Star Wars Warlords:
An Armada Campaign

Step into the Expanded Universe as one of the major players in the post-Endor era of the galaxy far, far, away. Play as the upstart New Republic, Thrawn’s resurgent Imperial Alliance, or one of the numerous Warlord factions in this epic campaign.

For the past few months, I've been developing a new campaign taking ideas from both the Rebellion board game and the Corellian Conflict, and adding my own twist. I have also included a recent idea presented by a fellow member of our community to use Threat level to define fleet building, not points. (If the person who proposed the idea is reading this, please let me know so I can give full credit.)

In each post I will have a section of the rules and new additions to the game. The campaign is not complete, but what I do have I would like to share with everyone, in hopes of getting some interest and feedback.

How to Play:

In this game, you will be in charge of one of the several factions from across the galaxy. The game will be broken into separate game rounds, with each round broken into phases where you can gather resources, build ships, secure worlds, and fight your opponent in massive battles. Each phase will be broken down later, in the “Game Rounds” section.

Before you can play, you must first choose a faction from the available choices. Each will be discussed in detail later. Each faction has its own unique heroes, units, and abilities.

Game Rounds:

Each game round is organized into four separate phases:

Resource Phase:
-In this phase, you collect resource points (RP) equal to those produced by each world you control. These resources may be used to buy ships, upgrades, and squadrons for your fleets. You may also spend these points to repair ships. These mechanics will be discussed later.

Strategic Phase:
-In this phase, each player secretly may move forces to another system. The chosen system must be accessible by hyperlanes if it is not adjacent to its starting location, and cannot bypass enemy fleets. If an enemy fleet blocks travel along the hyperlane, and you try to bypass it, combat is initiated. During this phase, you may also initiate special missions.

Combat Phase:
-In this phase, fleet movements are revealed. If any fleets encounter each other in the same system, they may either retreat or initiate combat. Fleets cannot withdraw if the opponent has an Interdictor in their fleet. Each battle plays out on a standard 6 X 3 board, with obstacle setup being determined by location of engagement.

Status Phase:
-Each player resolves end of battle effects, with victories and losses being recorded. Any ships that were destroyed during the Combat Phase can be transferred to shipyards. They will remain there until repaired. Ships captured during battle are also sent to shipyards for refit and repairs.

Resource Phase:

-Each world, and some heroes, provide you with resources with which you can build ships, planetary defenses, or powerful structures and super weapons such as the Star Forge or the Galaxy Gun.

When this phase starts, collect resources equal to the value provided by all sources. If you have a campaign card (discussed later) that can be played in this phase, you play it at this point. Once all sources of income have been collected for the round, you cannot gain any more resources during this phase. Ships and squadrons cost their printed point value. In this campaign, ship point values are only used for purchasing the ship, and is not for determining fleet size. Fleet sizes will be discussed later.

On rounds after the first, you may also spend RP to repair your ships. The cost to repair a ship is equal to half its resource cost, rounded up. You may apply your construction discount to the repair cost before rounding.

Structures can be built on allied or occupied worlds, and are listed below with prices:

Ion Cannon: 100 RP (Allows use of Ion Cannon base defense objective. Ion Cannon is destroyed if planet is captured.)

Armed Station: 75 RP (The space station in orbit is treated as being an Armed Station. If it is destroyed in battle, it must be purchased again before it can be used.)

Light Shipyard: 50 RP (You can build small base ships here. During battles, add 1 Command-1 ship to your fleet.)

Heavy Shipyard: 75 RP (You can build small and medium base ships here. During battles, add 1 Command-2 ship to your fleet. You must have a Light Shipyard on this world.)

Capital Shipyard: 120 RP (You can build up to huge base ships here. During battles, add 2 Command-2 ship to your fleet. You must have a Heavy Shipyard on this world.)

Early Warning System: 300 RP (This world, and each adjacent world, when chosen as the target of an attack, must be declared during the Strategic Phase (instead of chosen in secret). Can only be built on capital worlds or capital shipyard worlds.)

Golan Defense Platform: 200 RP (This adds a Golan II Defense platform. If you have an Armed Station in orbit, it is destroyed and gives a full resource cost refund. You must have a light shipyard on this world.)

Strategic Phase:

-Once this phase begins, each player elects to move a number of fleets to different planets. These movements are chosen secretly. If a world has an Early Warning System, then the opposing player must declare that world verbally. When moving fleets, you must choose a world that is accessible, either by using a hyperlane, or traveling to an adjacent system. If an enemy fleet would block your path on the hyperlane, then you may either withdraw or fight in the given location.

During this phase you may play one of the following special missions. You can only play one per game round.

