So I'm going to be "that guy" who has only played 1 game of Armada, but is going to go to a store championship to have some fun and learn the game better. I have a list for each faction, and I'm wondering if 1. They need any tweeks. 2. If one would be better for a huge noobie to run all day and have moderate success, maybe not win anything but not be wiped off the table either.

CnC is fantastic, I want to learn more about this game, and have it be a nice compliment to my X Wing play!

Screed

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 399/400

Commander: Admiral Screed

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Hyperspace Assault
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Admiral Screed ( 26 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- XI7 Turbolasers ( 6 points)

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Insidious ( 3 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)

1 Dengar ( 20 points)
1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 Soontir Fel ( 18 points)
1 TIE Advanced Squadron ( 12 points)
1 TIE Bomber Squadron ( 9 points)

Fleet created with Armada Warlords

MC80 2AF 3Dash

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Fire Lanes
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Defiance ( 5 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- XI7 Turbolasers ( 6 points)

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)

3 YT-2400s ( 48 points)

Fleet created with Armada Warlords

Speaking primarily as an Imperial player, I'll say a couple of things about that list:

Firstly, remember that whoever has the lowest point count chooses whether they want to go first or second. I'd be tempted to try to make that person you in your first games, and therefore to shed some points - going first in particular has such advantages that it's worth trying to secure.

Secondly, you've got two very distinct sets of ships going on there - one a long- and medium-range big-hitter, and two-close up brawlers. I might be tempted to switch one of the Gladiators for something in between, just to give yourself a little more flexibility - maybe a Victory-I, or just a Gladiator-II. Otherwise you only have one ship (albeit a bruiser of one) that can do anything until range has been closed, by which time a rebel fleet will have the potency to have done damage on the way.

Thirdly - Insidious is really hard to use, particularly if you're new to the game. I'd say it's an easy one to shed a few points on. Similarly, I wouldn't say that you need Engine techs on both Gladiators. I'd put them just on Demolisher.

Finally, your squadrons are a bit confused - a bunch of named squadrons that there's not a great deal of cohesion to. You don't have enough bombers to have a good go at a bomber campaign, but your fighters look a little lacklustre too. You also have no ship that can really take advantage of the squadrons in activations. If I were you, I'd keep it simple - Dengar plus Howlrunner combined make for **** good TIE fighter support (giving an extra blue dice and counter 1), which, combined with swarm, makes them a decent anti-fighter force. So I'd take them plus a good handful of ordinary TIEs. Not exciting, but will keep superior Rebel fighters occupied, and have a good shot at doing so.

Hope that helps. You may need to re-think your objectives if you make any changes, but see how you feel.

Only one way to get better - trial and error! But you've clearly thought through the list pretty carefully.

With the Screed ISD II I've been running SW-7 Ions with XX-9's. Being able to guarantee hits out of blue dice is extremely nice in addition to capitalizing on Screed's ability to hand out 2 Critical effects once shields are down is very nice!

I also agree with the critique on Squadrons. I've been recently running 3 Firesprays with a standard Jumpmaster just to run interference. With this list, you have minimal ability to activate squadrons specially with the ISD not having boosted comms, you're not using it in a "carrier" mode.

I like your Demolisher setup but I agree in dropping Insidious and the engine tech off the second one too. Maybe swap the Glad I for a Glad II as well. The Glad II will also provide just a smidge more for Anti-Squadron in the occasional "pinch".

As a Rebel player.

There is little reason for the boosted comms on the MC80 with YT400's. They are rogue so dont need a squadron command to bring them back into the fight. Either get rid of boosted comms or switch to 4 x AWings. I'd also go for Advanced Projectors instead of ECM on the MC80 as it synergises with the redundant redirect defense token.

Otherwise, nice and simple and an easy starter fleet. You might want to switch one AF for two corvettes including Jainas Light just to get more activations.

Also note, fire lanes does not include Ackbar dice, as these are not part of the ships battery arnament.

I'd also go for Advanced Projectors instead of ECM on the MC80 as it synergises with the redundant redirect defense token.

The Flipside is always able to Brace with the ECMs when people are throwing whole bunches of Red and Blue Dice at you from the front Arc of an ISD-II or similar

With the redundant Redirect Token, you're almost always able to redirect - but keeping the Brace for the big hit is imporatnt.

4 shields on the back which never get touched without APT. Thats a pretty hefty damage saving, and intell officer is too heavily used these days for ECM to be that useful....

4 shields on the back which never get touched without APT. Thats a pretty hefty damage saving, and intell officer is too heavily used these days for ECM to be that useful....

We are both Correct in the concept of our own Metas...

What is important is that the OP get both sets of information to make their own decision.

For example, Intel Officer is almost nonexistant here, but XI7s are on the way up - so keeping the Brace and having Walex is important...

But it may not be for you.

It may not be for him.

But it is important for someone to have all the information to make their own decisions.