🛰 ARC01 Review – New Life in a Galaxy far, far away
Edit: Now including the recosted Dictor & Pelta Assault
It’s been a long time since we've had new content for Star Wars: Armada—but thanks to the Armada Ruleset Collective, the game is not just alive, it's evolving. With the release of ARC01, we're seeing a careful but meaningful shift: one that brings new play opportunities without asking players to 3D print or proxy unfamiliar sculpts.
Before we dive in, some disclosure: I’m a playtester for ARC, but not part of the core design team. I approach this project with a mix of enthusiasm and cautious optimism. That said, I firmly believe that what ARC is doing—maintaining the rules, supporting organized play, and producing new content—is absolutely vital for Armada’s future. Any one of those pillars alone wouldn’t be enough to keep the game thriving. Together, though? They give this community its best shot at staying vibrant, creative, and competitive.
At the same time, I’m also very enthusiastic about other fan-driven initiatives—especially the Armada Legacy Project, which recently released its own “Wave 0” of new content. I’ve been genuinely impressed by the quality and thematic consistency of Legacy’s work. And since ARC01 and Legacy Wave 0 are fully compatible, I’m excited to support both efforts moving forward. You’ll see both sets supported on Armada Warlords and the VASSAL module—and hopefully on more tables in the near future.
So what’s in ARC01?
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4 new ships: familiar hulls, now usable by new factions with thematic tweaks and rebalanced stats.
2 recosted ships: same old, but cheaper.
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3 updated squadrons: subtle changes to old favorites that may breathe new life into overlooked builds.
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8 reworked commanders: some minor tuning, others full makeovers—with significant implications for list building and playstyle.
I’ve had the chance to test these changes both in person and online—and I’m excited to walk you through what’s new, what’s changed, and what it all might mean for your next fleet.
🟣 CIS Ships
The Separatists get two ARC01 additions—both unique ships with very different roles. One adds speed and bite; the other brings rare utility and support. Let’s take a look.
🐙 Quarren Prototype Gunship
Reskinned Rebel MC30 – Unique
The Quarren Prototype Gunship is a game-changer for CIS list building. It finally gives the faction a small-base, speed 4, close-range burst-damage ship—something they’ve sorely lacked. That alone opens up a host of new tactical options.
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Perfect fit: It slots naturally into Kraken or TF-1726 builds, where its speed and bite can be maximized.
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Spicy combos: You can also go all-in with D-Caps under Mar Tuuk, or even try it with Dooku running D-Caps + ICBs—especially at 600 points where points and timing are more forgiving.
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No ordnance slot? No problem. The Ion slot gives it access to HIE, Overload Pulse, or even ICB for flexible burst or control. You could also boost defense with PD Ion Cannons if needed.
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Limitations: It’s unique, so you only get one. And there’s no strong defensive title. Still, a lightweight kit—Expert Shield Techs + Blast Doors, or Advanced Projectors—can go a long way.
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My take: Run it light and focused. Lurk. Strike. Disengage. Don’t overinvest. This is a scalpel, not a hammer.
⭐ Verdict: I’m genuinely excited for this ship. A fantastic design that adds a lot to CIS without bloating the faction. Hats off to ARC.
🧠 Munificent Command Frigate
New Munificent Variant – Unique
This one has me more conflicted. On paper, the Command Frigate looks incredible:
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Upgrade bar includes: Weapons Team, Offensive + Defensive Retrofit, and Fleet Support—that’s an unheard-of combo on a medium-base ship.
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Cost is reasonable, and the platform is familiar.
But then... reality sets in:
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No Ion slot means no PD Ions, a big defensive loss.
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No Support Team means you’re locked at speed 2.
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It’s unique, so you can’t build a “support fleet” around a bunch of them.
It ends up feeling like a budget Providence—but with far less punch and a weird identity. And once you fill that beautiful upgrade bar, you’ve created a slow, expensive, medium-base piñata. It could be good, especially with a leaner loadout—but the hidden costs are real.
Also: it may unintentionally crowd out the existing Comms and Star Frigate Munis, which already see little play. On the other hand... maybe that’s okay. Any Muni showing up on competitive tables at all is an upgrade.
⭐ Verdict: Interesting but risky. Could be useful in the right hands—but not the slam dunk it looks like at first glance.
🟢 GAR Ships
On the Republic side, ARC01 brings in two non-unique additions—ships that help fill roles GAR has long struggled to cover. They’re practical, playable, and thematic... but perhaps not quite as exciting as their CIS counterparts.
⚪ Arquitens-class Light Cruiser
Reskinned Imperial Arquitens – Non-unique
This is the one I really hoped to see make the jump to Clone Wars—aside from, you know, the Lucrehulk (but that’s a discussion for another day). The GAR Arquitens gives Republic players a small, fast, long-ranged red dice ship with a light cost and small footprint. Sounds great, right?
Well, kind of.
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Balance challenges: The design space here is tight. If this ship were just a 1:1 port of the Imperial version, it would’ve been crazy good with Luminara or Obi-Wan, especially when paired with ESTs, Zak Swivels, or other GAR-specific synergies.
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ARC’s take: They’ve rebalanced it carefully, avoiding the need to make it unique while still keeping it usable. That’s a win in my book.
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Token swap issues: I’m still not convinced the token change really nerfs it enough. Double Evades with Luminara will still be obnoxious. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan continues to suffer (again).
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List fit: You probably won’t swarm with these. Maybe one or two in an Anakin fleet (e.g., Zak + Clone Gunners) could work, but an Arquitens spam list feels... off.
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Dice control woes: GAR doesn’t have the best dice fixing options outside Anakin. Clone Gunners, Vet Gunners, Sensor Teams... sure. But with a small native pool and no crit effects to build around, it’s hard to push consistent damage.
⭐ Verdict: Honestly? I’m not thrilled. It’s fine, and I’ll run one now and then—but I doubt it’ll be a staple. I want to like it more than I do. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
🔴 Venator-class Star Destroyer – Imperator Refit
New Venator variant – Non-unique
The Imperator Refit is a new Venator variant that aims to do one thing and do it well: get in and smash face. And... it does that. Very effectively.
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Role clarity: It gives GAR a direct, high-damage brawler without the carrier overhead or overreliance on SPHAT.
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No frills: The loadout is lean, aggressive, and not too expensive. It works. It fills a gap.
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But also... kinda bland. I’ll be honest—the best part might be the card art (and I’m only half joking). It gets the job done, but there’s not much flair or identity to it beyond “more dakka.”
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Design constraints: That’s not really a fault of ARC’s design—it’s just a result of a narrow, pre-established design space. Within those limits, this is a well-executed ship.
⭐ Verdict: A solid workhorse. It makes sense, fills a need, and is a welcome addition—but doesn’t light any fires creatively. CIS got the fun toys. GAR got the tools.
📉 Points-Only Changes
Before we moe on to squads, let’s take a moment to cover two ships that received pure points adjustments in ARC01. No rule tweaks, no new variants—just good old-fashioned cost cuts. Do they make a difference? Let’s find out.
🟥 Interdictor Combat Refit (Empire)
Change: -8 points (down from 93 to 85)
Yes, the Combat Refit is finally cheaper than the Suppression Refit—as it should have been from day one. But the core problem remains: the Combat still only gets one Experimental Retrofit, while the Suppression gets two. And while the Interdictor is a solid platform, it’s not so amazing that this cost cut suddenly elevates the Combat Refit to greatness.
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Sure, you can now fit two of them more easily (and save 18 points doing so).
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Sure, if you love Projection Experts, that matters.
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But let’s be honest: this chassis needed more.
Give it a turbolaser slot, and now we’re talking. This? Still feels like a placeholder fix.
Verdict: A step in the right direction—but not nearly far enough.
🔷 Pelta-class Assault Ship (Rebels)
Change: -4 points (down from 56 to 52)
Now this is a more interesting drop.
At 52 points, the Assault Pelta is now a super-cheap carrier for Fleet Commands, especially for Intensify Firepower!, which continues to be one of the strongest effects in the game. And that’s probably where we’ll see most of its use going forward.
But here’s the thing: this ship still lacks identity. It’s awkward, it’s weird, and it has one of the strangest upgrade bars in Armada. And ARC missed an opportunity here—if you can give the CIS MC30 a new bar and unique feel, why not tweak the Pelta?
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It’s not a great platform for most Fleet Commands.
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Its upgrades don’t synergize with itself.
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And the Fleet Commands themselves are imbalanced, which doesn't help.
So yes, you’ll see it more often. But not because it’s “good”—just because it’s cheap and useful in one specific role.
Verdict: An effective cost cut, but a missed opportunity to truly fix a strange ship.
✈ Squadron Updates
ARC01 also brings some long-overdue attention to a few iconic—but underused—named squadrons. These aren’t massive overhauls, but each change is a clear attempt to make these ships relevant without pushing them into auto-include territory.
✨ Luke Skywalker (X-Wing)
Change: Loses Escort, gains Rogue
This change is... bland, but fine.
Swapping Escort for Rogue turns Luke from an overpriced target that never fit in 4-ace lists into a viable member of a Rebel Rogue ball. He’s not broken. He’s not an auto-include. But hey—he’s finally in the running, and that’s something. It’s kind of nice to see Rebel Hero #1 out of the binder at last.
That said, I would have loved to see Luke gain Adept 1, like so many players hoped. ARC felt it would be too much when combined with his “ignore all shields” ability—and while I get the reasoning, I’m not fully convinced. (You could give him Adept and reword the ability... but maybe that’s too much revisionism.)
⭐ Verdict: He’s fine. It’s an improvement. A win.
🖤 Darth Vader (TIE Advanced)
Change: Loses Escort, gains Screen, and -1 point
Again: fine, appropriate, and a massive improvement.
Vader can now hide behind his goons instead of dying first to protect them. That means his special ability (reroll all dice) might actually see play. He’s no longer binder fodder... but I’d still put him in Tier B, mainly because he’s competing with Darth Vader in a TIE Defender, which is frankly a hard act to beat.
Would I have liked to see a more radical rework? Maybe. Adept 2 feels like it practically screams to be included. But ARC stuck close to the original here, and the small twist does a lot.
⭐ Verdict: Expect to see him occasionally, but probably not often.
🟡 Han Solo (Millennium Falcon)
Change: -2 points
Zzzz… what, sorry?
Oh—Han. Yeah. Point drop is fine and long overdue. But honestly? He’s still binder material. He’s just too expensive for what he brings, and outside of a Sato fleet (old or new), there are just better options like Lando, Ketsu, or the new Luke.
⭐ Verdict: Not enough. Should have gotten Bomber. Still a snoozer. Sad times.
📦 Wrap-Up: Ships + Squadrons
ARC01's ship and squadron updates may not be flashy, but they’re targeted, thoughtful, and effective. The new cross-faction ships—especially for CIS—open up fresh list archetypes without forcing players into new purchases or custom prints. The squadron tweaks breathe new life into iconic pilots who’ve been gathering dust for years.
There’s clearly a design philosophy at work here: stay close to the original feel, but remove barriers to playability. And for the most part? ARC nails it.
Next time, we’ll dive into the commander reworks—there’s a lot to cover, from subtle tuning to total reinventions.
Disclaimer: This post was created with help from ChatGPT, primarily outlining, formatting, and presentation.
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