I am currently looking to get into a miniatures game. I have played X-Wing since the beginning but have stepped away the last year and a half. I don't want to make the jump to 2.0.

I am thinking of getting into Armada or 40K but am leaning towards Armada. I prefer ship to ship combat and don't have a ton of time to devote to painting. With that being said, I have a few questions for you all.

1. How is the learning curve of the game? Can it be picked up by kids easily?

2. How are the quality of the models?

3. Is the game well supported by FFG?

4. Are there rumblings that it could go through a 2.0 reformat like X-Wing?

5. Do you need to buy all the expansions to get chase cards like X-Wing?

I am sure these types of posts pop up frequently. I apologize, I am at work and can't spend the time to go through the forums. I thank you all for any help you can provide to help me make my decision.

Mwuhahaha welcome to the fun side. . . .

Ok As far as a ship combat game goes I have played most of them. This one is simple to pick up but deep to master. Like Chess really the game has a multitude of layers that you can learn to suss out but its not a Warmachine beat you in the face till you cry or a 40k Overload your synapse with too much going on. If you are willing keep an open mind you can win with almost anything (Its been proven. . . many times)

On to number 2. . .If you have played the Star Wars Empire of War RTS on Steam you will see many ships that appear here. Many looks SPECTACULAR! That Interdictor. . . mmmm smexy

3: Depends on the time of year. We get about 2 releases a year so we are not the spoiled children but since you are from X-Wing I think you can understand how that can be a refreshing experience

4:Not as of this time. We are getting a SUPER ship. . .

5: Yes but thankfully all the super key cards as far as I know are easily acquired from the tournament kits. Things like Advanced Proton Torpedoes and Turbolaser Reroute Circuits are amazing cards (clear bias here as I use both in my signature list)

1. How is the learning curve of the game? Can it be picked up by kids easily?

Fairly steep, but not as bad as 1970s wargaming days - I don't have spawnlings so I don't know how hard it is to teach them.

2. How are the quality of the models?

Fantastic!

3. Is the game well supported by FFG?

Sort of - it doesn't need much in the way of Support, but there is a pervailing sense of "things might get stale soon" given how infrequent new releases are. I think you're in the prime to actually get started now.

4. Are there rumblings that it could go through a 2.0 reformat like X-Wing?

I highlight doubt it - and if there will be a 2.0, I think it will be several years hence.

5. Do you need to buy all the expansions to get chase cards like X-Wing?

Sadly, yes. Some cards can be found in more than one expansion, but some are exclusives.

Hi! Glad to hear you’re interested in our weird little corner of tabletop. I’ll answer in brief, as you’ll get many strong opinions on some of these questions.

1. The rules are relatively simple to pick up. The learning curve for that is worst in terms of errata and the combat activation sequence, and neither are terrible. The rules forum here is active and helpful if you’re ever in search of assistance.

Kids could play this game. The strategy component is pretty deep, between list building, deployment, and active play, and anyone who doesn’t like to make a detailed plan, child or adult, is unlikely to win very often, so there’s that to consider.

2. The models range from good (assault frigate, victory star destroyer, most squads) to great (liberty, Chimera). Squadrons come unpainted, so be prepared to either play them bare or put in some work on that.

3. This is a subject of heated debate on these boards. As a mostly casual player I find the release schedule of “thing every 6-9 months” suits me fine, but the lack of news between releases really bothers a lot of folks here. To me it’s mostly just griping. They put out good organized play support, too.

4. We don’t think 2.0 is likely very soon, the meta is in a pretty healthy place with errata and rules revisions rolling out pretty regularly and no single archetype overly dominant at top tournaments.

5. This game does reward collecting, but not as much as x-wing, and again, because the meta is better you can often field a viable list from what you have on hand. We were gratified that the super star destroyer announced at gen con has a few cool unique upgrades (Piett, Palpatine, and some SSD titles) but otherwise seems to contain only cards already in print, meaning you’re not forced to buy the 200 dollar ship to be competitive.

