Designers: James Kniffen, Christian T. Petersen

Final Score: (4.5 out of 5 Stars)

When it comes to the world of miniatures games Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars X-Wing took the genre by storm, launching what has become one of the most successful miniatures game on the market today. Its popularity is undeniable and really when you think about the concept, is it any wonder given the revitalization of Star Wars as a franchise in particular in gaming, but in media in general. Star Wars really is an I win button and Fantasy Flight Games is just clever enough to realize that it needs to be smashed…. repeatedly.

For me personally it came as a considerable surprise however to find out that Fantasy Flight Games was going to be making another Star Wars based collectable miniatures game so bloody soon. In fact, in a sense I was deeply concerned, after all, what does that mean for my beloved X-Wing? Is it getting replaced? Star Wars Armada has now been released and we are about to receive the second wave which will effectively bring the game out of its trial period as was the case when X-Wing’s core set and wave 1 ships where all that was available and bring it into an actual level of completion worthy of dedicated play. I feel doing a review at this point is probably going to be very effective as I believe with this new wave we will see an big influx of players considering the game. Without further delay, here is your review of Star Wars Armada.

Overview

Star Wars Armada is a strategic miniatures game of ship to ship combat and oddly enough despite Fantasy Flight Games making a second game with this concept in a short couple of years there is a surprisingly few amount of games out there in this genre as a whole. Star Wars Armada is a zoomed out version of Star Wars X-Wing where you step out of the dog fights of small star fighter battles and experience the whole battle on a capital ship level. Maneuvering the lumbering hulk like capital ships across a 6×3 battlefield is a very different experience from zipping around in small star fighters on the tight space of a 3×3 as is the case in X-Wing, but the two games share enough similarities that it’s a safe bet if you like one you will probably like or at least have an interest in the other. That said there are also significant differences between the two games that are certain to lead some in one or the other direction especially given the expense of the hobby ,for economic reasons alone, for many they will have to make a choice between collecting one or the other.

Components

Verdict:  
Tilt: 

Pros:  Without question the most awesome Star Wars components put into a game pretty much ever!

Cons:  The core set comes up very short in providing everything you need to have a complete or even good gaming experience despite a very high price of entry.  Not enough dice in the core set.

I tire of praising Fantasy Flight Games component quality and when it comes to Star Wars Armada they have once again hit near perfection square in the face. The miniatures and every component in the game from cards to tokens are of the highest quality. In fact the miniatures paint jobs are even better than X-Wing in my humble opinion and while I might question some of the aesthetic choices in terms of ships chosen like whale like Frigate for the rebels, it’s such a small quibble its barely worth mentioning. All and all the most recognizable Star Wars capital ships are already in the game and wave 2 adds even more of the ships from the classic original trilogy.

Now there are some issues with components, or perhaps better to say in regards to shortage of components that players getting the core set will immediately note. For one there is definitely not enough dice in the game, which is a bit frustrating given that these are specialty dice and the fact that many ships and situations will have you rolling 4 dice of the same color and the game only provides 3 of each. I really think it’s quite silly to skimp on such minor details that can have such a frustratingly big impact on the flow of the game. More to the point, it’s a cheap move to put a 10 dollar dice pack on sale the same day of release knowing full well that most players will break down and buy it because it’s necessary for the game. This practice is becoming common in miniatures games and it’s going to cost Star Wars Armada in this review.

I would also argue that the Core set as expensive as it is, is barely a game with the ships it provides. Now I’m not sure that this goes under component quality issues but frankly if you’re going to play you need to invest in components well beyond the core set to have a proper full experience, one might even say to have an experience worthy of the initial cost. That said, I’m not sure how they could have packaged it differently, after all the core set is already quite expensive and rightfully so since there are three large miniatures in the game with tons of components all absolutely necessary to play. Had they added more ships into a single box it would have likely been ridiculously expensive. It’s a double edged sword FFG can’t win.

In conclusion however with the few minor gripes this is still very much a near perfect score as far as I’m concerned, the components are all simply top notch even if perhaps there is insufficient components in the core set to have a complete gaming experience. It’s to an extent to be expected, to date I have never seen a miniatures game that is a complete experience with just the core set and this one is not any different. Collecting expansion packs is effectively, mandatory; if you intend to only get the core set you may as well skip it all together. If judged by the core set alone Star Wars Armada would not be on my top 10 best table top games list. Its addition is the result of purchasing and committing to the game completely.

Theme

Verdict: 
Tilt: 

Pros: Perfectly captured theme in every definition of the word perfect.  This IS Star Wars done in a way that is completely in tune with Star Wars Fans.

Cons:  None, seriously.. Its perfect!

When it comes to Star Wars I’m always admittedly completely bias, I love Star Wars and a game in which I get to play out the fantasy of an epic capital ship battles in the Star Wars universe in a miniatures game is nothing shy of a dream come true. Still the question is whether or not the theme is presented well here and the answer is a resounding, abso-fucking-lutly.

