So I am playing Star Wars Empire at War Forces of Corruption and I can totally see the Zann Consortium in Armada. . . We all know FFG loves to have 3 factions. . .

Yes I know this comes up every month or sooner.

Let's go over the ships.

Squadrons:

Z-95 Headhunter

StarViper Fighter

Skipray Blastboat

Ships:

Small base;

Crusader-vlass Gunship (competes with the CR90 and Raider)

Interceptor IV Frigate (competes with the Nebulon-B but stronger sides)

Vengeance class (competes with the MC30 and the Gladiator)

Medium Ships:

Aggressor-class Destroyer

Large ships:

Keldabe-class Battleship

There are likely more ships that fit but I am just going over Empire at War

We *may* see a Scum faction in Armada. I think a lot will depend on how well Armada does in sales. I remember when FFG swore that there wouldnt be a third faction in x-wing, but the popularity and voices of the fanbase changed their mind...and to their credit. Scum are currently very popular in the X-wing meta.

People will want a third faction. I am just curious to see how they balance them

People need to vote with their wallets first. X-wing didnt get the official scum faction until the Most Wanted box set in 2015, three years after the game's initial release.

Vote with their wallets? FFG is having issues keeping Armada in the shelves in many stores

Which itself is only anecdotal evidence, unless FFG provides something more substantial.

Honestly, I'm in absolutely no rush to see it. I would prefer to have a good, well rounded core experience with multiple sets of choices to make with the two factions, before the game goes on.

The main problem I forsee with it, is if we have the addition of a Scum faction later, then the current versions of the Ships coming out in Wave 2 will be invalidated - the Rogues and Villains pack. As the generic versions of those certainly would be Scum, wouldn't they?

I mean, its hardly a scum faction without it - and you'd have to rebuy them... I'm curious, as I'm really only getting into Fantasy Flight with Armada - Has that happened before with FFG?

Would that even matter? Would the creation of a Scum faction immediately mean a re-release of them Scumwise already?

I don't know.

I just think I'm personally against it for the medium term. Long term, maybe, but I want to be able to be bored of Rebel and Empire choices before then.

Which itself is only anecdotal evidence, unless FFG provides something more substantial.

Honestly, I'm in absolutely no rush to see it. I would prefer to have a good, well rounded core experience with multiple sets of choices to make with the two factions, before the game goes on.

The main problem I forsee with it, is if we have the addition of a Scum faction later, then the current versions of the Ships coming out in Wave 2 will be invalidated - the Rogues and Villains pack. As the generic versions of those certainly would be Scum, wouldn't they?

I mean, its hardly a scum faction without it - and you'd have to rebuy them... I'm curious, as I'm really only getting into Fantasy Flight with Armada - Has that happened before with FFG?

X-wing released the Firespray (Slave I) as an Imperial ship. It included Boba Fett, Krassis Trellix and Kath Scarlett as named pilots along with a general Bounty Hunter. Later, in the Most Wanted set, they released those SAME pilots as Scum with different pilot abilities. You could use those pilot cards with your existing Firespray model. In fact, the Firespray is still only sold as "Imperial", but to get the scum pilots for it you need Most Wanted. In case you're wondering, Scum Boba is better than Imperial Boba.

Personally, I feel the Scum faction for Armada is stretching a little. Until Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, scum, pirates, Black Sun etc didnt really have many capital ships. Nearly all the capital ships in EAW:FOC were 'invented' just for the game.

Thanks for the background. I was unaware of that

That is true but many of the concepts and ideas behind the ships make sense.

It makes sense that with the history of Mandal ore that they would have their own capital ships.

Capital ships were also bought by rich planetary governments because they wanted that extra layer. Some major corporations would also have their own to defend their shipments. Now large ships are rare but yea it could happen

I think Resistance and First Order factions are far more preferable to a faction that was invented for a video game.

I mean come on, they could have just called it Black Sun.

As long as they don't emulate the 'corruption' mechanic of empires at war, then I don't much care either way! Talk about silly OP.

