Star Wars Armada is a sprawling game that replicates the feel of the franchise’s large-scale space battles. Commanding enormous flagships and smaller squadrons of fighters on the tabletop provides a surprisingly authentic experience that will appeal to fans of both Star Wars and tactical board games. Collectors, too, will find a lot to love about Armada thanks to the beautifully detailed miniature ships that look just as good on a display shelf as they do on the table.

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There’s one big catch, though--this being a Fantasy Flight Games product, there’s a seemingly-endless sea of expansions (more than two dozen, by our count) that have been released in the years since Armada’s debut. Some of them are relatively inexpensive and add a small ship or two to your collection, while others are prohibitively expensive (looking at you, Super Star Destroyer). With this guide, we’ve assembled a list of some of the more essential expansions you should seek out if you just picked up a core set and are looking to jump start your collection.

A note on availability: being a few years old now, some of Armada’s expansions have fallen out of print or have become hard to find. Where possible, this list relies on expansions that are easily available in online shops. We also tried to list alternative choices on some of the items where appropriate.

Essential Imperial Expansions

From nimble Tie Fighters to hulking Star Destroyers, the Imperial Army boasts a ship for any conceivable situation. Here are our picks for the most important additions to your fleet.

Imperial Fighter Squadrons I

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The first new pack any Imperial player should pick up is the Imperial Fighters Squad from the first wave of Armada expansions. Included are eight miniatures and squadron cards encompassing four different types of ships. Add Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced, Major Rhymer’s TIE Bomber, “Mauler” Mithel’s TIE Fighter, or Soontir Fel’s TIE Interceptor to your army and watch the Rebel scum flee before your might. If you’re having trouble finding this expansion for sale, expansion wave 5 includes Imperial Fighter Squadrons II that comes with the same amount of new ships.

Imperial-Class Star Destroyer

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There are many options for those looking to add a Star Destroyer to their fleet, but the Imperial-class model from wave 2 is our pick for the best one. The included suite of 18 upgrade cards and a new type of defense token (called Contain defense) help cover more ground in terms of diversifying your fleet’s abilities. It also comes with a new commander in Darth Vader, making the Imperial Star Destroyer a truly formidable foe. If you really want to make a statement, plop this bad boy down on the table and watch your opponent quake in fear. Other good Star Destroyer options include wave 1’s Victory-class and wave 8’s Onager-class.

Imperial Raider

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Designed as nimble anti-squadron counterships, Imperial Corvettes can weave in and out of a battle with ease. They are also capable of doing significant damage to larger flagships, making them incredibly versatile. The Imperial Raider wave 2 expansion ship includes one of these agile fighters, along with eight upgrade cards and a commander. Ensure your fleet is protected from quick squads of A-wings and X-wings with an Imperial Raider.

Imperial Assault Carriers

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On its own, this expansion is a relatively weak addition to an Imperial fleet. However, the Assault Carriers bring a great deal of utility to a battle with several smaller squadrons, so your decision to pick it up will rely heavily on what you already own. This pack is capable of allowing bombers to re-roll attack dice, giving extra movement to a nearby friendly ship, and alter the movements of enemy ships. Think of the Imperial Assault Carriers as a sort of crowd control mechanic and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect here.

Imperial Light Cruiser

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Toeing the line between a full-fledged Star Destroyer and the more nimble corvettes, the Imperial Light Cruiser brings some much-needed broadside capabilities to the Imperials. This expansion includes the ability to bolster your navy’s defenses with reinforced blast doors and enlist a damage control officer to prevent critical attacks.

Rebels

As the Rebel commander, order squads of lightning fast A-wings and devastating Y-wing bombers to protect your larger flagships. Here are our choices for the best Rebel expansions.

Rebel Fighters Squad I

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The Rebel Fighters Squad boasts an assortment of fan-favorite ships. A-wings, B-wings, X-wings, and Y-wings all get love here, as do ace pilots like Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu. As an alternative, wave 5 includes a Rebel Fighters Squad II pack that includes E-wings, Lancers, VCX-100s, and Z-95s.

Home One

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This is your chance to pilot Admiral Ackbar’s legendary ship into battle against the oppressive Imperial army. The MC80 starcruiser is as versatile as they come, with strong front and broadside weaponry. It is also capable of short and long distance fighting. Choosing Ackbar as your commander gives you the option to add damage to a friendly ship’s side attack, meaning that the Home One pairs well with other broadside-focused fighters.

MC30c Frigate

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The MC30c Frigate boasts a strong combination of speed and firepower. It’s well-suited for close-range attacks with a big tradeoff in the form of relatively weak hull defenses. The potential to roll up to five attack dice more than makes up for that, though, and the included 10 upgrade cards make for a highly-customizable ship. It also comes with Lando Calrissian as an officer, which allows you to disrupt enemy attacks by making them re-roll any number of dice.

Rebel Transports

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Like the Imperial Assault Carriers, the Rebel Transports are more of a situational addition that can support other ships in your fleet. Repair Crews allow you to discard damage cards, and the Comms Net lets you lend tokens to friendly ships, while the expansion’s commander, General Cracken, rewards friendly small and medium ships for speeding around the battlefield. Again, these ships are conditional on what others you’re running, but the utility the Transports provide is substantial.

Profundity

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Give your Rebel fleet a healthy Rogue One injection with Jyn Erso, Admiral Raddus, and the MC75 star cruiser. Boasting a whopping 14 upgrade cards and a handful of officers, this hulking flagship is one of the more robust Rebel expansions you can buy. With a suite of offensive and defensive capabilities, the Profundity makes a great flagship around which to build out your army.

Other Expansions

Beyond the above recommendations, there are a pair of expansions that benefit both the Imperial and Rebel armies.

Rogues and Villains

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Add some of Star Wars’ most notorious smugglers and villains to your game, including Han Solo, Boba Fett, Dash Rendar, Bossk and more. Both the Rebels and Imperials gain significant firepower in the form of four new ship models each, like the Millenium Falcon and Slave One. There are also a few new keywords and mechanics exclusive to this expansion, like the “Rogue” ability that lets squadrons attack and move at once. One of the best values in all of Star Wars: Armada, Rogues and Villains is truly a must for any player.

Rebellion in the Rim

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One of two existing campaign expansions, Rebellion in the Rim is the better choice if you’re looking to add some narrative to your skirmishes. Two to six players can participate in this campaign that takes place during the Galactic Civil War. Each side creates their own custom commander, and you’ll build armies of varying size to fight for key locations in the Outer Rim of the galaxy. Holding specific locations rewards you with important resources, and damage on your ships can carry over from one battle to the next.