X-Wing is one of the best games I have ever played, partially because it’s so accessible to new players compared to other tabletop miniatures games. In most other miniature games you have to buy a lot more items, assemble them, and then paint them before your troops are playable or look good on the field. Fantasy Flight has done an excellent job producing beautiful, highly detailed models for their devoted players. And all you have to do is buy the model and play it! While I love this because it is so welcoming to newcomers, I have to admit, seeing all of the models look the same is kind of aesthetically boring. So, for me, it is important to add a little personalization to my ships!

I believe that when you spend the time painting your models you become more emotionally invested in the game. It makes your ships stand out in the crowd. It makes other players comment about how the look of your ships is so much better than the basic ship from the box, and that kind of recognition and validation helps to not only immerse me deeper into the game but also into the hobby aspect of the game. It makes me want to find other kinds of custom modifications to attempt on my ships. Then, all of the time I spend working on my ships makes me want to show them off, and there is no better way to do that than on the battlefield.

In the end though, all of the ships are beautiful the way they come. And I know that some people aren’t very comfortable making permanent changes to things they spend their hard earned money on, especially if they don’t consider themselves to be overly creative or artistic. But making some very basic changes can be very easy for a person with any level of painting/artistic skill. So, like I said, I love how accessible this game is to new comers, but once you’re in, I strongly suggest investing your time into the hobby aspect of the game because you won’t regret it.