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Star Wars: Imperial Assault Campaign Mode Rules
Hey there! Welcome to the world of Star Wars: Imperial Assault and its exciting campaign mode. Today, I want to talk to you about the rules of this epic game. So, let’s dive in together and explore the galaxy far, far away!
Now, when you embark on a campaign in Star Wars: Imperial Assault, you’re in for an amazing adventure. The campaign mode allows you to take on the role of either the heroic Rebel Alliance or the formidable Galactic Empire. You’ll engage in thrilling missions, engage in strategic battles, and immerse yourself in an ongoing story that unfolds as you play.
The campaign is divided into a series of missions, and each mission presents its own unique challenges. As the campaign progresses, the choices you make will have lasting consequences, shaping the outcome of the entire galactic conflict. It’s a true test of your decision-making skills and tactical prowess.
During the campaign, you’ll control a team of heroes, each with their own abilities and strengths. These heroes will face off against the forces of the Empire, led by powerful villains. It’s a constant battle for control and supremacy, and you’ll need to use your wits to outsmart your opponents and achieve your objectives.
Now, let’s talk about how the game actually works. Each mission is played on a modular game board, which represents the various locations you’ll visit throughout the campaign. You’ll move your heroes, resolve combat encounters, and interact with the environment to achieve your mission objectives.
The game uses custom dice to determine the outcome of combat and other actions. These dice are rolled and the results determine whether your attacks hit, how much damage they do, and if you succeed at skill tests and other challenges. It’s a thrilling mix of luck and strategy that keeps you on your toes.
As you progress through the campaign, your heroes will earn experience points and credits, which can be used to improve their abilities, buy new equipment, and recruit allies. This adds a layer of progression to the game, allowing you to tailor your team to your playstyle and create unique strategies.
Star Wars: Imperial Assault campaign mode is a truly immersive experience that brings the Star Wars universe to life. Whether you’re a fan of the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, there’s something here for everyone. So grab your lightsaber, pilot your starfighter, and get ready to embark on an epic adventure in a galaxy far, far away! May the Force be with you!
When you’re ready to start a new campaign, the first thing you need to do is follow the steps outlined in “Campaign Mode Setup” below.
Campaign Mode Setup
- Pick Player Roles: First, you and your fellow players need to decide who will be the Imperial player. It’s a good idea to let the most experienced player take on this role. The rest of you will be the Rebel heroes. These roles stay the same throughout the entire campaign.
- Select Heroes: Now, each Rebel player chooses a Hero sheet and takes the Class deck and hero figure that match their chosen hero. After that, every Rebel player takes the basic Item cards (those without an XP cost) from their Class deck and places them face-up on the table in front of them.
- Choose Your Class: First, you need to choose your Imperial Class deck. Look through the available decks and pick the one that suits your style of play. Once you’ve made your choice, take out the basic Class card from that deck (the one without an XP cost) and place it faceup on the table in front of you.
- Build Your Agenda Deck: Now it’s time to build your Agenda deck. Take all of the Agenda cards and organize them by set. You need to choose six sets of Agenda cards. Shuffle these 18 cards together to create your Agenda deck. This deck will determine the objectives you’ll be working towards throughout the campaign.
- Build Your Side Mission Deck: After playing the introductory mission, it’s time for the heroes to choose their next mission. This is where the Side Mission deck comes in. As Rebel players, you’ll need to create this deck for the campaign. Start by sorting the Side Mission cards by their color. Then, shuffle together the following cards to create your Side Mission deck:
If you don’t have all four heroes for the game, that’s okay! The Campaign Mode in Imperial Assault is designed for 2-5 players and can still be balanced and fun. When playing with fewer heroes, the Rebel players will receive special cards from the Reward deck during setup.
These cards help level the playing field by increasing the heroes’ Health and giving them extra activation tokens. After setting up the campaign with fewer than four heroes, each hero will receive specific components based on the number of players:
• If you’re playing with just two heroes, each hero gets a “Legendary” Reward card.
