"Happy beeps here, buddy, come on. We’ve pulled crazier stunts than this.”

–Poe Dameron, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Nearly 30 years after the Battle of Endor, the struggle for the fate of the Star Wars galaxy has taken a drastic turn. The nefarious First Order has decimated the Republic and is now on the verge of eliminating the only remaining military force that stands in the way of total galactic domination: the Resistance. Launching their starfighters into battle, the Resistance hopes to gain whatever ground it can against the rising tyranny.

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You’ll have the chance to play out the engagements between these two dueling powers when both the Resistance and First Order enter the battles of X-Wing™ later this year. The First Order Conversion Kit and Resistance Conversion Kit give you everything you need to bring your collection of Resistance and First Order ships from the first edition into the second edition and begin building your own squadrons.

Additionally, the T-70 X-Wing Expansion Pack and the TIE/fo Fighter Expansion Pack help you round out your Resistance and First Order squadrons with even more fighters. Finally, with the RZ-2 A-Wing Expansion, you have a completely new option that adds some blinding speed to your Resistance squadrons.

Today we’re going to explore the squad-building possibilities of these new factions by taking a look at two lists created by designer Alex Davy!

Heroes of D’Qar

Fittingly, both of these lists draw their inspiration from events that took place as the Resistance was evacuating their base on D’Qar and immediately after. On the Resistance side, this list includes pilots who aided in the valiant attack run that brought down a First Order dreadnought. Together, these pilots give you a good taste of the unique flair the Resistance brings to X-Wing and lets you fly the ships that form the bulk of their fleet.

"Heroes of D'Qar" (Resistance)

T-70 X-Wing

Poe Dameron (68 points)

Talent:

Heroic (1 point)

Tech:

Ferrosphere Paint (6 points)

Cannon:

Heavy Laser Cannon (4 points)

Astromech:

BB-8 (8 points)

Title:

Black One (2 points)

Configuration:

Integrated S-foils (0 points)

RZ-2 A-Wing

Tallissan Lintra (35 points)

Talent:

Crack Shot (1 point)

Talent:

Heroic (1 point)

MG-100 StarFortress

Vennie (67 points)

System:

Trajectory Simulator (3 points)

Device:

Seismic Charges (3 points)

Total: 199 points

Unsurprisingly, this list revolves around none other than Poe Dameron. As we discussed in our preview of the T-70 X-Wing, Poe is a consummate ace who can go toe-to-toe with anyone in a fight. As such, his high initiative and powerful ability—along with the many points of upgrades he’s carrying on his T-70—make him a natural target for enemy ships.

Fortunately for Poe, the majority of his upgrades help him use his ability to maximum effect. Both BB-8 and the Black One give him the maneuverability he needs to avoid enemy firing arcs and unleash his Heavy Laser Cannon to devastating effect. And while these cards have limited charges, Poe can always close his Integrated S-foils to gain even more maneuverability. In addition to his incredible positioning options, Poe’s Ferrosphere Paint makes it easy for him to avoid any ship that acquires a lock on him and, if all else fails, his Heroic talent gives him another chance to make a critical attack or defense roll.

If all these options weren’t enough, Poe is supported by two pilots that can both dole out damage and keep him around to the endgame. Tallissan Lintra’s RZ-2 A-wing is built on speed and she can use her ability to give Poe an extra defense die if the need should arise. Meanwhile, Vennie and her MG-100 StarFortress may lack the speed and mobility of the other ships, but they make up for it with heavy shields and a thick hull.

This large-based ship is perfect for blocking opposing ships and forcing them to target her instead of Talli or Poe. Even with one agility, dealing damage to Vennie can be a surprisingly frustrating task. She can add a focus result to her defense rolls if the attacker is in a friendly ship’s turret arc, including her own. If the enemy somehow gets the upper hand, Tallissan Lintra also has a turret arc that can help Vennie regain her focus. Better yet, Vennie and Talli’s abilities can be combined to let her roll two defense dice and add the focus to the results! Lastly, even before getting into the thick of the battle, Vennie can use her Trajectory Simulator to launch some Seismic Charges for a chance to deal some damage to any enemy ships flying too close to any nearby obstacles.

Extinguish the Spark

On the other side, the First Order roars into battle looking to unleash all of its aggression. The three advanced starfighters you find here show a clear evolution from Imperial ships, retaining their trademark agility while also featuring greater offensive potential. The result is a list that relies on attacking as much—and as often—as possible to wreak as much havoc as you can.

"Let the Past Die" (First Order)

TIE/vn Silencer

Kylo Ren (82 points)

Force:

Supernatural Reflexes (12 points)

Tech:

Advanced Optics (4 points)

TIE/sf Fighter

"Quickdraw" (45 points)

Gunner:

Special Forces Gunner (10 points)

Modification:

Electronic Baffle (2 points)

TIE/sf Fighter

"Backdraft" (41 points)

Missile:

Ion Missiles (4 points)

Total: 200 points

Like the Resistance squadron, this list puts you in command of two of the First Order’s best pilots, led by the nefarious Kylo Ren. Although he may not have the quite the initiative of Poe Dameron, Ren’s Supernatural Reflexes and his TIE/vn Silencer’s built-in Autothrusters help him equal Dameron in terms of sheer mobility.

After he sets up an attack with of a combination these abilities, Kylo Ren can still spend a Force charge to modify one of his attack dice, which makes Advanced Optics particularly useful to him. This Tech upgrade gives Kylo Ren even more control over his dice, spending a focus token to change a blank to a hit while he performs an attack.

Even when he isn’t directly attacking, Kylo Ren is still plotting ways to hurt his opponents. After he defends, he can spend a Force charge to grant the attacker the I’ll Show You the Dark Side condition. This card might not have an immediate effect, but it does give Kylo Ren a chance to choose a Pilot damage card that will be dealt to the ship the next time it suffers a critical damage.

Even though Kylo Ren’s fellow pilots can’t tap into the power of the Force to dole out damage, that doesn’t make them any less lethal. His wingmate “Quickdraw” has an even higher initiative and plenty of options for using the TIE/sf Fighter’s Heavy Weapon Turret to maximum effect. Hardly one to tolerate enemy fire, “Quickdraw” can quickly retaliate with a bonus primary attack after losing a shield.

While this ability could be reserved for losing shields to enemy attacks, this list gets a bit more creative. Here, “Quickdraw” can execute a red maneuver and perform an attack. Then, during the End Phase, they can suffer a damage with their equipped Electronic Baffle to remove their stress token and lose a shield, performing a bonus primary attack! With a Special Forces Gunner tagging along, the TIE/sf becomes even more flexible, potentially granting “Quickdraw” an additional attack die out of their front arc or a bonus primary attack depending on the direction of their turret arc.

Not to be outdone, the final pilot of this list might not have the same damage potential as the other two pilots, but still has a dedicated battle plan. The Ion Missiles carried by “Backdraft” provide them with perfect opportunities to use their ability. After successfully ionizing a ship, “Backdraft” can fly right over it to set up a Range 1, four-dice attack out of their rear arc.

Enter the Fight

The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. Hoping to seize the advantage, the First Order carries out a campaign of terror across the galaxy. Meanwhile, the Resistance relies on its best pilots to hold back the rising tide. It's time to choose a side and enter the fight!