I have a couple of games under my belt now with the Raider and I'm growing a little concerned at how easily these ships die. I own three, both games were running three Raiders using a combination of two Assault Proton Torpedoes and an NK-7 on backup.

I dunno, it's like every time they met the enemy they are either dead or at one health point. Especially against something like MC30s... I've been trying to flank, but it seems I keep ending up in the path of the enemy and getting steamrolled.

My concern is this: They aren't making up the points that I've invested into them. For a list with 3 Raiders, an ISD, and a cloud of fighters.. the Raiders dying early leaves me with an ISD and nothing else to counter my opponent with.

I dunno, I thought these were manned missiles but are they more like a 45-ish point boulder you catapult at your enemies to do as much damage as they can? Should I use them more as speed 2 AA escorts for my Star Destroyers? How are other people seeing success with their Raiders?

So far I've only been using one in my lists. A raider 1 w/ ordinance experts and isard. 51 pts. I use it to threaten a block on conga lines (variable success, but the threat is useful), and as a trailer/AA escort. Basically it's a cheap support ship to be used were it's most effective. I have not tried a swarm or spec ops (ions or crazy missile builds), I want to but I've been having to much fun with the ISD.

I think most people might have trouble with a 3 Raider build. I can tell you that when flying mutiple CR90 Bs that it gets hard to keep multiple close range ships both safe and in striking distance. Going first is pretty important, so you can place a ship in a dangerous, but advantageous, spot one round and then attack and move before the opponent can do anything. It also helps to have them first in range of the enemy at about the same time as your bigger ships. This way they have to choose on where to put there best shots.

I'm not that good at manoeuvring ships so I find it hard to keep more than 2 corvettes on track. 2 raiders and a GSD or 2 CR90s and a neb-B I can manage, but 3 corvettes I always seem to have one that misses out on the action.

I've only been using 1 raider as AA support for my Star Destroyer and a platform for Assault Concussion Missiles. Otherwise I haven't used or thought of a reason to use more than 1 raider.

I've got a second.

The raider is definitely a skirmisher. The gladiator is much more survivable for 12 points more. (and even the gladiator dies in short order in the wave 2 environment if it gets caught).

I think they (FFG Designers) did the right thing by it in it being too fragile for the points to run as an MSU style unit or even as a strike boat. Even medium ships with gunnery teams will clobber any number of them on the way in.

So far, where I've had good performance has been lurking in the shadow of my ISD until the big boys have engaged, or looping wide to hunt corvettes and other small ships. They do bite hard if given the chance.

I've been running one Raider since Sullust and two off and on since wave 2 dropped officially. the most important aspect of using the Raider is doing your utmost to keep it out of the strong enemy arcs, especially at shorter ranges where the Evades do little to nothing. Those are the circumstances under which mine most frequently evaporate. This goal is at odds with the Raider's close-in weapons configuration, which means you need to harass and position in the early game to hopefully get to the ideal Raider endgame of pursuing enemy ships from the rear and pouring dice into them.

Don't neglect to use the Raider as a flak platform vs. squadrons (especially potent on Raider-Is with Ordnance Experts) early on as you can. You can easily justify the Raider's inclusion through two turns of serious flak hosing down a squadron blob when the opportunity presents itself.

I have only one game's worth of experience with Raider-IIs but I feel as though the II has some hidden advantages. It's very ambivalent about getting to short range and so it can comfortably stay at medium range to throw blue dice at things and get use out of its Evade tokens (which are utterly useless at short range). The longer range also allows it to get into a comfortable position more easily. I'll need more playtesting to continue experimenting with this, though.

In a Screed fleet I think you're better off with Gladiators as your main ships, as they can easily proc crits naturally on their side arcs and then you can Screed the front arc shots to line up double crits. Raiders aren't quite as durable or as reliable with the crits (with such paltry side arcs and only 2-3 black dice in the front). I think 1-2 Raiders in a Screed fleet are a good inclusion for the anti-squadron flak, however, and they can contribute a few crits here and there.

They failed with the defense tokens. With it's close ranged weapons will have been better with two braces. 1 brace in a world of home ones and only 4 hull it will die easily.

At least rebel cr90 use it's defenses at it's optimal range. Raider lose 2 of 3 in it's attack range.

I think loading them up with the APMs and sending them in as cruise missiles is a mistake. Its just too hard to keep them out of the dangerous arcs. I think everyone initially thought that they were going to be a cheaper demolisher (myself included), but really forgot how powerful that out-of-sequence shot is. Montferrat can help a little with this, but you still have to be super careful. I tend to favor the Raider II if I'm using them for offense and the Raider I if I'm using them as a carrier (with Tarkin you can get up to squadron 3). If I'm running multiples, I like to bunch them up (unless the ship I'm targeting has gunnery teams of course), because at least then the opponent has to choose. They aren't going to take anything out on their own, so I try my best to have everything hit at once. Overload Pulse couples super well with Avenger and you have a fair chance of a crit with three blues (especially with Vader).

