5 hours ago, Ginkapo said:

@Snipafist

YV666s have grit and rogue. They are experts at taking out specific enemy squadrons to free up bombers. Then staying behind for clean up duty.

Their stock went up with the intel change.

Ha, I was expecting the usual Gink disagreement 😉 .

If they didn't have Heavy, I'd agree with you. Their old selling point was "if all your squads are going to be Heavy anyways, might as well just start that way and save you the points" and even then they weren't that great. With new Intel getting a demotion, a non-Heavy YV-666 would do just fine. It would still be slow but at least once something was engaged by enough squads, it would have to deal with 7 hull (plus whatever else, maybe additional YV-666s).

1 hour ago, Snipafist said:

Ha, I was expecting the usual Gink disagreement 😉 .

If they didn't have Heavy, I'd agree with you. Their old selling point was "if all your squads are going to be Heavy anyways, might as well just start that way and save you the points" and even then they weren't that great. With new Intel getting a demotion, a non-Heavy YV-666 would do just fine. It would still be slow but at least once something was engaged by enough squads, it would have to deal with 7 hull (plus whatever else, maybe additional YV-666s).

Valen Rudor to the rescue.

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-updates-12142020.html

Updates today for...

• Darth Vader commander
  • Minimal changes.
• Raider
  • Evades work at close range, fellas. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
  • Removed a whole bunch about flakking versus squadrons with Intel boosting them. It's a lot easier to force enemies to fight your squads and get your Raider flak in nowadays.
    • I'm quite frankly astounded at how much Intel keeps showing up across all these different articles, even about ships.
  • Shortened the article a bit, actually. It's still long, though.
  • Fixed points costs for ordnance upgrades.
    • I'm no longer as dismissive of APTs or ACMs on Raider-Is but I definitely still feel more comfortable there if Screed is involved.
• Ozzel
  • Is amazing now. JOIN ME.
  • Seriously, though, this required a pretty substantial rewrite given how much he changed.
    • Now that he's simpler and better, the article is shorter as a lot of the "for real he's not bad just follow my line of thought" elements were shortened or removed as they're no longer necessary.

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/john-1213-and-1214.html

Garm, the Assault Frigate, and Mon Mothma. I'm through wave 1, guys!

I also have the next 2 weeks (starting Monday) off of work, so hopefully 2021 has everything ready to go, and if I'm lucky, before then even!

3 hours ago, Snipafist said:

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-updates-12142020.html

Updates today for...

• Darth Vader commander
  • Minimal changes.
• Raider
  • Evades work at close range, fellas. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
  • Removed a whole bunch about flakking versus squadrons with Intel boosting them. It's a lot easier to force enemies to fight your squads and get your Raider flak in nowadays.
    • I'm quite frankly astounded at how much Intel keeps showing up across all these different articles, even about ships.
  • Shortened the article a bit, actually. It's still long, though.
  • Fixed points costs for ordnance upgrades.
    • I'm no longer as dismissive of APTs or ACMs on Raider-Is but I definitely still feel more comfortable there if Screed is involved.
• Ozzel
  • Is amazing now. JOIN ME.
  • Seriously, though, this required a pretty substantial rewrite given how much he changed.
    • Now that he's simpler and better, the article is shorter as a lot of the "for real he's not bad just follow my line of thought" elements were shortened or removed as they're no longer necessary.

Awesome, I should dust off my raiders and try them out again

I found a minor error in that article, the joint link for Gunny V and Local fire control points to the weapon teams, but Gunny V has been moved to Imperial specific article if I remember well.

Oh goodness. Instigator is OP again

6 hours ago, Rimsen said:

Awesome, I should dust off my raiders and try them out again

I found a minor error in that article, the joint link for Gunny V and Local fire control points to the weapon teams, but Gunny V has been moved to Imperial specific article if I remember well.

Having played Raiders a few times in 1.5, they're a lot of fun. The evade and Intel changes helped a lot. Give them another try!

Good catch on the link. I always miss something, haha. It's been fixed.

4 hours ago, Ginkapo said:

Oh goodness. Instigator is OP again

It's gotten quite a bit better with the evade changes and it was already pretty decent with Versio, albeit expensive. It's always had a mixed performance with me - squadrons can counterplay it fairly well due to their mobility but if that means they spend a round or two repositioning rather than doing what they want, that's kind of its own reward, right?

