For the Star Wars gamer and fan this has been and continues to be epic time, it really does not get any better than this. Whether you’re just a fan of the movies, board games, PC games, role-playing games or just like collectibles there is something for everyone Star Wars related. I thought it would be fun to do a little break down of all the awesomeness that is here and coming our way in the near future.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The new Star Wars movies has everyone hoping for a revival given the generally accepted disappointment of the Old Republic era movies.
Naturally the best place to start is with the upcoming movie hitting movie theaters on December 16th. Brought to you for the first time by someone other than George Lucas, the Disney fueled J.J Abrams infused film continues the saga of one of the greatest science-fiction sagas ever made. The director who is often dubbed the reboot king has brought back franchise from extinction like Mission Impossible and Star Trek, not to mention some of the more interesting TV series like Almost Human and Revolution. I love this guy’s stuff, but Star Wars The Force Awakens is less a reboot and more a continuation of a story most of us nerds grew up with. The Force Awakens is more than just a movie to gamers however as it represents a new expanded place for some of our favorite games to draw materials for and its already begun.
Star Wars X-Wing: Force Awakens
Cleverly the new core set managed to add new and improved X-Wings and Tie-Fighters without making the old core set obsolete. A welcomed addition to X-Wing.
We have already gained access to the new X-Wing Core set that features X-Wings and Tie-Fighters from the new movies, with more on the way. As part of the next Wave for X-Wing we are going to glimpse a little closer into Force Awakens with new X-Wing and Tie-Fighter expansions as part of the set that will show case a number of interesting new pilots presumably from the movies. Without question you can expect in future waves to see more of the Force Awakens universe to join Star Wars X-Wing, but the important thing here is that X-Wing has plenty of new room to grow into thanks to the movies.
The most exciting element of the upcoming wave however is that epic play is going to grow. We recently got the Imperial Raider which opened up Epic play in a big way but perhaps the most exciting upcoming release is the Imperial Assault Carrier that not only features a new epic ship but a number of awesome Tie-Fighters too boot! It’s an exciting time to be an X-Wing player!
Star Wars Armada
A much needed expansion to Armada has rounded out the game but we are yet to see anything for Force Awakens!
While we are still waiting to see/hear announcement of Force Awakens ships for Armada wave 2 is no slouch in bringing us much needed content for this epic game of capital ship battles. Joining the ranks is not only a new Squadron set that includes some of the most iconic ships in the Star Wars universe like the Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon and Boba Fett’s FireSpray just to name a couple but we are getting some of the most iconic ships from one of the biggest fleet battles in Star Wars movie history (Return Of The Jedi). Ships included are the Home One, MC30 Frigate and The Imperial Class Star Destroyer, not to mention the Imperial Raider.
For Star Wars Armada fans wave 2 has a completion effect, rounding the game out to its destination of 400 points and bringing much needed diversity to list building. What will Force Awakens bring to the table? Well you can bet your bottom dollar that Fantasy Flight Games knows how to milk it and its not much of a prediction to proclaim that the next wave will include Force Awakens capital ships, the thing is, we don’t really know much right now about what that will be. Fortunately we won’t have to wait too much longer as it’s only 2 days as of this writing before the movie premiers!
The Star Wars Role-Playing Game
Edge of the Empire kicked things of and immediately made all previous Star Wars RPG games obsolete. Its nearly perfect!
Whether you are a fan of Edge of the Empire, Age of Rebellion or Force and Destiny (or all three) Fantasy Flight Games has been producing material for the game at a maddening pace. Dozens of books have been pushed out this year not to mention countless variety of supplements and expanded material with many more the horizon and now there is the question of how Force Awakens plays into all this. It’s a safe bet that we can expect a new core rulebook simply called Force Awakens kick starting a new era for the role-playing game and I’m sure I speak for many role-playing fans out there that the anticipation of the expected announcements is exciting. The prospect of playing in the new era may come sooner than we think thanks largely to the fact that FFG has already secured the rights to Force Awakens. Not enough excitement for you? Think about the possibility of linking all three games with Force Awakens and playing out the entire saga of Star Wars from the perspective of a single character of your own creation…. Ok that should do it!
