There are a lot of great Armada blogs out there. Reading them has bough to my attention that I;
Don’t know enough about the game yet to make fully informed decisions
I have underestimated the “layers” involved in this game. It is simply deeper than X or Attack Wing.
When building the Rebel fleet, I really wanted to keep it at “minnow” level compared to the Imperial whale (Killer Whale that is). I topped out at the Pelta Command/support ship, ideal for….command…and support, the Nebulon-B brawler, 2 Hammerheads and a CR90 butterfly (as fastest ship in my game). All of the little rogues and squadrons are also my secret crush, so lets keep sight of that.
I avoided the only other small Rebel ship available because, to be honest, it seemed too strong, specifically against a lone ISD build, making the Rebel fleet all about delivering this angry beast like a giant missile. The other ships I do have coming offer elements of an MC-30 (Hammerheads, Nebulon), but nothing is as brutal and down right mean. Nothing is as unbalancing.
This left a hole in my “representative of the Armada game” fleets and I have also become aware of failings in my plan to run huge swarms and a Star Destroyer only. Game mechanics flaws.
The ISD needs a support ship and the fleet/game just needs more depth.
The fix is elegant.
The Imperial Gladiator Star Destroyer (GSD) is a bigger than average, small base escort with several nice personality traits, like the Cameron Diaz Ogress to Mike Myer’s Ogre (see Ogre reference in previous post for a loose connection there).
First up, it is well respected, balanced and lethal, even after several waves of game growth.
It sits in the “much smaller than an ISD, but chunkier than my Rebels” camp, so it is still menacing.
It has the MC-30’s strong side weaponry, but unlike the MC, it will actually have more ships to shoot at and does not unbalance either fleet.
It is tougher than the MC-30.
It adds tactical elements I am missing, It gives the Imperials some flank strength other than fighters.
It looks like the mother to my little Decimator escorts (Ogrelings), as the ISD looks like their dad, aaaawww. I do not like the look of the other small, rounded off Imperial ships, happy to leave that shape to the Republic.
It is a flak platform if desired, ideal for the scale and feel of my games.
It is a mini carrier if desired, see above.
It is a suicide fire ship if desired, see above.
It is a delaying sacrificial escort if desired, see above.
So it adds several scenario options.
It allows me to field more Imperial upgrades and tactics (some actual synergy).
It negates the need to track down the rare Raider, my intended escort ship.
Big by comparison, but dwarfed by the ISD.
Is this the end?
I feel not, but I like when starting something new, to have realistic feel-good end points in mind so I can stop contented at these points. Having no plan usually ends badly. As an example, I would have likely only done the early movie ships in X Wing 1e if I had seen the longer picture, leaving fewer TFA for 2e (only). This is roughly where I got, but with a lot of double dipping and blind purchasing. Alternatively, I may have simply done Armada!
The reality is, I often retrospectively see a better, cleaner path, but knowing myself, I do try to crystal ball the chaos, sometimes failing dismally :). See how my plan to do the Clone Wars fleets only failed within days of purchasing them.