Does Yavaris Need a Nerf?

Recently, I created a topic on the forums that spiraled out of control in my mind.  However, a comment on the thread (Hi Green Knight!) helped me create an idea for this article.

From hell's black heart I throw squadrons at thee!

Let's talk about Yavaris.

This flame war's about to get too hot to handle! Someone call Steve Buscemi!

LINK IS DED

Another dead link! If you're seeing this, it means that I've got a link to here that shouldn't exist.  Please let me know where you were referred to here from, and I'll go edit that link to the right spot.  Thanks!

If you were looking for the "how to run squadronless" article, it's been compressed into the chapter about fighting squadron fleets, linked HERE for you.

https://cannotgetyourshipout.blogspot.com/2017/10/squadrons-encyclopedia-8-fighting_24.html

Updates 10/22

I've updated the following articles with links:

Nebulon-B Frigate
CR90 Corvette
Assault Frigate MkII
GR-75 Medium Transports

I also added a section to the Assault Frigate article about how it's been unfairly maligned. Take a read below!

Unfairly Maligned
Is the Assault Frigate bad? No.  It's received an impression in the greater Armada community that it's not a good ship, for various reasons.  Some of that might be the fact that it's quite generalist, some that it's trying to straddle the line between a Small CR90 and an (actual) Large HMC80.  The main issue that I will agree with is that you can't take or even use Leading Shots on it.  Leading Shots is one of the main ways that you get efficacy out of your Large ships and their attack batteries, but you can't equip it here.  You're entirely at the mercy of how your red dice roll, which is NOT easy to deal with.  In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey TRCs on CR90s, H9s on MC30s, and Defiance/Quad Battery Turrets on an HMC80, having to accept the dice as you roll them is NOT an easy proposition.  You can equip Dual Turbolaser Turrets onto your Assault Frigate, and that's not a bad way of fixing one of your red dice rolls.  It costs the same as Veteran Gunners, but it will do more and better work for you.

It does exist in that range (between CR90 and HMC80), and I think that is its major issue.  No one expects the CR90 to one shot another ship, but a well equipped Raider can.  An ISD or an HMC80 will explode any small ship that wanders into close range of it.  An Assault Frigate generally DOESN'T have that reputation.  It also doesn't last long against Demolisher.  I have been losing Assault Frigates to Demolisher attacks for 6 waves now, and it has sucked EVERY TIME.  For the same cost as an Assault Frigate, you can get an Admonition MC30 that will put more damage into your opponent's ship faster and harder.  Here comes 5 damage from an External Racks front and another 5-6 from my side pew pew pew!  The Assault Frigate can't compete with that (realistically, I'm aware red dice have 2 damage sides) alone.

But what the Assault Frigate has that MC30s don't is consistency.  Not consistent damage, mind you, but consistent attacks against the same targets.  Let's pull up my image from before about how to navigate it.

Take THAT, VSD!

The faded Frigate can hit that VSD in the face, as can its new position.  Those side arcs are quite decent-sized and have very good range.  You aren't getting 5-6 damage at a time, but 2-3 followed by 2-3 next turn help a LOT.  Try not to throw damage at things with significant Evade tokens (CR90s, Raiders) and you'll get more work out of it.  Or if you DO choose to throw damage at those things, put an Intel Officer on your Frigate to ensure you start spending those FASTER.

The thing about the Assault Frigate is that it loves friends.  It would love a second Assault Frigate nearby to help target whatever ship it's throwing red dice at.  3 red dice aren't great, but 2 shots of 3 dice are.  Failing that, keep a CR90 or Nebulon B firing on the same ship.  The MC30 can go off on its lonesome and get work done, but the Assault Frigate is part of a fleet and it needs the rest of the fleet to help it actually get work done.  You can't deploy it by its lonesome and hope it'll win you the game, otherwise you're wasting 72 points plus.  Similarly, you can't deploy your HMC80 by itself and expect it to win you the game, so treat the Assault Frigate similarly.  Supplement its damage with a friend, and potentially even some fighters, too.