Heroic Rescue: During combat, your heroes can be captured if the ship or squadron they are a part of is destroyed. When this happens, the hero is taken to the capital world. To initiate a rescue, choose this mission and declare the location. You may then either pay triple the hero’s printed cost in RP to your opponent, or roll 2 blue dice. If you roll a single crit, or, crit / accuracy, or double accuracy, the hero is rescued. Any other combination and the rescue fails.

Gain Sympathy: (New Republic, Eriadu Authority, and Dark Imperium Only) Select a world that is adjacent to an allied planet and roll 2 blue dice. For each crit or accuracy, you may add either 1 command-1 ship or 3 non-unique squadrons to your fleet at either your capital world or a capital shipyard world. If you would roll a double crit, move a fleet into orbit and treat the world as if it is allied as long as the fleet is there.

Iron-Handed Rule: (Imperial Alliance, Zsinj’s Empire, Pentastar Alignment, and Ciutric Hegemony & Greater Maldrood Only) Choose a world that is adjacent to a fleet of yours. That world cannot be chosen for “Gain Sympathy” during the next round, and you gain its value in resources for this round and next.

Criminal Underworld: (Corporate Sector Authority Only) For each world that is adjacent to yours, roll a blue die. On a hit result, that world does not prevent fleet travel and you gain half of its resources, rounded up. You maintain this bonus unless an enemy hero is on the world and give you 20 RP. Capital planets cannot be targeted.

You may also resolve certain strategic hero abilities in this phase. Starting with the player with the smallest number of heroes, resolve one strategic effect apiece until all desired abilities have been resolved. If more than one player has a tie on hero count, roll 1 blue die. Both players choose either hits or crits / accuracy. The winner takes priority.

Combat Phase:

-Once this phase begins, each player declares their fleet movements. During this phase, you may play Combat specific campaign cards, such as Sabotage!, Rule by Fear, Endless Swarms, and Bribery (These cards will be discussed later.). If there are no battles after all fleets have moved, move directly to the Status Phase. If there are battles, then perform the following steps.

1.) Each player rolls one d6. The player with the highest result goes first, then the next highest player, and so on until each player has resolved one action. This repeats until all fleet movements have been accounted for.
2.) Starting with the first player, the order of battle is decided. Each player chooses a world and adds it to the combat roster until all are accounted for. Once decided, the defending player decides whether he or she will choose to initiate combat or withdraw. A battle can also be resolved without initiating combat, and the results are determined by the following:
A.) If a fleet has at least four times the threat as the other, it loses one ship and the other fleet is destroyed.
B.) If a fleet has double the threat as the other, 25% of the attacking fleet is destroyed, while the other fleet is half destroyed. The other half retreats.
C.) If fleets are matched, each loses 25% and the attacker withdraws.
D.) If an ion cannon or defense station is available during the battle, remove one additional attacking ship per defense station equal to threat 4 or lower. Flotillas are not counted towards this number.
3.) Battles are fought in order, with each win and loss recorded. Once every battle has resolved, collect victory bonuses. If a fleet retreated during a battle, it is moved to an adjacent non-hostile planet.

Status Phase:

-During the status phase, end of round upkeep takes place. The results of each battle is resolved, starting with the last player in the Combat Phase. If the battle was a victory over a hostile or neutral world, you may choose to liberate or annex the world. Each has its own bonuses which will be discussed in a later section. If the battle was a victory for the defender over a friendly world, the defender can either repair one ship that was scarred, or gain 30 RP.

Factions:

New Republic
-Starting Worlds: Coruscant, Mon Calamari
-Leader: Mon Mothma

Imperial Alliance
-Starting Worlds: Wayland, Bilbringi
-Leader: Grand Admiral Thrawn

Pentastar Alignment
-Starting Worlds: Bastion, Yaga Minor
-Leader: Grand Moff Ardus Kaine

Zsinj’s Empire
-Starting Worlds: Dathomir, Serenno
-Leader: Warlord Zsinj

Dark Imperium
-Starting Worlds: Korriban, Ziost
-Leader: Darth Nekraas

Corporate Sector Authority
-Starting Worlds: Bonadan, Etti IV
-Leader: Corporate Sector Authority Council

Ciutric Hegemony & Greater Maldrood
-Starting Worlds: Ciutric IV, Axxila, Centares
-Leaders: Delak Krennel, Treuten Teradoc

Eriadu Authority:
-Starting Worlds: Eriadu, Sluis Van
-Leader: Sander Delvardus

New Commanders and Abilities (Organized by Faction)

In this section you will find a complete selection of all Commanders for each faction, including the abilities of new commanders made specifically for this campaign.

