It also would have given them the option to introduce built in special rules for ships, Just like X-Wing 2.0 did. I'm still puzzled by their absence in both Armada and X-Wing 1.0.

I don't think the LAAT/i gunship belongs in Clone Wars Armada, but it's so popular and iconic that I wouldn't be surprised if it appears in Republic Fighter Squadrons II -- similar to how the LAAT/i ended up in X-Wing 2E.
If the LAAT/i does appear in CWA, it will certainly have Assault -- I can't imagine what else it would be used for.
The Nu-class attack shuttle or Eta-class shuttle are other options for the Assault keyword, but those two should have Relay and/or Strategic instead (akin to the Lambda and VCX-100).
I agree that Rex will probably be a Boarding Team -- although it should be Anakin commanding the boarding team and Rex commanding the Clonetroopers. But if it is Rex's BT, that would free up Anakin. I predict Rex will be the first Republic boarding team, and maybe later Anakin will be a BT with a stronger ability and cost more points.

This, kind of. I feel like they might have made a small mistake with the ARC. Firstly it kind of competes a bit with the Y-Wing for that bomber role. Maybe they should've put the 170 into Republic Squadron Pack 2 and put something less redundant like a Nu-Class with relay into pack 1. That would also have reinforced the early war theme present in this pack and wave 1 in general (outside the ARC of course).
Anyway, the ship doesn't at all conform to its agressive reconnaisance role. I would have expected a fairly expensive compromise between anti-squad and -ship with a focus on independent operation, annoying the enemy somewhere outside the main squadron engagement zone. So I guess Bomber, Grit (always felt like that keyword goes hand in hand with turrets/rear gunners, counter seems to be themed around nimble dogfighters) and Rogue (astromech, hyperdrive and copilot say it is definitely very capable of independent long range operation) would be a good fit. Maybe bumping the speed up to 3, the hull down to 5-6 (to balance that out) and cutting one blue die from the anti-squadron (It does seem like its armament is kind of hard to bring to bear against fighters, especially up close; Anti-ship is fine. It has those dual launchers, like the X-Wing, and cannons capable of damaging capital ship armor) might be more representative of the lore vessel to. The gaming standpoint is a different mattter though, but this would give it a unique role as the harassing light cavalry/skirmisher type of thing.

This, kind of. I feel like they might have made a small mistake with the ARC. Firstly it kind of competes a bit with the Y-Wing for that bomber role. Maybe they should've put the 170 into Republic Squadron Pack 2 and put something less redundant like a Nu-Class with relay into pack 1. That would also have reinforced the early war theme present in this pack and wave 1 in general (outside the ARC of course).
Anyway, the ship doesn't at all conform to its agressive reconnaisance role. I would have expected a fairly expensive compromise between anti-squad and -ship with a focus on independent operation, annoying the enemy somewhere outside the main squadron engagement zone. So I guess Bomber, Grit (always felt like that keyword goes hand in hand with turrets/rear gunners, counter seems to be themed around nimble dogfighters) and Rogue (astromech, hyperdrive and copilot say it is definitely very capable of independent long range operation) would be a good fit. Maybe bumping the speed up to 3, the hull down to 5-6 (to balance that out) and cutting one blue die from the anti-squadron (It does seem like its armament is kind of hard to bring to bear against fighters, especially up close; Anti-ship is fine. It has those dual launchers, like the X-Wing, and cannons capable of damaging capital ship armor) might be more representative of the lore vessel to. The gaming standpoint is a different mattter though, but this would give it a unique role as the harassing light cavalry/skirmisher type of thing.

This, kind of. I feel like they might have made a small mistake with the ARC. Firstly it kind of competes a bit with the Y-Wing for that bomber role. Maybe they should've put the 170 into Republic Squadron Pack 2 and put something less redundant like a Nu-Class with relay into pack 1. That would also have reinforced the early war theme present in this pack and wave 1 in general (outside the ARC of course).
Anyway, the ship doesn't at all conform to its agressive reconnaisance role. I would have expected a fairly expensive compromise between anti-squad and -ship with a focus on independent operation, annoying the enemy somewhere outside the main squadron engagement zone. So I guess Bomber, Grit (always felt like that keyword goes hand in hand with turrets/rear gunners, counter seems to be themed around nimble dogfighters) and Rogue (astromech, hyperdrive and copilot say it is definitely very capable of independent long range operation) would be a good fit. Maybe bumping the speed up to 3, the hull down to 5-6 (to balance that out) and cutting one blue die from the anti-squadron (It does seem like its armament is kind of hard to bring to bear against fighters, especially up close; Anti-ship is fine. It has those dual launchers, like the X-Wing, and cannons capable of damaging capital ship armor) might be more representative of the lore vessel to. The gaming standpoint is a different mattter though, but this would give it a unique role as the harassing light cavalry/skirmisher type of thing.