Star Wars Armada handles every thematic element of the capital ship battles in the Star Wars universe with perfect precession ensuring not only the amazing art combines with amazing miniatures creating a smorgasbord of visual pleasure it manages to ensure the gameplay supports that fantasy.

Capital ships come in a variety of types and even each type has two sub-types offering plenty of choices but from a thematic point of view some of the most recognizable ships are already in the game including the Nebulan B, Corvette and of course the Star Destroyer. More to the point these ships act in a way that defines them thematically and as a Star Wars fan, I might say, thematically correct. The Star Destroyer is a slow powerful ship that while maneuvering poorly has immense firepower while the smaller, faster ships like the Corvette are able to zip around the battlefield giving them a maneuvering advantage they can leverage. Elements like these both play into the theme of the game but are matched by balanced mechanics and while certainly you will find people who will argue the finer points of balance of each ship or faction, largely it’s been my experience that Star Wars Armada is so thematic, that win or lose you have an amazing experience, the clearest sign you can have that the theme is done right. Regardless of what you think of the mechanics you can’t deny that Star Wars Armada captures the theme perfectly. That epic capital ship combat just sells itself.

The theme gains a further sense of completion by the addition of the immediately recognizable squadrons of the Star Wars universe. I love the handling of the squadrons in Star Wars Armada because while they are tactically and strategically important, they are in a sense less relevant. It is a game of capital ship combat and while you use your fighters to protect your capital ships, to engage enemy squadrons or in attempts to bomb other capital ships the game cannot be won by squadrons alone. Capital ships are the hero’s here and the way the rules are managed this is ensured, yet the thematic presence of a Luke Skywalker or Howlrunner for example is such fundamentally important element in a game that to omit them would have been a crime against the fan base. Luckily FFG knows their fans well and many of the major player you might expect to be there, are.

If there is anything to complain about in regards to theme in Armada I haven’t run across it yet. From cards to miniatures and everything in-between the game sings the Star Wars soundtrack with perfection.

Gameplay

Verdict: 
Tilt: 

Pros:  Amazing connection between theme and mechanics, everything works exactly as you hope.  Squadrons handled brilliantly, giving them purpose but not stealing the show.

Cons:  Complex strategies put this out of reach of casual gamers.  Very sensitive and unforgiving mechanisms that punish mistakes without mercy.

Theme and components should theoretically not be that difficult to get right, especially when you have a license like Star Wars to work with. Really I fully expected Star Wars Armada with Fantasy Flight Games behind the work to master this part of the game. Gameplay however no matter how fancy looking a game is always going to be a challenge and very easy to screw up.

Fortunately Fantasy Flight Games got it mostly right here, though I have to admit there are quite a few quirks with Star Wars Armada that prevent it from reaching perfection in the same way they did with components and theme.

Let’s begin with what Armada got right. Without question the game has tremendously streamlined gameplay with well-defined rules despite a fairly steep learning curve and well-designed mechanics. Some of the highlights include a very creative use of movement tool that allows capital ships to maneuver around the map in a very thematically correct way. It creates plenty of tactical and strategic choices for you, in particular given that you may fire from two different firing arcs by default with each ship. Where those arcs end up pointing is a vital element of play and the many ways a firing solution can be manipulated from offensive equipment and crew cards, to defensive, defense tokens, there is just a lot of options and choices taking place. Each move and counter move makes up a strategic and tactical level of play that is unmatched in any miniature game I have ever played which includes Star Wars X-Wing. It goes into depths that will take dozens of games and hundreds of hours to explore. In a sense the complexity of the tactical options creates the dynamic gameplay and the amazing amount of content and replay ability.

There is also the structure of placing orders, in which you must plan ahead sometimes as much as three turns in advance, giving the game an element of pre-planning and prediction which unlike X-Wing leads to more long term strategies over the course of a game. The use of squads is also brilliantly handled giving them just enough influence on match ups to where they can’t be ignored, but not so much that they become overwhelming or steal the thunder from the games focus on capital ships.

I think overall list building even with the minimal amount of material provided at this point is incredibly challenging, deep and interesting, making the preparation for matches as much fun and often as complex as actually playing. In fact in many ways, far more strategy is determined in your pre-game decisions than in the previous X-Wing which is far more reactive. I love the fact that whatever choices you make there are no “hard” counters, in fact due list building includes selecting missions that generally favor your list, any match up can be dramatically changed just based on which mission you actually end up playing or even something as simple as deployment and initiative. Play the same match twice and change nothing but initiative and you will have two completely different results.

The main point to make here is that there is a tremendous amount of game here leading us into wave 2. It would be difficult to point to any specific mechanic and say “this is the reason the game is great”, combined however what you have is a deeply engaging strategic and tactical experience that is unmatched in the genre. That said there is really very little competition in the epic capital ship space combat genre to compare Armada to, but FFG has set a very high standard here.

