Wave 3 - The Artists formerly known as convoys

Wave 3 is here and after the heavy hitters of Wave 2 it's a small offering:
[url]https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/3/16/bigger-battles-better-tactics/[/url]

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Both of the new Options, of which we know very little are at this stage, are [url=https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/d9/12/d912850d-be81-44aa-9f6f-d22e2e6d8e3d/flotillas_reference.png]Flottilas[/url]. Flottilas are in game terms ships but with a few exceptions, such as not causing damage to a ship they overlap with. While the actual stats are mostly still hidden, it seems both flottilas will also arrive with a first in game: a "-" armament battery - which is to say a battery with no attack dice.

EDIT: Another interesting feature I nearly missed on first glance: Those flottilas have the Scatter-Defense Token which was previously reserved to some elite squadrons. Considering they carry next to no batteries and each only have 3 hull, I guess that should not be suprising since the Flottilas need something that will keep them from getting kicked off the board by a ship flying by. Scatter's powerful defensive effect will require you to actually go after a Flottila to take it out and eliminate its effect on the enemy fleet.

EDIT2: The low battery armament will be a problem with scoring - although I cannot say that without knowing the fleet points costs of each Flottila. Battery armament is quite important for some scoring purposes... But maybe I am getting ahead of everyone here.

Another addition featured on the Flottila-rules card is a new upgrade category called "Fleet Support". Three cards of that category have already been spoiled:
https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame..._comms_net.png https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...and_center.png https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...pair_crews.png

From what you can see here it looks like this Upgrade slot is intended to give you are force multiplier option that is not mounted on your attack craft. Esspecially "Bomber Command Center" looks interesting and may put some of the Rebel fighter options back in the game (and upgrade the Rhymer-ball as well as those "hidden ship"-Firesprays which might become problematic).



Truth be told, I am glad that they are going small (both in volume and ship sizes) for this wave. Armada will never match the break-neck release speed of X-Wing simply due to a lack of source material, for one. Secondly of course, pumping the game full with big ships (e.g. the First Order SD and the Liberty-class Mon Cal) at this juncture may have lead to some dead-on-arrival expansions as these ship either break pattern with their faction (e.g. the Liberty Mon Cal not being broadside focused) or competing with established ships (there are only so many dice you can put in a foward battery).

That's it?

Seriously.

Is that all?

I'm kind of glad I didn't take the Armada plunge. I can't knock the gameplay, and I'm certainly not about to confuse my opinion with irrefutable fact, but bloody hell FFG. Way to pump out the 'meh'.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mr Mystery

Way to pump out the 'meh'.

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Is this wave underhelming in volume? - Yes, certainly. Otherwise I would not have found it neccessary to write a paragraph about "it's good they went small".

But is it "meh"? I don't think so. The problem is that not all the stats are out there yet. Without the points costs and the speed charts it is hard to judge but the promise of 'fighter-ish' costed ships with a squadron value of 2 is anything but "meh" in gameplay terms. I was disappointed when FFG FAQ'ed by Squadron 6 ISD out of existence because as the game stands now, you often push you squadrons once early in the game and then leave them to furball with the enemy fighters. Which, despite Rhymer and "hidden ships", made the squadron gameplay somewhat underwhelming at times simply due to the fact that you rather spend your commands with your ships.

The Flottilas might change that but which way cannot be said without further info...

I'm liking the something different feel of these... It sure has been easy to keep up with the releases!

The new preview is up and ... and... and see for yourselves:

[url]https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/4/29/support-your-squadrons-support-your-fleet/[/url]

Because I am a bit a loss for words, let's break this down slowly:

https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...s-cruisers.png https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...t-carriers.png

Those are not as cheap as I hoped they would be (I was thinking about a something around <20 points) but of course had not seen some of what you can do with these. The article already mentions that you can for the utility buff these up to Squadron Value 3 and they are actually not that bad to maneuvre, so keep the bomber ball rolling :)

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I am not sure how good this title is because it will only affect the Rogues and Villians ship and the TIE Adv. Squadrons, and so far I have not seen them needing any major speed boost (but then again, the Rebels do get their own cheap squadron commands now...)

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Note that this card is worded in manner that it only works on the Ship Kallus is on but the Raider-Expasion already offered some neat boni to your AAA.

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This is not the first Admiral we have seen that works off the turn order and offers boni the moment you might need them, esspecially given the Abilities we have seen in the Stardestroyer-Expansion. Too bad he can't combo with Admiral-Vader...

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This is the first "woh"-card of this expansion: Remember if you attack an obstructed traget, you roll one fewer attack die. And that might be the only defense option generic squadrons will ever have in a game before they face the enemy fighter screen.
It does work both ways, so you could actually end up boosting your opponent's squadrons if you are not careful.

https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...suppressor.png

"woh"-card #2:
While I still have to go back and re-read the rule-book now, so see if I get how this card works, this card owns the phrase "I got you now". Brace tokens are a bane to carefully set-up front attacks which are the Empire's speciallity, just are Evade tokens to the odd-broadside shot. Pulling one of these defense tokens from an enemy ship just because you Flottila is still there, might allow you to break an enemy ship wide open.
Only caveat to this is of course that Armada allows free movement, which make this ship avoidable even with a 1-3 range.

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Pinch me please....

[url]https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/5/6/a-different-sort-of-strength/[/url]

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https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...toryn-farr.png https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...ntum-storm.png https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgame...right-hope.png

I am no Rebel-player, so I won't judge those cards. But please take note that this article mentiopns about how the Flottilas bring blocking to Armada