2017 Open Briefing

“We’ll have to destroy them ship-to-ship. Get the crews to their fighters.”
-Darth Vader, A New Hope

Pilots, welcome to your briefing for the 2017 X-Wing™ System Open Series. Here, you can find all of the intel you will need to assemble your squadrons for this amazing series of events!

The X-Wing System Open Series encompasses eight events around the world. Each will crown an elite main tournament Champion, who will be assigned to the ultimate mission—the Coruscant™ Invitational, where fame and The Greatest Prize in Gaming™ await the victor.

The System Opens

Each of the eight System Opens will consist of two components:

• The Main Tournament, which takes place over two or more segments
• The Hangar Bay Side Tournament(s)

The Main Tournament

Each X-Wing System Open features a main tournament that is split into two segments—the initial day and the final day. Some System Open events have more than one initial day or split their initial day into multiple groups, to allow for increased participation. Importantly, players cannot enter more than one initial day at each Open.

On the initial day(s) of the main tournament, players will compete in seven rounds. Players who accumulate 5 or more victories will advance to the final day of that System Open. Tournament points and Margin of Victory will carry over, but Strength of Schedule tiebreakers will be reset if multiple initial days are combined for the final day. At least eight players will advance from each initial day.

On the final day, all of those players will compete in two more rounds of play. If there were 321 or more total players on the initial day(s) of play, then a third round will be played. Afterwards, the top 8 players by overall record will then be placed in a single-elimination bracket. After three rounds of single-elimination, the Champion will be crowned and invited to the Coruscant Invitational!

The Hangar Bay Side Event(s)

During each System Open Series event, at least one Hangar Bay side event will be scheduled. The Hangar Bay variant is a way to display even more of your collection, broaden your expertise, and destroy your enemies over three tournament rounds!

To play in a Hangar Bay side event, you should bring two standard squads that follow the 100-point maximum. These squads will use the same damage deck and obstacles. For the 2017 System Open Series events, we will also be using a new stipulation: the Distinct Rule states that each of your squads cannot use any of the same ship models, pilot cards, upgrade cards, or unique names as your other squad.

Hangar Bay tournament rounds each begin by placing your first squad on your left, and your second squad on your right. After revealing your chosen damage deck and obstacles and evaluating your opponent’s squads, both of you will secretly select which squad to field for this round by using a maneuver dial. Rotate to a 1-speed maneuver to select your first squad on your left, or a 2-speed maneuver to select your second squad on your right, and then place your maneuver dial facedown. Next, each player reveals their dial simultaneously, and removes their unselected squad from the table.

Note that you can still play Hangar Bay with just a single squad, leaving your second squad empty. But be warned: your opponents will have the advantage of knowing the squad you will be using before selecting from their two squad choices! 

Prizes

Lord Vader himself has imposed his will on the prizes for the 2017 System Open Series. These incredible and prestigious components and trophies will forever commemorate your harrowing mission. Not to mention, the System Open winners will receive travel, and hotel accommodations to compete in the Coruscant Invitational!

In fact, the prizes are so amazing, we have an entire article dedicated to them here!

The Coruscant Invitational

The eight Open main tournament winners will meet at the Coruscant Invitational, held at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, Florida April 13-16! These eight competitors will play a brand new variant called 77-Plus, created in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the debut of Star Wars in 1977. The champion also gets the opportunity to provide input to and cooperate with the X-Wing developers on the design of a future upgrade card!

Stay tuned for more information about the 77-Plus variant and the Coruscant Invitational!

Vote With The Galaxy

Even if you cannot attend a System Open event, you can still get in on the action! Throughout the System Open Series, everyone will be able to contribute and vote to influence portions of the squadrons flown at the Coruscant Invitational. Stay tuned for articles detailing the voting process and asking for your influence!

Grab your flight suit, and dial in the hyperspace coordinates of a System Open Series location! We hope to see you there!