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Just discovered FSA about a week ago and seems like a pretty decent game. I have the thought of doing ship-based games, not much out there since Battlefleet Gothic, which I also discovered at the same time as I discovered FSA has pulled the plug and will never grow. Star Wars X-Wings looks nice, but not too many models, and I only dig a game with a good amount of models.

There are really barely any FSA batreps on youtube, MiniWargaming has done 2 batreps but never heard from again.

Now before I get interested in such a hobby like this, I must know if there is even anybody who plays the game, the population player base. Because like some said, if you start a hobby and have nobody to play with, its utterly a waste of time.

Like how many people do you know at your local game store that does FSA? Or atleast anybody on Dakka that plays this.

Full Thrust is your friend. The rules are solid, you can add newtonian movement, which makes it really hard. Missile mechanics are odd at first, but add a nice layer of management and risk-taking.

I'm sorry what does Full Thrust have to do with Firestorm Armada?

That game has an even lower Player base here in my area.

I play it. there are a few people who fleets as well. 3 or 4.

Recently there has been some interest from other people starting it. Want start up playing it again, but won't have time until the new year.

 Sharps wrote:
I'm sorry what does Full Thrust have to do with Firestorm Armada?

That game has an even lower Player base here in my area.

You seem to be concerned on the price, full thrust is free and generic space models are cheap. Rather that worrying about starting up a more expensive game with a friend or not at all, it'd be easier and cheaper to download FT and get two sets of cheap generic ships that you can use to give people test games and get them interested. FT has a much smaller amount of ships used than FS:A too.

I have a few FSA models but I do not play the game. I have read the rules (not the new 2.0 that are coming out though) and did not like them.

I use them with Full thrust. I prefer the ruleset.
That said, the FSA cruisers dwarf many of the FT dreadnoughts and the dreadnoughts for FSA are like Super star destroyers compared to the standard "Victory" class wedges.

The player base is smaller for space ship game sin gneeral that are not GW. For Firestrom Armada (or FT) you will msot likely have to create your own player base and grow interest in the area yourself.

To do this, you will need the rules and two fleets. The cards are optional. Thankfully, the fleet starter boxes are okay value fleet composition wise, high quality, and relatively easy to paint.

The rules themselves are straight forward enough, but not laid out that well in the book. (Again I don't know about 2.0). However, they are nothing revolutionary. It is a fun, fast, game with lots of exploding stuff! Nothing to mind blowing really.

Interestingly enough, the FFG Store (The makers of X-wing) also carries the full line of Firestorm Armada in the store as well. Therefore, I don't think FFG itself sees Firestorm Armada and X-wing as rivals. i think they recognize that the two are very different types of gaming experiences.

Sharps wrote:...which I also discovered at the same time as I discovered FSA has pulled the plug and will never grow.

Uhhh maybe I misunderstood but I think FSA is still supported by Spartan Games as they just released a new fleet.

Anyway me and a couple friends play FSA off and on, and it's also hosted at one of the four hobby shops in town. I think your best bet is to paint up two starter sets, get a nice space mat, and see if some local store will let you set up a demo game to drum up interest and get some players interested.
The mechanics are pretty good with enough variety between races. Sometimes the movement can be a bit fiddly, but the range bands and dice work well and we certainly find it smoother playing than 40k.

Good luck!

 bosky wrote:

Sharps wrote:...which I also discovered at the same time as I discovered FSA has pulled the plug and will never grow.

Uhhh maybe I misunderstood but I think FSA is still supported by Spartan Games as they just released a new fleet.

Anyway me and a couple friends play FSA off and on, and it's also hosted at one of the four hobby shops in town. I think your best bet is to paint up two starter sets, get a nice space mat, and see if some local store will let you set up a demo game to drum up interest and get some players interested.
The mechanics are pretty good with enough variety between races. Sometimes the movement can be a bit fiddly, but the range bands and dice work well and we certainly find it smoother playing than 40k.

Good luck!

Still supported, the 2.0 rules for it are in the works. Hell even Uncharted Seas are still supported even though its in the wastelands of mail order only.