1. It is a little more complex than X-wing but is more tactical and in my view a better game fore it.
2. Excellent as FFG models usually are. Be careful of the Ariel on the VSD as it is a little fragile.
3. Sort of. We used to get two waves a year but at present there has been a bit of a gap. It may drop to one per year but the Rebels haven't had anything announced yet so there is still hope. As a beginner you have plenty to choose from.
4. Unlikely. We got a decent FAQ recently fixing all overpowered cards. A few upgrades are still a bit useless but nothing is too powerful.
5. Not really. Starter set, ISD or MC80 and a flotilla and a fighter pack should easily get you a 400 point tournament list. Learn the game with it then 1-2 more upgrades to fine tune the list and give more options.

Thank you for answering my questions. Your posts are helpful. The SSD looks good. The game does seem like something that may interest me and hopefully my game group.

2 hours ago, OlaphOfTheNorth said:

The strategy component is pretty deep, between list building, deployment, and active play, and anyone who doesn’t like to make a detailed plan, child or adult, is unlikely to win very often, so there’s that to consider.

This part is worth emphasizing. MUCH more than X-Wing - the person who goes into the battle with the better plan, is going to win it. That starts with the choosing of objectives and list building, and you know that 'turn 0' of deployment in X-Wing you sometimes hear about? It's not nothing over there, but here IT CAN DEFINE THE GAME. But it all comes down to that plan. In X-Wing...you can have a bad plan, and a bad list, and good luck with the dice will still win the day for you. That isn't going to happen, here. But the inverse is also true - if you have a good list, well-paired with objectives, and a good plan, and you execute that plan better than your opponent does his, then you're going to win. The dice are there to add flavor, but they don't rule the game like they do in X-Wing.

Personally, that's the thing that makes Armada VASTLY better than X-Wing, to me (although I do enjoy and play both). Buuuuuut...I can see that making it harder to teach kids. ?Maybe just take a larger point handicap when facing them? Armada does a better job than X-Wing (so far, especially with the last FAQ) of basically everything in the game being viable. So the point costs are more effectively used, here, if you do want to try that out.

2 hours ago, red_devil said:

I am currently looking to get into a miniatures game. I have played X-Wing since the beginning but have stepped away the last year and a half. I don't want to make the jump to 2.0.

I am thinking of getting into Armada or 40K but am leaning towards Armada. I prefer ship to ship combat and don't have a ton of time to devote to painting. With that being said, I have a few questions for you all.

1. How is the learning curve of the game? Can it be picked up by kids easily?

2. How are the quality of the models?

3. Is the game well supported by FFG?

4. Are there rumblings that it could go through a 2.0 reformat like X-Wing?

5. Do you need to buy all the expansions to get chase cards like X-Wing?

I am sure these types of posts pop up frequently. I apologize, I am at work and can't spend the time to go through the forums. I thank you all for any help you can provide to help me make my decision.

I am quite new but I will try to answer these anyways.

1. I think its not bad, some things may need a bit to learn but overall not bad. Hardest part for me was/is learning to maneuver, so I stop ramming things or flying off the board.

2. The quality is great, I'd get the models even if I didn't play the game.

3. All I can say is the customer service is great, other than that I don't really know.

4. No clue but I don't think so.

5. Not at all, besides the core set there isn't really anything you "need" (except enough ships to get to 400 points). As for upgrades there aren't any you need or you lose, and for casual games you can proxy any you want to try. Check out http://armadawarlords.hivelabs.solutions/

Anyways thats what I can say as someone that doesn't really know much. But armada is great if you like space ships. I love the maneuver tool and how shields work.

I would like to state, and i don't know if this is a factor, but at MSRP you can collect close to the entire Armada range for what you would spend on a standard WH40K army.

When you say "kids" what age range are you looking at? My meta has had a sudden influx of 12-14 year olds which is pretty young for Armada.

