For those arguing against any and all faction additions...the game is either going to run out of material for actual ships, or it will be so saturated with ships, fighters and upgrades that they will stall out and start coming up with absolute garbage. The gameplay mechanics of Armada itself is an awesome platform for minis, so the future of the game, after they've nearly exhausted the Galactic Civil War, is to include other eras. Allow different eras to compete for competitive play, restrict it for campaigns.

It is, after all, Star Wars: Armada, not Star Wars: Galactic Civil War. Scum can fit within and span across Factions, but it's hard to compose a scum faction for campaign purposes, which is the future of this game.

The future of armada will be campaigns, not minis. And it will take a few more years to run out of ships for the two sides.

As a new player, that prefers narrative/campaign style play over tournaments, I would love for some items that aren't cardboard to enhance that play style. A station, some transports/freighters, and system/sector security type ships/squadrons and some pirate stuff. This probably stems from my miniatures background with (Classic) Battletech and Babylon 5 Wars as well as playing a ton of X-Wing and TIE Fighter when they released in the early 90s.

This stems from preferring a narrative objective system instead of the existing 'choose a card' system. For example, have about 50-100pts of Imperial military cargo vessels being transported and protected by escorts. The Rebels have to raid the convoy. Imperial reinforcements show up round 3 or so (not a fan of limiting to 6 rounds either). The rebels have to destroy or capture (no good rules for this, yet) as much of the initial convoy as they can and escape before being destroyed. Victory is determined by points lost and destroyed/protected.

I don't think it's appropriate or fitting for Armada to have a new faction - unless it's First Order and Resistance factions. This game is supposed to simulate the kind of battles we see above the forest moon of Endor, or above Scarif.

X-Wing makes total sense to have a scum faction, because the movies are filled with glimpses of bounty hunters and their small ships, dogfighting, etc... but there's nothing to support there'd be any Armada-scale large fleet in nucanon.

I'd love an Death Star Assault (I and II) campaigns that introduce actual gameplay elements of a fleet surviving a space battle long enough to send in squadrons to attack weak points, with functional Death Star mechanics, including the surface Turbo Laser Turrets, and the trench.

Armada isn't large fleets though - it's small to medium-sized fleets. The Battle Of Nar Shaddaa makes for a good EU "Scum vs Empire" battle - and there's lots of other examples, possibly for Scum vs Rebels too, that don't require us to use Tyber Zann.

I can agree that Scum could work better as a campaign pack, a "hybrid" - rather than building lots of unique capital ships, they'd capture them from both sides.

Armada isn't large fleets though - it's small to medium-sized fleets. The Battle Of Nar Shaddaa makes for a good EU "Scum vs Empire" battle - and there's lots of other examples, possibly for Scum vs Rebels too, that don't require us to use Tyber Zann.

I can agree that Scum could work better as a campaign pack, a "hybrid" - rather than building lots of unique capital ships, they'd capture them from both sides.

Not only is that relegated to 'legends' status now, it was a pretty awful story. Furthermore, the whole battle was rigged before it ever even took place.

Scum has to be represented in the game somehow at some point because they are integral to the plot and feel of Star Wars.

I hope we get a campaign that stimulates them even if they arent a third faction or have minis.

Scum has to be represented in the game somehow at some point because they are integral to the plot and feel of Star Wars.

I hope we get a campaign that stimulates them even if they arent a third faction or have minis.

Rogues & Villains. You can play with Boba Fett, Dengar, Bossk, and IG-88. That's basically every Scum pilot that is in the movies.

Purely speaking from a "follow the money" perspective, I would suspect if there are going to be additional factions, it will be out of material that is released in the future. Resistance / First Order would be the obvious low-hanging fruit, as more is going to be produced in that vein going forward.

Failing that, I would look for things in the spin-off movies (e.g. Rogue One) and the cartoons (Rebels). The rate of canon material being added is significant enough that FFG probably has a healthy base and their hands full just from that.

Thus, I wouldn't expect scum as a faction (unless they suddenly show up in size in the movies) purely from a "what makes monetary sense to produce" perspective.

