Evil Resurgent

“All remaining systems will bow to the First Order and remember this as the last day of the Republic!”
   –General Hux, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Rising from the ashes of the Galactic Empire, the First Order stands poised to usher in a new era of galactic dominance. Soon, its starfighters will enter the intense space battles of the Star Wars galaxy. Fantasy Flight Games is excited to announce three First Order expansions of Wave II for X-Wing™ Second Edition: 

• First Order Conversion Kit
• TIE/fo Fighter Expansion Pack
• First Order Maneuver Dial Upgrade Kit

For too long, the First Order has been relegated to the far corners of the galaxy. But, with these expansion packs, you can join their fight and destroy those who embrace disorder. Following in the footsteps of the Empire, the First Order spreads terror in the form of mass-produced starfighters designed to overwhelm their opponents with sheer numbers.

In X-Wing Second Edition, the First Order is being introduced as its own unique faction separate from the Galactic Empire. Veteran X-Wing players will be able to use the cards, tokens, and maneuver dials found in the First Order Conversion Kit to bring their existing TIE/fo fighters, TIE/sf fighters, TIE/vn silencers, and Upsilon-class shuttles into X-Wing Second Edition. Meanwhile, veteran players looking to further expand their squadrons or new players prepared to start their own fleet can sow the seeds of terror by adding more of the First Order’s take on the infamous TIE fighter. 

Read on for more information about each of these expansions and what they bring to your games of X-Wing Second Edition! For more information about the Resistance or Scum and Villainy ships in Wave II, follow those links.

Crush the Resistance

As you might expect from the successor to the Galactic Empire, the First Order fields a variety of starfighters based on classic Imperial designs. Far from simply rehashing these older ships, though, First Order fighters feature a number of refinements that give them the edge in their fight against the loathsome Resistance. The First Order Conversion Kit makes your first edition versions of these ships immediately available for use in your X-Wing Second Edition squadrons.

Within the First Order Conversion Kit, you’ll find everything you need to strike fear into the heart of the Resistance and take your squad into the future of X-Wing, including a wide variety of new ship cards and tokens, more than one-hundred upgrade cards, and new maneuver dials for all of your First Order ships. The ship cards contained in this kit include some of the most celebrated pilots in the First Order, such as Major Stridan, “Backdraft,” and Kylo Ren himself.

Skilled as they may be, these vaunted pilots and their ships can always benefit from upgrades. Alongside the other upgrades included in the First Order Conversion Kit, you’ll also find ten Tech upgrade cards that can only be used on starfighters from this era. Finally, the conversion kit provides plenty of options for completing your squadrons, containing enough maneuver dials to convert seven TIE/fo fighters, five TIE/so fighters, three TIE/vn silencers, and three Upsilon-class shuttles to X-Wing Second Edition.

In addition to the being present in the First Order Conversion Kit, all of the First Order pilots, ships, and upgrades will be fully implemented in the X-Wing Second Edition squad-builder app when they are released. A pdf with the point values of all First Order pilots and upgrades will also be available for reference on our website. New players can also use the conversion kit and first edition versions of First Order ships for even more options when building their squads!

Terror Evolved

Although it may be a separate entity, the First Order has taken several cues directly from the former Empire. One of the most evident is the use of a new generation of the iconic TIE fighter. Developed using technologies pioneered for the Empire’s TIE Advanced program, the TIE/fo fighter is a shielded, mass-produced TIE fighter that the First Order can use to spread terror across the galaxy.

The addition of shields isn’t the only improvement made to the TIE design. TIE/fo fighters also boast the ability to acquire locks, giving their pilots the opportunity to reroll their attack dice for even more potent attacks. Some TIE/fo pilots go beyond this, using their target locks in new and creative ways. An ace like "Midnight,"  for example, prevents enemy ships that he has locked from modifying their dice while he defends or performs a primary attack against them.

Even with these refinements, TIE/fo fighters remain similar to their predecessors in that they are ideally suited for flying in large groups. A TIE/fo pilot such as "Muse"  supports her wingmates by helping them remove stress before they engage with enemy ships. Abilities like this one can certainly help TIE/fo pilots bring the fight to any enemy, but sometimes belief can be even more powerful than skill. Nearly all TIE/fo pilots can display a Fanatical devotion to the cause, pressing the attack even when they are at their most vulnerable.     

The TIE/fo Fighter Expansion Pack includes one fully assembled and beautifully painted miniature and all the ship cards, upgrade cards, and tokens you need to add one of these frightening fighters to your First Order squadrons. All the cards and punchboard included in the TIE/fo Fighter Expasion Pack will also be present in the First Order Conversion Kit for the benefit of veteran players. We’ll take a closer look at the contents of this expansion pack in a future preview! 

Display Your Dominance

The First Order may be the successor state to the Galactic Empire, but it has an identity wholly its own. You can signal your allegiance to this faction during your games of X-Wing Second Edition with the First Order Maneuver Dial Upgrade Kit.

During every game of X-Wing Second Edition, you will secretly select the maneuvers for your ships on cardboard maneuver dials. In each dial upgrade kit, you’ll find three plastic protectors that situate these maneuver dials in a secure housing while enhancing the aesthetics of your squadron and declaring your devotion to the First Order. Not only does every dial clearly indicate your intention to dominate the galaxy, they also include a space on the back to insert the dial ID tokens included in the First Order Conversion Kit. Each dial ID token displays the silhouette of the corresponding ship, making it even easier to differentiate between your ships' dials.

Resurrect the Empire

Once banished to the unknown regions of the galaxy, the First Order is now poised to sweep across the galaxy and build an empire of its own. Join their campaign with these new expansions for X-Wing Second Edition!

Look for the First Order Conversion Kit (SWZ18), the TIE/fo Fighter Expansion Pack (SWZ26), and the First Order Maneuver Dial Upgrade Kit (SWZ20) at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2018, along with the rest of Wave II. You can pre-order your copies at your local retailer or through our website today!