So with the newest wave of X-wing, Absolutely non of the ships interest me, sadly, including the new C-ROC, so I started sniffing around Armada, and randomly decided to get a few sets. Im avoiding the core set for now, till I save for it, but I figured to get a few for display on a shelf. Gotta say, dispite how tiny they are, they are indeed pretty detailed, and a single package of Imperial Fighters II and a Imperial Light Cruiser, looks quite intimidating aiming towards a lone CR-90! It almost reminded me of playing Empire at war. Here is hoping FFG Decides to release a Venator down the line for both Imperial and Rebel forces to be able to use, would be a instant buy. (And Yes, i know about shape ways, Still weary about 3D Printing and everything....)

As a new possible player after i get the core set, anything major I need to let go from X-wing going to Armada, or is absolutely nothing strategy wise worth keeping in my head.

3 minutes ago, Zeoinx said:

So with the newest wave of X-wing, Absolutely non of the ships interest me, sadly, including the new C-ROC, so I started sniffing around Armada, and randomly decided to get a few sets. Im avoiding the core set for now, till I save for it, but I figured to get a few for display on a shelf. Gotta say, dispite how tiny they are, they are indeed pretty detailed, and a single package of Imperial Fighters II and a Imperial Light Cruiser, looks quite intimidating aiming towards a lone CR-90! It almost reminded me of playing Empire at war. Here is hoping FFG Decides to release a Venator down the line for both Imperial and Rebel forces to be able to use, would be a instant buy. (And Yes, i know about shape ways, Still weary about 3D Printing and everything....)

As a new possible player after i get the core set, anything major I need to let go from X-wing going to Armada, or is absolutely nothing strategy wise worth keeping in my head.

Tactical precepts like the OODA loop, maximizing force on target, all those sorts of overall strategic insights you may have gleaned from your days in X-wing are all perfectly valid. However, (bearing in mind I have played exactly one game of X-wing) the games are nothing alike, and you should be very patient with yourself for the first few games, potentially having the rulebook open next to you as you play so you can get a feel for the new system. Best of luck, Admiral, and congratulations on the promotion.

Objectives, objectives, objectives! I played my first couple of games without them and wasn't sure about the game. Once I started using objectives I absolutely fell in love with it. It's what really makes Armada a more in-depth, strategic game than X-Wing. All the mechanical differences are easy to adjust to (firing before moving, activating in turn rather than by pilot skill, etc). I've been playing X-Wing since it's release but I'd easily never pick up my X-Wing ships if I could solely play Armada.

Forget everything you know about crits. Every Xwing player I teach Armada to has a hard time wrapping their head around crits in Armada.

If you enjoyed EaW you'll feel right at home

1 hour ago, Tirion said:

If you enjoyed EaW you'll feel right at home

So massing X-wing fighters against Star Destroyers is a viable tactic? xD

19 minutes ago, Zeoinx said:

So massing X-wing fighters against Star Destroyers is a viable tactic? xD

Well. . . more like massing B-Wings, as X-Wings have that fickle red die. . .

Just now, NobodyInParticular said:

Well. . . more like massing B-Wings, as X-Wings have that fickle red die. . .

Please tell me X-Wing fighters are more useful then that are in the ironicly named X-Wing Table top game by also by FFG.....

1 minute ago, Zeoinx said:

Please tell me X-Wing fighters are more useful then that are in the ironicly named X-Wing Table top game by also by FFG.....

Well I haven't played X-Wing, but as the primary source of Escort in the Rebellion, and with heroes such as Wedge (2 more blue dice attack against activated squads, black die anti-ship), Luke (ignores shields on ships, black die anti-ship), and Biggs (shuffles damage around squads with Escort) they are most certainly effective and can be flown as the sole fighter-cover of a fleet, excepting perhaps with Jan Orrs, who lets them use her defense tokens. Indeed, Biggs, 4 X-Wings and Jan make up the fighter complement of my newest fleet.

When you start playing, do not take any XWing rules knowledge over with you without rechecking first. While the rule set is similar, there are important differences. Example: You can reroll the same die multiple times and you can only resolve a single critical hit effect no matter how many crit symbols you got.

