To say that I’m a “fan of Star Wars Miniature Gaming” would be an understatement. And I’ve never been accused of being “understated.” I adore Star Wars and, likewise, I adore miniatures of almost any variety. For years I hosted a show on d20radio entitled “Minis Mayham” (sic) focused on WotC’s line of Star Wars Miniatures. It was a fun show and we talked for hours about the game, the minis, the maps, the expansions, the fan created minis, painting styles, and anything we could get our hands on regarding this game. I met a ton of new friends by doing the show and I’ll never forget the fun I had playing the game.
Then, the hammer dropped and WotC lost, gave up, or whatever the Star Wars licence. I was devastated. There would be no more product releases. No more errata, no more official maps, no more expansions. That was it. Then FFG announced the license was theirs, and I remember saying “I bet they re-skin Descent into a Star Wars game. That would be cool.”
I was right on both accounts. Holy geez, was I right!
To call Imperial Assault a “reskin of Descent” might not be totally accurate, though, but it creates a clear starting point for anyone familiar with FFG’s great fantasy themed dungeon delving miniatures game who might be interested in the Star Wars version. Instead of comparing Imperial Assault to Descent, though, let’s just dive into Imperial Assault proper.
Imperial Assault is $99.99 at most retailers. That is not always an easy chunk of change to swallow, but let’s talk about what you get with the system. When you purchase Imperial Assault you are getting three games for the price of one, really. You are purchasing a one v. one miniatures combat game, a 2-5 player campaign which pits one player as the Imperial forces while the other players each play a Rebel Hero over 20+ epic missions complete with a leveling up system for both sides and for each individual hero to provide unique experiences for each playthrough, and a way to play any of the aforementioned missions as a standalone encounter. Additionally, if you are a player of the Star Wars RPGs created by FFG, you can use the minis and maps for your encounter designs. That’s actually four ways to use this purchase.
Now, let’s talk about what else is in the box, shall we?
First off, the miniatures are excellently designed and sculpted. They look like scenes from the films. Every figure and pose brings the action-packed game to life and keeps the players in the inertia of it all. The only downside, they are not painted. The evil characters are a stock grey color while the good characters are a tan color. While some players find this unappealing, it doesn’t bother this gamer in the least. For me, it’s not an issue. I’m here to play a game. If I want to paint them now, I can.
Next in the box is an amazing set of modular interlocking map tiles that are used to create different environments for the missions. there are four distinct locales (urban desert town, forest, undercity, and interior complex), but there are transition pieces that can be used to connect all of the locales together if desired. And, since, the pieces are modular you can create different maps for each locale, giving your players plenty of unique experiences.
Next is a unique set of dice which resolves conflict, various hit tokens, and cards describing characters and game effects, as well as rules for each of the ways to play the game.
In short, there is a lot in this $99.99 board game. What is in the box is all well and good, but how does the game play? Is it worth the money? Will my friends enjoy it? What is its re-playability?
This game is fun, pure and simple. It moves quickly, combat is resolved fast, and it’s well-balanced. I have heard complaints about the latter not being true, but I disagree. Both sides (Imperials and Rebels) are equally effective at completing missions, but it takes thought and tenacity to win. Because many of the win conditions for both the campaign and skirmish battles do not require a “kill ’em all!” strategy the biggest beat stick is not always the most effective. (I’m looking at you, Big V!)
While playing this game, I can almost hear the Star Wars scores in the background, ramping up the action and keeping my heart racing. Like Descent and X-Wing, this game has add-on’s which are not necessary to play the game, but provide an extra element of excitement to keep the game interesting. New pieces like Han Solo and Boba Fett, as well as new scenarios being released means the game will always be growing and changing for the players. But since no game is perfect, there are a few items of note for which I want to provide my opinion.
The line-of-sight rules are a little free-wheeling and loose. This is in an effort to not bog players down with arguments about which piece can shoot which piece, but “shooting around corners” has never been this easy. Additionally, there are a lot of rules. I find it best to play the first time with one other player and just walk through the tutorial scenario first. Even then you’ll have more rules to layer into the game.
Lastly, ensure the Imperial player has read through and understands the scenario prior to setup. Since the Imperial player will be controlling the Imperials and have all of the secrets for the encounter there is a lot riding on them fully understanding what happens, why it happens, and (most importantly) when it happens. Overall, though, I couldn’t happier about my purchase of the game and wish I could play more of it. It’s a fun, action-packed game that people want to play again and again.
On a special note, my six year old and I have been working on a little kid version of the game as well. Mostly, it involves him putting together elaborately long maps using as many tiles as he can, while I reduce our squads from “every piece in the tackle box” to the manageable (and suggested) 40 point buy, but we’re working on it. But the point is it’s a game he is learning and can learn. It’s not above his head and he loves Star Wars. Therefore, if you have young ones interested in playing one of “Mommy and Daddy’s Games” this could be one for them as well. Real pieces and characters they know? What’s not to love?
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Well. Said.
That is all.