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New Player - Help Getting Started Options
coloradog1
Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 12:57:08 PM
Rank: Massassi Sith Mutant
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Joined: 6/13/2015
Posts: 15
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Hello everyone. A brand spanking new player here. I have been reading as much as I could about the game for the last week and I have a ton of questions. I also need some help in how to go about purchasing into this game. A little about me. The only miniatures game I have played is X-Wing and I am a relative newbie to that game. I have played both Magic and Warlord CCGs and dabbled in SWCCG. I am located in New Mexico but there are no gaming stores within an hour drive so I don’t know of any experienced players. I have looked through the forum and other than the “Leveling” thread I can’t find any articles that help beginners. With this in mind, I appreciate any comments and help for the items below.

1. Can anyone offer advice and/or a decent starter collection to purchase? Looking on ebay seems to be the main route to purchase miniatures however it is difficult to ascertain what collections are worthwhile. I thought it would be better to come here for advice and possibly see if some of the veterans with massive collections could help put something reasonable together that I could purchase. If it included some maps that would also be helpful. If not, advice on products to purchase and what to look for in collections would be great.
2. Can someone explain the difference between Standard, Legacy and TN Minis formats? They seem to be the main three that I have seen mentioned but I can’t actually find a ton of information on them. Where can I go to get the core rules, legal miniatures, and squad building rules for each format?
3. Any other tournament formats and their description?
4. The standard format seems to be the main tournament format. What are the official squad requirements beyond the same faction? Is 200 points the standard? Any other information that I would need to know?
5. A list of suggested websites for strategy, forums, trading, etc. would be helpful (other than Bloo Milk obviously). It seems almost impossible to find anything on WOTC’s website today.
6. What do all the Map classifications mean? Some are listed as Open, Restricted A, B, C, etc.
7. Can someone explain how you go about obtaining the maps. There are only a few WOTC maps mentioned in the floor rules. The WOTC maps seem obvious to obtain but I am unsure how the rest of the maps are purchased.
8. Probably a silly question, but what material are the maps typically made of?
9. How do the V-Sets work? I looked at some of the cards and it appears that you can just print out whatever V-Cards you want. Where do you get the miniature? It sounds like you can use an existing miniature with the new V-Card if desired. If so, how do you know which miniature the V-Card is used with? Can you also purchase the cards, or is printing them out the only option?
10. A few acronyms I have come across that I don’t know what they mean.
a. SA
b. NPE
c. OR
d. CDO
e. ERC
f. GOWK

I think what the site needs is a new player link with a primer to help those who don’t have someone nearby to teach them about the game. Hopefully this thread can be a start to building something like that.

I am sure I will have more questions as I go, but for now this is what I have come up with. Of course, any additional advice anyone can offer is also appreciated.
Echo24
Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 1:02:41 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 9/30/2008
Posts: 1,288
I'm about to leave my computer to drive home so I can't answer your questions, but I've been considering making a "Beginners Guide" for a little while now. You've got really great questions, so I'll be using this thread as a resource for what should be included in that. Thanks! BigGrin

If any of your questions are still unanswered I'll try to give my input whenever I'm back at a PC with some time.
TheHutts
Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 1:09:51 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/23/2010
Posts: 3,562
Location: The Hutt, New Zealand
Hey, welcome to the game. 10 questions is heaps, so I'll just answer a couple, and leave the rest for others to pick up.

Quote:
10. A few acronyms I have come across that I don’t know what they mean.
a. SA - Special Ability
b. NPE - Negative Play Experience
c. OR - Old Republic
d. CDO - Commando Droid Officer (from v-set 8, Shadows, now disallowed in competitive play)
e. ERC - could be Elite Rebel Commando (a very good Rebel piece from the Legacy of the Force set) or Elite Republic Commando (v-set pieces from the Shadows set)
f. GOWK - General Obi-Wan Kenobi (from the Clone Wars starter set)



Quote:
4. The standard format seems to be the main tournament format. What are the official squad requirements beyond the same faction? Is 200 points the standard? Any other information that I would need to know?


200 points is the standard tournament format, but it can be a lot to start with - if you've never played before, I'd recommend starting at 100, then 150, then working your way up to 200. The game does change a lot depending on the point level - at 100 it often revolves around a couple of unique pieces, while at 200 you can have squads with a lot of commander effects going on which can be hard to keep track of.

In case you didn't know, you're always allowed to run Fringe pieces in any faction, so every squad can have pieces like R7 Astromech Droids, Ugnaught Demolitionists, Mouse Droids, and Lobot - those 4 specifically are very useful pieces that are frequently used.


