I have played this game competitively at tournaments and casually with friends. I thoroughly enjoy this game at 800 points per faction. The core set comes with enough minis for about half of that. You will have to pick up a couple expansions to get full enjoyment out of the game.
A lot of people expect this to play like X-Wing. In my opinion, they are very different. Expect this to play more like 40K. So don't be disappointed.
The game is very easy to get into. A great entry for people new to miniatures games. But it still has plenty of depth for veterans.
You can't beat the value of this core set. I would even recommend picking up a second copy to fill out your trooper ranks and for the extra dice/supplies.