It’s a Trap!
From the colossal Star Destroyer to the humble Y-Wing, Star Wars: Armada turns the tabletop into a struggle for galactic freedom. Players command fleets of ships and squadrons in a surprisingly fast paced game of space based combat. While not as popular as its other Fantasy Flight Games cousins, Armada nonetheless punches above its weight and delivers a very solid tactical fleet based game.
FFG first released the Armada core set in March of 2015 to generally positive reviews. Its rules were accessible and easy to learn, and its mechanics struck the right balance between tactical realism and ease of play. The apposable maneuver tool was a step of from the many templates needed for Star Wars: X-Wing and allowed players a simple way to move their ships. The command dial system was also a simple way to account for the complexity of commanding a starship in the heart of battle. The rules and mechanics heavily favored forward planning.
Despite a mostly positive experience with the game itself, players were often left frustrated during subsequent releases following the core set. Highly anticipated expansions have often been hard to find in local gaming stores and even finding them online is often tricky. This frustration has led to many players leaving the game in favor of other alternatives (particularly Star Wars: Legion) where products are readily available. The lack of availability got so bad in some locations, like Australia, that rumors spread among FLGS that Disney had stepped in to stop the production of the game altogether. This of course turned out to be completely false. While these issues have served to whittle down the Armada player base, the game and the community still endures. Tournaments and competitive play continue, and FFG looks to be planning something of a comeback for Armada.
When FFG released their clone wars content for Legion, the games’ popularity exploded. It tapped into the large base of people who grew up with the prequels and The Clone Wars tv show, finding an audience that now had disposable income and prequel memes on the brain. FFG seems ready to replicate this phenomenon with the release of Clone Wars era expansions for Armada. A starter set and squadron packs for the Republic and CIS are due for release sometime before the end of the year (no specific release date has been set, though pre-order are open). Whether or not a foray into the Clone Wars is enough to revive community interest in Armada remains to be seen.
Despite past problems with under supply, FFG has an opportunity to reset the board for Armada going forward. By ensuring they have enough product available for existing and prospective players, encouraging competitive play and events, and ensuring a healthy and inclusive community, FFG can bring new life into an exciting and well-rounded game. Armada has so many positive things going for it beyond the rules and mechanics; the quality of the models is fantastic, and the ability to customize unpainted squadrons is appealing to the artists among us.
So here’s hoping that FFG’s gamble works out and that we get to continue the fight in a galaxy far, far away….
