Future "Scum" Faction?

By NightwindKing, in Star Wars: Armada

So I realize this has been mentioned in the past, but especially with Rogue One out and Rebels ending (thus leading to the Han Solo film and possibly new material) I wondered what everyone's thoughts were.

Will FFG ever add a 'scum' type faction like in X Wing? They have already shown a willingness to add dubiously non-canon 'Legends' ships...Which I am all for! But most of my favorite ships, I fear, will never make it into a fleet because of their alignment. Star Vipers, Hapan Battle Dragons, Pursuers, etc.

So what does everyone think? This something you would like to see, assuming it could be done well and well balanced?

I realize it is somewhat unlikely so, consider this partially a wishlist ;)

Speaking for myself... never. There are no pirate/independent capital ships I would ever want to see for Armada. In terms of gameplay balance, I would rather have the current expansion model to get more ships I want out faster than devoting time to a faction I have zero interest in. X-Wing killed the momentum for ship releases when Scum happened... making the Empire end up with the dud TIE Punisher release for a good while. The trickle of one-release ships for a good many waves is what ended part of my enthusiasm for X-Wing... along with the demands for competitive modernity to buy into ships I didn't want to fly. I do not want the same for Armada.

What makes it worse is that to catch up, FFG would have to dump a lot of scum ships into the expansion model and that's a good amount of effort going into a random faction. I'd rather that energy be put into making more Legends Imperial/Rebel ships part of the game.

Lore-wise the third factions didn't really have a reason to assemble larger ships. It makes sense in X-Wing, where smugglers run afowl of Imperial patrols or Bounty Hunters are chasing targets, but I think a scum faction is more likely to scatter than stand in fight if an Imperial battlegroup showed up. And the Rebels are more likely to court the support of those pirate factions with capital ships than fight them.

Unless Episode 8 gives us a new military power bloc distinct from the Republic/Rebels and the Empire/First Order (say something like the Yuuzan Vong... not the Vong themselves, but an extra-galactic military to rival the two sides), then it might make sense to me. But the Hapans and Chiss from Legends continuity are too small to have an impact on the galactic war and would probably join with one side or the other. I'm expecting Republic ships to be part of the Empire and Separatist ships to join the Rebellion.

lol.

So, I feel perhaps I should have said:

If you hate this idea, I am not looking for your feedback, lol. But theres always gotta be somebody eh...Since I cant figure out how to delete my thread lol, I will just say: hmm. Sorry you feel that way! I have no experience with X Wing, but I am optimistic that FFG could learn from their mistakes and do Armada better :)

Again, I am prefacing this topic with "done well and keeping things balanced".

Any thoughts from people who like the dream, no matter how impossible it seems? lol

Whenever this topic comes up, I've made this suggestion: Make a Scum-centric campaign expansion.

  • One side takes the role of a pirate warlord in the Outer Rim. The expansion provides a reason why this character has access to capital ships and squadrons by saying that he's commandeered them from raids. The Scum begin play with a small force, and the expansion provides rules for capturing enemy ships throughout the campaign, so that this faction's fleet composition is unpredictable and changes as he wins engagements.
  • Initial Scum forces include a discrete subset of acceptable forces. Some combination of any of the following ideas:
    • Generic VCX, Z-95, and Lancer from Rebel Squads II.
    • Generic Y-Wing.
    • New Scum uniques for the above.
    • Any generic version of a squadron from Rogues & Villains.
    • Boba Fett, IG-88, Dengar, Bossk.
    • A captured corvette or two of some kind.
    • New squadrons! Starviper, Khiraxz, Scyk.
  • All Scum forces are campaign-only, and the game doesn't introduce the faction as a legal tournament option. As an exception to this, perhaps an upgrade card could allow a limited number of Scum forces to be mixed into another faction's fleet list as a mercenary force.
  • If the expansion is anything less than a runaway hit, leave it at that. If the community eats it up, then consider figuring out a way to force some Scum capital ships into the universe and supporting them as tournament options.
Edited by pasewi

Ooh! Thats an awesome idea! Actually I imagine they may try something similar if CC does well...at least as far as incorporating 'NPC' force obstacles in the campaign, like the garrison at Centerpoint which either faction has to fight for control of the station, etc. Cool!

