X-Wing Miniatures

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About

X-Wing Miniatures is a newly launched game that is a table-top strategy game, which has been adapted to be played virtually online, by way of the Vassal Module. Players make use of the various starfighters and aces of the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire in this turn-based game where strategy is key, making full use of one's craft and abilities to defeat the enemy player.

You can find the rules to the game here: (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1TRGnMMipxRSy13RkRUS2M2U00/edit?usp=sharing)

Current ITOD Mission

RS ITOD 7: Operation Invisible Force

Previous ITOD Missions

RS ITOD 6: Operation Gilded Shroud

RS ITOD 5: Operation Phantom Ghost

RS ITOD 4: Operation Renegade Star

RS ITOD 3: Operation Defiant Bulwark

RS ITOD 2: Operation Urgent Light

Rules of Engagement for Operation Urgent Light

Rules of Engagement - Training Run

Setting up

First of all, you will need to download all of the components in order to play online. They are:

This is the base program used to play X-Wing Miniatures.

  • Map Packs - These are the playing fields used, to give a more Star Wars feel to the battles unfolding.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1TRGnMMipxROGIwbUxIOG11Umc/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1TRGnMMipxRQUR1MVE5aU54Wlk/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1TRGnMMipxRdXhaemR4OTVDX0U/edit?usp=sharing)

After installing Vassal, run the program, and go to "File" and to "Load Module". Select the RS X-Wing Minis Module. (Note: Make sure you have the file somewhere you can get to it easily. The program can load it from anywhere, but this is more for ease on your part should something happen to require re-loading)

When the entry appears in the "Module Library", right click on that, and add the map packs. (This will remove the map pack from the folder you originally created, and put it into a subfolder linking it to the module).

Then double-click the module and Vassal will load it up. Click "look for a game online", set up a username and password, and away you go.

Normally, voice chat is done on Google Hangouts, so if you do not have a G+ account, it's a good idea to get one.

How to Play

First of all, you'll need to build your squad. After establishing the agreed upon points limit (50, 70, 100, etc), use the following website to help build your squadron based on the point limit (http://xwing-builder.co.uk/build# http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/).

From here, you will pick your craft, pilots, and modifications. Please make sure to note what pieces are currently available in the module as opposed to what is available on the websites. Some content is still pending release while others are out, but have not yet been added. You can double check by clicking the "Pieces" tab in Vassal.

After you have made your selections, join the game room and select which ever player slot you are going to be (Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, etc), and then click "Map". This will bring up the map. Now, you will need to do some adjusting with your windows to still get to everything, and it's best to go with what works for you. However, for the map itself, in order to get a good view of the map and the dead space (which is used for card placement), go to the open magnifying glass icon tab, and select either "Fit Height" or "Fit Visable". That should give you a good overall view, and you can still zoom in as needed later on.

Using the "Pieces" tab, click and drag all of the cards, dials, and ship pieces for your selected craft and modifications. It's also a good idea to drag out some chits (target lock, focus, stress, evasion) as needed. It's a good idea to organize your cards neatly and logically so that it's clear what craft has what mods, both for your own sanity and so if there are any questions or disputes, it's clear for those present to see. After the cards have been laid out, position your craft and dials on the map itself.

From there, set up the stats on your craft token. This can be done either by hotkeys or by right clicking on the craft token and going to Set Stats, which will also give you the hotkeys to use. The stats in question are found on the craft/pilot card. From top to bottom, these are:

  • Pilot Number (Orange): This determine's the pilot's placement in turn order. During the Movement Phase, the order is Lowest to Highest, while during Combat Phase, the order is reversed to Highest to Lowest.
  • Attack Number (Red): This is the craft's attack value, representing how many dice are rolled during a Primary Weapon attack.
  • Defense Number (Green): This is the craft's defense value, representing how many dice are rolled when evading an attack.
  • Hull Value (Yellow): This represent's the craft's hull strength. During combat, it's a good idea to adjust this as the craft is hit or repaired.
  • Shield Value (Blue): This is the craft's shield strength. Like Hull, it's a good idea to adjust this when the craft is hit or the shields are repaired.

If you have multiple craft of the same type, it's generally a good idea to place their name on them as well, using the option Set Pilot Name. This should also be done on the craft dial, to avoid confusing them later in action.

The rest of the game's rules and concepts are covered clearly in the rule book, so it's a good idea to read through it (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1TRGnMMipxRSy13RkRUS2M2U00/edit?usp=sharing).

Movement Templates for Corellian Corvette: HERE

Movement Templates for Rebel Transport: HERE

Capital Ship Rules: HERE

Additional Notes

As the game has grown in popularity with the Rebel Squadrons, it is currently being more fully integrated into the ITOD system, but it can still be played as a normal multiplayer game as it started. FA Danny "David Lee Japan" Qatar has been holding regular game nights every Friday at 9PM (EST), but players are free to play at any time outside of this scheduled game night. The game nights are an excellent opportunity for new players to learn how to play and get experience, while experienced players have the opportunity to expirement with new ideas and tactics. And above all else, it's a great time for RSers to have a good time.

