I just want to get people's opinion on how the skirmish plays out. They're is some obvious tactics involved in skirmish but when it all comes down to it,is it mostly luck or does tram building really win games?

I don't know if building trams will help you at all. But building solid team, with good synergy and good combat strength...that's essential.

And no, it definitely does NOT just come down to luck. Skill and tactics are tremendously important. I can easily beat a given opposing team with my team at one point, but then lose badly to the same team if it's being played by a different opponent at another point. There are elements of luck in the game, to be sure (dice and random card draws), but a good player will learn to build contingencies into his strategy to help him deal with those (for good and for bad).

There's definitely skill involved. I am pretty disappointed with some of the swings that can happen due to luck, though.

The variance with the random parts does drives me crazy sometimes. Shooting at a guy and doing 5 damage or 0 damage is a huge difference, and there's almost nothing you can do to push that in your favor. You just have to play to the odds and hope for the best.

There is skill, but in any game involving dice and cards, there is an element of luck.

40% Tactic, 40% List, 20% Luck.

Strategy is very important and a good player will maximize everything they can. With that said, luck is more pronounced in IA than the other FFG mini games.

The most obvious being the Dodge result. Where a single Rebel Trooper against a Death Star Super Laser without surges can stop 0 damage, 1 damage, or save Alderaan by standing in the way and stopping the whole thing.

Good surges are really luck-depending, too.

Without question, luck has an element to play, like in all dice games. But it isn't going to save you if you're running a poor list and/or playing poorly. I've thrashed players running a particular kind of list, despite them getting some great rolls, just because they couldn't capitalize on those great rolls. I've also played someone else with almost the exact same list and just gotten boot-stomped because I made a few minor errors. Have I had R2D2 win me a game because I rolled something like 5 Dodges? Well, yes. But frankly, I don't think my opponent should have been putting so much effort into R2 when Saboteurs were raining Stuns and damage onto them.

From my experience its intelligent activation order and critical timed usage of Command Cards that can win you games. With that in mind, any skill or card that messes up the opponent's ability to utilize those is a great one to invest in. The drawing of command cards and rolling of dice are "luck" but truly tournament winning lists remove that randomness by adding dice, instant effects that don't require a roll or Rerolls.