So if I understand this correctly armada is supposed to expand to a 3x6ft playing field. How does this effect the placement of obstacles and objectives. For example the mine field objective card would not be worth taking at all, as only having 5 mines and 5 obstacles would not make an effective screen on a 3x6ft play area. So would you treat each 3x3 area as its own separate set up, and place 5 obstacles one one side and 5 on the other? Same with minefields and objective markers 5 mines on one side and 5 on the other. How would this effect fire lanes and intel sweep?

If your the slow moving imps you use the minefield to close off a section of the table. You can someone predict where they will place their ships based on where the mines and fields are

Obstacles are used as a deterrent mostly, to try and coerce your opponent to make more predictable movement decisions. Even on a 3x6 table though, its easier than you might think to hit an obstacle or mine. Even more so once we get wave 2, and there is 800 pts of ships cruising around the board.

Obstacles are still use able but you are more judicious in their placement. A minefield can cripple a flank (large ships will hate them) and deny an entire boars area. Proper placement of obstacles will lead people to use them more as cover.

Do what the rules say, not what they don't say.

It's a 6' x 3' area, with ship/squad deployment in the central 4' x 3' area. There's still more than enough of a challenge moving the big, lumbering ships across the map. It's not X-Wing - they shouldn't be trying to dodge through a narrow obstacle channel. As noted, it'll be a huge change once there's 400 points per side out there.

It's not X-Wing - they shouldn't be trying to dodge through a narrow obstacle channel.

You have not seen me pilot a GSD or a Space Whale then. I dodge through those all the time

6x3 has been the standard for quite some time now. 3x3 was only for the starter box.

Another thing to remember is, that the "standard" obstacle deployment is still within the Setup area, which is 3x4, even on a 3x6 table...

Of course, Objectives can modify this.

Yes, the game does jump up to 6'x3'. However you mark off 1' (the length of the range ruler) on each edge, using those 4 right angle pieces to give you a centered set up area of 3'x4'. Unless an objective says otherwise, everything is placed in that set up area.