Quote:
5. A list of suggested websites for strategy, forums, trading, etc. would be helpful (other than Bloo Milk obviously). It seems almost impossible to find anything on WOTC’s website today.


For trading, try pegolego here if you want to buy minis - he's an excellent trader with a big inventory and cheap prices. http://www.bloomilk.com/Forums/default.aspx?g=posts&t=14738

There are some squad building articles at http://www.atlantaswg.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111:squad-construction-part-1&catid=34:swm&Itemid=29 which I like.

Bloomilk is easily the most active minis community, and you can find most things here - you should get answers quickly. Other semi-active ones are https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/11229/star-wars-miniatures and http://www.swmgamers.com/



AndyHatton
Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 1:23:37 PM
Rank: Moderator
Groups: Member , Moderator

Joined: 8/9/2009
Posts: 1,935
Welcome!

1) I'm sorry I can't offer too much help other than figure out which faction/characters you think are neat and look for them on ebay.

2) Standard: is well...the Standard. 200 point squads following the floor rules, played at all regionals. Uses the WoTC sets and SWMGamers designed V-sets.
TN/Legacy/Legends: have their own rules/designed pieces go to JawaJuice for more information

3) There are a few other tournament formats but they aren't played outside of GenCon too often.

4) 200 points points is the standard. There are a few banned pieces but otherwise its just normal squad building rules

5) Its pretty much just Bloomilk, and its got everything you need. All of the figures in a database, a squad builder, active forums, trading section.

6) Open is pretty much every map that has been made for SWM, Restricted are the maps viable and balanced for tournament play. A, B, C are the lists created that break the maps up and are selected for a Regional. So for instance Regional 1 might pick Map list A meaning you have to pick a map from that last to bring with your squad, Regional 2 may pick B etc

7)FPMMAPS.COM is the place to get Armored Cartographer maps. I'm not sure where to currently get others.

8) Like magazine paper? I don't know what that is called. Glossy paper I guess.

9) You can print out the PDFs and cut out the cards yourself and that's all you need along with a miniature to represent that piece. If you message UrbanJedi or Engineer I think they can get you the officially printed cards. Every set there is a donation drive to get the cards, but if you can't afford to you don't have to pay for them. The printed cards are very nice, well worth it if you can get a set.
9a) there is a "recommended miniature" on each card. For instance on Master Yoda's card is a picture of one of the Yoda minifigures. However as long as you make it clear which miniature represents which card (and the size of the base matches) you shouldn't have any problems.


Others feel free to expand on these answers
TheHutts
Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 1:34:49 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/23/2010
Posts: 3,562
Location: The Hutt, New Zealand
For maps, I'd recommend just buying this to start with:

http://www.miniaturemarket.com/catalog/product/view/id/10342/s/aaacmp4/

There are four restricted maps - Jabba's Palace, Rhen Var, Asteroid Base, and Bothan Spynet - so it's an easy way to get four really good maps.
Deaths_Baine
Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 1:46:30 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 5/31/2010
Posts: 1,628
TheHutts wrote:
For maps, I'd recommend just buying this to start with:

http://www.miniaturemarket.com/catalog/product/view/id/10342/s/aaacmp4/

There are four restricted maps - Jabba's Palace, Rhen Var, Asteroid Base, and Bothan Spynet - so it's an easy way to get four really good maps.



truly the best map set to start with, good call Hutts.
EmporerDragon
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 2:21:45 AM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/26/2008
Posts: 2,115
Location: Watertown, SD
For what to start with, I'd say go with minis from the 40-piece sets (Clone Wars, Imperial Entanglements, Jedi Academy, Dark Times, Masters of the Force). The reason for that is because since those are from the end of the WotC era, that's about where the overall powercreep has settled, thus allowing you to start with some semi-competitive squads.

Otherwise, if you're starting a play group with some other newer players, then I'd suggest an earlier era. Try with minis from Rebel Storm, Clone Strike, Revenge of the Sith, Universe, and Champions of the Force. The minis may be a bit weaker for the most part, but they're also simpler making the game far easier to learn with.
kobayashimaru
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 3:21:17 AM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 8/26/2011
Posts: 915
Welcome!
It's great to see new players to SWMinis!
I heartily agree with the call to freshen up and appeal to newer players of all kinds - especially with those who're learning the game, and go to that extra effort even to learn the game in the same chronological order the other players did (that's dedication!) BigGrin

However you'd like to play the game, there's a way to play -
VASSAL/SWMPlay's online game (its GREAT as a learning tool, and needs more supports)
Online via GoogleHangouts/facetime/skype etc with distance/correspondence play with existing players,
locally,
vs a bot,
W40K/SWMinis in 40 Mins style,
Dynamic Duos,

there are all kinds of modes to play and explore.

