So I saw Armada on amazon for $58 and decided to nab it. I love X-Wing (I play casually with friends and family), and thought it would be awesome to field some capital ships in a game.

Questions:

1 - Can someone provide a link for a good tutorial on youtube? I started one but I didn't find it too helpful.

2 - Are there any challenges switching from X-Wing to Armada?

3 - Any beginner tips?

4 - If playing casually, are there any expansions that should be avoided?

5 - Are there any cooperative campaigns, or "AI" for enemy ships?

I can hardly wait to blast some Rebel scum into space dust

1-I'm unsure, I'd have to look myself. I'm sure someone else will beat me to the punch and give you a couple of recommendations.

2-It's longer. MUCH longer haha. It can be difficult learning to plan some of your commands three turns ahead of time, and getting used to the maneuvering tool.

3-I've had some success starting people off with using little to no squadrons. I personally think it helps people to learn one thing at a time, and the squadron game is a learning process in and of itself. Starting off without squadrons lets you understand and appreciate the ship movement and activation order a lot more. Then once you have a handle on how ships move, then you can add in the squadrons, and learn the finer details of those. This is just the way I prefer.

4-Nope! Its really a quite balanced game and if you want to play casually you can basically get what you want to play and make it work. There are strong cards and ships (ISD, GSD, MC30), but not game breaking for casual play.

5-We've got one coming out next week apparently! I've heard a lot of people playing against themselves if they don't have anyone to play against. The Corellian Conflict coming out next week is "Co-op" I suppose. Its for 2-6 players, and theoretically it'd have to be an even number of people because it'd be 1v1, 2v2, etc... And it adds things like special objectives, and penalties for losing ships and such, but we don't know much more than that.

Welcome to the game and the community!! Glad to have you!

1 I'm can't answer this question

2 longer games

3 start slow ask questions. Buy/play what you like.

4 no expansion needs to be avoided. STRONG WARNING though: People will tell you you need 10 of these and twelve of that (exaggeration for effect) don't listen to them especially in the beginning. Buy what you like/are comfortable with. You can make fairly competitive lists or if most things. One of the best things about armada is it is quite balanced. Sure some combos work better than others but virtually everything had its place and the loud minority is usually wrong anyways.

5 a campaign system is releasing next week. But it is not against an Ai.

Welcome to the game is a great ride!

1) There's not a lot of "basic tutorial" - but plenty of examples of gameplay.... I'll keep searching.

EDIT: "Searching, Searching, Searching"

This one kinda works. Its very old though (Wave 1 release)...

2) There are quite a few issues that constantly stem up if you crossover in thoughts... Keep your Rulebook open at "Attacking" for a little while, as the Damage Resolution steps are quite different than X-Wing... They are very straightforward when considered on their own, but if you have the X=-Wing concept in mind, it can trip you up...

3) Take it slow, and keep that Rulebook nearby. Question everything in your first few games... Play the basic game out of the manual, but be ready to step it up.

4) Absolutely Not. Armada is young enough that, at the very moment, everything is quite balanced, even and enjoyable - wether its straight out of the box for Casual, or Tournament Play... COming post-Christmas, I'd probably avoid the Corellian Conflict immediately, but again, its going to expand the playstyle - Casual or Tournament.

5) No. The variety of maneuver is much wider in Armada than it is for X-Wing... Which procludes a "HotAC" style AI system... There was someone working on an AI based system for it, but honestly, I don't think it got very far...

in fact, I believe it got about this far:

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/229413-digital-game-aides-solo-playing/#entry2401268

and

We're quite helpful in the Rules Sub-Forum if you have questions going forward... I promise, I havn't devoured a Newbie in like, 6 months..... 4 months tops...

2. Apart from the face up/face down damage system there are very few similarities to X-Wing except of course Tie fighters are still fragile as hell.

3. Don't run over your own squadrons on turn one of your first game. We've all done it.

4. Mc30 is probably the most specialised pack. They can be devastating but make a mistake with them and they die easily.

2. Shoot then move (armada) vs move then shoot (X-wing). The difference in planning an attack is immense when these things are reversed.

Gets me everytime I come back to Armada. I move into position and then... get shot b/c I thought I was moving into position to shoot and realized oops.

4. Mc30 is probably the most specialised pack. They can be devastating but make a mistake with them and they die easily.

disagree, MC30 with Admonition is maybe the most durable small base ship. And even if you don't end up liking it, it comes with Turbolaser Reroute Circuits, Assault Proton Torpedoes, Lando, and Rieekan. If there's actually one to avoid when you're first starting out, it's probably the Raider. Those are way more likely to randomly die when you're learning, and don't have any essential upgrades in the expansion.

