Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Good afternoon!

After finding a couple of TFA core sets on clearance at Game Stop ($19.99 each, how do you beat that?), and my 9th viewing of Episode 7, I've decided to give X-wing another go.

I'd like some advice on putting together some lists for Rebels, Scum, and Imperials that I can use to teach my daughter an nephews with. They range in age from 9-14.

Here's what I have available:

2 TFA Core Sets
1 Original Core Set
1 Most Wanted Set
1 Mist Hunter
1 Y-Wing
1 Hwk-290
1 T-49 Decimator

So, can anyone help me out?

Jim

Honestly, I'd just use the core set to teach them to play, which is your standard 1x T70 and 2x Tie F/Os, and go bare bones.
This will keep it simple, get some fundamentals down, and then you can start to gradually add stuff like upgrade cards and additional ships.

I've played a few kids at tournaments whose parents kind of just threw them into the game (seriously). I do whatever I can to help them out; the hardest part is keeping them focused on what they're doing and remembering stuff. Most of them are overwhelmed.
Easing them in gradually works best, and if it happens to naturally click with them, great!

My friends taught their kids by not doing the action phase for the first few games. It helped as English isn't their first language, so there was no reading required at all. And it drives the maneuvering part of the game across quite well. Ease in a few upgrades after a few games.

Yeah... play without upgrades until they get the handle of maneuvering. Slowly add upgrades, and have fun!
I play fairly regularly with my son who is 8. 10 year olds have done well competitively.

If you're looking for a more interactive and less competitive method, I highly HIGHLY recommend looking into the Heroes of the Aturi cluster campaign. It's co-op rebels vs. AI imperials and it's been an absolute blast to play. A friend and I have started up a second campaign with different ships (we beat the first campaign 3-1), and a THIRD campaign with our regular gaming group. It's a great, low pressure way to learn the game since it puts everyone on the same side instead of pitting people against each other. The AI takes a little getting used to, but shouldn't be anything you can't handle.

Small warning: it does take some printing though. AI cards, new terrain, that sort of thing. It's SUPER fun though, and lets you try builds and ships you wouldn't normally see in regular 100 point play.

I played an X-Wing through the entire first campaign, for instance.

Edit: There are house rules out there for including Scum ships as mercenaries hired by the rebels, so you could still use your scum ships!

Ditto on Heroes of Aturi Cluster. It's about time I started up a campaign with my son. IT costs about $40 at a place like Kinkos... or about $60 worth of ink cartridges and paper on my home printer.

Well, with a brand new baby, I too am playing more X-Wing with the kids -

Lacking regular geek time at present, I thought I'd make the most of their star wars obsession plus, 4 days at my parents', so anything that occupies 2 kids of 5 and 8 for 2hours solid is always good.

I continue to be so, so impressed by this game. We've now introduced upgrades, with almost all of the game mechanics - ion weapons, turrets, big ships, SLAM, bombs, missiles, torpedoes, crew, titles, talents and modifications. We've had slave 1 forced off the table only to have it drop its bombs for the win in the process, sportsmanship in victory and defeat, and even E-Wings and tie bombers not being rubbish. Quality stuff.

So having started with the core game we've really been able to escalate in the space of a week to the full burrito!

According to me kids should startup with core mode than switch to which is your standard 1x T70 and 2x Tie F/Os. When I was about to introduce X-wing to my kids I fist started with Heroes of the Aturi cluster campaign. As English is not their first language they will be required to read more about the contents for playing X-Wings.

I started x-wing with my two boys (10 & 7) because they kept on wanting to play Battletech. Definitely not a beginners game unless you strip out have the rules. We did about 4 games with just the core set with no actions, then I got the TFA core and the Falcon... The game grew rapidly from there. Now my 4 year old son wants to throw the dice for us, my 7yr is reading the cards on his own (yet he resists reading books), and my 10yr is on the list builder dreaming up new synergies. They got Mom to play a game using the Falcon and she had a blast.

It will be interesting when my toddler daughter gets into it :-)

I like teaching with Actions and Stress, but no upgrades or pilot abilities. I feel that if you don't use actions, then positioning doesn't really matter much (people will keep K-turning on end).

4-5 games with basic actions, and then people have a grasp on maneuver. They are ready for pilot abilities (Typically 2-3 games) before they are ready for upgrades. Ordinance is the last thing that I show them.