"I believe it could be worth the risk."

–Commander Jun Sato, Star Wars Rebels

Fleet admirals for the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance now have their eyes on two key targets—the 2018 Star Wars™: Armada European Championships at the UK Game Expo and the 2018 Star Wars: Armada North American Championships at Gen Con Indy!

Players on both sides of the Atlantic have their eyes on these events because they mark two of the greatest battles in the year's Star Wars: Armada tournament calendar. At both events, you'll find top-tier competition. You'll also meet some of the game's best and most enthusiastic players, and everyone will arrive ready to defend their fleets against all manner of top-level strategies.

What will bring all these talented fleet admirals to the tables in Birmingham and Indianapolis? Of course, there's the thrill of competition. But there's more, as well. You'll find the stakes at these events raised by the chance to win some of the year's coolest prizes!

Participation

Each participant in the 2018 Star Wars: Armada European and North American Championship tournaments will receive an alternate art version of Commander Sato.

The art by Tiziano Baracchi clearly echoes the digital stylings of the Star Wars Rebels television show on which Commander Sato first appeared, and the explosions in the background suggest this is a man of action—one whom Grand Admiral Thrawn once called "the best commander to ever come out of the Mykapo system."

Day 2

Qualify for the second day of either the 2018 European Championships or North American Championships, and you'll earn yourself a set of four raid tokens and a chaff token.

Featuring silver print on smoke black acrylic, these tokens physically represent your successful disruption of your enemy's plans.

Deny your opponent a critical navigation command. Scatter their shots so they can't focus their fire. Or stymie their bombing runs by forcing their bombers to take evasive action. However you thwart your opponent's intended course of action, these tokens will add that little bit of extra flourish to an already successful ploy.

Top 64

You don't end up winning by accident. Your ships don't magically arrive where you need them at the top of the third round, or the fourth. And you don't surprise yourself with the key concentrate fire command at the moment you need that full-power shot to destroy your opponent's flagship.

Star Wars: Armada is a game about planning—about understanding and anticipating the flow of battle multiple rounds in advance. And, likewise, you won't get to the Top 64 just by showing up. You'll need a good plan. You'll also likely need a bit of audacity—a willingness to take action when you realize the plan you brought to the table isn't going to work.

Pull these things together, and you'll win a copy of the plastic, spot-glossed ship card for the MC75 Armored Cruiser.

Take your inspiration from Admiral Raddus. Leap into battle at the appropriate time. Change your plans when necessary. And keep your eye on the final victory, even as ships are exploding all around you.

Top 32

Command your fleet all the way to the Top 32, and you'll receive a commemorative binder that will stand testament to your performance even as it helps you sort and store all your standard-sized cards.

Proudly displaying either the European Championship or North American Championship atop a blue background layered with the appropriate flags, this binder holds nine standard LCG®-sized cards per page and up to 360 cards total. An elastic fastener wraps over the back to keep it shut securely.

Top 16

The Top 16 participants at the Star Wars: Armada European Championship and North American Championship will receive a medal bearing the event's logo.

Top 8

Rebel leaders must carefully consider the potential risks and rewards of every strike they launch. After all, they know their fleet is vastly overmatched by the full power of the Imperial Navy, and no matter where they go, the Empire can reach them.

This is a fact evidenced by the set of range and distance rulers awarded to the Top 8 players at the 2018 Star Wars: Armada European and North American Championships.

Made of mirrored blue acrylic with black print, these rulers suggest the Imperial Navy's ability to cross the galaxy and engage the Rebellion wherever its fleet should emerge.

Use these rulers to launch your fighter wings. Line up your bombing runs. Fire your turbolasers. No matter the range or the distance, these rulers evoke the strength and menace of the Imperial Navy.

Top 4

Given the numerous challenges awaiting them at the European and North American Championships, there can be little doubt that the Top 4 fleet admirals will all be due for promotions—and we'll hope to see them all competing for the game's top honors at the 2019 Star Wars: Armada World Championships!

For their efforts, each of these aces will earn a free event ticket for the 2019 Star Wars: Armada World Championships.

Runner-Up

The Runners-Up at the European and North American Championships each earn a first-round bye in addition to their reserved seat and free event entry. More than this, each Runner-Up also walks away with a plaque commemorating his or her placement.

Champion

As a game with a set number of rounds—and ships that need multiple rounds to respond to the commands you give them—Star Wars: Armada demands that you direct your full attention toward your singular goal. You're not here to show off. You're not on the battlefield to outmaneuver your foes or destroy one of your opponent's most important ships. In Star Wars: Armada, you enter each engagement with only one ambition—to help your side win the Galactic Civil War.

Certainly, there are multiple factors involved in your effort. Ship-to-ship battles play a part, as does your pursuit of key objectives. But true success depends upon your ability to think big and move all the elements of your fleet in accordance with your goal. Succeed, and you may just happen to find yourself claiming the title of 2018 European Champion or 2018 North American Champion.

As one of these champions, you will have proven yourself just the person your side needs to fight for its cause as the 2019 Star Wars: Armada World Championships—and to facilitate your attendance, you will receive a flight and lodging.

Additionally, you will also win a first-round bye, as well as a reserved seat and free event entry for a guest of your choice.

A Risk Worth Taking

It goes without saying that if you attend either the 2018 Star Wars: Armada European or North American Championships, there's a chance you may lose. Your ships may be destroyed. Your fighter wings obliterated. Your objectives left unclaimed. You may fall short of your goal, and the Rebellion or the Galactic Empire may suffer as a result.

But it also goes without saying that if you do not attend, you cannot claim any of the prizes at stake. Only the attendees put themselves in contention for these exclusive prizes, and only the attendees will enjoy the events' spirited games and camaraderie.

In the end, there's risk involved in these tournaments, but it's a risk well worth taking. Every great fleet admiral knows when it's time to put everything on the line, and with everything at stake at the 2018 European and North American Championships, you can expect to see plenty of daring fleet admirals aspiring to greatness.

Will you be one of them? You can find event information for the 2018 European and North American Championsips at the UK Game Expo and Gen Con Indy sites.