V1.10: Updated to comply with Revised RRII (this is getting ridiculous, AMG—try playtesting a little next time). New layout/visuals. Some typo corrections and grammatical fixes (not highlighted).
Changes and additions in blue:
•Fighter Group Leader restricted to max 3 squadrons per activation.
•New options for random objective selection and reduced potency of veteran tokens.
•Suggestions for additional anti-snowballing options added.
•Tweaked the "Additional obstacles" option for Pivotal battles (remember that the final confrontation is also a Pivotal battle).
•Added "Hyperspace reinforcements" option to the Final confrontation.
•New alternate use for the Contain token, tweak for the Dodge keyword and added a new pass token option.
•Various points adjustments (see points list for details).
•Republic Arquitens changed to be more similar to the Imperial version (cost changed too).
•Kit Fisto added as a replacement squadron (with scatter).
•Grievous gets Intel instead of Grit (so his slaughter lambs can follow more easily).
•Advanced Transponder Net, Avenger, Hot Landing, and Hyperwave Singal Boost were added to replacement upgrades.
•Replacement Jyn Erso got a boost.
•Obi-Wan (Delta-7) was replaced by Jedi Escort (partly to provide a non-Ace Delta, but also bc Obi + Axe + Implacable was proving to be a bit much). He might return later (although he doesn’t like flying).
•The following squadrons were significantly reworked (some other squads received minor tweaks):
I’ve collected a bunch of house rules, customization
ideas, and additional content for RitR that I want to share with the rest
of the Armada community. I’ve also included some ideas for running RitR with
Clone Wars factions and playing CC with RitR mechanisms.
I've collected a bunch of house rules and options for RitR that have sprung from the campaigns we've played (we're doing one right now but I don't have the energy to report from it).
Also included is a way to run CC using RitR rules (custom map included).
I'm calling this version 0.95. If anyone has any feedback, feel free to PM me on Discord or send an email. A final version 1.00 should be out in the not-too-distant future.
I went to the Open World Qualifier in Copenhagen (or just outside the city, in Taastrup) in November. It's the same place I won Nordics FIVE years ago (2017). It was a surprise when this event popped up on Facebook but a welcome one, especially since I couldn't go to Poland the week before. A lot of the same guys are still playing down there, so I couldn't miss the opportunity to meet up. Not when the last time we met was back in 2018 (Nordics Stockholm, which was the last time I played an IRL Armada tourney thanks to f-ing COVID). My regular Armada buddy from Trondheim also made it, as did Rolf from Østersund.
I went down, and had a great time on Saturday, going 2/2, getting knocked out, going 3/0, and winning the side event on Sunday.
This was my list for Saturday:
I wanted to run the Liberty in honor of Alessandro/Aresius, but wanted to put my own spin on it, so I experimented a bit and settled on the AF + Heraball. And before you say that's not very competitive, I must say that the AF overperformed 4 out of 4 games, and the squads did quite well in 3 of 4 games. My losing 2 games came mostly down to a lack of experience with the Liberty and a general lack of playtime.
Name: ZZ Games OWQ22 - Bjørn B. Sørgjerd Faction: Rebel Commander: Kyrsta Agate
Assault: Advanced Gunnery Defense: Asteroid Tactics Navigation: Infested Fields
1st game: 7-4 win vs PF TF w/4Hardcells. He had 5 raid sources which caused a lot of stress. AF and squad did the work, Lib did OKish but was poorly handled.
2nd game: 6-5 vs Agate AF2A/Foreskin and the usual rogues. AF and squads overperformed and Lib did well in screening Foresight out of the fight. BUT instead of turning to kill Agate AF, I decided to chase down Foresight for the kill. Which I got, but my AF died, and his did not. Very bad decision in an otherwise good game.
3rd game: 3-8 loss vs Prov/PF/Muni/HC Mar Tuuk. Fatigue-induced brainfart caused 5 damage (all the shlds) off my Lib and let his PF live for too long. So Lib basically had to run after that. Got his PF and HC, and it looked good until turn 6 when his dice caught fire and burned everything down. But it wasn't the dice but the poor Liberty play that cost me this game.
4th game: 4-7 loss vs Ozzel Duonager. Hard to attack 2 Onagers with Liberty, but I tried to trade my AF for his flag, but it survived on 2 hull on turn 6, which was sad. I also did poorly with the squads vs his screen.
All in all, I'm pleased with the way my list worked and how I flew, except that some mistakes were made and dice happened 😅😅
My friend (Craken MSU and rogues) made the cut after a played dropped, so that was super cool. While he played 3 rounds Swiss top 8 on Sunday, I played the side event using this Duonager fleet. Not too creative but ET Onagers operating in pairs... with Maaredon as a finisher. Quite killy.