Star Wars Rebellion
Rebellion is the unquestionable king of surprises this year, before we have even had a chance to get excited the game is already on the calendar for release early in Quarter 1!
The recent announcement of Star Wars Rebellion was perhaps one of the best surprises of the year. With virtually no knowledge that a Star Wars boardgame was even in the works, Fantasy Flight presented Rebellion, a game that lets you play out the original Star Wars conflict from A to Z, Death Stars Included. In the style of War of the Rings (quite possibly one of the greatest board games ever made) you and a friend will battle it out with the famous people, ships, planets and story of the Star Wars universe. The best part? The game is ALREADY AT THE PRINTER which means you will be playing it first quarter of 2016! Can I get a fuck yeah!
How does Force Awakens fit into it… well duh, EXPNASION! With the game already done and printing there is no doubt FFG will wait and see to ensure the game is well regarded and accepted, but assuming it is as awesome as it looks, A Force Awakens expansion in 2016 is practically assured!
Star Wars Imperial Assault
The familiar Descent-esque system brings the Star Wars universe to the cooperative dungeon crawler genre, but it boasts an impressive competitive skirmish mode that has gained a tremendous amount of popularity overshadowing the cooperative elements.
For the cooperative gamer, in particular if you were a fan of Descent, Star Wars Imperial Assault is an easy pick as it may quite possibly one of the best cooperative games ever made. Fantasy Flight Games isn’t pussy footing around with this franchise either. With countless mini expansions and two major expansions (Twin Shadows – At the Printers & Return to Hot – On the Boat) we already have enough content for Imperial Assault to last us through 2016 but at this point the games popularity is so huge a Force Awakens expansion is not only a guarantee it’s a shocker that they haven’t already announced it. If I had to guess, I would say they are timing it for the release of the films because you know, they are evil!
Star Wars RISK
Easy to overlook thanks largely to its poor title and association with RISK, this little nugget is actually a really great remake of Star Wars Queens Gambit set in the Return of the Jedi era!
Ok, bad title, very bad title and probably one of the reasons you probably didn’t give this one a second look. Look a little deeper under the covers however and you will discover that Star Wars RISK is actually a new edition of Star Wars: A Queens Gambit, a rare collectable and extremely well made game based on one of the worse Star Wars movies ever made (A Phantom Menace). This time however instead forcing us to play with Gungan miniatures Hasbro back tracked and created the epic battle over the second Death Star from Return of the Jedi. It’s called Star Wars RISK but has virtually nothing to do with the classic Yahtzee style dice roller. Instead Hasbro pulled out a miracle and actually created a great game that looks amazing managing to hit on some of the more distinguished top board game lists on the internet.
Now if I know Hasbro Star Wars Force Awakens: RISK is an inevitable follow up and while I’m not holding my breath they do have a good system to base a game on, the only question is, will the story support the 3 prong battle setup needed to re-create Star Wars: RISK? Here’s hoping that it does!
You wanted Excitement and as you can see from this list there is plenty for everyone here. Let’s just bloody hope the movie is as awesome as we all know it should be!
It’s been a while since I have written an article for this series but I have received a number of E-mails from what I have gathered are new x-wing players requesting more and since I don’t actually usually get requests I thought I would fulfill the ones I do have. I thought about what topics I wanted to breach and decided to talk about the frequently disputed elements of ordinance and ordinance based ships. Typically ordinance is an element of the game often labeled “not worth the cost”, a sort of standard mantra at least in the competitive and online conversations about them. Today we will get into some details about the problems with ordinance and ordinance based ships and some hopefully clever tips on how you can leverage them to your advantage.
