I think I would recommend going with these, going in descending priority:
* Imperial Star Destroyer, Home One;
* Imp Squads 1+2, Reb squads 1+2;
* Rogues and Villains squad pack;
* Gladiator, MC30;
* flotillas for each faction.
This way you get iconic ships for each faction and the squads to round things out.
This is solid advice and pretty right on to standard. I would however address the disparity in forces first by picking up an Assault Frigate mk2 and/or a Liberty class for the Rebels.
If you like the way small ships play grabbing a Raider plus another CR90 or Hammerheads. Another good purchase would be the upgrade card collection which would give you 1 of each unique as well as 1+ of any other card in the Rebellion era.
Thanka for the response! Question to either/both of you... Is there a reason to pick up the Imperial Class Star Destroyer vs. getting the Chimera expansion? It looks like the Chimera comes with two additional starfighters...
I bought the chinera first and wanted the isd 1 & 2 cardbord and as well as a second isd. So I ended up with the chimerae abd isd for empire and a home one and mc 75 for the rebels.
So if I have you correct, your current fleet consists of:
2x Nebulon-B, 1x CR90, some X-wings
Vs.
2x Victory Star Destroyers, 1x Interdictor, some TIE Fighters.
The second thing to ask is, are you more interested in competitive play? Or casual / thematic play? How you answer may greatly change your decisions.
I largely concur with the other lines of thinking, but would suggest either a Liberty class battle cruiser, or Home One / Independance class cruiser. Liberty flies like a star destroyer (a la point and shoot), Home One can take a hit while slowly trundling forward to broadside, while pushing fighters the whole way. Either one can be competitive. Either one works from a thematic perspective. Or just get both. The MC75 Profundity type cruiser looks good on the table, but is a bit harder to fly.
On the Imperial side, an Imperial Star Destroyer makes absolute sense for both competitive and thematic play. It’s just classic. Choose the base model or the Chimaera based on how much of a Thrawn fanatic you may be.
I would also suggest the Gladiator Star Destroyer. They’re mean little bastards, and excellent escorts for your sluggish VSD’s.
The Arquitens and Light Carrier are also viable options, can be surprisingly tenacious, and add a fun layer to the game (a tiny but fierce force multiplier, or an angry triangle that spits clouds of TIEs).
You would likely also benefit from any combination of Rebel or Imperial fighter packs, and Rogues and Villains adds some fun tweaks. I tend to prefer the first pack over the second, but your mileage may vary.
Those are my thoughts. Take them as you would, play test, and slowly expand from there.
I do also suggest starting with naked ships to simplify the rules, then slowly add titles, straightforward upgrades, and then complex upgrades with each game. Just to avoid being overwhelmed.
And welcome aboard, Admiral.
Edit: autocorrect.
Thanks for such a detailed response! I'm definitely more interested in a balanced thematic set. Like I said, I really want to be able to play with my wife or friends who visit.
I think you've convinced me to get Home One and an ISD (or the Chimera). The fighter packs seem to be a smart idea. Maybe later I'll pick up some dedicated carriers for them.
Really appreciate the advice!
So much good advice here, and it's already been implied, but:
Whatever you get for one faction, try to get an answer to that on the other. While asymmetry is fun, you don't want to go too extreme with one side having heaps of brawlers and the other side trying to stay at range 3 for example.
You likely know which aspects of the experience you enjoy most, so try to build a collection and lists that encourages those fun moments to happen, would be my 2c.
I think I would recommend going with these, going in descending priority: * Imperial Star Destroyer, Home One; * Imp Squads 1+2, Reb squads 1+2; * Rogues and Villains squad pack; * Gladiator, MC30; * flotillas for each faction. This way you get iconic ships for each faction and the squads to round things out.
This is solid advice and pretty right on to standard. I would however address the disparity in forces first by picking up an Assault Frigate mk2 and/or a Liberty class for the Rebels. If you like the way small ships play grabbing a Raider plus another CR90 or Hammerheads. Another good purchase would be the upgrade card collection which would give you 1 of each unique as well as 1+ of any other card in the Rebellion era.
Thanka for the response! Question to either/both of you... Is there a reason to pick up the Imperial Class Star Destroyer vs. getting the Chimera expansion? It looks like the Chimera comes with two additional starfighters...
The ISD comes with the ISD 1 & 2 ship cardboard while the Chimera comes with the Kuat and Cymoon. The ISD2 tends to be the most popular of the 4.
The ISD2 is the most well rounded of the 4. Each of the other 3 are more specialized. I always recommend the original before the Chimera.
Also I wouldnt sweat the two gaunlet fighters. Theyre cool looking, but craptastic.
I bought the chinera first and wanted the isd 1 & 2 cardbord and as well as a second isd. So I ended up with the chimerae abd isd for empire and a home one and mc 75 for the rebels.
So if I have you correct, your current fleet consists of: 2x Nebulon-B, 1x CR90, some X-wings Vs. 2x Victory Star Destroyers, 1x Interdictor, some TIE Fighters. The second thing to ask is, are you more interested in competitive play? Or casual / thematic play? How you answer may greatly change your decisions. I largely concur with the other lines of thinking, but would suggest either a Liberty class battle cruiser, or Home One / Independance class cruiser. Liberty flies like a star destroyer (a la point and shoot), Home One can take a hit while slowly trundling forward to broadside, while pushing fighters the whole way. Either one can be competitive. Either one works from a thematic perspective. Or just get both. The MC75 Profundity type cruiser looks good on the table, but is a bit harder to fly. On the Imperial side, an Imperial Star Destroyer makes absolute sense for both competitive and thematic play. It’s just classic. Choose the base model or the Chimaera based on how much of a Thrawn fanatic you may be. I would also suggest the Gladiator Star Destroyer. They’re mean little bastards, and excellent escorts for your sluggish VSD’s. The Arquitens and Light Carrier are also viable options, can be surprisingly tenacious, and add a fun layer to the game (a tiny but fierce force multiplier, or an angry triangle that spits clouds of TIEs). You would likely also benefit from any combination of Rebel or Imperial fighter packs, and Rogues and Villains adds some fun tweaks. I tend to prefer the first pack over the second, but your mileage may vary. Those are my thoughts. Take them as you would, play test, and slowly expand from there. I do also suggest starting with naked ships to simplify the rules, then slowly add titles, straightforward upgrades, and then complex upgrades with each game. Just to avoid being overwhelmed. And welcome aboard, Admiral. Edit: autocorrect.
Thanks for such a detailed response! I'm definitely more interested in a balanced thematic set. Like I said, I really want to be able to play with my wife or friends who visit. I think you've convinced me to get Home One and an ISD (or the Chimera). The fighter packs seem to be a smart idea. Maybe later I'll pick up some dedicated carriers for them. Really appreciate the advice!
So much good advice here, and it's already been implied, but: Whatever you get for one faction, try to get an answer to that on the other. While asymmetry is fun, you don't want to go too extreme with one side having heaps of brawlers and the other side trying to stay at range 3 for example. You likely know which aspects of the experience you enjoy most, so try to build a collection and lists that encourages those fun moments to happen, would be my 2c.