Also, not to be too pedantic here, but even the use of "and" here is unclear, as an operator.

And can mean "Both and only both" (You have to turn the key and push the door to open it) or "Only these options" (We have Coke, Pepsi, and Sprite that you can order).

This is one where I suspect either the wording will be very specific, or FFG is going to need to FAQ it... so, yeah, I genuinely don't know how he works, and Ackbar is either pretty strong (on par with Screed) or terribad (on par with Garm Bel Iblis in an all CR90 fleet).

Actually, the slaved turrets look like they will make the CR90 into the poor mans Neb B, throwin 3 red and 1 blue out the front arc.

There is a 7 point cost difference between the CR90 and Neb B support.

That said, Slaved Turrets might be awesome on Salvation.

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.

Again though, you'd actually LOSE dice on a Corvette Swarm unless you were always at range 3, and then you'd get the same.

Remember that with Ackbar you dont get the front guns.

So yes...you'd gain 2 reds on the side of each Corvette. But you'd LOSE 2 reds and a blue on every corvette. Not only that, but the way defence tokens work you're mathematically better off having the seperate side + front attacks even not counting the lost blue dice per ship.

Slaved turrets MAY change this, but i'd need to see the full wording of that card.

And even then...against defence tokens, 4 red and 1 blue in 1 attack is not appreciably better than 2 red + 1 blue then 1 red + 1 blue.

So, I hate to be that guy, but where do I find the spoilers for slaved turrets?

Even I have only seen snippets of its wording. So I don't know if for certain what it does.

Well,

In the picture (ISD and mon cal) it says something like

Mod(ification)

You cann(ot)....(attack from more)

Than on(e)... (Arc)

While at(tacking)...(you may)

Add 1 ?..... (Red die to the )

Att(ack)... (Pool)

Writing in brackets is my best guess at completing the Card, with the stuff after the ... A guess.

Either way it is clear you are limited to one battery armament attack or arc, and you get to add 1 die. Presumably, it is a red die as this is a Turbolaser upgrade.

I wonder if his ability will scale with ships size (like Motti), so a large ship gets to add two red dice, a medium gets one, and a small gets a re-roll.

If he adds a flat two reds to every exclusively broadside attack then he is going to have to cost a LOT of points. At 400 points having 4-6 capitals is going to be pretty easy and thats a lot of extra dice added (things like an AF2 with enhanced armament and gunnery team for 14 red dice a turn seems like too much fire power.......I don't see how something like a fleet commanded by Dodona could withstand this......same ships but with far fewer dice).

If his ability cant combine with any sneaky ways of getting multiple attacks out of the same arc then it ends up being pretty similar to giving you a dual arc shot for the ease of a single arc shot which is still very powerful indeed. Normally we have to really work to get those, and Ackbar hands them out for free.

I wonder if his ability will scale with ships size (like Motti), so a large ship gets to add two red dice, a medium gets one, and a small gets a re-roll.

If he adds a flat two reds to every exclusively broadside attack then he is going to have to cost a LOT of points. At 400 points having 4-6 capitals is going to be pretty easy and thats a lot of extra dice added (things like an AF2 with enhanced armament and gunnery team for 14 red dice a turn seems like too much fire power.......I don't see how something like a fleet commanded by Dodona could withstand this......same ships but with far fewer dice).

If his ability cant combine with any sneaky ways of getting multiple attacks out of the same arc then it ends up being pretty similar to giving you a dual arc shot for the ease of a single arc shot which is still very powerful indeed. Normally we have to really work to get those, and Ackbar hands them out for free.

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.

Again though, you'd actually LOSE dice on a Corvette Swarm unless you were always at range 3, and then you'd get the same.

Remember that with Ackbar you dont get the front guns.

So yes...you'd gain 2 reds on the side of each Corvette. But you'd LOSE 2 reds and a blue on every corvette. Not only that, but the way defence tokens work you're mathematically better off having the seperate side + front attacks even not counting the lost blue dice per ship.

Slaved turrets MAY change this, but i'd need to see the full wording of that card.

And even then...against defence tokens, 4 red and 1 blue in 1 attack is not appreciably better than 2 red + 1 blue then 1 red + 1 blue.

The thing is this is always true with Akbar. You cannot double arc a target. I would much rather give up 2 red and 1 blue from a corvette than the 2 reds and 1 blue on an AF2, given how much more expensive AF2s are, and the aforementioned defense tokens.

Same benefit, same cost, but on a much cheaper ship.

MC30, I don't mind giving up a Arc if I can get 7 to 8 dice. . .

I don't mind giving up the dice on an arc I don't have any targets in, regardless of ship

Yes and no.

Out of any ship, a CR90 has the least trouble keeping a target in 2 arcs. Frankly, if you consistently cant do it, more practice is probably needed since you have no hope with anything else

An AF, and especially an MC80, will have a vastly more difficult time.

Therefore you're losing a lot more opportunity for better damage using Ackbar on CR90's. As i said.....it's not just about the number of dice. 2 3 dice attacks is straight up better than 1 6 dice attack due to the way defence tokens work.

So ultimately you ARE actually giving up fairly notable damage output. In exchange you get easier positioning. It'll be a personal choice which you value more really.

Admiral Ackbar paired with a fleet that have gunnery team upgrades should be absolutely terrifying. The Assault Frigate , MC30, and MC80 are all ships able to take gunnery teams. Imperials better hope to get in real close, real fast.

Admiral Ackbar paired with a fleet that have gunnery team upgrades should be absolutely terrifying. The Assault Frigate , MC30, and MC80 are all ships able to take gunnery teams. Imperials better hope to get in real close, real fast.