Ordinance
Torpedoes, Missiles, bombs and the ships that use them are often seen as risky propositions in list building, in fact in the competitive scene you will rarely see ships fielding ordinance and ships like the Tie-Bomber are also very infrequently if ever used in competition. The reason is quite sound. Ordinance weapons are one shot use weapons and typically, for the cost, the effect or impact on the game is considered too small to justify it. At least that’s the theory.
So what are the listed problems or complaints about Ordinance?
Spending targets lock to fire them is just one of several issues with ordinance. Or do you, look closer, not all ordinance requires you to spend your target lock or focus.
The main complaint for starters is that you have to spend your target lock and really in the case of most ordinances this is the problem. As you can see above however this is not always the case, I point this out early because its a common oversight. You often only get one action so target locking someone which with primary weapons is used to trigger re-rolls is spent instead just to use the attack and rolling 3 or 4 red dice without a focus or target lock to improve odds means you are shooting at 50/50 odds. Even with various effects like getting two attacks, doing extra damage to nearby ships or triggering Ion effects there is a legitimate chance you will simply miss. By default hit or miss the ordinance is spent anyway. It’s like effectively shooting 3 to 5 points at a target. Consider the alternatives to spending 3-5 points on ordinance for something else like for example a push the limit (two actions – Focus and Target Lock) or Expose (increase primary weapon by 1), effects that can be potentially be used multiple times in a match. These effects increase your chances of getting more out of your primary weapons for the same price. Its a valid complaint in my opinion.
Perhaps the most common use of the Tie-Bomber is the cheaper, Scimitar Squadron Pilot coming in at 16 points Worth it until you see the dial.Not terrible, but this is no doubt the least maneuverable of the Tie class ships.
There is also the issue of the ships that shoot the ordinance or at least are designed to do it well like the Tie-Bomber for example. The stats on these ships are generally fairly mediocre and you typically are going to need to put more than one piece of ordinance to make it formidable on the field. That of course increases the cost. More than that, if you really want to get some guarantees you have to use special gear to allow you to do that like Munitions Failsafe, Extra Munitions or combining it with other gear like Push the Limit so you could at least roll the dice with a focus or special pilots. All this amounts to increasing costs for a ship that when it runs out of ordinance (assuming it survives long enough to shoot it) is a lack luster performer without ordinance.
For the ships that fall somewhere in-between, ships not really designed for ordinance but have the option it’s even less worth it. Putting ordinance on an X, A or B wing increases the cost of a ship but typically these ships gain far more benefit from its primary weapons when combined with gear more specifically tailored for the ship. Your far better off with an advanced sensor on a B-Wing than you are putting torpedoes on it. Again because you will be able to use advanced sensors throughout the match, while the ordinance is a one trick, one shot pony, the value is fairly easy to determine. You could of course do both but the costs mount and you really have to question the value of things like proton torpedoes where you can roll 4 dice at 50/50 odds one time during the match or rolling 3 dice with a focus (or 4 dice if you are close range) every time you shoot.
Even with its ability to shoot in a 360 degree arc you have to question the wisdom of using a B-Wing as a ordinance delivery system, especially considering the cost.
Some might argue that ordinance is all about player skill, if you are good, the impact of having ordinance at the table can be devastating and that to a degree is true, but X-Wing is not just a game of a skill, it’s a game of dice and when it comes to ordinance bad luck with the dice is going to have far more impact on you than it would if you were firing your primary weapons. Besides in the end, the argument that it’s “not worth it”, is a direct reference to point cost. Simply put the cost of mounting ordinance on a ship is going to weigh in at around 10-20 points extra and that is practically a whole extra ship which means that in order to get the value from the ordinance you really need to be able to do the work of 2 ships with your ordinance ship, that’s a tall order! That ordinance, no matter how good you are, simply cannot do it.
