The intro…
Well hello there! I bet you weren’t expecting to see this today were you?
I have to admit, the last few weeks have been very unusual and because of that I feel like I’m running behind on, well, everything!
Ordering XWA prizes for System Open kits really came down to the wire, we ran out of some Squad Champ components (causing delays in sending kits), and proofing, tweaking and ordering stuff has taken, well, longer than I’d have liked!
I’ve also been doing real life stuff like a massive garden renovation (with very meagre DIY skills) which has eaten up a lot of my ‘free’ time.
I know this is the same photo I posted last time. I HAVE made progress but it’s just adding joist tape and swapping out the bricks that are holding it up in this photo to actual proper wooden posts. So it looks basically the same.
I’ve also been on holiday!
We spent an amazing 8 days in Tunisia with a hotel on the beach, a swim up bar in a massive pool and we went for a trip on a pirate boat!
With the boys getting older and FAR more independent I treasure these times more and more.
Obviously we are now just days away from The Welsh Open as well so with all that going on it’s been rather tricky to get time tog et a blog out!
Patreon Update…
And on top of all that, it’s the end of Q3 for Patreon!! Can you believe it?!?!?
I can’t!
Thankfully, in amongst all the busy-ness of the last 2 or so months, I had the sense to plan ahead with most (if not all!) of the Patreon gifts for the quarter. Phew!
First up for the spoiler treatment this time: cards and the template!
Continuing to the penultimate template before the full set has been done, we have the Exile 1 hard turn. And the for cards, the amazing Dan Eicher has designed me a series of cards featuring pilot helmets! This quarter we have two pilots:
Fort he Republic we have Jag in the ARC-170 and for CIS we have Durge in the Rogue Class Starfighter!
So if you’d like to get hold of some X-Wing/Exile goodies OR if you’d just like to show your support for the blog then you can sign up to be a supporter by clicking right here! Memberships start at just £1 per month and any support is HUGELY appreciated!
Alrighty, let’s keep it moving!
The main bit…
So, have I actually managed to play any X-Wing over this time I hear you ask? Well, not very much, no.
I’m signed up to an online event but so far I’ve conceded one game as we weren’t able to schedule it and have failed to schedule in another 2 since then (to be fair, I wasn’t in the country!). Sadly this means I’ve taken the decision to drop from that event.
As for in-person X-Wing? Well, that’ been a little thin on the ground too.
I did get a game in yesterday against Josh Hall which was nice. He’s reeling from losing a big chunk of loadout in his Cad Bane build which means he can’t do the same level of nonsense as he previously could. I lent him my sexy metal N-1 and plastic base tile so he could try out MAndo instead
Sadly, as I was running a list with three i6 ships he found it a bit difficult to gauge how good he is and one rep really isn’t enough to figure out how best to make him work. He still won the game though!
But wait, if I’m not going to talk about this very recent and quite interesting game (because I don’t have the available time!) then what AM I going to talk about?
Well, two things.
First up, The Welsh Open!
Now, I know that we are now in VERY last minute territory but we have actually sold about 8 tickets in the last week so I feel that it’s worth mentioning just in case anyone is at a loose end this weekend!
There are still a fistful of tickets left for the event. It’s a 2 day event and the VERY FIST XWA SYSTEM OPEN! WOOOOOO!
Tickets are £37.50 and that includes hot lunch on both days as well as access to the side event on day 2 if you don’t make cut!
It’s going to be an amazing weekend of X-Wing!
Tickets are here: https://www.thebattlefields.co.uk/events-at-the-battlefields/star-wars-x-wing-welsh-open-2025-cardiff
And if you can’t make it then worry not, the whole thing will be streamed by Tim – https://www.twitch.tv/sith_taker_tim
Now, the second thing I want to talk about is semi-related, it’s the XWA System Open prizes!
The Welsh Open might be the first but other System Open events are scheduled in pretty regularly over the coming months all over the world. Next up is the Lone Star Open (being run by my blog buddy Levi!) in Texas and soon after there’s the NOVA Open and the EU Continental Championship.
I mentioned earlier about some delays with XWA kits and which it’s been pretty close (actually, it still is…) I now have in my possession most (but not quite all) of the System Open prizes!
I’m fairly sure that with so many boxes of cards and metal things I’m not very popular with my local delivery drivers at the moment!
I know that I’m biased but I’m really happy with how the prizes for System Opens have turned out. The cards look and feel great and the metal components are real quality.
I’m delighted with the last minute additions of the SO logo patches too.
I’m really torn about what my favourite item is here. The large Boba helmet token looks beautiful and the larger size means that the fine details (like the dent) are captured really well. But I also love the metal N-1. The sculpt is amazing and being able to play it as a game component is really REALLY cool.
Just to be clear here, it’s not my own trumpet I’m blowing but all the work of the team of people who have come together to make this kit possible. Between concept, art, design, production and logistics I want to specifically call out Martin Loo, Louie Leong, Kester Smith, Tom Stockman, Oliver Taylor-Holmes, Dwight Lindsay and Filippo Bosi. And Tim King for giving me the outline of what he wanted to see I guess!
Re-orders aside that means we’re now set for two levels of Organised Play. Next up to look at is a wave 2 Squad Championship kit (with some plans already in the works!) and then the big one – WORLDS!
The conclusion…
Once again we have a ‘not your average blog’ and for that I am sorry (well, assuming you like the average blog!).
Next week’s entry will be all about the Welsh Open and, as it stands, there is a possibility that might be as a player! Will it happen? Do I know what I’m going to fly? Will I crash and burn?! You’d better come back and find out eh?
In the mean time just a little remainder of the Patreon and I just want to say thanks for reading! I’ll catch you next time!
The outro…
Thank you so much for visiting my blog, I hope you’ve enjoyed it! If you’d like to support me in continuing my X-Wing blogging adventure there are a few ways you can do that.
You can follow my social media accounts for updates
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If you would like to directly support the blog then please consider becoming a Patron! I would be forever grateful!
A MASSIVE thank you to my wonderful Patrons for their ongoing support for the blog and enabling me to give away shiny things!
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You are all amazing humans!