A Game Divided: A Breakdown of Factions in Star Wars Armada

 One of the common questions I see asked by new players to Armada is "what do the factions do"/"which faction is the best"? And every time I give a similar answer, always aiming to be helpful but always too vague to be truly helpful I feel due to the platform I'm engaging on (most often Discord). So this post will attempt to be a more comprehensive breakdown of how the different factions in Star Wars Armada function. 

So Which Faction is the Best?
I did say I'd answer that, so I'll get it out of the way. And the answer is (drum roll please)....

All of them. 

"But TheRealNeal, surely one faction reigns supreme in the meta!" Maybe. Sure you can argue that the Galactic Civil War factions of Rebels and Imperials are the best due to the fact that they have eight waves of ships and an extra two waves of cards and all of that time for people to practice with those factions. However the Clone Wars factions are no pushovers themselves, and FFG did a good job of making sure that the first four ships we got for these factions allow for a healthy and competitive variety of fleets, and they're already doing well in online tournaments and what few IRL events have happened since their launch. 

Now, to the meat of the article. 

The Galactic Empire:

Now, of course I have to start with the faction that got me into the game. That Victory-class Star Destroyer peeked into my soul, reminded me of the books I'd read, and called me to play the game (and split the initial starter with a friend). The Empire primarily has a focus on large, beefy ships with powerful front arcs. And while these monsters of hull and dice may seem intimidating, they aren't without their weaknesses. The Empire typically has an issue with maneuvering, requiring a more careful touch to make sure that your most powerful arcs actually wind up on targets, making navigation commands a priority for most all Imperial ships. However, Imperial ships usually have the hull and shields to withstand a straight up fight. With squadrons, Imperials typically prioritize a single aspect to an extreme with low amounts of hull but great speed. TIEs are flimsy and practically worthless against ships (doing only one damage only 50% of the time), but point-for-point they're the best value you can get to kill enemy squads. The inverse is true for TIE bombers, with their great anti-ship and lackluster anti-squadron damage. 

The Rebel Alliance: 

While the Galactic Empire pays for specialized, tough ships with poor navigation, the Rebels mirror this. Their ships are typically fast and maneuverable, while not being as tough or offensively powerful on their own. Rebels focus on maneuvering into the right position in order to do the most damage possible. While this seems like the same thing said for the Empire, it should be noted that the Empire needs to navigate to do damage, while Rebels need to navigate to avoid damage. Rebels ships have some of the highest natural yaw values in the game and some great speed for most all of their ships. And while Imperial ships usually have well-defined roles (most often carriers and battleships), many Rebel ships can pull double duty in this regard. Rebel squads are typically tough and multi-role, but more expensive and slower. The quintessential X-Wing Fighter is a great example. Good at anti-squad and a bomber, but tough and only speed 3. 

A note on the Clone Wars factions: the Republic and Separatists tend to have interactions or tactics that rely on a more experienced player or an existing knowledge of the rules to get to their full potential, rewarding someone who has more time with the game. However, this shouldn't be taken as an attempt to dissuade new players from trying them, only advice to not give up on them if they seem more difficult than you expected. 

The Galactic Republic: 

If you've ever watched The Clone Wars, you know how much the Republic and its troops rely on teamwork, and that translates over to Armada as well. Republic ships aren't as strong as Imperial ones, nor as maneuverable as Rebel ones. Their squadrons are similar to Rebel ones in the sense that they're often multi-role, tough, and a bit on the slower side. On their own, Republic ships may seem a little disappointing. when they work together with their little squadron buddies and each other, and with the right upgrades, they become a force to be reckoned with. The Republic is a very "one for all" faction, with all of the pieces coming together to work as one machine. One beautiful, violent, destructive machine. I will warn you that the Republic does have a higher skill floor than the other factions, and may take some time to get used to, but don't give up! It just takes practice. 

The Separatist Alliance: 

As you might imagine (seeing the pattern with the Rebels and Imperials), the Separatists serve as a form of mirror to the Republic. Separatist ships often can act on their own, if not directly taking from other friendly ships. Separatist ships have good firepower, decent maneuverability, and pretty good hull (even the lowly Hardcell is pretty tanky!). However, you can't fit many in a list, even when they're run upgrade-light (which they want to be). Fortunately, no Sep ships are slouches at combat (even the Transport Hardcell), and all of the larger ones excel at it! With decent hull, shields, and native salvos on all of the larger ships, Separatist firepower isn't in short supply, and most of them have the capability to serve as carriers for your squadrons. Separatist squads, like Imperial squads, are purpose-built for one goal, and they do it well, practically to an extreme due to the AI trait, which means if you bring Separatist squads you'll want to be commanding them. You want things to work together, but it's not as complex as the Republic to get working. 

And that should be it! All of the factions in Armada are perfectly viable, and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Just find something that you think looks fun and go for it!