Anatomy of a Turn

For those of you still curious about what all goes on in a turn, but have yet to be able to sit in on a Minis game, this section will help explain. Bear in mind that while this sounds complicated, it actually falls into place quite neatly and it becomes second nature fairly quickly.

Note: For the sake of this example, we are going to assume a face off of 2 Z-95s (Bandit Squadron Pilot) and 2 TIE Fighters (Obsidian Squadron Pilot). So this will not take into account certian things beyond modifications (both Z-95s are carrying Concussion Missile each to include notes on warheads) and pilot talents.

So, the first step is the planning phase. Here, you plot your course and get an idea for your plan of attack. Each ship has a movement dial, and by using "Reveal" (by right clicking the dial), it is hidden from the other player until the next step. Every ship has a different set of available manuvers, to better represent how the craft handles. So more agile craft will have a wider range of options than a slower moving one, but on the flip side, the slower craft may have better short range options for tighter turns. Regardless, each ship has three colors of manuvers available to them: red, white, and green.

  • Red Manuvers: These are pushing the craft and pilot to their limits, and so they cause the ship to replace taking an action during the action phase to it recieving a Stress token and taking no action. They also cannot perform another red manuver until the stress is removed.
  • White Manuvers: These are normal actions a craft can perform, and have no effect on the ship or it's actions.
  • Green Manuvers: These are easy manuvers for the craft to take, and their primary function is to remove Stress. By performing a green manuver, the craft's stress token is removed, and it is free to take actions. If there are no stress tokens, it's handled like a white manuver.

After the planning phase comes the movement. Now this is decided by the lowest pilot number, which is the orange number towards the upper-middle of the card, next to the pilot's name, and goes up from there. If there are two pilots on each side that have the same number, iniative goes to the Imperial (or opposing force) pilot. The player reveals their movement dial, and then moves the craft in that direction. Bear in mind that the orientation of the craft doesn't change which way it goes, so if you start with your token inverted or it becomes inverted, remember to think not in terms of how YOU see the direction, but how the craft will. It takes some getting used to, so don't worry if you mess it up. Generally, if it was obvious you went left and you meant to go right, we'll let you fix it. It is a little bit of the honor system there, so don't abuse it.

As you move each craft, they can take an action, as listed by the symbols on their card, to the right of their hull and shield values, but let's use our example to explain how they work.

So, for the sake of our example, let's look at our Z-95s and TIEs. The Obsidian Squadron pilot is a 3, while the Bandit Squadron pilot is a 2, so the Z-95s go first. Now, on the Z-95's card, it has only two options: Focus (eyeball) and Target Lock (crosshairs). So after the Z-95 moves, they can either take a Focus token, or if an enemy is within Target Lock range (checkable by right clicking on the craft token and under Fire Arcs, select Target Lock. For the sake of example, we're going to say that one Z-95 takes a Focus, and the other acquires a Target Lock on one of the TIEs.

Now it's time for the TIEs to move. You'll note it has different actions: Focus (eyeball), Evade (squiggly arrow), and Barrel Roll (loop arrow). While we won't use it, Barrel Roll is a bit of a tricky concept, since there's no neat way to do it. Basically, what you need to do is go into the pieces, get out a 1 Straight ruler, and place it on the left or right side of the ship, and then move the token to the other end of that ruler. It's useful, but it's confusing at first. But for this example, one of our TIEs is going to take a Focus Token and the other will take an Evade Token.

So after all the ships have moved and taken their actions (if they can), then comes combat. Naturally, if no one is in range, we can just skip this step and go to the next turn. But for the sake of our example here, we're going to say that everyone's in range of each other to start combat. In this situation, the order works in reverse from movement, so the higher pilot number shoots first, and it goes down the list. Again, Imperial pilots have the iniative. So that means that our two TIE Fighters can attack first. Attacking is done by selecting a target within the ship's firing arc (selectable under fire arc on the craft tab). The cone's coloring also will tell you what range the ship is in. Range 1 is brightest, Range 2 is the middle, Range 3 is the most transparent color.

  • Range 1: At this range, the attacking craft has the advantage. It gains an additional attack dice when rolling.
  • Range 2: Neither ship gain or lose any dice.
  • Range 3: The defending craft has the advantage, and gains an additional defense dice when rolling.
  • Note: Bear in mind that this is referring to Primary Weapon attacks.

So, our first TIE Fighter, who has a Focus, attacks one of our Z-95s, who also has a Focus, and we'll go with that they're at Range 2. So, looking at the TIE Fighter's card, it's Red attack value number is 2, so it'll roll 2 dice. On the Z-95's card, it's Green defense value is also a 2, so it'll roll 2 dice for defending.