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-updates-12152020.html

On to the objectives and one particularly big article update!

• Objectives introduction
  • Minor changes
• All wave one objective articles updated.
  • Mostly editing a bit of text, adding some hyperlinks, etc. Minor stuff.
• Imperial starter fleets article given a major overhaul!
  • The big issue holding us back earlier was trying to get the best combination of ships and upgrade cards to get started with on a budget, and those upgrade cards could only be found packaged with specific ships (unless you wanted to hunt them down on eBay, which most starting players don't). No longer! So long as you add the upgrade pack to your beginning purchases ( you should ), you get a lot more freedom with your starter fleets.
  • There are now 3 different Empire starter fleet options.

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2017/03/building-imperial-fleet-on-cheap-250.html

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/john-updates-1215.html

Ackbar - removed my writeups of the individual ships and went with a vaguer assessment of what does/doesn't work for him. I also updated my DnD character in one of the jokey jokes (as my Dragonborn Paladin has retired); this is the content you came here for right?

MC30 - title changes and viability, and I stripped down the "Scooty Puff Jr" build to its most basic elements. Can you run them titleless? I don't hate the idea!

Thank you so much for the updates! I'm looking forward to playing in meatspace again in the coming year.

> The Foresight has a great effect, allowing you to cancel 2 dice at long range or reroll 2 at Medium/Short. Or with Mothma , cancel 2 at medium and reroll 2 at close.

I think you meant to say "reroll 3 at close."

IMO, the value of dual defense tokens can be over-stated. An ISD-II has 54% odds of generating two accuracies in the initial throw, before anything like H9 or leading shots have had a chance to make things worse for the defender. The Liberty suffers from a similar deficit with its brace tokens. That said, with great maneuvering speed-1 is enough for the enemy traverse from long range all the way into short range, which you covered in the "catching prey" section on black dice ships.

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/john-1216-updates.html

Ackbarticle RE-UPDATED. I added in the Salvo interaction and that whole deal. Short answer: probably don't try to make a super-salvo Ackbar build?

H80 updated; Reactive Gunnery exists now! I also had to kill some of the "Bail is good on here ya know" advice.

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-1216-and-1217-article-updates.html

Updates for the past two days:

• Fleet support
  • A little editing and mostly bringing Slicer Tools up to date.
    • It's still a good card but you need to be a lot more careful with how you use it.
• Gozantis
  • The Minister Tua Electronic Countermeasures Slicer Tools Suppressor Gozanti build was cute, although not necessarily that great. Now that both of the big upgrades eat repair tokens to ready, it's not really viable anymore.
    • Possible substitutes exist but you're in much greater danger of "oops, that's my scatter" followed by the sound of comms static and a distant explosion.
• Bidding
  • Minor upkeep.
• Attack sequence
  • Added the new reminder bullet point from the RRG that you can attack engaged squadrons. Otherwise, nothing needed to be changed.
• General Tagge
  • New version up.
    • Fairly major overhaul of the discussion portion given there's more considerations for him right now what with the round choosing element.
  • He still kinda sucks, but I think there's something there for someone determined to get him to work.
    • That non-consecutive round requirement is the main culprit here and was totally unnecessary.
• Fleet building 101 basics of fleet building
  • Minor editing, added some hyperlinks.

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-15-updates-1218.html

Updates for today. So much stuff to do!

• How to use black dice article.
  • Minor updates, some editing, added some hyperlinks.
• Ion cannons
  • High Capacity Ion Turbines got even worse because it competes for Modification slots with its 1.0 buddy H9 Turbolasers.
    • Even then, it was a fairly niche build mostly seen on ISD-Is.
  • Ion Cannon Batteries got better with 1.5 focusing more on command tokens and command-triggered upgrades.
  • New Leading Shots at 6 points.
  • MS-1s got a little better but not much.
  • NK-7s are still terrible.
  • Overload Pulse Avenger interaction discussion removed. Thankfully.
• Interdictor
  • Between Brunson getting pricier and ECMs needing repair tokens to ready, I honestly feel like it's a matter of meta and preference now between Brunson and Tua/ECM. Both options are 9 points. The Interdictor title readying ECMs for free is a nice touch, so I lean Tua nowadays.
  • Combat Interdictor is still the worst ship in the game. Yay!
• Konstantine
  • New Konstantine, new article. Substantial overhaul here.
  • I'm still not sure Konstantine is actually worth using but he's much less bad than he was in 1.0.
• Armada peripherals
  • Minor editing.