Relatedly, the other thing about the Assault Frigate is that it's the only ship in the Rebellion that can viably take and use Flight Controllers.  Hammerheads don't push enough squadrons, LMC80s want Gunnery Team, and MC30s want Ordnance Experts (and don't push enough squadrons, either).  If you want to win the squadron battle fast with a solid attack, the Assault Frigate is the way to do it.  When you finish off whatever squadrons your opponent brought, you can then start bombing your opponent's ship, making up for your potentially less than stellar red dice attack rolls.

It can still get work done under Ackbar with Gunnery Teams (5 red dice, 5 red dice? SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!), and it does well as a squadron bunker (see above Gallant Haven title) and finisher (never underestimate an X-wing or 3 throwing 5 blue dice at squadrons).  It's very flexible in it's build and role, though, which is NICE.  I can recommend putting ECM or Gunnery Team on it (like I did above), but really, it's a matter of whatever you WANT to put on it.  Whatever else you do to build your Assault Frigate, though, make sure to fill that Weapons Team slot.

Preparing for and attending an Armada tournament: principles to keep in mind

So with Regionals season upon us, there has been some discussion about what should be done prior to a tournament if you want to have a good time. This involves both training beforehand as well as properly planning for the event itself. Let's get started!

#darksidegains #sithswole

Updates 10/16

As of today, I've updated and edited and added links to Chapters 4 through 6 of the Squadrons Encyclopedia:

Squadron Encyclopedia Chapter 4: Large Fighter Coverage (Rebels and Imperials)
Squadron Encyclopedia Chapter 5: Using the Small Fighter Coverage group
Squadron Encyclopedia Chapter 6: Using the Large Fighter Coverage group

There have been some things removed from these chapters, yes.  It's almost as if I pulled them out for a reason.  A reason you'll all need to wait until tomorrow to see!

I don't know why I'm referencing songs about going back or returning to a future at all!

Skilled First Officer: a love letter

It's time for a special feature article about one of my favorite upgrades that I can only hope FFG will be releasing as a tournament kit upgrade card so more people can get use from him, the Skilled First Officer! I love this guy and I've gushed about him in multiple ship articles, so I figure maybe I should have an article just about him instead of hijacking and then making John's generic officers article longer. It also means I can just link right here to save people from reading the same advice multiple times 😉.

"Yelling hat man hate command dial!"

Slowly Updating

So as of now, I've updated and added in links for:

Commander Sato (based off some helpful suggestions from Ginkapo and Undeadguy on the forums), I added in a bit more about not just trying to turn him into a crit machine and using HWKs with him.  Minor upgrades, but if you're interested in running Sato (he's not bad, I swear!), take a look again.

Prelude: Squadron Roles and Basic Thoughts
Chapter 1: Basics and Outline
Chapter 2: Small Fighter Coverage
Chapter 3: Medium Fighter Coverage

Note to self for the next day or two: add in Ten Numb to chapter 4.

I've got plans now to add in a chapter 7, actually attacking ships with your bombers (an article I vaguely promised to do in Chapter 1) and then how to deal with your opponent's heavy squadron blob, an article that I both promised in chapter 1 and will continue our Fighting Fleets series (Eric or I may talk about hunting flotillas before or after that, as well).  I'm going to work on the updates FIRST, as I'd prefer to have them all done.  It also gives me more time to play my bomber fleet a few more games and get back into the swing of using fighters and all in my meta to blow up ships, so there is THAT helpfulness, haha.

I'm NOT planning on updating the Rebel starter fleet article, as I feel it's currently a good mix of ships and squadrons and you can choose where to go to from there (as I state at the bottom of the article, haha).  I considered adding in a few more options to give people the chance to go harder squadron or ship, but as it's a starter fleet I'd rather let them play that a few times and see WHAT they like playing and develop up from that.

Also, given that I finished my 3rd marathon (hash brown humble brag), I have a bit more time (and don't need to run for 2 hours every other day), so I can hopefully get my articles updated sooner rather than later.  But, I make no promises.  I'll do what I can, though, haha.

Squadron-heavier option added to the Imperial starter fleet article

With the release of the Quasar, some new cost-effective options are now available for the Empire and I know some folks want to go squadron-heavier right out of the gate. With that said, I added an option #2 to the Imperial starter fleet article, which is copy-pasted below: