SW Armada: You Should Play This Game
With six waves out and a seventh coming soon Star Wars Armada is a game entering a golden age.
Star Wars Armada is an amazing game. It has something for just about all types of wargamers and any fan of Star Wars or big space battles. Obviously I love the game or I wouldn’t be writing about it all the time. I’m also not the only person who loves it; Armada has a devoted and growing fan base. If you are not part of the bases yet, maybe you’ve never got the chance to play it, or you tried it early on but never got into – that’s understandable. But you should know there has never been a better time to get into then now. With a sixth wave and an awesome campaign system, and more to come, it has evolved into a force to be reckoned with. Like X-wing before it, Armada has grown into an amazing game worthy of your time. If you will kindly allow me, I’d like to take a few minutes and tell you just a little about why you should really give it a chance.
This is NOT a trap.
Amazing and Evocative Miniatures
Maybe the coolest thing about Armada is the miniatures. These amazing pre-painted ships leap off the screen and on to your table bringing with them all the imagery of the grandest space battles. I don’t think anyone who’s grown up as a Star Wars fan can help but smile the first time they play around with the truly massive Imperial Star Destroyer mini. The minis to me really help sell the size and just coolness of a Star Wars space battle – the models are super evocative.
In addition they, and the unpainted fighter models, leave plenty of room for painting, re-painting, lighting and other hobby endeavors that are sure to give you display worthy models. From the deadly and iconic dagger shape of the ISD to the gracefully swept back wings of the MC80 Liberty the models alone are a great reason to check this game out. The models bring old favorites from Legends and new ships from the shows and movies to your tabletop.
And some fan favorites from the EU get some love…
An Ever Growing Game
Armada started out small. At it’s initial release there where only five capital ships, three Rebel and two Imperial, and neither of the Imperial ships had shown up in a movie. The game has now grown with both bigger and smaller ships, the iconic ships of movies and tv shows have arrived and the options for play are endless. Armada mines ships from the Old EU and the newest Lucas film properties for the best play options. And now they have Thrawn. Can’t beat that!
A Tight Rule System
While Armada tends to be just slightly more complicated than X-Wing, it’s rule set is a tightly written and well worded system. These rules will appeal to those who like depth in their games, while at the same time not being too complicated for newer players. In addition FFG has an active approach to releasing FAQs to clarify contentious rules issues. Recently they’ve also shown a willingness to fix major imbalances with erratas leading to an overall healthier game.
Lots of Room to Fly Casual
Not everyone wants to play the most tightly regimented game ever made. Lucky Armada, while working within a tight system remains a fairly laid back game. It’s higher emphasis on skill and massed battles makes it less combo heavy then games like X-Wing and as a result it tends to have a more casual feel to it. It’s very easy to take Armada either as a tight competitive game or a nice laid back relaxing game where your fleets batter each other into star dust.
Missions and Campaigns
One of the reasons Armada remains more laidback is the use of the cool and often evocative missions. A feature that is lacking in standard X-wing games, but present it most narrative minded games, the missions help add a cool element to the games. Last year the Corellian Conflict Expansion added an amazing campaign system for great casual play. If you’ve ever wanted to push your fleets across the stars conquering planet after planet this is for you.
Since then players have worked on a huge number of home-brew campaigns based on the provided system. The expansion also give us a host of new missions. Some are fun and wacky for casual play, but some are a bit more balanced and legal in competitive play. Both keep the game fresh and fun.
So Give It a Try
I could go on and on about why this game is great, but the best thing you cane do is just give it a try. From it’s amazing models to it’s fun and tight rules Star Wars Armada delivers on every level. If your a fan of Star Wars, or space battles, or X-Wing, or miniature gaming in general you owe it to yourself to check the game out. The entry point is low and the amazing box set can always be shared with a friend. Pick Rebels or Imperial or both and build your fleet from there. This game is only going to get better and when it comes to Armada the stars are the limit.
We’re 6 waves in – if you were an early adopter and stepped away, come back and try the new ships. If you haven’t played yet come on in, the water’s getting GOOD.
