Geek Syndicate Issue 5 | Page 109

Geek Syndicate
BOARD GAME REVIEW

X-Wing Miniatures Game
of squad leader and command a group of merciless Imperial or daring Rebel pilots in furious ship-to-ship space combat. Featuring stunningly detailed and painted miniatures, X-Wing recreates exciting Star Wars space battles from small engagements of only a couple of crafts, to large conflicts where multiple squadrons clash. Select and equip your ships, pick your crew, plan your attack, and complete your mission.

games. We own half a dozen or so of their boxed games already, and have always been impressed by their production quality and general playability. X-Wing follows their general design philosophy of high-end playing pieces but has apparently tossed out their customary sprawling, jumbled mess of a rulebook in favour of something a lot more tightly written and designed. Here’s what you get in the box: • Three pre-painted starfighter miniatures (one XWing and two TIE Fighters) • Quick-start mini-rulebook • Full rulebook • Range and manoeuvre rulers • Custom dice • Enough counters, cards, pilot tokens and sundries to choke a Gundark
Image © Fantasy Flight Games, 2012

Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games

Image © Fantasy Flight Games, 2012

With its pivotal role at the Battle of Yavin, the Incom Corporation T-65 X-wing fighter claimed its place in history. Boasting highpowered laser cannons, proton torpedo launchers, and a reinforced titanium-alloy hull, this solid and dependable craft has earned its reputation as a staple in the Rebel Alliance’s arsenal against the Galactic Empire. The Sienar Fleet Systems TIE fighter, a lightweight and nimble starfighter designed with efficiency and affordability in mind, is the X-wing’s opposite in nearly every conceivable way. But what the TIE fighter lacks in defensive capabilities, it more than makes up for in numbers. While one TIE fighter seldom presents a real threat to a skilled Rebel pilot, two or more working in concert can quickly overwhelm ships several times their size. Control the most advanced starfighters and outstanding pilots in the galaxy! In X-Wing Miniatures Game, you take the role

A long time ago (1987) in a galaxy far, far away, West End Games published a tiny, polished gem entitled Star Warriors. A younger, smaller version of Cy Dethan bought a copy via mail order from Esdevium Games and played it non-stop for about twelve years. While it could be fiddly at times, with tiny counters and rudimentary artwork, Star Warriors was a well produced and fairly dynamic adaptation of Star Wars universe dogfighting to the tabletop. Fantasy Flight Games’ X-Wing Miniatures Game is something else entirely. So much so, in fact, that the shock of it is still settling in on us. Our history with Fantasy Flight goes back a few years now, so we thought we knew pretty much exactly what to expect from one of their licensed

The miniatures deserve a little more discussion here. Despite the large number of miniatures games we’ve owned and played over the years, both Nic and I are very reluctant model painters. The fact that X-Wing

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