SW Armada: FFG Just Saved the Game
Armada has a new FAQ and it’s shaking up the game.
This week Fantasy Flight Games dropped a new FAQ for Star Wars: Armada. While FAQs are nothing new, this one is set to change the game like no other. Aside from answering a few rules questions the new FAQ erratas several major cards. Lets be clear, these are not clarifications, these are straight up changes to the wording and effects of these cards. Lets take a look at whats changed and how it will effect the game.
Bomber Command Center
What Changed?
The squadrons can now only be effected by a single Bomber Command Center per attack.
What does this mean?
Before this change squadrons could benefit from multiply overlapping BCCs. This meant that squadrons with two anti-ship dice could re-roll both or that squadrons could gain multiple re-rolls of their attack dice almost guarantying successful attacks. The change scales back the power of bomber squadrons and also limits the powerful of flotillas. This is a solid balancing move that retains the utility of the card but helps tone down abuses.
Demolisher
What Changed?
Demolisher can now only attack after executing it’s first maneuver. In effect this means that it must sacrifice it’s post move attack if it wants to use engine techs.
What does this mean?
Demolisher has arguably been the single most feared ship in the game since Wave I. It’s ability to break one of the core game rules and attack after moving has made it deadly beyond imagination and has shaped the meta. While this limiter is minor, it is important. This effectively means that Demolisher can no longer go from being beyond red range to black attack you at black range in one move. While before Demolisher if played right could avoid giving its enemy any change of attacking it on it approach (and also get out of range before it could attack back), now the enemy should get at last one change at hurting it before it unloads. It doesn’t make the ship bad, but it does allow a good player to counter it.
General Rieekan
What Changed?
Rieekan’s ability to keep a ship alive after it’s been destroyed can only be used once per round.
What does this mean?
Rieekan was straight up bad for Armada’s health. Reports from Worlds indicted that as much as 60% of the total fleets were Rieekan based fleets. He was seriously dominating the meta and not in a good way, This change has seriously weakened him and effectively destroyed Rieekan swarm fleets as viable. While it greatly limits his power he still remains a viable card. His role has however dramatically changed, rather than being a good commander for a large fleet of light ships, hes now more focused on small fleets of larger ships, fleets that wont lose more than a ship a turn and were keeping one alive will have a huge impact. In general expect this change to really open up the meta to all types of new fleets.
Turbolaser Reroute Circuits
What Changed?
You now must exhaust this card to use its effects.
What does this mean?
This change seems mainly aimed at limiting the power of the so called TRC90, a CR90 with the Turbolaser Reroute Circuits. Previously this ship along with the MC30, could if placed properly, use TRC to guarantee a minimum of 4 damage a turn from its attacks. While this card wasn’t game breaking before, it was most by far the most popular upgrade for small ships and heavily favored Rebel ships, This change curbs some of the overpowered-ness of the CR90 and brings the card more in line with other upgrades in its category
Major Rhymer
What Changed?
Rhymer’s ability now only allows squadrons to attack out to short range, rather than short-medium.
What does this mean?
Like Demolisher, Rhymer has been a dominating card in the Armada meta since day one. He has been far and away the single most powerful squadron card, and the squadron with the largest effect on the game. Back in the early waves, when many argued that squadrons weren’t worth it, Rhymer based lists were the exceptions. As more squadrons and upgrades that effect them came out his power and influence have only grown. While this change does not remove his usefulness it does curtail it. This vastly reduces his threat range, and much like with Demolisher, allows players options to counter him. Limiting his power also allows for the option of not taking him in lists without limiting yourself for no reason. While his threat range is still large, it is no longer so ridiculous as to even allow first turn attacks with ease.
Flotillas
What Changed?
You can no longer put an Admiral (or Commander to be proper) on a flotilla.
What does this mean?
Lifeboating is dead. No longer can you hide your admiral on an 18 point ship in the corner of the map to avoid death. While flotillas remain powerful this change does at least mean your Admiral must be on a real ship and one of the games worst issues has been addressed.
Final Thoughts
Years from now I predict players will speak in awed whispers of the great nerfing of 2017. The developers have been very clear in their commentary that these changes were all made of the health of the game, and I would say they will help with that. The three most prevalent fleet archetypes, DemoMSU, Rhymerballs, and Rieekan fleets has all been nurfed to some degree. This should really open up play and allow new strategies and fleets to gain popularity. Overall I feel like Armada is a far heather game with many more possibilities than it was a week ago.
~What do you guys think? Will these changes help the game, or did they make your favorite fleet useless now? As always, let us know down in the comments!
