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Most Star Wars games put you in command of a few brave heroes of the galactic struggle. Star Wars: Rebellion, a new board game from Fantasy Flight, puts you in command of the whole damn war.
Veteran PC gamers may remember that in 1998 Lucasarts released a strategy game called Star Wars: Rebellion, which let players choose either the Alliance or Empire and manage their war effort on a grand scale, building armies, moving fleets, destroying planets and sending characters like Luke Skywalker on daring missions behind enemy lines.
This 2016 board game is, surprisingly, not a direct relation. But it may as well be, because it doesn’t just share the same name, but practically the same design as well.
And that’s a very good thing.
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I loved 1998's Rebellion. It was clunky and difficult to crack open, but once you tamed its unwieldy interface there was a good Star Wars game in there, one that gave you a refreshingly distant and hands-off perspective of things.
2016's Rebellion is also a tough nut. It’s a fairly abstract game; beyond the construction and deployment of military units there’s also espionage and reconnaissance going on, and the game’s documentation is a disaster, which means you’ll spend you first 2-3 games scratching your head and hitting the internet for answers to questions that a starter’s guide should have provided out of the box.
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But once you get your head around things, this game is great. The way me and my crew approached Rebellion is that it’s basically Risk vs Ticket to Ride, marrying the deployment and combat of the former with the secret, cumulative objectives of the latter.
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It works like this: you can play with either two or four players. One player (or pair, with duties split) is the Alliance, the other the Empire. Both have a roster of leaders able to perform special tasks, both have the ability to build and deploy military units.
But that’s where the similarities end. The Empire is able to build an enormous fleet of immensely powerful warships (and Death Stars, which yes can blow up planets), while the Rebels can only build a relative handful. To compensate for this, the Alliance’s roster of heroes are able to perform all kinds of weird and wonderful missions, hitting the Empire where it least expects it, while the Empire’s leaders perform more mundane tasks.
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Both players/sides don’t just have different strengths, they’re after very different things. The Alliance has a secret base they need to protect while also skipping across the galaxy gathering support for their cause, which can be aided by completing secret objectives that the Imperial player doesn’t know about. The Empire, meanwhile, has to scour every system searching for that Rebel base, and once they find it, destroy it.
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It’s a very cool design choice, one that’s unlike most other Star Wars strategy games, which for balance reasons usually makes both sides far more comparable. It means that every game of Rebellion really feels like the struggle at the heart of the movies; the out-gunned Rebels are constantly being harried, forced to rely on the brave actions of a few select heroes, while the Empire—while ridiculously powerful in conventional terms—has to fire at needles in haystacks.
Another thing I liked about the way the game’s victory paths are setup is that Rebellion is constantly in flux. This isn’t a game where one side will slowly overrun another until victory becomes inevitable. It’s a game where even if the Rebels are getting their ass kicked from one end of the galaxy to another, they’re still very much in contention so long as their base is secret and their best heroes are in play, since the game runs on a timer which essentially grants victory to the Alliance if they survive long enough (though you’ll need to complete objectives to hurry things along in the face of the Empire’s constant searching for your secret base).
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For all its neat tricks, though, Rebellion isn’t without its problems. As already stated, the two manuals included in the game are a wreck, so you’re going to struggle initially to get even the basics of the game working properly. And while it’s cool having so many different things to do, from combat to construction to secret objectives to sending out probe droids, at times it can feel like it’s a bit too much, and the endgame can drag a little, especially if there’s a lot of combat going on.
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Stick with it, though, and you’ll be rewarded. With its complex rules and disparate playstyles Rebellion isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve ever wanted to cut your teeth on a Star Wars game with a bit more meat on it than Fantasy Flight’s more recent offerings, I’d definitely recommend this.
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with 34 posters participatingWelcome to Ars Cardboard, our weekend look at tabletop games! Check out our complete board gaming coverage right here—and let us know what you think.
Looking at the box for Star Wars: Rebellion, the massive new two-to-four-player galactic board game from Fantasy Flight, I had only one thought: 'Look at the size of that thing!'