I'm a newbie to Armada, a real green one; but I am really into X-Wing and, I have a differing opinion. I don't think a Scum faction is a good idea at all in Armada. Beyond the idea of Capital ships (which they have none) battling it out, the Scum faction, by their own intent, live on the margins, exist in the shadows, bent on pride and money; they have no reason to try and control entire systems.

It is kind of a rub in X-Wing too, if you really think about it. In the core cannon (Episode IV, V, and VII) that started this whole universe, they were bounty hunters, hired to preform jobs. In this, FFG got it right in having Boba originally an Empire faction. But, I think the idea of another completely separate faction was kinda forced due to the desire of creating another avenue to expand the game, maybe money was a powerful driver (as it should be with Scum). Think about it, Han Solo himself could be described as Scum that worked with the Rebels. In addition, Dash Rendar is a Rebel, but is also a scummy character. Bossk, IG88, Dengar, etc. are hired mercenaries aligned with the Empire. I'm not regretting FFG's decision for the Scum faction (although it brought some bad elements to the game: Jumpmasters, Zuckuss, etc.), but they should be "hire-able" by the Rebels or Empire for squad points, or something. It just doesn't sit all that great with me that they are a faction equal to the Rebels and the Empire....it's just plain weird.

With that rabbit trail over, it's my real hope the Scum faction stays in X-wing where it really doesn't belong.

You could also mix in some Rebel stuff that is commonly used by Scum - the Corvette, the Headhunter squadrons, etc.

Even TIEs, and Star Destroyers sometimes (Kybo Ren from Droids used a Gladiator + TIEs).

I know Disney has been very resistant to it, but I'd rather see a new Armada:Clone War starter and two new factions than an attempt to shoehorn in a third faction.

Do we have solid established, canon, scum ships that would be legit medium sized threats? I can't think of any. We have legends authors with pet warlords or flash in the pan pocket empires... None of those should be in. Hopefully we'll see some new and diverse FO/R stuff in Ep:8. But until then, the prequels may have been story telling drudgery, but they did provide rich and diverse fleet assets and capital ships that would look great on the table, IMO.

I'm a newbie to Armada, a real green one; but I am really into X-Wing and, I have a differing opinion. I don't think a Scum factionis a good idea at all in Armada. Beyond the idea of Capital ships (which they have none) battling it out, the Scum faction, by their own intent, live on the margins, exist in the shadows, bent on pride and money; they have no reason to try and control entire systems.

It is kind of a rub in X-Wing too, if you really think about it. In the core cannon (Episode IV, V, and VII) that started this whole universe, they were bounty hunters, hired to preform jobs. In this, FFG got it right in having Boba originally an Empire faction. But, I think the idea of another completely separate faction was kinda forced due to the desire of creating another avenue to expand the game, maybe money was a powerful driver (as it should be with Scum). Think about it, Han Solo himself could be described as Scum that worked with the Rebels. In addition, Dash Rendar is a Rebel, but is also a scummy character. Bossk, IG88, Dengar, etc. are hired mercenaries aligned with the Empire. I'm not regretting FFG's decision for the Scum faction (although it brought some bad elements to the game: Jumpmasters, Zuckuss, etc.), but they should be "hire-able" by the Rebels or Empire for squad points, or something. It just doesn't sit all that great with me that they are a faction equal to the Rebels and the Empire....it's just plain weird.

With that rabbit trail over, it's my real hope the Scum faction stays in X-wing where it really doesn't belong.

The issues with X-Wing's Jumpmaster 5Ks and Zuckuss aren't the fault of the new faction - just the fault of improper balancing. That could have happened with any expansion.

Other than that, I agree that Scum doesn't have the organization or liklihood to stand up against the Empire or Rebels with a fleet.

In the newcanon, Scum had enough organization to capture a Super Star Destroyer from the Empire and use it for piracy (Aftermath: Life Debt).

If they can do that, they can capture smaller ships and organize them into a small fleet.

In the newcanon, Scum had enough organization to capture a Super Star Destroyer from the Empire and use it for piracy (Aftermath: Life Debt).

If they can do that, they can capture smaller ships and organize them into a small fleet.

That was post-battle of Endor and the Super Star Destroyer was severely understaffed and lacked fleet support. An impressive feat for pirates nonetheless, but wouldn't have been possible under normal conditions.

