FFG Star Wars updates

[Kelly]

I just saw a press release regarding SW Armada, SW Legion, and X-Wing all being moved from Fantasy Flight over to Atomic Mass, another subsidiary studio of Asmodee.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2020/11/16/an-important-star-wars-announcement/

Atomic Mass Games was founded a little over a year ago by designers leaving Privateer Press (Warmachine) and their first product is Marvel Crisis Protocol, a skirmish game set in the Marvel Universe.  I don't know how the new management of the Star Wars lines will unfold as far as established rules or organized play go, but Atomic Mass has had a steady release schedule of new models since their founding, and has had their base ruleset downloadable from the start, which should both be positives.

Also, the majority of their current product line is unpainted / unassembled resin pieces that falls right in line with the production of SW Legion so I am hoping there may be a chance for more SW Armada expansions if they are not restricted to prepaints only.

[Ruckdog]

I saw this too. Lots of speculation on what all this means, without a lot of clear answers. Here are the possible scenarios I've seen discussed:

1. This won't really change much of anything. This is just an internal restructuring, and all the involved games are going to carry on more or less as they have before.

2. This is the end of everything! This is the precursor to major changes and/or the cancellation of some or all of the affected games.

3. This is a signal that Asmodee is taking miniature gaming a lot more seriously, and is the precursor to a lot more resources getting put into all of these games! This last one seems to be particularly  popular in the Star Wars Armada groups, with the thinking that moving the game to a segment of Asmodee that is centered on minis games will finally bring an end to the chronic supply issues Armada especially has suffered from.

It is too early to tell right now which way it will go. We'll just have to wait and see! I find the fact that this change is going through right as we are about to see the launch of the Clone Wars expansions of Armada to be interesting. Seeing how the continued roll-out of those sets and expansions goes over the course of 2021 might be telling.

[Easy E]

Too early to tell, but some of the FFG Designers confirmed they are no longer with the company. 

[Ruckdog]

Yeah, I've been hearing that too. I've read that when FFG divested from its RPG lines that it its RPG staff was let go, and then some were re-hired by the division of Asmodee that picked up those games. Perhaps the same thing will happen here, but it seems like it's just too early to tell.

[Easy E]

A rumor advised that they can re-apply, but it is up the Atomic Mass Games crew it they hire them. 

Basically, they are laid-off at this point and must re-apply for a job.

[Kelly]

Fantasy Flight's prices are high, but you do get a lot in the box.  I just saw a video that Crabbok put up today on an unadvertised additional feature they had been including for years in X-Wing, Legion, and Armada, that I had never taken advantage of...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs0mJAY2ENM

I will miss them, they really used every part of the buffalo...