When using non-rogue squadrons, do you plan to have an order for everything all of the time (or at least when you need it)?

I like squadrons and when building a list, I'll usually assign squadron groups to a ship, where the size of the group is limited by the number of squadron activations that a given ship can support.

E.g. an AF2(B) with an Expanded Hanger Bay can activate 4 squadrons with a single order, so I will have it control a group of 4 squadrons.

Do you need to have this limit?

I think the question is more relevant for "support" squadrons - like a HWK that has Intel. This squadron is there to allow my other squadrons to move freely. With the example above, I could have my AF2(B) controlling 4 y-wings and simply have the HWK tagging along.

This won't diminish the effect of Intel as I can still order my y-wings when I need to, and the HWK can follow up by itself in the squadron phase.

It's a riskier way to work though as my HWK could be shot down before it gets to catch up with the rest of it's group, or my y-wings could be caught out of position without the HWK. But it does allow you to maximise the damage potential from your squadron order.

Another example I was considering was Yavaris (and Ray - of course) controlling 3x B-Wings with a YT-1300 a HWK as "uncontrolled" support squadrons.

As a mainly Imperial player, if I go heavy squadrons I will have more than my command capability. TIEs die, it's their job, we have reinforcements.

Now as for using the command itself, I will use it to get my fighters into position and try to alpha strike, this generally means a turn 2 squadron command for everyone. After that, usually only one ship at time is dishing out commands (for priority engagements). The squadron command usually rotates through the fleet, this way my ships can still nav and engineer.

I'll sometimes take more squadrons than my carriers can reliably activate, just so that I can keep them at full activations as I start to suffer losses.

I'll sometimes take more squadrons than my carriers can reliably activate, just so that I can keep them at full activations as I start to suffer losses.

I find this is a valid theory, based on what I have seen on the table.

I also find that when you run a bunch of squadrons, taking squadron tokens early has disproportionate value so that even your non-carriers can fire off a single squadron if needed, which can open up a lot of possibilities.

Intel, rhymer, mauler, howlrunner, wedge and dutch all need to be used at the right time.

I take 2 ISDs and 7 stands of fighters. I give out navigation turn 1 to both ISDs and after that its 100% squadron commands till I have 4 or less stands. Then my jousting ship gets engineering.

Squadrons are meh without squadron command support, even the rogues. sure they can move and shoot in the squadron phase but any savvy opponent will engage and alpha them before they have a chance to get to a ship.

Also I play Rhymer, Rhymer dictates a ton of the game with his presence and properly using him with a squadron command can dictate entire turns.

I'll sometimes take more squadrons than my carriers can reliably activate, just so that I can keep them at full activations as I start to suffer losses.

I used to run 7 Ties with 2 Firesprays and Rhymer with 2 ISDs. It was good and the firesprays activated during the squadron phase. The main problem is, my ISDs didnt do enough work so I had to dial it back for some upgrades (sw-7s/xi-7s)

In general non-Rogue (vanilla) squadrons will need orders at various points throughout the game and can be greedy or not for those orders depending on circumstances:

Fighters:

• Want a command to get the jump on enemy squadrons for the move+shoot
• Want a command to act first while dogfighting so they can preemptively eliminate enemy fighters before they can attack back
• Want a command to chase down anyone not involved in the original furball or to harass enemy ships later on

So generally I tend to issue Squadron commands to fighters about 2-3 times in a game

Bombers:

• Want a command to bomb enemy ships that will not be within bombing range of those squadrons come the squadron phase(if they stay put)
• Want a command to vacate the premises (preferably towards an enemy shop they can bomb) if they're going to be engaged by enemy fighters before all of them can escape

So this one is a lot more circumstancial. With Rhymer around you don't need to move and bomb so much as he creates a little Rhymer bunker to take shots from. With Intel around you don't need to fear engagement from enemy fighters as much (they can still get you, though, that Intel bubble isn't infinite). Against slower larger ships you can ride the overlap train with bombers for quite a while. Against faster smaller ships you can't and need the commands to keep up. I'd generally expect to issue the same 2-3 squadron commands to vanilla bombers as I expect to give to fighters but you can go as low as 1 (to get the jump on someone with a well-placed Rhymer bunker and then just fire from it all game) to 6 (just Boosted Comms jumping Intel bombers around all day long) depending on circumstances.

