So I am trying to work out some rules to do a Squad Vs Squad battle with maybe one small ship per side. Anyone have some input, how did it work out, does this play style feel ok. Thanks in advance.

If anyone has some alt rules for this style I would be up to read them.

It's going to be somewhere around 200 vs 200. Ships would be a CR-90 vs a Raider

Let them all have Rogue...or you might as well not do this to yourself.

Play epic xwing?

Play epic xwing?

LOL

So I am trying to work out some rules to do a Squad Vs Squad battle with maybe one small ship per side. Anyone have some input, how did it work out, does this play style feel ok. Thanks in advance.

If anyone has some alt rules for this style I would be up to read them.

Without Rogue on everything, there's no point.

Bluntly, X-Wing is the better game for this, even including the small ships.

So I am trying to work out some rules to do a Squad Vs Squad battle with maybe one small ship per side. Anyone have some input, how did it work out, does this play style feel ok. Thanks in advance.

If anyone has some alt rules for this style I would be up to read them.

Without Rogue on everything, there's no point.

Bluntly, X-Wing is the better game for this, even including the small ships.

I think the new flotillas are probably your best bet for a "dedicated" squadron game.

180 points, 2 small or 1 medium ship and 2 flotillas. 60 points of squadrons.

Call it "border patrol." No Titles or Commanders, all other upgrades allowed.

Play like normal but for each distance moved during the squadron phase a squadron loses 1 attack dice. So an x-wing that moves 3 will roll 1 blue dice, if it only moves 1 it will roll 3.

What this also does is makes the squadrons less able to shoot ships if they move and gives rogue a benefit to the player.

well, I'm not sure how interesting it is as a beer & pretzels game, but I could see it as a good way to practice pushing squadrons for those of us who are newer.

I would probably give each player some notional ships who only have squadron values. (Say, 4,3 & 2) Park them & don't bother moving them

Probably the easiest way to play it would be to design a big rhymerball, (or grab one off a regionals list) and have the defender have to take it out. Attacker would get VP for every hit or crit done to the defenders fleet.

As you get better, start throwing in more bits, like ship movement, AA fire, etc.

occasionally swap sides so both people get practice attacking & defending.

This article had a great thought on squads in general, and came in really helpful for coming up with some extra rules for a campaign (I've given the squads more spotlight as a hero/Player character and also intend to create some fighter led strike/fighter horde missions for it.)

It's basically creating a Rogue upgrades for your squads

http://dockingbay416.com/ideas-to-fix-the-squadron-problem-in-star-wars-armada/

This article had a great thought on squads in general, and came in really helpful for coming up with some extra rules for a campaign (I've given the squads more spotlight as a hero/Player character and also intend to create some fighter led strike/fighter horde missions for it.)

It's basically creating a Rogue upgrades for your squads

http://dockingbay416.com/ideas-to-fix-the-squadron-problem-in-star-wars-armada/

So the comments section of that article actually brought up a great thematic point about the hyperdrive capabilities of rebel squadrons versus Imperial squadrons (short form: you wouldn't see a fight of just squadrons between Rebels and Imps as Imps need a carrier). Just an observation, not meaning to divert the conversation.

But in light of that, I tried a purely squadrons game before, and it becomes very muddled. Playing with ships gives a purpose to maneuvering. You and your opponent move squadrons with the purpose of taking out enemy ships (because that's how you win the game) if you have bombers, and you move to intercept if you have AS fighters. There are very calculable strategies depending on the deployment and movement of ships which help to shape the game and make it interesting.

Thematically, and strategically, it becomes sloppy without the ships. So you need to incorporate an objective into the game, something to give purpose to your maneuvers, other than the annihilation of the enemy force.

When I played my second time, we just grabbed a bunch of random, large items, like napkin holders, maybe a plate or 2, and said those are not able to be landed on. This gives some maneuvering corridors and restricts movement in the game, without being too deeply strategic (obvious strategies). For objectives, it could be anything like contested outpost, Intel sweep, or fire lanes, where you take a position and try to hold it or collect things.