I've been lame, and have only played one Wave 2 game so far. I kept mine alive by providing more important targets.

Worked out well.

I recently ran 3 Raider 1's with Ordnance Experts and Expanded Launchers, along with a GSD in a 300 point game.

I keep using maneuver and engineering on my command dials to mitigate the frailty of the Raider, if I didn't need to use the engineering command I just added the token for later use. Really helped to keep the little suckers alive. Occasionally I would use the concentrated firepower against crippled ships.

The end result was the total decimation of 3 Rebel ships, with the loss of none of my Raiders.

Although frail, they can act as ship assassin's very easily if used in pairs, or in groups of 3.

The Raider is a finesse vessel, and possibly the least forgiving ship in the game (barring the Neb B, maybe).

It wants to get up close, but doesn't have much to keep it alive once it gets there. As a result, if you fly it poorly, it will often die before getting to fire a shot.

That said, practice flying it. Now, I use them to dodge ISD and MC80 arcs and deliver crippling blows while still managing to limp away with a few HP on a regular basis.

Control your approach facings and ranges, and use engineering commands to rotate shields to keep your hull intact. Utilize the Raiders unparalleled maneuverability to attack the rear of your enemy's flagship on the same turn that your ships of the line meet it head on.

Honestly, the best thing about them is that Ordnance Experts makes them a threat to all ships and an absolute shredder when it comes to a furball of squadrons.

Once people learn to fly these little buggers, they'll have their day. Just you wait. The calls of "Raider is OP!" are just over the horizon.

As for now; call them popcorn kernels all you like. You ever get a popcorn kernel skin jammed under your gums?

I used two in my last battle. One Raider II and one Raider I. The Raider I had expanded launchers and no they didn't get to fire, but if not for that ship I probably would have lost. They would have to run their Assault frigate infront of it or stay infront of my ISD. And my raider II got alot of shots at the enemy fighters to potent effect.

Just ran two - a Raider 1 with torps and ordnance experts, and a Raider 2 with SW7s. Both did well enough.

Raider 1 did a disproportionate amount of damage to a Mon cal before getting blown up. The Raider 2 was the surprise performer, out dancing a corvette and taking it down to one damage (firespray finished it off) and provided some decent fire support vs squadrons.

I used two in my last battle. One Raider II and one Raider I. The Raider I had expanded launchers and no they didn't get to fire, but if not for that ship I probably would have lost. They would have to run their Assault frigate infront of it or stay infront of my ISD. And my raider II got alot of shots at the enemy fighters to potent effect.

I ran my Sullust-won Raider as a Raider-I with Expanded Launchers and Ordnance Experts in nearly all of the pre-wave-two games where the Raider hit the table. Lately I've been coming around to running it with only Ordnance Experts and I've been finding that the configuration is less high-risk high-reward. The default Raider-I is already the more high-risk high-reward variant (compared to the Raider-II), slapping on the expensive and beefy Expanded Launchers upgrade makes it even moreso. For every game where the EL Raider-I did something absolutely nuts, there was a game where it was largely a waste of points (either due to difficulty in getting in a meaningful attack at short range against a ship or because it was destroyed before it could do so) and I was anxious about getting it destroyed because of how fragile it was for its cost (61 points, moreso than a naked Gladiator-I). Just a bit of friendly advice, though, feel free to keep running it with Expanded Launchers .

The Raider 2 was the surprise performer, out dancing a corvette and taking it down to one damage (firespray finished it off) and provided some decent fire support vs squadrons.

Personally I'm most curious about Raider-II stories from other players, as I feel like it's the configuration less people are trying (or even getting around to). My experience so far was satisfactory as well but it seems like the Raider-II results are less extreme (being less prone to one super turn but also less prone to getting casually swatted down) and I'm curious what setups are seeing the most success.

i think we need ot find out how people are using it to avoid dying.

I've been seeing the same thing. Any sort of heavy firepower and it goes down to 1 hp. and cant repair much.

Admitting a total lack of experience it seems to me that the Raider should be viewed and used as a substitute for squadrons. Their primary, and almost exclusive function should be to hunt and destroy fighter swarms (as a previous poster mentioned). It's the role they fill the best. Even the titles suggest this. Which is better three Agressors or a Raider I with title? That should be conceptualization and the choice. Anything else you get from them is gravy. Personally I like the ship, and in that role.

Admitting a total lack of experience it seems to me that the Raider should be viewed and used as a substitute for squadrons. Their primary, and almost exclusive function should be to hunt and destroy fighter swarms (as a previous poster mentioned). It's the role they fill the best. Even the titles suggest this. Which is better three Agressors or a Raider I with title? That should be conceptualization and the choice. Anything else you get from them is gravy. Personally I like the ship, and in that role.

