Bitharne
-
Content Count
395 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Bitharne
-
-
I think you missed the likely candidates while including tons of the unlikely ones...as far as Imps are concerned.
Due to the creation of the Raider, I very-much doubt they will pull in non-wedge warships. Just an aesthetic choice most likely, but I'd wager to say they'll adhere to it.
Basically Vindicator's are likely. Interdictors are very likely (rebels, and art for the Imperial-variant directly for Armada).
AFMKI might show up, maybe, but time will tell if they'll delve into Dreadnought range or not.
-
good discussionLies! Lies and slander, I say!
Agreed
-
Vindicators I really wana see. Easily a medium ship, perhaps even with immobilized refit. Vindy's would be a slightly smaller, maybe more agile/fast victory with emphasis on blue dice. They might be a way to squeeze in a medium range broadsided in imperial play...though being very SD-like it'd be hard to not just make it a front-arc-beasty.
The new Force Awakens SD is a toss-up. Most likely large but could be medium.
Dreadnoughts obviously. Aclimators are one of the few prequel ships that I don't despise...this could fit a medium range broadside role I feel.
AFMKIs, and nebulon-b2 variants seem a good choice too.
Bottom line: Gimi vindicators or give me death!
TallGiraffe reacted to this -
I really can't fathom these views that you'll "only" have 3 ships....I see getting 4+ ships as a massive hurdle. Then again, this mentality seems to go hand-in-hand with ignoring squadrons.
3 ships is, to me, standard. 4 is a substantial sacrifice towards squads or power, and 5 is a massive sacrifice...6 is a whole-cloth suicide to both with the hope that really good flying with amplify you're weak ships into powerful ones: a good thing to strive for of course (perfect piloting).
-
I don't know that I agree. I've played Ackbar twice now; and triumphed both times with 2 different tactics: admittedly that aren't always at play. So there are options.
Firstly, as people have said, squadrons are one of the best ways to engage Ackbar with. His ability is useless against fighters (interestingly, most admirals are...but It seems this case is special in that regard), and it seems very likely that many Rebel Admirals will forgo squadrons to stack the deck with extra red dice. Thus you've free reign to blow him up from afar with your squadrons (you took those right? Really, it's 2015...take squadrons you shlubs).
Secondly, again as stated already, cut him off. If you get in front of him, he can't do a thing about it. Set up your faster and more agile small ships in their path and the large ships can't do a thing. If they're rocking corvette swarms then it should be easy to obliterate them with squadron fire and your picket ships.
Third, and last, is always objectives. I fear there'll be a lot of Red picks...but you can really swing points in your favor if you figure out how to outscore the opponent using those lovely red/yellow/blue cards. (This applies to all games, not just ackbar)
-
I think Tactics play the biggest part here. I will figure it out I guess.Hi all I don't post very often so not well known hear.
I know that this will be unpopular but I'm not impressed with the ISD at all. I've played for the Empire since the game came out and came second at my local Sullust event. I have been using the VSD on a regular basis since this time and I've found it to be lacklustre at best. I think the rebel wave 2 stuff has been much easier to take advantage of but I'm struggling to get to grips with the Empire's reinforcements.
The ISD just seems to be outgunned by the rebel's and not fear inducing at all.
Odd. I've loved my VSD ever since release. I love, even more, the raider which gives me a cheaper, faster, flanker to help block those ackbar conga lines and smash my puttering VSD into their flanks.
Anyone know where I can get a precut rebel stencil?
My brother is having the same issues with Rebels. He hated Wave1 rebs and he's not really happy with his lists even in wave 2...I think it's just finding what fits for you. Guess I'm lucky in that I had a nice list I liked for Wave 1 and I just added more bells and whistles with 2.
I think the best bet is to either:
A. Figure out what you want you list to do, and make it happen.
or
B. Play stuff till you see something you like/that clicks.
-
Hi all I don't post very often so not well known hear.
I know that this will be unpopular but I'm not impressed with the ISD at all. I've played for the Empire since the game came out and came second at my local Sullust event. I have been using the VSD on a regular basis since this time and I've found it to be lacklustre at best. I think the rebel wave 2 stuff has been much easier to take advantage of but I'm struggling to get to grips with the Empire's reinforcements.
