An Actual Real-Life Honest-to-Goodness game of Armada

For the first time in months I was able to put some plastic on the table and have a game. Social distancing has been easing in Queensland for a few weeks (2 active Covid cases in the state at the time of writing), so games have been happening. But Tuesday night was the first time I made it to the FLGS.

I've been active online (Big Dumb 24 hour tournament and follow-up Grand Championship, Anzac Day Open, and the Australia New Zealand TTS League) but there is something wonderful about the ships and the dice and not having to fight the lag or dysfunctional magic maneuver tools.

 I played a Madine Seven Activation List, with 3 TRC90s (Madine on Jaina's Light), 2 Torpedo Frigages with H9s, ACMs, and Ordnance Experts (no titles), and two GRs - Quantum Storm with Slicer Tools, the other with Comms Net and Hondo.

Simon played a six activation Vader list with Testbed, Demolisher, two Raiders (Vader on one) and two Goz. Neither of us could be bothered with Squadrons. He had the bid and chose to go second. I picked Hyperspace.

This photo is (I think) the start of round 2. My deployment was to one side, his to the other, so the first few rounds were just moving up and into position.

This is part way through turn 3. My Torpedo Frigate jumped out last in 2, failing to double arc a Raider (I'm out of practice!). Demo dropped at the start of 3. My Frigate blasted the Raider bringing it to one hull, shot demo out the front, then used Madine to jump behind Demo (to hunt the Raider flagship entering the photo from the left). I then used Madine to push one of my CRs to ram the Raider, knocking it out. Demo jumped forward to kill the CR, ending it with a ram from Engine Techs.

 Start of Turn 4, and the other Torpedo Frigate was last in 3, jumping to double arc demo. Simon has a Testbed shot on Jaina's Light Flagship (top right of photo), so I go first with the Frigate, end Demo, and jump in front of the testbed to obstruct the shot. Jaina's light takes the test bed shot, but lives with shields and redirect gone (Intel Officer).
The Vader Flagship raider has to move and ends up in black front of the other Frigate. Frigate goes first in 5, fails to kill the flagship, leaving the other frigate in the front of the Test bed - but thanks to lots of shields, it survives a point-blank shot.

 This is sometime during turn 5. The Frigate top left has gone, shot the Raider, and then swung hard to come after the Test Bed - but not in range. The test bed goes, but doesn't kill the Frigate in the front. My CR goes next, finishing off the Vader Flagship.
Jaina's Light and the Torpedo Frigate do their thing, with the H9s coming in handy to stop the Test Bed's Salvo from destroying the heavily damaged frigate.

Start of turn 6, and Jaina's Light puts the final nails in the Test Bed's coffin, resulting in a tabling. I lost a CR90.

It was good to put ships on the table again - we were both rusty, and Simon was unlucky to bring six activations and a bid when I had seven. I don't think he should have given me first player - he could have really chopped me up with that demo and test bed (and raiders) by going first.

I like Madine, but I don't think he's competitive. Perhaps I'll fly him (and this list) again on a table soon!