Hello All.

I'm Ikka, or Lord Ikka depending on the game/forum, and have been bored during night shift so I decided to write up my thoughts on possible upcoming Armada ships. Granted, the game is in its infancy, but I like looking ahead and it has given me something to do. This is all my personal opinion, feel free to disagree with any and all of my thoughts.

Current Line-up of Armada Capital Ships

Rebel Imperial

MC80 Star Cruiser (Home One) Imperial Star Destroyer

Assault Frigate MKII Victory Star Destroyer

Nebulon-B Frigate Gladiator Star Destroyer

MC30c Frigate Raider Corvette

Corellian Corvette

Currently the Rebels have more physical ship models, but their ships are lighter armed/armored than the Imperial line-up. The Imps lack speed, and only the Raider is good against starfighter squadrons. I don't see this dynamic changing- the theme of the Rebel Alliance being under-gunned and using guerrilla tactics while the Imperial Fleet is a slow juggernaught allows for a decent balance and unique feel to each fleet.

Rebel Pros-

Fast capital ships

Average shields

Heavy broadsides (Wave 2)

Strong starfighters

Good anti-fighter defense

Rebel Cons-

Weaker hulls

Expensive starfighters

Smaller capital ships

Imperial Pros-

Heavy frontal firepower

Large capital ships

Good shields/hull

Cheap/fast starfighters

Imperial Cons-

Weaker broadside armament

Weaker anti-fighter defense (only one dedicated anti-fighter capital ship)

Weaker starfighters

Slow capital ships

Overall, it seems that the two forces are fairly balanced. You will see the Imperials fielding fewer, but more powerful, capital ships with swarms of low-cost TIE starfighters while the Rebels counter with individually weaker but more numerous capital ships sporting deadlier starfighters. This leads me to wondering what capital ships will come up down the line. I'm currently avoiding clearly Prequel ships like the Acclamator or Venator cruisers, as FFG has yet to really do anything with the prequel ships at all.

As for fighters; I don't believe we will see many more starfighters- the main contenders have already been released and other XWMG standards like the TIE Phantom, TIE Defender, or Z95 Headhunter were either rare/experimental, or obsolete by the time of the Galactic Civil War. What we may see is similar packs to the Rouges and Villains; unique and larger than starfighter ships that have some unique abilities. I'd think that the Decimator or Star Viper would be probable additions.

Possible capital ships

Note 1- I don't believe we will see too many larger ships, such as the MC80 Star Cruiser or the Imperial Star Destroyer. Anything larger than those would be problematic on the playing field, even scaled down. So I don't think we will see Executor-class Star Dreadnoughts, also known as Super Star Destroyers, or anything that big. The most well-known big ships are included in Wave 2, and I think that is a good thing. Filling out the rest of the fleets with smaller ships will bring more variety and flavor to the game, while also hitting a good purchase price to allow for new player interest and expansion. I don't doubt that there will be some big ships coming out, but I think the biggest have already shown up.

Note 2- It is hard to find ships that are specifically used by one faction or the other. The Rebels' constant theft of ships has even lead to classes like the Nebulon-B becoming almost exclusively associated with it, even though it is a standard Imperial fleet vessel. The only ships likely to be considered "safe" from poaching are the MC or Mon Calamari designed ships such as the MC80 Star Cruiser and MC30c frigate or some specific prototype Imperial vessels. Other than those, both factions had enough ships of all types in service during the Galactic Civil War that it will be a toss-up to decide what faction gets what ship. I wrote the most likely faction that would get a ship next to the ship name.

Assault Frigate MK I (Rebel Alliance)

The ship bio- The Assault Frigate MK I is a modified version of the Old Republic's Dreadnought-class Heavy Cruiser. The Rebels slashed the crew requirement by two-thirds and upgraded the speed of the ship and its shields. The trade-off is that the Mk I has weaker hull plating and shorter-ranged, but more numerous, weapons batteries than its Dreadnought predecessor. Considered to be a very effective combat ship by both the Rebels and the Empire, the MK I is a potent weapon.

Chance of inclusion- High. This ship has a very good chance of becoming a Rebel staple. It would sync up very nicely if the Imperials gained the Dreadnaught while the Rebels gained the Mk I- they have basically the same statelines with some slight differences that balance well. The Mk I holds two squadrons of fighters while the Dreadnought only holds one, the Mk I is fast but short-ranged while the Dreadnought is slower but with a longer punch. All in all, both the Assault Frigate Mk I and the Dreadnought Heavy Cruiser are very likely to show up in Armada.

Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser (Empire)

The ship bio- The Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser is a Clone Wars era ship designed to support larger ships of the line in battle. The Dreadnoughts' were powerful for their time, housing a large complement of weaponry and good shields, but had some glaring drawbacks. The ships were slow and extremely crew-intensive, requiring 16,000 crew members to function. Later versions of the ship utilized slave-links and droids to reduce the amount of crew needed to only 2,000, a much more reasonable number for the size of vessel.

