Most of our coverage of Toy Fair is about action figures and collectibles, but there is so much more being shown off at the international event. Another genre of the toy world that we really enjoy here at DFAT is tabletop gaming. Look forward to articles coming soon about the other great products we saw at Toy Fair.
Fantasy Flight Games is one of the premiere publishers in the the hobby game industry. Producing games based on some of the most popular franchises in geekdom such as A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones), The Lord of the Rings, Battlestar Galactica, and the one that we will be talking about today, Star Wars! Currently Fantasy Flight is making three different games set in the Star Wars universe: X-Wing, Imperial Assault, and their newest offering, Armada. Each game offers a different format of play and a slew of collectible miniatures to take on the Empire or squash the Rebellion!
Star Wars: X-Wing
X-Wing was Fantasy Flight Games’ first venture into Star Wars miniature gaming. You can get into the game pretty easily by picking up the core set, which will give you both X-Wings and TIE Fighters so you can get the game going right off the bat! There are a ton of add-ons for the game; one of my favorites being the “Starfield” playboard. Since the game doesn’t officially come with a board, this is a great way to get into the feeling of deep-space combat! There’s also one that has the Death Star on it!
As usual with miniature games, X-Wing has plenty of expansion packs. Famous starships from the Millennium Falcon, to my personal favorite, Boba Fett’s Slave 1, are available for you to purchase and add to your galactic dogfights! One of my favorite Star Wars series is Shadows of the Empire and this year we will be seeing Xizor’s Star Viper and Dash Rendar’s YT-2400! The Star Viper and others are featured in the latest expansion ‘Scum and Villainy‘. Most amazing of all these additions, is an original ship that was created by Fantasy Flight Games, with approval from LucasFilm, the Imperial Raider! Check out the gallery below for a look at the massive ship and all of the great expansions hitting stores this year!
Product Description:
X-Wing is a tactical ship-to-ship combat game in which players take control of powerful Rebel X-wings and nimble Imperial TIE fighters, facing them against each other in fast-paced space combat. Featuring stunningly detailed and painted miniatures, X-Wing recreates exciting Star Wars space combat throughout its several included scenarios. Select your crew, plan your maneuvers, and complete your mission!
The X-Wing starter set includes everything you need to begin your battles, such as scenarios, cards, and fully assembled and painted ships. What’s more, X-Wing’s quick-to-learn ruleset establishes the foundation for a system that can be expanded with your favorite ships and characters from the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars: Imperial Assault
First they took the battle to space, now the assault goes planetside! Once the dog fighting has ended, it’s time to land the troops! Featuring gameplay for up to 5 players, Imperial Assault will allow you to play as either the Empire or Rebellion. Unlike X-Wing, these miniatures come unpainted, allowing gamers to apply their own custom looks to their forces. Back in the day I dibbled and dabbled with Warhammer and loved it! Imperial Assault just opened up a whole new world to me! Seeing that Fantasy Flight has already made an AT-ST, I wonder if there will be an AT-AT expansion sometime down the line. That would just be amazing!
There are already some pretty cool expansion packs. One in particular really interests me and thats the IG-88 villain pack. It adds more missions and introduces the droid bounty hunter to the game. So if Rebels and Imperials aren’t quite your style, look for more ‘Smugglers and Assassins’ packs coming soon. Read all about them by clicking this link!
Product Description:
Enter the classic Star Wars saga and vie for the fate of the galaxy in the dramatic ground combat of Imperial Assault, a board game of tactical combat and adventure for two to five players! This game introduces two complete play experiences – a campaign game and a skirmish game. In a campaign, one to four players play heroes of the Rebellion, engaging in cinematic missions and battling the Imperial armies under the command of a single player. The skirmish game, on the other hand, allows two players to muster strike teams and battle head-to- head in Imperial bases, the jungles of Yavin 4, and other cinematic Star Wars environments.
Star Wars: Armada
Armada is the latest Star Wars miniature game, but this time Fantasy Flight is going BIGGER! Taking on a whole new scale, Armada allows you to build your own fleet of starships and take on an opponent! Who wouldn’t want to take command of an Imperial Star Destroyer and wipe out the rebel fleet?! Well now you can!
The new game was on display at Toy Fair so check out what is coming out of hyperspace soon to a store near you!
Product Description:
In Star Wars: Armada, you command the unmatched power of the Imperial fleet, or gain the opportunity to prove your tactical acumen as an admiral in the Rebel Alliance. Massive Star Destroyers fly to battle against Rebel corvettes and frigates. Banks of turbolasers unleash torrential volleys of fire against squadrons of X-wings and TIEs.
Assemble your fleet, survey your objectives, form your battle plan, plot your course, call your shots, and destroy the enemy. Armada balances the awesome scale of the Star Wars galaxy’s ships and space warfare with ship designs and rules that make for accessible, intuitive play experiences. It’s your job to issue the tactical commands that will decide the course of battle and, perhaps, the fate of the galaxy.
The Star Wars: Armada Core Set contains everything you need to get started, including the rules, an articulated maneuver tool, a range ruler, six command dials, nine attack dice, ten unpainted squadrons, and three pre-painted ship miniatures (Victory-class Star Destroyer, Nebulon-B frigate, CR90 Corellian corvette), plus more than 130 cards and tokens.
If miniatures isn’t your style of gaming, HAVE NO FEAR! Ranging from card, dice, and good old roleplaying, Fantasy Flight Games has a ton of other products from that galaxy far, far away! Many thanks to Molly who gave us a great tour of the booth!
If these miniature games look like something you would enjoy, hit the link to head on over to their Official Site and get in the game!