The ISD just seems to be outgunned by the rebel's and not fear inducing at all.
Odd. I've loved my VSD ever since release. I love, even more, the raider which gives me a cheaper, faster, flanker to help block those ackbar conga lines and smash my puttering VSD into their flanks.
-
So Green Squadron 3 vs NebulonB was a very interesting and fun game with a gracious opponent. I learned a lot about the huge ships.
Final score is +125 for NebulonB, if I calculated correctly. 315 pts - 190 pts. So 8:2 VPs. All the action happened in rds 5 and 6 (apart from squadron encounters...of which there were many, adding so much fun and another layer to this game).
Objective was superior position, which I chose after electing to go first. A grand total of one objective damage was achieved by both players
From just one game, but still, I think a minimum of three activations are really important. Maybe only for rebels with those ISDs. Then you just need to fly those three well...which I did not manage that good. Fair to say that it would have been very very close if the huge ship from GS3 would not have left the field in the last moment.
GG, GS3, looking forward to another game soon!
I actually think the standard activation count should be seen as 3. Anything more and you're tossing another aspect of your list under the bus: squadrons are a huge one, or upgrades.
I can't see any feasible ways to reach even 4 ships without massive concessions somewhere (corvette swarm or light/no squads).
I did catch the latter half of HERO and Clontroper5's game. Was interesting to see the great position the Imps were in when I popped in; but the lack of black dice was really apparent when the two ships were hammering each other from collision-range and not going down. Also, ECMs, as I predicted, are stellar little buggers.
clontroper5 reacted to this -
Why not pull it into a parking lot and walk to the event and play?
Stasy and cynanbloodbane reacted to this -
What do you mean?
Spend any other Defense token, and your Brace is reduced to a Single point... This includes Evades, which the others have in spades... Or even a Contain token!
Exactly this. This allows me to generate regular crits with my VSD not using APTs since if they brace my 3red5black attack they can't contain the crit that WILL happen (screed)...I love HTTs.
-
Demolish with Engine Techs without Wulff? Blasphemy!
-
Those things look so bland and unimaginative they're almost NASA.
You're an odd duck, Mister Spike.
He's not alone.
I love the straightforward design of the Victory class Star Destroyer and the Carrack Cruiser, too.
I also love the particularly bland Cloakshape fighter. Don't ask me why.
Of course, a childhood spent reading books and playing games featuring the Victory probably gives it nostalgia points for me that some others don't get.
I'm with you on that one. I've always been rather fond of it.
I actually like the Cloakshape too! I also like Y-Wings for the same reason.
It's not really the look, perse, as is the case with Carracks...it's the function.
I like the hardy, reliable, usefullness of the ships. Reading about the Carrack as being such a powerful, but small, warship that was many times more powerful than it's size indicated made me love the little bugger...plus the simple look is something I kinda dig. It's kinda like when people talk about the Falcon and how it's "ugly" but still looks awesome for: reasons.
Well, I find the YT-1300 gorgeous in-and-of-itself...never understood the "hunk of junk" "fugly freighter" views on it.
I really love the "squished" nature of the VSD over the ISD. It looks more "business-like" and menacing with a smaller vertical profile ratio. Coincidentally this is why I've also fallen in love with Vindicators and pray for the days they are implemented into Armada so i can run a "Star Destroyer Light" taskforce with a VSD flag flanked by Vindys.
I feel that way about GSDs and love them for it. I adore that ship. It's compact, sleek, and deadly. I also admire the Raider for the same reason. It's like a flying poignard. It's what I imagine would happen if you fed a TIE Interceptor nothing but steak and bananas for an entire year.
(obviously sleek is a thing I like)
I, too, love the Gladiator and Raider. I only wish they had updated the very top of the Gladiator to look more like a SD, as the top looks like a buncha knobs you would play with on some high-tech-gizmo instead of technical-gadgets on the VSD and ISD bridge...though the main bridge platform is perfect as-is.
-
Depending on how bad the XI7s get, you need to invest more points in engineering. Not to repair your ship, but to do the 1-point shield moving to bring your shields to the damage, not the other way around. Against an Ackbar wall of fire list like 2AF + MC80 ackbar like to bring that's the first strategy I'd like to try.
