Star Wars Armada - An Introduction

 Star Wars Armada - An Introduction

Game Specs

• Advertised Player Count: 2
• *Actual* Player Count: It's 2 in most cases, but you can team up with friends to have bigger battles with more players
• Playing Time: 120 minutes (yeeaaahhhhh, this is generally optimistic between setup, tear-down, and gameplay. It really just depends on who you're playing with, but the game can drag for newer players. Also, gameplay does slow down when there are more squadrons on the board, because their placement is infinite compared to the bigger capital ships. I'd budget 180 minutes including setup and tear-down)
• Age: 14+
• Premise: You and a single opponent build and then field fleets featuring some of your favorite ships, squadrons, and characters from Star Wars, and battle to see who wins! 

Welcome to the (space) Thunderdome.

This is the first game I'll be writing about that isn't generally identified as a board game, but rather, a miniatures game. What's the difference? Miniatures games are table top games that feature miniature models - in the case of Armada, the miniatures featured are space ships and star fighters from Star Wars lore.

What are Miniatures Games?

In some ways, miniatures games can be compared to trading card games (TCGs) like Magic: The Gathering or Pokemon, because you don't just buy a single game and play it as many times as you like. Usually with miniatures games, there are starter kits you can buy (that either get you started on the game, or get you started on the game with a specific faction - I'll get to that later), and then expansion packs featuring the miniature models you're seeking. Some games (the most famous example is probably Warhammer 40,000) handle all of their rules in core rule books and codexes that are specific to different factions, and then their miniatures are sold separately. In the case of Armada, there are only four factions (and two of them are new as of the very end of 2020!), and so the rules are pretty universal and do not require codexes. Let's get into a bit, shall we?

You *can* do this to yourself, but you don't HAVE to in order to play or enjoy the game!

What are factions?

Basically, each miniatures game generally features different factions of miniatures, and each faction normally has different play styles. In Armada, the two original factions were the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Most recently (at the end of 2020), two Clone Wars factions were released: the Republic and the Separatist Alliance. I won't go too deep into their respective play styles here, but the Empire usually relies on overwhelming force from ships that tend to face and fire front with flimsy but multitudinous squadrons, whereas the Rebels tend to strafe and fire out the sides of their ships so they can fire while on the run. They also count on their more sturdy squadrons, which can often fill multiple roles in a fleet. The Clone Wars factions are an interesting re-combination of Empire and Rebel. The Republic is all about synergy, and relies pretty heavily on its sturdy squadrons (like Rebels) while fielding ships that want to fly and shoot straight ahead. The Separatists feature a slew of specialized but flimsy squadrons with ships that like to circle their prey and fire out of their port and starboard sides without getting into the middle of a skirmish if they can avoid it.

When it comes to miniatures games, players often pick one or two factions rather than buying EVERYTHING. With Armada, now that there are 4 distinct factions, that's the same case here. But with Clone Wars JUST arriving, now is probably the best time to buy into a Clone Wars faction, as there isn't much to catch up on yet.

Just look at these ship models!

Gameplay

The game happens over the course of six rounds, and each round is broken down into four phases. Honestly, I know the game runs deeper than this and can seem intimidating, but I promise: at its core, the game really isn't terribly complicated. At the end of round 6, whoever has the most points wins the match. Points are scored by killing enemy ships and squadrons, as well as possibly scoring points off of objectives (one of which is chosen before the match begins).

During the Command Phase, you set your command dials; these are basically an order you give your ship that turn. There are four - Navigate, Engineering, Squadrons, and Concentrate Firepower. The first helps you turn better or adjust your speed. The second allows you to move shields around your ship, regenerate shields, or repair damage cards. The third allows you to move squadrons during the ship phase instead of the squadron phase (we'll get there in a future blog post!). The fourth allows you to add one die to an attack that your ship makes that turn. Basically, the bigger the ship, the further in advance you need to plan out your commands. I really appreciate this aspect of the game, as I often liken it to chess.

During the Ship Phase, you and your opponent take turns activating one ship, which then reveals a command dial, shoots if it has anything to shoot at, then moves. Seriously, that's basically it.

During the Squadron Phase, you and your opponent take turns activating two squadrons at a time. They can either move or shoot.

During the Status Phase, upgrade cards and defense tokens are refreshed.

That's it. You do all of that six times, and that's the whole game. Yes, I know, there's more to it. There's surely terminology in there that eludes you, but truly, the basic gameplay is fairly simple. And compared to the majority of miniatures games, Armada is easier and almost invariably a cheaper investment.

Seriously, look at them! They're beautiful! The paint jobs on the Republic ships are...questionable...but otherwise, the models are all great!

Starter Options

This is one of those areas where miniature games differ from board games by a decent amount. Instead of just buying a board game and deciding whether or not you like it enough to buy an expansion or two, you need some sort of a starter set in order to get the necessary tokens, dice, movement and measurement tools to play the game in the first place.

If you want to fly a Clone Wars faction, you really can't do better than either a Republic or Separatist starter kit. You'll also want a Star Wars Armada Upgrade Collection Kit - this will include all of the upgrade cards that were released prior to Clone Wars. You can make use of two, but you can get by with one to start. I'd also advise buying two squadron packs of whichever faction you pick. I have three of each squadron pack because it can be tough to find them once they've sold out, and I also mess around with some wonky builds. But honestly, you'll be fine with 2 squadron packs of whichever faction you want to fly. And that's it!

If you want to fly Rebels or Imperials, things get just a bit trickier. I would not advise purchasing an original starter. I say that because the original starter contained ships and squadrons for both Rebels and Imperials, and as a result, did not include enough of either to build a full fleet. Your best bet for playing either of the original factions is to learn more about the game by playing with someone who has played before. Or play online! Learn what ships you like so you have an idea where you want to start. Or just buy the models you like the best! I know plenty of people who got into this game specifically because they wanted to fly Home One.

And why not? Look at that Mon Calamari Cruiser!

You'll still need that Armada Upgrade Collection Kit, as it'll include literally every upgrade released for Rebels and Imperials. It's a great deal. Since you're flying Imperials or Rebels, at this point, it's definitely worth buying two of these. A couple of squadron packs are worth your time here, too. But they'll likely be a bit harder to find. Do a little bit more reading up on either faction to see what you're most interested in, but squadrons are very much an integral part of the game. And you'll need to purchase a Dial Pack, as well as some dice and a Maneuver Tool (this is what you use to move your ships according to their individual movement profiles).

It sounds like a lot of buy-in because it is. This is a big difference between "regular" board games and miniature games. It's definitely not for everyone. Honestly, I "got into" Armada and quit twice before I tried it a third time and it stuck. It was my first miniatures game, and I found it really frustrating because I just. kept. losing. It's not for everyone. But I found a good community of people, so I was playing against different opponents fielding different strategies, and it started to click. I wanted to like the game from the start because I loved (and continue to love!) the chess aspect of the game, wherein planning in round 1 really pays off in round 4. It's so cool and gratifying to watch that unfold!

Bottom line: If you enjoy games that require a lot of planning and forethought, if you like games that reward strategic thinking, if you are a Star Wars geek who loves the idea of pushing your Imperial Star Destroyer toward unsuspecting Rebel scum or ambushing Imperial fascists with your Hammerhead Corvettes and MC30 Torpedo Frigates, then this game is absolutely worth trying!