Here is a site I like.

http://xwingtactics.blogspot.com/

I've just started playing Armada and the biggest challenge has been remembering to shoot before moving. When I activate a ship I'm usually twiddling with the manoeuvre tool before realising I don't need it yet.

I played the Learn to Play scenario against myself, then with my girlfriend, and our second game was a 450 point brawl with an assault frigate, a VSD, Rogues & Villains, and the Rebel and Imperial squadron packs added to two core sets. We haven't used any objectives yet. Apart from making the deployment zones too deep (why are deployment zones not just part of the set-up rules?) we didn't have any issues. It did take all afternoon but I consider that time well spent. The Rules Reference Guide answered all our questions (even the one about deployment zones but I found it too late).

So my beginner tip is to find a friendly opponent and get stuck in with whatever ships appeal to you the most.

Finally, be prepared for ships to crash into each other. It will happen.

I've looked and never found a good you tube video tutorial. There are a few bad ones though.

The big things have already been mentioned. Shoot and then move for an activated ship and ships don't necessarily go in the same order every turn are the biggest game flow changes. Armada does not have the pilot skill mechanic where all the low number pilots move and then the high number pilots move and the high number pilots shoot. A ship shoots and moves. Another ship shoots and moves. This makes the game flow and decisions you have to make very different.

Don't bring rules baggage from X-wing over. Read the rulebook as the independent document it is and you'll be fine on that end.

If you are playing casual and want to try out upgrade cards without having to purchase the said expansions simply copy the images from the FFG previews and print them out. Unless you are playing in an official FFG tourney most people won't care. Good for specialised cards like Turbo Laser Reroute or XI-7's which only come in one expansion each.

Thanks for all the responses! Looks like Armada has a decent fanbase. I'll be bombarding the rules sub-forum in the near future I'm sure. Gonna be hard to remember "shoot then move" and taking turns activating ships. I think I'll put the fighter squadrons aside initially just to get practice maneuvering the big ships. Gonna need an ISD and some Mon Cal's in the near future...

I just played the initial core "tutorial" without squads last night. I like it!

Some initial thoughts:

- I have a 3x3 mat for X-Wing that works ok for Armada. I had a hard time not getting my corvette and frigate partially off the map since they were going at high speeds. Since my mat is only 3x3, I think I'll modify the rules so that the ship only "flees" if it's entirely off the mat.

- Initiative is a huge deal. Being able to shoot before another ship could be life or death.

- On round 6 my VSD was down to 0 shields on all hulls. The frigate rolled awful die so the VSD had a couple hp left. The frigate managed to get back to full shields on all hulls (and had full health), but was positioned in such a way that the VSD could shoot it twice at range 1. 6 die plus 1 (token) from VSD front arc took down the frigate's measly 1 side hull shield and blew it up. Love blowing up rebel scum. Too bad the miniatures don't break in half and explode after annihilating them. But then, replacing them every game would get expensive.

- Critical hits are nasty. Really nasty. My poor VSD got 2 crits over 2 rounds that decimated its shields.

- Finding range on big ships is annoying with the range ruler. I need to find a range ruler pack that includes a 1 range and 2 range ruler. Preferably not cardboard.

* Question * are there any pdf guides on ship movement, fleet formation, etc on the forums? I'd like something I can download to my iPad so pdfs work good.

I just played the initial core "tutorial" without squads last night. I like it!

Some initial thoughts:

- I have a 3x3 mat for X-Wing that works ok for Armada. I had a hard time not getting my corvette and frigate partially off the map since they were going at high speeds. Since my mat is only 3x3, I think I'll modify the rules so that the ship only "flees" if it's entirely off the mat.

- Initiative is a huge deal. Being able to shoot before another ship could be life or death.

- On round 6 my VSD was down to 0 shields on all hulls. The frigate rolled awful die so the VSD had a couple hp left. The frigate managed to get back to full shields on all hulls (and had full health), but was positioned in such a way that the VSD could shoot it twice at range 1. 6 die plus 1 (token) from VSD front arc took down the frigate's measly 1 side hull shield and blew it up. Love blowing up rebel scum. Too bad the miniatures don't break in half and explode after annihilating them. But then, replacing them every game would get expensive.

- Critical hits are nasty. Really nasty. My poor VSD got 2 crits over 2 rounds that decimated its shields.

- Finding range on big ships is annoying with the range ruler. I need to find a range ruler pack that includes a 1 range and 2 range ruler. Preferably not cardboard.

* Question * are there any pdf guides on ship movement, fleet formation, etc on the forums? I'd like something I can download to my iPad so pdfs work good.

