"This is Gold Leader. We're starting our attack run."

–Jon "Dutch" Vander

X-Wing™ Wave VII is here!

The Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack, Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack, K-wing Expansion Pack, and TIE Punisher Expansion Pack are now available at U.S. retailers. Availability may vary in other regions.

Prepare for battlefields littered with Cluster Mines , Black Sun Aces , and massive explosions. Rely upon heavy shielding and reinforced hull plating to see you successfully through your bombing run, SLAM past enemy fighters, or launch devastating volleys of Plasma Torpedoes to obliterate your foes. Wave VII offers each of the game's three factions access to new ships, pilots, and upgrades. Incorporate them into your fleet and use any means necessary to lead your squad to victory!

The Four Pillars of X-Wing

Two-time World Champion Paul Heaver once explained that X-Wing starships tend to fit into one of three different roles – or "pillars" – jouster, arc-dodger, or turret.

Jousters like TIE fighters and B-wings rely upon the pure, mathematical efficiency of their designs to outgun rivals in straight-forward combats.

Arc-dodgers tend to demand more of your squad points but rely upon high pilot skill values and extraordinary maneuverability to line up deadly, close-range shots, even as they slip out of enemy firing arcs.

Turrets, finally, rely upon their shields and ability to target foes in a 360-degree arc in order to wear down enemy forces.

It's possible, though, that the release of Wave VII may demand the introduction of a fourth pillar – the bomber. In our previews of the Rebellion's K-wing Expansion Pack and the Imperial Navy's TIE Punisher Expansion Pack, we explored some of the ways that their new bombers and ordnance are soon to reshape your X-Wing battlefields.

For starters, the K-wing's new SLAM action enables it to race across the battlefield and deploy its ordnance at amazing speeds, so that you'll often be able to catch your opponents by surprise.

Meanwhile, because the TIE punisher comes with a systems upgrade slot, it can perform actions to deploy some of the game's most devastating ordnance even before it executes its maneuvers, thereby affording Imperial squad leaders an incredible, new degree of accuracy with their bombs.

Finally, the range of available ordnance expands considerably with Wave VII, even as it becomes more efficient than ever. Bombs like the Conner Net and Cluster Mines don't just damage enemy ships; they serve as a measure of battlefield control. Both of these new munitions remain in play until they detonate, meaning they can help you crowd your opponent into unfavorable positions. At the same time, the Extra Munitions upgrade allows you to use these bombs more often and at a discount. With the Extra Munitions upgrade, your TIE punisher can depoy bombs as many as four times in a game.

The result is that Wave VII and its ordnance make your X-Wing battles more explosive than ever.

Read Our Previews for More Information

Even as Wave VII expands the range and impact of your munitions, it bolsters the ranks of the galaxy's Scum and Villainy with two new expansions, the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack and the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack. These expansions and their starships were the subjects of our first two Wave VII previews.

We looked at the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack in the preview, "Any Means Necessary," exploring some of the possibilities inherent in its massive shields, its incredible 180-degree firing arc, and its Hound's Tooth Title, which allows its pilot to escape the ship's destruction aboard the custom Z-95 Headhunter, the Nashtah Pup.

In "Lightning Reflexes," we took a closer look at the fast, sleek, and powerful Kihraxz fighter in the article, as well as its ace pilots Talonbane Cobra and Graz the Hunter . We also hinted at some of the different ways players might use the expansion's Glitterstim upgrade, an illicit upgrade that received even more attention in Alex Davy's larger overview of what Wave VII offers the Scum and Villainy faction, "Wave VII Scum and Villainy."

Meanwhile, our previews of the K-wing Expansion Pack and TIE Punisher Expansion Pack went beyond the ships' new technologies and ordnance.

The article "SLAM and Bomb" offered a look at the K-wing Expansion Pack that went beyond the ship's SLAM action and ordnance to address the possibility of utilizing its Twin Laser Turret on an ace like Miranda Doni , an idea that World Champion Paul Heaver took to a higher level in his overview of "Wave VII Rebels."

Finally, the TIE punisher and its pilots stole the spotlight in "Obliterate Your Enemies" and former World Champion Doug Kinney's overview of the Imperial side of Wave VII, "Wave VII Imperials." Both articles called out the possibilities afforded by the ship's systems upgrade slot, its inherent boost action, and the unique abilities of its ace pilots, particularly those of "Deathrain," who can deploy bombs out of his front or rear guides and can then immediately perform a free barrel roll action.

Blast into Battle

Powerful Scum ships, bigger bombs, faster bombers – the seventh wave of X-Wing starships expansions has now arrived. Head to your local retailer to pick up your Wave VII starships today!