So I'm getting into Armada and I need advice...

[clanofwolves 4,215]

I ordered my first pieces (starter and 1 expansion ship of each of the starter ships) from that awesome sale last week from CoolstuffInc. I will ease into the game and I've already been trying to understand the basic structures of gameplay. However, I do have one possibly unanswerable inquiry:

Background: I have a not-so-close consultant I work with every now and again and he's played it quite a few times before (according to him). He says forums are a waste of time and he'd show me the ropes. He's not the nicest fellow usually. He stated, "we'll play one simple game where I'll obliterate you and then I'll teach you how to play properly." My impossible question is something like, 'is there a ship set-up/method that I can surprise him with? Maybe threaten him a bit? It can be either faction. I don't even mind adding a ship if needed; I like supporting my LGS too. Thanks guys!!!

[Drasnighta 26,833]

Well, there are some lists that have very high and often spiking damage outputs, but they're also not for the faint of heart...

 

Attaching a High-Power Demolisher (Gladiator + Demolisher + Engine Techs + other applicable upgrades) to a list that it designed to have multiple activations and a high bid to go first, is a good way to surprise start - but its also the sort of thing you'r elikely to see on the other side if the person has that attitude.......

 

 

Unfortunately, one of the balancing natures about Armada is that, almost everything has a use in more than one way, shape or form...  Its how you fly it that makes a difference, and flying it well comes with experience....  

 

Edited July 7, 2016 by Drasnighta

[clanofwolves 4,215]

So this ship:

With this:

I'll need to set it up and practice moving/using it a bit... thanks!

[Drasnighta 26,833]

Add on Expanded Launchers (or Assault Proton Torpedoes if you have them)...

Add Wulff Yularen.


The idea is, turn one, you have a Navigate Token on you, and you've moved to position yourself just ever-so-slightly out of Red Range of what you want to kill...  You want to ensure that you have first player, and that you have more ships than your opponent...

You wait until your enemy moves closer to you, and then - as the last ship of the turn - you jump forward, and throw all the dice you can at close range...  Possibly even ramming him...

Then as the first ship of the next turn...  You do it again.  But because you're already in range, you can shoot, move and then shoot again.......  Effectively putting all of the dice into him and blowing him up, without any retaliation...

...

It requires a lot of things go together, but if it it goes, it goes, against *almost* anything.

[Drasnighta 26,833]

....  look at me.  Teaching Good Newbies to be Bad Peoples.

[clanofwolves 4,215]

So I'll add a Gladiator Class Star Destroyer and I'll have everything but assault proton torpedos....that's in the MC30c correct?

[Drasnighta 26,833]

So I'll add a Gladiator Class Star Destroyer and I'll have everything but assault proton torpedos....that's in the MC30c correct?

 

Yes.  But you can take Expanded Launchers from the Core Set instead.  That's why I said it

[Ginkapo 9,321]

To put the brakes on this thread a little bit, you have two victories and a gladiator. That isnt the ideal set up for getting the best out of demolisher....

 

Now if he says that forums are a waste of time, I suspect that he also doesnt know how to play objectives very well.

 

Soooo.... lets build a list around Precision Strike/Advanced Gunnery, Fire Lanes and Intel Sweep with your current owned ships to really punish him.

 

What squadrons do we have to play with?

[ianediger 1,347]

Maybe for yellow, use Hyperspace Assault and use the Gladiator as Insidious W/ Expanded launchers and build the rest of the list up to 400...

Edit: this will work if he's playing aggressive with ISDs, VSDs, MC80HO, or anything un-maneuverable. If he's running a swarm or DeMSU it will be harder to keep those rear-shots on target.

Edited July 7, 2016 by ianediger

[PT106 2,316]

I'll throw in another idea:

Motti, ISD1 (Intel Officer, Ordnance Experts)/ 2xVSD1/ 2xRaider1, 2xTIE Fighters. This leaves 5 points for bid/upgrades. Add objectives to taste.

[Ginkapo 9,321]

I'll throw in another idea:

Motti, ISD1 (Intel Officer, Ordnance Experts)/ 2xVSD1/ 2xRaider1, 2xTIE Fighters. This leaves 5 points for bid/upgrades. Add objectives to taste.

Read the OP.....

 

He has no ISD or Raiders so this isnt going to work too well.

[PT106 2,316]

I'll throw in another idea:

Motti, ISD1 (Intel Officer, Ordnance Experts)/ 2xVSD1/ 2xRaider1, 2xTIE Fighters. This leaves 5 points for bid/upgrades. Add objectives to taste.

Read the OP.....

