What I've found interesting about the game is that non-wargamers have been willing to try it entirely because of the franchise. This is great for me as I get to try and convert more people to wargamers! It is interesting to see their reactions as the game is pretty complex and as a wargame/minature game without a "board" it's very different to what they are used to.

I've been playing 180pt games using pretty much the suggested rebel/empire builds per the FFG website.

My experience has certainly been people try and take out each others squadrons first, but it's pretty clearly because the rebel's want to get their Luke/X-Wing to attack the destroyer. Luke's ability is great but on it's own is nevery going to be enough (with the 180 point set up the destroyer can repair two dmg cards in a round after all).

It's true I've never seen the Imperial player use Tie's like this, but that's because either they've blatted the rebel ships comphrensively with the destroyer or because the tie's are downed quickly by the x-wing.

So far I've seen 1 rebel player victory, but that was a bit lame, the two new players flew around each other and no one scored any sort of hit on the other. I've never seen the Imperial lose a ship in my games and my biggest "thought" concern is that it's too hard for the rebels to pull this off at 180 pts and it's really offputing for new players.

This is because I find new players don't care about objectives and just want to shoot each other... I guess it's my fault for not pushing objectives on them eh?

If you're playing 180 point intro games, I would like to suggest switching to the Gladiator Star Destroyer. The VSD is pretty hard to take down at this point level, while the GSD is a little more evenly matched to the smaller Rebel ships. It will give a good gaming match up, with the added benefit of ships probably blowing up more often.

What I've found interesting about the game is that non-wargamers have been willing to try it entirely because of the franchise. This is great for me as I get to try and convert more people to wargamers! It is interesting to see their reactions as the game is pretty complex and as a wargame/minature game without a "board" it's very different to what they are used to.

I've been playing 180pt games using pretty much the suggested rebel/empire builds per the FFG website.

My experience has certainly been people try and take out each others squadrons first, but it's pretty clearly because the rebel's want to get their Luke/X-Wing to attack the destroyer. Luke's ability is great but on it's own is nevery going to be enough (with the 180 point set up the destroyer can repair two dmg cards in a round after all).

It's true I've never seen the Imperial player use Tie's like this, but that's because either they've blatted the rebel ships comphrensively with the destroyer or because the tie's are downed quickly by the x-wing.

So far I've seen 1 rebel player victory, but that was a bit lame, the two new players flew around each other and no one scored any sort of hit on the other. I've never seen the Imperial lose a ship in my games and my biggest "thought" concern is that it's too hard for the rebels to pull this off at 180 pts and it's really offputing for new players.

This is because I find new players don't care about objectives and just want to shoot each other... I guess it's my fault for not pushing objectives on them eh?

If you're playing 180 point intro games, I would like to suggest switching to the Gladiator Star Destroyer. The VSD is pretty hard to take down at this point level, while the GSD is a little more evenly matched to the smaller Rebel ships. It will give a good gaming match up, with the added benefit of ships probably blowing up more often.

I think you make a fair point and I do own a (still in it's packaging) GSD as I haven't made it to 300pts yet... but I just felt that I should demonstrate the game using the list recommended by FFG and using the components in the core set so people know what they'd be getting if they bought it.

In hindsight I may have been wrong, but people have been interesed in the concept of "slow and powerful" vs "nimble but weak" even if it hasn't given the results I'd have hoped for.

I've gotten USED to it now, but I still absolutely hate it. WHY FFG, WHY!?? It would have be so much better if it was move AND fire. The squadron command could have had another effect - or just allowed them to act in the ship phase.

But that makes for really interesting decisions and tactics. And also it helps to balance the game - if you're the one engaging, then you've got an advantage, as you've decided on that element of board control, but, if the squadrons you're engaging haven't activated, then you'll get shot at.

Mostly because the difference in commanded vs un-commanded squadrons is so big.

As an experienced gamer (from CCGs to Miniatures), I've enjoyed my first few games of Armada. There are a lot of good elements about the game. I do have two overarching concerns/thoughts, though:

1) The point of squadrons

Three games in, my conflicts have all been "squadron vs. squadron" and "ship vs. ship" affairs. It almost feels like two different games are occurring in the area- the squadrons don't do much damage to ships and vice versa. When squadrons do attack ships, I've found any ship at speed 2 or higher just moves away before the squadron can get in much firing . . . that said, If I would field only ships, would that strengthen my game? Or must I keep squadrons close to my ships (and use the 'squadron' command dial/token) for them to be useful against ships? Just curious about that.

2) Movement

Whether it's constant ramming, leaving the map, or just spending the game doing circles around each other, I've found the movement element somewhat disappointing. If I would put anything at speed 3, I have to decelerate pretty early or risk zooming by or leaving the map entirely. Even speed 2 (for larger, less agile ships) seems annoying. Should I just set everything to speed 1 and go from there?

Appreciate your thoughts!

I think your comment about the squadron vs. squadron and ship vs. ship battles is spot-on, but I think that's a reflection of the source material. If you watch Return of the Jedi, the fighters are doing their own thing (and taking the occasional pot shot). It's only when the Rebel fighters have broken through the Imperial screen do they attack the ships.

I can't say his thoughts on movement are spot on. . . Sure I ran off the board when I first started but since then I have not had that issue. Getting to know your ships and premeasuring is good enough to keep it from happening.

Now squadrons, I like how someone put it earlier, the squadrons during the squadron phase are uncoordinated mobs that are plying for position.

The coordinated mobs of squadrons during the squadron command have a goal now, they are focused and do what needs to be done.

Commands are supposed to feel like they do something that does not happen anywhere else, it is what makes the strategy of choosing your commands so important. So much strategy in this game. Makes me feel like Thrawn at times.