There may be no superior defense strategy other than this, other than dodging enemy fire and getting into their un-optimal arcs (by racing ahead of a conga line or trying to get behind them). Since I like running VSD-ISD lists my head is chewing on ideas to try countering it in a shoot-out.
I learned, in my game with doobleg, that that seems to be optimal way for imps to play.
Against rebels, Drive your Flag-SD (ISD or VSD) at them fast and use your picket ships to basiaclly ram their front while your cruiser smashing into their flank.
Against imperials, Drive your Flag-SD in a joust and outflank with your pickets.
Of course that's ultra-general; and Armada is nothing if not the most "specific-situations-trump-all-tactics" game i've ever seen.
-
Those things look so bland and unimaginative they're almost NASA.
You're an odd duck, Mister Spike.
He's not alone.
I love the straightforward design of the Victory class Star Destroyer and the Carrack Cruiser, too.
I also love the particularly bland Cloakshape fighter. Don't ask me why.
Of course, a childhood spent reading books and playing games featuring the Victory probably gives it nostalgia points for me that some others don't get.
I'm with you on that one. I've always been rather fond of it.
I actually like the Cloakshape too! I also like Y-Wings for the same reason.
It's not really the look, perse, as is the case with Carracks...it's the function.
I like the hardy, reliable, usefullness of the ships. Reading about the Carrack as being such a powerful, but small, warship that was many times more powerful than it's size indicated made me love the little bugger...plus the simple look is something I kinda dig. It's kinda like when people talk about the Falcon and how it's "ugly" but still looks awesome for: reasons.
Well, I find the YT-1300 gorgeous in-and-of-itself...never understood the "hunk of junk" "fugly freighter" views on it.
I really love the "squished" nature of the VSD over the ISD. It looks more "business-like" and menacing with a smaller vertical profile ratio. Coincidentally this is why I've also fallen in love with Vindicators and pray for the days they are implemented into Armada so i can run a "Star Destroyer Light" taskforce with a VSD flag flanked by Vindys.
-
Wait Wait wait!!Well, as an Empire player who refuses to use an ISD, I simply don't have access to any real defensive upgrades: especially ECMs.
Your telling me you decided to play Armada, a game basically built so fanboys can make pew pew noises with Star Destroyers, and your a IMPERIAL PLAYER but you REFUSE TO PLAY THE ISD!?!?
I am confused :/
Unnatural isn't it?
As much as I love ISDs...VSDs are FAR FAR sexier.
I also have an aversion to bandwagons; and I quite like being in the minority of Imperial players that do not take that behemoth.
Wait, you're serious?
Deadly. When I saw them as the release ship, I danced for joy.
My second favorite? Carrack-Cruisers. I really want one of Mel's :\
-
that is one good thing about being basically the only rebel, there's no band wagon to make you feel derivative
even if there was, there'd be no MC-80 in it apart from Home One, aka the reason this thread exists
You use Ackbar? That's the rebel bandwagon
-
So: 220 - 336 = 116 MOV,
I think that might be 8-2?Nope, 7-3 still.
Still important to note, as it's a good objective to put on your small ship and their large ship to really boost your points in a trade.
-
Wait Wait wait!!Well, as an Empire player who refuses to use an ISD, I simply don't have access to any real defensive upgrades: especially ECMs.
Your telling me you decided to play Armada, a game basically built so fanboys can make pew pew noises with Star Destroyers, and your a IMPERIAL PLAYER but you REFUSE TO PLAY THE ISD!?!?
I am confused :/
Unnatural isn't it?
As much as I love ISDs...VSDs are FAR FAR sexier.
I also have an aversion to bandwagons; and I quite like being in the minority of Imperial players that do not take that behemoth.
ladyjulianne reacted to this -
Well, as an Empire player who refuses to use an ISD, I simply don't have access to any real defensive upgrades: especially ECMs.
I fully agree that ECMs are amazing. In fact, with the errata ruling on XI-7's vs Advanced Projectors I see ECMs as being simply the best defensive upgrade.
So...since I know lots of people will be taking XI-7s, ECMs, Intel Officers, and Large ships; I will have to learn how to make my list work against that stuff. I'm glad that my choice of Turbo neatly fits right in there and allows me bypass the meta-war that is sure to ensue: Heavy Turbolaser Turrets.
