Sunday, August 31, 2025

The Upgrade Files: Case 14 – Titles (GAR & CIS)

 

Clone Wars factions came into Armada later, so their title suites are smaller. That has pros and cons. The upside: most of the GAR and CIS titles are actually well-designed and competitively viable. The downside: there simply aren’t enough of them, so variety suffers. Unlike the Rebels and Empire — where you’ve got piles of binder-fodder and the occasional gem — GAR/CIS titles tend to be “good, better, or auto-include.”

Still, even here, some titles crowd out the rest, some chassis lean too heavily on their titles to function, and some cards were clearly undervalued. Let’s go through them.


Galactic Republic

Acclamator

Implacable

A genuinely great card. Damage spreading is powerful, and when combined with Projection Experts (for ships) or Admiral Yularen (for squads), it gets downright nasty. This title is so good that you can justify bringing an Acclamator just for it (usually with Thermals). Costed fairly, well-designed, and thematic. 

Verdict: Keep as is.

Nevoota Bee

On paper, handing Swarm to Y-wings, ARCs, or even Deltas is very strong. In practice, you’re stapling this to an Acclamator I — which isn’t exactly competitive. That drags the title down. Fine card, weak(ish) chassis.

Verdict: If Implacable is 4, this should maybe not be 5. You're taking the Clam-I and the squads, so you've already paid a premium.

Consular

Radiant VII

A cheap little support title. Lets you hand out tokens, makes for a surprisingly quick slicer — or lifeboat. It’s good in the support role, but often overshadowed by Peltas (slower but more versatile). Still, for 1 points, it’s a solid pick.

    Verdict: Keep as it.

    Swift Return

    Underrated. Free yaw/speed fiddling without a nav dial is really nice. Back in the CW Core Set days, this saw more use; now it’s almost forgotten. 

    Verdict: Three points is fine, two would make it a genuine bargain.

    Pelta

    FB-88

    Infinite Skilled First Officers baked into a title. That’s very handy. Probably best on the Medical Pelta, which is already the more expensive variant, so reducing it to 3 might be an option?

    Verdict: Fine as is, though 3 would also be OK.

    TB-73

    A free evade token for 5 points? Yes, please. Great survivability boost, and fairly costed even on a cheap hull.

    Verdict: Keep as it. Or, if Foreman's becomes 4, maybe make this 4 also.

    Venator

    Resolute

    Four command tokens for four points if you plan carefully. Flexible, useful, especially in a token-hungry faction like GAR. The only problem is competition: Tranquility exists, and it usually wins.

      Verdict: Keep as it or reduce to 3 to make it more Tranqpetitive.

      Tranquility

      Basically, mini-Advanced Projectors with free redirects that ignore accuracy, Intel Officer, XI7… you name it. It’s strongest against lots of small attacks, but let’s be honest: any Venator that leaves the board with shields intact has already done its job. Even at 7 points it’s absurd value, and it’s become the default Venator title. Like Demo on a Gladiator or Foresight on an MC30, it’s practically stapled.

      Verdict: Still insanely good for 7 points. HOWEVER, increasing it further would necessitate a similar reduction in price on the Venator chassis, or you take away a key tool from GAR. Maybe make this 9 and reduce all Venators by a few points?

      Triumphant

      A neat title, especially for 134-point GAR squad builds. The cost (5) is fair, but again, the problem is Tranquility at 7. Weirdly worded to block interactions with scout/objectives, future poorfing, I guess.

      Verdict: Keep as it or reduce to 4 to make it more Tranqpetitive.


      Confederacy of Independent Systems

      Hardcell

      Beast of Burden

      Fantastic support title. Six points is well worth it… if you actually bring a Hardcell (sadly too rare these days).

      Verdict: Fine (but I'm a proponent of further reducing the HC cost).

      Foreman’s Labor

      Another strong title, leaning defensive. Ironically best on the Transport with Aux Shields, but still decent on the Battle Refit. At 5 points it’s fine, but it looks weak compared to Beast of Burden.

      Verdict: Five points si fine, 4 would also be OK.

      Munificent

      Sa Nalaor

      The defensive title that basically staples itself to any tanky Muni build. Thermals + PDIC + Sa Nalaor makes for a nightmare to chew through. Five points is a steal compared to what it adds. My only gripe is that Munis aren’t more common, because this is one of my favorite ships in the game.

      Verdict: Keep as is.

      Tide of Progress XII

      Not bad, just overshadowed. Two points is cheap, but Sa Nalaor exists, so this usually sits in the binder.

      Verdict: Keep as is (but reduce the cost of the Cooms Munificent so we see more Munis on table).

      Providence

      Invincible


      A defensive retrofit for 5 points, no variant restriction? That’s nuts, especially on the Carrier. This one crowds out every other Providence title. The only fix would be raising its cost — but that would require adjusting Providence chassis costs to compensate, which is a can of worms.

