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Have you ever wondered how much Armada is too much Armada? Personally I used to go about my hobby life without a care in the world, collecting Armada fleets one after another. Just when I thought I was the one at the very pinnacle of Armada excitement I met Krzysztof – probably the most Armada hyped person in the entire world (Including the fine folks at Mantic Games)!
Today I present to you an interview (translated from Polish) with Krzysztof Grosiak, a passionate hobbyist, miniatures collector, successful gamer and most importantly – acclaimed Armada Admiral.
Scarhandpainting: Krzysztof, we have known each other for some time now and I was there when you set sail onboard an Armada ship for the very first time. Now, a few years later, you have won more than a few tournament trophies and are in possession of an impressive Armada collection. It is pure joy to witness first hand how you grew as an Armada fan, but I have always wandered how you got into Wargaming?
Krzysztof: A few years back I accidentally stumbled onto a Deadzone review. I was a big fan of board games at a time with zero knowledge of wargames. The game made a big impression on me so I got it only to be shocked, realizing the miniatures must first be built by hand! It proved to be challenging but also a very rewarding experience.
Scarhandpainting: Why Armada? What was the trigger that got you into this particular game?
Krzysztof: I played a lot of Deadzone events at a hobby store run by a good friend of mine. At one point he was running an Armada demo game and the game’s simple but rewarding mechanics and amazing visuals hooked me up instantly.
Scarhandpainting: Any other miniatures wargames you’re into?
Krzysztof: These days I play a wide range of games, including Deadzone, Kings of War, Firefight, One Page Rules and Frostgrave. I am a man of many wargaming passions.
Scarhandpainting: Back to Armada, you have over a hundred fully painted ships in your current collection. Many might wander if it was difficult to paint such quantities and how did you manage to keep your motivation up?
Krzysztof: I believe there’s actually close to two hundred ships in my current collection. Painting such quantities is tedious, but I don’t want to find myself unable to field a certain combo or archetype because of a lack of a few painted ships. I’d rather put the work in beforehand. And I never play with unpainted miniatures, so one just leads to another.
Scarhandpainting: It’s definitely easier to count the fleets you are missing rather than the ones you own already. What fleets are still left to go for?
Krzysztof: I am still missing the Kingdom of Men and the Salamander, although both are already printed. You play the Salamanders so I was reluctant to jump onboard, but now when it’s one of the only two fleets left I am that much closer to sitting down and getting them done – probably soon.
Scarhandpainting: Speaking about the fleets – you are a jack of all trades when it comes to tactics. What is your collecting strategy for particular fleets though?
Krzysztof: I do my best to optimize the collection towards all available archetypes within up to 300 points. I bounce between elite and spamy lists (often gravitating towards the latter) and I’d hate to be locked in a particular list due to lack of sufficient ships in my collection. I love to test things on the board, finding interesting combos and the borderline configurations. If I break the game at any point – you’re there to patch it up before the next event.
Scarhandpainting: Let’s talk about the Armada gameplay and especially the ‘competitive play’. You are a successful and undisputed Armada champion here in Poland. How does your typical tournament prep routine look like? Do you test your lists concepts beforehand?
Krzysztof: I tend to follow my guts. I like to surprise my friends with something new and exciting and I hate boredom. I never bring the same fleet two times in a row. Testing ideas is a mixed bag. Sometimes I have a few games before events, other times I don’t. One thing I try not to do is drink (alcohol) the day before. The previous experiences showed me it is not worth it.
Scarhandpainting: You’ve successfully played so many fleets. Is there a particular fleet that you might consider your favorite?
Krzysztof: I do like Elves. Fragile, but fast and nimble. I love to spam the $t of them and see my opponents fleets squirm before the Elven might. Seven Elven ships throwing themselves at an Orc Ripper Hulk? Easy! One mistake and a ship is gone. I love this. Fast & Furious!
Scarhandpainting: Speaking of which, is there a particular fleet you don’t like to face against?
Krzysztof: Not really. Each fleet offers a different experience and I gladly take on any challenge.
Scarhandpainting: How about our local Armada scene? What cen you say about Polish community, our events and how we play Armada, compared to the rest of the world?
Krzysztof: It’s difficult to compare our scene to different countries without gaming there beforehand. Judging by the online activity I feel like our scene is more aware of the rules exploits. Fortunately we are very friendly and welcoming. Whenever one of us finds a way to legally abuse the rules, we keep it lighthearted and find a way to (home rule) patch any exploits and ‘feels bad’ mechanics in a timely manner. It feels like we’ve been playing ‘Armada 2.0’ for some time now.
Scarhandpainting: Trying to gaze into Armada’s future, are there any specific fleets or rules you’;’d like to see added to the core game?
Krzysztof: Maybe a balancing sweep across the board? Things like Ocarina of Korgaan, Jyinn Grethunder are brutally good for the points cost. On the other hand there are a lot of useless items that could use some balancing love. Other than that, more interesting stuff is always good, just keep it balanced. The latest fleets seem on point, keep up the great work Mantic!
Scarhandpainting: Thanks for the interview my dude. Before we wrap things up, is there anything you would like to tell/ask Mantic Games? Who knows? They might read the article at some point.
Krzysztof: Bear with me Mantic Games – Deadzone style game but in the Kings of War setting. Tiny Armada ships board game on a hexagonal board. This is something I would throw my cash at instantly!
Here it is – a little peek inside the head of an Armada maniac 🙂 I hope you enjoyed this short interview. If you have anything to ask Krzysztof, or just want to comment on some of the stuff – I invite you to leave a comment below and I will be sure to let Krzysztof know.
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