While we anxiously await a new FAQ/wave8 announcement I think it's time to look at one of the concerns I have currently with Armada. @PartyPotato had a good thread several weeks ago about the disparity of objectives being played. There are several very obviously weak objectives that have been released.

One that needs some real tweaking is Station Assault. I wrote about this mission for @BiggsIRL challenge last year, in part because it's one of the best thematic objectives we have in the game. One side needing to destroy several installations an opponent controls is a great lead for a game.

The issue is that far too often the first player will wipe out a station quickly and end up completely negating the second player's advantage. And many times end up being able to pop both and actually garner and 80 point lead over the second player. This is likely going to be true moving forward with Cymoon ISDs being able to pretty reliably put out 7+ damage at long range. Squadron wings could always do damage, but Ace lists are basically a death knell for at least one station.

So how can we update the objective to bring it more into line with the better Assault objectives, like Most Wanted and Advanced Gunnery? The most obvious choice is to remove the points scored for the first player for destroying a station. It would instead have only the second player scoring for stations remaining. Its a bit asymmetrical, but doesnt provide a possible 160 point swing during the game.

A second straightforward option is to use at least one armed station card instead. 3 extra hull is nothing to sneer at, and the station being able to trade back a few blows would allow the second player to take advantage of the choice a bit more. To balance, the stations might need to fire at the start of the round, like how Planetary Ion Cannon works.

The objective could also be changed to allow the stations to be deployed closer to other obstacles. One of the easiest ways for the first player to subvert the second player choosing how to place the stations is to just place a couple obstacles near one corner and make the stations sit in the middle of the field.

Perhaps a balance of the first two suggestions would be the best to bring this objective forward. Maybe drop the points to 30 points a station (to balance the asymmetry more) , and make one armed. This would bring it more in line I think for a competitive slot for that Assault objective.

I think the problem is that even with those changes I'd rather use Most Wanted , Advanced Gunnery , or Precision Strike - depending on my fleet.

8 minutes ago, Democratus said:

I think the problem is that even with those changes I'd rather use Most Wanted , Advanced Gunnery , or Precision Strike - depending on my fleet.

It's definitely possible. I think you could go further and make both armed stations and leave it at 40 points scored per. Which might make it more viable for a slower tankier list or a list that's fairly aggressive to just have a nice reserve of 80 points that is either ignored or an opponent has to chase after. It also might make a Raddus drop a little tougher if you don't think you can get wheeled around to get the stations.

Assault has really the best objective for competitive play really in Most Wanted. It's got basically no downside. But if it gets weakened a bit I think there's room for a modified station assault.

See i played a game last weekend and it was the most thematic thing. Station assault double speed0 ISD Motti fighting off a Mon mothma double MC30 MSU...

The rebels had to choose between destroying the stations or 1 isd and it was actually fairly balanced... The rebels managed to avoid being shot at because my opponents isds started moving too early and split, but replaying that would certainely be a tight game

I am of the opinion its an amazing objective that my friend put on two gunnery team ISDs with 17 hull each (counting RBD)

21 hours ago, draco193 said:

Assault has really the best objective for competitive play really in Most Wanted. It's got basically no downside. But if it gets weakened a bit I think there's room for a modified station assault.

I've never really understood why second player picks both most wanted ships instead of, like, each player choosing their opponents' but second player gets free choice of dice color (ala opening salvo) or something. It would overlap opening salvo's use-case that way, though.

On 4/6/2018 at 6:21 AM, svelok said:

I've never really understood why second player picks both most wanted ships instead of, like, each player choosing their opponents' but second player gets free choice of dice color (ala opening salvo) or something. It would overlap opening salvo's use-case that way, though.

Thematically, it makes a lot of sense. A Rebel second player gets to say, oh, that's the Star Destroyer that we've been ordered to eliminate. Having one of the second player ships as a target was just balancing (the second player still has an advantage). If it's an Rebel assassination strike, having one of their high ships be a special target for the imperials doesn't make a lot of sense.

Most wanted worked pretty well until the introduction of flotillas, especially lifeboat flotillas, and then adding Relay. Why not have your lifeboat flotilla run away, while still commanding squadrons from across the board?

Even with the ban on lifeboat flotillas and the changes to Relay, flotillas are an excellent choice for a fleet with Most Wanted as one of it's objectives. If you at least have to make a HH or Raider the Most Wanted ship, you're either taking more points and combat power out of the fight, or you're offering up easy extra points. Since both of those ships need upgrades to be efficient, you actually have to put more at risk if you want to put them into the fighting.

"Cannot choose a flotilla as the Most Wanted ship" is a good change, unless there are actual combat flotillas planned.

5 minutes ago, elbmc1969 said:

Thematically  , it makes a lot of sense. A Rebel second player gets to say, oh, that's  the Star Destroyer that we've been ordered to eliminate. Having one of the second player ships as a target was just balancing (the second player still has an advantage). If it's an Rebel assassination strike, having one of their high ships be a special target for the imperials doesn't make a lot of sense. 

Wouldn't it also make thematic sense for the Empire to prioritize the flagship carrying the Rebel commander, Sato/Leia/whoever, in their response?

Of course, there are some Interdictor fleets that love Station Assault ... drag them closer together to make them easier to defend ... Drag other obstacles in ... Use both of them as hospitals ... Sure, it removes the problem of the attackers having to turn hard to get the second station after eliminating the first.

Making them both armed stations is a nice change, but it definitely increases their value to those Interdictor fleets, since the stations can now provide mutual support.

Especially when in mutual support, the Armed Stations really cause problems for fighter fleets. They only have a single blue die, so it's medium range, but the fire in all directions! That's pretty powerful. Sure, scatter aces will laugh, until they're engaged by another squadron at the same time, or by a good flak ship. Then things start adding up, especially for the low-hull Imperial squadrons. (Y- wings, even generics, laugh it off thanks to being cheap squadrons with so much hull. Go, Y-wing!)

The risk is making Station Assault identical to the CC Show of Force special objective.

3 minutes ago, svelok said:

Wouldn't it also make thematic sense for the Empire to prioritize the flagship carrying the Rebel commander, Sato/Leia/whoever, in their response?

Perhaps, but I envision it as the second player having some special intelligence.

In any case, the assymetry is essential in giving the second player a significant advantage. The bonus that the second player receives in Advanced Gunnery is enormously more useful than what the first player gets, especially since there's a good chance that the first player will already have Gunnery Teams on their best ship.