Forces of Corruption was a giant missed opportunity. Instead of Mary Sue Consortium we should've been playing as Jabba/one of the hutt clans. I'd play (and pay for) a Hutt fleet.

I'd rather see the Hapes Consortium. Armada is about capital ships. There are only a handful of cap ships that belong in a scum faction and they wouldn't come close to contending with a 300-400 point Rebel or Imperial fleet.

Hapan Battle Dragons and Nova Battle Cruisers, with Miy'til squadrons would be waaaaayyyy more fun.

I'd rather see the Hapes Consortium. Armada is about capital ships. There are only a handful of cap ships that belong in a scum faction and they wouldn't come close to contending with a 300-400 point Rebel or Imperial fleet.

Hapan Battle Dragons and Nova Battle Cruisers, with Miy'til squadrons would be waaaaayyyy more fun.

Agreed. After getting force-choked by some other user for suggesting that the Vong were probably the most likely fleet for a 3rd faction, even after making it clear that I didn't want that to actually happen, I think Hapes would be much more interesting than the Zann group. Or maybe even something new based on the Corporate Sector.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Mandalorian fleet. I know, they'd have to stretch the lore a bit, but they have to stretch the lore for almost anything anyway.

As long as the ships are thematically different some how I think it would be fine and fun. I wouldn't find it much of a benefit if you were just playing re-skinned ships that already exist. Although it may be more about the upgrades as the ships. You could also have unique upgrade title cards that had say the Nebulon B icon on them and allowed a Nebuon B to be taken by the Scum Fleet for example.

Could you have fire arcs in red and shield arcs in green on bases?

I have a feeling and "scum and Villainy" ships will be released like the "Rogues and Villains" pack tagged onto one faction or the other. However it does give them the option to do a ship that could be multi faction it would add new depth to the game

I really hope not.

I can kind of get behind a 3rd faction at some point (3 years or so down the line minimum). There are far better options than a terrible made up mary-sue faction, with made up ships (i know it's a fictional setting...ALL ships are made up. But i hate it when they make stuff up just for 1 game to shoehorn it in with no good reason. *cough TIE PUNISHER cough*)

Technically by legends fluff Mandalore had no fleet at this time sadly, so thats out (only going by the Legends stuff though...>FFG i guess could change stuff)

Hutt Clans

Black Sun (not many capital ships though)

Hapes (also only really 2 capital ships)

One of the many alien threats (Ssi-ruuk?)

Corporate Sector Authority

Zann is really one of the things i'd least like to see. So i'll be hoping for a "no", sorry!

Well, considering that most things are made up at this point since they were taken out by Disney, I think that everything has a basis.

This group has a decent chance because it has a great many capital ships, at least enough to fill every role we have currently and will have as of wave 2.

Ultimately i wouldnt be surprised if they DO come. I will still hope they don't though

At the end of the day, as long as they 2 main factions are properly fleshed out first, i'm ok with it. But as i said, i think at least the same period as X-Wing would be needed for that (3+ years and 6 waves).

If they are going to release a third faction, I would have them release a fourth faction as well, and let us play Old Republic and Confederacy of Indipendant Systems.

The Forces of Corruption can push off, for my money. Criminals shouldn't have capitol ships.

Anyone up for the Yuuzhan Vong? I think if we get a Scum faction, we'll just end up seeing a lot of old ships and fighters with different paint jobs.

A Yuuzhan Vong faction would make for very unique and creative ship designs.

Anyone up for the Yuuzhan Vong? I think if we get a Scum faction, we'll just end up seeing a lot of old ships and fighters with different paint jobs.

A Yuuzhan Vong faction would make for very unique and creative ship designs.

I would like more factions and more diversity.

Ask me again in a few waves though. I might just be wanting more armada period.

Addendum: Remember, they invented the raider themselves only last year. It's entirely possible that they could do it again to flush out a faction.

I would like more factions and more diversity.

Ask me again in a few waves though. I might just be wanting more armada period.

Addendum: Remember, they invented the raider themselves only last year. It's entirely possible that they could do it again to flush out a faction.

And thats why I dislike the Raider.

But really, there are so many better and more plausbile factions than the silly Zann faction.