Chance of inclusion- High. The Dreadnought is not a main-line combatant like an Imperial or even a Victory Star Destroyer. It is however, a very good back-up ship that can provide accurate long-range firepower and decent hull/shields. It would be a good Imperial counter-point to the Assault Frigate Mk I; the Mk I is faster but shorter ranged and the Dreadnaught is slower but with long range weapons. This ship would be a good addition to the Imperial player's lists- giving them the option to include a lower-point cost ship that still has the firepower Imperial players are accustomed to. I can see the Dreadnought being a high-Command ship, especially the earlier version.

Interdictor-class Heavy Cruiser (Empire)

The ship bio- The Interdictor cruiser is known by quite a few names- Immobilizer 418-class cruiser, Interdictor-class Heavy Cruiser, Interdictor-class medium frigate, or Interdictor-class dreadnought. Whatever name you use, the Interdictor was designed to stop and trap enemy ships in normal space. With four massive gravity well projectors, the Interdictor could stop enemy ships from fleeing into hyper-space. This was particularly useful against Rebel starfighters as the Rebel fighters all utilized hyperdrives, unlike the TIEs of the Imperial fleet which required a larger ship to carry them into battle.

Chance of inclusion- Medium. While the Interdictor was a useful battlefield controller for the Empire, I don't know if it will have the same usefulness in Armada. I believe that it would all come down to whatever rules are made for the gravity well projectors. The basic armament of the Interdictor is well-suited to anti-starfighter roles, but there are other Imperial ships that have similar firepower. The aesthetics may give the Interdictor a chance though, as it is basically a smaller Star Destroyer with four globes placed on its hull.

MC40a Light Cruiser (Rebel Alliance)

The ship bio- Very little is written about the MC40a light cruiser. It is a Mon Calamari designed warship, with higher speeds than a MC80 star cruiser and a decent set of weapons and shields.

Chance of inclusion- Medium. This ship is one that FFG can really allow the players' to make their own. It lacks any major screen time in any of the EU (Legends or Canon) and that may give FFG some real opportunity to grow a "new" ship's fanbase. I can see it as a ship that is in-between the MC80 and MC30c; decently quick and armed with heavy broadsides. The art style for it also balances well, as it looks like a smaller Home One.

Carrack-class Light Cruiser (Imperial)

The ship bio- Small but extremely well armed, the Carrack-class light cruisers were a very good ship for the Imperial fleet. Coming in two common variants (good for Armada...) the vessels were armed for either anti-starfighter (laser cannons) or anti-capital ship (ion cannons) warfare. The Carrack was also speedy enough to keep up with X-wings, allowing it to take the fight to the mobile starfighters without risking Imperial TIEs.

Chance of inclusion- High. While not a pretty ship, the Carrack is a good, fast ship that the Imperials don't have, aside from the Raider. Having a different light ship would give Imperial players some more variety and might lead to some innovative tactics. The ion cannon-armed version could also perform similar to the Rebel's Corellian corvette by slashing into the enemy's flank and rear hull zones.

DP20 Frigate (Either)

The ship bio- Similar in both look and role to the Corellian corvette, the DP20 frigate (or Corellian gunship) was used by both factions in the Galactic Civil War. Mounting more than double the firepower of its cousin, the DP20 can effectively fight both starfighters and capital ships, though it is at a serious disadvantage against anything larger than itself. Its primary defense is the fast speed and high maneuverability that it has, rather than shields or hull strength.

Chance of inclusion- Low (Rebel Alliance), Medium (Empire). The DP20 would be slightly better in all things than the current CR90 corvette, making the corvette the first Armada ship lost to "power creep". While it would be a decent ships, I don't believe it offers anything truly unique to the game. If it is placed in the Imperial fleet, the likelihood of seeing it goes up. The Imperials don't have a fast, multipurpose light warship (the Raider is more for anti-starfighter) and the DP20 (or the Carrack) would fill that role.

Ton-Falk Escort Carrier (Empire)

The ship bio- The Ton-Falk escort carrier was designed by Kaut Drive Yards to help the Imperial fleet compete with the Rebel Alliance's starfighter superiority. Due to TIE fighters lacking hyperdrive, the Imperial starfighters were tethered to their home ships, while the Rebel hyperdrive-equipped fighters that could operate independently. The Ton-Falk class gave the Imperial fleet a cheap platform in which to carry up to six TIE squadrons into battle, the same number that a much larger, more expensive Imperial Star Destroyer carried. The downside is that the escort carrier has very weak shields and weapons, making it vulnerable to pretty much any enemy that closes with it.