In fact, the campaign could be its own in-universe justification for a Scum faction. Introduce a Scum capital ship with a commander as the pirate warlord from the expansion. ****, this guy is suddenly more bold than any scum and villainy the Empire has dealt with before. He just might begin to pose a threat to the security of the Empire's grip on the Outer Rim. Guess we'll have to see what happens as he fights a bunch of tourney battles in Armada.

You asked for feedback NightwindKing, I'm sorry you weren't prepared for negative opinions on the matter? At least I gave reasons for my disagreement.

Faction-agnostic units could be one way to get around the matter. Say you have Mandalorian battlecruisers (if they become Canon again). They could defect to the Rebellion, be purchased by the Empire, or used by some upety independent faction or a hutt. Being agnostic means it works on any side- including it's own.

You asked for feedback NightwindKing, I'm sorry you weren't prepared for negative opinions on the matter? At least I gave reasons for my disagreement.

Faction-agnostic units could be one way to get around the matter. Say you have Mandalorian battlecruisers (if they become Canon again). They could defect to the Rebellion, be purchased by the Empire, or used by some upety independent faction or a hutt. Being agnostic means it works on any side- including it's own.

Sorry if I worded it confusingly. Youre right, I was not looking for someone to tell me why the idea is horrible and God forbid it ever come to pass. I was asking for whether FFG would consider doing so, and what people would LIKE from such a thing. Make sense?

Yeah for sure, cross faction would be sweet! Im not hung up on a third faction per se, just a greater variety in ship design and, plus, I need an excuse to use my Jabba voice in games lol :D

In fact, the campaign could be its own in-universe justification for a Scum faction. Introduce a Scum capital ship with a commander as the pirate warlord from the expansion. ****, this guy is suddenly more bold than any scum and villainy the Empire has dealt with before. He just might begin to pose a threat to the security of the Empire's grip on the Outer Rim. Guess we'll have to see what happens as he fights a bunch of tourney battles in Armada.

Now you have me fired up to write my own campaign! Haha thats a great hook! :) Probably would not be Jabba or Xizor then. What was the name of that Nar Shadda 'smuggler king' in the Rogue Squadron books?

In fact, the campaign could be its own in-universe justification for a Scum faction. Introduce a Scum capital ship with a commander as the pirate warlord from the expansion. ****, this guy is suddenly more bold than any scum and villainy the Empire has dealt with before. He just might begin to pose a threat to the security of the Empire's grip on the Outer Rim. Guess we'll have to see what happens as he fights a bunch of tourney battles in Armada.

Now you have me fired up to write my own campaign! Haha thats a great hook! :) Probably would not be Jabba or Xizor then. What was the name of that Nar Shadda 'smuggler king' in the Rogue Squadron books?

Not sure who it was in Rogue Squadron, but I'm gonna have to put my foot down and say that Azmorigan is definitively not allowed to be the pirate king of this expansion.

But yeah, one of the reasons I'm so excited for the Corellian Conflict is so that its skeleton can be used for any number of fan-made campaigns. If it's as good as the previews make it look, it will easily become my favorite way to play Armada.

Yeah for sure!

Yes, lol not Azmorigan again. Need new blood.

You kmow what would be crazy? Xim the Despot lol

I would love to see a wave with the Quasar for the empire followed by a campaign that allows the Nebulon and Quasar to be cross faction compatible first. Then maybe a pirate campaign if the cross faction units work.

Hope they keep scum factor away for a veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long time.

Wee need more old iconic ships that we love and get that Star Wars feeling when we play. And in the rate of ships they put out per year I think it would be propper to say in the year 2050.

Hope they keep scum factor away for a veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long time.

Wee need more old iconic ships that we love and get that Star Wars feeling when we play. And in the rate of ships they put out per year I think it would be propper to say in the year 2050.

