One of the problems I have building rebel fleets is the way the commander you choose tends to make it clear what ships you should also be using. I don't seem to have the same problems with Imperials. I was wondering if any of you have the same mental hang-ups, and if it's an unfair/unwise corner that you paint yourself into or if the principles should be heeded.

For example:

Mon Mothma. The reliance on Evade Defense tokens means my fleet should be CR90's and Shrimps.

Ackbar: To capitalize, the fleet should be MC80's and AFMK2's.

Garm: High command-rating ships; MC80's and AFMK2's.

Dodonna: He's probably the only commander who really does not seem to require a certain chassis of ship. He's also the one I like using the least

Riekan: I would think Riekan works best with big squadron forces, which implies carriers, and so Neb B's and AFMK2's.

Ackbar also likes the Scout and the CR90A

I'd disagree about Ackbar. Five or six CR90's broadsiding at max range would be hilarious.

One of the problems I have building rebel fleets is the way the commander you choose tends to make it clear what ships you should also be using. I don't seem to have the same problems with Imperials. I was wondering if any of you have the same mental hang-ups, and if it's an unfair/unwise corner that you paint yourself into or if the principles should be heeded.

For example:

Mon Mothma. The reliance on Evade Defense tokens means my fleet should be CR90's and Shrimps.

Ackbar: To capitalize, the fleet should be MC80's and AFMK2's.

Garm: High command-rating ships; MC80's and AFMK2's.

Dodonna: He's probably the only commander who really does not seem to require a certain chassis of ship. He's also the one I like using the least

Riekan: I would think Riekan works best with big squadron forces, which implies carriers, and so Neb B's and AFMK2's.

In order:

MM is also good for AFs. Basically, the only ship that doesn't work well with her is the MC80.

Ackbar is also strong for the CR90 and the MC30 scout. Basically, the only ship that doesn't work well with him is the Neb B.

Garm wants a lot of command, and basically only Corvettes are bad. Spamming tokens onto anything command 2 or higher is nice, especially as repair/nav are typically the most flexible tokens for a lot of rebel ships. Garm also has interesting potential applications for carrier fleets.

Rieekan works with everything, but named squadrons, CR90 spam, and shrimps are particular favorites... but even so, everything can work. I've also seen carrier lists built around him because you know your carriers will get off the critical activations and the popular "nuke the carrier" strategy doesn't work quite as well here.

I'd disagree about Ackbar. Five or six CR90's broadsiding at max range would be hilarious.

I can confirm this is true.

If we could only get Captain Needa to defect... Then I could put MC80s in my Mothma list!

My 5x Nebulon-B used Mon Mothma and was successful because of her

ackbar also works with the mc30 torpedo with EA

There are commanders that has synergism with every command dial at the moment except for repair dial so a repair commander would be cool.

There are commanders that has synergism with every command dial at the moment except for repair dial so a repair commander would be cool.

The same can be said about the Squadron Command.. Wether its directly affecting it or not...

I mean, if you call Garm a Squadron Commander, you have to call Garm a Repair Commander...

The Empire has Military Officers and they have been trained on a variety of ships and in a variety of conditions, so they would tend to be more generalists. On the other hand the Rebels are untrained politicians, pilots and smugglers. As such they would have learned on the job and on the ship(s) at hand and hence be more specialists.

Now selecting ships with commanders that are specialists will probably have you selecting ships that they are going to benefit. I think here, as a very sweeping generalisation, each faction is given about the same number of optimal choices of ships and commanders as each other. The Imperial player may get 3-4 good ship choices that works with his commanders and the Rebel player gets 3-4 ships choices that works with his commanders.

I think this creates a very interesting fleet build mechanic, that tries to ensure the game is balanced and at the same time highlights the asymmetrical nature of the two fleets.

There are commanders that has synergism with every command dial at the moment except for repair dial so a repair commander would be cool.

The same can be said about the Squadron Command.. Wether its directly affecting it or not...

I mean, if you call Garm a Squadron Commander, you have to call Garm a Repair Commander...

I was thinking how Rieeken affects unique squadrons and dodanna with bombers

Agreed, but that's relatively small Subsets of "Squadrons".

There's no-one who just helps squadrons in so much that there's no-one that just helps repairing, was my argument.

I feel if you're willing to assign Rieekan and Dodonna to Squadrons because of that, then Garm's definately both a Squadron and Repair Dial commander, through his ItsGarmTime bonus

I still want a rebel Motti that uses the 6 shield dial that is possible and or can do something with repairs

I want an actual Squadron commander who does nothing for the Ships of his fleet.

But we're not Wishlistin' Here, we're looking at what we've already got.

Maybe I have this wrong, but I think Ackbar works with torpedo shrimp as well. His card just says add two red dice, which doesn't mean it has to be a color already in the dice pool. Add turbolaser reroute circuits, and get in real close.