That said XWings are going strong, they are great allrounders with good anti-squadron attack. While they are not the primary choice for a bomber role, they can still do a respectable job. Fitting after all, the YWings were the first choice bombers for the trench run at Yavin for a reason.

Hello there! Tons of great info here for anyone looking to dive into Armada, as deep or as shallow as they intend to go. The search function is your friend, as is the fleet builds subforum. Throw a fleet together in Armada Warlords, Fabs Fleet Generator, or the fleetbuilding app and post it there.

But more so than anything, take it easy, relax, have fun, and play what you like because Armada is still fortunately at the place where the combos are just developing and the game is opening up.

1 hour ago, Zeoinx said:

Please tell me X-Wing fighters are more useful then that are in the ironicly named X-Wing Table top game by also by FFG.....

Yes. It's one my preferred methods actually. You'll find the red dice to be fickle, but it can be evened out with a Bomber Command Center. Biggs+Nora+Jan+as many X-Wings as you can manage is a legitimate all-around threat.

17 minutes ago, Truthiness said:

Yes. It's one my preferred methods actually. You'll find the red dice to be fickle, but it can be evened out with a Bomber Command Center. Biggs+Nora+Jan+as many X-Wings as you can manage is a legitimate all-around threat.

Oh good, I almost got scared that FFG and Disney had a grudge against better designed lore and pilots for a moment....

11 minutes ago, Zeoinx said:

Oh good, I almost got scared that FFG and Disney had a grudge against better designed lore and pilots for a moment....

As an Imperial commander primarily, when I see the other guy plop down a pile of X-wings period, but especially with either/both of Jan and Biggs, and I don't have significant anti-squadron capability, I immediately change my calculus from "Sweep the skies" to "Hold them off as long as I can, casualties be d*****". Even swarms of TIE Defenders, which normally chew through even the toughest Rebel fighters without too much trouble pause when encountering well-flown, well-supported X-wings.

8 hours ago, GiledPallaeon said:

Tactical precepts like the OODA loop, maximizing force on target, all those sorts of overall strategic insights you may have gleaned from your days in X-wing are all perfectly valid. However, (bearing in mind I have played exactly one game of X-wing) the games are nothing alike, and you should be very patient with yourself for the first few games, potentially having the rulebook open next to you as you play so you can get a feel for the new system. Best of luck, Admiral, and congratulations on the promotion.

OODA loops...I don't think I have ever used that in a sentence that wasn't combined with humor or sarcasm.

2 hours ago, Flare_22 said:

OODA loops...I don't think I have ever used that in a sentence that wasn't combined with humor or sarcasm.

Psstt...is it a good or bad thing that I dont exactly know what a OODA LOOP is? Also, He knows im a general right, I still need to be in the cockpit of a fighter, if low rank is good enough for Wedge and Salm, its good enough for me!

In my last CC game, even with my victory assured, i had to kill Wedge when I had the chance, just to kill the SOB!

I am a recent "converted" as well and I am loving Armada. I got burned out on having to play meta/semi-meta list even in our weekly "casual" tournaments. I started HotAC and that was the most fun I had in X-Wing since I began playing. I am not versed enough in Armada to expand my builds out to all the possibilities yet and that is a great feeling. I am also slow on learning the objectives, I still go for the kills, but aside from one regular game I have been playing CC.

8 hours ago, Zeoinx said:

Psstt...is it a good or bad thing that I dont exactly know what a OODA LOOP is? Also, He knows im a general right, I still need to be in the cockpit of a fighter, if low rank is good enough for Wedge and Salm, its good enough for me!

This is OODA loops. I tend to just spout things like that (Example), forgetting that I have an absurdly deep knowledge bank that may not always translate well, so please call me out. And it took fifteen years and multiple bets for Ackbar to get General Antilles out of an X-wing and onto the command bridge of a proper starship, so if you have to see yourself leading the attack in your own X-wing stand, by all means paint it bright gold so I can snipe it first.

OODA is something you've probably already been doing if you've been gaming for any length of time.

