If there’s one thing the Empire has in spades, it’s competent commanders. The faction boasts one of the deepest benches in Armada, with plenty of competitive, reasonably priced options. Thanks to ARC’s brush-ups, only one commander (sorry, Tagge) sits firmly in the “dud” category, while the rest range from solid to outright excellent.
Let’s take a tour through the Imperial leadership roster.
Admiral Konstantine
I’ve always had a soft spot for King K, even back in his clunky original form. The new version works — his ability is niche by nature, but that’s a feature, not a bug. If movement control were stronger, it would be oppressive; if weaker, he’d be useless. As is, he’s a fun alternative who doesn’t ruin anyone’s day. Works best with raid tech (meaning Slicers), and could get better if the Empire receives more raid support in the future.
Verdict: Leave him alone.
Admiral Motti (ARC)
The ARC price drop was absolutely warranted. Motti has always been the “training wheels” admiral, handing you extra hull to keep ships alive. But he’s still relevant beyond new players: durability is always valuable, and Motti is as simple and effective as they come.
Verdict: Perfect now.
Admiral Ozzel (Commander)
The ultimate bargain-bin commander. Free speed changes are gold, not just for pouncing on enemies but for dodging return fire. With skillful play, Ozzel often prevents more damage than Motti’s hull padding. Especially potent with speed-3+ ships that thrive on positional tricks.
Verdict: Leave him alone.
Admiral Piett
I get how he works. I get that you can build around him. But that’s not niche — that’s restrictive. If Piett were designed today, I’d give him a pool of dials during setup that you can spend instead of command tokens. The current implementation “works,” but it is too clunky to be worthwhile.
Verdict: Deserves an ARC makeover.
Admiral Screed (ARC)
ARC Screed is back in business. The cost of spending a die is steep, but the guarantee of a crit effect (unless cancelled by evades) is still solid. The one-use-per-activation cap keeps him in check. Too bad ACM and APT were nerfed — Screed’s toolkit shrank accordingly.
Verdict: At 26 points he’s fair, but 24 might make him more attractive.
Admiral Sloane
Still strong, still cheap at 24. But her oppressive heyday is over — counters and limitations abound now. She’s no longer warping the meta, just another solid option.
Verdict: Leave her be.
Darth Vader (ARC, Commander)
The OG reroll engine. Always thematic, always strong. His new ARC price point feels just right. Expensive, but he makes every die count.
Verdict: Vader is in a better place now.
Emperor Palpatine (ARC, Commander)
Not much has changed — except the “not much” actually matters a lot. Now he interacts better with commander rerolls, TRCs, Thermal Shields, and more. The end result: he’s no longer too situational, but a legitimate competitive choice.
Verdict: Expect to see more of him.
General Romodi
One of the most straightforward and effective admirals around. His ability rewards good positioning and doesn’t require an über-complex setup. Still excellent, still fairly priced at 25.
Verdict: Leave him alone.
General Tagge
The runt of the litter. The “two non-consecutive rounds” clause is clunky and restrictive. Remove it, and he’d be too powerful. Leave it, and he’s binder fodder. Tagge needs a total rework — maybe something Palpatine-like, or maybe an entirely new mechanic. As is, he ain’t it.
Verdict: Rework or send him to work in the spice mines of Kessel.
Grand Admiral Thrawn
Still good. Still expensive. He’s fallen out of favor not because he’s weak, but because the Empire is spoiled for choice. Extra dials are immensely valuable, and his ability rewards players who can control the tempo of their fleet and build around Thrawn's ability to "double your efforts".
Verdict: Could test him at 30 points to see if he resurfaces more often, but he doesn’t feel broken at 32.
Grand Moff Tarkin
At 28 he’s… fine. The problem is that command tokens are easier to come by now, which makes him feel underwhelming. And in 400-point games you rarely have enough combat ships to fully exploit his effect.
Verdict: Could drop a couple of points to encourage experimentation.
Moff Jerjerrod
The best bargain in the Imperial lineup. For 23 points you can bend your ships into firing position or safety, at the cost of a single shield. The value is insane.
Verdict: Making him 25 wouldn’t be unreasonable, but he’s fine where he is too.
Final Verdict – Imperial Commanders
Imperial commanders are consistently strong and diverse. You’ve got cheap utility (Ozzel, Jerjerrod), reliable durability (Motti), positional mastery (Romodi), dice control (Screed, Vader), and even meta disruptors (Sloane, Palpatine). The only real failure is Tagge.
If anything, the Empire is spoiled. Their commanders set the gold standard for Armada — not because they’re overtuned, but because nearly all of them are viable. Compare that to Rebel, GAR, or CIS lineups, and you see how healthy the Imperial roster looks overall.
Next Up: Rebel Commanders.
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