Some time in January 2020 I got into a ‘chat’ (Reddit thread) with someone over the value of providing a list of what X-Wing content I like. It turned out that the person I was talking to was ‘MidWestScrub’ who is also a blogger and who maintains a comprehensive list of X-Wing content on the FFG official forums.
I thought that adding a page with what I enjoy reading was a little pointless with such a list already available but he believes that a curated list of blogs and podcasts that I follow might be of interest to people who read my stuff.
And so here we are.
Podcasts
With travel being a significant part of my job, listening to podcasts in the car is actually the main way that I consume X-Wing content. I only started listening to X-Wing podcasts literally on the way home from the 2019 UK System Open. Since then I have expanded the list that I follow to the point where I can keep up with new episodes to listen to in a typical week of driving my car.
How you listen will depend on the platform you’re using. Personally I use Podbean on my Android phone which allows me to subscribe automatically download (over wifi when it’s available) and delete once played (to save space). I believe most are also available on iTunes if that’s what you use
This list is in alphabetical order, in case you were wondering.
186th Squadron – One of two UK based podcasts on my list, the 186th podcast releases about once a month and normally comes in at 1-2 hours long, containing thoughts on tournament results and lists as well as list discussion.
https://soundcloud.com/186th-squadron-podcast
Gold Squadron Podcast – An audio version of a weekly twitch stream, GSP features 4 regular hosts talking X-Wing results and meta analysis. Recurring slots include List of the Week and Question of the Week where listeners can get feedback or answers from the hosts.
https://www.goldsquadronpodcast.com/
Sith Takers Snap Shots Podcast – The UK based Sith Takers is the very first podcast I started listening to. They typically release one or two 20-40 minute episodes a week, covering hot topics and tournament results and are very informative and entertaining.
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/sith-takers-snap-shots/
Blogs
The blogs are a *little* harder to nail down. Whereas most podcasts record on a regular or semi regular schedule, I have found that most X-Wing blogs are a bit more sporadic, with bloggers publishing new posts off the back of interesting games or recent/upcoming tournaments. Also since the platform that bloggers use vary quite widely (meaning subscribing to them isn’t always possible) the most reliable way of finding a new post is if it’s posted to an X-Wing Facebook group or to the XWingTMG sub-Reddit, both of which require you (the reader) to be out there looking for something.
Same as above, these are listed alphabetically…
Confessions of a Midwest Scrub – Written by various members of the Arch Alliance X-Wing community these blogs cover a wide range of topics from tournament write ups to general tips and tactics about the game.
https://midwestscrub.wordpress.com/
Stay on The Leader – Reports on games played and tournaments entered are wittily written with good self reflection about the lists and tactics used.
http://stayontheleader.blogspot.com/?m=1
Podcast and Blogs that have ended, but are still great to review
Birmingham Barons – Releasing new episodes once or twice a month, the Birmingham Barons produce very informative content with a fun relaxed style. Episodes are typically between 1h15 and 1h45 long.
https://bhambaronsxwing.podomatic.com/
Carolina Krayts – where to start! This rather eclectic podcast often features very random content (not all of it X-Wing!) and is heavy on the NSFW language. I think of it more as a 2-3 hour hang out with friends. It seems like it shouldn’t be good, yet I still keep coming back. Releases are somewhat irregular but typically one a month.
https://carolinakrayts.libsyn.com/
Florida Man – The Florida Man podcast is a relaxed chat about X-Wing related stuff over a beer. Releasing one or two episodes a month (normally at around 2 hours each) they cover results, analysis and fun stories of trips to tournaments they’ve attended.
https://floridamanxwing.podbean.com/
Fly Better Podcast (previously Mynock Squadron) – A high quality weekly podcast with plenty of insight, the Fly Better podcast more recently features a guest each week and discusses in depth strategy and analysis as well as fun Star Wars thoughts.
https://mynockpodcast.libsyn.com/
Radio TCX – Hosted by experienced and successful players this weekly podcast produces quality content in 30-40 minute episodes.
https://radiotcx.podbean.com/
Damo’s X-Wing Hangar – This blog covers a wide range of X-Wing topics including in depth looks at ths hips for each faction posted up in 2019. Well written and insightful, it’s worth a look.
https://damosxwinghanger.wordpress.com/
Nathan’s X-Wing Blog – This New Zealand based blog contains in depth looks at lists, ships and tactics as well as tournament reports and some analysis of X-Wing in general
https://nathanxwing.home.blog/
Ramblings of a Wargamer – An entertaining, very honest and well written blog, Paul gives detailed introspective reports on games, lists and tournaments in his X-Wing journey. Paul also writes about other gaming systems but I’m not interested in those! ?
https://ramblingsofawargamer.wordpress.com/
Such an X-Wing Hipster – Written by the very talented Phil GC this blog follows his journey through both Frist Edition and the the move to Second Edition with the goal of getting a 67% win ratio with a somewhat (at the time) unfashionable list. Well written and fantastically introspective I learned a lot from these blogs. Phil has stopped writing since around October 2019 but I felt that it was still worth mentioning in this list since the content is relevant regardless of points and very insightful.
EDIT – Phil has recently started back up with blogging as of May 2020! Yay!
https://suchanxwinghipster.wordpress.com/
Zombie Squadron – Featuring blogs on many different topics from tournament batreps (JARGON ALERT!!) to painting guides and ships reviews these blogs are well written by various squadron members.
https://zombiesquadron.net/
And that’s it! As I mentioned before, if you know of anything that isn’t mentioned or if you think that I’d like or would be useful then please get in touch (through Facebook, Reddit or using the Contact page on this site) and let me know about it!