I still don't like it... I need more than just a 1:1 ratio if I want to take on those star destroyers!

It's not a 1 to 1 ratio though. It is a huge increase to your damage capacity to both ships and squadrons.

If it works on squadrons it'll be disgusting

Too bad we can't fit it on NEB's must be an mc80 exclusive with the 2-blue anti squadron variant

Yea, it will likely be on the Raider (which is ok since it has blue/black and black/black), the ISD and the Victory

Might end up straight replacing warlord on the vsd 2 w/h9

It'll give you the same increase in damage and guaranteed anti squadron damage but it also let's you acc through tokens such as scatter (if it hits squadrons)

I guess take warlord for the 12 point discount?

Really Ackbar's ability is great for his namesake slash. If I ever decide to do an Ackbar slash focused fleet I will definitely dig him out.

5 MC30's. . . Nuff said

I shall name it the Shrimp slash!

Been wondering about just how situational this ability will be. The FFG announcement article said he can "add two red attack dice to any attack made by a starship that fires only from its left and right hull zones during its activation."

How important is the wording, "ONLY from its left AND right hull zones" - as in, like with the Paragon ability, if you don't actually do an Ackbar Slash you're not getting the benefit? You're definitely not going to be sitting back and picking them off - you're going to be driving through the middle of the enemy fleet.

I would also note that it says "any attack," which thus far I'd assume means it does not exclude squadrons, but we'll see what the card actually says.

I would also note that it says "any attack," which thus far I'd assume means it does not exclude squadrons, but we'll see what the card actually says.

The "any attack" is not the part that excludes squadrons the words "hull zones" is what excludes squadrons do not have "hull zones" there for they do not get the extra dice.

Edit: I may have miss-understood you. If you are saying you get two red dice added to your anti squadron dice pool when shooting from both the left and right hull zones then yes I beleive this is the case. and the word "only" and the word "and" do concern me in this case as well. It would be very difficult to line this up enough times in a game to make it worth the cost.

Until I see a ruling otherwise, I interpret an activation that fires only once as activating Ackbar's effect, provided that attack comes from a side arc.

I'd not read too much into the wording yet, the images & article were from well before final production, so could have changed significantly between then and final production.

Could end up a little like Paragon... You get the extra dice only on the second attack, as long as its out the other side...

two red dice at squadrons would be absolutely ******, so I'm fairly certain that actual card species against ships

two red dice at squadrons would be absolutely ******, so I'm fairly certain that actual card species against ships

So a few quick thoughts...

1. If Ackbar only works if you fire both out of your left and your right side arc, I think he is all but worthless as a commander. This is because your opponent will know exactly what you are planning, virtually every game, before you do it. It will also be terrible for some objectives.
2. If Ackbar only works if you fire out of only side arcs, period, he is quite good. I would suggest that while a corvette swarm might not be the best option for him (getting in close to fire out of both sides is a recipe for death without Mon Mothma's evade boosting, and putting a bunch of upgrades on corvettes defeats the purpose), the mon-cal ships and the AFII will benefit... specifically an AFII with a gunnery team and EA. Just saying.
3. I feel like the rebel fleet is currently incomplete in a way that the Imperials are not; I think the mon-cal ships are really going to open up some different playstyles as right now, no rebel fleet wants to get close. Ackbar + mon-cals might change that, as a mix of long-range broadsides and shrimp frigates could be brutal if he works as he does in my point 2.

A thought occurs...Ackbar + Advanced Gunnery Team on an MC80?

A thought occurs...Ackbar + Advanced Gunnery Team on an MC80?

want some .....

GET SOME lololol

I have to agree on the AND requirement being incredibly limiting, to the point of never seeing The card used.

Also, it wouldn't event te use of slaved turrets, which looks like it limits you to one attack for the benefit of x added dice. (Better be more than one, or have a negative cost)

So a few quick thoughts...

1. If Ackbar only works if you fire both out of your left and your right side arc, I think he is all but worthless as a commander. This is because your opponent will know exactly what you are planning, virtually every game, before you do it. It will also be terrible for some objectives.
2. If Ackbar only works if you fire out of only side arcs, period, he is quite good. I would suggest that while a corvette swarm might not be the best option for him (getting in close to fire out of both sides is a recipe for death without Mon Mothma's evade boosting, and putting a bunch of upgrades on corvettes defeats the purpose), the mon-cal ships and the AFII will benefit... specifically an AFII with a gunnery team and EA. Just saying.
3. I feel like the rebel fleet is currently incomplete in a way that the Imperials are not; I think the mon-cal ships are really going to open up some different playstyles as right now, no rebel fleet wants to get close. Ackbar + mon-cals might change that, as a mix of long-range broadsides and shrimp frigates could be brutal if he works as he does in my point 2.

