New To Armada - Build Help and Pointers - I haven't won a game yet!

[rrasho24 1]

Hey Guys and Gals,

I'm new to table top games, and Armada is my first go at it. 

I decided to go with a Rebel's and currently have three Corvettes (I purchased Turbolaser Reroute Circuits for each) and run them with my profundity and Neb-B's. I run the corvettes in a tight and fast formation (as to shoot and scoot around my enemy ships. The Neb'B's fly just ahead of the Profundity to it's outer flank, with the profundity just behind them to follow Neb-B's initial volly.

My Build: 

A1 (397/400)
Rebels

Commander: Mon Mothma

[flagship] MC75 Ordnance Cruiser (100)
 - Mon Mothma (30)
= 130 total points

CR90 Corvette A (44)
 - Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7)
= 51 total points

CR90 Corvette A (44)
 - Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7)
= 51 total points

CR90 Corvette A (44)
 - Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7)
= 51 total points

Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57)
= 57 total points

Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57)
= 57 total points

I mistakenly ran the Corvettes at speed 2, instead of speed 4 and they were blown out of the proverbial sky - lesson learned, go faster! 

My Question:

My opponent is super into Armada. I'm not. And not because I don't like it, I'm just not as into it is all - BUT! I like winning and I have yet... win...

Help - Please!

What could I do to better this build?  What strategy or cards should I try? The ships listed are the only one's I own at this time. Those ships, the core set and the cards they come with. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! 

Thanks again!

 

[Tayloraj100 422]

What’s your opponent’s fleet like? My guess is that you need some squadrons (maybe not, but probably). Otherwise, your fleet looks okay enough. It’s probably in how you’re using it. But knowing what you’re up against can help us know what you need to do against it.

[Tayloraj100 422]

To expand some...

I don't know if Mon Mothma is the best Commander for the fleet. She works very well with most of your ships, but does nothing for the Ordinance Cruiser. If you have the core set, you'll also have Dodonna, who would work better with the Ordinance Cruiser and do fine with your other ships. The Turbolaser Reroute Circuits would let you change a die to a critical, if you wanted Dodonna to go fishing for a good one. 

If your opponent is not bringing squadrons, or brings only air-superiority ones, then your fleet is fine enough. If he's bringing bombers or anything that can go after your ships, then you need some squadrons of your own. You can drop one CR90 and get four X-Wings (maybe not the best choice, but if they're all you have they are good enough). 

However, whatever your fleet makeup is, you are definitely going about your tactics wrong. Don't lead with the Nebulons. They have long-range, front-facing guns with a narrow arc. They're snipers, with weak sides. The Ordinance Cruiser has short-range armaments. Lead with it, then follow with the Nebulons to protect is flank and clean up wounded ships in the later rounds. If you need to, you can use them to flack enemy squadrons your X-Wings have tied up.

Your Ordinance Cruiser is the hammer blow. The CR90s are flankers. The Nebulons are clean-up. X-Wings are your fighter screen, if you need them.

[Rimsen 1,381]

What are your commands? With this fleet, you should navigate almost constantly, occasionaly concentrate fire, when 1 of the corvettes is in range. Navigation lets you turn better, constantly changing the speed to use the most of them. 

I recommend you check out the Cannot get your ship out blog they have a tremendous amount of super useful information for starters

[Requete 47]

I am only "ok" at this game, but to me I think you need Admiral Ackbar. The "Home One" expansion is only $25 on Amazon right now. Or you could buy the Upgrade Card Pack that was just released and for $25 get 1-2 of every upgrade card ever. Home One / MC80 is a great ship and Ackbar a great commander. He adds 2 red dice when you fire out the side (if you fire side arc only).

The key is to think in terms of "force multipliers"... take what you've got and add things that make it better. Imagine those 3 corvettes throwing 3 red dice each with TRCs! And Home One (or your MC75) is almost (though not quite) a Star Destroyer when firing out the side with Ackbar and a couple of upgrades.

I would also at least think about "Leading Shots" with your big ship since it lets you reroll some dice. Imagine lining up a perfect shot with your majestic battle ship, the one big shot it will get this game, and rolling nothing but blanks and accuracies. You want a little insurance against that since you put all those points into having a battleship. And while you're at it, I would suggest a defensive upgrade like ECM so that the inevitable Star Destroyer coming at you doesn't lock down your brace token while inflicting a million damage.

With Ackbar enhancing both your battleship and your corvette strike force, you can kind of divide your fleet, with the battleship and its escort (you probably have to scale back to 1 Neb to add in the extra upgrades, which is fine since they're pretty terrible) going one way and the corvettes running out to a flank. If the opponent turns into your battle line, he is allowing the corvettes to shoot up his rear. If he goes after the corvettes, then hopefully you are either winning the mission objective or raking his fleet with your broadsides. That's the theory anyway... obviously that kind of thing rarely plays out perfectly in practice.