Now with that said is there any circumstance in which it is worth it? I believe the answer is yes. Getting value out of ordinance is all about understand how you can leverage ordinance ships not against cost, but against strategical possibilities within the structure of your list and tactics of the game. Another words, a Tie-Bomber with Cluster-Missiles and Extra Munitions might not be cost effective, but if combined with a good pilot card and some bonus gear your opponent will have to address that ship or suffer the consequences. The concept is what I like to call, “rat trapping”, which simply means that you have created an obvious and immediate threat, this Is your trap and your opponent is the rat. He will walk right into your trap because he will see your munitions ship as a major threat and as such if you build the rest of your list with your trap in mind, the combination can be devastating.
With that said, let’s look at an example list.
The Tie-Bomber is arguably the worst of the ordinance ships and so let’s see if can create a list using it as a base for our rat trap.
Major Rhymer 26 (Push The Limit 3, Advanced Proton Torpedoes 6, Extra Munitions 2).
The ability to increase range makes using Advanced Torpedoes more viable for this Tie-Bomber that is unlikely to ever get someone in their arc at range 1 given its dial.
You might immediately see how dangerous and expensive this ship is. At 37 points its death on wheels for at least 2 rounds. You have push the limit to assure you can target lock and focus, you have advanced Proton Torpedoes that can fire at range 1-2 that combined with a focus all but assures you are going to get 5 hits (3 blanks turn to focus, you need only to roll 2 hits with a focus at about 75% odds). Extra munitions that turns a 6 point piece of gear into a 2 point piece of gear.
Now this is a vulnerable ship but there is no question that your opponent will do everything in his power to eliminate it early, he will see this ship as a major threat and rightfully so because it is. If allowed to shoot, it’s going to earn its weight in points. He is your trap and you want to leverage your trap by creating the rest of your list knowing what he is going to go for.
1 x Tie Phantom (Sigma Squadron) 25 + Fire Control System
3x Tie Fighter (Academy Pilot) 36
Most people go for the expensive Phantoms, but the Sigma Squadron Pilot at 25 points is dirt cheap for a ship that can cloak and rolls 4 dice even at long range. Especially when you consider its dial.Consider the Interceptor dial, a ship widely accepted as being incredibly maneuverable.The Phantom is pretty comparable to the Interceptor. The only real trade up is boost for cloak. Make no mistake its an arc dodger with fire-power.
All you need to do is position these ships (your core squad) away from Rhymer to ensure that anyone going for him, is going to have to turn their back to the rest of your ships. With some good piloting and careful use of the Tie Phantom and at least one clean shot with Rhymer you should be able to gain an early advantage against most lists.
Now tactically you have many options with this list. Once Rhymer uses his ordinance, he is your blocker. Crash him into stuff and make him a nuisance setting up shots for your other ships. If your opponent chases the phantom or the Tie-Fighter play the avoidance game, evade, cloak and bug out forcing him to waste shots and buying you time to get Rhymer into position. With Rhymer you want to target any low agility ships, or core support ships or big easy to hit ships. Make that those 2 (5 dice) shots count if your opponent doesn’t address Rhymer. Most importantly remember however that Rhymer is not your fleet, he is your distraction, he is the ship that will put your opponents ships out of position and into your trap.
Is this a good list? I suppose we could argue about it, but it does show how the Tie-Bomber and ordinance can in fact have its uses and while this list isn’t what one might call ultra- competitive, it does certainly have a lot more going for it than just reliance on ordinance. The ordinance in this list is really just a ruse if you will for getting the actual threat (1 Phantom and 3x Tie Fighters) into position. The hope is that your opponent will not realize that the munitions ship, that Tie-Bomber is not really the big threat.
The Conclusion
Ordinance is not terribly cost effective, in fact the argument that it’s “not worth it” certainly has some validity and I mostly agree with it. X-Wing list building and in general playing X-Wing is about creativity and fun for most of us, so if you simply step out of the competitive number crunching (Math-Wing) and think outside the box a little, ordinance presents an interesting challenge to players. Can you create a great list that works with ordinance, I believe the answer is yes. I have had success with the list above, not because it’s a great list but because it’s unusual enough that your opponent is stumped on how to address the challenge. Do you split your fleet, do you go for the Tie-Bomber or focus on the Tie-Phantom.