• If you have three heroes, each hero receives a “Heroic” Reward card.
If there’s only one Rebel player, they can control both heroes separately in a two-hero game. When a hero has two activation tokens, they only flip one token facedown after taking their turn. This means they can activate twice each round. However, the hero can’t perform their second activation until each hero has performed their first activation.
Now you’re all set to jump into the exciting world of Imperial Assault with your chosen heroes! Have a blast on your adventures in the Star Wars universe. May the Force be with you!
Mission Setup
When I get ready to play a mission, I have to go through a few steps. Let me tell you what they are:
- Gather the Map: As the Imperial player, I gather the map for this mission by using map tiles as shown in the diagram in the Campaign Guide. I place all tokens on the map as indicated in the diagram.
- Get Ready with Threat and Round Dial: To start the mission, I set the threat dial to 0 and the round dial to 1.
Getting Ready to Play: Alright, let’s get everything set up and ready to go. As the Imperial player, it’s up to me to handle all the Deployment cards. First, I need to sort them into groups based on the instructions in the “Deployment and Setup” box of the mission rules. This box has up to four different elements:
Initial Groups: These are the first Deployment cards listed. I’ll place them faceup on the table. The corresponding figures will be deployed on the map during step 4, which is called “Deploy Imperial Figures”.
Reserved Groups: Now it’s time to get a little sneaky. I secretly take the listed Deployment cards and place them in a facedown pile, out of the way. These cards will come into play later, as dictated by the mission rules. The figures that go with these cards will also be placed on the map at the appropriate time.
Open Groups: This is where things get interesting. I secretly choose a number of Deployment cards as specified in the “Open Groups” section. These cards will form a secret hand of Deployment cards that I can use during the Status Phase (you’ll find more about this in the “Threat and Deployment” section on the right). I can choose any Deployment cards except for the unique ones (those with a little symbol before the name). Those unique cards have to be earned as mission rewards before I can use them as open groups. Any Deployment cards that don’t fall into the initial, reserved, or open groups are put back in the game box and won’t be used in this mission.
Special Setup: Lastly, some missions have a “Special Setup” section. If that’s the case, I’ll follow any specific instructions listed here at this time.
Let’s get started with the game! Here’s what we need to do:
That’s it! We’re all set up and ready to go. Let’s have a great game!
 Entrance Token |
Once the setup is complete, it’s time to dive into the game and start having fun!
Playing the Campaign Missions
In Imperial Assault, the missions are divided into game rounds. Each round includes an Activation Phase (check page 5) and a Status Phase.
Once the Status Phase is resolved, a new round begins with the Activation Phase. This pattern continues until the mission is complete.
Status Phase in the Campaign
After each figure has taken its turn, there are a few steps that players need to follow before the next round starts:
Increasing Threat
The first thing I do as the Imperial player is increase the threat dial. The amount I increase it by depends on the threat level listed on the campaign log, which can be found on the back of the Campaign Guide. For the introductory mission, the threat level is two.
Getting Ready
Once the threat dial is adjusted, I’ll ready all of my exhausted Class and Deployment cards. This means I can use them again in the upcoming round. On the other hand, each hero will also ready all of their activation tokens, flipping them to the green side faceup. This lets them know that they’re ready to go.
Deploying and Reinforcing
As the Imperial player, I have the option to spend some of my threat points to bring additional figures onto the map. This can help me gain an advantage and put more pressure on the rebel heroes.
End of Round Effects
If there are any special abilities or mission rules triggered at the end of this game round, this is the time to resolve them. It’s important to pay attention to these effects, as they can have a big impact on the game.
Advancing the Round Dial
After resolving any end of round effects, I advance the round dial by one. This signals the start of a new round, and we’ll move into the Activation Phase.
Threat and Deployment
Understanding the threat level and deployment options is crucial in this game. By managing my threat points and deploying figures strategically, I can increase my chances of success as the Imperial player.
