I was pondering this after reading several folks hoping to pull off the "Ackbar Slash"....and the more I think about it, the more I think it's a Really Bad Idea.

Why? Well, we know Armada is supposed to be based on sailing/naval tactics, and the Ackbar Slash is basically Nelson's attack at Trafalgar.

Basic copy-n-paste from a history book.

So why won't it work in Armada? Because the historic context is that of a sailing frigate/ship of the line, with powerful broadsides and weak chase/stern armament. In addition, attacks on the stern and/or bow of a ship would potentially do much greater damage as cannonballs flew down the length of the deck, with a greater chance of killing multiple men and dismounting cannon.

Now while Rebel ships tend to reflect this armament layout (AF2, Mon Cals), it's completely not true of Imperial ships. An ISD or VSD would love nothing better than to have a Rebel ship try to cross its "T". Even if you're playing against a rebel player, none of the ships have a weak front arc, so your benefit is much reduced.

So I just can't see the idea working out on the tabletop. I suppose you could drive between two Star Destroyers (if you survived getting that close) and fire out both sides, but the efficacy of the move just doesn't seem worth the risk. Am I missing something?

I have done similar things to this. However it does not reflect well to the table top. The concept of the slash was to plough through the center and as you are taking date, to rotate in order to keep damage on any particular shield zone.

I was pondering this after reading several folks hoping to pull off the "Ackbar Slash"....and the more I think about it, the more I think it's a Really Bad Idea.

Why? Well, we know Armada is supposed to be based on sailing/naval tactics, and the Ackbar Slash is basically Nelson's attack at Trafalgar.

Basic copy-n-paste from a history book.

So why won't it work in Armada? Because the historic context is that of a sailing frigate/ship of the line, with powerful broadsides and weak chase/stern armament. In addition, attacks on the stern and/or bow of a ship would potentially do much greater damage as cannonballs flew down the length of the deck, with a greater chance of killing multiple men and dismounting cannon.

Now while Rebel ships tend to reflect this armament layout (AF2, Mon Cals), it's completely not true of Imperial ships. An ISD or VSD would love nothing better than to have a Rebel ship try to cross its "T". Even if you're playing against a rebel player, none of the ships have a weak front arc, so your benefit is much reduced.

So I just can't see the idea working out on the tabletop. I suppose you could drive between two Star Destroyers (if you survived getting that close) and fire out both sides, but the efficacy of the move just doesn't seem worth the risk. Am I missing something?

Yep, that is a very good point. I did, however, manage to have success in a game as the Rebels by basically immediately having all of my ships (Neb-B followed by two Mk II's) form a line astern which then caused the imperials (2 Gladiators & 2 VSDs) get in each other's way as I pounded their lead ships to oblivion.

I'm wondering if there are new upgrade cards that make this more viable

I think it will work, as the Ackbar slash, from the fluff, was not about crossing the T, like below, as you correctly state, would end badly

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The Ackbar slash was about threading the needle between two Star Destroyers that were line abreast, like below

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This can work if the Rebel player has initiative, and moves the MonCal last in the previous turn, (at speed 3 to avoid the worst of the front arcs) then activates first in this turn, with either a concentrate fire to make the most out of one shot, or a nav command to get behind one of the targets.

Gunnery Team is your friend here. Fly line astern down ONE side of the Imperial ships and rake two separate ships as you pass, then swing around on their rear arc.

The difference with Armada, vs real ships is the actions are sequential, one ship after another as oppose to simultaneous fire and movement.

Funk Fu has it correct.

What you have described was conventional Rebel strategy. They would try and cross the T so that their strongest shields and guns were pointed at the ISD's. The problem is that, as you say, this is giving the ISD's their strongest shields and guns back.

What the Akbar slash was, is that instead of crossing the T, he plowed straight through the middle and got good broadsides out both his sides, and then tried to "Cross the T" behind the ISD's.

It was gutsy as he was outnumbered and required him to pass very close to the ISD's fronts, there was also big risk of collision.

Hmmm, perhaps I'm mis-remembering the Ackbar slash.....of course I'm basing it on my recollection of the 1990's Star Wars roleplaying game fluff.

Yes, I agree that crossing the T behind the ISD's can work, but I wonder if even an Ackbar'd MC80 will do enough damage to be worth the risk...

Armada seems to be about concentration of firepower to take a ship down quickly, as there is no mechanism (other than crits) for degradation of effectiveness with damage. I think circling and flanking with broadsides is much more fitting...

Well, Nelson did win at Trafalgar, didn't he ?

The difference between the ships he was facing and the VSD/ISD was that he was basically facing a Rebel AFMK2 B kiting list at 3000 points and he placed his ships in the front and rear hull zones of his ennemies. The difference being that the cannons of the MK2 back then had a much narrower firing arc as well as a much longer reload rate

Funk Fu has it right, because the ISD won't be kiting hoping to shoot broadsides at the Rebels. So, with the Slash, once you're beyond the front arcs (with massive engineering early on), you're safe to pound massive damage onto the ships.

Just picture this, a single MC80 plus Ackbar and Enhanced Armaments will throw 3+1+2 red dice out of it's broadsides + 3 blue dice. Massive damage inbound !