For instant 'figures' - I recommend the customising forum here, especially all the plans shared on the "How to Thread" for the Paper Models/Pepakura paperkraft models,
which contains everything from bystander proxies, to extra trooper tokens, to 2D/3D figures, etc.
You can inexpensively find the minis, and begin on your customising journey if model making is your thing. BigGrin

"How do VSETs work?"
This depends on your stance, and local meta etc...
if you and your opponent agree to it, you can expand the official WotC miniatures, with unofficial yet maximal fun "bonus cards"
there were limited print runs available intermittently, though you can print or use a virtual card (so long as your opponent can see a copy of the card at any time),
if you want to print them at home, or at office works etc,
you can use 110GSM or 130/140GSM screen print, or you can go the extra mile, and go for the satinprint (because SWMinis cards are the same dimensions as artist swap cards/deluxe business cards), which look great and have a water-resistant sheen finish.
When last I looked at Office Works and Middletons, such a minimum set run of 5 sheets worked out to be 1.45USD per card. 30 Cards per sheet, minimum 5 sheets. It was affordable for a couple of friends to co-purchase... but I recall having to sign a waiver, saying they were for personal use only... psssh.


"What Materials are maps made from?"
Great question! They're made from 90GSM Silk/Satin finish high grade paper, specifically cut down from an A0 sheet to near A3 sized.
Custom maps have to be pre CBYMK'd to be print ready, and usually there's a minimum print run etc... which was why back in the day, the map printoffs were awesome, because they were good value for money, as compared to more recent ones etc.
Of course, although the satin-finish paper is inherently water-resistant, for added playability and longevity,
it is not uncommon for collectors to 'laminate' their favorite maps, either with contact adhesive clear, or via a printers/picture framers, professionally with vellum. While an added cost, the SWRPGers found that a quick and nice alternative, which allowed for non-permanent marker to be used (which GameMasters liked).
Any material would work as a map, provided the squares are 1"grids. Just check with and work an agreement with your opponent pre-game BigGrin

"Where do I get the miniatures for the VSet cards?"
BlooMilk excellent question, and one I cannot easily fathom myself - as an avid miniatures collector, this also has me scratching my head.
For a long time, the only way was to trade, or customise them yourself (see, "The Lost Twenty" and "The Lost Twenty 2" sets).
Some were released as 'quasi-official' proxies at various 'regionals' and 'gencon' events, but, since 2010, those were "North America Only" predominantly.
Some are available from 3rd parties, such as Shapedways, Hasslefree, Cobblestone, Paizo, or EXMANUS (albeit in other generic forms)
Sadly, this is something that never caught on as much as the virtualset cards did... BigGrin
though, customising and making your own figures is a fine part of the tradition - maybe, if its not your preferred area of the game, you can commission some local artists to help you achieve your envisaged figures, at an affordable and once-off rate?
I did however have "Oppo Rancisis" and "Yarael Poof" figures specially made, and available as generics -
"SnakeNaga MonkSage" and "Goofy Space-Monk" from Exmanus (upon request, limited set), sans translucent lightswords, they're on a large base, a 2x2 base.


I'll leave this post here,

apologies for a novella, BigGrin
and, welcome again to the game - its great to see you, and hopefully we see you (and your friends?) on the Custom Minis forum
coloradog1
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 1:01:52 PM
Rank: Massassi Sith Mutant
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/13/2015
Posts: 15
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Thanks for all the information everyone. Still looking for some help with how to go about starting a collection. If anyone can put something together they can sell me, let me know.

Thanks
AndyHatton
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 1:40:02 PM
Rank: Moderator
Groups: Member , Moderator

Joined: 8/9/2009
Posts: 1,935
TheHutts listed some good Fringe pieces to get but I think you need to pick a faction and start there. That's how I started, I decided I want New Republic pieces so I slowly built up there. Then added Rebels and Republic, etc etc.

There are "staples" of each faction we can share with you, but again I think its best for you to pick X Faction(s) for us to help you with.

If you will be using the V-Sets, things will get easier as you have many more figure options that you can use with your existing collection of minis. (As long as you have a figure with a lightsaber, a shooter, an alien, and a droid you can mostly make do)
EmporerDragon
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 2:18:38 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 12/26/2008
Posts: 2,115
Location: Watertown, SD
coloradog1 wrote:
Thanks for all the information everyone. Still looking for some help with how to go about starting a collection. If anyone can put something together they can sell me, let me know.


