In this Short right up we will speculate as to what will be coming next year to Armada. First we know that the SSD will come in the early part of 2019, but what more will be coming? I anticipate That we will receive a wave 8 announcement before the SSD is released. This is because it would be a smart marketing move, to help get everyone excited, and while the SSD is exciting and cool its just not whole new wave cool, so in order to help the SSD sell more announcing another wave for Armada would be the smart thing to do, and going to long with really almost nothing I am guessing they are holding the news of this new wave back to do just that. I don't have much to support this, but there are a few rumors that wave 8 is in the play testing stages, so what would a wave 8 have in store for us? FFG likes to tease stuff and if there is one ship that has been teased over and over again and most recetly on the box of the MC-75, its the Braha'tok-Class gunship aka the Dornean Gunship, as a side note I once called this the DeLorean gunship, but that is not something it is know as.
So what would The Braha'tok's role be, well he would excel at anti-squadron this guy would be the raider for the rebels, but I think would have less firepower against ships than a raider. Also this guy is small, like really small like the size of a GR-75, so this lead me to think we will be getting combat flotillas. This idea of combat flotillas really was enhanced with the flotilla Nerf of only being able to have 2 flotillas, and flotillas not counting towards tabling. Personally I though this was a little heavy handed, and we really only need one of these nerfs to balance out the game, but if combat flotillas where in the pipeline I can see why both would be implemented. I also think that introducing combat flotillas would be interesting for list building as now you would have to ask yourself do I want two combat flotillas, or two support flotillas, or do I want one of each, I think it would make list building that much more interesting. So what do I think this ship would look like in game well on version would be the ordnance version it would have the same slots as a GR-75 but would have a crew slot, weapons team slot, and ordnance slot. It would have two black dice out the front and one out each side nothing in the rear, it would have two black flack dice, and 1 command 1 squadron, 2 engineering. 3 hull, scatter evade, it would cost 28ish points. The other variation would be pretty much the same but switch out the black dice for red and have a blue black for flack, maybe double blue, it would lose the weapons teams slot, but gain the turbolaser slot, and would cost around 32ish points. This later version would be very good with Ackbar, but you could only have two so that is kinda the balancing act, and helps Ackbar fleets where they lack most the anti-squadron game. I think a ship like this would be a welcome addition to the rebel fleet getting a dedicated anti-squadron ship that can put in a little support firepower against ships seams like something the rebels need.
So what would the Empire get? Well there really is not much in regards to combat Flotillas, or really Flotilla, sized ship in the empire at all other than the Gonzanti, but I do feel like we should have an equal amount a Flotillas to make the choices interesting, in list building for both sides. So we will stretch and say they will add the IGV-55 Surveillance Vessel, to the options of the Imperial navy.
Yes yes I know its just a heavily modified Gozanti, but its really all the Empire has to work with that I have found and if you have seen the Star Wars Rebels episode this appeared in it could do some cool and interesting stuff. So its not exactly a combat flotilla, but I think it could still do something intriguing with this guy. So the cheaper version of the ship would have the same load out as a Gonzanti, but would have no attack dice a black flack dice maybe only speed 2, no offensive retrofit squadron 1, but would have 2 Fleet support slots, and would cost like 30ish points. It basically sacrifices the versatility of a normal Gonzanti for more fleet support, and also cost a bit more it could be interesting. The more expensive would be the IGV-55 Combat refit, and this guy would be the empires combat flotilla, he would have a offensive retrofit slot a fleet support slot and 2 Ion Cannon slots. It would have two blue dice out the front and two out the sides none out the rear he would cost like 34ish points he would be like the empires hammerhead, the box could also come with some more ion cannon upgrades to really help push this guy as your combat/support flotilla, I really want to see a ship with two Ion Cannon slots like really bad that's really my only reasoning behind this guy I just think two Ion Cannon slots with a few more Ion cannon upgrades could be really cool, so yeah. So Flotillas are not that exciting, but do add some interesting things to the game, but if we got capital ships not flotillas what would they be? Well with the Empire there is really only one ship that has appeared in cannon during the galactic civil war that we don't have, and that is the Imperial support vessel.
It really just seams like a Carrack or dreadnought ship from legends, but its the Imperial support vessel in cannon. So this would probably be a small ship maybe a medium ship. It would be a ship that would be a cheaper than the victory but a bit more expensive than the Gladiator, so in the mid to high 60s for the cheep one, and high 60s to low 70s for the more expensive one. The cheaper one would have red dice and black dice and pretty much have the same stats as an assault frigate but only have command two and two squadron maybe even one squadron. It would probably have the same upgrade suite as the Gladiator, but add a turbolaser slot. The other, well maybe that could be my dream 2 Ion cannon upgrade ship and not the IGV-55 seams more likely add a Offensive retrofit for d-caps. For the rebles it a little bit harder, but what I think the rebels need is a ship that can use D-caps to its advantage as really its not worth putting D-caps on any rebel ships, I mean you can put it on a hammerhead, and an assault frigate, but is it worth it, maybe, but you don't get great value like the empire can get out of D-caps, something else the rebels need is another medium ship, So I think what would be cool would be the Assault Frigate Mark I.
Basically it would be a lot like the Victory, and costed about the same too, but have less hull but more shields, and would probably only have 5 dice out the front not 6, but have 4 out the side. It would have the same defense tokens as the Mark II, and pretty much the same loadout as well, but with only 1 or 2 squadron value max. its a simple idea for a ship, but it gives the rebels something they don't have a good D-caps platform, and a second medium ship the cheaper one could be our Ion ship with 3 blues and 2 reds out the front and 3 blues and 1 red out the sides and just a blue and a red out the back, and would trade the turbolaser slot the Mark II has for an Ion cannon slot, Maybe even TWO! (Ill stop I don't know why I have this obsession with seeing a double Ion cannon ship, I just want to see it.) the other one would just switch out the Ion slot for a turbolaser slot and switch in one red dice in each arch and drop a blue. Really what do I see coming next year a new wave and I do think it will be announced before the SSD hits the table, but I really don't know what will be in the wave, but it is fun to speculate. However even though we have not gotten much news wise I have been trying new things working with old/forgotten upgrade cards and ship, and still have much to explore, so as we look to the future, don't forget to enjoy the game in its current state, as this is the best the game has ever been. What do you think lies ahead for Armada this upcoming year? What ships or kind of ships do you want to see? Let everyone know in the comments on the Facebook page, and have a Happy New Year!
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