Better to let some people go so the executives still get there bonuses. If you ever end up on the receiving end, I doubt you will speak so lightly about a company and its profitability.

You're deliberately misrepresenting that I wrote "at least $1 profit" to try to discredit my argument.
If a business always ended up making at least $1 profit at the end of each fiscal year, regardless of unpredictable market fluctuations or unforeseeable crises, i.e. a pandemic, then they would still be sustainable.
 
The reality of modern business is that just because a business makes high profits every year, doesn't mean they keep millions of dollars in a war chest for rainy days. The reality is that the lion's share of those profits are paid out as dividends to shareholders every year, leaving little in reserve to see the business through economic downturns. But when a recession inevitably happens and the business' profits dry up, do the shareholders ever use the money they made from years past to re-invest and prop-up the business? NO! They either cut and run at the first sign of trouble, leaving the business to die; or they lay off most of the employees to protect next year's profits.
Those are the business practices that are truly unsustainable. It's the modern Robber Baron economy.

That's just contemporary business "philosophy", which is about as moral as a gold-digging widow.
If FFG wasn't owned Asmodee, which in turn wasn't owned by an investment group, FFG could be sustainable as long as it made at least $1 profit every year. And we all know that FFG makes A LOT more profit than just $1 a year.
This is almost certainly a case of FFG's annual profits being in the modest millions, but Asmodee's investors want it to be tens or hundreds of millions. No amount of money will ever satisfy "people" like that. And the vain attempt only costs good people's jobs.
But who really cares about the people responsible for making the games that we all enjoy and discuss on this forum, right?

I seriously doubt that Asmodee's decisions are because FFG was "un-profitable" considering how successful X-Wing, Legion, and Keyforge have been. I suspect that FFG just wasn't profitable enough to satisfy Asmodee's parent investors.
IMO if a business generates enough revenue to cover all of its expenses, including employee salaries and benefits, and makes $1 extra, that business is profitable and therefore successful. As long as that business continues to make quality products that the majority of its customers like and buy, it shouldn't be meddled with just to maximize profits, because that only benefits the faceless wealthy people at the top. The employees and customers never benefit from the higher-ups' greed. On the contrary, the customers are taken for granted and exploited, and the employees become casualties of that greed -- as appears to be case with the FFG layoffs.
If I had the choice, I'd never give a penny to Asmodee and gleefully watch as their empire crumbled and went bankrupt.
I whole-heartedly support FFG's games and all the people who make them.
But this subject is best left to the "FFG Layoffs" thread.
I'm much rather talk about a happier subject like the Republic Fight Squadrons pack Preview...

Corporatism is a cancer. Say what you will about X or Y economic philosophies, but big companies who act more like money-making machines that will casually eject employees like an infected limb are an element of some version of ****-on-Earth. 

I'm suprised that the Munificients anti ship power isn't more focused on the front arc, given that it has that big turbolaser there (and a bunch of laser cannons that should contribut more to anti squaddron on the sides).

Though this begs the question: Why don’t all hyperspace-capable craft have this ability? I think it would be an excellent way to give the Rebels an identity that matches their hit-and-fade tactics.
It would also make it approximately 400% easier to use B-Wings.

I think a fighter Pack 2 for every faction is pretty likely.
The Republic still at least has the Eta-2-Actis, the Z-95 and the Nu-class Attack shuttle to go. To this you could add something like the LAAT (not a fan of the space version, takes away from the vessels uniqueness) or N-1.
The Seppies are a bit harder. Outside the boarding craft (raid) and the sheathipede we pretty much have only member/Ally ships, like Nantex, Umbaran Fighter and Rogue class and the HMP (see LAAT for my opinion in that).
There definetly is material for a CW rogues and villains pack: For the republic we could get things like the Twilight, the Halo, Padmé's Yacht and the Silver Angel and for the CIS the Sith Infiltrator, flarestar class attack shuttle, solar sailer and maybe the Komk'r again.
Finally you could even think of a auxilliary pack for those allies and members. In the light side's corner I can come up with the N-1, Porax-38 and Auzituck and Nantex, Umbaran and Zygerian Starhopper in the dark one.

