Note: Play what you like... but if you want to optimize fun/competitiveness on a budget. This is how I would collect. This assumes that two friends just want to play. Go one faction if that's your thing.

Haha... buy one of each... but here's the order I'd get.

1. Core Set (Buy the titles for Corvette and Neb-B in secondary market. They should be cheap.)

2. Gladiator (Empire) (The infamous Demolisher. All-rounder. Learn to fly a brawler.)

3. Assault Frigate Mk 2 (Rebel) ("Guppy" - All-rounder.)

4. Rebel/Imperial Squadron Pack

5. ISD (Empire) (Iconic Star Wars)

6. Home One (Rebel) (Iconic Star Wars)

7. MC30 (Rebel) ("Shrimp"- comes with Ordnance Experts, Turbolaser Reroute Circuits and Assault Proton Torpedoes)

8. Rogues & Villains

9. Rebel II/Imperial II Squadron Pack

10. Flotilla (Gozanti/GR-75)

11. Corellain Conflict

12. Liberty/Interdictor/Corvette/Neb-B/Raider

13. Victory

Agree with your rankings, with 12 and 13 being completely optional thus far. ..

Are your rankings based on the ship? Because there are some pretty good upgrades for waves 3+4 even if you don't play the ships.

I would consider flotillas to be higher since they are played in nearly every list, but I suppose that is because experienced players understand the activation game.

@Undead

Hmm... if you go completely by upgrades, I would say Interdictor would have to be first in that grouping (Flight Commander and Fighter Coordination Team).

As for flotillas, I put them there because they make what you already have better... you kinda need what's ahead of them first to maximize their impact. Additionally, $20 MSRP to add 20-30pts of your 400 pt fleet is not cost effective. Along with being iconic, that's why Home One/ISD are so high. I contend that squadron packs give you the most bang for your bucks (in terms of play variety and points).

Wait. .. Victory gives Intel officer and motti. .. probably should be higher

Wait. .. Victory gives Intel officer and motti. .. probably should be higher

Nebs have intel officer too.

Wait. .. Victory gives Intel officer and motti. .. probably should be higher

Nebs have intel officer too.

And they're deliberately not on the list, too

Wait. .. Victory gives Intel officer and motti. .. probably should be higher

Nebs have intel officer too.

And they're deliberately not on the list, too

#12

"Important end of the List" then

Think of this list...as what would you get for a slow-grow league... I would argue that you can get by with Screed for a little bit...

For bang for the buck, I will say the MC30 is the best value in the game. Since it also gives you Rieekan.

@Undead

Hmm... if you go completely by upgrades, I would say Interdictor would have to be first in that grouping (Flight Commander and Fighter Coordination Team).

As for flotillas, I put them there because they make what you already have better... you kinda need what's ahead of them first to maximize their impact. Additionally, $20 MSRP to add 20-30pts of your 400 pt fleet is not cost effective. Along with being iconic, that's why Home One/ISD are so high. I contend that squadron packs give you the most bang for your bucks (in terms of play variety and points).

You are totally right about flotillas. Didn't consider how much you are paying compared to points.

The two key questions are:

1. What do you want to get out of the game?

2. What is your budget?

When I bought into the game, I purchased the Core set and each of the core set ships. The key here is that these specific ships go more frequently on sale than nearly anything else and at the cheapest discounts. So that's a really good point to buy into the game. At the beginning, people are exploring and often look to sample what the game is about. I had no idea how competitive I'd become when I bought in, so trying to figure out competitiveness had little to do with the buy order.

Beyond that, I'd agree that Glad, AFII, and a squadron pack each represent a pretty good sampler of the game. When someone is buying into the game, this is often the point at which the early budget caps out. That's enough to get a sense of the game, plays some casual starter games at 200 or 300 points (and someone mentioned in another thread that playing smaller games with smaller ships on a 3x3 is a great way to demo the game and start people off on it), and get a sense for what you like and don't like about the game. That experience can then direct your future purchases.

Even better, if you can find someone who is getting out and selling their entire collection at a discount, you can get a jump start on everything. We've got 2-3 people selling limited collections of wave 1-2 units right now, and its making it easier for our new players to buy into the game.

1. Starter set

2. Corvette

3. Corvette

4. Corvette

5. Extra measurement tool to control the varying speeds of your corvette

6. Rogues and Villians

7. Repeat Step 6 x number of times where x = how you rank your desire to be a troll on a scale of 1-8

8. Vial for tears, yours or your opponents to be discovered.

9. 1.5" x 2.5" frames for your extra Mon Mothma cards, to hang around the house and put by your bedside table.

But if we're being serious, Q's list is almost identical to the order in which I bought my stuff minus the Imperials, since I don't play them very much. All my Rebels were pretty much bought in that order

4-5 extra workdays on Saturday, and you can buy everything in one go. Also, talk to the retailer that you want to buy this and this and that, and Ask how much discount you can get. Trust me, They have a Good margin they can play with, and theyll happy to have your 500-1000$/£ with smaller profit than letting anoher retailer get your money. I did this When i started the game this summer, and with w5 pre-order. No, i dont have family. but i Hope it helps you a bit. Also, if you cant spend that much, find someone who wants to buy too, and buy together.

Fantastic info! I'm setting up a list that mirrors these thoughts l, save 3 MC99s and 20 Corvettes (haha!). I think I'll try to find someone looking to ditch a collection while I'm at it....that could be a good thing as long as they weren't nuts and had 3of everything. I'd love an ISD just for the iconic nature and the fact that it probably isn't the best ship to field; I'm odd that way; so very lovingly used would be the way to go with that one. Is there a trading/selling forum?

4 MC30s and the core.

Fleet sorted.

Enjoy.

Wait. .. Victory gives Intel officer and motti. .. probably should be higher

Flight Controllers too. So it's actually near the top

Buy one Core set, Manoeuvre tool pack and Dice pack.

Buy two of each Large and Medium ships.

Buy three of each Flotilla and Small ships.

Buy four of each Squadron pack.

Play game and find out you are a master at it

Buy more Armada stuff.

Or

Play game and find out you suck at it.

Pile all your Armada stuff in your backyard and burn it.

:P