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/john-1217-and-1218.html

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-article-updates-1220.html

Newest batch: I've reached wave 5!

• Arquitens.
  • Minor editing.
  • Added a salvo build with Reactive Gunnery.
  • Updated Baby's First Flagship with Reeva and Advanced Projectors.
• Moff Jerjerrod.
  • Minor edits.
• Lambda
  • Minor edits.
• TIE Defender.
  • Moderate edits. Some upkeep for 1.5 changes and mentioning that they've improved overall due to the ace restrictions.
• Decimator
  • Minor edits.
• TIE Phantom
  • More minor edits. The wave 5 squads were already in a good place.
• Weapon teams
  • Major overhaul on Gunnery Team.
    • NO YOU CAN'T USE ADVANCED GUNNERY WITH 1.5 GUNNERY TEAM, STOP TRYING PLEASE.
  • Moderate overhaul on Ordnance Experts.
    • Removed some of the discussion on which dice to reroll and how aggressively to reroll as that was an artifact of when Ordnance Experts worked on potentially every black dice in your pool. I still discuss when to reroll single hits if you don't have 2 blanks, but there isn't a need for as much math to prove my point.

http://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/john-1219-and-1220.html

john 12-19 and 12-20

Updated Madine. Like 2 sentences about him, he still hasn't changed since the Raddus nerf. The Evade change helps him alright, but he's still kinda outclassed by Raddus. I wish he was better or even had a points reduction, but we get what we get.

Pelta - a bit more about how it's a good ship, as much as us and Steel Strategy keep proselytizing to you all. some more on how to run it, but the builds are still similar.

Sato - procedural, no major changes since he only changed points. Oh, i was a lot more hesitant on recommending you use Malee, because, well, (gestures at Malee).

i'm traveling the rest of the day, but should be able to hit more of these tonight (maybe) and the rest of this week.

When I saw John 12-19 and 12-20 I first thought you were doing a different kind of proselytizing.

john 12/22

i've updated the support teams...ish. Engine Techs's description is updated, but I need to get the new picture in there when i'm not using my fiancee's computer (i'm not learning the Mac version of paint if I can just wait a week and do it next monday). I also should get my laptop fixed, but that's work for this upcoming post-christmas week. Anyways, i'll have that picture updated before the new year. Anyone using that in a tournament in the next 8 days who doesn't remember that, uhhh, good luck? FCT updated to get my points across clearer (and organize the yav part of it). Medical Team and Projection Experts updated to include some fun CIS interactions.

Defensive Retrofits, ECM, the same deal. Again, it's a whole Mac thing to which i'm either getting a new laptop or mine fixed next week. Text is fine though. Mostly procedural, though I did try to justify Redundant Shields some more (though you still probably shouldn't use it, guys).

generic officers - clarity, some elimination of redundancy. Strat Ad is banned, to which I have a picture with the word "Banned" stamped across it....at home, haha.

Rebel officers - bail is banned and I point you to his commander card. art update next week. more minor edits, basically. I also updated walex to say "use with agate and starhawk!" which, uh, yup.

Leia commander - updated mainly for clarity, pics next week. And the ending gif too.

fleet commands - a bit of discussion about WHICH command to choose and how, some minor updates. I don't think Shields to Maximum is bad, but it's really the least interesting of them all. However, maybe some weird Wat Tambor fleet?

Just a thought with the forums closing down, do you guys have the interest/capability to start a community board?

14 hours ago, Ophion said:

Just a thought with the forums closing down, do you guys have the interest/capability to start a community board?

That's a good question. We're considering a discord server but we'll see. I don't have a lot of patience for Internet BS so as long as anyone getting in understands I'll drop the banhammer on anyone who acts remotely like Reavern (who has already been banned from some of the other Armada discords) or some of the other abrasive personalities here then I think we'll get along just fine. An actual message board likely not as those cost $.

The Armada subreddit is all right as is the Armada Facebook group. Both tend to skew more new player* but they're also generally more positive so it's a bit of a trade off.

