I think the longest learning curve for me was picking objective. There are little nuances you miss when you are a beginning player (looking at you, Opening Salvo) and a bad choice of objectives can turn a great list into a terrible one.

Its not the list, its me.

Oh wait what am I saying.

Its all you.

In my view it's a mixture:

There are no bad lists or good list in armada ( unless you go out of your way to build an arse difficult list to play). All types of lists have strengthens and weaknesses, some will play better against specific other lists, some have a hard time playing some types of list. It's the same with missions, going first/second etc. so at the end of the day you may get a good/bad match which effects your chances.

But in my view it's mostly (as in 90% you)

Player experience does matter a lot in this game. it's complex with a lot of variables, therefore (unless you have a very special brain) you will be playing on intuition. Intuition is built by experience,personality type,very basic stress responses, where you are at in that moment ( tired, sad, happy etc.....) and a number of other deep Thingys.

experience is also about knowing your list over a new list you have never played.

The biggest decider is the people factor.....it's a game of two players, you will both make mistakes ( yes you will, your not a machine). The winner will be the one that makes less/smaller mistakes in that moment ( you can be a better more experienced player but make more mistakes cud your worried about life......)

To expand. I personally dont fly glass cannon or rebel broadside ship only lists, as I dont have the precision flying control for those. My skills lie far more in the unkillable slow heavy repairing domain.

Taking the opening phrase as a positive spin, I think it is all about the player and the list combined. I play really well with certain lists and really poorly with other lists that people do really well with.

I am not a fan of the stand off and circle lists as I am not good at flying them and winning 'big'. I like my get in close and slug it out Imperial list(s).

So to that, it really isn't the list, it is you, but the statement doesn't need to be negative.

So far I have seen that this game really rewards you for practicing a specific list (allowing for minimal, small changes to equipped cards and such). I played about 20 games with both my Massing of Sullust list and this last Spring 2016 championship tourney, and I placed 1st and 2nd respectively.

The winter tourney, where I put a list together last minute and did not practice at all with with, I came in 4th out of 8.