There are even a few upgrades that necessitate flying your ships in close proximity to one another. E.g. targeting scramblers, Toryn Farr, etc.

So yeah, you kind of need to fly in formation to get those added benefits or otherwise you've wasted points that could have been spent in your fleet elsewhere.

1 minute ago, Warlord Zepnick said:

There are even a few upgrades that necessitate flying your ships in close proximity to one another. E.g. targeting scramblers, Toryn Farr, etc.

So yeah, you kind of need to fly in formation to get those added benefits or otherwise you've wasted points that could have been spent in your fleet elsewhere.

Yes and No. The difference that I was trying to point out is the difference in "Formation"... Or rather, "Loose" vs "Tight".

Formations in X-Wings are tight . They generally involve multipel (4+) ships flying, effectively, within Close Range (as defined by our ruler) of each other. They do this so every member will always gain a benefit... Such as gaining additional attack due to Howlrunner.

But Formations in Armada is much Looser... Both Toryn and Targeting Scrambler have a much wider range (Medium), and then, the benefit they gain isn't as impactful - in Toryn being a reroll of a Blue for something that might be throwing 3 blues at a time... Or rather more my point, the fact that Targeting Scrambler is, at best, going to protect two Ships (assuming you are also taking the Interdictor title), and because the formation is Loose, You don't hve to be within close Proximity of each other - the Target of the Enemy assault has to be at Close Range (so it can be in advance), and then the Interdictor itself can be up to MEDIUM RANGE behind...... This is not a ball of 4-5 ships that all need to be within Close Range of a central pivitol ship.

And yes, to go along with Ard, its a mix of Pressure and Maneuver... Generally , outside of 1-2 specific build, Formation Flying in Armada is much looser, and rarely a requirement . Its certainly something you want to give at least passing thought on being able to do, but rarely do you come up with a fleet that is "Fly this as aball you will win, but if you stray outside of Distance 2 of each other you will lose", that seemingly exemplified the TIE Swarm of old in X-Wing.

The very game size itself is different in that regard, in what it allows... Rarely (the Ramstrosity) do we consider 8 Ships to be "The Ideal" to put down on the table.

I more or less always start in Formation. Then I have a practiced set of maneuvers from that formation to put me where I need to be in turns 3-4 depending on game state. Then you adapt to the flow of the game beyond that.

It all comes down to one thing. You want to fly in a way where all or most of your ships can fire on one or two of your opponents ships from their best firepower arcs and the rest of his ships can't fire on yours, Formations and seeing when to break or change a formations can help this to happen. But only if you fly them right and the angles work out and your opponent plan to do the same thing to you fails.

Depends on the fleet. I have a MC80 (Home One title), 2xTR90, Flotilla (or sometimes 3rd TR90 over transport) build that has rather effective formation flying. Overlapping fields of fire make it awful to approach.

Then I run a Madine 2xLiberty, Flotilla, squad screen list and launch stuff in a coordinated chaos.

I think FFG is trying to encourage formation with the Hammerheads now

One of the things that the guys haven't hit upon is that in X-wing all movement happens before all firing. You select all of the paths of movement for those ships at the same time. If the opponent doesn't interrupt that with pilots of different skill than those in your formation and even if they do you can make pretty good guesses where things will be when the shooting starts.

With activations in Armada alternating and shooting happening before things move plus not being locked into a maneuver at the outset of the turn the process of staying in formation and getting your arcs to interlock is very different.

You're still trying to achieve the same outcome of putting a lot of damage on the same thing but the way the games activate their ships make it a very different process and result. It is more than a matter of loose or tight formations or staying in proper range to make use of your synergies. Your PS9 aces will move last and shoot first with interlocking arcs creating something very different than Armada MSUs staying in formation.

I actively didnt fly formation as first player. My "formation" is different.

Turn 2 - Admonition lines up shot.

Turn 3 - Admo takes shot and moves away. Lando lines up a shot.

Turn 4 - Lando takes shot and moves away. Admo lines up another shot.

Etc

Its actually hampered by flying formation. Opponent tends to get confused and finds it hard to predict if you are attacking from all vectors.

MSU wise. Raiders suit a form of formation flying.