Name: ZZ Games OWQ22 - Bjørn B. Sørgjerd Faction: Imperial Commander: General Romodi
Assault: Surprise Attack Defense: Asteroid Tactics Navigation: Infested Fields
Onager Testbed (96) • General Romodi (20) • Minister Tua (2) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Veteran Gunners (5) • Engine Techs (8) • Orbital Bombardment Particle Cannons (5) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) = 147 Points
1st game: 8-3 vs Assault SSD/Goz. Traded my Ozzel Onager for the table.
2nd game: 8-3 vs Rieekan TRC90s and rogues. He didn't want to play the slug objectives, so went for Surprise attack, but he didn't have Hondo... so I started with mega-dice and just blew Rieekan up in round 1. So despite a potentially bad matchup, I ended up trading my flag for the table.
3rd game: 10-1 vs Piett Onager/Dictor objective play combo. We played his Ambadoned Mining, and I managed to trick him into thinking I'd go for some mining at setup. Which I did not. Instead, my 2 Onagers killed his one Onager, then cut down the rest of his fleet. He had a raider limp away at 1 hull, so no table...
And that's it really. Sooo much fun playing Armada for 2 whole days. Hope I get to do it again!
This blog is no longer active. Haven't been for a while.
Armada is pretty much dead at this point. It's still played, even Organized Play, and it's still getting some kind of support from AMG, but it's not a living, thriving game anymore. More like a zombie horse that keeps getting kicked.
Nothing new, really, just a variation by degree. I mean, after wave 7, how long did we wait for the SSD? Very long. And then we got the lamentable wave 8. And finally, after even more waiting, we got two new factions, which was great... except they are only half complete factions!
But AMG's support for the game has been WORSE than FFG's. FFG actually made new expansions. AMG doesn't. They've given us some half-baked "events" and a couple new print-out cards. And I don't see this changing any time soon, if ever. So the game is until proven otherwise, dead.
I'll keep playing the game locally, sector fleet battles, campaigns, and the occasional 400-pointer, but I don't see any point in running this blog anymore.
Signup deadline: Sunday, 27th February. Sing up HERE.
This is the place where we explore the what-ifs and could-have-beens of Armada. The place where we play with new versions of old ships and squadrons - and introduce completely new ones such as the Separatist Lucrehulk and Sith Infiltrator, the Republic Stealth Ship and Naboo N-1.
It's also where you'll find existing upgrades - with a twist - alongside entirely new cards. Even the objectives have been tweaked to make more of them useful to a variety of fleet archetypes (without shifting the advantage too strongly towards the 2nd player). Last, but not least, we're even experimenting with a few rules changes...
Important external links
Fantasy League RRG: Download the pdf here (latest version is 1.02)
VASSAL: Module download (latest version is 4.7.0fl)
TTS: Currently only implemented in the Development version which you can get here. You also need the custom database for the Fantasy League.
Card collection: All cards are available as a pdf here.
Where?
It's primarily a digital event on VASSAL and TTS (with support from @Valadian) but if you want you can easily print all the cards you need from KDYards and play on the tabletop!
Why?
Why not?
The changes are big enough that everything will feel fresh and uncertain, but not so big as to make it another game entirely. It's also an unique opportunity: AFAIK no one has ever attempted to host a world-spanning custom event for Armada.
Virtual plastic spaceships will go pew pew, mistakes will be made, dice will happen. It's going to be fun - don't miss out!
Phases and What to Make of Them
The Fantasy League isn't just ONE event. Every few months, a new Phase is initiated. Each phase adds new stuff to the game. In fact, phases are pretty much like new waves.
In Phase 1, only Empire/Rebel factions are playable, and the selection of ships, squadrons, and upgrades is limited.
In Phase 2, Republic/Separatist are added, and the first large base ships appear.
In Phase 3 there will be rogues & villains for all four factions - and more.
Phase 4+ is still on the drawing board.
Each Phase is a separate league event; scores are reset to zero. So even if you didn't win Phase 1 there is no reason why you couldn't be the Phase 2 champion!
What's new?
Let me give you some examples of what to expect:
Rules: The rules are largely the same, with a few big changes and a bunch of minor ones. If you want to know more about the various rules changes, check out the Rules Reference Guide, the YouTube videos below, or chat with me on Discord (links below).
Here is an example of a big change (highlighted in red): You can spend readied (green) defense tokens targeted by accuracy icons. But if you do, you have to discard that token.
Objectives: We're using the objectives that you're used to. But they have been tweaked with the aim of making more of them playable with the right fleet. Second player is pretty strong ATM so the tweaks aren't necessarily buffs; some objectives got nerfed.
Fleet Ambush is a good example: It's almost the same, but there is a restriction of deploying squadrons and the first player has to pass his first activation round 1. There is also a bit about deploying overlapping obstacles; that's because the rules now forbid this for all ships, not just Huge ships.