New Republic:
- Admiral Gial Ackbar (Strategic Ability: Reduce the acquisition cost of ships @ your location by 10%, rounded down. If you are at Mon Calamari, reduce cost by 20%.)
- General Garm Bel Iblis
- General Crix Madine
- General Carlist Rieekan
- General Airen Cracken (When a friendly ship performs an attack against a ship, it may spend one of its defense tokens to make the defender discard one defense token used during the attack.)
- Grand Admiral Cassius Farrin (At the start of each round, choose a defense token on each ship. That token is not exhausted the first time it is used, and cannot be affected by accuracy results, critical effects, or card abilities.)
- Commodore Willem Brandt (Each friendly squadron with with Escort or Bomber gains a Brace token, as long as it has less than 2 defense tokens.)
- General Wedge Antilles (Each squadron with Escort gains Counter 2 and Rogue)
- General Han Solo (At the start of each round, roll 1 blue die for each friendly ship. On a hit result, assign one command token to that ship.)
- Admiral Adar Tallon (After you resolve a squadron command, you may toggle toggle the activation slider of one squadron activated with this command.)
- Admiral Firmus Nantz (When a friendly ship activates, it may exhaust a defense token to perform a speed 1 maneuver.)

Imperial Alliance:
- Grand Admiral Thrawn
- Admiral Terrinald Screed
- High Admiral Vetrik Landrik (When a friendly medium or large base ship is defending from its front or side arc, you may spend a defense or command token on the ship to remove a die of your choice from the attack pool.)
- Grand Admiral Ovar Taasit (Friendly ships and Squadrons attacking enemy ships may add a blue die set to a “Crit” symbol to their attack pool.)
- Darth Tyruss (Friendly ships may have double their command value in command tokens. You can have more than one of a type of command token.) (Strategic Ability: Reduce the acquisition cost of ships @ your location by 20%, rounded down.)
- High Admiral Gilad Pellaeon (On rounds 2, 4, and 6, before a friendly ship reveals its command dial, it may rotate the dial to an adjacent command.)
- Admiral Natasi Daala (Friendly ships gain either an Experimental Upgrade slot or a Defensive Retrofit slot, if they do not have more than one.)
- High Admiral Blitzer Harrsk (Friendly ships cannot receive faceup damage cards. If a source would deal a faceup damage card, flip that card facedown (without resolving its effect).)

Pentastar Alignment:
- Grand Moff Ardus Kaine (When a friendly ship resolves the Concentrate Fire command, if it was a dial it may add two dice to its attack pool, instead of one. If it is a token, you may reroll one die of each color) (Strategic Ability: Reduce the acquisition cost of ships @ your location by 25%, rounded down.)
- Inquisitor Jerec (At the start of each round, declare a command. Your opponent cannot resolve this command unless they first suffer one damage.)
- Grand Admiral Octavian Grant (When a friendly ship would receive a faceup damage card with the “Crew” trait, it may discard it. If multiple damage cards are received this way, the rest are flipped facedown.)

Zsinj’s Empire:
- Warlord Zsinj (At the start of the game, you may choose to be either first or second player.) (Strategic Ability: Reduce the acquisition cost of ships @ your location by 20%, rounded down.)
- Admiral Apwar Trigit (When a friendly ship is at close range of an enemy squadron, it may exhaust a defense token to toggle the squadron’s slider to the “activated” side. If the squadron has activated, it instead suffers one damage.

Dark Imperium:
- Darth Nekraas (You may exhaust this card to resolve a critical effect for each crit rolled. You cannot resolve the same one twice, unless it is the standard critical effect.) (Strategic Ability: Reduce the acquisition cost of ships @ your location by 25%, rounded down.)
- Lord Therion (All ships increase their squadron value by 1. When a friendly squadron performs an attack, it may suffer one damage to deal one additional damage to the defender.)
- Lord Ragon (*Ability in development. Will be updated when available*)
- Grand Admiral Ghrellious (When a friendly ship activates, you may roll one blue die. On an accuracy result, choose an enemy ship at distance 1-5 and look at its top command dial. You may then adjust the top command dial of the chosen friendly ship.)
- Director Darius Varse (Friendly ships gain one Defensive Retrofit, Turbolaser Upgrade, or Experimental Upgrade.)

Corporate Sector Authority:
- Vice Admiral Maltris Skarn (Friendly ships gain Crit: remove one shield from the defender and transfer it to you. You cannot have more than 6 shields in a hull zone. If a hull zone has more than its starting value, you cannot repair shields.)