Need more info on the card since it says AND not OR. So you have to fire from both sides.

we do indeed need the final wording of the card, because "left and right" would change akbar from amazing to dogsh*t (unless he was 20 like general D, or cheaper)

the "and" wording is a bit weird, though. I'd be curious to see how that gets enforced by gameplay, since you basically have to declare both attacks before you make them unless Akbar only adds 2 red dice on the 2nd attack (making him like a very crappy version of paragon)

considering we havn't heard from FFG in a long time, it is possible they have changed akbar in the lull between now and the now ancient "Here They Come" spoiler

Believe it or not, I am not a huge squadron person. I know how to use then but give me more raw dice!

I agree, I play Rebels and am all in to More ships/more dice rather than squadrons, if you can one or two turn kill ships who needs to bother vs squadrons? As once you topple that last ship you win! Throw a few A-wings their way to tie them up for at least a turn to buy yourself time!

meh, to me squadrons are raw dice. You won't find more efficient points --> dice outside of CR-90s.

they also, once you factor in command range + speed + distance 1, have far greater maximum range than even red dice

and that's just B-wings (medium range command + short range move = range ruler; add distance 1), I'm not even getting into rhymer

I also am not a squadron guy; I prefer balanced lists that let me play with both aspects of the Armada game, but I know these little buggers are incredibly valuable.

they also, once you factor in command range + speed + distance 1, have far greater maximum range than even red dice

This is misleading. They have that range once. After that, they are no longer in range of squadron orders, their target is going to move, and then they're kind of worthless.

they also, once you factor in command range + speed + distance 1, have far greater maximum range than even red dice

This is misleading. They have that range once. After that, they are no longer in range of squadron orders, their target is going to move, and then they're kind of worthless.

You have to keep them in range and continue to feed them commands which imho means that you are stuck playing one way. You don't have access to other commands.

Rhymer let's Imperials out of that room because he gives everyone up to 3 distance on range instead of just distance 1.

I feel like everyone is WizKidsing this and the intent of pretty clear.

they also, once you factor in command range + speed + distance 1, have far greater maximum range than even red dice

This is misleading. They have that range once. After that, they are no longer in range of squadron orders, their target is going to move, and then they're kind of worthless.

Another thing to consider is the squadron command on a carrier like a VSD w/ expanded hangers and flight controls is one of the most efficient commands in the game. Expensive but it's the most concentrated set of actions available.

we do indeed need the final wording of the card, because "left and right" would change akbar from amazing to dogsh*t (unless he was 20 like general D, or cheaper)

the "and" wording is a bit weird, though. I'd be curious to see how that gets enforced by gameplay, since you basically have to declare both attacks before you make them unless Akbar only adds 2 red dice on the 2nd attack (making him like a very crappy version of paragon)

considering we havn't heard from FFG in a long time, it is possible they have changed akbar in the lull between now and the now ancient "Here They Come" spoiler

Ackbar is basicly

If you dont make atacks from rear or front arc your sides get +2 red dice. Article mentions circling around enemy fleet which obviously means you can use the ffect firing from 1 side only. Firing from left and right is mentioned as a more daring tactic that requires you to fly in between enemy ships but allows you to utilise the effect to the fullest.

+2 red may sound strong but its aditional 1,5 dmg on avarge and you potentially sacrifice your front or rear arcs each capable od 2,25 dmg on avarge in case of Mc80

they also, once you factor in command range + speed + distance 1, have far greater maximum range than even red dice

This is misleading. They have that range once. After that, they are no longer in range of squadron orders, their target is going to move, and then they're kind of worthless.

this is not misleading

if you can hit the enemy ship, then enemy ship can hit you

after the squadrons move, the commanding ship can then move to get them back in range. Afterwards, B-wings threaten more than medium range (distance 1 = 1.5 distance, distance 3 = medium range, so B-wings move Close Range and shoot slightly further than Medium) from their position at the start of the turn.

This is not easy to avoid without being an ET GSD or a CR-90. If you are a cr-90 or ET GSD, you're going to have to book it to get away, potentially allowing the commanding ship to veer out of your range after it moves.

dodging squadrons is always possible (position of the commanding ship relative to their squadrons and the enemy fleet can make for some precarious scenarios), but it is not always easy

Im finding 4 x tie bombers with corruptor and chirenau is getting better every time I play.

I think the big learning for squadrons is they are meant to work closely with your cap ships. I think at the start everyone (myself included) tried to use squadrons as if they were these long range alpha strike weapons that you could launch across the table. That's not how they work. Keep them in command range of your squadrons and continually squadron command them onto unshielded arcs, which by mid game should be appearing. A vic 1 is more than capable of looking after herself without eng or concentrate fire, unless the entire enemy fleet if focusing on her and you have no other ships to help out.

Im finding 4 x tie bombers with corruptor and chirenau is getting better every time I play.

I think the big learning for squadrons is they are meant to work closely with your cap ships. I think at the start everyone (myself included) tried to use squadrons as if they were these long range alpha strike weapons that you could launch across the table. That's not how they work. Keep them in command range of your squadrons and continually squadron command them onto unshielded arcs, which by mid game should be appearing. A vic 1 is more than capable of looking after herself without eng or concentrate fire, unless the entire enemy fleet if focusing on her and you have no other ships to help out.

Words of wisdom right there ! I feel every player overestimated the impact of squadrons when playing early on, and they really start to shine over several turns of repeated squadron commands especially when fighting against other ships ! Unactivated, they're little more than a board control tool for the enemy squadrons and a ways to tie them up.

But they work better when designed as an extension of ships (almost as ship upgrades) rather than as ships on their own. Because let's face it, a Command Squadron on a bomber wing with Expanded Hangar Bays throws an additional 4 black dice... which is much much better than a concentrate fire command on the same type of ship.