Armada Point Totals

By JediPartisan, in Star Wars: Armada

When new ships were finally added to Armada, we were able to make fleets of 300 points. When Fantasy Flight created enough ships, they increased the point totals to 400 points.

Do you think Fantasy Flight will increase totals again, perhaps to 500 points, when even more ships are out?

Currently an ISD (cheapest) starts at 110 points. That's more than a quarter of your points for 1 ship. It's possible to make a three ISD list, but without many upgrades or fighters.

Should the point total be raised again? If so, what would be the cut off that makes the game unwieldly? If not, why is 400 points better? Are you struggling to make a list you would like to try, but just don't have the points to do it?

Would greater point totals make Armada feel like a real armada?

Or does the current total do the job well enough?

Personally, I believe Armada's point totals could and should be raised to 5 or even 600. More than that and turns would take too long, but with the larger totals I believe more ships would be removed quickly as we concentrate our fire.

Let me know what you think.

Edited by JediPartisan

A 500 point fighter heavy game can last 3-4 hours, 600 point game is almost guaranteed to last 4 hours, a 700 point game 4-5.

When fighter complements are relatively small the game is much faster.

A 500 point fighter heavy game can last 3-4 hours, 600 point game is almost guaranteed to last 4 hours, a 700 point game 4-5.

When fighter complements are relatively small the game is much faster.

Fighters can easily be controlled and they already do it somewhat by saying you can only spend 1/3 your points.

They could say no more than 130 points can be spent on fighters, that way the extra points go only toward ships.

400 was stated as the ultimate goal ever since the Core Set was released.

ISDs are obviously meant to fit into a 400 point list... Because they were an expansion that came out at the same time as the bump up in points.

400 is fine. It means plenty of options, but there's always more you want to add, which is good, because that's how we get choices. A 600 point Fleet could be loaded full of everything, it would make designing a list within the constraints a lot less meaningful.

That being said, playing casually at your kitchen table, you can play any number of points that you'd like.

130 points of squadrons is less than have now. You are proposing a 50% increase in overall points, but a decrease in squadron points? Seems weird.

I'd be cool with 500 points, with a 150 squadron allowance.

Not much over the current limit, but enough to add an extra ship or two. Make it feel more fleet like.

Well, nothing prevents you from running games with higher point totals. It's not like the Armada police are going to show up at your game and cite you for too many points.

You can always play with a different point total. The Corellian Conflict will even does that, and it's an FFG release. They never even say that 400 points is the official default or recommendation for the game. It's just what Organized Play events use. Far from breaking the rules, you're not even houseruling anything.

But no, I don't think FFG is likely to ever change the OP standard fleet size.

I felt this way, but after playing over 400 a few times its not for me. Less strategy seems involved as fleets dont usually have a weakness @500 pts. I love the challenge of making tough choices to make a 400 pt fleet.

Personally, I believe Armada's point totals could and should be raised to 5 or even 600.

5! You couldn't even bring a Tie Fighter! ;)

You can always play with a different point total. The Corellian Conflict will even does that, and it's an FFG release. They never even say that 400 points is the official default or recommendation for the game. It's just what Organized Play events use. Far from breaking the rules, you're not even houseruling anything.

But no, I don't think FFG is likely to ever change the OP standard fleet size.

Well, to be fair, they did say that when it changed over in the original document.

It is just that said original document is now defunct as it has been replaced with the Tournament Regulations document, which is more... Sterile... in that department...

"With the addition of Wave 2 we are finally able to bring the game to its intended level of 400 points."

Played 2x400pts VS 2x400pts today.

We where finished setting up the game around 1pm and we where finished packing our stuff around 5pm.

So a 800pts game last around 4-5 hours, give or take.

But it also very much depends on who is playing, some players are very slow to make up their mind (or overthink) when deciding to place two squadrons he/she has activated.

Others take fast decisions and stick to them regardless if it seems as an obvious mistake.

At 400, most tourney games wrap up right around the 2:00 marks. The 2:15 per round leaves plenty of time for 90% of tourney games to finish.

At 500, very few tourney games would finish. So I'm not supporting that increase.

I'm also not supporting any "cut squads to less of fleet" ideas. Saying that they take too long is an excuse. 3-4 squads activating takes less time in my games than someone fidgeting over where their raider or cr90 is going to be placed.

Edited by Church14

I think under the current tournament rules, 500 points would be unlikely due to time constraints. Perhaps if they increased the time limit it would be possible, but then can you finish 3 games that are 3 hours long in a day? I'd like to try, but I also enjoy eating.

It's funny how people treat armada like a video game.

Guys, this is a board game you can do whatever you want with it!

Edited by thorrk

Its funny you say that.

I mod my computer games more than I do Board games.\

Should explain:

Inherently, Boardgames are a Cooperative affair. No matter how competitive you are, you must have a cooperative component - and that is bringing another willing person to the table.

I find - most of the time - common ground in base rules will enable that. So that someone I don't know, coming to my table, can do so with an expectation in safety in what to expect...

Video Games? I don't have the Connection capability to play with or against anyone else, so all I have to deal with is a computer. So I mod the **** out of it to get what I want in a game. because Frankly, the **** thing can't think, and can't care, so whatever...

"The Question on weather a Computer can Think is exactly as interesting as weather a Submarine can actually Swim..."

Edited by Drasnighta

<gasps> Dras, are you an... Antidisestablishmentarianist?!!

Its funny you say that.

I mod my computer games more than I do Board games.\

Same here :)

Back on topic: I think most player would want to increase the cap because there are so many builds they can't make with only 400 points. However, playing with more points would mean they would have no training for tournaments as they would always overstretch the point limit.

<gasps> Dras, are you an... Antidisestablishmentarianist?!!

As neither a protestant or a catholic, I have no position on the potential or not for the disestablishment of the Church of England.

I wouldn't mind a boost to 500 points, but only if the squadron max was fixed to no more than 100 points (my preference is 75 with some boost to individual squadron). Since wave 3 & 4 I have noticed a noticeable increase in game length and fiddly-ness in the 30 or so games I've played, due to an increase in squadron and flotilla use. When both squadron and ship count increase the maintenance grows significantly. Pieces are often in the way of every move and just trying to figure out the squadron keyword interactions can take a minute per squad activation. Not good, and this is only going to get worse with the ~4 new squad keywords in wave 5. It feels as though most of our time playing Armada is futtzing around with measurements and moving things out of the way to move pieces. Not good Jerry, NOT GOOD!

Edited by Thraug

If you remove the ability to create squadron heavy fleets, you remove the need for squadron defense. Ergo squadrons become more or less irrelevant.

Nothing say you and a friend can not play a 500 or 600 or 1000 point game.

It only in tournaments that there is a cap. But at 400 i seen games take 90 minutes and others 2.5 hours. Did a 600 point game and it was close to 3 hours