Maybe I have this wrong, but I think Ackbar works with torpedo shrimp as well. His card just says add two red dice, which doesn't mean it has to be a color already in the dice pool. Add turbolaser reroute circuits, and get in real close.

Of course, he adds it when they'd already be at Blue Range or Closer.

People just say its immediately better to be adding Red Dice to Red Dice, since you can use them, understandably, at Red Dice range.

Ackbar really shows love to any ship. His strength is how well he scales with how many ships you field. To get the most out of him, I usually like to field at least 4 ships.

Ackbar really shows love to any ship. His strength is how well he scales with how many ships you field. To get the most out of him, I usually like to field at least 4 ships.

Except the Neb-B. If you're Ackbaring with Neb-Bs you're doing it very wrong.

Also, Ackbar sucks

After a few games against Ackbar, to me his greatest strength is to allow focus fire for attacks with a decent amount of dice without exposing the ships too much. When an ISD takes 3 attacks with 4 to 5 dice with Turbolaser Reroute Circuits, it hurts quite a bit

If you manage to confuse his target priority though, he's much less effective.

@OP : I played predominantly Rebel since the game started and before I moved to Imperials and I found that the Commanders really don't define a playstyle but boost the strengths of particular ships and squadrons. For instance : Mon Mothma helps with the Evade but the min/max strategy of putting as many Evade tokens as possible in your fleet might actually hurt the fleet rather than help it. Like others mentioned, she works well enough with an AFMK2 to allow it to use its Evade token when it will inevitably reach medium range to help shave off that extra damage. Even though Dodonna favours Bombers and ships that can drill through shields to get to the hull, he isn't going to fundamentally change their role in a fleet either. Garm works well with any ship, even CR90s. It allows them to not waste a turn bank any token and get straight into the optimal spot with a well popped Nav command, while still getting a token for the critical turn they need. He isn't a squadron commander like some people mentionned, because even though actiavting one extra squadron is nice, it's a one off ability.

Once again, it's not because you give more tokens to higher command ships that Garm works better with high command ships. Giving that squadron token to a Corvette actually allows it to pop both a CF + squadron command at full efficiency in a turn for an extra 2 dice on the target, which is double its best arc at long range and +66% at medium range. Whereas larger ships are able to do multiple stuff at less efficient performance (except CF where I proved that at higher dice, it gives the same effect as adding another dice).

The Empire has Military Officers and they have been trained on a variety of ships and in a variety of conditions, so they would tend to be more generalists. On the other hand the Rebels are untrained politicians, pilots and smugglers. As such they would have learned on the job and on the ship(s) at hand and hence be more specialists.

The problem with that theory is that of the current rebel commanders only Mon Mothma had no military training or experience before joining the rebellion, though Rieekan's experience was focused groundside and we aren't sure what space combat experience Ackbar had if any before the GCW (RogueCorona stops to glare at the TCW writers for missing the opportunity to show Ackbar in combat as a warship captain.) Garm served in the Corellian defense forces before becoming a senator and commanded a Republic allied militia in action during the Clone Wars and Dodonna served in the Judical forces from long before the Clone Wars started and served in the Republic navy from its reformation. In fact he commanded one of the main divisions of the first fleet of Victory class Star Destroyers with Screed commanding the other and Dodoona continued commanding fleets during the Clone Wars and the early Imperial campaigns.

Garm gives 6 tokens to dual MC80's

Garm gives 8 tokens to Cr90 spam!

Erm, dat maths

Dodonna: He's probably the only commander who really does not seem to require a certain chassis of ship. He's also the one I like using the least

So far Dodonna is the only one I use. Picking the crit is so powerful and his so cheap. as you said he works well with all ships and I have found he works really well with a CR90 with TRC, Salvation with XX-9 or any ship with XX-9 and almost broken when you have APT's and your opponent picks Opening Salvo. My favourite thing is when im looking at there 4 damage cards and see Com Noise no repair command for you, or I have 1 hull left and give you the one that stops you from attacking long range.

I want to try other Admirals but I just cant bring my self to change for now

Haven't tried Dodonna, but you've convinced me I should.

Dodonna: He's probably the only commander who really does not seem to require a certain chassis of ship. He's also the one I like using the least

So far Dodonna is the only one I use. Picking the crit is so powerful and his so cheap. as you said he works well with all ships and I have found he works really well with a CR90 with TRC, Salvation with XX-9 or any ship with XX-9 and almost broken when you have APT's and your opponent picks Opening Salvo. My favourite thing is when im looking at there 4 damage cards and see Com Noise no repair command for you, or I have 1 hull left and give you the one that stops you from attacking long range.

I want to try other Admirals but I just cant bring my self to change for now

My Dodonna the Oppressor list is just plain EVIL!!! It works but is so swingy. I love it.