Just picture this, a single MC80 plus Ackbar and Enhanced Armaments will throw 3+1+2 red dice out of it's broadsides + 3 blue dice. Massive damage inbound !

Don't forget CF command!! I cannot wait for Wave 2!!!

Just picture this, a single MC80 plus Ackbar and Enhanced Armaments will throw 3+1+2 red dice out of it's broadsides + 3 blue dice. Massive damage inbound !

Don't forget CF command!! I cannot wait for Wave 2!!!

The CF command would be the last for me to choose in that situation. More likely to have a navigate or repair, even a squadron command (if squads are close) will be superior to CF here.

Also don't forget the Ackbar Slash also relied on the fact that if gunners missed their shots, the likelihood of them hitting a friendly was quite large due to standard imperial deployment doctrine. Which is something that doesn't happen in a tabletop game (the friendly fire part)

Good points all. But I'm still stuck on having to survive 16 dice coming in at your front arc first.

Leave it to Starwars to take a common naval manuever, give it a new name and then pretend like its a 'new' inspired tactic. Seriously, in the tens of thousands of years that the SW universe exists no one though of utilizing their broadsides effectively before?

The Ackbar slash is loosely based on the old naval line battles, in which two fleets would fight parallel to eachother until (due to casualties/chasing ships etc.) gaps in the enemy line allowed for exploitation. The ships would then sail into the gap, allowing both their powerful broadsides to fire on the enemy (effectively nearly doubling the ships damage output) while also hitting the enemy ships on their more vulnerable prows and sterns.

In Starwars this tactic would work similarly, with the main difference that the Imperial ships would be pointing at the rebel ships rather than flying parallel to them. Once in their broadsides, the Rebel ships would have the firepower and shield advantage. However unlike the old naval battles where ships couldn't turn into the wind well nor could they really change formation to counter a breakthrough due to poor communication methods, in Starwars these manueverability issues aren't there, so this tactic relies on your opponent not maneuvering his ships properly (read holding still) to be effective.

Crossing the capital T can be fine. Behind is better, but even in front only the lead ship is close enough to do much, and the rebels get to take the ships on one at a time, so it's localized numbers advantage.

My issue is the mc80 seems underpowered. It firepower is not much more then the ass frig.

At 400 point games imps can field 2 ISD and a glad plus squadrons. Where Im guess rebels will be maybe two mc80s and a assfrig or two mc30s. Even the mc30s seem underwhelming. In power compared to the new imp corvete ship

Points are but one of the balancing things we have yet to see, here...

Yup. I expect the MC80 to top out at about 110 worst case. If it does it may have more engineering.

Most likely 100 to 105 is the may we shall see for the more expensive version.

The MC80 looks outstanding so far. Based on how I've been flying whales, I'm sure their broadside firepower will be easy to employ.

Crossing the capital T can be fine. Behind is better, but even in front only the lead ship is close enough to do much, and the rebels get to take the ships on one at a time, so it's localized numbers advantage.

This really is the key. You can often arrange to have your line against only part of your opponents fleet.

I was looking over the Wave 2 preview article last night and wow, Home One may be the most brutal Title card yet. It basically gives a better version of H9 Turbolasers to the other ships in your fleet. Really great with all of the red dice the rebels like to throw. There were also several other hints that other upgrades would support the rebel broadside strategy.

My issue is the mc80 seems underpowered. It firepower is not much more then the ass frig.

At 400 point games imps can field 2 ISD and a glad plus squadrons. Where Im guess rebels will be maybe two mc80s and a assfrig or two mc30s. Even the mc30s seem underwhelming. In power compared to the new imp corvete ship

I wouldn't say under powered. But its role in the Rebel fleet might not be a 1 to 1 damage dealer. Rather, it seems like a very effective centerpiece that will damage everything in its left and right arc.

And with Enhanced Armament and the Ackbar combo, you can be chucking 6 dice at 2 targets. That's nothing to laugh at

Or with a certain title, change a die with a face to an accuracy symbol when attacking. Would be great for a swarm list, buffing as many attacks as possible.

I think the MC-80 will be better with Xi-7 Turbolasers rather than Enhanced Armaments. I am really looking forward to playing one with two MC-30 escorts and fighters.

I think the MC-80 will be better with Xi-7 Turbolasers rather than Enhanced Armaments.

Depends how prevalent ISDs are. If they're common, and you frequently run XI7, then they will frequently run Advanced Projectors, essentially nullifying the Turbolasers. Since, you know, they can still redirect three points off a single attack, which is all they would have been able to anyway (unless you hit the side and they redirected to the front).

I think the MC-80 will be better with Xi-7 Turbolasers rather than Enhanced Armaments. I am really looking forward to playing one with two MC-30 escorts and fighters.

They could work too, as long as your take advantage of firing at 2 targets, rather than one and you manage to get in blue dice range

best way for it to work is to loop in at an angle from out of range and cross the SD stern and if you do it with 2 ships angling one on from port and one on the starboard he is hard pressed to attack one with his bow guns and not giving his stern to the other.

then again SD should only have 3 firing arcs (they are triangles after all) with a line straight out from the nose. It is the way are are built so all the guns can fire forward. but that is a hole other problem