[rrasho24 1]

He's been brining a Rebel fleet as of late (listed below) However, when he brings his Imperial fleet he'll include Vader (seriously F*** that guy - lol) and he'll fly the Gladiator with Demolisher making giving him an extra firing ability after he's moved <- we refer to it as cheat codes

(400/400)

Rebels

Commander: Admiral Raddus

Objectives: Advanced Gunnery, Fleet Ambush, Solar Corona

[flagship] MC80 Command Cruiser (106)

- Admiral Raddus (26)

- Defiance (5)

- Reinforced Blast Doors (5)

- Leading Shots (4)

- Strategic Adviser (4)

- Engine Techs (8)

= 158 total points

 

MC75 Ordnance Cruiser (100)

- Reinforced Blast Doors (5)

- Ordnance Pods (3)

- External Racks (3)

- Ordnance Experts (4)

= 115 total points

 

MC80 Liberty Star Cruiser (96)

- Heavy Ion Emplacements (9)

- XI7 Turbolasers (6)

- Spinal Armament (9)

- Gunnery Team (7)

= 127 total points

 

[Requete 47]

OP, make sure that your opponent is using the latest FAQ/errata information on those cards. Demolisher has been nerfed more than once I believe, and currently is much more limited than its initial capabilities. Also with the latest updates to the rules, Strategic Advisor has been removed and has no function. His Rebel fleet is still nasty though it would probably be hard-countered by bombers.

[rrasho24 1]

We're playing by the old rules simply because none of use have really upgraded yet - we're casual players, but I hate that I'm constantly losing and I don't want to purchase more ships without knowing which to get, and more importantly how to fly strategically. Know what I mean? 

Any recommendation would be appreciated? I'll work on getting us on the updated set, but I wouldn't even know where to go to get that either

[Requete 47]

33 minutes ago, rrasho24 said:

We're playing by the old rules simply because none of use have really upgraded yet - we're casual players, but I hate that I'm constantly losing and I don't want to purchase more ships without knowing which to get, and more importantly how to fly strategically. Know what I mean? 

Any recommendation would be appreciated? I'll work on getting us on the updated set, but I wouldn't even know where to go to get that either

Sure, go here for the updated rules and cards: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2020/12/1/new-rules-of-engagement/

or direct link: https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/3a/13/3a13aa9c-7857-4b98-8a08-5ba9aaaedd89/swm_rules_reference_guide_150.pdf

On page 24 you'll see that Demolisher doesn't work quite the same way anymore. That should help.

If you don't want to buy new ships, the Upgrade Card Pack is a no brainer. 1-2 of every card from every ship expansion. You'll get Ackbar and all kinds of fantastic upgrades for your current fleet. Plus you'll have all the most up-to-date versions of the cards so you can read them for yourself.

Bluntly though, if the answer is "I don't want to buy anything and I want to keep playing by rules that even the developers thought were broken" then get used to being disintegrated I guess.

[rrasho24 1]

11 minutes ago, Requete said:

Sure, go here for the updated rules and cards: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2020/12/1/new-rules-of-engagement/

or direct link: https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/3a/13/3a13aa9c-7857-4b98-8a08-5ba9aaaedd89/swm_rules_reference_guide_150.pdf

On page 24 you'll see that Demolisher doesn't work quite the same way anymore. That should help.

If you don't want to buy new ships, the Upgrade Card Pack is a no brainer. 1-2 of every card from every ship expansion. You'll get Ackbar and all kinds of fantastic upgrades for your current fleet. Plus you'll have all the most up-to-date versions of the cards so you can read them for yourself.

Bluntly though, if the answer is "I don't want to buy anything and I want to keep playing by rules that even the developers thought were broken" then get used to being disintegrated I guess.

No, no... we'll be updating soon enough, we're just casual gamers and just getting into it is all  Thank you for your help! Happy holidays and a Happy New Year!

[flatpackhamster 682]

54 minutes ago, rrasho24 said:

We're playing by the old rules simply because none of use have really upgraded yet - we're casual players, but I hate that I'm constantly losing and I don't want to purchase more ships without knowing which to get, and more importantly how to fly strategically. Know what I mean? 

Any recommendation would be appreciated? I'll work on getting us on the updated set, but I wouldn't even know where to go to get that either

You should definitely be playing by the 1.5 rules, if only for the Evade improvements.

 

You have plenty of activations but too few opportunities to reroll on your big ship.  Leading shots, ordnance experts, whatever works.  It doesn't need to be decked out like a Christmas tree (except tonight of course) but ECM in particular will increase its survivability and an ordnance cruiser without both its black slots filled is no good.  Drop a Nebulon or CR90 to give you the upgrades you need.  Ordnance experts absolutely mandatory on the Ordnance Cruiser. 

[Tayloraj100 422]

And against that Raddus list, if you can out-bid him for first player he’ll be in trouble. Demolisher likes the first player advantage, too. If you can outbid him, use your larger number of ships to save your big hitter until the end of a crucial turn. Set it up in a good position. Then, on the following turn, activate it first. I bet you’ve seen him do this to you.

[rrasho24 1]

I appreciate everyones help here, thank you! We don't get back together for another couple of weeks (holidays and all) then we'll be back at it. I'll keep you guys in the loop, thanks again!

 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!