Though I would find it both sad and hilarious if FFG introduced a Fringe/Scum & Villainy faction by having their first ship be the stolen SSD.

I'm actually completely OK with Armada running out of new ship types to create models of. Add new cards for admirals, captains and officers; add new objectives; add new titles and upgrades. I'll happily pay for several boxes of cardboard a year.

Keep the original product valid (don't make the X-Wing mistake of making wave 1 irrelevant).

I want my Armada games to *look like Star Wars *

I know Disney has been very resistant to it, but I'd rather see a new Armada:Clone War starter and two new factions than an attempt to shoehorn in a third faction.

Do we have solid established, canon, scum ships that would be legit medium sized threats? I can't think of any. We have legends authors with pet warlords or flash in the pan pocket empires... None of those should be in. Hopefully we'll see some new and diverse FO/R stuff in Ep:8. But until then, the prequels may have been story telling drudgery, but they did provide rich and diverse fleet assets and capital ships that would look great on the table, IMO.

Lol at all these people saying armada might die if scum was introduced. The same thing was said about x wing and it's incredibly popular with a huge tournament following.

In Tarkin there are basically proto proto rebels that have modified separatist capital ships and even a lurcrehulk (droid control ship). There's an entire battle based around this in the book. There have and are groups that have stood up to the Empire and in the moment can go up against one or two Imperial Star Destroyers. In this game in most non CC lists two ISDs is as much as ISD based lists can field. Your darn right if a pirate gang with enough salvaged ships could cause some havoc against small imperial patrols in the outer rim.

As someone pointed out in the other thread, its not about representing an entire faction the size of the rebels or the Empire. No one is doubting that any scum or pirate group would EVER be able to match the Empire in a full scale war. This game however ISNT about waging the entire galactic civil war. We are admirals. We fight battles. Now we fight campaigns but only within contained areas of space. In that sense its entirely thematic with the game

The point of a "third faction" would be an instance or battle where a whole bunch of pirates and scum rallied their ships in a pitched battle with the Empire. If they win they win but that DOESNT mean they win the war, its just representative of that skirmish or battle.

For those arguing against any and all faction additions...the game is either going to run out of material for actual ships, or it will be so saturated with ships, fighters and upgrades that they will stall out and start coming up with absolute garbage. The gameplay mechanics of Armada itself is an awesome platform for minis, so the future of the game, after they've nearly exhausted the Galactic Civil War, is to include other eras. Allow different eras to compete for competitive play, restrict it for campaigns.

It is, after all, Star Wars: Armada, not Star Wars: Galactic Civil War. Scum can fit within and span across Factions, but it's hard to compose a scum faction for campaign purposes, which is the future of this game.

With the release schedule FFG appears to be following in relation to the movies, we'll have enough new starships in the forseeable future to not have that problem. If it's not Episode 8, it'll be the Han Solo movies. More, if that live action series takes off. Rebels is also a constant source of new ships. Not to mention all the Legends content for each faction that is desired, but taking a backseat to canon designs.

So I think the health of the game will be fine without resorting to using scum ships.

I also don't see how Scum is so integral to the Star Wars Universe when the only threat they've had is to our main characters, specifically Han's relation to Jabba. This, contrast to the Galaxy-spanning empire building planet-destroying battlemoons and the widespread open resistance to them. Jabba couldn't care less if the Death Star Existed; in fact he'd find some way to profit off of it. So why should he maintain a large fleet of his own when he can influence the empire through racketeering with supplies and cutting shady deals- both of which do not require large, armed spacecraft.

I just want U-Wings.

Tiny, tiny u-wings.

Give me republic/ separatist if more faction needed

I'm in love with those ships

I don't think there should be for a few reasons to do with thematics etc.

But another big question is how could you meaningfully distinguish a third party from the Empire that wouldn't just look like Rebels 2.0? Rebels are the very definition of a ragtag collection of criminals operating a functional navy.

This aspect is especially highlighted in Rogue One, where it was a tenuous proposition to attack Scarif with nearly everything they had anyway.

I mean, compared to the Rebels previews and what we saw in Rogue One, only one MC80 is unaccounted for I think. And that could be the ONE ship evacuating Mon Mothma and the surviving central command staff from Yavin to a safe location.