Loosely based on the 1998 video game of the same name, the board game version of Rebellion is ludicrously outsized. The galaxy, too large to fit on a single game board, here sprawls across two. Rebel and Imperial forces aren't represented by cardboard but by 153 plastic miniatures—including three Death Stars and two Super Star Destroyers.
Cards? Rebellion laughs at your meager expectation of a deck or two by throwing a full eight different decks onto the board (39 Imperial mission cards, 29 Rebel mission cards, 15 objective cards, 31 probe cards, 15 ground tactic cards, 15 space tactic cards, 16 Imperial action cards, and 18 Rebel action cards).
And that's saying nothing about the 25 'leader' standees, three 'destroyed system' markers, seven attachments rings, and 10 custom dice—which naturally come in two different colors. Just pouring the game components onto your table is enough to induce awe.
Then there's the play time. If you have visions of building a Death Star, throwing Han Solo into carbonite, and dropping a battalion of AT-ATs onto Hoth in an hour or two, those are mere deceptions of the Dark Side; Rebellion commands entire afternoons or evenings. Even the game box, often an optimistic guide to length, warns that this is a three-to-four-hour affair.
This is one of those games that ends, even for the victor, with a palpable sense of relief—'Whew, it's finally over!' But for those who have the time, cash, and Jedi mind control to enjoy it, Rebellion offers full-on galactic warfare between the Empire and the Rebellion in a package that feels like you're in the world of the original trilogy.
How to play
Board Game Template
Basic gameplay is deceptively simple. The game proceeds in rounds, which are tracked on the left side of the board. The Empire wins if it can hunt down and destroy the secret Rebel base; the Rebels win if they can advance a 'reputation' marker down the round tracker until the two meet. (Thus, as a game gets longer, it favors the Rebellion, whose marker starts on space 14.) Rebel reputation improves by matching the conditions specified on objective cards—conditions like having at least one Rebel unit alone on the Imperial capital of Coruscant or maintaining Rebel loyalty throughout an entire region of the map.
The Rebel and Imperial players each maintain a pool of leaders—iconic characters from the original trilogy—that grows in number as the game advances. On each turn, these leaders can be assigned to missions, or they can stay in the 'leader pool' to move starships or counter the other player's missions.
Next, during a command phase, the two sides alternate using their leaders. Missions may be revealed and attempted in various systems, ships and troops may be moved, and combat may occur. The map will gradually develop as missions bend system loyalty toward the Imperials or the Rebels, while Imperial ground troops can simply 'subjugate' any system upon which they land without worrying too much if the populace embraces their presence.
Controlling the map matters for two reasons. First, if Imperial ground troops land on a planet containing the Rebel base, the base is revealed—and all of its units are moved from the 'Rebel base' space at the edge of the board to the system where the base actually resides. Second, controlling territory matters because most planets contain production icons for building new ships or ground units.
Once all leaders have been deployed and their actions resolved, the game gets refreshed. Leaders are pulled back to each player's leader pool for the next round, new missions are drawn, the Rebels gain a new objective card, and the Imperials draw a couple of probe droid cards that narrow down the hunt for the hidden base.
Finally, the round tracker is advanced, new leaders are recruited by each side, and new units are built. (These last two actions don't happen every round; icons on the tracker indicate when they do.) New units enter a 'build queue' on one side of the board and can take one, two, or even three turns to advance down the queue and into play, where they are finally deployed to systems loyal to your faction.
The game proceeds in this way until the Rebel base is destroyed or the Rebels gain enough reputation to win.
But if you think that sounds simple, you will find that it is you who are mistaken.. about a great many things.
Gorgeous asymmetry
Like most Fantasy Flight productions, Rebellion is beautiful. Spread out on the table, this is a game that attracts wondering looks from passers-by. Even my wife, who's always amused that I'm willing to play a four-hour game involving plastic space ships, had to admit that the whole package looked 'impressive.' (Victory!)
But Rebellion is more than just a pretty face. One of the game's unquestioned successes is how it makes the Imperial player feel like the leader of a grand galactic army—and the Rebel side feel like scrappy underdogs who are never going to win a head-on battle.
