wins. Lots of people have their own version of this, and the game changes a lot with the track layout. Rules Link

Force Battles: Dark-Side vs Light-Side Coalitions

Faction restrictions are lifted for Dark-side unity and Light-side unity. Each ship (upgrades included) must be able to spend at least one force token.

• The Dark-side Coalition includes the Separatist Alliance, Galactic Empire, and First Order Factions.
• The Light-side Coalition includes the Galactic Republic, Rebellion, and Resistance Factions.

• Exception: Scum and Villainy pilots and ship types can be used by either coalition so long as:
  1. They have other corresponding coalition options. Example: Kanan Jarrus (HWK-290) because of Kanan Jarrus (Crew) and Kanan Jarrus (VCX-100).
  2. The ship type has dual-faction options. Example: Boba Fett because of Jango Fett.
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Designer: GabrielVelasquez