When you move forward, you'll find a standard game is on a 6x3 Map (two mats side by side), and although flying off is still a thing, you have more room when you have more ships....

Initiative is a Huge deal. It goes hand in hand wiht Maneuver.

Crits are nasty. But sometimes you go through games without seeing many....

There are 3rd Party acrylics out there. Cog'o'Two certainly have the whole multiple ranges thing.

And there's not a lot of Guides, although ClonTroper5 did a great set on Engagement Circles and such previously... Your best bet is picking through some o the blogs like the ones that Smitty, BiggsIRL and Ardrahel have available...... Then Practice, Practice, Practice

I finally got another mat and can now play with a 6x3 play area. I've purchased a number of expansions, and am struggling to figure out what upgrades are "must include" for the various ships. For example, TRC seems to be a "must include" for the Corvettes. ECM seems like a must include for any ship with brace. What other upgrades are considered "must includes" for the following expansions that I now have? I won't be playing competitively, if that matters.

VSD

ISD

GSD

Arq. cruiser

Raider

mc30

mc80

AFM2

NebB

CR90

Thrawn86!

Can I just say? Don't know you at all - but I all ready like you for two reasons:

1) AWESOME NAME

2) You've bought in to Armada!

Welcome aboard, friend! Ohh and don't worry if you join the 'I play by Armada by myself.' band!

The models alone will justify their purchase. HEHEHEH!

Thrawn86!

Can I just say? Don't know you at all - but I all ready like you for two reasons:

1) AWESOME NAME

2) You've bought in to Armada!

Welcome aboard, friend! Ohh and don't worry if you join the 'I play by Armada by myself.' band!

The models alone will justify their purchase. HEHEHEH!

With a username like yours I sure hope you post in the X-Wing XG-1 "Star Wing" Assault Gunboat thread

Thrawn86!

Can I just say? Don't know you at all - but I all ready like you for two reasons:

1) AWESOME NAME

2) You've bought in to Armada!

Welcome aboard, friend! Ohh and don't worry if you join the 'I play by Armada by myself.' band!

The models alone will justify their purchase. HEHEHEH!

With a username like yours I sure hope you post in the X-Wing XG-1 "Star Wing" Assault Gunboat thread

Haha yeah! I've been there more than a few times!

I just posted today - Armada/X-Wing we're all family! SOLIDARITY!!!

I finally got another mat and can now play with a 6x3 play area. I've purchased a number of expansions, and am struggling to figure out what upgrades are "must include" for the various ships. For example, TRC seems to be a "must include" for the Corvettes. ECM seems like a must include for any ship with brace. What other upgrades are considered "must includes" for the following expansions that I now have? I won't be playing competitively, if that matters.

VSD

ISD

GSD

Arq. cruiser

Raider

mc30

mc80

AFM2

NebB

CR90

Get fighters and flotillas for both sides.

.... I've purchased a number of expansions, and am struggling to figure out what upgrades are "must include" for the various ships. For example, TRC seems to be a "must include" for the Corvettes. ECM seems like a must include for any ship with brace....

VSD et all...

First of all, welcome aboard, mate! Glad to see more faces around here, and like the indominable Alpha Gunboat said, great name

Lets see, when it comes to upgrades, one of the things I've found to be true is that some formulas that are powerful aren't exactly necessarily or ultimately better than other options. For example, TRCs on CR90 As are often considered to be a no-brainer choice, but I haven't run CR90's with TRCs in ages and I still place well competitively. Instead, I play CR90B's with SW-7 in little piranha packs. It's not that TRC's are bad for me, I just can't seem to make them do any heavier lifting than SW7 B's given how I seem to run my fleets.

The ways in which you choose to run aren't necessarily going to be right or wrong, experiences and natural inclinations can do more for you and shape which upgrades work best. But until then, try a lot of different archetypes and see what's the most natural and the most enjoyable!

Here's a short list: (Others almost certainly will chime in with alternatives which are just as valid in every way, shape, and form. Some may be conventional knowledge, others might not).

VSD: VSD-I with Ordinance Experts, Assault Concussion Missiles (It's cheap enough, you could drop the missiles and use the VSD as a hull wall, especially with Screed or Jerjerod. XI7's are often exceptional as VSD's best targets tend to be a little slower so they can turn to catch them at an ideal range).

ISD: ISD-II with Gunnery Teams, Leading Shots, XI7, Intel Officer (It's a typical Christmas Tree ship, big pricey gunship that hits hard).