Welcome to Armada! I'm sure you'll never leave

1) It takes a longtime, even for an adult to learn all the rules. Even more to learn how to build effective fleets and use proper card combos. In fact we're all learning. I introduced the game to my younger brother by simplifying the rules and adding stuff back in with every new game.

No command phase, no upgrade cards, no obstacles, no squads, free speed change, no discarding defense tokens was for the first game.

2) The models are awesome. I can talk about them only in superlatives.

3)Erm....well... You know... There are still some updates, maybe one new expansion per year. But the community is grat and will keep the game together much longer than FFG will.

4) Generla view is that the game is superbly balanced and managed to avodi the power creep that was soo obvious in X-Wing. There are no annoying desiggn flaws, no "must have" expansions either. I don't think there would be an Armada 2.0 any time soon.

5) As I stated above, there are no essential upgrade cards. Some are nice to have but nothing that couldn't be replaced by aoneting just as good but different.

@red_devil

1. How is the learning curve of the game? Can it be picked up by kids easily?

The game is fairly easy to get a basic handle on but does offer a lot more depth in my experience than X-Wing ever did. However my 7yr old and 11yr old kids both play the game with the fiance and I without too much trouble. We started them with no upgrades beyond admirals and were able to have a fun game. Now they can handle a bit more but usually want help making a list.

2. How are the quality of the models?

If you enjoyed X-Wing then you will enjoy Armada easily. Same quality figures with all the perks of being fully painted, except for squadrons, and those most people I have met don't even bother to paint unless they have spare time they want to fill with adding a little extra to those. Certainly tops having to paint entire armies! Especially if you have my bad paint skills and lack of free time.

3. Is the game well supported by FFG?

That is a loaded question I think. The game has organized play that a lot of people enjoy and there are a lot of solid communities around. FFG has done a great job at balancing the game though so with the slower production cycle there isn't much for them to do and that can lead to grouchiness on the forums. Allowing guest articles could be helpful but that's essentially what the forums are here for.

4. Are there rumblings that it could go through a 2.0 reformat like X-Wing?

Some people cried doom about this after 2.0 was announced for X-Wing but it really does seem unlikely at this point. The game is solid and has been balanced very well. If they made a major change it is likely it would be in digital support like what X-Wing is getting but without actual changes to the game itself. As of right now there is no official list builder app or website that I am aware of but some top notch fan made ones.

5. Do you need to buy all the expansions to get chase cards like X-Wing?

I have to disagree with anyone who said yes to this question. At risk of sounding like a broken record, the game is well balanced and you can compete a wide variety of lists. I stopped playing X-Wing a while back but have heard how the game got really predictable as you needed certain upgrades and ships to have a chance. With Armada I feel you can put more focus on the idea you want of how to fly and build around that and have fun without the upgrades or ship dictating the game. Before diving into the game I would suggest looking over the Armada wiki page and learning about the ships, which upgrades come with what, and put together an idea of what sounds good. If there are upgrades you feel are missing but don't want to buy a ship for then there is always eBay and trade groups (forum and Facebook) to find whatever you need.

So when it comes down to it, depending on the age of the kids you want to teach, you should be able to get them into a fun game pushing around some of the iconic Star Wars ships they see in the movies and shows. The models will be beautiful and fun on the table or even just look good on display. The game is supported as much as is actually needed to keep solid balance and provide enough freshness to continue without overloading anyone or needing major overhauls. And no, you don't need every expansion to fly something fun and competitive. Though to be honest you will likely end up collecting most/all of the expansions anyways because they are just a lot of fun and look so good.

My older kids are 7 and 9. I have gotten them into Magic with less rigid rules. I am interested in trying this with them.

Your responses show that there is a great community of players. I was able to check out the models at a game store and they do look good.

I now have the hardest party of any hobby, convincing my better half why I need to get into another miniatures game. Thank you again for your quick and helpful answers.