It really depends on how much you want to sink into to start with. If you're looking at about the $100-125 mark, I'd suggest a case of either Clone Wars or Imperial Entanglements, depending on which era you like more. With the 40 piece sets, a single case of boosters will net you 4 of each common, 2 of each uncommon, 1 of each rare, and half the Very rares, leaving only 4 miniatures left from the set. The other 3 40-piece sets don't work as well for a starting case as Jedi Academy and Masters of the Force are "little bit of everything" sets and Dark Times, while primarily focused on Rebel/Imperial, doesn't have the same level of in-set synergy as Imperial Entanglements.

In any case, as stated above, you'll want a decent Fringe collection, as they can work with any faction, allowing you to supplement your lesser factions until they can bulk up.
TheHutts
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 2:31:13 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 6/23/2010
Posts: 3,562
Location: The Hutt, New Zealand
EmporerDragon wrote:
The other 3 40-piece sets don't work as well for a starting case as Jedi Academy and Masters of the Force are "little bit of everything" sets and Dark Times, while primarily focused on Rebel/Imperial, doesn't have the same level of in-set synergy as Imperial Entanglements.


How about Galaxy at War? That's faction focused and has some very useful fringe pieces like R7, Treadwell Droid, and Cad Bane?

I've always been more interested in getting useful pieces, and I just don't want 4 of each common unless it's useful. I've always been into getting individual pieces, so my collection doesn't get too sprawling. That's just me though - it's certainly more expensive per piece doing it that way. And an Imperial Entanglements case would certainly be a good way of starting a collection of Rebels or Imperials - you'd just want to supplement it with other key individual pieces like Mas Amedda for Imperials or Princess Leia and Elite Rebel Commandos for Rebels if you want to make optimised squads.
EmporerDragon
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 3:06:38 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 12/26/2008
Posts: 2,115
Location: Watertown, SD
Gah, forgot about Galaxy at War, which would also make a good starting case, especially if you get lucky and get a Cad Bane, one of the most expensive pieces in the game $-wise.

While having loads of commons may not always be the best thing, I'm looking at being able to use the figures from just one set to make several squads of varying archetypes for both factions. And none of the common grunts in those sets are too terrible, like what we had to deal with with Clone Wars or Revenge of the Sith. I'm accounting for the possibility that he'll have to provide minis for both players, as tends to happen in some gaming circles (Happens to me a lot where I become the grandmaster for a communal collection for a game and inherit everything).
General_Grievous
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 4:12:21 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 1/8/2010
Posts: 3,623
Also after getting that great map pack, I recommend checking this site out:
http://fpmmaps.com

Matt makes amazing maps for the game that are very well balanced and his new map pack will definitely have some restricted contenders on it. Restricted means it's the maps you have to play on for tournament play, and also tend to be the most balanced.

Store Link:
http://www.mcssl.com/mobile/dd1a825840564181b5cf8c4b35856c/armored-cartographers

FlyingArrow
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 6:26:21 PM
Rank: Moderator
Groups: Member , Moderator

Joined: 5/26/2009
Posts: 8,428
For how to build a collection... it depends.

How much do you want to spend?
Do you want to focus on just 2 factions or get playable squads for each faction?
Do you plan to get (and use) the Vsets, or play primarily with WotC pieces?

The more you want to spend at once, the cheaper the minis will be because you can buy a bigger lot. Bigger lots go for cheaper (per mini).

Buying smaller lots (and individual minis) costs more but you have a lot more control over exactly what you get.

If you are going to use Vsets anyway, the actual minis you get matter less. Almost any mini you buy can be a proxy for something, so very little of what you get will wind up being useless.

If you have a specific lot in mind, either post it or PM someone (if you're worried about inviting more bidders). We can let you know if it's full of cheap commons or has some worthwhile VRs in it.
EmporerDragon
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 6:51:45 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 12/26/2008
Posts: 2,115
Location: Watertown, SD
FlyingArrow wrote:

If you are going to use Vsets anyway, the actual minis you get matter less. Almost any mini you buy can be a proxy for something, so very little of what you get will wind up being useless.


Heck, you don't even have to use the recommended mini for the proxies. You could even plunk down a marshmellow peep on the battlefield and call it a Voxyn and it'd be OK (Though it would get sugar everywhere).
trappedslider
Posted: Friday, June 19, 2015 8:15:28 PM
Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 12/4/2008
Posts: 371
Location: Roswell,new mexico
Where in NM are you located? If you don't mind me asking.
coloradog1
Posted: Saturday, June 20, 2015 7:22:04 AM
Rank: Massassi Sith Mutant
Groups: Member

Joined: 6/13/2015
Posts: 15
Location: Phoenix, AZ
I am in the Silver City/Las Cruces area.
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