As people have said, since I don't have the option to bypass enemy turbolasers I will just have to outfly them. Don't engage them on their terms, and do what you can to keep their best foot back as you step into their punch and, hopefully, bloody their nose before they get a good lick or two in
-
Bitharne defeats Doobleg with an MOV of 167 (can't remember the exact figures).
Bitharne was the first player, and the mission was Superior Positions.
Over 300 of Bitharne's points came from the mission objective... needless to say, my arse is pretty raw.
I think we found I miscounted 1 objective token bringing the MOV to 152, still an 8-2.
I had ~440 points to doobleg's ~288: he saved a vlog IIRC if we need to double check any figures.
It was a very fun, interesting, cordial, and educational game. I learned, again, how much I dislike first player; though I was thrilled to see doobleg playing Superior Positions as his blue objective. The set-up penalty for player 1 is painful; however, after the game I realized that I could very easily have overcome that disadvantage if I had deployed differently: lesson learned.
We pretty much deployed like civil-war days in a line across from each other. Since I had had to deploy my entire fleet, I didn't know this would be the case, but it surely favored my opponent much more than me: 3 AFMKII's with Ackbar and gunnery teams shouldn't be flown directly at, just sayin.
I had 10 squadrons to his zero which single-handedly won me the game through objective points. I deployed my Raider and Demolisher on either side of my VSD flagship all ships at a rather low speed: 2, 1, and 1 respectively. Hindsight being what it is I should of loaded up my one flank and drove my ships much faster...however the slow-play ensured my Raider didn't die (or even shoot) which is the only reason I didn't lose.
I'm still trying to figure out if I should slow-play or blitz against red-dice-gunlines or not. I think both are viable, however I played the perfectly wrong way and trundled moderatly forward with a 1 then a 2 at full-forward deployment with my victory. This lead to it taking 3-4 5+ dice broadsides to it's single shot. If I had deployed further back and kept m yspeed 1 I might have done similar damage with my squadrons and not lost my flagship. Alternatively if I had burned harder I might have gotten at least 2 shots off into his fleet, maybe burning another AF down.
I was quite nervous seeing the full might of an ackbar list, that's for **** sure, but it's nice to have played it. The more I play the more I see the dangerousness of certain lists coming with massive weeknesses too...which is utterly unavoidable at 400 pts. The only way to pull off such a deadly gunline is to take no squadrons. If doobleg hadn't have used SupPos as his blue, I def couldn't have won using my squadrons like that...then again I'd have had full deployment advantage over him with 6 deployments before my last 2 ships would have to hit the table.
Good game bud. Good luck in your next one!
-
The balancing factor is simply opportunity cost through points.
For that very reason I don't foresee taking an ISD in any of my "serious" lists. I love my VSD-I, and being able to load it up with toys and an admiral before you even finish paying for your flagship is amazing.
If you're going to buy an ISD, you're going to severely impact either your activations or your squadrons. I roll with 3 ships with toys backed by full squadron presence: you simply can't make that happen with an ISD. Either token fighters, very few/weak ships, or some other grievous compromise.
Of course, I compromise on not having a deadly tank like the ISD...that is the insane beauty and genius of armada: it seems to be so well balanced that there simply isn't, and won't, be much in the way of auto-included. The only mention of that will be in specific lists.
Can't wait to play.
mikemcmann reacted to this -
My brother put together a list with Raider spam and an ISD (no squadrons, since he has 5 2-dice ships).
Seems to work well with that imo. ISD has contain (or evade with that one crew) and, often, an extra redirect. The raiders, once in black dice range, aren't often using those evades. Theres 6 ships total, so lots of mileage on Vader in this case.
-
but with a local buddy threatening to troll with howlrunner + dengar interceptors (Counter 4), I can never be too certain. Good thing I was already planning to run Escort Nebs
Wait a second. The Howlrunner die adds to Counter as well?
Sorry, I cant check the FAQ or Errata on my tablet. Apparently FFG uses the only PDFs not compatible with a Droid LG tablet.