I think meta thinking is part of the reason ordinance has such a terrible reputation in the competitive circuit, in fact, I believe that if you took a list like this to a tournament you would probably do quite well simply because of meta thinking. When everyone is expecting one of three or four meta lists and they are facing something unusual, it throws chaos into the their tactical expectations and this your advantage. I personally love flying lists like this, the look on your opponents face is all the reward I need.
2015 was an exciting year, in fact, I probably made more gaming purchases in the second part of 2015 than I have the two years before combined. We got awesome epics like Star Wars Armada and Forbidden Stars, we saw the release of some cool expansions and many great re-prints. It really was a fantastic year for gaming.
The first part of 2016 is already shaping up and there are a number of great games on the horizons worth bringing to your attention!
1. Star Wars: Rebellion
FFG just can’t seem to stop making awsome games!
Recently announced, once again leveraging their hold over the Star Wars license Fantasy Flight Games is going to add yet another “insta buy” game for me in 2016. Star Wars: Rebellion information is fairly limited at this point but what is known is that players will be in essence playing out the war between the Empire and Rebel alliance with over 150 plastic miniatures, the complete cast of the original trilogy in a seemingly War of the Rings style multifaceted strategic board game.
A combination of area control, specialty dice, card play, countless miniatures all hunched over a galactic star map in the Star Wars universe. What can I say other than “yes please!!”
2. Star Trek Frontiers
Vlaada games are hit and miss, but when they hit, they hit big.
One of the most successful board games WizKids has is Mage Knight, largely popularized by its complex competitive adventure style mechanics with incredible depth. While I consider Star Trek Fleet Captains another huge hit by WizKids, the announcement of Star Trek Frontiers, a Star Trek adventure game based on the Mage Knight mechanic certainly caught my attention. It’s really a perfect marriage as WizKids has collected considerable experience with Mage Knight as a board game and Star Trek as a franchise. There is going to be a lot of experience applied here and while Fleet Captains has cleaned out the taste of never ending failure in Star Trek based boardgames for me, that haunting feeling of hope and disappointment that has existed for years as far as Star Trek board games are concerned is still there. I am as they say, rooting for them, it’s certainly looking good so far.
3. Through The Ages 3rd Edition
Let’s hope that 3rd edition of Through The Ages gets a much needed visual upgrade as well!
I’m really excited about this one for one very huge reason. I really love Through the Ages but it is soooo bloooooody looooong that I simply never play. At this point, in modern design, despite sitting pretty in the number 4 spot on boardgamegeek.com, if this game was released today in its 2nd edition form it wouldn’t make the top 1000 let alone the top 10 on boardgamegeek. It has aged terribly. Thankfully Chivatil agrees and he is working on a new edition of the game that promises to be streamlined and faster, which to me simply means that awesome concept and Idea of a Civilization game in a much tighter package. Now to me that game already exists, it’s called Nations and it’s very good, good enough to make my own top 10 list, but I love Chivatil as a designer, I think he is one of the best in the business and when he makes something, I pay attention. I really hope that Through The Ages 3rd edition is everything its promised to be, because I’m a huge fan of all the ideas in it, just not 8-12 hours’ worth of it.
4. Star Wars Armada
It made my top 5 most anticipated games of 2015 and now it has crashed into my 2016 list as well!
You know I love my X-Wing but one of the most exciting releases to hit in 2015 was Star Wars Armada and its future in 2016 is looking very bright. Not only is there a new Star Wars movie being released from which Armada will no doubt feed, it has already proven itself as a popular concept and the game is clearly succeeding financially. This can only mean one thing, lots of new Armada stuff! While we really have no information what 2016 will bring for Armada, if you want to peek into the crystal ball you need to do nothing else but buy movie tickets to Force Awakens in December and keep an eye out for big capital ships! Force Awakens may as well be an advertisement for Armada at this point.
5. Fury of Dracula 3rd Edition
Thank you FFG.. seriously, thank you!