So I am not totally sure I agree that it'd be worthless if #1 holds. Certain ships with very wide side arcs (of which the rebels have several but in particular I'm looking at you, Nebulon B) may still be able to use this in the right circumstances, and frankly just a handful of times in a game might really pay off.

Also, and maybe more importantly, it could significantly affect how your adversary might deploy and fly his fleet. In theory, if he/she maneuvers in such a way as to give up opportunities you might get a positional benefit even if you literally never get a single shot off using his ability in the game. I have definitely had games where an adversary has tried to catch my ships in a pincer - I wonder how they'd have played if I'd had this ability to throw back at them.

Admittedly I'm not sure how much of an advantage this would be in practice. Sounds good. Have to wait and see what the card text says.

Wait. . . Wait. . . Nebulon-B's with 3 red dice and a blue die as well would make that weak side scary. . . It would be a soft counter but any Gladiator that goes for it can do it and get doubled arc'd

Yeah, but you have to give up the Neb B felt arc, and you need to have enemy ships on both sides of the neb b... Which is a recipe for disaster...

Since the card supposedly says AND, as opposed to or, you can't use gunnery team or advanced gunnery objective.

Therefore, unless Ackbar is dirt cheap, his ability as presented sucks.

Think about it, you can basically get the same benefit using Enhanced Armament, but without any triggering requirements for 10 points, or more simply 5 points per red die, or 5/6 point per round per die (maybe there are only 4 rounds of fighting, so 5/4 of a point). So, the question becomes how many ships are in your fleet and how many times can you trigger this ability..

So let's say you have 5 ships, just because.

How many time will this trigger? How many time will you deliberately fly a ships directly at and then between two enemy capital ships? (I am limiting to caps, cause 2 red AS dice is insane). How long will a ships survive the combined firepower of two enemy ships?

Well, let be generous and say you lined up a perfect firing run withe each ships, and te ability triggers twice for each ship.

That is 25 points of Enhanced Armament value (5/4 EA base value per die * 2 die *2 triggers * 5 ships), or more simply 5 points of value per ship...

However, I consider this a very generous assessment of Ackbar's ability, as deliberately splitting your fire while allowing your opponent to concentrate their fire is a very dangerous tactic. (E.g. You CANNOT get double arc shots on the same target)

The only use I can see with this is if you are first player, and you do the "corvette slip" to avoid double fire. But then you only get one use per ship (roughly), thereby lowering Ackbar's value to 12.5.

the card doesn't supposedly say "and," FFG paraphrased it as such:

"Better yet, this Mon Calamari starship is even more powerful when flown under the command of Admiral Ackbar, who can add two red attack dice to any attack made by a starship that fires only from its left and right hull zones during its activation."

this does not imply that akbar will have the "and" requirement, making him all but worthless, but rather implies that when a ship only shoots out of its sides akbar will add two dice (as opposed to "fires from both its left and right...etc")

after all, the preview elaborates

"Will you race your star cruiser boldly down the middle of the Imperial fleet, firing at enemy ships on both sides? Will you dare your opponent to allow you the use of the Advanced Gunnery objective? Or will you circle the Imperial fleet at a distance, taking shots from a battery armament enhanced by Admiral Ackbar, Slaved Turrets, and the Defiance title?"

the last scenario would be absolutely impossible if akbar only triggers when firing out of both left and right arcs

Thanks for the clarification Fickle! It has been a while since I read the article...

I think we are all lookin forward to seeing the actual cards.

Thanks for the clarification Fickle! It has been a while since I read the article...

I think we are all lookin forward to seeing the actual cards.

me want spoilers!

especially the ship titles. Armada has had some incredibly interesting titles come out for every ship, even the lowly CR-90. I'm excited for what else they'll bring out

an uber h9 and a nebulon B-ISD are good starts

Personally, I think a corvette swarm is insane with Ackbar. You would be throwing as many, or more at medium range, dice as a Neb B.

... I mean, it I pretty much like you just transferred the red dice from the front arc to the side arc. Add In slaved turrets if cheap enough, and you are throwing 4 red dice out the sides...

Also, a quick question: would the dice be added before or after measurement? If before, it could let a shot range ship fire out to long range.