GSD: GSD-I with Ordinance Expert, Advanced Concussion Missiles, Intel Officer (Lets be honest, the Demolisher Title and Engine Tech with Wolf or something like it are ridiculously likely to be on one GSD in your fleet. New options including Sensor Teams on a GSDII with Proton Torpedoes are very common as well to deal with critical flotillas).

Arq Cruiser: ILC with Dual Turbolaser Turrets (A lot of us, including myself, are getting used to these things. Right now, the cheap simple option of Dual Turbolaser Turrets or Turbolaser Reroute Circuits seem good and inexpensive)

Raider: Raider I with Ordinance Experts, Flachette Torpedoes (It may be thought of as a niche ship, but a lot of individuals have found good ways to run Raiders, especially Raider II with Overload pulse, or something like Ruthless Strategist, Quad Laser Turrets, Agent Kallus, Impetuous, etc).

MC30: MC30 Torpedo frigate with Ordinance Experts, H9 turbolasers, Advanced Proton Torpedoes, (And Admonition with Lando on one MC30, personally. It's such a surprisingly tough little thing that can deal with flotillas and slippery types of ships well).

MC80 (Home One): MC80 Assault Cruiser with Electronic Countermeasures, Reinforced Blast Doors, Damage Control Officer, Medical Teams, Leading Shots (Pricey as you can imagine, but a tanky frigging ship that might not be a terrible flagship for a large vessel).

MC80 (Liberty): MC80 Star Cruiser with Gunnery Teams, Leading shots (Relatively cheap, I don't have to splurge on much if I use Mon Karren, though SW-7's with Sato becomes very fun)

RAF: B with Flight Controllers, Expanded Hangar Bay, Electronic Countermeasures (Another flight platform, they can also make fairly decent gunships)

Nebulon B: Escort frigate with Flight Commander, Fighter Coordination Teams (And Yavaris, essentially. Though a cheap Salvation in conjunction with Sato is fantastic, too)

CR90: B with SW7. (That's it, cheap as chips and very consistent. Though I do like A's with TRC, Jaina's light, and an officer like Leia or Asohka hiding behind a larger ship or darting off for objectives)

Special note, as said before, to the new flotillas which are great. This isn't some 'follow it to the letter guide', but just a reference of what worked for me given my usual methods when others chime in.

Honestly play what you like! I throw Hon Solo in fleets sometimes just because and I usually fly way to many X-wings but for me that's Star Wars and makes it fun!

I finally got another mat and can now play with a 6x3 play area. I've purchased a number of expansions, and am struggling to figure out what upgrades are "must include" for the various ships. For example, TRC seems to be a "must include" for the Corvettes. ECM seems like a must include for any ship with brace. What other upgrades are considered "must includes" for the following expansions that I now have? I won't be playing competitively, if that matters.

VSD

ISD

GSD

Arq. cruiser

Raider

mc30

mc80

AFM2

NebB

CR90

Get fighters and flotillas for both sides.

Totally forgot to mention those! I have the 1st rebel squadrons pack, and Imps 1 & 2 squadron packs. I don't get flotillas. Why get a flotilla when you can have a CR90 or more squadrons?

Question, what are Flechette torps, and what expansion do they come in?

I finally got another mat and can now play with a 6x3 play area. I've purchased a number of expansions, and am struggling to figure out what upgrades are "must include" for the various ships. For example, TRC seems to be a "must include" for the Corvettes. ECM seems like a must include for any ship with brace. What other upgrades are considered "must includes" for the following expansions that I now have? I won't be playing competitively, if that matters.

VSD

ISD

GSD

Arq. cruiser

Raider

mc30

mc80

AFM2

NebB

CR90

Get fighters and flotillas for both sides.

Totally forgot to mention those! I have the 1st rebel squadrons pack, and Imps 1 & 2 squadron packs. I don't get flotillas. Why get a flotilla when you can have a CR90 or more squadrons?

Question, what are Flechette torps, and what expansion do they come in?

Mostly, its because a Flotilla can activate 2 Squadrons, for less than half the points cost of a CR90.

And doesn't even start to mention the Unique Upgrade type to Flotillas (Fleet Support)

Fletchette Torpedoes are in the Phoenix Home (Pelta) Expansion, Brand new... While attacking a Squadron, you can spend a Black Die with a Crit Symbol and toggle a Squadron's activation Slider to "Activated", effectiely, shutting them down before they do anything.

Good stuff guys! Thanks!

Next question, which Rebel and Imperial squadrons are considered best for the anti-squadron or anti-ship role? Boba seems good, but pricey. I would never have more than 100 points go to squads, and would prefer to use as few as possible with the Imperials. Rebels seem like they need squadron anti-ship help though.