Star Wars - Armada intro game

SeanR., our local Star Wars fanatic, invited me for an intro game of Armada, the new-ish game from the Star Wars stable.  While he does have the 'X-Wing' version which is the more individual 'fighter' vs 'fighter' game, "Armada" employs the big boys and more of them, in fleet actions including the small Tie and X-wing fighters in squadron formations handled in a more abstract method.  I think this is the game envisioned by the huge big screen battles of the movies.  Now one can have truly large  Imperial Destroyers, the big transports and such.

The "beast"

The rules are built in such a way as one can continue to add complexity and nuance with special abilities and characteristics (different armour, weapons, etc) if wanted or just the average-joe type for the beginner or occasional player.  All the measuring devices, dials, symbols, numbers presented on the various chits, bases and cards all - eventually - mean something and are quite well thought out.
As only one example, to indicate a squadron's "activation" the game designers have a sliding card which can moved through the model' base from one side to the other, each side having a different color.  As each turn is either one or the other, the player can easily see if the said squadron has been activated. With the many squadrons used, this is a very simply but effective game tool.

four squadrons of Tie Fighters

Now as everyone who knows my wargaming, I am a terrible pilot, be it in a Sopwith, Spitfire, MiG 21, or Tie Fighter.  Some of it comes from just poor move planning, much from simple lack of regular play, and some from just bad luck.  So it will come as no surprise that in our intro game, my inexperience, SeanR's recent extensive play and good die rolls, and frankly, my bad luck created yet another "flying" loss.  Fun though!

I include a photo of the one and only critical damage card which, flying the Imperial beast of a Destroyer - a ship powerful but extremely unmaneuverable, had its one and only (!) yaw ( read: turn )  cutting my rudder cut as it were, and so.... I calmly sail straight ....and off the board..... .   You see, I did not plan for any repair chits [ with this beast you must try to think what you will need, three turns in advance.  What will happen 3 turns from now, eh?! ]  On the flip side I did order command for my squadrons and thus at game end could beat up on the Rebel fighters.

 My ship sailing off to Hoth aside, our points based on squadrons lost were actually even 40 - 39.


I must thank SeanR for the game.  He is an excellent instructor.

X-Wing game

A Monday Night Game at Francis's hosted by Sean who brought along his X-Wing game.  Star Wars driven, of course, the models are pre-painted of a very good quality and the rules are extremely well thought out.  All issues which came up were quickly dealt with by the rules and for Francis's group of ADD lads, that is saying much!

A Rebel "Freighter" with a heck of a lot of firepower!

While Francis and Dave to a large extent are more LotR fans, I and Sean like Star Wars and so perhaps are more into making the sounds of a TieFighter screeching to the attack.  Heck, I am old enough to have seen the original first run of the movie on the screen when I was young(er).

The scenario was a mutual recovery of important capsules of techie stuff left floating in space was the objective and, of course, to blow each other into atoms....

I played the Imperium once again...in this game I will ALWAYS play the Imperium.  Luke is a reactionist young bleeping trouble maker really; and is the bad guy regardless how Lucas makes us believe.

Anyway I was gunning for the pup but in the last turn of the game, he (played by Dave) got lucky and was a mere 1/8" within range of my Tie-Fighter with the third capsule in tow after finally chasing it all game , destroyed it leaving this capsule in space. With one captured capsule each, the battle was declared a tie.

For reporting accuracy, yes, Darth Vader was also flying, under the command of Sean, who managed through some "interesting " maneuvers to do very little in the game.  Apparently he does not know his right from his left.  Oops, note to self :  use inner voice as I am now choking for breath against a bulkhead with my feet above the floor....

Yes, Darth, in my usual "anything to do with flying" games I will always get shot down, in my defence I ONLY lost one fighter!

Luke Skywalker's X-Wing with a "8" pilot and a whole lot of bonuses which Dave had fun with.

Ol' Darthie flying in the wrong direction! :-))

very nice pre-painted models

Thanks to SeanR for hosting.

X-Wing game

I started by asking myself "Can you get shot down in space??"  I mean, well, in every air game I play in, I do indeed get shot down. However as this is space, can one get shot down if there is no down?  No was the conclusion but, as a fellow player suggested, I could well get shot up !

Yup, we of the Imperium believed the damnable Luke Skywalker might be piloting one of the Rebel craft in the  X-Wing game in which I participated  during the local 'Trumpeter Salute" convention held recently.  I commanded three ships, two Tie Fighters and a bomber for a total of 50 points.  I think Luke was near 50 points by himself!  While the four other players also were limited to 50 points  this still could result in a variety of ships and qualities.  Of course this included the Millinemium Falcon.  Big sucker that!  With a huge number of shields and hull !

The game was fun.  The rules relatively easy to pick up and the game masters were very patient and helpful explaining things.  I can see the appeal.  During the game the movie sound effects came from the GM's iPhone !

Oh, by the way, I lost two of the three ships with the other only one mere hit away from destruction. So my space piloting IS the same as my flying!  Thankfully I was not the only one with such damage and Luke was indeed blown into space.  Once the points were counted, we of the Darth Vader crowd won with the thinnest of margins by two points.

As an aside, I was amused by the reaction of a twenty-something player in the game when I said I saw the original Star Wars movie in the theater when it first showed in 1977.  In awe of the experience I had of that bit of history or simply of my age, I did not ask.......