Originally published on the FFG forum, the 1.5 version of my CC campaign overhaul lands here (scroll to the end of this post to read about the most recent changes). What is The Skywalker Campaign?
The Corellian Conflict campaign is great fun - in fact it might be one of the best expansions for Star Wars: Armada we have seen up to the present day. However, it is far from being without problems:
Apart from fleet design and evolution there are nearly no real strategic considerations the players are required to make.
The map is no map. Spatial relations are pointless. A flat list of locations that present the resource value, victory points, strategic effects, objectives, and which special assaults are possible would fit the same purpose.
There is no real variety considering initial bases/outposts (each side picks three repair yards and some other high resource planets or spynets).
Apart from spynets all other strategic effect tokens are quite boring or even pointless.
Early special assaults are mandatory for imperials, whereas rebels should avoid them.
Player objectives are easily circumvented by campaign objectives/special assaults/base assaults.
As soon as fleets hit the 500 point cap, the same static fleets meet again and again in the battle field.
There is the possibility to win by victory points, but who wants that? We are playing it for the All-Out-Offensive anyway, right?
But (and this is bar far the biggest problem) quite often we will not see it at all, because snowballing kicks in and the campaign dies.
Some of this problem are rooted in the aim of the Corellian Conflict campaign. For example, the reason for why the map is in essence a fraud is that if fleets would have locations and limited movement, a campaign of 6 players where each campaign round every single player is able to fight a battle would be impossible. If your fleet is at the far corner of the map, but all enemy fleets are in the opposite direction, bad luck. No battle for you this campaign round. Hence, this is most likely the reason why the Corellian Conflict does not have a real map.
However, there is a solution to this. In fact, there are solutions to all the problems mentioned above. And at being this solution aims The Skywalker Campaign!
This is not merely a collection of some house rules. This goes way down to the core mechanics of the Corellian Conflict. The Skywalker Campaign is meant to be a complete overhaul of the original rule set in order to create a strategically deeper, more gripping campaign with a little bit of thematic painting on top. To give a general outlook of how it works:
Whereas the original CC is a battle for resources (which often leads to snowballing) and victory points (what in the worst case makes the All-Out-Offensive superfluous), this overhaul is a campaign of gearing up for the All-Out-Offensive, which automatically takes place after game round 5. Up to that point the players fight their battles about locations that give special bonuses and gimmicks for the All-Out-Offensive (you control the nebula of Crash's Drift? You will choose during the All-Out-Offensive where the two nebulas will be; you control Xyquine II? You will get for the All-Out-Offensive a turbolaser upgrade of your choice you can even equip to a ship that has all turbolaser slots already taken).
Each of these locations has its specific objective that must be played when a battle takes place there. They are the Armada objectives, but most of them with slight or radical changes to ensure more fun and to mitigate the first player bias.
Fleets have now locations on the map and the distance they need to travel in order to participate in a battle determines initiative.
And there is a nice thematic sidestory to the Campaign: Darth Vader has been sent to the Corellian sector by the Emperor to hunt down the Skywalker twins. At Corellia his new starship, the Executor Super Star Destroyer awaits its last finisihing touches – a new starship that will dwarf the rebellion! But the rebels have established a hidden base – Yoda is there to to find new and unforseen allies in the rebellion’s attempt to take down Lord Vader. Will Corellia fall before the All-Out-Offensive? Will the imperial forces find the hidden rebel base and force Yoda out of the Corellian sector. Will the rebels break the blockade and being able to establish a new one? Having Yoda or the Imperial Security Bureau in the Corellian sector will massively influence the final battle of this campaign.
Also included in the following rules are:
Massive anti-snowballing rules (extremely easy and helpful Special Assaults that can merely be declared for coming back into the campaign; detaching resources and strategic effect tokens from the outcome of the battles; more flexibility in retiring fleets and creating new ones and a lot more)
More interesting strategic effect tokens: Dimplomats that really have to say something. Hyperdrive Specialists that will save your neck. And Assassins. There will be Assassins!
Changelog of the latest update:
Everything has been updated to 1.5 Armada rules
All the rules of the CC booklet that are neccessary have been included. Hence, there is no need anymore for going through two different documents. Nevertheless, all The Skywalker Campaign specific rules are printed in italics for easy reference.
Changes to core Armada (mostly to the objectives) could be removed thanks to the 1.5 pass rules and the plethora of new (Rebellion in the Rim) green and standard objectives. Hence, a more original Armada experience!
The effects of winning the Skywalker side story on the All-out Offensive are now not some abstract mechanisms (it used to be activation benefits), but are more thematic: The Empire gets the Executor class SSD and the Rebels get Purrgils!
It is now only 5 rounds (used to be 6), before the All-out Offensive starts (it turned out that 5 is a sweet spot before battles become repetitive). Rebel activity stickers have been reduced accordingly.
The optional rules reflect more the challenges of the current meta.
There is now an option included for having the Rebellion in the Rim Fleet Commander rules instead of the regular upgrade cards.
Lots of other small improvments.
Link to the campaign rules (including the map):
Hast Du auch eine deutsche Version gemacht? Oder hast Du‘s gleich auf englisch geschrieben?
No, it is updated. The link provides one with the current version.
Did you update already or is it WIP?