I work with inner city junior high age kids, and I teach them OODA loop exercises to help foster and create autonomous and rational decision making skills. I feel like it is one of the most helpful tools I give them, and you can really see the impact it has on them when they are given a structure that leads them to a sense of agency in their own life.

In gaming and in life, OODA is a useful tool to put a name to something that is often subconscious but can so easily break down unintentionally.

Best advice I can give for an X-wing player coming over to Armada. Pretend they aren't made by the same company. There are so many assumptions I made about Armada from my experience in X-wing that are totally different. Things like measuring distances from cardboard rather than plastic, being able to re-roll re-rolls, being able to pre-measure and others. Don't assume any rule works the same way it does in X-wing. As a player who really enjoys both games I really have to hand it to FFG for making the games so differently.

So I finally got my Rebel Fighters I Pack, and my god, I officially tip my hat, my shirt, and hell why not, my pants to the painters of these bloody teeny tiny ships..... I know there are minature brushes, and bla bla, but my...god....they...are...SMALL....

The Tie Defenders and Phantoms look possible, but the Rebel ships..... my painters hand is already shaking in fear...on top of the normal shake....

Welcome to Armada!

Biggest changes from X-Wing are that you shoot first, then move... and there are no defense dice. It takes people awhile to get used to those things, but you'll get it.

As a result tactics will be different, but the same mindset can still apply on a general level.

57 minutes ago, Crabbok said:

Welcome to Armada!

Biggest changes from X-Wing are that you shoot first, then move... and there are no defense dice. It takes people awhile to get used to those things, but you'll get it.

As a result tactics will be different, but the same mindset can still apply on a general level.

I dunno, man, that 'shoot first, then move' and 'no defense dice'...those were pretty easy. I don't think I've ever seen someone make that mistake. 'Shoot, then move' is easy enough, and as to defense dice...well, it's pretty obviously right from the parts you have in front of you - obviously no defense dice.

@Swusn has the right of it, here. It's the rules for crits that completely burn the brains out of most folks coming over from X-Wing. Or, indeed, most other games. They are handled...oddly. I guess I'd say. I mean, I like the effect, but it's...not easy to explain without diving into the entire combat resolution sequence in detail, and that's overkill 90% of the time (and scares people off).

The other big ones I've hit as issues from people coming over from X-Wing are:

• Premeasuring.
• Re-rolling re-rolls.
• The whole command dial + command token thing. When they can be used in a turn, in what way, etc. It's a lot different from X-Wing, where a focus is a focus is a focus - doesn't matter how, were, or when you get the token, or in what order, or at the same time as what, or etc. Once you have it, you have it, and can use it at any time you want, or not, or use some now and some later, and etc. Commands in Armada are nothing at all like that in any way.

So there are a few major difference s between X-Wing and Armada. I'll try and run down the 3 or 4 most important.

1: Attacks and movement: For ships these are reversed in all except one instance (the Demolisher title upgrade, which is fairly OP).

2: Objectives: Unlike in X-Wing, nearly every game of Armada at the casual through tournament level has a key objective which may take the form of attacking ships in a specific way, flying to specific areas, or defending a particular area of the board. It is entirely possible to decisively win an engagement without destroying any enemy ships or squadrons if you've properly played certain objectives. Disengaging to preserve fleet strength or deny points is entirely appropriate because...

3: Game Length: While much has been said about Armada taking longer to play than X-Wing, the tournament format is limited to only 6 full rounds. This makes early game setup and maneuvering very important. Poor setup in the early game may leave ships or squadrons completely unable to engage. Conversely, smart setup may allow you to engage, score key objective points or destroy threatening enemy ships, and then escape out of engagement range by the time the enemy has a chance to return fire.

4: Unlike in X-Wing, Defenses are static yes/no checks. Do you have a defensive token? Can you spend that token? If the answer is yes, then determine what effect it will have. Because defenses are static and attacks are random, Armada allows you to improve those attacks drastically by methods such as multiple rerolls, setting dice to specific facings, reducing the effects of the defenses, etc. The first time you get hit by an Assault Proton Torpedo that sends damage through your shields and turns them off before the remaining damage goes through you'll probably be furious. but you can have all the tools to either respond in kind or mitigate that reliability.