This asymmetry is everywhere. It's visible in the size of the miniatures, where the largest Rebel ship (the Mon Calamari cruiser) has nothing on the largest Imperial units (Death Stars and Super Star Destroyers). It can be seen in the number of units; the Rebels start with only a few, and Rebellion is structured so that the Empire churns out far more units over the course of the game. And it's found in the various decks, which do not mirror each other (the Republic's 'objective' decks work very differently than the equivalent Imperial 'projects' deck).Playing the Rebels inevitably feels desperate and unbalanced because the game isn't designed to let the Rebellion win through direct combat. Even with most of its ships eviscerated and several systems obliterated by the Death Star, Rebels can win if they keep their base hidden and continue knocking out objectives. Indeed, late in the game, Imperial strengths can even be flipped against them; for instance, one Rebel objective grants reputation points for every system destroyed thus far in the game by the Empire.
The missions, too, are wonderfully thematic. An Imperial mission allows the Emperor to bring someone over to the Dark Side, while the Rebels can upgrade Luke to become a Jedi or have Han recruit Chewie on the y-heavy Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk. Character rings can add bonuses for bringing R2-D2 along or for picking up the Millennium Falcon.
The overall effect is terrifically engaging for each side; the theme comes dripping through.
The only downside to this asymmetry comes during the endgame. While the Imperials win by uncovering a hidden base and blasting it to smithereens (boom! pow! yippee!), the Rebels win.. by moving a cardboard marker until it meets a round tracker.
'Trench run against the Death Star' this is not; victory for the Rebels, though nail-biting, comes without the same drama found on the Imperial side.
Designer(s) | Corey Konieczka |
---|---|
Publisher(s) | Fantasy Flight Games |
Publication date | 2016 |
Players | 2–4 |
Playing time | 180–240 minutes |
Random chance | Medium (Dice, Cards) |
Skill(s) required | Strategy Card Management |
Star Wars: Rebellion is an asymmetrical strategyboard game created by Corey Konieczka and published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2016 inspired by the Star WarsOriginal trilogy.[1][2] Players control either the Galactic Empire, who seek to find the Rebel Alliance base and destroy it, or the Rebel Alliance, who seek to avoid detection by the Galactic Empire while attempting sabotage against the Galactic Empire.
Game Overview[edit]
Star Wars: Rebellion lets players reenact the epic struggle between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Players take control of iconic characters from the Star Wars saga, sending them on secret missions and leading troops in combat across the galaxy.
Each of the two factions has very different strategies and objectives. The Rebel Alliance is vastly outnumbered and cannot survive a head-on fight; instead, it must remain hidden and rely on subterfuge, guerrilla tactics, and diplomacy to undermine the Empire. The Rebels win the game by gaining enough support to start a full-scale galactic revolt and overthrow the Empire.
The Galactic Empire is a vast, tyrannical regime that rules many systems throughout the galaxy with an iron fist. The Imperials can easily build terrifying weapons of war in large quantities. Although their forces are many, their only chance of extinguishing the spark of rebellion is to spread throughout the galaxy, quell uprisings, and search for the hidden Rebel base. They win the game by finding where the Rebel base is located and conquering it.
Gameplay[edit]
The game is split up into 3 main phases, the assignment phase, the command phase, and the refresh phase. During the assignment phase each player, starting with the Rebel player, assigns their leaders to missions. Next in the command phase each player takes turns revealing missions or activating systems to move units. Finally in the refresh phase each player retrieves all their leaders back to their leader pool, draws two mission cards, the Imperial player draws two probe cards, the Rebel player draws an objective card, the time marker advances one, and units are deployed.
The game ends when either the Imperial player wins by conquering the Rebel base’s system or the Rebel player wins by having the reputation marker and time marker in the same space of the time track.