  • Attack Dice: Attack dice have four possible outcomes: Blank, Focus (Eyeball), Hit (Explosion), and Critical Hit (Explosion Outline). Blank means nothing hits, Focus results can be changed to hits by spending a Focus token, Hits are normal hits, and Critical Hits are normal hits against shields, but against hull, they require that you draw and flip a Damage Card face up, and they're all bad news for whoever got hit.
  • Defense Dice: Defense Dice have three possible outcomes (but two of those are Evade): Blank, Focus (Eyeball), Evade (Squiggly Arrow). Blank is nothing, Focus can be turned into Evade by spending a Focus token, and Evade cancels any hit results.
  • Conclusion: In short, the result is decided on how many hits (if any) are remaining after both players roll and spend any tokens (or use any abilities). If the number of Hits or Critical Hits is greater than the number of Evades, then that amount of damage is done against the Defender. If it is equal to or less than, no damage is done.

With that explained, we will roll our dice to see what comes up:

The TIE Fighter rolls and the results are a Hit and a Critical Hit. Since no Focus came up, the player does not have to spend the TIE's Focus Token on anything. The Z-95, however, rolls an Evade and a Focus. Now, it's entirely up to the player to decide if they want to spend a Focus or not, since one could opt to eat a damage or two and spend it on their attack instead. But for the sake of this example, we'll say the Z-95 chooses to spend it's Focus token. The Focus dice is turned into an Evade, and the TIE has done no damage to the Z-95.

Now let's go to our TIE who took an Evade Token against the Z-95 who took a Target Lock. For this, the Z-95 is at Range 3, so the TIE rolls 2 attack dice, and the Z-95 rolls 3. The TIE got a Focus and a Hit, while the Z-95 got a Focus and two Blanks. However, neither took a Focus action, so they cannot spend anything to change either Focus results. So, the Z-95 is hit and loses 1 point to it's shields.

Both of the TIEs are done, now it's time for the Z-95s. The Z-95 who spent his Focus will attack the TIE Fighter who took an Evade, and for this, the Z-95 is at Range 1. So he gets an extra dice to his attack, which is a 2 normally. The TIE evades as normal, which is 3 dice. The Z-95 rolls a Hit, Blank and a Crit, while the TIE rolls a Focus and 2 Blanks. However, the TIE also has an Evade token, which acts as a free Evade die to add to the result, which basically means that he has a Focus, 2 Blanks and an Evade. Now, this brings up a good point: Hits must all be canceled first before any Crits are canceled. So, in this case, the TIE can cancel the Hit with his Evade Token he has spent, but still has to take the Crit. This means that a Damage Card is not only drawn, but flipped face-up (since the TIE Fighter has no shields.) The instructions of the card are carried out as it reads. (Since we're only doing 1 turn, we won't go too in depth. And there's quite a few possibilities).

Now it's time for the Z-95 who's taken a Target Lock on the TIE that spent it's Focus, and they're at Range 2. But the Z-95 chooses to his warhead, a Concussion Missile. The card states that the ship firing it spends it's Target Lock to make the attack, it's attack value is 3, and it has a range of 2-3. It also states that the firing ship can change 1 blank result to a Hit result. Regardless of if this missile hits or misses, it is considered fired and the Target Lock is removed from the TIE and the card is flipped face down, it cannot be used anymore. So the Z-95 fires, and the TIE attempts to evade. The Z-95 rolls a Blank and 2 Hits, and the TIE rolls a Focus, Blank and Evade. The Z-95 can flip it's blank to a Hit, so it has 3 Hits, and the TIE has spent it's Focus, so it can only cancel 1 hit. So it's struck for 2 damage, and 2 damage cards are drawn, but kept face down, while the Z-95 flips it's concussion missile card face down and removes the red Target Lock from the TIE and the blue Target Lock from itself.

After every ship capable of attacking has done so, the turn enters the end phase. Now in our example, no ships have anything that is affected by that, and none were destroyed. If a ship is destroyed, it is removed off the playing field and all of it's cards flipped face down immediately. But once all this is done, the manuver dials are hidden once more, and we move on to the planning phase of the new turn.

Remember, this may seem very complicated and daunting, but the great part about this game is that everything is fairly streamlined to a point where you can pick things up very easily, and the real trick becomes mastering the rules and finding where you best fit in. As always, we're here to help one another, so ask questions if you don't understand something. We want to make sure everyone is having a good time, and if you're getting discouraged because you don't get something, ask. Most of the time, we all end up learning something new when someone asks about how a rule or concept works, otherwise, we just want to make sure we're all clear on what's going on. Above all else: have fun. It's all friendly competition, just here to get together, play a great game, and enjoy some fine company while we're at it.

RS House Rules

  • Upon request, the "Imperial" or "enemy" (non-RS) player must disclose the number of ships they're bringing to the engagement.
  • In ITOD missions, when Imperial craft are used, the TIE Phantom may be used, but cannot be referenced as such in any narratives. This is due to the fact that during the events of Rebel Assault II, where the TIE Phantom was featured, every last TIE Phantom and it's production facility were destroyed. The author may substitute the craft for a modification of an existing craft, such as a modified TIE Interceptor.

Extra

As a little something extra, an "in-character" write-up was done for the existing craft in X-Wing Miniatures (excluding the GR-75 Transport and CR-90 Corvette). This is also intended to act as something like a primer for newcomers and somewhere to go for information on new craft that appear in the game.

Fighter Briefing