 

He has no ISD or Raiders so this isnt going to work too well.

My bad. I did miss the word "starter" so assumed 1 of every expansion.

[clanofwolves 4,215]

Correct, I have no ISD (yet) but I do have a raider. As far as squadrons go, I have the ones that come in the core set (as of now). I don't mind adding a piece or two to be sure; I'm not averse to getting the tools for a good list that I can practice and implement. So, right now, I have:

Starter Set

+1 of each of the three Starter Set large ships

Raider

Gladiator (LGS has, I'll get tonight)

[PT106 2,316]

In this case I would try to add one more raider (or one more Gladiator) as well (as a proper Demolisher support will require 5 activations and you currently only have 3 imperial ships)

and run Demolisher/2xVSD/2xRaider with 4 TIE Fighters. (As any other alternative will require getting squadron packs and potentially more than 1).

[clanofwolves 4,215]

In this case......run Demolisher/2xVSD/2xRaider with 4 TIE Fighters. (As any other alternative will require getting squadron packs and potentially more than 1).

Adding 1 Raider is easy. When you say "4 TIE fighters", I'm assuming 4 sets of ties on bases? (Three miniatures on a stem on a base)

Edited July 7, 2016 by clanofwolves

[clanofwolves 4,215]

Soooo.... lets build a list around Precision Strike/Advanced Gunnery, Fire Lanes and Intel Sweep with your current owned ships to really punish him. What squadrons do we have to play with?

So what's your thoughts? (I am intrigued) I have no squad expansions as of yet.

[PT106 2,316]

In this case......run Demolisher/2xVSD/2xRaider with 4 TIE Fighters. (As any other alternative will require getting squadron packs and potentially more than 1).

Adding 1 Raider is easy. When you say "4 TIE fighters", I'm assuming 4 sets of ties on bases? (Three miniatures on a stem on a base)

Yes, so you should already have them from a core set. This build should be good enough to get you started and present enough activations/initiative to let Demolisher operate.

[clanofwolves 4,215]

Maybe for yellow, use Hyperspace Assault and use the Gladiator as Insidious W/ Expanded launchers and build the rest of the list up to 400...

Can you expand this thought for the ignorant (me, haha)

[PT106 2,316]

So, a possible list is:

Admiral Screed

GSD1: Demolisher, Intel Officer, Ordnance experts, Engine Tech, Expanded Launchers

VSD1

VSD1

RDR1

RDR1: Screed (this one should not fight but fly away to save the admiral)

4xTIE fighter

Most Wanted, Contested Outpost, Intel Sweep

390/400

You can replace 2 TIE Fighters with some upgrades on Victories (Dominator for example) or Raiders.

[ianediger 1,347]

Sure, no problem. Insidious is the other Gladiator title. It allows you to use your front arc black dice at medium range, as long as you are attacking a rear hull zone. Expanded launchers increases your front arc battery by two black die. So, in theory, you are firing 2 red and 4 black dice at the enemy's rear arc. The use of the Hyperspace Assault objective is to ensure that Insidious can get into a ship's rear arc without having to do fancy maneuvers. Which is why you'd need to build close to the point limit, that way, if your opponent picks first player, he has to choose from your objectives.

[Ginkapo 9,321]

Glad I, engine techs, ordnance experts, assault concusion missiles

[Norell 1,198]

My suggestion would be to play with the REBELS. Nobody is expecting Rebels, everyone plays Imps.

[clanofwolves 4,215]

My suggestion would be to play with the REBELS. Nobody is expecting Rebels, everyone plays Imps.

So I'm leaning towards my Imperial fleet just having to add one Raider to make a list that has potential and will be fun; I'll start playing that fleet setup to get used to moving and operating the weapon potential. Thanks guys!!

 

Interesting thought Norell (obvious oversight haha) It would be good to gave one decent option of both factions. So with my ships and modification cards in mind (I'm not planning to collect these as I do X-wing for the ships don't have that pull that the single fighters do for me; I just want an alternate gaming type for every now and then; plus I want to stay happily married) what would you recommend with minimal purchase additions that would make a Rebel fleet that I could start play-testing to get grips on using it? 

[Ardaedhel 10,844]

Nobody is expecting Rebels, everyone plays Imps.

 

wat

Edited July 8, 2016 by Ardaedhel

[Norell 1,198]

The Rebels rely heavily on their fighters, so definitely the fighter pack. Then I'd suggest to add Home One, an Assault Frigate and at least one more Corvette. With those you can play around and you can figure out which is your style that works with the Rebel fleet. With that you can pretty much discover anything the Rebels can do and you can expand your fleet according your taste from there.