*There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a newbie (why would I invest hundreds of hours into a blog to help new to intermediate players if I held them in contempt?) but it means 75% of your posts are:

1. Check out this picture of a thing in a box I just bought.
2. Check out this picture of things I took out of boxes that I own. They might be on a table playing a game you know nothing about. Or maybe just out for display. Whatever.
3. What should I buy now?

...which gets kinda old.

12/23 updates

Fighting whales article updated - added in the obvious "bring your own whale" if you want to; separated the "what about SSDs and Starhawks" part into the end.

Admiral Raddus entrance music was procedural. I also didnt click on the links, so, let's hope youtube hasn't taken those down!

Building your community - procedural, nothing major. I still miss community and our Armada community; stupid COVID.

Toryn Farr - procedural, mainly just added links to everything. none of the math changed, haha

hammerheads - added in a paragraph that they're good against squadron damage/alphas, and a bit more about discarding your defense tokens to kill your opponent if you need to.

And i'm through 2017! Ugh, my new years resolution is to not need to update these articles again for a while.

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-minor-christmas-eve-updates.html

A few quick updates...

• Wave 5/Corellian Conflict objectives articles
  • Red
    • Blockade Run writeup shortened. Don't take this unless you want to fight in a bowling alley (the kind of ships that thematically run blockades sure don't).
    • Otherwise editing and clarifying.
  • Blue
    • Basic maintenance, editing, etc.
  • Yellow
    • Fixed a typo!
    • Removed mention of Avenger interaction with Planetary Ion Cannon because Avenger is terrible now.
• Offensive retrofits
  • ATN no longer counters Intel.
  • Hardened Bulkheads no longer combine with Engine Techs for easy double rams on small ships.
  • Otherwise cleaned up this and that, added some hyperlinks, shortened a few things just a smidge.

Almost done with wave 5. Once I'm over that hump, it'll be easier I hope. I'm looking forward to deleting Pryce's entry from the Imperial commanders article soon.

34 minutes ago, Snipafist said:

I'm looking forward to deleting Pryce's entry from the Imperial commanders article soon.

I'm aware you meant "officers" but I enjoy this phrasing

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-article-updates-1226.html

Boxing Day updates to the Imperial officers article!

Imperial Officers

• Admiral Chiraneau got much better now that Intel got nerfed and his section was completely redone.
• Captain Brunson mostly rewritten because oof 9 points.
• Director Krennic improved a bit because he works well with Gunnery Team now.
• 1.0 Avenger and Yavaris and Intel references removed or updated.
• GOVERNOR PRYCE DELETED.
  • If I could bottle this feeling and sell it I'd be rich.
  • Seriously, the worst card in the game , get lost.
• Instructor Goran is better now that Intel has been nerfed but he's still a reactive squad-based 7 point officer. Doesn't mean he's complete garbage but be careful with him.
• Otherwise editing, hyperlinks, the usual.

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2020/12/eric-15-article-updates-1228.html

First note: there wasn't really much to update when it came to personal advice style articles (like the articles on tilting/improving) and the articles on FFG tournaments. Neither have changed any (the advice or the tournament formats, plus who knows what AMG tournaments are going to look like once we get out of the Plague Times), so I just left them be.

Here's today's achievements as I get through wave 6:

• Quasar Fire
  • Removed Brunson as a recommendation as she's too pricey now.
  • Removed references to Intel.
  • What was Pryce doing in this article? I CAST YOU OUT, FOUL SPIRIT!
  • Editing/hyperlinks/the usual.
• Commands rules article
  • Updated page number references.
    • If the RRG gets updated frequently, keeping the page numbers right is going to be a nightmare.
  • Added new reminder based on new RRG text that effects that provide dials (like Thrawn) allow you to tokenize them upon receiving them.
• Boarding teams
  • Cleared out the remaining Rebel unique boarding teams as John already ported those over to the Rebel specific upgrades.
  • Otherwise, some minor upkeep.
• Admiral Sloane
  • Removed Avenger references.
  • Cleaned up and shortened the article a bit. Sloane is still good but has the same balancing act as before of trying to get enough carrier capacity, squadrons, and actual combat ships to make her shtick all come together. She can competently run Interceptors and Fighters better than any other Imperial commander but if you're not careful you can get an even larger burden on your carriers.