Ok so technically if you live in America this just released and will be available within days for us living in Europe this is basically a super late 2015 very early 2016 release. I can’t say enough about how excited I am about this one, in particular because I won’t have to wait for it too much longer. Fury Of Dracula 3rd edition promises to be a more streamlined and touched up version of 2nd edition which to me was very nearly perfect. In fact, I was almost worried that it wasn’t a straight reprint but my understanding is that most of the changes revolve around non-core mechanics like expediting the combat mechanic, cosmetics like new art and a few other minor streamlining improvements. It all sits fine with me, I was never able to secure my own copy of Fury of Dracula despite it being in my top 10 list for years so I’m super psyched for this one. A wonderful one vs. all deduction game with adventure elements combined with one of my favorite themes.
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.
The game looks great from any angle.
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.
The core set appears to come with a great deal, but the reality is that despite its price there is barely a game in the box. Be ready to spend money to get the full experience, lots of it!
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.
While the core set and wave 1 had plenty of classic trilogy ships, wave 2 adds without question some of the most memorable ships from the Star Wars movies including the monster sized Imperial class Star Destroyer!
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.
As has become the norm for Fantasy Flight Games, the card quality is only surpassed by its artistry. These images will just put a smile on your face.
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.
At first glance the game appears no more or less complicated then X-Wing, but this game reaches elitist veteran level depth even as early as the 300 point limit during wave 1.
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.
You could argue that at least up to wave 1 this game was still semi-approachable, but wave 2 is raising the ante through the roof with tons of special powers and unique abilities that will raise the bar far out of the reach of casual 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.
I recently scrolled through my top 10 table top games list from March of this year and came to a startling realization. Things have changed! Dramatically. In fact that list almost doesn’t make any sense at this points as there have been quite a few new additions and drop offs. This list needs an update so here we go!
1. Star Wars X-Wing
The undeniable king of the hill, X-Wing just gets better with time.
Ok this is the one thing that has not changed, in fact, X-Wing’s position on this list is strong than ever. I can’t think of a single game that could even be a contender at this point. Its fast, furious, star fighter combat in the Star Wars universe and FFG’s commitment to constantly push out new ships and improve the game is making this wonderful gem better and better. Which says a lot if your at all familiar with miniature games as a hobby, it is very typical for games to become bloated over time, unbalanced and in some cases a great game can be turned into a terrible game. Not so with X-Wing, it just keeps getting better and better. I don’t know what else to say other than when it comes to table top gaming, given the option I always rather play X-Wing than anything else.
2. Game of Thrones
Slowly but surely Game of Thrones has crawled up the ladder of this list proving it has legs. A Classic at this point.
Game of Thrones is one of those games that I have realized has surpassed all others in group play. It’s got strategy, diplomacy, resource management and above all else treachery. I didn’t find it difficult to edge out Twilight Imperium, which has been in my top 2 since release, most of that time in the number one spot. It would be dishonest at this point however to allow it to sit above Game of Thrones on the list. We play it more often and it’s far more engaging, far more approachable and frankly far more clever than Twilight Imperium. It’s earned it stripes through repeated plays as I constantly uncover more and more of its brilliance. It’s been a long time coming but Game of Thrones deserves to be up here with the best of the best.
3. Star Wars: Armada
It made my top 5 most anticipated games of 2015 and now it has crashed into my top 10 list. Yet another smash hit from Fantasy Flight Games.
This one has made a big splash on this list and made a big impression on me, in fact its without question the first game that I have played where after the first game I thought to myself, holy shit, I can’t believe how awesome this game was. I dare not compare it to my beloved X-Wing but in truth much of what appeals to me about Armada is the same as X-Wing, though the shock and awe of Star Wars Armada far outweighs the gradual appreciation I gained for X-Wing over time. In fact when I got my X-Wing core set I recall thinking to myself, this might be good if there was more variation and my prediction ultimately came true. In the case of Armada it was a big smash hit right out of the gate. Perhaps it’s because I got into it a little later when more toys are available for it, but regardless, it hit on every piston for me. I do find it a bit more complex and considerably less approachable which will probably prevent it from ousting X-Wing from the top spot. As a gamer, I tend to seek out games that I can actually put on the table, which is exactly what X-Wing is, but with Armada its really more of a self-contained hobby than a game, a more common way miniature games tend to be. Games that have a big splash on my list do have a tendency to slip as dramatically once the novelty wears off, but right, I’m super into it. Fantastic strategic and tactical game of capital ship warfare in the Star Wars universe, as a gamer I can only say “Fuck Yeah!”
