Let me preface this with I am a VERY casual Armada player...

I decided to jump head first into the tournament scene, and will be heading to a Star Wars Armada Regionals tournament. Being a relatively new and casual player, I am a bit hesitant. What should I expect (other than to lose a bunch)?

The reason I wanted to participate in a Regionals is to meet new players, get a few games under my belt, and hopefully learn a few new strategies.

But being a casual player, I don't know what the tournament scene is like or what to expect.

I'm afraid I'll be a "mon cal out of water" there....

Any insight would be helpful.

Expect fun! Seriously have fun playing this great game.

If you go in with that mindset, and lower your expectations on winning (as you have), you will learn a lot.

Hopefully you’ll meet new folks that are also out to have fun.

The community is pretty great. Yes, it is competitive, but I don’t think it is “problematically competitive. “

I would recommend you do this 100%

You'll have a blast, no worries. There's a chance you get matched up against one of the best and take a bad loss early, but after that you'll be chilling in the middle/bottom of the pack and having great fun.

The super experienced and competitive players will float to the top and fight each other usually.

Or you'll do way better than you expected! Bring a fleet you're familiar with, get some practice in, and do your best! Regionals are a ton of fun!

Yeah a lot of fist timers are worried about "the scene". There really isn't one. Tournament are just a day of gaming with prizes for those who do well(and prizes for participation too at big tourneys). Be prepared to lose though heh, and learn a ton, honestly I learned more from the first few tourney I played in than from any forums or vids I watched.

Its ok to ask questions. Confirm moves you make with squads/ships about what is or isn't in arc/range if it seems fuzzy.

Just open communication and things are all gravy. If theres time, ask your opponents to break down what they did and why in an AAR.

All Armada tournaments I have been to have been very relaxed, sure people are there to win, but I have never had anyone be overly competitive. even when you are at the top tables there is a bit of teansness, but you both know you are there to have fun, keeping open communication with your opponent about what you are trying to do is the best way to avoid mistakes

Everyone is pretty much on point. This is a great opportunity to learn and meet other players in your area.

Bring a list you are comfortable with. Don't overdue the synergies if you can't remember them. A simple and straight forward list is way more effective than the list with super powerful combos if you can't remember to use the combos when the time arises. I have some upgrades I still don't use in tournaments because I forget to use them too often.

Good luck and have fun!

Bring a way to move all your stuff quickly from table to table. Some times you have very limited time from announcing match up. To moving tables. To start.

Other than that. Have fun.

Everyone has the "scene" aspects covered (i.e. the Armada community is welcoming to beginners and you'll have fun), but here are some logistical aspects to consider:

1. A lot of first-time tournament players overlook the physicality of playing in a regional. Three rounds of Armada makes for a long day — fun, but long. Get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and bring protein-based snacks to keep up your energy throughout the day. Also, stay hydrated 😁

2. Print out 2 (or more) copies of your fleet list and bring them to the event. This not only helps the TO get things started faster, but it keeps your morning relaxed (instead of showing up and having to hastily scrawl down your fleet on a scratch piece of paper). That calm before the tournament starts is a great opportunity to meet other Armada fans, make some friends and get yourself in the right "let's have some fun!" mindset before the battles commence.

3. Double check your kit the day before. Don't wait to gather everything together the morning of the event. Make sure you have all the correct ship bases, upgrades, objectives, pilot cards, squadron dials, tokens, dice, tools, etc... nothing is worse than showing up for a big day of fun and finding you've forgotten something. Trust me, it happens to someone. EVERY. TIME. Also, double check your fleet list to make sure everything is accurate. I've seen several players at regionals show up with a fleet list that has upgrades/commanders in the wrong places or the incorrect objective cards listed.

4. Don't worry about "the meta". Play what you love and what you know. As your goal here isn't to win the whole thing, take a fleet you're comfortable flying or one that has special meaning for you (perhaps for thematic reasons, or it suits your particular style of play). As the day drags on and fatigue sets in, you'll be glad to have a fleet you know how to use or that you enjoy playing regardless of your wins and losses.