And, finally, back to the article, I do like the upgrades he was suggesting. Though, as he noted, it would be hard to tell what is fair and works well without play testing. The rogue keyword would obviously be the most important part of an all-squadron game, but is not the end all-be all. Perhaps you could just give all of your heroes the added benefit of the Leader ability he proposed without making it an upgrade. Also, to make the game thematically interesting, you could put limits on the number of each unit you can bring to the game (i.e., you can't have more than 3 of each squadron type, so no 6 YT2400s for the rebels).

As far as playing space goes, you still need 3 feet wide, and no less than 3 feet long. This still allows speed-5 squadrons to engage on the first round, while allowing the slower ones to take positions without being threatened.

"Capture the flag" or "destroy the base" type scenarios might be the best sort of objectives to play. Most Wanted is another objective from the game you could incorporate. Opening Salvo (only add blue dice, and only for heroes?). It's really just limited by your imagination.

Destroy the base (each player places a station in their setup area with 8 hull, treated as a ship with an AS attack; win by destroying your opponent's base) would give a purpose to including bombers in creating fleets(?). I think that would be a fun scenario while also including the possibility of a draw should all of 1 players squadrons get destroyed before the other's.

As far as playing space goes, you still need 3 feet wide, and no less than 3 feet long. This still allows speed-5 squadrons to engage on the first round, while allowing the slower ones to take positions without being threatened.

"Capture the flag" or "destroy the base" type scenarios might be the best sort of objectives to play. Most Wanted is another objective from the game you could incorporate. Opening Salvo (only add blue dice, and only for heroes?). It's really just limited by your imagination.

Destroy the base (each player places a station in their setup area with 8 hull, treated as a ship with an AS attack; win by destroying your opponent's base) would give a purpose to including bombers in creating fleets(?). I think that would be a fun scenario while also including the possibility of a draw should all of 1 players squadrons get destroyed before the other's.

Could be good. But definitely a Rhymer ban for destroy the base (or a at least a rebel mirror ability

As far as playing space goes, you still need 3 feet wide, and no less than 3 feet long. This still allows speed-5 squadrons to engage on the first round, while allowing the slower ones to take positions without being threatened.

"Capture the flag" or "destroy the base" type scenarios might be the best sort of objectives to play. Most Wanted is another objective from the game you could incorporate. Opening Salvo (only add blue dice, and only for heroes?). It's really just limited by your imagination.

Destroy the base (each player places a station in their setup area with 8 hull, treated as a ship with an AS attack; win by destroying your opponent's base) would give a purpose to including bombers in creating fleets(?). I think that would be a fun scenario while also including the possibility of a draw should all of 1 players squadrons get destroyed before the other's.

I was thinking about having a Radier and Cr-90 only for moving around and there the objectives on the table. (with extra hull and a limit to only 1 damage per squad)

Would you need to limit the ships' speed as well, to allow the squadrons a chance at a shot? Maybe speed 3 tops.

May also want to consider leaving squadron commands out of the game, otherwise the raider (with exp hangars) will have an advantage over the CR90...

Would you need to limit the ships' speed as well, to allow the squadrons a chance at a shot? Maybe speed 3 tops.

May also want to consider leaving squadron commands out of the game, otherwise the raider (with exp hangars) will have an advantage over the CR90...

Yea the ships count as disabled for everything, they only move.

Hmmm, why limit to 1 damage per squad? Don't you want to incentivize people to take bombers or mixed squadrons? That's half the fun, deciding on how much Antisquadron vs anti ship to take!

That could absolutely work, just as long as there is an objective.

And one last thought: using X-wing mechanics for squadron activation.

Instead of each player activating 2 of any squadron at a time, you take turns moving the slowest squadrons first, and moving on up to the fastest squadrons. Then you take turns shooting with the fastest squads first and moving on down from there. It takes care of the rogue disparity and you don't need to worry about incorporating weird upgrades.

It would completely change the way you move your squadrons from the Armada perspective, but you would still use engagement rules, etc. from armada. It puts the rebels at a disadvantage for the attack step (as the Empire is essentially speed 4+), but the hull values should even that out. The only thing that would need to be dealt with is the rogue ability. Perhaps they just get to move then attack without waiting for the attack step. I think it could work.

And I haven't played Epic X-Wing, but I would assume the rules for that could also apply to your ships. The rules for X-Wing were made for squad fights, so it makes sense to try it out for a squad-focused game of Armada. It would be "Armada" by virtue of the components only.