Friday, December 18, 2015

Star Wars Armada


To switch things up and with the release of the new movie, I want to talk about star wars armada.  I recently got it, the boxed set was on sale for 50% so I couldn't pass that up.  A table top fleet combat game (sci fi) has been something I have been itching for a long time.  While GW may someday bring battlefleet gothic back, it may be too late for me.

First off, the regular price of the set isn't that great, so look for deals and get when its cheap.  I got mine for $50 so not bad at all.  What you get is two iconic rebel ships, the CR90 Corellian corvette and the nebulon b frigate, and a victory class star destroyer.  Each side gets the iconic fighter squadrons, x-wings and tie fighters, with Luke and Howlrunner the special character fighters for each.  This game has a bunch of cards and tokens, which I both hate and like at the same time.  At first it seems like a lot, but you get the hang of it and using the tokens works out well and helps a ton on bookkeeping, as you just flip or discard them instead of having to place a die or write something down.

Every ship has a card giving all of its info, with there being two versions of each ship with slightly different stats.  I have to say I like how the cards are used and work.  It means that you really have no need of a codex, the ship comes with the rules.  The base rules are also online for free so you don't necessarily need the starter set.  You will need the special movement stick, and having played games with it, its not a fragile as some lead you to believe, don't treat it too roughly and it is fine.  The range and fighter movement stick is also a nice easy way to to shooting.  No long list of weapons with ranges in inches, its simply long, medium, and short, denoted by a color on the ship. 

You do have to use unique dice for the game, but dice rollers are available online and for apps so you don't NEED dice physically.  Speaking of that, a big gripe is that the box does not come with anywhere near enough dice, which is kind bs.

I was hesitant over all the cards and tokens, but it has one me over, and I have gotten the same desire for new ships just so I can get new upgrade cards.  Each ship has upgrade slots, each with icons and you have upgrade cards that match those icons.  Also all pts are on each card, so its rather easy to tally pts up for list building.  Right now games are at 400 pts, but really you can play at any agreed level just like 40k.  You can spend up to 1/3 your pts on squadrons of fighters/bombers, so you can't go total fighter wings but even then you would be surprised how many you can still cram in.

Overall the games are fun, and at first they are about as long as medium sized 40k games, but once you start getting the system down and have lists built you can get a game in in 1-2 hours.  The first turn is decided by who has the lowest pts.  The person with the lowest pts gets to go first and chose the objectives.  Objectives are drawn by each player, one of each type, and the player with the most pts gives his cards to his opponent to chose from.  So there is strategy to be decided on whether you want to go second or first.  Since ships and squadrons are moved alternating, its not as big of a deal as 40k to go first.

So far, I have found there is a lot of ways you can play, you can go minimalist on fighters and go ship spammy, you can mix, you can go for lots of base ships or fewer upgraded ships.  I personally am a rebel fan so they are my favorite.  And with wave 2 now out, there is a lot of options for rebels to play the big ship game too with the imperials, though I am a fan of the swarms of small ships and fighters.

Over time I will post some more on armada, but I am liking it a lot and have already picked up a fighter pack and a second corvette and frigate. 

GG

11 comments:

  1. Actually, Games Workshop has begun recruiting for Battlefleet Gothic Armada, and there's a PC game being released next year. It's an awesome looking Real-Time Strategy game, a fleet-based game made with Unreal Engine 4. It looks great.

    Maybe you can check those out too, but I think the tabletop version might take a while. Is the Adeptus Mechanicus fleet separate from the Imperium fleet, I wonder?

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  2. Have you played X-Wing, the small scale version? Its a really good game as well, I really enjoyed playing it. Personally not played Armada, but I know a lot of the guys at my old club were really in to it, as well as X-Wing. I wouldn't mind getting a game, but at the club I'm currently at, the closest I can get to either game is Star Trek Attack Wing, which is a very similar game.

    The only trouble I can see for you, is that there will always be a new ship out that you'll want! Some of the guys I know who played X-Wing had loads of ships as every new wave brought a new ship that they wanted!

    As for myself, I'm desperately hoping for Battlefleet Gothic rerelease! (alongside Epic) As I would love to be able to play a full campaign, using all three systems. That and Necromunda, which is still one of my favourite games.

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    1. i have not, its not really my game. I like the fleet game over the dog fighting aspect. I don't mind the new things, its part of any table top game, there will always be something new.

      Battlefleet gothic would be great, but I'm not holding out for it.

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  3. Armada is one of those games that I would really like to try, but with the new FFG online sales ban (and their high MSRP), it seems unlikely.

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  4. Mate the best fleet game I've played has got to be Spartan games firestorm armada. The cost of entry is under £100 for a very big fleet, rules are simple to grasp, they give the rules for free and are now my model company of choice. Saying that the halo game is even cheaper, easier and merly as much fun, the Boarding actions are suberb.

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    1. It has interested me, but the fluff hasn't quite pulled me in, I'm weird like that. The halo game though has been one I have also been looking at, will prob pick that up before going to Firestorm. Saying that, Armada is a lot of fun.

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