Plus, the more you're comfortable with your own list the more you can absorb some of the strategies other players are using (which is your other goal). I've seen many players make a last-minute switch the night before a tournament and show up with something they've never tried before. That typically doesn't work out and can just add stress to your day. Regardless of how laid back you are it is still a regional championship — the adrenaline will be flowing so no need to pile on by taking an untested fleet.

And last but not least, good luck at your regional! While it's a competitive day, I feel the Armada regionals are more akin to a community celebration of the game than what most people think of when they hear the word "tournament". Sure there's a champion at the end, but just being present and taking part is something special and quite memorable.

Adding to @Yipe 's #1 - I'd suggest short sleeve, usually, with a light jacket or hoodie or something to do layers with. Generally a lot of people packed into a tight room is going to get warm, and so temperature is going depend a lot on the venue's heating/cooling (nevermind where you are positioned in the room - playing by a window in the middle of December, even if it's closed, is going to be quite a bit colder than the middle of the room surrounded by people). So - whatever your preference for temperature is, just keep in mind you'll be seeing a lot of variance up and down over that, and it's good to have a way to adjust for that.

Don't forget to sit down between activations. I was so excited during my first tournament that I stood the entire first two games, which made it so I could barely stay on my feet by the third.

Dont be afraid to say you are a newer player. Some will assume you know what you are doing in all aspects, but if you mention youre newer will happily walk through the interaction in their fleet etc to help you out.

You are going into this with the right frame of mind. I went to Nationals in 2017 soon after learning the game (Nationals are local for me), and had a great time. I didn't do well from a competitive perspective, but I had fun playing with people from all over the country. I saw lots of different fleets and met several cool people.

People here have given lots of good advice concerning the environment and taking care of yourself. I would only add to the advice to bring a bottle of water with you. It is good to stay hydrated throughout the day; it will help you maintain your energy level and concentration throughout the day.

On 12/18/2018 at 4:18 PM, richarDISNEY said:

Let me preface this with I am a VERY casual Armada player...

I decided to jump head first into the tournament scene, and will be heading to a Star Wars Armada Regionals tournament. Being a relatively new and casual player, I am a bit hesitant. What should I expect (other than to lose a bunch)?

The reason I wanted to participate in a Regionals is to meet new players, get a few games under my belt, and hopefully learn a few new strategies.

But being a casual player, I don't know what the tournament scene is like or what to expect.

I'm afraid I'll be a "mon cal out of water" there....

Any insight would be helpful.

Best tip I picked up from playing at tournaments... bring a small tray!

Best way to move all your stuff around from table to table. The quicker you can get packed away and setup again the more brain time you get to start thinking about how to face your next opponent.

And as @Admiral Calkins says - sit down when you can! Spare those knees and the your calf muscles. Leaning over all day makes weird parts of your legs ache...

13 minutes ago, Zamalekite said:

Best tip I picked up from playing at tournaments... bring a small tray!

Best way to move all your stuff around from table to table. The quicker you can get packed away and setup again the more brain time you get to start thinking about how to face your next opponent.

And as @Admiral Calkins says - sit down when you can! Spare those knees and the your calf muscles. Leaning over all day makes weird parts of your legs ache...

can I use this as a small plug? lol

25 minutes ago, Altahara said:

can I use this as a small plug? lol

That looks more like a medium tray than a small plug.

That is gorgeous.

4 minutes ago, Cusm said:

That looks more like a medium tray than a small plug.

That is gorgeous.

Thank you. I dont have a good picture of the one I make that holds large ships. Which is wierd. But. I make all sorts of tournament resources.

Thank you everyone for your tips.

I was already planning on bringing some snacks and a water bottle. But the small tray/box is a great idea! I never would have thought of that.

What is the usual time between games? Or how long do games last? Is there a set time frame we need to finish?