Components[edit]
- 1 Rules Reference and 1 Learn to Play Booklet
- 1 Game Board (split in 2 halves)
- 15 objective Cards
- 25 Leaders with Plastic Stands (12 Imperial, 13 Rebel)
- 3 Destroyed System Markers
- 2 Faction Sheets (1 Imperial, 1 Rebel)
- 68 Mission Cards (39 Imperial, 29 Rebel)
- 27 Subjugation/Imperial Loyalty Markers
- 12 Rebel Loyalty Markers
- 32 Damage Markers (24 single, 8 double)
- 1 Time Marker
- 1 Reputation Marker
- 31 Probe Cards
- 7 Attachment Rings
- 10 Sabotage Markers
- 10 Custom Dice (5 Black, 5 Red)
- 30 Tactic Cards (15 Ground, 15 Space)
- 153 Plastic Miniatures
- 34 Action Cards (16 Imperial, 18 Rebel)
Expansion[edit]
The first expansion to Star Wars: Rebellion is Rise of the Empire released in 2017.[3][4][5] This expansion focused on adding characters, units, and missions from Rogue One, the expansion also overhauled the combat system calling the new system Cinematic Combat.
Awards[edit]
The game has received multiple awards and honors:
- 2016 UK Games Expo Award for best Board Games with Miniatures.[6]
- Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee
- Golden Geek Best 2-Player Board Game in 2016.[7] Winner
- 2017 Goblin Magnifico Nominee[8]
- 2016 Tric Trac Nominee
- 2016 International Gamers Award - General Strategy: Two-players Nominee[9]
- 2016 Cardboard Republic Immersionist Laurel Nominee[10]
- 2016 Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game Nominee
Reception[edit]
The game has generally received positive reviews. Ars Technica has noted that the game 'has a vibrant game system at its core'[11], Polygon has described it as an 'epic game, faithful to the spirit of the original films, is worth your time'[12] and BGL has mentioned that the game 'delivers the most complete Star Wars experience in board games'[13]. Meeple Mountain have also positively commented that the 'Star Wars: Rebellion not only fits the theme, it NAILS it'.[14]
References[edit]
![Board Board](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717434/766441834.jpg)
- ^Anderson, Nate (3 March 2016). 'Star Wars: Rebellion review: A fully operational 4-hour board game'. Ars Technica. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^Hall, Charlie (25 January 2016). 'Star Wars: Rebellion is a great board game nearly crippled by an awful manual'. Polygon. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^Theel, Charlie (12 August 2017). 'Rise of the Empire expands Star Wars: Rebellion in all the right ways'. Ars Technica. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^Plunkett, Luke (19 October 2017). 'Star Wars Rebellion: Rise Of The Empire: The Kotaku Review'. Kotaku. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^'Rise of the Empire'. Fantasy Flight Games. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
- ^'UKGE AWARDS: Winners 2017'. UK Games Expo. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^'BoardGameGeek Golden Geek'. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^'Nomination'. La Tana dei Goblin (in Italian). 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^'2016 Nominees - International Gamers Awards'. www.internationalgamersawards.net. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^'The Laurels: Best Immersionist Games Of 2016'. The Cardboard Republic. 2017-03-21. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^'Star Wars: Rebellion review: A fully operational 4-hour board game'. Ars Technica. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^'Star Wars: Rebellion is a great board game nearly crippled by an awful manual'. Polygon. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^'Best Star Wars Board Games (Reviewed Nov. 2018) - Top 10 Revealed'. Board Games Land. 2018-10-12. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^'Star Wars Rebellion Review - Corey Konieczka | Meeple Mountain'. Meeple Mountain. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
![Star Wars Rebellion Board Game Strategy Star Wars Rebellion Board Game Strategy](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717434/287557390.jpg)
External links[edit]
- Star Wars: Rebellion product page at Fantasy Flight Games
- Star Wars: Rebellion at BoardGameGeek
- Star Wars: Rebellion (Fantasy Flight Games) on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Star_Wars:_Rebellion_(board_game)&oldid=889731464'
Star Wars Rebellion Board Game Empire Strategy
Posted by2 years ago
Archived
Hey all. My wife and I finally got a chance to play SW Rebellion over the weekend. We played twice and the Empire won both times. Thinking about each side's path to victory, what have you all found to be a sound strategy for the Rebels? It seems like the Imperial player does not need to focus on missions too heavily and can instead hold their leaders in reserve to oppose the Rebels from accomplishing their missions, which usually then blocks Objectives. With the superior strength in units, the Empire can just keep searching for the hidden base while opposing Rebel missions. This would make it very hard for the Rebels to ever win. What is some advice for the Rebels on how to counter this strategy?
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