For the moment I find dice variation to be more decisive in Armada than X-Wing. In X-Wing I can build and act around dice failure; target locks, focus tokens, evade tokens, autothrusters, lone wolf. In Armada, if my expanded launcher gladiator delivers a bunch of blanks, I can modify one of the results with screed, and that's it.

Wave 2 is delivering a lot more die modification options, but they're not here yet.

More active dice modification is definitely coming.

As it is now we have the Warlord + H9 combo, for instance, that becomes even more potent with Screed.

You can roll three red dice, score a hit and two blanks, spend a blank to flip another blank into a crit, then flip that crit to an accuracy, and flip the accuracy to a double hit.

Turbolaser Reroute Circuits skips a step and just flips ANY die to a double hit face.

If we're directly comparing dice between X-Wing and Armada, Armada grants you FAR more variation by letting you arm your ships with different colored dice that all have different probabilities of damage. It also grants you vastly more control over your defensive options in the form of defense tokens.

Personally, I don't know if making dice more decisive is a good thing. In Armada, a bad/good roll can hurt or help, sure, but it's not going to make the difference between win/loss. Deployment placement, how well you've planned your turns, which dice you're bringing to bear in which combinations, which ship you activate first, ALL of these things combine to win or lose the game for you.

In X-Wing? One bad roll sees a vital ship vanish from the table, totally screwing you for the rest of the game.

I don't know. I've never left the Armada table feeling like the dice won or lost anything for me. I've left the X-Wing table feeling that many times.

I don't know. I've never left the Armada table feeling like the dice won or lost anything for me. I've left the X-Wing table feeling that many times.

Ditto. As for the Glad/Scree example, if you put your ship in a position to throw 4 black and 2 red dice, you'd have to be really, really, REALLY unlucky not to royally F up your opponent.

I don't know. I've never left the Armada table feeling like the dice won or lost anything for me.

During one of my Sullust rounds, my Dominator rolled five accuracies out of eight dice. Which is to say, I did as much damage to myself as I did to my target thanks to the vagaries of the dice, and I assure you that mattered quite a bit.

Welcome to Armada, my pitch is coming anyway however.

The Core Game: Awesome in its own right, especially when you first crack open the box, but quickly you feel this game has more to offer then the core is capable of delivering. The Core set does however offer some unique items that are only available within it, along with the required tools of the trade. 180 pt games.

Wave I: The Rebels gain a ship (Assault Frigate) that can go toe to toe with the vaunted core set Victory Star Destroyer and get the better of it. Fighters of all types are introduced and give a glimpse of squadron versatility. The Empire gains its first taste of a fast deadly short range brawler, bringing much fear to smaller Rebel craft normally able to simply skirt the Victory. The individually packed core ships gain several upgrade cards give a distinct flavour to both factions. The visual of fleet combat is starting to emerge. 300 pt games.

Wave II: After several Sullust events and a few open box sets, we discover the first true Carrier vessels along with the cards to boost your squadron effective coverage. New Rogue and Villains further impact the squadron game with boosts and compliments. We see the additions of ships to both factions which help round out their selection while still keeping both fleets very distinct in their tactics (Raider/MC30). The new wave gives you twice as many upgrades/ship types to use in your games with a yet to be determined meta. 400 pt games ensue.

I guess my point is the game has yet to round out its first year, and has already begun its journey into becoming the best selling fleet combat game ever made. Not to mention the most fun I have had wargaming in that genre. Just having to think of my battle plan turns ahead of where I am is enough to give me that sense of importance to every decision. The lack of defense dice forcing you to actually think out the best use of your defenses is also frustrating and thrilling. Do I use that exhausted brace no, or hope I can survive the pounding I am about to recieve...

Finally, it is Star Wars, and thats all it took.

I don't know. I've never left the Armada table feeling like the dice won or lost anything for me. I've left the X-Wing table feeling that many times.

Ditto. As for the Glad/Scree example, if you put your ship in a position to throw 4 black and 2 red dice, you'd have to be really, really, REALLY unlucky not to royally F up your opponent.