Ciutric Hegemony & Greater Maldrood:
- Prince-Admiral Delak Krennel (Friendly ships may suffer one damage to reroll up to four attack dice.) (Strategic Ability: Reduce the acquisition cost of ships @ your location by 20%, rounded down.)
- High Admiral Treuten Teradoc (You may launch terror campaigns on planets next to the one your fleet is at. Terror Campaign: When you declare a terror campaign, choose a world within reach. Then, roll 4 red dice. For each result that is not a blank or single hit, the next time a battle is fought there, one of the opposing player’s ships must start with all defense tokens exhausted. They can only ready one token per ship until the start of the fifth round.) (If in space battle: When a friendly ship activates, it may choose an enemy ship at close-medium range and exhaust a defense token on it.)
- Admiral Kosh Teradoc (You may exhaust this card to increase a friendly ship’s maximum speed by 1. The top yaw value is “I”.)
- Moff Leonia Tavira (Enemy ships at close-medium range of your flagship cannot use their commander or officer abilities.)

Eriadu Authority:
- Sander Delvardus (When a friendly ship is attacking, during the Spend Accuracy Results step, it may use up to two accuracy results to spend that number of defense tokens on the defender.) (Strategic Ability: Reduce the acquisition cost of ships @ your location by 20%, rounded down.)
- Space Marshall Shea Hublin (* Ability to be added later. Suggestions are welcome. *)
- Admiral Adye Prittick (Each ship in your fleet increases its hull by 2.)
- Moff Lobax Resuun (At the end of each round, each friendly ship may recover one shield or flip a faceup damage card facedown.)

Other Heroes Available for Purchase:
- Admiral Teren Rogriss (When a friendly ship would suffer damage from a collision or an obstacle, ignore it. Then, roll one blue die for each damage you cancelled. On a crit, suffer one damage.) Available at Adumar.
- Booster Terrik (Add one Imperial II Star Destroyer to your fleet with the title “Errant Venture.” This is your flagship.) (Errant Venture: When you activate, you must spend a defense token or receive one damage.) (Strategic Ability: Gain 15 additional resource points from your location, even if the world is not under your control.) Available at Kessel.
- Talon Karrde (Add one Action VI Transport to your fleet with the title “Wild Karrde.” During the Status Phase, enemy ships at close range of you must either suffer 1 damage or reveal their top command dial.) (Wild Karrde: Enemy ships must spend two accuracy results to target any of your defense tokens.) (Strategic Ability: Gain 15 additional resource points from your location, even if the world is not under your control.) Available at Myrkr.

***

You will notice that there is a new faction here, the Dark Imperium. It is something that I and a few other people designed specifically for this campaign project. It is essentially a faction of Sith that took over parts of Zsinj's and Teradoc's territory shortly after the events in the Wraith Squadron novels.

There are also heroes that were designed specifically for this project, such as Darth Tyruss, Vice Admiral Skarn, Grand Admiral Farrin, and Commodore Brandt. They are completely original characters, and make no appearance in any Star Wars literature.

I know many people want the EU to get more love especially after looking at what the mouse is trying to tell us is the better story . But right now I am not certain about Armada multiple factions of Imperial and Rebel flavors. There was one GMT game that had an interesting mechanic for a Roman vs Carthridge game. It was 2 v 2, but each side had a political system where the enemy was the other team but to win they had to politically maneuver against their teammate while avoiding accidentally sabotaging the war effort and yielding victory to the other team. Perhaps splitting the Rebels and Imperials into subfactions might be a good place.

In the strategic phase I would like to see objective colors be used anymore. Here was one thing I always suggested in campaigns. Instead of choosing 3 different colors chose 3 missions and the color chosen determines the action on the campaign board. Red is for capturing systems, Yellow will be for securing territory, and replacing losses/repairing damages, Blue is for maneuvering fleets, and Green is for gaining resources and recruiting reinforcements.

51 minutes ago, Marinealver said:

I know many people want the EU to get more love especially after looking at what the mouse is trying to tell us is the better story . But right now I am not certain about Armada multiple factions of Imperial and Rebel flavors. There was one GMT game that had an interesting mechanic for a Roman vs Carthridge game. It was 2 v 2, but each side had a political system where the enemy was the other team but to win they had to politically maneuver against their teammate while avoiding accidentally sabotaging the war effort and yielding victory to the other team. Perhaps splitting the Rebels and Imperials into subfactions might be a good place.

In the strategic phase I would like to see objective colors be used anymore. Here was one thing I always suggested in campaigns. Instead of choosing 3 different colors chose 3 missions and the color chosen determines the action on the campaign board. Red is for capturing systems, Yellow will be for securing territory, and replacing losses/repairing damages, Blue is for maneuvering fleets, and Green is for gaining resources and recruiting reinforcements.