I still find it worth issuing commands with rhymer. shoot and scoot to keep on the move and dictate enemy fleet movements is a big deal. If they are close to a board edge they really need to think about which direction they turn with good fighter placement. Sometimes they avoid fighters right into the front of your ISD or they avoid fighters and get taken out of the fight and you clean up the rest of their fleet.

Interested that people cycle through their ships for squadron activations. I like to use a VSD as a dedicated carrier, with Flight Controllers, Expanded Hanger, Weapons Liaison and Boosted Comms if I can afford the points. I use it with Howlrunner, Ties and Dengar, so the order needs to be right.

Howlrunner in first (4 blue anti-squadron because of Flight Controllers), followed by three Ties (5 blue, one extra from Howlrunner). Dengar follows, either in squadron phase or on a squadron token, to support once they're in place. Any other Ties I have then sit in back-up until they're needed.

Having the Weapon Liaison means I can stick a token in the bank on the first round or two and give myself flexibility on whether or not to keep using squadron commands later in the game. I would expect to use a squadron command two or three times. But as a fighter screen, that little gang tends to thin out rebels pretty quickly.

Best way I can think of using squadrons1) 2-4 Squadrons fly cap for the capital ship, and are there just to protect it. While 4+ fly bomber , intercept missions, that way your capital ship has continuous cover and you can use your command function for the intercept/ bombing missions. For the cap all you need to do is mess up the attacks versus your ship.

Best way I can think of using squadrons1) 2-4 Squadrons fly cap for the capital ship, and are there just to protect it. While 4+ fly bomber , intercept missions, that way your capital ship has continuous cover and you can use your command function for the intercept/ bombing missions. For the cap all you need to do is mess up the attacks versus your ship.

this works until you face rhymer or someone who can position around. remember there is premeasuring in armada so its easy (yet time consuming) to make sure you are not engaging a squadron and still have range on an enemy ship. It comes down to fleet build but if you are investing 90+ points in ships they need command dials to be effective or you may get outplayed by better squadron commanders.

I have said it since core and I will keep saying it. Squadrons are a different game within the game of armada and when used effectively are completely game winning.

As a rebel player if I'm doing a large fighter group I don't count my A-wings in my activation math. Counter 2 is their job, moving them to engage incoming bombers is fine.

Depends on what squadrons, In my current tournament list I have 5 ships and only a few squadrons. Jake, 3 a wings and dash and the it's mostly my assault frigate mark a that will squadron command once or twice but that is mostly to kinda alpha strike with the a wings and then I let counter do the work. Jake and dash can work pretty well att their jobs without commands but if need be a CR90 might do a squadron command since they are so flexible.

If I play with slow moving bombers like b or y-wings then I usually don't take more than I know I can squadron command.

I think being able to boss the squadrons is more or less ideal... what I also notice is how important having flexibility is on your carriers... so having tarkin/laiasons or wing commander/ other commanders and then stacking the dials accordingly really helps the whole fleet do what it needs to do when it needs to do it...

I usually have enough commands for my bombers at least. Everything else can depend on tokens, squad phase, and/or waiting for the next turn.

Interested that people cycle through their ships for squadron activations. I like to use a VSD as a dedicated carrier, with Flight Controllers, Expanded Hanger, Weapons Liaison and Boosted Comms if I can afford the points. I use it with Howlrunner, Ties and Dengar, so the order needs to be right.

Sadly there is only one offensive retrofit slot on the VSD, so the only cap ship able to combine expanded hangars with boosted comms will be the ISD I at this point.

In general, I am with the guys who bring more squadrons than they can reasonably activate. Like others said, you take losses. In addition, you will often have few squadrons either out of range or in a spot where they fullfil their role and can hang till the squadron phase - e.g an x-wing engaged with bombers. No big gain from shooting first, so he might as well sit there.