When it’s time for the Status Phase in each round, you (the Imperial player) get more D (threat) to spend on bringing in extra figures.
Every Deployment card has a cost for deploying, reinforcing, and a limit on the number of figures that can be brought in at once. During each Status Phase, you can choose to bring in groups of figures or give individual figures extra reinforcement on the map.
When I want to bring in a group, I start by picking a card from my hand and using credits equal to its deployment cost. Then, I reveal the card and put a certain number of figures on the map, matching the group limit on the card.
I make sure to place these figures as close as possible to a green deployment point indicated in the mission’s diagram. The deployment point itself is included in this area.
To strengthen a figure, I choose a Deployment card that’s already on the table and use credits equivalent to its reinforcement cost. I then place one figure from that group near a green deployment point. Each time I spend credits to reinforce, the threat level decreases by that amount.
Let me show you an example of how deployment works.
- When the Status Phase begins, I start with 5 . In the Increase Threat step, I increase my by the campaign level of 2. This brings my total to 7, which I adjust on the dial.
- For the Deploy and Reinforce step, I decide to deploy a group of Stormtroopers. I reduce my threat dial by the deployment cost of 6, leaving me with 1 . I take a Stormtrooper Deployment card from my hand and place it faceup on the table.
- Now, I refer to the diagram in the Campaign Guide to find the green deployment point.
I’m finally ready to deploy my forces on the Star Wars game map. I carefully assess the layout and decide to position my three Stormtrooper figures as close as possible to the green deployment point.
Now, let me tell you about the missions in this game. Each mission comes with its own set of rules and goals for both the Rebel and Imperial players. The information about the mission’s objectives and how it will end can be found in the Campaign Guide.
So, let’s get started and may the Force be with us!
In the world of missions, there are some rules that stick around for the whole mission, and others that only happen once, like summoning figures or increasing something.
Missions are full of surprises that make the Rebel players feel like they’re exploring. That’s why Rebel players can’t read the Campaign Guide.
Even though the heroes will eventually get access to most rules and mission info, they have to play through the mission to find out. It’s like a story that unfolds.
Special Mission Events
Every so often during a mission, the Imperial player has to read stuff from the Campaign Guide out loud and follow the rules described there.
When you play certain games, there are special events that can happen. These events usually happen at the end of a game round, but they can also be triggered by specific situations. For example, when a certain door is opened by a figure.
If this happens while my figure is doing something, I stop what I’m doing right away. I read out loud what it says on the card, and then I can go back to what I was doing.
The “Event Summary” box in the Campaign Guide is where I can look to see when these things happen in this mission.
Wrapping Up a Mission
When I embark on a mission, I know that there are specific conditions that will signal the end of it. As soon as one of these conditions is met, I, as the Imperial player, make sure to go through the “End of Mission” section of the mission rules.
As part of this process, I read a story aloud, which sets the stage for what happens next. It’s always an exciting moment as the story unfolds, and it keeps the game engaging and immersive for everyone involved.
After the story is read, comes the best part – players receive rewards! These rewards are listed right below the story text. They serve as a well-deserved recognition for the accomplishments that took place during the mission.
But wait, there’s more! In addition to the listed rewards, players also get the chance to claim additional rewards. These rewards can be found in the “Additional Rewards” section, offering even more incentives to do my best during the mission. It’s like an extra shout-out for all the hard work!
Now, you might be wondering, do we have winners in each mission? Well, not exactly. While each individual mission may not have a stated winner, there are certain outcomes that can be more favorable to one side or the other. It keeps the tension high and adds a layer of strategic thinking as I plot my moves.
The main goal in every mission is for us as players to fulfill our mission objectives. These objectives drive the narrative forward and often serve as triggers to end the mission. When we successfully complete our objectives, we are rewarded with helpful advantages that can give us an edge in the overall campaign. So, not only are we advancing in the story, but we’re also gaining valuable resources to aid us on our journey.