I think a fighter Pack 2 for every faction is pretty likely.
The Republic still at least has the Eta-2-Actis, the Z-95 and the Nu-class Attack shuttle to go. To this you could add something like the LAAT (not a fan of the space version, takes away from the vessels uniqueness) or N-1.
The Seppies are a bit harder. Outside the boarding craft (raid) and the sheathipede we pretty much have only member/Ally ships, like Nantex, Umbaran Fighter and Rogue class and the HMP (see LAAT for my opinion in that).
There definetly is material for a CW rogues and villains pack: For the republic we could get things like the Twilight, the Halo, Padmé's Yacht and the Silver Angel and for the CIS the Sith Infiltrator, flarestar class attack shuttle, solar sailer and maybe the Komk'r again.
Finally you could even think of a auxilliary pack for those allies and members. In the light side's corner I can come up with the N-1, Porax-38 and Auzituck and Nantex, Umbaran and Zygerian Starhopper in the dark one.

I like it just because the overreliance on special characters in FFG TT miniature games annoys me to boot. Coming from GW I just enjoy cobbling together my own generics. More power to them!!!

Both the hull shape of the Venator and the broadside tactics we see in the clone wars (the conflict not the show) I'd argue that the Venator will be more broadsie oriented than the ISD. So I expect a much heavier firepower cut in the front than the side coming from the ISD. My (much less precise) prediction are mostly red broadsides facilitating a tactic involving squadron coordination and bombarding the enemy from afar.

Both the hull shape of the Venator and the broadside tactics we see in the clone wars (the conflict not the show) I'd argue that the Venator will be more broadsie oriented than the ISD. So I expect a much heavier firepower cut in the front than the side coming from the ISD. My (much less precise) prediction are mostly red broadsides facilitating a tactic involving squadron coordination and bombarding the enemy from afar.

BTW, should the ST really come I'd like to see some of these variants to come for the resistance with the explicit permission to exchange the models with rebel ones both directions. Meaning it doesn't matter which 75 model you use for which card or faction. Only the card counts. Ideally we'll see an ISD I with the same rules applied.

I see an opportunity here to do what they did with the Chimera ISD.
If they release GAR VSD, pelta or Arquitines, it can come with both GAR and IMP/RA bases, and several of them, including new varients (such as protototype). The extra cardboard is easy and cheep to produce and package. This could then breath new life into GCW era ships that don't get the love. Also, some ship titles could crossover eras for famous ships. There's also options for cross era upgrades to further provide flexibility to these ships (such as the "Star Destroyer only" key phrase, could be used for GAR Venetors and VSDs, but also IMP VSDs and ISDs
To extrapolate further, this could even be used for something such as Lucrehulk prime, when, WHEN, they release this as a "small" huge ship.

Giving Imps the Venator is a bad idea. The Venator was iconic to GAR. Letting Imps have that would dilute GAR faction identity. I don’t want rebels to get Rebel One (an old Providence) either  
 
 
I want ships of the same physical model  from different factions to operate differently. Standard equipment and tactics for a GAR Pelta and Rebel Pelta would not be the same. Same for the Arquitens. Even if the maneuver chart stays the same, upgrades slots or dice should change. 

BTW, should the ST really come I'd like to see some of these variants to come for the resistance with the explicit permission to exchange the models with rebel ones both directions. Meaning it doesn't matter which 75 model you use for which card or faction. Only the card counts. Ideally we'll see an ISD I with the same rules applied.

If a Venator can't fit between the cargo ring we riot 😁

I am 100% in Favor of a Lucrehulk being a huge ship and having side by side bases.   Or maybe even a custom base.  

I find it interesting that seemingly none of the 75 variants doesn't have the weapons belt. IIRC that thing (together with the fin) was part of the Raddus's militarization modifications and not part of the "factory" design according to the R1 visual guide.

I too would like to see the droids never becoming supressed. I would do it with a keyword which still allows them to be panicked though. For their swarm aspect I would say the B1's should a) be cheap (points wise at least) and b) come packaged with 7 units, which in contrast to other corps can all be fielded at once.
For the republic characters I guess as a rule of thumb Jedi and Clone commanders should be commanders whilst padawans sould be ideal for operatives.