Thanks for the feedback. Just to note, each faction is independent of each other, and are in constant conflict. The idea is that each player chooses a faction, and gains the resources, heroes, and bonuses of it.

I really like your idea for the strategic phase. It's similar to what I wanted to do, but I haven't fully fleshed it out. The idea is that both the attacker and defender choose and play an objective, starting with the attacker. For the purpose of effects, the person playing the objective is treated as having 2nd player advantage.

Any updates on this project?

An update:

Earlier, I mentioned that there are campaign-specific cards which are either playable in either the Strategic or Combat Phase. Here they are, along with rules on using them.

Armada Special Campaign Cards:

These cards will be initially shuffled into a deck, where each player will then draw 5 cards from their respective decks. They can choose to discard up to 2 cards from their hand and draw 2 more cards. During each Strategic Phase of the campaign, the players may choose to play one of their cards to give them a special bonus. After all cards have been used, and the game has not concluded, take the discard pile, shuffle it, and draw 5 cards.

Secret Hyperlane:

- You have discovered a secret hyperlane, leading directly to a world deep within enemy territory. You may attack a world that is within 3 tiles of a chosen friendly world (even if enemy fleets would normally prevent this attack). (1x in deck)

Bolstered Reserves:

- Your leaders have seen fit that you receive additional forces and supplies to aid you in battle. Use during the Strategic Phase. You may select up to 250 points worth of ships, squadrons, and upgrades to add to your forces. These units must be placed on your capital world or a shipyard world. (2x in deck)

Planetary Ion Cannon:

- Planetary defenses have a visual on the enemy fleet. They are at your disposal. In addition to the standard objective, you may play the Ion Cannon objective. You are treated as being Second Player for the purpose of card effects. This card can only be played on friendly worlds. (6x in deck)

Bountiful Resources:

- Some rich friends of your government have gifted you a stockpile of credits in support of your cause. Use during the Resource Phase. You may add 200 points to your resource reserve. (4x in deck)

A Heroic Effort:

- A commander within your fleet has decided to aid you in battle! Until the next strategic round, one fleet of yours may include a second commander at no cost. (1x in deck)

Rebel Specific Cards

Starship Theft:

- You have identified a world where a new starship is being built. If you can defeat the local defense force, you may be able to steal it. You may play this card at the start of a battle on a non-friendly world. If you win, you may add an Imperial ship to your fleet. To determine the ship, roll 1 blue die. On an accuracy, you may add a small-base ship. On a hit, add a medium-base ship. On a crit, add a large-base ship. After the battle, take this card and shuffle it back into your deck. (1x in deck)

Sympathy for the Republic:

- One of the Imperial worlds is sympathetic towards our cause. They will help us in the upcoming battle . After attacks have been declared, you may select one Imperial world you are attacking. The defender cannot use the bonuses provided by the planet during the battle, and cannot play defensive objectives. (1x in deck)

Sabotage!:

- A group of insurgents have managed to damage the Imperial fleet in orbit of their world. Use this to your advantage. After fleets have been deployed, Each Imperial ship is assigned a face-up damage card drawn from the top of the deck. When the ship activates, resolve the effect of the card. (1x in deck)

Improvised Strategy:

- The Empire has adapted to our strategies. We need a change of plans. At the start of the battle, assign one objective token to each of your ships. When that ship activates, it may spend the token to change its command dial to another facing of your choice. (1x in deck)

Imperial Specific Cards:

Rule by Fear:

- An additional Star Destroyer has been sent to aid you in battle. You may add an Imperial-Class Star Destroyer to your fleet. It may have up to 20 points in upgrades. This ship does not count towards fleet-building costs, but is counted towards victory points at the end of the battle. (2x in deck)

Endless Swarms:

- We have a surplus of starfighters, and they will be placed at your disposal. After fleets have been assigned to battle, you may select one of your assigned fleets and add 50 points of fighters comprised of TIE Fighters, TIE Bombers, and TIE Interceptors. This card may be used in addition to another campaign card. After the battle, take this card and shuffle it back into your deck. (3x in deck)

Corporate Sector Authority Specific Cards:

Bribery:

- Do not underestimate the power of money. When a battle is declared, you may play this card. When you do, choose a commander or officer. It cannot use its ability on your choice of even or odd rounds. (2x in deck)

Mercenaries:

- Guns for hire will get the job done, for the right price. At the start of any Resource Phase, you may play this card. You may recruit up to 200 points worth of ships and fighters. If these units are destroyed in battle, they are removed from your fleet (instead of becoming scarred). (3x in deck)

Stay tuned for more!