I think you need extra squadrons to do that.

And sadly the Raider is still a ship. If something shoots you, it still hurts. But then again, I've been going up against big boppers: ISDs Acbkar'ed AFs and Home Ones.

Admitting a total lack of experience it seems to me that the Raider should be viewed and used as a substitute for squadrons. Their primary, and almost exclusive function should be to hunt and destroy fighter swarms (as a previous poster mentioned). It's the role they fill the best. Even the titles suggest this. Which is better three Agressors or a Raider I with title? That should be conceptualization and the choice. Anything else you get from them is gravy. Personally I like the ship, and in that role.

It's really difficult to recommend the Raider purely for anti-squadron duties. Even a 48-point Raider-I with Ordnance Experts (2 rerollable black dice hosing down squadrons with flak) is going to come off worse when compared to 6 TIE Fighter squadrons, for example. The Raider's benefit is that it's a threat to both squadrons and ships (which, combined with its speed and maneuverability makes it very unusual for an Imperial ship), but its detriment is that it needs assistance from your other squadrons (to pin down enemy squadrons so it can flak safely and enemy squadrons can't escape) and/or ships (to present a viable threat so enemy ships cannot keep your Raider in their meanest arcs).

And sadly the Raider is still a ship. If something shoots you, it still hurts. But then again, I've been going up against big boppers: ISDs Acbkar'ed AFs and Home Ones.

The first and most important rule of Raider use is to do whatever you can to keep it out of the mean arcs. You may not be able to do this perfectly or forever, but if your meta is primarily big bruiser ships then you need to get in a lot of practice with deployment and maneuver first and foremost and then focus on the Raider getting to attack second.

I just started with Armada, so still learning. I picked up two Raiders, and I've been enjoying using them to support squadrons on the frontline. With Expanded Hangar Bay and Tarkin/Wulff, I had more than enough squadron orders to control my TIE swarm. The Raiders can take pressure off of the friendly squadrons while eliminating their Rebel counterparts. Essentially a pocket carrier. I know I've seen people talking about them as support for Rhymer bomber ball. Don't have enough bombers to try this out myself yet.

Admitting a total lack of experience it seems to me that the Raider should be viewed and used as a substitute for squadrons. Their primary, and almost exclusive function should be to hunt and destroy fighter swarms (as a previous poster mentioned). It's the role they fill the best. Even the titles suggest this. Which is better three Agressors or a Raider I with title? That should be conceptualization and the choice. Anything else you get from them is gravy. Personally I like the ship, and in that role.

I think you need extra squadrons to do that.

And sadly the Raider is still a ship. If something shoots you, it still hurts. But then again, I've been going up against big boppers: ISDs Acbkar'ed AFs and Home Ones.

Admittedly the biggest drawback with this concept is that it's still can be tough to avoid fire from big enemy ships. Perhaps it's best suited in that role with certain objectives. If I were flying it and using it as a substitute squadron I'd probably try to keep it at long range or obstructed. I'll enjoy testing my theory when I get back to the tables.

AT this point we really need a deployment and movement map for Imperial ships and espeicially the VSD and Raider against the two boogeyman lists: Ackbar conga lines and mass squadrons.

AT this point we really need a deployment and movement map for Imperial ships and espeicially the VSD and Raider against the two boogeyman lists: Ackbar conga lines and mass squadrons.

That will be hard because both lists have a tremendous amount of versatility and flexibility in not only their deployment but reactions.

One reason why this game is much different than X-Wing. Reactions to movement are vastly different

AT this point we really need a deployment and movement map for Imperial ships and espeicially the VSD and Raider against the two boogeyman lists: Ackbar conga lines and mass squadrons.

That will be hard because both lists have a tremendous amount of versatility and flexibility in not only their deployment but reactions.

One reason why this game is much different than X-Wing. Reactions to movement are vastly different

Yes. And I think I actually don't play my Ackbar like normal anyway.

But the sad part about armada is its so hard for a lot of people to even get a game. So, trial time is at a premium in this game. Information online is just faster. But I haven't found anything yet.

AT this point we really need a deployment and movement map for Imperial ships and espeicially the VSD and Raider against the two boogeyman lists: Ackbar conga lines and mass squadrons.

That will be hard because both lists have a tremendous amount of versatility and flexibility in not only their deployment but reactions.

One reason why this game is much different than X-Wing. Reactions to movement are vastly different

Yes. And I think I actually don't play my Ackbar like normal anyway.

But the sad part about armada is its so hard for a lot of people to even get a game. So, trial time is at a premium in this game. Information online is just faster. But I haven't found anything yet.