Wave IV Is Now Available

Upgrade Your X-Wing (TM) Fleet with Four New Starfighters

The fourth wave of starship expansions for X-Wing™ is now available at retailers everywhere. And the game’s fast-paced dogfights are about to grow even more heated with the introduction of four of the most recognizable starfighters from the expanded Star Wars universe: the Z-95 Headhunter, TIE defender, E-wing, and TIE phantom.

From left to right: E-wing, Z-95 Headhunter, TIE defender, and TIE phantom

Along with their starfighters, each of which comes pre-painted at the game’s standard 1/270 scale, these four expansion packs introduce a wealth of new pilot abilities, upgrade cards, and tactical considerations that are certain to shake up the metagame and lead to daring new strategies.

Able to equip Assault Missiles for a total squad point cost as low as seventeen, the Z-95 Headhunter allows Rebel players to field an extremely efficient swarm-buster… and to design swarms of their own.
With its potent weaponry, shields, and agility, the TIE defender makes an intimidating flanker, and your opponent will have to think carefully about whether he’ll turn away from the rest of your Imperial squad to gun it down, or if he’ll allow it to use its white Koiogran-turn to perform strafing runs back and forth along his squad.

A 360-degree view of the TIE defender.

The E-wing pairs the firepower and resilience of the X-wing with the speed and agility of the A-wing, making it an extremely versatile and powerful starfighter that can be outfitted to perform nearly any role, especially given its unique ability to combine an astromech droid with a system upgrade.
New rules for cloaking in the midst of combat add a certain mystique to the TIE phantom, which may well be the game’s most challenging ship to pilot to-date, as well as the ship that’s most likely to perplex your opponents.

A Tremor in the Force

Each wave of X-Wing starship expansions creates ripples that reach across gaming tables worldwide.

The first wave defined the game’s initial squad-based tactics, giving shape to such squads as the three X-wing builds and TIE swarms that still continue to shine at X-Wing events in the current environment.
The game’s second wave introduced the first large ships – the Millennium Falcon™ and Slave I™ – as well as a play style based around the incredible resilience of these ships and the new upgrade types for crew members, bombs, and modifications.
Wave III further matured the game by adding two support ships, the HWK-290 and Lambda-class shuttle, as well as a number of system upgrades which “cheated” some aspects of chance by promoting more consistently reliable effects.

Now, Wave IV proudly continues the game’s tradition of adding new abilities and effects to the game that permit the exploration of viable new strategies.

Along with the potent abilities of the wave’s unique pilots, a number of upgrades and the TIE phantom’s rules for cloaking reward players more than ever for investing in high pilot skill.
Simultaneously, the Z-95 Headhunter offers the Rebel Alliance an ultra-efficient swarm-buster that may entice players to experiment with squads that fly out of formation. Still, these abilities and effects have been carefully balanced against existing tactics, which retain their potency.

In the end, this means that X-Wing now enjoys a greater variety of attractive and viable dogfighting strategies than ever before!

Explore the New Technology

The four Wave IV starships represent some of the most advanced technology available to both Rebel and Imperial forces. You’ll find Ion Pulse Missiles, cloaking devices, and system upgrades. You can also find more information about each of these starships in our series of previews:

“Missiles Away” explores the pilots and upgrades of the Z-95 Headhunter Expansion Pack.
“Designed for Success” looks at the TIE defender, its pilots, upgrades, and the strategies likely to be inspired by its unique white, four-speed Koiogran-turn.
“Performing the Impossible” offers a closer look at the E-wing and the ways that its extreme customizability may allow Rebel players to thwart their opponents’ expectations.
“Cloaked in Battle” reviews the TIE phantom and the way that its cloaking action places an unprecedented emphasis upon high pilot skill values.

Additionally, a number of guest writers have shared their thoughts on these starships and how they may fare in the game’s heated space battles.

2012 World Champion Doug Kinney looked at the new Imperial starfighters in his article, “A New Imperial Protocol.”
2013 World Champion Paul Heaver explored squad-building in the post-Wave IV metagame in his article, “Prepare for the Rebel Assault.”
In his article, “Echo,” guest writer Neil Amswych (aka “The Tusken Tactician”) detailed the radical new ways that the TIE phantom pilot, “Echo,” will surprise and confound his opponents.

The above diagram illustrates the staggering number of positions in which “Echo” can end the activation phase after decloaking into a right turn at speed one and then performing a barrel roll.

Upgrade Your Fleet

Head to your local retailer today to upgrade your fleet with the new Wave IV starfighters and upgrade cards. The Z-95 Headhunter Expansion Pack, TIE Defender Expansion Pack, E-Wing Expansion Pack, and TIE Phantom Expansion Pack are now available!

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