Interested that people cycle through their ships for squadron activations. I like to use a VSD as a dedicated carrier, with Flight Controllers, Expanded Hanger, Weapons Liaison and Boosted Comms if I can afford the points. I use it with Howlrunner, Ties and Dengar, so the order needs to be right.

Sadly there is only one offensive retrofit slot on the VSD, so the only cap ship able to combine expanded hangars with boosted comms will be the ISD I at this point.

You are absolutely right - I meant that those are the two options I choose between, but didn't make that clear.

I run ISD + GSD, the ISD is my carrier.

I run 4 non-Rogues (Vader, Mithel, Dengar, Rhymer) and 3 'Sprays. It's best when I can activate all 4 of my non-Rogues with the squadron commands, but that doesn't always happen. Sometimes it's just more advantageous to make sure I'm smacking an arc with a black and 6 blues than to get optimal use out of AS fire.

I run 2 ISDs 1x 1 and 1x 2 with 7 squadrons.

DerErlkoenig why Mithel? I assume intel from Dengar for auto damage? For his points you can just take more TIEs it seems wasteful. Maybe I am wrong. I found a lot of Imperial aces to be underwhelming (besides Rhymer) would like to hear your thoughts on Mauler.

The 3 x VSD 1 "Clown Car" as I like to call my carrier builds...holds just enough to handle my entire fighter wave.

Problem is when one of them dies...and I somehow still have more Ties than I do squadron commands.

I run 2 ISDs 1x 1 and 1x 2 with 7 squadrons.

DerErlkoenig why Mithel? I assume intel from Dengar for auto damage? For his points you can just take more TIEs it seems wasteful. Maybe I am wrong. I found a lot of Imperial aces to be underwhelming (besides Rhymer) would like to hear your thoughts on Mauler.

Where people go wrong is adding Fel and Howl to it. At that point you're trying to maximize too many abilities and paying through the teeth for it.

I run 2 ISDs 1x 1 and 1x 2 with 7 squadrons.

DerErlkoenig why Mithel? I assume intel from Dengar for auto damage? For his points you can just take more TIEs it seems wasteful. Maybe I am wrong. I found a lot of Imperial aces to be underwhelming (besides Rhymer) would like to hear your thoughts on Mauler.

Having been on the other end of the Vader/Mauler/Dengar ball, it is pretty good. Mauler is a great choice with Dengar's Intel and an Escort. That auto damage really starts to pile up. You're almost always forced to deal with it at least twice. That really hurts.

Where people go wrong is adding Fel and Howl to it. At that point you're trying to maximize too many abilities and paying through the teeth for it.

I can see that. I run Dengar, Rhymer and 5 Interceptors and just alpha my first 4 interceptors in and then bring the rest into line so if they retaliate dengar is their. swarm counter 3 is pretty dope. rhymer stays safe waiting for me to establish air superiority.

I run 2 ISDs 1x 1 and 1x 2 with 7 squadrons.

DerErlkoenig why Mithel? I assume intel from Dengar for auto damage? For his points you can just take more TIEs it seems wasteful. Maybe I am wrong. I found a lot of Imperial aces to be underwhelming (besides Rhymer) would like to hear your thoughts on Mauler.

Honestly, I think his defense tokens are worth almost his whole price increase, plus his ability is superb in the right conditions.

I previously took IG 88 instead. That was a mistake. I wanted to boost my AS abilities, and thought he could help, phaw! So I switched to Mithel to save a few points, and to get a little bit better AS damage in the list.

Dengar is really there for the Firesprays, mostly.

Mithel, Dengar, and escort (howl if points allow) are a great AS combo. Remeber that when getting squadron commanded, squads can attack and move with either order. Mithel moves in (1 damage) attacks (+0-3). next turn attacks (+0-3) and then moves (1). 2-8 garunteeded damage from 1 ship is pretty good IMO. I also run Flight Controllers on my carrier for extra.