4. War Of The Rings
As much a visual story experiance as a game, War of the Rings deserves every word of praise it has ever recieved.
When it comes to games on this list, no game sells its story better than War of the Rings. This has always been and always will be one of my favorite ways to spend an evening with a gaming buddy. It’s an intimate experience that win or lose always makes for an awesome night. Over time this has been a slow riser, much like Game of Thrones, its earning it stripes through repeated plays which is typically the type of game that holds on my top 10 list for extended periods of time. My only complaint about the game is that it is rather lengthy, not a huge problem given the company it keeps on this list. An amazing game that belongs in the collection of every gamer in my humble opinion.
5. Twilight Imperium
For nearly a decade this game has sat in the number 1 spot, to watch it slip now is almost like saying good bye to an old friend. I never thought I would see it dethroned let alone slip so far down on this list. Still an amazing game.
Ok so after nearly a decade of being in the top 2 on this list the great goliath that is Twilight Imperium has slipped from its grace. It had a great run and it’s certainly no push over in the number 5 spot, but TI3 is no longer resurfacing as often as it once did. I think it’s really largely due to the fact that while no specific game has replaced the epic space empire building genre of games for me, Twilight Imperium is becoming less and less approachable as an evening of entertainment by comparison to the many games out there. For example Game of Thrones might not have anything to do with space but it does share that big box game feel while being considerably more approachable and current. I still love Twilight Imperium and will gladly play it but over the years the group of gamers In my gaming group willing to slug it out in a 6+ hour complex strategy game is becoming smaller and smaller. I foresee an eventual slip from the list for Twilight Imperium, for the same reason games like Shogun (MB version), Axis and Allies or Fortress America eventually slipped. I love those games but the commitment they demand, pressed against the alternative options constantly being added in designer board game is making it less and less relevant. Still, looking at it from a pure fan perspective, despite alternatives, Twilight Imperium remains the best big box epic science-fiction game ever made.
6. Nations
I knew Nations would make this list the first time I played it. Its a niche game, but it rubs me the way I like.
Very few Euro’s grace my top 10 list but without reservation I add Nations. Most Euro games that make the list do so for relatively brief periods of time and this is largely due to the fact that Euro’s just lack the theme to really stick, they just don’t have those long term legs. Civilization building however is a theme I really love, but have watched fail in many’a’game, so I’m very happy to have finally found one I truly enjoy playing. I know this is a “Through The Ages Light” variant and truth be told I would love to be able to put Through The Ages on this list, but this list isn’t just about what I love, but what I actually get to play. Nations is one of the few Euro games I have brought to my gaming group that got their attention despite its Euroish roots. It’s got the interaction and the stressful intensity of a great game Euro or not. It also has a fun theme most gamers can get behind and fantastically fluid mechanics that are easy to understand, but impossible to master. It’s a brain teaser but I love it, a well-deserved addition to the list.
7. Star Trek: Fleet Captains
Definitly the biggest suprise of the year for me despite being released quite a while ago. I really didn’t have high hopes for Fleet Captains as I very impulsevly hit the Buy button. Not only did it not disapoint me but it smashed into this list with a vengence.