And how do they usually decide on how many games they play in a day?

Thanks again for everybody's tips!

8 minutes ago, richarDISNEY said:

Thank you everyone for your tips.

I was already planning on bringing some snacks and a water bottle. But the small tray/box is a great idea! I never would have thought of that.

What is the usual time between games? Or how long do games last? Is there a set time frame we need to finish?

And how do they usually decide on how many games they play in a day?

Thanks again for everybody's tips!

Pretty sure it's always 3 games.. as for time between games. If you use the whole time for a game. 2 hours I believe. It's usually about 10 minutes between. Quite often everyone gets done and is waiting on the last table to finish. The TO knows where people will be based on how it will finish. And as soon as its done they announce new pairings.

Ad soon as pairings are announced everyone moves sets up. A good TO will wait till everyone is at the table with asteroids set cards set out. Etc before starting the next round.

31 minutes ago, Altahara said:

If you use the whole time for a game. 2 hours I believe. It's usually about 10 minutes between. Quite often everyone gets done and is waiting on the last table to finish. The TO knows where people will be based on how it will finish. And as soon as its done they announce new pairings.

Ad soon as pairings are announced everyone moves sets up. A good TO will wait till everyone is at the table with asteroids set cards set out. Etc before starting the next round.

Tournament rules actually specifically call out:

Quote

A leader should start the timer for a tournament round after most players have found their seats and begun to set up . If a game has not concluded when the time for a tournament round runs out, the players finish the current game round and then calculate their scores (see “End of Round” on page 8). A tournament round’s length varies depending on the type of round.

• Swiss Rounds: 135 minutes each
• Single Elimination Rounds (except Final): 135 minutes each
• Final Single Elimination Round: 180 minutes

(emphasis added)

Granted, most TOs usually wait until all players have finished setup - but that doesn't appear required. As long as everyone is paired and only most have started setup, it's good to go for the timer starting.

8 minutes ago, xanderf said:

Tournament rules actually specifically call out:

(emphasis added)

Granted, most TOs usually wait until all players have finished setup - but that doesn't appear required. As long as everyone is paired and only most have started setup, it's good to go for the timer starting.

Yeah my local TO doesn't wait for everyone to finish setup to start the clock.

23 minutes ago, xanderf said:

Tournament rules actually specifically call out:

(emphasis added)

Granted, most TOs usually wait until all players have finished setup - but that doesn't appear required. As long as everyone is paired and only most have started setup, it's good to go for the timer starting.

Yeah.. please dont take what I said as saying a TO who doesnt wait for everyone to be set as bad.. I just meant most that I've seen. Wait till 'most' are all set and ready. They call out "everyone at their tables.. got a partner" etc.

Just couldn't remember the exact wording in the docs. Thanks for clarifying.

The problem I have with trays is that they are typically too wide to fit on the table between the edge of the mat and the edge of the table. My solution is a few pieces of six inch / 15 cm wide perspex. I stick my ship cards and upgrades to them with blu tack so when I get to a table I don’t have to resort the cards.

I also bring a camera on a stand for time lapse pictures so grab a table near a power point and loudly insist my opponents move to suit me, so perhaps the Perspex isn’t absolutely necessary.

9 minutes ago, LTD said:

The problem I have with trays is that they are typically too wide to fit on the table between the edge of the mat and the edge of the table. My solution is a few pieces of six inch / 15 cm wide perspex. I stick my ship cards and upgrades to them with blu tack so when I get to a table I don’t have to resort the cards.

I also bring a camera on a stand for time lapse pictures so grab a table near a power point and loudly insist my opponents move to suit me, so perhaps the Perspex isn’t absolutely necessary.

I totally understand that. But this is what I use for the cards.

I've only been to one, but I'll describe my trip.

I experienced the one thing that is best in life. To crush your enemies. See them driven before you. And to hear the lamentations of their women.

Hope that helps.