I was already planning a Howlrunner, 4 TIE Interceptor group with Flight Controllers, Boosted Comms and Expanded Hanger Bays on on an ISD I so the Interceptors could fling 6 blue dice at enemy squadrons, while my VSD II with Corrupter and Expanded Hanger Bays is flinging Rhymer and 3 TIE Bombers at speed 5.
If adding Dengar into the mix wit Howlrunner stacks on counter, I can give even regular TIEs a 2 Counter.
Is this really a thing?
Yes.
Counter is an attack: therefore howlrunner adds a die IF THEY ARE SWARM.
So Howl+Dengar = Counter 4 interceptors.
This is what I run...so awesome.
Also, I would not (on squadrons) that the sheer presence of Rogue modifiers will guarantee that people do not run squadron-less builds outside of dedicated squadron-killing-ships (Raider spam, and the like). It'll be far too costly, as anyone with a token Rogue force will really hurt you.
Furthermore, FGD, I would have to argue that this topic is a little too limited in scope...especially considering you comments on wave 2. I spent a lot of last night talking to my brother about his list for Wave 2 (he hated wave 1) and we came up with some very, very important points; that, admittedly, have been discussed in another thread about how hard lists are to make.
If you DO choose to max squadrons, then you are sacrificing some other major aspect of your list: activation's, or power.
I feel this is divided up between ships and upgrades.
If you field a large ship, you are also going to drag down your activation count, squadron count, or power count (arguably the large ship is a boost to power, however).
If you field more ships, you will boost your activation count, but draw from squadron count, or power count.
I was considering putting this into a more coherent concept with rough estimations. As I feel the EXTREME variability of list building in wave 2 follows a very clear pattern; yet the game is so amazingly chock full of options that most of these choices are viable.
SomeKittens reacted to this -
I would agree:
Empire Fleet (398 of 400 pts) <Bid = 2>
Commander: Admiral Screed (26 pts)
Flagship: (104 pts)- Victory I-Class Star Destroyer(73 pts)
- Warlord (8 pts)
- Ordnance Experts (4 pts)
- Heavy Turbolaser Turrets (6 pts)
- Expanded Launchers (13 pts)
Fleet Ship 1: (86 pts)
- Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer(56 pts)
- Demolisher (10 pts)
- Wulff Yularen (7 pts)
- Engine Techs (8 pts)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes (5 pts)
Fleet Ship 2: (49 pts)
- Raider I-Class Corvette(44 pts)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes (5 pts)
Squadrons (133 of 134 pts):
- 2x Tie Fighter Squadron (16 pts)
- 2x Tie Interceptor Squadron (22 pts)
- 1x Howlrunner Tie Fighter Squadron (16 pts)
- 1x Tie Bomber Squadron (9 pts)
- 1x Major Rhymer Tie Bomber Squadron (16 pts)
- 1x Aggressor Assault Fighter (16 pts)
- 1x Firespray-31 (18 pts)
- 1x Punishing One - Dengar (20 pts)
Is what I'd be running.
Green Knight reacted to this
Ackbar is crazy!!
in Star Wars: Armada
Posted
I, also, disagree with your thematic interpretations.
Yes, a ship destroyed is not "blown up." Do you realize the amount of energy it would take to actually "destroy" a Star Destroyer? Wasteful amounts in an actual battle for sure.
Ackbar doesn't put more guns on the ship. He commands them better. I especially like Blail Blerg's points, as it's something I've though of a lot of how the "arcs" work: the guns aren't "on the front" or "on the side" they're all over. And when you fire with the front arc you're using guns that CAN fire to the side as well...even imagine your ship having 8 arcs, and the corner ones have options to which arc they are dedicated. So focusing more of your guns from the "front/side" and "front/back" arcs so they are on the side would literally give you more guns to shoot with...of course that's excluding him giving good/inspirational orders on where to fire for more damage.
That said, Ackbar is beatable...for sure. He's, finally, a scary admiral for rebels. Imps have had screed for a while; their scariest admiral I feel (not strongest, just noticeable direct hurt). So while Mon Mothma is pretty **** strong, she's not as immediately threatening as Ackbar is with his raw 2 dice.
I would def like to play against this corvette swarm list people keep throwing around; as I feel it has some obvious weaknesses that can be exploited with any well-rounded list.