My friend and I are planning to attend our first store tournament out here in Southern California. We have been playing Armada casually with each other and another couple friends for two years now but wanted to expand our horizons. I couldn't find it anywhere but I know that there are some specific "do's and don'ts" associated with more competitive play. Is there a list of things to expect as far as rules go or should I just go back over the rule booklet more carefully? I am thinking that it is probably more strict about squadron movement, maneuver tool placement/movement, etc.

I also got my range ruler "adjusted" by my 2 year old and thus I was forced to invest in a third party acrylic one (Applied Perspective I think?). Is that going to be a major problem or something that can be worked out with opponents? My buddy also hasn't gotten a dice pack yet.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Fortunately, most of the players in the competitive scene are really nice. Let your opponent and the TO know you have only played casually before. Most likely they will go out of their way to make sure it will be a positive experience for you.

Don't sweat it to much. Just brush up on the order things happen. If you don't know, ask. Armada has a really good community, most are there for the same reason, to play with a group of people who all enjoy Armada.

Good luck in your first tournament!

Should note, third party rulers are acceptable in the tournament rules as long as they're the same length as official rulers, but official rulers vary quite a bit, so most people are fine with whatever you bring as long as it's pretty close. The tournament guide does allow either player to request that they both use the same tool the whole game, so in the unlikely event you get an opponent who has an issue with it, just suggest that.

Make sure you understand the combat resolution steps: your overload pulse is a crit effect and thus, it goes off AFTER I spend my defense tokens, that kind of thing. If you communicate exactly what you're trying to do while placing squadrons you can move a little faster about it ("I want mauler to hit jan ors and these two x-wings without engaging your VCX, does that look about right to you?")

Offer a handshake. Have a good time.

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2017/07/tournament-structure.html

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2017/10/preparing-for-and-attending-armada.html

Hopefully those should cover what you need. Otherwise, mostly try to have fun and make sure you understand the rules, like the attack sequence and command resolution stuff.

17 hours ago, mr_mithrandir said:

My friend and I are planning to attend our first store tournament out here in Southern California. We have been playing Armada casually with each other and another couple friends for two years now but wanted to expand our horizons. I couldn't find it anywhere but I know that there are some specific "do's and don'ts" associated with more competitive play. Is there a list of things to expect as far as rules go or should I just go back over the rule booklet more carefully? I am thinking that it is probably more strict about squadron movement, maneuver tool placement/movement, etc.

I also got my range ruler "adjusted" by my 2 year old and thus I was forced to invest in a third party acrylic one (Applied Perspective I think?). Is that going to be a major problem or something that can be worked out with opponents? My buddy also hasn't gotten a dice pack yet.

Thanks in advance for the help.

The pace of the game is going to be faster because of the round timer.

You might be playing with guys who are used to playing very fast. Don't let them rush you. Don't be afraid to ask them to slow down if you've felt they've "skipped to the end" without properly conveying the journey.

Again on pace. You'll have to pick it up a bit if you haven't been playing on the clock. But don't get rushed. This is tough balancing.

This increase in pace puts pressure on your ability to do things in the proper order. When you play casually sometimes doing everything precisely by the book doesn't matter as much as it can in a tourney. You might want to shortcut something to pick up the pace and miss an opportunity that someone won't let you "take back."

Knowing the proper order will also let you move faster.

These things about pace are also where knowing your fleet comes in.

Know the rules and the FAQ. Maybe not this tournament but you will eventually come across someone who will take advantage of you making a mistake or is willing to stretch the rules or bend them or what have you. Unfortunately, there are those willing to behave dishonorably.

Don't be afraid to ask for the TO.

6 hours ago, Snipafist said:

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2017/07/tournament-structure.html

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2017/10/preparing-for-and-attending-armada.html

Hopefully those should cover what you need. Otherwise, mostly try to have fun and make sure you understand the rules, like the attack sequence and command resolution stuff.

Thank you! These were VERY helpful.

Thank you everyone else for your kind advice. Looking forward to something new!

3 minutes ago, mr_mithrandir said:

Thank you! These were VERY helpful.

Thank you everyone else for your kind advice. Looking forward to something new!

A few mentioned it, just want to reiterate: be sure you're up on the latest FAQ. The most common issues I see people have in their first tournaments stem from bringing lists built around a misunderstood or incorrectly interpreted card interaction that is clarified (or errata'd) in the FAQ.

A couple of very common examples off the top of my head that immediately occur to me:

* Putting Overload Pulse on Avenger : OP resolves after the defender has had the opportunity to spend defense tokens, so the combo doesn't prevent them from spending any tokens during the same attack that is proccing OP.

* Gunnery Team + the Advanced Gunnery objective: You get no advantage from putting Advanced Gunnery on a ship with Gunnery Teams, because GT's "that hull zone cannot target the same ship or squadron more than once" trumps AG's "it may do so against the same targets."

Out of curiosity what tournament will you be attending? I’m a SoCal player myself and am always happy to see new faces

8 minutes ago, MandalorianMoose said:

Out of curiosity what tournament will you be attending? I’m a SoCal player myself and am always happy to see new faces

Our local store is The Realm in Brea.

6 minutes ago, mr_mithrandir said:

Our local store is The Realm in Brea.

I’ve played there a handful of times. Less so now that I’ve moved from OC to SD. Have fun!

44 minutes ago, mr_mithrandir said:

Our local store is The Realm in Brea.

Thats my store too!!!

Brooooo hit me up, ill give you the local scoop and be happy to introduce you to the group. We have an influx of new players lately so there are a lot of new people.

All a cool bunch. If you need to borrow stuff you can hit me up or message @The Recreator who is a local guy that makes 3rd party stuff. Save shipping!

Also, regionals is in a month! If you can make it, dont be scared about it being your first tourney, its just a tournament like any other and its a perfecr chance to get some super cool swag just for coming, and who knows, you could get more! Here is the registration: https://comicquest.eventsmart.com/events/armada-regional-championship-socal/

If you want to expand your game horizon and play someone new we could pick up a game and I coukd give you a crash on tournament stuff too. Just pm me.