Armada: Top tips for creating an orc fleet
21st May 2021
Rob Burman
Did you know you can now pre-order single ships for Armada? That's right, next month we'll be releasing individual ships for the Basileans and orcs before following it up with dwarfs and Empire of Dust in August.
We're making the single ships available now because, as people become more experienced with the game, it's likely they're going to want to start customising their fleets a little more with options that aren't available in the starter or booster boxes.
Oh, and if you're not experienced with the game, check out Ronnie's video below, which introduces the basics... and includes Ronnie swearing a bit when his ships get sunk. Oops!
Anyway, enough of that. Let's get on to some top tips for creating an orc fleet that Korgaan would be proud of. Thanks very much to the Armada RC for putting these lists together! Oh, and in case you're wondering, we created the lists using Easy Army's list builder, which you can subscribe to here.
BOARDING PARTY
Orcs love close combat fighting, because they’re good at it! This list is all about closing on the enemy and boarding their ships. Morax on all the main battle ships is a necessity, as is the Grappling Hooks upgrade on all ships able to initiate Boarding Actions. If you can keep your fleet fairly compact and funnel the fleet into the same space, then you have more chance of benefitting from the War Drum of Spite with multiple ships. The Hammerfists are equally terrifying in Boarding Actions with their CS of 6 (excluding Rabble Sqn), and magic items chosen specifically to further enhance their damage output.
FIRE AND FISTS
A smaller fleet, but one that is equally devastating at range as it is up close. The Bombboats are a fantastic support ship. Not only do they have an IDW on the Bow and Stern, they also have 3C on the sides! This means you don’t necessarily want to hang back with these ships, but sail forward, closing in on the enemy for the chance to unleash the Broadsides at point blank range. The Hammerfists will sail in close proximity to deter any ships trying to take out the Bombboats, and then at the opportune time close in and board the ships to finish them off.
MUTILATION
If a Maul is sighted by the enemy, they will know they are in for a hard fight. With 7C weapons on the Sides, and Captained by Yinn Greythunder, the Maul can severely cripple any ship in a single activation. The CS of 12 will outmatch anything the current fleets can muster, and the Ensnared rule will mean almost certain doom for any ship that is grappled.
The Ocarina of Korgaan will help you plan the perfect attack, at the last minute changing the wind direction to hand initiative to you. The Hammerfist is a perfectly capable ship in Boarding Actions, able to go toe to toe with even enemy L ships. The Rabble Squadrons will aid where they can, and the Blood Runners can take on other M and S ships.
SINGLE SHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW FROM THE MANTIC WEBSITE AND YOUR FLGS.