      Verdict: I'm hesitant to touch it, but let's make it 7 and reduce the Dreadnought by another 2 points to compensate.

      Invisible Hand


      Basically, Rapid Launch Bays on steroids. After its buff (more flexible squad placement), it’s a decent card at 8 points. But it’s still niche, and Invincible overshadows it. If only Hyenas had Swarm... just kidding!

      Verdict: Reduce to 6 as an experiment to see if that, along with a more expensive Invincible, changes things. I mean, 5 Vultures with AI 2... what could possibly go wrong!?

      Lucid Voice


      A fine card, but priced awkwardly. At 6 points it loses hard to Invincible at 5. Works best on the Dreadnaught variant with twin turbos and Local Fire Control — but that chassis lacks a Defensive slot, so you’re still better off with Invincible on the Carrier. Only really worthwhile in big Sector Fleet games with multiple Providences.

      Verdict: Keep at 6 (but bump Invincible to 7 and take down the Dreadnought cost).

      Recusant

      Gilded Aegis

      On paper, strong. Extra shields make a fragile hull tankier. Works best with Grievous, but it’s not bad anywhere. The problem is Patriot Fist — at 6 points it’s too good, and this gets left behind.

      Verdict: Leave as is — PF is the problem here.

      Nova Defiant

      A fun card. Extra tokens are always welcome, and command 4 isn’t a huge drawback. Works especially well with Tikkes for “all the tokens” (and Command 4 can kind of become an advantage). There is some Trench synergy. Good design, fair cost.

      Verdict: Leave as is — PF is the problem here.

      Patriot Fist

      The problem child. Two blue dice at long range for 6 points, from any arc, and you don’t even have to use it if you want your double-tap. This is devastatingly good on approach and equally extremely useful late game. Frankly, 6 is way too cheap. Should be at least 8, maybe 10.

      Verdict: Make it 8. Or make it 10 but shave 2 points of the Support and 1 of the Light.


      Final Verdict – GAR & CIS Titles

      Clone Wars titles are refreshingly consistent: most are good, some are great, and there’s very little outright trash. The problem is variety. GAR in particular has too few titles overall, and several hulls (Venator, Providence, Recusant) have one “staple” title that drowns out the others.

      • GAR has quality but not quantity. Their titles are strong, but too many fleets end up defaulting to Tranquility or Implacable.

      • CIS has variety but poor balance. Invincible and Patriot Fist are so undercosted that they dominate, leaving Lucid Voice, Gilded Aegis, and others sidelined.

      There’s also a looming issue with the newer ARC ships. The Quarren Prototype and GAR Arquitens currently have no titles at all, which means one of two things: either they were deliberately underpowered (because titles are such a big part of ship identity), or they’re already strong enough that giving them titles later will create balance headaches. The same applies to the GAR Victory-class Star Destroyer and the CIS Gozanti. ARC or Legacy should definitely step in here and produce titles for these ships, otherwise they’ll always feel half-finished.

      The takeaway? Both factions need more titles to deepen variety, and a few cost tweaks to level the internal playing field. The base designs are sound — FFG actually did a good job here — but the Clone Wars factions still feel “unfinished” in this department.

      Next Up: Officers.

      Saturday, August 30, 2025

      The Upgrade Files: Case 13 – Titles (Rebels)

      Rebel titles are a mixed bunch. Profundity literally lets you do Rogue One, Admonition and Foresight became shorthand for “MC30 that won’t die,” Home One gave early Ackbar very accurate broadsides, and Jaina's Light was everywhere.

      But not all was well in rebel title land. For every Fresight, we got an Endeavor, and where Empire got Harrow and Corvus, Rebels received Vanguard and Liberator. And how many of the Rebel titles got nerfed with 1.5? Quite a few.

      TL;DR Rebel titles are a mixed bunch. 

      Let’s jump in.


      Assault Frigate

      The humble potato desperately needs more titles. Two feels stingy — especially when one is binder-tier.

      Gallant Haven

      Once upon a time, this was oppressive. Pre-nerf Gallant Haven turned every Rebel squadron ball into an unkillable brick. The change was necessary, and now it’s balanced. Still powerful in the right list, but no longer game-warping. Eight points is a lot, but you’re paying for an aura that can swing games. 

      Verdict: Keep as is. 

      Paragon

      The potato’s offensive option, and sadly, a dud. Five points for “+1 die if you’ve already attacked that target” is too much. And as extra punishment, you have to track Salvo interactions too. 

      Verdict: At 3 points it becomes interesting — not a powerhouse, but something you might at least consider. Right now? Not worth it.


      CR90 Corvette

      The classic Rebel spam ship. Ironically, its titles are either too niche or too awkward.

