The Armada Wars series is one of ups and downs, filled with periods of reflection sandwiched between action sequences which we just know have explanations and consequences we are yet to see. And every once in a while the suspenseful thread running through the series snags slightly, and the tension is released in a woah moment.

Here are the top three 'woah moments' so far, as nominated by fans on Facebook. Be warned that there are potential spoilers ahead!

That moment we realise the ships of the Meccrace defence cordon are compromised. Through Captain Helia Thande's eyes, we get to watch helplessly as the entire Eighth Fleet starts loosing weapons on itself, and then feel the helplessness build to horror as various ships ram each other.

It was inevitable: you don't steal weapons and then not use them. Now we know what the enemy plans to use those warheads for, they're the last thing we want to see hitting an atmosphere. And such a shame about poor Westry Eilentes!

We've just stepped through the looking glass and realised there's a whole other thing going on. Whoever Voice is, we want to hear more from him RIGHT NOW.

But a rogue round from Caden's rifle puts an end to that. Sorry Gordl Branathes; we hardly knew you.

Yes, this one was just mean. There's the build-up as we chase Caden through the fortress, sharing his heart-in-throat anticipation as he rushes to the medical deck.

And then when he finally gets there, another scene rears up to take over, and all we know about what Caden is seeing is that it's bad.

Rendir Throam, on the surface of Meccrace Prime. Enough said.

Of all the regiments in the Imperial Combine's Conventional Air and Ground Assault forces (CAGA), there is none so infamously brutal as Tanker Regiment. Led by Colonel Catark Baiste, the regiment is an armoured fist of muscle and bone. Its sole purpose is to smash, batter, and devastate enemy facilities, neutralising opposing units as traumatically as possible.

Tanker Regiment arose in response to external threats which were difficult to counter using conventional approaches implemented by average humans. Finding that many hostile alien species utilised warriors who were bigger, stronger, and faster than humans, the Imperial Combine set about the task of assembling a task force of soldiers with extreme physiology, soldiers who would be willing to push their bodies beyond those extremes artificially.

Over time the benefit of this strategic resource was made clear repeatedly, and the initiative was expanded many times over. For administrative purposes, the soldiers involved in the programme were reorganised into a single unit. Thus was Tanker Regiment born.

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Nothing quite sums up the culture of the Imperial Combine like the most popular sport of the age: maulball.

First seen in List of the Dead, maulball is a full contact sport in which players attempt to acquire and maintain control of a ball in order to acquire points.

The sport is insanely popular across the entire reach of Imperial space. This is partly due to the highly competitive league structure, and partly due to the extreme violence which can occur during matches. Social commentators throughout the Imperial Combine have long speculated that the boisterous, aggressive nature of maulball allows the citizens of the empire to 'blow off steam', vicariously and without personal risk.

A maulball match can include between three and seven players, depending on the league and division. In local divisions, teams usually comprise players from a single city or district. In the divisions of the major and pro leagues, teams usually comprise players who represent their planet or star system.

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