Chance of inclusion- Low. The lack of shields and weapons on the carrier make it a very hard ship to sell to players. The only real option I could see would be if an Imperial player has a Ton-Falk in his fleet, the one-third point restriction for starfighters is lifted somewhat. Otherwise, it is just a ship that will die quickly when an X-wing squadron looks at it.

Strike-class Medium Cruiser (Empire)

The ship bio- The Strike-class medium cruiser is somewhat unique in the Imperial fleet. It was intentionally designed to be a modular ship, able to carry many different configurations of cargo- from planetary assault vehicles like AT-ATs and AT-STs to carrier versions that could embark up to three TIE squadrons. Each individual ship could modify its storage space in a short time to complete whatever assignment the Fleet had given it. The Strike class was known for being both fast and heavily armed, as two Strikes were considered equal to a Victory-class Star Destroyer. Many Strike cruisers were made after the Battle of Endor to fill gaps in the Imperial Fleet instead of using more expensive Star Destroyers.

Chance of inclusion- Medium. While the Strike class is both deadly and prolific in the Imperial fleet, its speed may disqualify it. The current list of Imperial capital ships seems to focus on high firepower, low speed anti-capital ships and low firepower, high speed anti-fighter ships. The Strike would be a high firepower, high speed ship similar to an Assault Frigate Mk II, which is not the current direction we are seeing from the Imperial side. I do think it would be a good addition, as it would give Imperial players a medium cost vessel that can stand up to the larger Rebel ships and chase down corvettes.

Marauder-Class corvette (Rebel, Either)

The ship bio- The Marauder corvette is a small escort/patrol ship produced before the Clone Wars. The Republic's military did not order many of these corvettes, so the Corporate Sector Authority bought the design and produced many for its security forces. The Marauder lightly armed, supports one starfighter squadron, and has good sub-light speed making it an ideal system patrol boat, customs ship, or escort for a larger vessel.

Chance of inclusion- Low. While many fans like the look of the Marauder, the ship itself is very mundane in general. I think that it has some value as an slightly better armed alternative to the well-known Corellian corvette of the Rebels, but don't know if a simple beefier, better-looking corvette is enough to warrant it in the game.

Lancer-class Frigate (Either)

The ship bio- The Lancer class frigate was a dedicated anti-starfighter light vessel in service of both the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. Fast and armed with heavy anti-starfighter weapons, the Lancer frigates worked well as escorts for larger vessels such as the Victory-class Star Destroyers which had both weak anti-fighter weapons and lacked numerous TIE squadrons.

Chance of inclusion- Low. The new Raider-class corvette seems to have taken the place of the Lancer as the Imperial fleet's premier anti-starfighter asset. Given the fact that most fans view the Lancer as...ugly, to say the least, this is probably a good thing. The Raider performs all the essential duties of the Lancer with better aesthetics. The Rebel Alliance tends to use actual starfighters in an anti-starfighter role, rather than support vessels, so I don't see the Lancer as necessary in their fleet.

Nice write up

Nice one! I just had a rough look at everything and will have a detailled read later on, when office time starts lagging hard and beer o'clock is still too too far away ;-) Just one note regarding your general pros and cons which you brought up and with which I have to disagree partly. I find the rebell ships not lacking shields at all compaired to their imperial counterparts, just look for example at the Victory (3/3/3/1 shields) vs. the Assault Mk II (4/3/3/2 shields - en par with ISD, shieldwise!) Even the MC30c packs more total shielding than the Vic, if you go by what the preview has told us.

And considering starfighters, I would say the imperial approach is that of a specialized star fleet, where every fighter is designed for one role only, while the rebell scum is fielding multiple-role fighters. The imperium is getting more [what ever the fighters sole purpose is] per point, but pays by having to bring the right tools for each job. The rebells' force is far more forgiving, as you can bring your sturdy jack-of-all (/most) -trades and find good use for them somewhere on the battlefield.

I agree that the Lancer and Corellian Gunship are both ugly, and have better options. Escort carriers also seem to be a side line ship unless they bring some new mechanic to the game that makes them worth being no good in combat. I disagree that there will be no additional large vessels.

I would expect the Rebels to see an expansion into further Mon Cal designs such as the MC80B. Han Solo as the captain along with Mon Remonda title rings a bell as a staple EU ship. Also think the Bothan Assault Cruiser may appear. Ralroost title?

The Empire would seem to be destined for a different path. I am starting to think that many of the non-SD shaped vessels are falling by the wayside in favor of the popular Imperial aesthetic.

I think there is a decent chance we could see the Flurry carrier for the rebels. It would have a very low attack value, but a high squadron value. Probably fairly cheap on the points.

I kinda see it as the equal opposite of the DP20. All guns, little command options.

Thanks for the feedback, I'll read more when I wake up. Feel free to use this thread as a discussion thread for what ships you think are worthy of an Armada appearance.