The game does suffer from couple of minor issues for the lack of a better word which leads me to recommending it only if you as a gamer don’t actually see these particular problems as issues. It’s more of a personal preference thing rather than a problem, but I believe for many X-Wing players this will be a point of contention.

First and foremost is the fact that the game is considerably more complex and takes longer to play. Not to mention that it requires a very large table to play on. It goes without saying that as gamers when it comes to the complexity of games we all have our preferences but Star Wars Armada really reaches into that “pure gamer” level depth to the point where it becomes very unattractive to casual gamers. A typical Armada game can take upwards of 2+ hours especially at the new 400 point scale and requires considerable explanation of the rules which have many intricacies that go well beyond the casual spectrum, in particular since so many of the mechanics are very strategically sensitive, meaning that if you make one small error in judgement it can cost you the entire game. This results in the game really catering to the committed and experience gaps will have dramatic effects at the table. Notably the road to experience is long and can be quite frustrating. It will take dozens of games to really get a handle on the basics and dozens more to become proficient in understanding the many subtle effects of the mechanics. Suffice to say, its not for the feint of heart and a far cry from the simplicity and approachability of X-Wing.

The large table size requirement might be an issue for many, 6×3 is a very large dining room sized table and this is very much an absolutely, non-negotiable necessity. Play with anything less and capital ships will be flying off the tables. Know this going into it.

Now none of these things are really marks against the game as far as I’m concerned, they are simply notable things to consider before getting into Armada. The fact that the game is complex, time consuming and requires a large table are just features of the game, they aren’t good or bad, they just are and it’s a matter of preference whether or not you see these things as obstacles. You can’t pick up a game knowing it intends to be deep and complex, than complain that it’s too deep and complex. There is one issue that is very clearly a negative in my opinion which ties into the complexity however which I do think is a mark against it.

The game is incredibly unforgiving, I mean, super ultra-sensitive to the point where moving a single squad half an inch in the wrong direction can be traced back to the reason you lost a match sort of sensitivity. This is a very deeply strategic game with a lot of rules, sub-rules to rules and special equipment that alter the rules with incredibly intricate and very sensitive mechanics, all things that ultimately lead into the complexity of the strategies and tactics involved in Armada. They are well defined and very streamlined, but trying to juggle all this information while playing the game is a brain buster to the point where it can be uncomfortable. Consequently the result is that even the most minor oversight, the tiniest error in judgement can throw off your strategy and cost you the entire 2+ hour game. The sensitivity is so extreme that the game becomes very unapproachable to less experienced, casual and even intermediate gamers.

Star Wars Armada suffers from a tremendous amount of “gotcha” mechanic situations as well. The gap between experienced and casual gamers is very wide and because the game is 2+ hours long and incredibly sensitive in terms of actions and consequences, less experienced players will spend a lot of time playing games in which they are effectively victims. In fact I think unless you are heavily invested in learning these intricacies, really studying the game, Star Wars Armada isn’t going to offer a very good gaming experience. Casual play is really not a thing here.

I think this really works against Armada as a game, FFG could and really should have made this a much simpler or at least split the rules between normal and advanced rules to make it a more all-inclusive to appeal to a broader audience. It is after all Star Wars which suggests just by the franchise alone that it should be for the masses, but really this is a very niche product made for a very specific, hardened veteran type purist, one might say elitist type gamer.

In conclusion, despite the steep hill towards experience and competiveness, I think it’s a wonderful game mechanic and has tremendous gameplay. The fact that it filters out the broad audience that Star Wars has access to is unfortunate and I think it will keep Armada from being the global success that X-Wing was, but I still think there are going to be sufficient board and miniature game veterans who will embrace and appreciate the depths of Armada.

Longevity and Re-playability

Verdict: 
Tilt: 

Pros:  Tons of options already with the game growing exponentially with each new expansion.

Cons:  Expansion and longevity are dependent on collecting which can be expensive.

I’m going to make this short and sweet, even before wave 2 which will in effect double the content available for the game, Star Wars Armada has infinite re-playability. Its strategic depth is very tender and every tiny decision you make has wide sweeping consequences that even if you played with and against the same list dozens of time, no two games would be alike. This pushes you to perfect and analyze, ultimately leading to the road of trial and error the vary basis of replay ability. There is this rampant learning curve, not so much of the rules but in the depth of this strategic game that there is no amount of games you could play that would feel too much or would result in you not learning anything new. Each game is jam packed with experiences and while this hill is steep for the committed it’s well worth making the nearly infinite climb.

If there is any drawback or issue as far as longevity is concerned its going to be the cost.  It may not be easy to sustain the constant and relentless release schedule of FFG.

Conclusion

Star Wars Armada is an epic gaming experience; it really deserves praise for presentation and scale. If you’re a fan of the genre or Star Wars theme, this is an experience you simply cannot miss.  Its important however to understand that this is a gamer’s game, its very unapologetic about that and as such if your not ready to fully commit to the hobby, its really not worth it to dip your feet.  Its expensive and demands commitment, if that doesn’t intimidate you, your ready, if it does, look elsewhere.