Star Wars Rebellion

[Ranior]

Got to play my first two games of this fantastic game during the holidays. I was Rebels both time. I won't even pretend to have the strategy down for this game though so will let you all discuss those ideas.

I'm just mostly here to say I agree that this is a really standout game, particularly for Star Wars fans. I can't wait to play again and maybe try out the Empire. In our plays thus far we find things to be pretty darn balanced which is great and tough to do in an asymmetric game like this with so many options and powers.

For what it is worth I completed 5 points in my last play as the Rebels and didn't even do the Death Star one. I can't remember exactly but I cycled through my deck relatively quickly via mission card sand managed to complete the have no captured leaders card, destroy a star destroyer in combat, have loyalty in all populous regions of a system, and managed to do a few others. At least one involved having units in imperial systems or sabotage markers or something like that. Can't remember exactly what they were. But at least from that game it did make me think that Rebels should focus on manipulating that Objective deck early so they can be completing a card during every future refresh phase.

[Tai-Pan]

I notched in two more games of Rebellion today, three total in the last 10 days. The last one tonight was epic! Farmboy Luke became an agent of darkness and led the Death Star, a Super Star Destroyer and two Star Destroyers to the Rebel Base and Moff Jerjerrod blew it off the face of the universe! It was the very last planet to be ruled out! Man, this game is fun!


I still feel that the Empire has a better chance of winning if it is a skilled player. I am not sure what the Rebellion can do to stop him if he is using all his leaders to search with units and pretty much ignoring all the mission cards. Once the base is found, it is not too difficult to bring up the might within a couple of turns to destroy it. And relocating the base wasn't an option in my last game as Empire - even with 8 systems, they didn't hit a planet they could go to. There were only 2 or so that might have worked, and I had armies next to them as well.

[Yodaking]

Interesting, I've seen the Rebels win so many times now I've been trying to figure out a new strategy for the Empire. Ignore the missions completely you say and just use your leaders to move your forces around? I'll have to give that a try.

[Tai-Pan]

I just spread out as much as possible, focusing on subjuhating rebel systems and slightly focusing on blue symbols for mobility. No countering missions, no captures. I built a ssd and the death star for more firepower and transport. Cards that gain loyalty on different unexplored systems are good.

[Tai-Pan]

I am still playing and still loving this one. It is still, after probably 20 games, unfolding its depth in amazing ways!

New things I am realizing:

Little blue triangles are mostly worthless for the Empire but vitally important for the Rebellion, meaning there are different levels of interest for different resources for different sides and while the big blue squares are contested hotspots, others aren't nearly as interesting.

Along the same lines, it is often better to gain loyalty in so-so systems that produce units and have the Empire allow you to keep them than to go high-profile and end up having them subjugated.

Similarly, it hurts the Empire more to sabotage so-so systems as they won't necessarily repair it like they would a blue square, meaning they lose more long-term.

By doing missions in systems with big armies, especially powerful missions, you force the Empire to either let the mission go unchallenged or lock down his own armies with a commander.

The board is not infinitly large, but there are a surprising number of systems, even in the middle, that are so out of the way that the Empire must specifically search them.

The Death Star is a huge liability - unless the Empire manages to discard the death star plans. Then it is an unstoppable instrument of fear and doom that can only be ran from.

[Yodaking]

I wouldn't say the blue triangles are worthless, they give the Empire the Tie Fighter they need to defend the Death Star with. Since the Rebels can destroy the Death Star only with fighters, your fighters are the best way to take out the Rebel fighters as quickly as possible.

[Tai-Pan]

Yeah, but I have never, never thought as the Empire "I need to pick me up a couple blue triangles". They usually jist kind of fall into place through scouting or going for the more powerful resource symbols.

[Yodaking]

Yeah, I agree with that. You just kind of accumulate them. I agree the blue squares are the premium spots that I focus on for both the Rebels and Empire, I like having the big ships and not having any can hurt.

Just following up on the sabotage usage, you make a good point on focusing on the middle of the pack locations. I certainly have made removing them less of a priority when they are not on premium spots.