I'm going to play my first 400-point games in an upcoming tournament, and would like some suggestions on my fleet build. I'm looking for some balance -- ships and fighters -- without too much complication for multi-card combinations that I'll forget how to run, since I don't play Armada enough to have a good grasp of intricancies yet (my last Armada game was at Massing of Sullust).

Here's my list; I have one of each current release available, "go to two Assault Frigates" won't be a helpful suggestion.

Thanks!

Faction: Rebel Alliance

Points: 397/400

Commander: General Dodonna

Assault Objective: Precision Strike

Defense Objective: Hyperspace Assault

Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points) [ flagship ]

- General Dodonna ( 20 points)

- Defiance ( 5 points)

- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

- Advanced Projectors ( 6 points)

- Enhanced Armament ( 10 points)

MC30c Scout Frigate (69 points)

- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)

- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)

- Adar Tallon ( 10 points)

- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)

- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

1 Luke Skywalker ( 20 points)

1 Wedge Antilles ( 19 points)

1 A-Wing Squadron ( 11 points)

2 X-Wing Squadrons ( 26 points)

As a disclaimer, I'm primarily focusing on Imperials right now, so my experience playing as Rebels is limited (though I've played against them).

Personally, I'd make one of your bigger ships a dedicated carrier. With this build, you have to dedicate two command dials to Squadron commands. The MC80 could handle the entire squadron element if you swap Boosted Comms for Expanded Hangars. They would have to stay closer, but they're well suited to help protect your big ships, either from enemy squadrons or flankers (think CR90s or Raiders/Gladiators). If you need them to bomb something big, it's probably going to be close enough for you to still command them anyway.

Another personal preference is to not take Enhanced Armament. It's a ten point upgrade that's very limited, at least on an MC80. The likelihood of you getting double broadsides is very low, because the MC80 is slow and since its broadsides are its deadliest arcs, people avoid them. So you're paying 10 points for maybe six additional red dice in the entire game. XI7's are cheaper and really prevent your opponent's ability to spread damage around, especially at long range when you won't be rolling many Accuracies. They let you save that one accuracy you might get to lock out a Brace.

Advanced projectors can be nice, but the aforementioned XI7's make them fairly useless. I personally take Electronic Countermeasures on any of my big ships so you can use that Brace when you absolutely need it. Plus you can use an Engineering command to generate four engineering points and relocate up to four shields (or regenerate two of them).

This is actually similar to my first Imperial build - a big tank (ISD/MC80), a medium ship to support it (VSD/AF) and a faster-moving torpedo boat (GSD/MC30c).

I like Enhanced Armament, but you probably need gunnery teams with it, unless you are planning to fire from both sides (and you can't have gunnery teams on the MC80, so the Xi7s are probably best - if you have the card - which you probably don't since you say your have one of each, and you probably bought the starter set - that's what I did, except I bought two starter sets... hindsight is 20/20.)

A-Wings are great, but not being bombers they don't sync well with Dodonna. Maybe add in Dutch Vander for the bomber and as a great pairing with Wedge for the fighter batte. With Adar Tallon you probably plan to activate Luke twice in a turn - see if you can fit in Keyan Farlander - two black dice twice a turn? Awesome. Send Luke in, hope for the lucky crit to remove the shields, and then send in the bombers. And the B-Wing will easily keep up with your max speed two battleship, so you won't get a head of yourself.

Precision strike can be a double edged sword, particularly if you come up against a bomber heavy enemy. I love most wanted, but you don't have a scape-goat ship.

Boosted comms on two ships seems excessive, and I would certainly and always take ECM over Advanced Projectors. With Projectors you are taking the same amount of damage, just spread around a bit more. If you can keep Brace in play you could save up to six damage each turn, which is noting to sniff at.

I'm posting my own tournament list in a minute, and I've probably done similar things to yourself.

Are you planning on going second or first? Or just having the option against the pure 400 crowd?

I was hoping to go second with my objectives, but I realize a 3-point initiative bid might not be enough for that.

OK, so I swapped Advanced Projectors for ECM, and Enhanced Armament for XI7 Turbolasers. Changed an X-wing Squad for a Y-Wing (keeping A-wing for Counter-fighter role with Wedge).

I added a Veteran Captain and SW7 Ion Batteries to the Cruiser; now sitting at 395 of 400 points. We'll see how it does today!

As Revised:

Faction: Rebel Alliance

Points: 395/400

Commander: General Dodonna

Assault Objective: Precision Strike

Defense Objective: Hyperspace Assault

Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points) [ flagship ]

- General Dodonna ( 20 points)

- Defiance ( 5 points)

- Veteran Captain( 3 points)

- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)

- XI7 Turbolasers ( 6 points)

- SW7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)

MC30c Scout Frigate (69 points)

- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)

- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)

- Adar Tallon ( 10 points)

- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)

- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

1 Luke Skywalker ( 20 points)

1 Wedge Antilles ( 19 points)

1 A-Wing Squadron ( 11 points)

1 X-Wing Squadron ( 13 points)

1 Y-wing Squadron ( 10 points)

So, the list was fun. It's clearly more capable than I am at this point.

Three round store championship.

Round #1 was against a 3 Assault Frigate List with a bunch of heavy fighters (B-wings, YTs, and so on). I got clubbed like a baby seal. I killed one frigate but lost almost everything and my opponent got 9 victory tokens (Superior Positions). 9-1 loss; but my opponent did end up winning the tournament pretty decisively.

Round #2 was against an ISD, VSD, Gladiator, and fighters (Rhymer, TIEs, Ints). Did much better with my tactics -- my prior opponent gave me some pointers after the game, including that I was doing Defiance and my Concentrate commands wrong and could have been getting more black dice, which helped -- plus my opponent's dice ran cold. Precision Strike mission; 9-1 win.

Round #3 was against ISD, 2xVSD, and some bounty hunters, Vader, and Rhymer, again Precision Strike. I didn't deploy my fighters well and flew the MC80 into a trap; traded the Cruiser for a VSD and lost my fighters for a 7-3 loss.

Ended up 5th overall, so OK ... learned a lot.