So, I've been looking for a good Star Wars game for some time and I'm really liking the looks of either Imperial Assault, X-Wing, or Armada. Now, I understand that these are different games and I'm sure I would really enjoy each of them. However, I am looking for just one at this moment in time and I'm hoping to find some people here who have experience with at least a couple of these and can give arguments for me to pick Imperial Assault. If you have an opinion, and a reasoning behind that opinion, I would love to hear it. Don't worry about the, "well what kind of games are you into?" type questions, because I like a variety of games. I do fall into the more casual gamer (playing with family, friends, friends of friends, etc.) and have not done (nor really plan to do) tournament play, so that may sway your opinion and reasoning behind your opinion. I would love to hear some good arguments for Imperial Assault, for which I assume I came to the right place. Thanks!

First off I don't know Armada very well. So I'll skip that but I think it's more or less similar to Xwing except the scale.

If you are certain to play exclusively 1 on 1, I would rather go with Xwing only because the games are much shorter than IA.

Otherwise; Xwing doesn't have the campaign option and IA campaign is loads of fun.

I play X-wing and IA. Both are great for very different reasons. X-wing is great because of how much easier it is to learn, but at the same time, has enough depth and variation to keep you coming back.

IA is a far more immersive experience with rules that are a bit more complex. Having said that, if you want to play with family and friends, you could learn the rules and play as the imperial player and guide your friends and family to play as the rebel characters.

My recommendation? Get X-wing first, then move to IA later and enjoy both games. You won't be sorry.

(I haven't tried Armada yet, I stress YET )

There's several points to hit on here.

Price:

X-wing is the cheapest to get started with. Generally you can find the base set for $30. You can play a simple 2 player with the base, but once you see what else is out there, you won't want to. The expansions are numerous, but will all the info out there, you could easily find and customize the game to your liking without spending a fortune.

The Armada base is going to run you about $70, it does contain several ships and squadrons. The base is plenty for 2 people to get started with, but again, you are going to want to get the expansions to increase the games replayability.

Imperial Assault is going to run you the same as Aramada, around $70. There are also several expansions available, but from my experience, you get more out of the base set without the need for expansions.

Players:

IA is a 2-5 player game. The Skirmish is 2 player (there are new rules coming out soon to expand this to 4 players), while the campaign can be played with 2-5. If you are going to be playing with 3 or more people, IA is the way to go. Plus, you can play the 5 player campaign without purchasing any expansions, everything you need is in the core.

X-Wing and Armada only officially support 2 players. While there's nothing stopping you from playing 2v2 or something of that nature, you will most definitely need to buy expansions for everyone to feel involved.

Involvement/Time:

If you're only interested in playing the Skirmish version of IA, then the general playtime is similar between all 3 games. However, if you want an interconnected campaign that runs more like an RPG, IA is the only option. Each mission in IA runs roughly an hour (once you know how things work). There are 11 missions in the IA core campaign (plus setup, breakdown, etc) that usually require several sessions to get through.

Personally, I'm partial to IA and Armada. Maybe because they're newer and offer that sense of discovery.

EDIT: Changed Armada to IA in the Players section.

Armada is a 2-5 player game.

Never knew this.

Armada is a 2-5 player game.

Never knew this.

Typo. They meant IA there.

I think X-Wing or IA are the two best options, and they depend upon the type of games you want to have.

X-Wing is similar to a CCG/LCG (Netrunner, Magic, Doomtown, etc) in the sense that you can show up somewhere, play with a stranger, and have a blast for an hour. They're great games for playing with people you don't know. So if you like going to your Friendly Local Gaming Store (FLGS), meeting new people, and having a blast, X-Wing is the best way to go. Armada isn't as popular as X-Wing (yet), so I would shy away from it for now.

Imperial Assault is the opposite; it's for playing with friends. Sure, you can get a group together regularly to play through the campaign, and your FLGS is a great place to do that. But really, it's for having your friends over and experiencing a story together a night at a time.

I'll also leave you with these two Shut Up and Sit Down reviews. I feel they cover both of the games spectacularly, capturing why they're both so great.

X-Wing: http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/videos/v/review-x-wing/

Imperial Assault: http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/videos/v/review-imperial-assault/

I think what Teirdome said nails it. If you want a game for playing with friends, IA is the way to go. You have more flexibility, especially if you get the upcoming Hoth expansion.

Armada looks awesome, but it's limited to two players and it seems longer than X-Wing to play.

While X-Wing has an entry cost of $40 (retail, but who buys retail, am i right?) Imperial Assault is going to be the biggest bang for your buck based on the contents of the box. You're getting a multiplayer experience out of the box with tons of models and scenarios, in addition to a two-player skirmish game. Whereas X-Wing is basically worthless to play unless you drop (at least) another $120 bucks on more ships. Armada is the same price as Imperial Assault, and you can have a bit more fun with the base contents of the box, but you end up in the same boat as X-Wing, buying ships.

That said, if you just play the Imperial Assault campaign, you dont *need* to buy anything more than the core set. The additional villains and rebels can be used with the included tokens, and if you really want to models (and let's be honest, you will), or decide to go gung-ho in the skirmish game (you might), then you will end up buying the ally and villain packs. But overall, you will spend much less money on IA than you will on X-Wing or Armada.

At least....for now....wave 2 and Twin Shadows is coming...as is Return to Hoth...

I'll admit Imperial Assault is my first love. its a great for a beer and pretzels game with loadsa mates (or for my guys cuppa tea and a biscuit. It was really easy to get my mates involved, but then again I was the only one shelling out the cash for it. I have since had my guys buy me some of the wave 1 expansions to make the game go further.

X-Wing is just as fun but it's harder to do in groups, but it has worked as a random side mission for IA (and I know more will follow with the Imperial Assault Carrier release!)

If you are playing with friends and family only then IA is the way to go.

Image's of the deployment cards are available online, even for some unreleased figures, and you can proxy the figures. WOTC pre painted star wars miniatures are a cheaper proxy option.

If you are happy to use proxies then you will get an awful lot out of IA for very little cost.

You can then buy the actual figures if you decide to join in organised play.

You don't get the same option with the other games.