When I first picked up Star Trek Fleet Captains I thought to myself, it looks great but there is a long line of board games in the Star Trek universe that suck balls. From the first test play I did with myself I was relieved to discover that this was a fantastically thematic adventure game, well designed, that represents the Star Trek universe beautifully. The real test would be introducing it to my gaming group who told me when I bought it and I quote “Dude we are never going to play that with you”. The reason is simple; my gaming group HATES all things Star Trek. It was going to be a hard sell at best with very little chance of success. Still I managed to twists some arms and in truth the game just sold itself. Despite not being fans of the franchise, Fleet Captains is such a fantastic game that every person I introduced it to, no matter how reluctant, ultimately liked and in some cases, like me loved the game. A game so good that even if you very specifically don’t like Star Trek you will still like, that’s amazing. For me personally as a Star Trek fan this was the game I have hoped someone would make for years and they did. Fantastic, love it!
8. Fury of Dracula
No doubt the oldest member of this list by a wide margin, Fury of Dracula is a classic that just refuses to go away. Soon to get a whole new fresh start with FFG releasing a new edition.
Sometimes I wonder if Fury of Dracula is on this list out of nostalgia. After all of all the game on this list, it’s one I play the least, in fact its been a long time since I played it and rightfully for that reason it has slipped on this list. Fortunately that is about to be remedied as Fantasy Flight is about to release a new version of the game which I’m eagerly anticipating. I’m hoping to rekindle my love for this one and add it to my collection. I can say however that if its nostalgia, it’s for good reason. I recall my games of Fur of Dracula as far back as five years ago with perfect clarity. It’s got a distinct storyteller like mechanic that just sings and creates unforgettable game sessions. For that reason it sits pretty on this top 10 list.
9. Kemet
The newest member to the family, perhaps I’m being impulsive here but I fell in love with this one the moment I laid eyes on it.
Ok Kemet is a rising star, I got into this one a little late (2nd reprint) and have actually only had one play but I have had my eye on it for a long time, in fact it would have been number 6 on my top 5 most anticipated games had that list been a top 6 list (duh). It’s got an awesome theme, it’s a sort of cross between Euro mechanics and Ameri-Trash, yet it’s a pure wargame. There is so much going on in this game it’s amazing, especially considering how simple the concept and mechanics actually are. It is after all a very fast and furious war game, but it just hits on all pistons for me, scratching an itch that is often hard to scratch because so many games like it require a far bigger time commitment. Kemet does what many other games take 4 to 5 hours to do in just under 2 hours for your average game, yet it’s a very full bodied experiance. Fantastic mechanics, great theme, perfect balance, simple to teach , impossible to master … it’s got all the makings of a great game and I see it as a rising star on this list.
10. Shogun (Queen Games Version)
What can I say, I love that damn cube tower. Shogun is just fun in a box for me.
I’m always surprised about this one remaining on this list because it is so different than what usually makes the cut. The truth of it is, and this may be a bit childish of me but it’s simply fun to throw cubes into that chaotic tower. I mean I love the strategic, contemplative part of the game as well, but its icing on the cake. The combat is just so frantic and fun to execute that you can’t help but rise to your feet during play. It’s a game that creates great atmosphere at the table with this amazing blend of contemplative strategy and explosive anticipation. It’s a strategic game and I’m not going to deny it that honor but to me it falls in a line of games along with Galaxy Trucker and Zombicide where sometimes there is not real explicable reason why I like a game other than its simply fun to play. I especially like it with max players, the more you have the more chaotic it is. Great game, a worthy addition to the list, slipping to the bottom list is hardly a reflection of its quality and far more a tribute to its staying power.
A couple of notes on games that exit the list.
Dominion for me was a really easy removal, in fact, Dominion’s fall from grace was almost as dramatic as its rise, once sitting in the number 5 spot (long ago), not only was it removed from the list this time around its on the chopping block as a cannidate for being culled from my collection all together. It just wore out its welcome, I haven’t played it in almost two years and have no desire to. It just doesn’t have legs.
Tide of Irons, Lords of Waterdeep and Formula D all make their exists and frankly its less a reflection on them and more a reflection of the fact that so many new, great games are being made. I still love all three and they are in no danger of collecting dust on the shelf.
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