My friend and I are preparing to start a CC campaign. Both of us have only played a handful of games (all against each other, at least on my part), so we’re very inexperienced. What’s more, our choices are relatively limited. My friend is the one who owns all the Armada stuff, and he’s not buying any more at the moment (nor am I prepared to invest in any sets). So here’s what we have to work with:
Core Set
CC Campaign set
Victory SD
Imperial SD
Gladiator SD (x2)
Imperial Fighters pack I (only one of these)
Home One
CR90
Neb-B
MC30
Rebel Fighters I (just one pack)
That’s it! I’m playing the Imperials. I’ve decided to go with Motti and Screed as Admirals because they seem to have the easiest abilities to use well. Here are my fleets (I’ve posted the final 500-point versions; the italicized entries are what I currently plan to add as the campaign goes along).
Commander: Admiral Motti
Assault Objective: Precision Strike
Defense Objective: Fighter Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions
Gladiator II-Class Star Destroyer (62 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)
= 78 total ship cost
[ flagship ] Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer (110 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
- Relentless ( 3 points)
- Admiral Chiraneau ( 10 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
= 162 total ship cost
Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (85 points)
- Corrupter ( 5 points)
- Support Officer ( 4 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Ion Cannon Batteries ( 5 points)
= 112 total ship cost
1 Tempest Squadron ( 13 points)
1 TIE Bomber Squadron ( 9 points)
1 Black Squadron ( 9 points)
1 Zertik Strom ( 15 points)
1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)
1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
1 Saber Squadron ( 12 points)
2 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 16 points)
1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 TIE Interceptor Squadron ( 11 points)
- 2 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 16 points)
This is a bomber list because I just wanted to have a bomber list. Notice we have no Rogues and Villains set — so no Intel! Yes, I understand that with no Intel and only 3 squadrons with the Bomber keyword available this is a challenge. Still, I thought it’d be fun to try. Plus, my opponent has so far not shown any inclination towards taking lots of squadrons (though I assume his Armada skills will show some evolution as we get ready for the campaign). The ISD is the carrier, the VSD is mostly to protect its flank, and the GSD-II is there to brawl or provide AA as needed. I figure either he’ll be light on squadrons and I’ll swing the Rhymerball into his head like a flail, or else I’ll need to first win the squadron battle with my fighters (or at least tie his up) and use Rhymer and Friends to clean up in the last 2 or 3 turns.
Any advice from those who flew bomber lists in the bad old days before Intel?
Commander: Admiral Screed
Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Planetary Ion Cannon
Navigation Objective: Dangerous Territory
Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Assault Concussion Missiles ( 7 points)
= 71 total ship cost
[ flagship ] Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Admiral Screed ( 26 points)
- Avenger ( 5 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Phylon Q7 Tractor Beams ( 6 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
= 176 total ship cost
Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Assault Concussion Missiles ( 7 points)
= 85 total ship cost
Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (85 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Overload Pulse ( 8 points)
= 99 total ship cost
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)
1 Ciena Ree ( 17 points)
1 Darth Vader ( 21 points)
1 Soontir Fel ( 18 points)
Since the Empire doesn’t have access to any cheap ships, I figured it made the most sense to cram as many vessels as I could into the list upfront and then fill them out with upgrades and squadron support later. If I’m lucky, I might even out-deploy my opponent in the first round or two of the campaign.
Yeah, I know that the Overload Pulse/Avenger combo might look like a sure-fire success but is more difficult in practice to pull off. I figure that in the first game I’ll talk it up a lot and get my opponent worried about it so he won’t focus on the Gladiators coming to eat his face. If the combo actually happens, then that’s just gravy. Naturally, the Demolisher title is my first priority to add to the initial list. I don’t mind having a first game without it — my opponent and I are still learning the game in some respects and I don’t mind to throw Demolisher in as a surprise for the second round. I do worry that I don’t have much fighter cover — can these aces, paired up Fel+Vader and Rudor+Ree handle the job? Are the eventual upgrades decent? Or is there a better use for my last 100 points?
Thanks for your feedback!