      Dodonna’s Pride

      Always niche, still niche, but now at least interesting at 4 points. Sato makes it hilarious (blue crits everywhere), but otherwise it’s a CR90B-only toy. If I were bold, I’d rewrite this to function like an Assault Proton Torpedo for blue dice. That would be very cool. 

      Verdict: As is, fine but narrow.

      Jaina’s Light

      Used to be absurd at 2 points. At 5, maybe too harsh? We want people to take CR90 titles, not price them out. 

      Verdict: Compared to Pride at 4 and Tantive at 3, Jaina feels slightly over. But still usable — and still good.

      Liberator

      A joke. The idea of putting a Fleet Command on a CR90 is cute, but in practice? No. If you want AFFM!, just take a Pelta. 

      Verdict: Even at 0 points, this probably wouldn’t see play. It’s a sad card — interesting on paper, irrelevant in practice.

      Tantive IV

      Always a decent little support piece, but totally overshadowed for years by Comms Net. 

      Verdict: At 3 points, it’s fine, but it would be more compelling at 2. Still, with Jaina at 5, this feels like it’s in a better spot.


      GR-75 Medium Transports

      Flotilla titles are always high value, and the Rebel ones are some of the best.

      Bright Hope

      Probably one of the best title-to-cost ratios in the entire game. Two points for making your flotilla dramatically harder to kill? Insane. 

      Verdict: It should be 3 at least. It’s almost always stapled to the first GR-75 you bring.

      Quantum Storm

      Cute, flexible, and actually pretty potent. Lets a slicer platform reposition or do silly things with double-ramming. At 1 point it was a steal; at 2 it’s still very playable. Needs rewording to clean up the ramming interaction, but otherwise, a gem.

      Verdict: Make it 2 points.


      Hammerhead

      Hammerheads are in a rough spot — overpriced across the board. That colors all their titles.

      Garel’s Honor


      Fun with Dodonna, fun as a suicide boat, but 4 points on a fragile hull feels like bloat. If HHs were cheaper, it would be fine. Right no,w it just pushes the cost problem further.

      Verdict: Adjust the platform cost and/or reduce this card's cost slightly.

      Task Force Antilles

      The “tanky HH” option. Stack it with Leia, Shields to Maximum, Redemption, and you still don’t have anything close to tanky. 

      Verdict: Should be 2 points, not 3, but the real issue is the chassis. Fix both issued and maybe.

      Task Force Organa

      The only reason HH spam is remotely playable. But how often do you see HH spam? Almost never. The title itself is fine; the platform and the meta are the issue. 

      Verdict: Fix the platform cost.


      All MC-Type Ships

      Mon Calamari Exodus Fleet

      Another “defensive aura” title, but this one is weak sauce. Requires a repair command, has a weird 1–4 restriction instead of 1–5, and doesn’t scale well with how Rebels actually play. You’re not running enough MC hulls to make it matter. 

      Verdict: Drop it to 4 points and it’s still fringe (and do we really want more defense tech?).


      MC30 Frigate

      MC30s live or die by their titles. Without them, they’re too fragile for their price.

      Admonition

      The classic. The title that made MC30s viable. At 10 points it’s expensive, and it’s less of an auto-include now that evades are good at close range. Still great, but Foresight is often picked first. 

      Verdict: I’d be fine bringing this back to 8.

      Foresight

      A defensive monster. Worth every bit of 10 points. You rarely see an MC30 without it. Balanced by cost, but undeniably powerful.

      Verdict: Keep as is.


      MC75 Cruiser

      The MC75 deserved a strong, flexible title. Instead, it got two defensive/niche ones.

      Aspiration

      Works with Raddus and Projection Experts, and it’s affordable at 3 points. The problem is that it’s boring and defensive.

      Verdict: Leave as is.

      Profundity

      Expensive, extremely niche… and I love it. It does exactly what it should: let you reenact Rogue One. Thematic perfection. Not competitive in every list, but when it fits, it fits.

      Verdict: Leave as is.


      MC80 Home One

      Defiance

      The workhorse title. Still relevant even in the pass token era.

      Verdict: Five points feels a little steep, 4 would be fairer, but it’s solid.

      Home One

      I hate this card. Fleet-wide auto-accs at distance 1–5 are not fun or balanced. If H1 were a stronger chassis, this would be broken. 

      Verdict: Needs a redesign: make it a Fleet Command slot, exhaust to let another ship set a die to an ACC. Something interactive.

      Independence

      Was already ultra-niche in Wave 1, now it’s complete binder fodder. Eight points to move B-wings faster... but they can't shoot? GTFOOH. One of the least useful cards in the Rebel arsenal.

      Verdict: Total rework required or into the trash compactor it goes.


