Any Methods Necessary

“There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive. No disintegrations.”
“As you wish.”
     –Darth Vader and Boba Fett, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

The time has come to track your prey, lay your ambush, and collect your bounty. The 2018 X-Wing™ System Open Series is fast approaching!

Now in its third year, the X-Wing System Open Series is a global celebration of fast-paced Star Wars miniatures space combat. Last year’s event was bigger than the first, and we expect this year’s to be even bigger—full of enthusiastic fans, top-level competition, and side events designed to reward players of all levels.

The 2018 System Open Series runs from November 2017 to June 2018, with an expanded slate of System Open events, each of which promises a thrilling, high-energy X-Wing experience. You’ll face rookie pilots and cadets fresh out of the Imperial Academy, as well as some of the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunters.

And as in previous years, the series culminates in a one-of-a-kind, invite-only event, the Coruscant Invitational, on the weekend of October 5th – 7th.

What Can You Expect?

At each System Open event, you can expect to meet hundreds of dedicated fans and bounty hunters, all looking to collect some of the greatest bounties you’ll find posted anywhere.

The heart of your non-stop Star Wars action is the System Open, a special tournament that we’ve divided into multiple stages:

• Stage 1 starts the event and runs for three rounds. All participants who earn at least two wins qualify for Stage 2.
• Stage 2 follows Stage 1 after a short break. It consists of another three rounds of Swiss play, and any squadron leader with at least five victories between Stages 1 and 2 progresses to participate in Stage 3.
• Stage 3 begins on the next day of the event and consists of a single-elimination bracket designed to test competitors’ mettle as they battle for the championship. The Top 8 all earn invitations to the Coruscant Invitational, and the Champion is awarded a flight and accommodations.

Even while the pilots competing in the System Open are desperately dodging asteriods and maneuvering through battlefields exploding in laser fire, eliminated players and others will participate in one of two different side events.

• Hangar Bay tournaments are a mainstay of the System Open Series, available whenever you and seven other players are ready to blast through three rounds of Swiss play. As with previous years, you have the option to bring two squads and select your favorite after you see your opponent's available squads. If you bring two squads, however, they must adhere to the "Skilled Rule," which states that the printed pilot skill values of your pilots must be different from list to list.
• Hyperspace Qualifiers are new to the 2018 System Open Series and represent an exciting new way to compete for an invitation to the Coruscant Invitational. Any player who goes undefeated through a Hyperspace Qualifier wins an invitation to the Coruscant Invitational.

Notably, there’s a special wrinkle to the Hyperspace Qualifier that makes it a truly unique gaming experience. One of these tournaments is scheduled to run concurrent with Stage 3 of each System Open—and any player eliminated from Stage 3 before the Top 8 can “hyperspace jump” to enter the Hyperspace Qualifier with a number of byes equal to the number of rounds he or she has missed.

Did you earn your way to the Top 16 of Stage 3 and lose your match by a single point of hull? Well, now you can engage your hyperdrive, register for the Hyperspace Qualifier, and claim your second chance at an invitation to the Coruscant Invitational!

You can learn more about the structure of our 2018 X-Wing System Open Series events by reading our “2018 System Open Briefing.”

Want to know more about the unique prizes you can win at the 2018 X-Wing System Open Series? Find out by reading the article, “Claim Your Bounty.”

Make Your Plans to Attend

Join us for the fun. For the action. The competition. Prizes. Glory. And memories. This is one Star Wars gaming experience you do not want to miss.

You can find the list of upcoming 2018 X-Wing System Open Series events at our 2018 System Open Series page, and you can follow us on Twitter to learn when new locations are added.

Get into your cockpits, pilots. Make your plans to attend today!