The Insidious is lurking in Rebel occupied space, ready to strike at their weakest points in Armada. This sneaky Gladiator will catch them by surprise.
The Gladiator remains to be one of the most burst damage efficient ship in Armada. This little beast packs a huge punch in a small ship frame that can leave capital ships crippled. The Gladiator-II is not often used but it has its own uses in a few builds. It does cost more points, but it evens out when you do not include the 10 point Demolisher title. We shall go with Insidious instead.
Insidious is a 3 point title that allows the black dice in the Gladiator-II’s battery armament to be able to fire a medium range, if it targets the rear hull zone of a ship. This can allow the Insidious to have considerable reach with black dice in a rear arc, but that can be difficult to reach. A viable tactic could be to have another strong ship act as an ‘anvil’ that can halt the forward progress of your target, while Insidious can approach from the rear. The red dice from the Glad-II’s side arc can also add to the fight at the extended range as well. 
Rapid Reload can add to the sneakiness of the Insidious strike. This can add a black die to each side arc of the Gladiator, and can add just that much extra reach if Insidious were to sneak behind multiple ships. With proper positioning, Insidious may be able to have 2 enemy ships within range of their rear arcs for a nasty surprise. 
With the Insidious trying to catch enemies in the rear, Engine Techs can get you there. After you execute a maneuver, you may exhaust its card to execute a speed 1 maneuver. This can help with positioning and effectively makes the Gladiator-II a speed 4 ship. The speed 1 chart for a Gladiator allows for 2 clicks, so you can get the perfect positioning after you perform your boost. 
The icing on this deadly cake is Ordnance Experts. Being able to reroll any of your black dice can be a godsend for making sure that you get the most damage as possible, before blasting off to safety. The Insidious may have found a new spot in your Imperial fleet. Will you try it out next time you play Armada?
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About the Author: Barclay Montgomery
