For my new foray into the magical world of Armada 1.5, I decided to craft a list based around my favorite ship, the good old Nebulon-B. I originally wanted to use Leia as my admiral since she had her price reduced, but I felt like Garm was a better fit since he provides better command flexibility and tokens for Fleet Commands. Not entirely sure how viable my new Yavaris build is, or how my fighter screen will hold up. Input is always appreciated!
Nebu-fun
Faction: Rebel Alliance Commander: Garm Bel Iblis Points: 400/400
Assault Objective: Most Wanted Defense Objective: Contested Outpost Navigation Objective: Solar Corona
GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points) - Quantum Storm ( 1 points) - Slicer Tools ( 7 points) = 26 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points) - Vanguard ( 4 points) - Caitken and Shollan ( 6 points) - Auxiliary Shields Team ( 3 points) - Slaved Turrets ( 6 points) = 70 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points) - Salvation ( 7 points) - Intel Officer ( 7 points) - Auxiliary Shields Team ( 3 points) - Linked Turbolaser Towers ( 7 points) = 75 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57 points) - Yavaris ( 5 points) - General Draven ( 3 points) - Heavy Fire Zone ( 4 points) = 69 total ship cost
[ flagship ] Modified Pelta-class Command Ship (60 points) - Garm Bel Iblis ( 25 points) - Hondo Ohnaka ( 2 points) - Projection Experts ( 6 points) - Disposable Capacitors ( 3 points) - Intensify Firepower! ( 6 points) = 102 total ship cost
1 Jan Ors ( 19 points) 3 X-Wing Squadrons ( 39 points) = 58 total squadron cost
I personally think that you’d be better off to get Jan, Biggs and 2 X Wings for 1 point less than 6 x Y wings and Adv Transponders. Plus your AC could command all 4 with a token. Plus it’s 19attack dice using Flight Controllers vs 12 (4 x Y) plus 4 ( 2 x non-Commanded Y).
I've had some time to stew on this list, as well as pick apart what might be it's achilles heel. I think the MC75 is just too tempting a target for a large bomber wing to chew apart. Without access to the campaign aces, any fighter coverage group I build won't be as efficient as I would like. Furthermore, a third nebulon seems to get crowded out next to it's two brothers. With that in mind, I decided to go for something unorthodox. I've converted a neb into a support TRC90, traded Jan for mass y-wings, and turned the MC75 into a flak machine. I could never stop my opponent from bombing the MC75 without a large squadron investment, but with this I can certainly punish them for it. Plus, mass y-wings could really hurt the odd squadronless build I run into.
Nebs + MC75 anchor V2
Faction: Rebel Alliance Commander: Kyrsta Agate (com) Points: 400/400
Assault Objective: Surprise Attack Defense Objective: Contested Outpost Navigation Objective: Dangerous Territory
[ flagship ] MC75 Armored Cruiser (104 points) - Kyrsta Agate (com) ( 20 points) - Walex Blissex ( 5 points) - Ruthless Strategists ( 4 points) - Advanced Transponder Net ( 5 points) - Early Warning System ( 7 points) - Leading Shots ( 6 points) - Ordnance Pods ( 3 points) = 154 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points) - Salvation ( 7 points) - Skilled First Officer ( 1 points) - Auxiliary Shields Team ( 3 points) - Linked Turbolaser Towers ( 7 points) = 69 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points) - Auxiliary Shields Team ( 3 points) - Linked Turbolaser Towers ( 7 points) = 61 total ship cost
CR90 Corvette A (44 points) - Tantive IV ( 3 points) - Hondo Ohnaka ( 2 points) - Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points) = 56 total ship cost
6 Y-Wing Squadrons ( 60 points) = 60 total squadron cost
Rewrote the list with more of a central anchor. At this point it's pretty much departed from the original concept of using Garm with all three Neb titles and a fleet command, but this is probably more competitive. I'll keep the original around if I feel like using a more unconventional list.
Nebs + MC75 anchor
Faction: Rebel Alliance Commander: Kyrsta Agate (com) Points: 400/400
Assault Objective: Surprise Attack Defense Objective: Contested Outpost Navigation Objective: Dangerous Territory
[ flagship ] MC75 Armored Cruiser (104 points) - Kyrsta Agate (com) ( 20 points) - Walex Blissex ( 5 points) - Early Warning System ( 7 points) - Quad Battery Turrets ( 5 points) - Leading Shots ( 6 points) - External Racks ( 4 points) = 151 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points) - Salvation ( 7 points) - Skilled First Officer ( 1 points) - Auxiliary Shields Team ( 3 points) - Linked Turbolaser Towers ( 7 points) = 69 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points) - Auxiliary Shields Team ( 3 points) - Linked Turbolaser Towers ( 7 points) = 61 total ship cost
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51 points) - Auxiliary Shields Team ( 3 points) - Linked Turbolaser Towers ( 7 points) = 61 total ship cost
1 Jan Ors ( 19 points) 3 X-Wing Squadrons ( 39 points) = 58 total squadron cost
I actually don’t think Garm Bel Iblis works optimally here... Leia is only three more points now, and a Skilled First Officer on each of your Nebulon-B’s makes them all basically fake command 1 for half the game.
I’d start with 3-4 Nebulon-B’s, with Quad Battery Turrets, Skilled First Officer, Auxiliary Shield Teams, Salvation on one of them, and Leia. That’s a baseline of what, 275 points for four of them, or 215, if you use just three. That’s a lot of pretty flexible forward firepower for just over half your fleet points. I dunno what the optimal build is for an Intensify Firepower-equipped Pelta (I really don’t like speed 2 ships that aren’t absolute tanks or crazy value), but it’s gotta be around 65 points. That puts you around 280, enough for a big anchor, or a huge group of fighters, or like, an AFMkII-B and a small to medium fighter group. That sounds like an awesome fleet.