It's nice if you are looking for something a little less "hard" than Full Thrust or other games that use simultaneous movement and intertia-tracking (or even go full Newtonian).

It is kind of like BFG in that way. More like a traditional wargame or wet-navy game than your more standard space-battle fare. And with BFG being OOP and abandonned, this definitely makes it unique.

The new edition sounds quite interesting, though I am never quite sure how well Spartan will implement their ideas. That said, the minis themselves are some of the best starships you will find in the industry. The downside it that they are kind of pricey and far bigger (on a class-to-class comparison) than most starship minis you will find (these are kind of related, you do get what you pay for). So if you end up moving on to Full Thrust or Starmada then keep in mind that your frigates are cruisers in most game lines, your cruisers are on par with most battleship (or even dreadnoughts), and the game's battleships and dreadnoughts are usually past the size of even the largest ships you will see in most lines.

As for the FSA system itself, it is fairly simple and plays pretty fast. Its damage system is a lot quicker to resolve than the average spaceship game's system (though also less detailed, with spicier damage results being represented by critical hits). Movement is also simpler and faster than the average simultaneous plotting method (though a bit less satisfying in terms of clever manoeuvring). It is alternating activation though, so it isn't all bad (though under the current version, this can be abused using fighter wings).

The new version should be coming out before the end of the year and will be making the game more varied and complex (a bit more like Dystopian Wars from the sound of it). It will have things like system targeting, power redirection, special rules for unique weapon types (since right now, everything that isn't a mine or torpedo is covered by the same rules). The starter sets will also be getting a makeover, so this either means dirt cheap clearance sales on the old sets or pretty new minis if you hold off a bit.

I'm still a little wary of Spartan's rules work but they slowly seem to be getting better. But they are fans of jumping the gun and printing rule books before they are actually ready to do it. I kind of hope this upcoming edition will buck the trend (along with the new DW edition). But with that said, the rules for the current version are free online, so go grab them and give 'em a go for yourself. Definitely fun for some beer and pretzels pew pew action with just enough depth to be tactically rewarding on its own (but not so much that a couple of scotches will botch you the game... then again I tend to enjoy most wargames while nursing a scotch, so maybe I'm not the guy to talk to about it ).

 doc1234 wrote:

 bosky wrote:

Sharps wrote:...which I also discovered at the same time as I discovered FSA has pulled the plug and will never grow.

Uhhh maybe I misunderstood but I think FSA is still supported by Spartan Games as they just released a new fleet.

Anyway me and a couple friends play FSA off and on, and it's also hosted at one of the four hobby shops in town. I think your best bet is to paint up two starter sets, get a nice space mat, and see if some local store will let you set up a demo game to drum up interest and get some players interested.
The mechanics are pretty good with enough variety between races. Sometimes the movement can be a bit fiddly, but the range bands and dice work well and we certainly find it smoother playing than 40k.

Good luck!

Still supported, the 2.0 rules for it are in the works. Hell even Uncharted Seas are still supported even though its in the wastelands of mail order only.

Actually I was talking about Battlefleet Gothic that will never grow, sorry, comma error there.

Where in the states are you residing Sharps?

There is a small but hopefully growing Firestorm Armada group that meets in Austin, TX at Dragon's Lair on Saturday afternoons/evenings. If you're in the area drop by, we have multiple fleets and are willing to teach/demo the game for new players who want to try out FSA.

A few of us in North Wales have picked Firestorm Armada up if anyone from the UK is watching this thread, played a couple of games so far and really like it.

I played FS:A back when it first launched, then I moved away from my club and haven't played it since. I have the Sorylian starter set all painted up plus the carrier.

I had almost completely forgot about the game, and then I saw that V2.0 was being released, with all new models for the original faction.

Needless to say I'm out almost 200$ on the rulebook, and some Ryushi models, and I'll definitely be pre-ordering the Sorylian Patrol Box when it comes out. According to the beta testers, V2.0 is significantly better in nearly every way.

Unfortunately I'm in the middle of the worst part of Canada, so I doubt there is anyone within a few hundred klicks of me.