What is left other than the Executor that is Iconic in the GCW?

Dreadnought and Carrack, though their shapes are a little too....funny for some to take them seriously.

Corellian Gunships and Marauder corvettes are some other examples. Assault Frigate MK-I? Bulwark Battlecruiser? CC cruisers? Mon-Remonda? Ton-Falk Escort carriers? Plenty of ships that can be listed off from any Legends source.

As far as I know the strongest pirate source from Legends is the Zahn Consortium... and I'd rather those guys never make it back in. They seemed to Mary-sue to take seriously in canon. The Corporate sector is another entity, but I think they'd be more Empire aligned. If they ever fought the Empire openly it would invite invasion and destruction from the much, much bigger Imperial forces.

There is manny here is some.

Imperial ships:

Galleon/star galleon

Assault transport

Imperial escort carrier

Carrack light cruiser

Lancer frigate

Strike cruiser

Imperial dreadnought

Rebel ships:

Bulk transport

Alliance escort carrier

Corelian gunship

CC 7700 Frigatte

CC 9600 Frigatte

Bulk Cruiser

Alliance Dreadnought

Liberator Cruiser

Dauntless Cruiser

Bulkwark Battlecruiser

Scums shouldn't stand a chance against the Empire or the Rebellion. The Empire held up a very tight order and any sum faction was either joining the Rebellion or being stomped by 3 ISDs. Any other faction must come form outside the Empire like the Hutts or the Hapes Consortium, but neither would make sense to wage war against the already existing parties. If Armada would ever get new factions it would be the Republic & CIS

Ah to have the Errant Venture, that would be nice.

In fact, the campaign could be its own in-universe justification for a Scum faction. Introduce a Scum capital ship with a commander as the pirate warlord from the expansion. ****, this guy is suddenly more bold than any scum and villainy the Empire has dealt with before. He just might begin to pose a threat to the security of the Empire's grip on the Outer Rim. Guess we'll have to see what happens as he fights a bunch of tourney battles in Armada.

Now you have me fired up to write my own campaign! Haha thats a great hook! :) Probably would not be Jabba or Xizor then. What was the name of that Nar Shadda 'smuggler king' in the Rogue Squadron books?

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Moruth_Doole

Let's not and say we didn't.

Where did you hear that Rebels was ending?

There just isn't enough Canon or EU material to make a scum faction. The only other factions really possible are the Republic and CIS. Both of those have enough canon material to make solid fleets. Nothing else does. Period.

I do not object to a third faction. Something introduced as a big 4 ship wave with 2 squad packs. Then each faction gets one ship a wave, except for the new one that gets 2 so it catches up. Once caut up, keep releases even

So many people posting to say this is a horrible idea. lol. Ok, Im done. Mods feel free to delete this thread, since I cant find a way to do it myself.

For the last time: I did NOT intend to ask whether you thought it would be a good idea or even whether you LIKE the idea, because I really dont care. I am ONLY asking A: "Would FFG ever consider making a scum faction?" and B: "If there WERE scum ships added, what would you like to see?" :) Thats it.

I have absolutely no desire to hear all the naysayers complain about how they hate it and its a horrible idea. I REALLY didnt ask that lol.

Never heard the whole "if you dont have anything nice to say..."? Lol tho I suppose this is the internet so what was I expecting...

Edited by NightwindKing

Where did you hear that Rebels was ending?

Read an interview that Im sure is up on google but cant remember the name...either the director or the disney exec said they would be done with the next season to replace it with a new show, because Rebels is just meant to lead up to Rogue One.

Where did you hear that Rebels was ending?

Read an interview that Im sure is up on google but cant remember the name...either the director or the disney exec said they would be done with the next season to replace it with a new show, because Rebels is just meant to lead up to Rogue One.

Disney paid in advance for 5 seasons. They're already halfway through the Third, and the Voice Actors have said they've alreayd worked on Season 4s dialog...

It is ending.

At the end of Season 5, as initially planned.