[STAW]Big News! Big Changes!

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**Tamwulf**

I'll edit and add comments later, but...

Wizkids just some big changes to STAW!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209245852957775&set=gm.1455637021131569&type=3&theater

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Here is the text:

We’ve had many retailers and gamers alike ask us what the future holds for the Star Trek: Attack Wing (STAW) line of products. We’re excited to finally announce numerous new initiatives that we’ve been working on over the past year.

Our first initiative will directly affect the margin of all STAW products. Starting immediately, the discounting structure on all STAW starters and $14.99 expansion packs (past and future) will improve for retailers by 5% of MSRP. This ensures that retailers who have been running STAW events in their store are rewarded for their ongoing efforts to provide play spaces, increase community outreach, and support new player programs. Our goal is to provide an immediate boost in return on investment for retailers currently supporting the line, while enticing new retailers to adopt STAW in their store.

Secondly, WizKids will be releasing a digital version of the revised rulebook. The digital version will contain refreshed rules that incorporate rulings and FAQs released online, providing an up-to-date comprehensive rulebook. No need to worry - all previously released STAW product will be compatible; no products will become obsolete in conjunction with this update.

Our third initiative is to release a new configuration of STAW products. These products will have a lower price point and contain new content, but will not include ship models. While the new configurations won’t include ship models, they will note the previously-released ships customers need to purchase. The new configuration will offer a more cost-effective option for players who already have many copies of an existing ship sculpt. In addition to a lower price point, these packs will include a selection of updated content to support updated rules for ship models of the same type.

Fourth, we will be introducing faction packs. These faction packs will also benefit from the improved discount structure. These packs will provide a ready-to-play fleet of ships from the same faction that will allow new players to field a team while providing a lower priced value (per ship) to new and veteran customers.

Fifth, we will continue to increase our paint quality across the line. We hope you agree that our ships have never looked better.

Last but certainly not least, we’re excited to share that we’ve been exploring a process that will allow fans to submit their very own content ideas to WizKids. There may be limitations to this endeavor, but we believe the STAW community can provide many exciting ideas. There are many details that will need to be worked out before we can announce anything more specific about the submission process.

The new pricing will be implemented immediately, except in Europe where it will take effect in 2017. For all other territories, please check with your distributor. Product solicitations will be updated over the next few weeks. Please note it will take some time to bring all these products to the market. We hope to roll most of these products out in 2017.

We want to thank you so much for your continued patience and support of WizKids and the STAW line of products. We hope these new initiatives will help the game continue to flourish until teleporters and replicators are a reality… (or at least until there’s a human colony on Mars).

Live long and prosper,

WizKids

**warboss**

Good news for players (even if it doesn't pan out eventually). I know have a reason for delaying my STAW house rules... I'm officially waiting until the next edition rulebook comes out instead of just slacking off!

**Stormonu**

Ehhh, this makes me nervous.

1) So... $14.99 ships will cost $14.24? May help on the bigger stuff like DS9 & the Borg Cube, but I can already get those at 20%+ off anyways; if the new pricing piles on with discount, that will make me happy.

2) I thought they already did this? I guess not. Will be nice.

3) I'm always concerned about 2.0 versions of WK rules, because that seems to kill interest in the existing game. The third initiative sounds very much like STAW 2.0 - update/fix all the support cards, making your old ones obsolete (obsolete in the sense they are replaced with better/completely different cards or aren't available anymore in repacks).

As far as customer input - I do wish they'd redo some of the ship sculpts - say, the Tinyprise. It would be nice if they also redid the TNG/DS9 ships on Large bases so they could be better scaled to the current TOS ships. It certainly would make more sense on the Dominion battleships.

**warboss**

Stormonu wrote:
Ehhh, this makes me nervous.

1) So... $14.99 ships will cost $14.24? May help on the bigger stuff like DS9 & the Borg Cube, but I can already get those at 20%+ off anyways; if the new pricing piles on with discount, that will make me happy.

The 5% discount is for retailers who order in bulk. So, if they normally would get 40% off MSRP as their cost ordering restocks direct from Wizkids, they'll instead get 45% off (possibly only if they run events.. not sure on that detail as it's muddy in that quote). For them, 5% makes a difference in the long run.

**Mr. S Baldrick**

It is interesting and I am looking forward to see what ships we get cards for. I'm not a big fan of packs without ships but if it is the only way they release certain ships I'm good with it. The faction packs seems neat.

In all I'd say this is good news and should stop some of the doom and gloom forecasters.

**Tamwulf**

What concerns me a bit here, is the use of terms like "refreshed rules" and "up-to-date comprehensive" while also saying "all previously released STAW products will be compatible" and "no products will become obsolete"... but that's exactly what needs to happen! different cards have the exact same text, but due to the FAQ, do different things. The FAQ /Errata is NOT comprehensive, it's specific to each card. In other words, it's focused on the trees and not the forest.

Card text should be clear across all cards. If a card says "...you may still perform an action" then it should be stated in the rule book that any action available to that ship should still be available. The idea that some actions are free actions and some free actions can't be performed based on that specific card ruling needs to be cleared up.

Certain cards need to just... go away or be errata'd (I'm looking at YOU, Capt. Picard from the starter set).

Secondary Weapons need to be worth taking. Don't give me a 5 point upgrade that only throws 4-5 attack dice, can't be modified, can only be fired at a ship that you have target locked, and you have to spend that target lock to do it, and can only be fired every three turns.

Let's talk about the Elephant in the room as well: Point costs. The points costs of ships really, really need to take into account the maneuver dial and ship text ability. Upgrade cards need to be reviewed as well. There should be no reason why any card should cost 5 points when it's an action and discard for +1 attack or evade die. Far too many cards have triggering conditions that you will never see (during the activation phase, range 1, ship with no active shields, spend my action and discard for what, disable one card on the enemy ship? How about take a Target Lock instead and just blow it up?). There is no reason why anyone would ever take a non-named ship over a named ship.

The situation I dread the most will be a situation where you will still be able to use your old cards along with the new cards, but the new cards will be toned way down over the old cards such that anyone with the old cards will have a huge advantage over the new cards. I think what will happen instead is that the new cards will be way, way better then the old cards so you will have an incentive to buy the new packs. I'd rather see all the old cards banned completely, and you can only use the new cards. If it makes for a better game, I wouldn't mind. For this, the card packs are the way to go.

Interesting times are ahead, and I just may have to come out of retirement if Wizkids works over the game well enough.

**Tamereth**

I think the card only upgrade packs could be a winner here, if we start seeing cards from the prize ships made available via them.

Also glad it is not a version 2.0 of the game. I've seen many games die a death with such things. Invalidating my current collection would be a 100% guaranteed way to get me to stop buying STAW products. A revised rulebook with errata from the wizkids faq / forums is what is needed.

The faction packs sound like a good idea for new starters, as long as they don't put new cards in them, in an attempt to get long term players to buy duplicates of ships they already have just to get the extra "new" cards that come with them.

**Mr. S Baldrick**

I hope they use the card backs to bring out some new ships and maybe some shield an weapon upgrades for factions other than Fed. With the faction ship packs I would like to see them introduce some of the prize ships. It would be great if Klingons got the Koraga, Neg'var and Ch'tang. For Feds, Enterprise D, Defiant, and Sutherland. Dominion, Battle Cruiser, Reklar, and Rav Larest. That kind of thing.

We better get the Klothos and Devoras in some form or I will be

ed off