      MC80 Liberty

      The problem here is the Liberty itself — it's an overall weird design, but strong and weak at the same time. A large base ship with gunnery teams that can potentially go speed 4. Double braces... but shit shields and no defensive tech. High cost, worse than ever compared to other Rebel large ships. Making titles for this mess is not easy!

      Endeavor

      Four points for a Contain looks fine on paper. In practice, you’re not taking a Liberty just for that. 

      Verdict: Needs a redesign: let the player pick an extra defense token (Contain, Evade, or Salvo). That would at least make it interesting, although most of the time Evade would be the better option, I guess.

      Liberty

      Another dud. If you’re commanding squads with a Liberty, you’re already playing it wrong. 

      Verdict: Needs a redesign. Maybe +1 squad when resolving a dial, so up to 5 squads total? Or squadron commands at distance 1–5? Something to actually make it a viable carrier.

      Mon Karren

      While I can see why the title was nerfed, there was like one person who could make this problematic, and it's not like he won worlds or anything with it, so of all the nerfs in Armada, this one was the least called for IMO.

      Anyway. This and the Engine Techs were kind of the only reason to take a Liberty. Now, much less so. Indeed, why ARE you taking a Liberty these days? Why not just play CIS instead?

      Verdict: At 6 points, it’s balanced if the chassis is cheaper. Right now, it’s just not worth it.


      Nebulon-B

      Another overpriced old chassis that titles can’t save. If you remember the old days, Nebs were basically Yavaris. Then, once Sato arrived, masochists liked to run him with Salvation. And that's it.

      Redemption

      Another fleet-wide defensive buff, which isn’t what we want for the game, but the title is usable enough.

      Verdict: At 5 points, fair enough — if the ship itself were cheaper. 

      Salvation

      Always OK, especially with Sato. Can be nasty if it lands, but Nebs are Nebs, so good luck with those arcs. Those arcs... if I could rework them I'd be a very happy admiral indeed, but I think that's WAY out of scope, so never mind.

      Verdict: For all its power, I would say you pay a LOT for such a narrow arc. I'm fine with 7, but I would not be opposed 6 or even 5.

      Vanguard

      Supposed to patch the Neb’s weaknesses, but fails. Why would I drop a brace or evade for a redirect? And outside Sato/OE, what kind of Weapons Team do I want on a Neb? Ruthless Strategists? Nah, you can take an Escort Neb and this title just for that.

      Verdict: Just add the redirect instead. The design is flawed.

      Yavaris

      The most infamous Rebel nerf. Needed a fix, but got over-nerfed. The loss of Fighter Coordination Team synergy is especially painful. You already gave up Aux Shields for FCT; killing the Yavaris bonus on top of that was a double nerf. 

      Verdict: Make Yavaris work with Flight Commander/FCT again.


      Pelta

      Phoenix Home

      Honestly, Pelta design is weird. The generics never should have had Fleet Command. Phoenix Home should have granted the Fleet Command slot, while the variants got more normal upgrade lines, such as a double officer for the Command and a Weapons Team for the Assault.

      Verdict: Fine as is if we accept the chassis is what it is.


      Starhawk

      The Starhawk, as a ship, was already a mistake (a slow tank that's usually harder to kill than an SSD), and the titles exacerbate the issue by being essentially mandatory, granting extra defense tokens (and a secondary effect). But wait, there is more! Two of the three titles are Starhawk I only! Wtf!??? This is bad game design in more ways than I can count.

      Amity

      Evade on a Large tank is nice (Needa says hello), but the secondary effect effectively forces Hardened Bulkheads, turning this into an 11-point card that eats your Offensive slot. No idea why this is SH I only.

      Verdict: Fine, not amazing.

      Concord



      Extra Salvo is strong, but the secondary effect essentially requires Magnites; now it’s a 22-point package. With Bail banned and Agate not working at speed 0, you realize the screw the magnites and let's not go to speed 0, making this a questionable combo. No idea why this is SH I only.

      Verdict: Expensive way to get extra Salvo on your Starhawk Mark I.

      Unity

      Extra redirect plus a rather useful secondary effect. Pricey at 15 (with Expert Shields Techs, I mean), but actually worth it, especially with Agate. Doesn't work well with LTT anymore bc Starhawks don't have bombard (well, you do get the flak rerolls, but not the anti-ship or salvo rerolls, so whatever). Kind of makes me not want to do this title anymore.

        Verdict: My default choice. Boring but fine.

        Final Verdict – Rebel Titles

        Rebel titles are some of the most potent in Armada, but they’re also some of the most inconsistent, and there are too many cards that don’t justify their slot or points. The big offenders need redesigns. The classics remain excellent. The MC75 and MC80s really deserve more options to balance out their current capabilities.

        Next Up: CIS/GAR Titles