For the Imperials, I would expect to see the Tector Class Star Destroyer, as it is essentially an Upgunned ISD without a hangar bay. So I see it throwing more dice, but having a squadron command of zero.

Looking at the time codes used in Imperial Assault, I'll bet anyone $100 (in Armada products) that the next Armada and X-Wing waves will be mostly Episode 7. By this time next year, the OT era will be a distant memory.

Hear me now, believe me later.

Very good write up. I really hope we get to see the Dauntless-class Heavy Cruiser for the Rebels. I like the look of it compared to a Mon Cal ship and think it would be another good large ship for the Rebels.

"Hedgehobbit"

Looking at the time codes used in Imperial Assault, I'll bet anyone $100 (in Armada products) that the next Armada and X-Wing waves will be mostly Episode 7. By this time next year, the OT era will be a distant memory.

Hear me now, believe me later

-------------------------------------------

I Sincerely doubt that.

A) there is on average enough new ships per movie episode for 1 wave, (2 tops). Are they just going to sit around twiddling their thumbs between movies, letting their properties go cold? Unlikely.

B) going with JJ, Disney is banking on nostalgia. They are not trying to distance fans from the OT; on the contrary. They want fans to embrace the OT and forget the mess that was the PT. I'm sure Disney wants everyone with the Star Wars Liscence to pump out OT related content to drive interest in the new movies and build enthusiasm.

Yeah given that three of the five ships in wave one are from non-movie material plus two of the four from the second wave, and they are still using pretty much all of the well known capital size ships in the OT I seriously doubt there will be enough new capital ship models in the new flim for more then one wave.

One question I forgot to ask when I first posted. Why do you think the DP20 Frigate/Gunship has a higher chance of being an Imperial ship rather then an Alliance ship? Every game I recall it appearing in the DP20 was an Alliance ship, and I don't remember any Imperial DP20s appearing in the comics or novels. In fact if memory serves the Corellian Gunship model which was later identified as the DP20 first appeared in the original WEG Rebel Alliance sourcebook.

Granted the DP20 was seen more as a Rebel ship in EU, but I think that it would basically remove the Corellian corvette as anything other than a nostalgic piece- the DP20 is pretty much better in all senses as it was designed as a combat ship and not multipurpose like the CR90. It would be more likely to show up as an Imperial ship in a middle-of-the-road vessel- fast but not as focused as the Raider on anti-starfighter role.

I don't understand how the Immobilizer 418, or other interdictors, could be considered legitimate entries. Their sole feature was to block hyperspace capability, and that is not a feature in the game. Missile jamming, as far as I was aware, was to give them something else to do in Empire at War apart from preventing hyperspace exit and was only a gameplay feature.

DP20s could be interesting. They'd be one of the smallest cheap ships with good anti-fighter capabilities but maybe not good general capital attack capability? I kind of imagine them as smaller CR-90s with more small guns to fight off fighters.

The Carrack, Lancer, and Dreadnought all have very similar and uninteresting hull designs that I wouldn't be surprised if only the Dreadnought gets depicted. The Carrack and Lancer have more or less been rendered moot by the Raider's appearance, which covers both roles pretty well.

The MC40a is a favorite design of mine from TIE Fighter... and thinking about it it could make an alternative medium ship for the Rebellion. Thing is, the Assault Frigate covers a lot of the ground pretty well already... how could the MC40 be better?

One possibility open is for the Empire to get their own versions of the Frigate and Corvette... with the Nebulon-B2 and Assasin-class corvette. Both were also introduced for TIE Fighter and frequently show up in Imperial hands. Could be that the Empire has their own slightly modified versions of those other ships for their own needs.

Interdictor inclusion really depends on FFG finding a use for the gravity well projectors. If they find one, the aesthetics of the Interdictor almost make it a given- the classic Imperial wedge is loved by all.

The MC40c would most likely be similar to the MKII, but with weak forward armament and stronger broadsides, like a mini MC80. If so, it would give Rrbel players the option of taking something that is a good all-arounder versus a broadside beast.

Maybe a new fighter pack, what with the K-wing and TIE Punisher showing up for XWMG-

Rebels with 2x E-wing, K-wing, Z-95, and ...1x HWK-290?

Imps with 2x TIE Defender, Phantom, Punisher, and 1x Lambda shuttle?

Ohhhh they could do "scum" ships like those in Empire at War

*takes cover*

Ohhhh they could do "scum" ships like those in Empire at War

*takes cover*

I would actually love for this to happen, tbh - maybe not for a while, until the game is completely established, but I think it would make for an excellent addition. There would be some cool ships involved, like the Keldabe-class battleship and a 3rd faction would help keep things fresh and interesting and help make battles more diverse in terms of gameplay and storyline - crushing Rebel Scum is only fun for so long before it becomes a chore