Garm likes ships with high command value. Giving a bunch of Nebulon-B’s two tokens twice a game really isn’t impressive, compared to Leia’s abilities. She sucked at 38, but I bet she shines at 28.
You do realize if you make all your Nebs Support variants, removed Quantum Storm and Slicer tools, removed all upgrades bar QBT, then removed a X wing, you could fit in another Neb?
I have tried QBT on a similar list using Hammerheads back before we knew how utterly terrible Admiral Leia was, and I have to say I'm not a fan. From my experience, if you use QBTs en-masse your opponent will simply match your speed to avoid it. Yes, that does mean you control their speed somewhat, but if you're using three QBTs that comes at a cost of 18 points that give you no other benefit. Not a great trade, in my opinion. I think QBTs work better on only one ship in a fleet, so that your opponent has a harder decision to make regarding speed, and you don't have all your eggs in one basket.
I agree that Yavaris feels like a strange inclusion. Originally I used an Assault Pelta with ER instead of the Command with DC, in which case Yavaris served as the carrier. However I felt like a Command Pelta was a more reliable choice, and in retrospect that makes Yavaris a bit redundant. Although, with the Pelta using Engineering Commands to provide shields to the other Nebs, Yavaris could pick up the carrier role... Bah, I'm thinking in circles now. Maybe just strip the Yavaris Title, upgrade HFZ to LTT, and add Ahsoka to the list?
I am struggling with the inclusion of Yavaris alongside just four fighters. Why even bother?
The Redemption title DOES exist (can’t tell if you were joking, but if you weren’t, it was included in the Core Set). It’s just not worth it. Rather, I’ve never seen it used to good effect, and it’s super expensive.
I’m actually a big fan of a firing squad of Nebulon-B’s all armed with Quad Battery Turrets. Neb-B’s love a slow approach, because they want to maximize long- and medium-range engagement. QBT’s punish the opponent for rushing you. If they “counter” your extra blues by staying at speed 1, then you’re getting another turn or two of attacks before you’re too close to avoid the broadside (which is when Neb-B’s die). And if they charge in headlong, well, you get extra dice! And then you die.
I would drop General Draven for Hondo.
If you want to stick to QBT, I would use a GR-75 with Toryn/Bright Hope, rather then Slicer/Quantum.
Not fun of QBT on Neb. The "lower speed" trigger is easy to counter. LTT or TRC are my way to go (though Evade is now a much more worthy defense Token). My personal preference though!
As for objectives. Most Wanted, Asteroid Tactics and..a blue one!😅
How about this?
Pelta Command Ship (60) • Garm Bel Iblis (25) • Ahsoka Tano (2) • Fighter Coordination Team (3) • Intensify Firepower! (6) • Disposable Capacitors (3) = 99 Points
Nebulon-B Escort Frigate (57) • General Draven (3) • Fighter Coordination Team (3) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) • Yavaris (5) = 75 Points
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51) • Intel Officer (7) • Auxiliary Shields Team (3) • Quad Battery Turrets (5) • Salvation (7) = 73 Points
Nebulon-B Support Refit (51) • Auxiliary Shields Team (3) • Quad Battery Turrets (5) • Redemption (8) = 67 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Slicer Tools (7) • Quantum Storm (1) = 26 Points
Squadrons: • Jan Ors (19) • 3 x X-wing Squadron (39) = 58 Points
Total Points: 398
Command your sqn blob with the Pelta turn one then Yavaris after that as your Pelta needs to concentrate on Conc fire tokens. Yavaris is better with LTT's I think as Heavy Fire Zone is probably useable for one turn before the enemy Squadrons get into closer range anyway. This way you can fire 5 flak at one ace. I thought your Support Nebs would be better with QBT's as the dice fixing can be done with IF! This gives you potentially two extra long range blue with a double arc. All your Nebs get a name too!
I agree Biggs and Shara would be a more efficient squadron screen for the list, but unfortunately without the campaign expansions I don't have access to those cards. Would have been great if they were included in the upgrade card box, but alas...
As for slimming down the Nebs, when I was crafting this list I wanted to make use of the three Neb titles as the central theme. Not exactly meta-breaking I know, but I want to give it a shot. Unfortunately, this does tend to make the Nebs balloon a bit. If I wanted to really optimize this list I would probably rewrite it entirely by building around a MC75 anchor, then add only two Nebs as flankers. For this one however, I wanted the Nebs to be the centerpiece, which unfortunately required some heavy point investment. Running some dice simulations, the front arcs of Salvation and Vanguard can pack a surprising punch. We'll have to see how it performs. Hopefully I can get a game in tomorrow.
It's a shame they never made a title for that medical frigate Luke got his cybernetic hand on. The Redemption is the poster child of my favorite star wars ship. I wonder why they never made a title card for it, it seems like it should have been the first one they made. It probably would have been a great support upgrade, which would have fit perfectly in this list. Oh well.
I agree with Silverback Jedi in that you need your Nebs a bit leaner. My list has AST and QBT instead, and I’ve managed to shoehorn in a MC75 fully equipped for black dice death with expanded launchers and Ex Racks. This comes at a price of just having Shara and Tycho as my squadron support. Tactics are 3 Nebs speed 1 in the main advance and the GR75 and MC75 either left or right flanking. If you need points you can downgrade a Neb to a scout Hammerhead with slaved turrets.
I've played a very similar list!
You should keep Neb B cheap! Auxiliary Shields Team + Linked Turbolaser Towers.
Same for Yavaris.
Use the points add Ashoka Tano to feed Intensify Firepower!
Maybe upgrade an of X-Wing to Biggs and a Bomber Command GR-75!
Have fun!