Ships: The ships in the first phase are tweaked versions of existing ships. Later new ships - both variations of existing ones and completely news ships - will be added.
This Vic is no joke: It can turn reasonably well, has goodish flak, a black die in the front, a salvo token, and an amazing upgrade bar. For a mere 79 points. Still a speed 2 ship that can easily turn into a point piñata.
Squadrons: Existing squadrons get tweaks and points changes, and new uniques are added. We'll eventually see new squadron types, including some multi-faction squads. Hondo and Gauntlets for all four factions. V-wings, N-1s, Eta2s, and LATT/i gunships for the republic. U-wings. More TIE variants. Dooku, Maul, and Ventress. It's quite the list.
This is Thane. He's dangerous and cheap. And he has colorful dice and a squadron evade. S-foils is a new keyword for B-wings and X-wings that let them get +1 speed if they remove a die.
Upgrades: We got some old upgrades that have been modded and a few entirely new cards. The cost of some cards has changed.
Ion Missiles are new, same with the Audacious Arquitens title. Lando is the same old, but with an additional effect.
More info
YouTube video of me talking about the Fantasy League format:
Another YouTube video, this one gives an overview of Phase 1 content:
Event format
The Fantasy League is a... league event 😅
Rounds: There is only 1 "round" which lasts for the duration of the phase. Each player can play and register any number of games during this round, but you don't sore points equally for all of them (see below).
Opponents: Players are expected to arrange their own games; there are no TO-controlled pairings.
That said, you're encouraged to play a variety of opponents, not just your IRL buddy over and over. A few games against the same guy is OK (not going to set a hard cap) especially if you use different lists, but if you play vs 1 or 2 people only you're doing something wrong.
Lists: You can use the same list for every game, iterations of the same list, or wildly different lists. It's up to you.
Scoring: Scoring works a little differently. We use the standard MoV/TP table.
The following restrictions apply:
You have to play a minimum of 4 games.
If you play 6 games, only your best 4 games will count towards your score.
Example: You go 9-2, 8-3, 4-7, 2-9, 10-1, 6-5. The 4-7 and 2-9 are ignored for scoring purposes, so your score is 10+9+8+6=33.
For each game beyond 6 you play, you score 1 additional tournament point, regardless of your score. If you play more than 6 games, only the 6 first games count towards scoring. So you can't play 20 games and cherry pick the best 4.
Continuing the above example, if you played 10 games, you have 33+4=37 TPs.
Schedule
Signup deadline: Sunday, 27th February.
The event starts Monday, 28th February.
The event ends Sunday, 24th April.
Phase 2 will begin shortly after phase 1 ends. It adds CW factions and large ships to the game. Phase 3 will start this summer. Details to follow.
AAR: You only have to include your list; the rest of the questions are optional but do please make the effort as the feedback will directly impact future Fantasy League phases.
VASSAL info
To play in the Fantasy League, run this module version and you'll see the new cards. When you want a standard game, just run the standard version.
You can use Shrimpbot to generate setup vlogs. Get the text export of your fleet, paste it into a text editor and remove any custom cards (new upgrades and squadrons).
Use !vassal to generate a vlog, load the vlog as normal, then add the custom pieces by dragging them from the Pieces menu. It's not 100% but still saves time and effort.
TTS info
First you have to load the module (currently only the Development version has support for custom databases). Then you need to additively load the Fantasy League database.
If you've correctly used additive load on the Fantasy League database the fleet spawner will spawn all custom cards without issue!
The only thing that isn't fully implemented is scoring: the crippled rule isn't in effect and non-VP token scoring isn't implemented. So you'll have to manually calculate scores.
It's time to find out who is the ultimate Vassal Armada 3-round Swiss Champion of 2022!
We did the same thing last year, and with over 30 players it turned out to be a great event. The only difference this year is that the CW factions are fully revealed and integrated into he game.
Lists are invisible to other players until the event starts. Do NOT include your objectives unless you want everyone to see them.
Format
For this 1-day event, there is a single Swiss group across all time zones!
Standard 400-points
3 round Swiss
Each Swiss round runs for 2h 15min and then ends IMMEDIATELY.
You CANNOT start a new round if the timer has passed the 2h mark.
The current round is NOT played to completion when the time is called. Finish the current activation (ship or squadron), then hard stop and tally the score.
Report the result to the TO in the appropriate tourney channel or as a PM (Green Knight#5600) on Discord so pairings for the next round can be done in a timely fashion.
Schedule
Signup deadline: Sunday, 20th March.
Fleet submission deadline: 30 mins before the tournament starts, 10:00 am EST/14:00 GMT
The event takes place Sunday, 20th March.
Start round 1: 10:30 am EST/14:30 GMT
"Lunch" break: 1:00 pm EST/17:00 GMT
Start round 2: 1:30 pm EST/17:30 GMT
Start round 3: 4:00 pm EST/20:00 GMT
Times adjusted for daylight savings (from the 13th in the US but not until the 27th in Europe).
Every effort has been made to ensure that people from all across the globe can play. West Coast players have to get up real early. CET players have to stay up a bit late. These are the best times I could find 😅
Module version 4.6.1 "VWC2022 - The women and the children too" is available!
Download (takes a day or so to update): http://www.vassalengine.org/wiki/Module:Star_Wars:_Armada
Checksum: dee4d371
OVERVIEW
VASSAL World Cup 2021 OFFICIAL VERSION.
CLICKABLE action buttons.
FULLY hotkeyed maneuver tool.
Assorted bugfixes.
VASSAL version update.
COMPATIBILITY
Armada 4.6.0 was built using Vassal 3.6.3. ALWAYS update to the most recent versions of both the module and VASSAL!
Do NOT use VASSAL 3.6.0-3.6.2 due to CRITICAL movement bug!!!
CRITICAL BUGFIXES
Fixed the mega-annoying bug that prevented auto-zoom on pices using mouse-over.
OTHER BUGFIXES
Fixed Shu Mai round 5 token spawn (for real this time). The problem wasn't Shu Mai, but the actual r4 token.
MAJOR NEW FEATURES
ACTION BUTTONS: New on-ship base buttons. Currently implemented: place/notch man tool, range/distance. More to come.
INTERACTIVE MAN TOOL: New left-click functionality added to the maneuver tool (the old ways still work). Push the green/red fields to add yaw to that joint. Super simple!
FULLY HOTKEYED MAN TOOL: Click any segment on the man tool, and you can use CTRL+UP/DOWN ARROW to move from segment to segment. Combined with CTRL+LEFT/RIGHT ARROW it's possible to dramatically speed up man tool use. I recommend unchecking "Use arrow keys to scroll" under File --> Preferences --> General or you might run into trouble!
Updated the help section with new links, rules, and more.
OTHER NEW FEATURES
Munitions/Parts Resupply now spawn 5 tokens in one go.
CW officers can now spawn appropriate tokens from the card.
CW commanders can now spawn appropriate tokens & dials from the card.
Sabine Wren can now spawn prox mines.
Taskmaster Grint can now spawn command tokens.
Recusant can now hold 4 command tokens (Nova Defiant title).
Nova Defiant (title) can quick-spawn a Command 4 stack.
EWS and Swivels now spawn chaff and focus tokens respectively. Why would you not just use the ship-based menu for this? I don't know. But it was requested so there you are.
NEW VASSAL FEATURES
For God's sake uncheck "Center on opponent's move" under File --> Preferences --> General or you WILL GO MAD!
To load your fleet, use "Load continuation" under Tools and NOT "Load game or log" under File.
Adjust "Mouse drag threshold" under File --> Preferences --> General down to "2" or something to enable fine manipulation.
Mute in-game sounds by unchecking under File --> Preferences --> Sounds.
ALT+Click will "flash" red rings around that point. To draw your opponent's attention to something.
SHRIMPBOT SETUP SCRIPT
As of writing the bot is still at 4.4.0 so you'll have to manually replace the ship models (the other components are fine) with new copies from the pieces menu. Ard plans to update the bot soon (TM).
TO-DO (in order)
+/- buttons for shields, hull and speed.
Fix hull/speed box layout on some ships.
Buttons for squads.
Obstacle outlines.
Make shield dials toggleable (easier to resolve obstacle overlap corner cases).
Add CW victory tokens.
Add alternate color schemes for all remining Republic Pelta and Seppie ships.
Update some alt color schemes for GCW factions.
Add better quality card images as they become available.
NEW VASSAL FEATURES
For God's sake uncheck "Center on opponent's move" under File --> Preferences --> General or you WILL GO MAD!
To load your fleet, use "Load continuation" under Tools and NOT "Load game or log" under File.
Adjust "Mouse drag threshold" under File --> Preferences --> General down to "2" or something to enable fine manipulation.
Mute in-game sounds by unchecking under File --> Preferences --> Sounds.
ALT+Click will "flash" red rings around that point. To draw your opponent's attention to something.
SHRIMPBOT SETUP SCRIPT
As of writing the bot is still at 4.4.0 so you'll have to manually replace the ship models (the other components are fine) with new copies from the pieces menu. Ard plans to update the bot soon (TM).
TO-DO (in order)
+/- buttons for shields, hull and speed.
Fix hull/speed box layout on some ships.
Buttons for squads.
Obstacle outlines.
Make shield dials toggleable (easier to resolve obstacle overlap corner cases).
Add CW victory tokens.
Add alternate color schemes for all remining Republic Pelta and Seppie ships.
Update some alt color schemes for GCW factions.
Add better quality card images as they become available.
