Hello you wonderful people of the forum,

If someone brand new walks into your life and asks what do I start with for Armada, what do you tell them past the core set?

keep in mind they are starting fresh and would not care as much about the meta, or sillyness just the enjoyment of the game.

An Imperial Star Destroyer, even if you're starting Rebels.

Happy weekend to you all.

I like to Imperil the Rabble

45 minutes ago, Cubanboy said:

If someone brand new walks into your life and asks what do I start with for Armada, what do you tell them past the core set?

Let them play a few more games and lend them stuff to see which playstyle they prefer. Also encourage them to not give up on the game early on because of the steep learning curve. Let them play first and more against other similar skill players or those also looking just to pewpew, don't let the group's top admiral(s) club them yet.

Whichever one they want.

Or better yet, both

My hearth is with the Rebels but I can fly Imps more effectively

I'd also propose the purchase of an ISD, plus a Gozanti and Rebellion in the Rim.

An ISD II with Gunnery Teams and Electronic Countermeasures (both in the Core Set) supported by an Harrow VSD plus the 6 Coreset TIE Fighters and Reserve Hangar Decks on the Star Destroyers and the flotilla is a solid build, let's you learn a lot about the game and already is kind of competitive. Tarkin from the Core Set is quite flexible for beginners. Agent Kallus, Wulff Yularen, H9, Comms Net are sensible upgrades.

The objectives from the Core set are quite good for this ISD-build. I'd recommend starting as 1st player with a bid, but those core set objectives are a solid way to start 2nd-player gameplay, too.

Imperial gameplay all in all is usually a little more straight-forward than Alliance fleets. Alliance ships usually interact more with one another and have to maneuver more precisely.

The RitR objectives seem to be fun as the next step. Double Agent, Pilot Defection, Prototype Recovery, Steal Supplies, Volatile Cargo seem very thematic. So do Abandoned Mining Facility, Doomed Station, Infested Fields, Rift Attack and Surprise Attack.

These objectives would be a nice way to not just learn the shoot and move basics of the game, but Armada's appeal of objective play.

I would say: Find some friends, bring to the table whatever you think is cool and play as often as you can!

11 hours ago, Muelmuel said:

Let them play a few more games and lend them stuff to see which playstyle they prefer. Also encourage them to not give up on the game early on because of the steep learning curve. Let them play first and more against other similar skill players or those also looking just to pewpew, don't let the group's top admiral(s) club them yet.

I think this is important, it took me over a year to find a regular opponent and he was much better than me at the time and he would destroy me. While I persevered I can see where most/many folks would get discouraged by this. My goal is to get more folks into the game so for new players I just let them play the faction they want and I take the other. Thematic Imps vs Rebels is far more fun to play. Then I take a diverse list that isn't necessarily competitive. Then early on I don't just let my opponent make mistakes, I will point out "options" for them and remind them of upgrade cards they might be forgetting (You might want to ECM that Brace...). I don't necessarily let them win but I do try and keep the game close and encourage at least minor victories within game so they will want to play again.

The one caveat is tournaments, I always encourage new players to play in tournaments but I make sure they understand that others, including me, won't be giving them hints during game. They should take a list that they know well. My theory is a list that you know well and don't forget things is far more competitive than the "Net list" that wins tournaments but you forget half the interactions for.

Back to the OP question... I encourage them to play the faction they are most interested in but when they truely don't care I say Imperial and get an ISD as Imps are far more forgiving for new players IMHO.

Get the super. Play 400 points with a single expansion.

Barring the correct answer of letting them borrow until they choose....

Rebel.

If I have to choose between all ships viable but only 4 commanders OR 4 viable ships with all commanders, I’d choose the one with the most ships.

I would tell them to play a few games, (offering to let them borrow some of my stuff) and find out what play style they like best. Then I would tell them to find ships that match that play style.

Honestly, whichever side moves them. Most people coming to this game probably already have strong opinions about Star Wars stuff, and know which side's ships they'd rather push around.

If they're ambivalent, I'd say that Imperials are easier to play while you're learning, but that Rebels have a little more depth and flexibility in their list building. Depends if they're the kind of gamer who prefers strong strategies that are easier to execute, or they like to tinker with list building.

2 hours ago, Church14 said:

Barring the correct answer of letting them borrow until they choose....

Rebel.

If I have to choose between all ships viable but only 4 commanders OR 4 viable ships with all commanders, I’d choose the one with the most ships.

I am confused by this. All the Rebel Commanders are great!

Raddus lets you WIN DEPLOYMENT

Ackbar gives you BROADSIDES FOR DAYS

Rieekan lets you LITERALLY CHEAT

Dodonna is CHEAP

Garm actually WON NORTH AMERICA

Madine lets you TURN ON A DIME

Mon Mothma is GREAT WITH SMALL SHIPS

Leia

Cracken is PRETTY MUCH MON MOTHMA BUT FASTER

Sato look GREAT ON PAPER

28 minutes ago, BiggsIRL said:

I am confused by this. All the Rebel Commanders are great!

Raddus lets you WIN DEPLOYMENT

Ackbar gives you BROADSIDES FOR DAYS

Rieekan lets you LITERALLY CHEAT

Dodonna is CHEAP

Garm actually WON NORTH AMERICA

Madine lets you TURN ON A DIME

Mon Mothma is GREAT WITH SMALL SHIPS

Leia

Cracken is PRETTY MUCH MON MOTHMA BUT FASTER

Sato look GREAT ON PAPER

I somehow KNEW I had to read this post. And yet....

3 hours ago, Thrindal said:

I think this is important, it took me over a year to find a regular opponent and he was much better than me at the time and he would destroy me. While I persevered I can see where most/many folks would get discouraged by this.

What's weird is that there really is no need for that to have been true.

One of the nice things about games with point systems like this one - it's theoretically very easy to set a 'handicap' so both players end up with an equal challenge. If teaching a net-new gamer, once they get to the list-building stage, I usually build to only around 150 myself (usually a VSD + Raider or Gozer + some squads) and let them build to 300. As they start winning games, I'll bring up my own point target to more equal levels, just with a goal of keeping the matches a challenge - but winnable - for both of us.