The Structure of the Campaign
Playing a campaign is easy. First, I complete a mission. After that, I can buy new Item cards, Class cards, and Agenda cards. Then, I choose another mission and complete it. I keep doing this until the campaign ends with an exciting finale.
To keep playing the campaign, I just need to check the campaign log on the back of the Campaign guide. It tells me which stage is next, and I can start resolving it right away.
In the example above, we just finished the “Aftermath” mission. Now, it’s time to move on to the Rebel Upgrade stage.
There are three types of stages in the game: Mission Stages, Rebel Upgrade Stages, and Imperial Upgrade Stages.
Mission Stage
Here’s what happens during the Mission Stage:
- Choose Mission: As a Rebel player, you’ll check the campaign log to see what the next mission is. If it says “Side Mission,” you can select one of the available Side Mission cards. If it says “Story Mission,” you’ll choose one of the active Story Mission cards.
- Resolve Mission: Once you’ve chosen a mission, it’s time to play! You’ll follow the rules for “Playing Campaign Missions” to resolve the mission and see what happens next.
I’m wrapping things up after completing a mission. Here’s what I do next:
– First, I need to recover all the hearts and energy shields for my heroes. If any of them were injured, no worries, I’ll just flip their hero sheets to the healthy side.
– Then, I take all the supply cards I used during the mission and shuffle them back into the supply deck.
– As a reward for completing the mission, I gain 50 credits for each crate token I have in my play area. Once I’ve collected my credits, I discard the crate tokens.
– The mission card we just finished goes back in the game box.
– Now, if this was the first mission we played, we’ll shuffle the side mission deck and draw two cards. These will be the active missions that we can choose to tackle in future stages of the game.
Phew, that’s it for now. Time to catch my breath and get ready for the next adventure!
When it comes to Mission cards in the game, there are three main types: Side Missions, Story Missions, and Agenda Missions.
Mission cards are the way Rebel players can choose their adventures. Each card tells a short story about the mission and explains what rewards you can get for finishing the objectives.
At the start of the campaign, Rebel players create a deck of Side Missions, and the Imperial player creates a deck of Agenda Missions. Story Missions are always the same and become available as you progress through the campaign.
Rebel Upgrade Stage
- Spend Credits: You draw six cards from the Item deck listed on the campaign log. If you like any of them, you can buy them by spending your credits.
- Spend Experience Points: Each hero can use experience points (XP) to buy cards from their Class deck.
The Next Level: Imperial Upgrade
Hey there! Let’s talk about the Imperial Upgrade stage. This is where things get interesting.
- Spend your Influence: I get to draw four cards from the Agenda deck. This is when I have the power to buy any of these cards by spending my Influence. Pretty cool, right?
- Use your Experience Points: Here’s where I can spend my XP to get cards from my Class deck. It’s like leveling up and getting awesome abilities!
After I finish each stage, I make sure to mark the box for that stage on the campaign log. This way, I can keep track of my progress. It’s important to know where I stand!
Spending Credits
Now, let’s get to the Rebel Upgrade Stage. During the Spend Credits step, I get to draw six Item cards from the deck that matches the tier I’m currently at. So many choices!
So here’s what you do: first, lay out all the Item cards faceup in front of you. Now, it’s time for us rebels to make some decisions. Together, we’ll figure out which cards we want to buy, and to do that, we’ll need to spend credits equal to each card’s cost. Once we’ve bought a card, we’ll hand it over to one of our heroes. That hero will be able to use the card in their upcoming missions. Pretty cool, huh?
Now it’s time to sell! If you have any Item cards, you can sell them during this step. When you sell a card, you get credits. How much? Well, half of the card’s cost. Take that card and shuffle it back into the right Item deck.
And what about the cards that no one bought? Don’t worry, we’ll shuffle those back into their own decks too.
Remember, credits aren’t just for one hero. They’re shared by the whole group.
Campaign Resources
As we play the campaign, we’ll earn different resources for finishing missions. These resources help us get all kinds of cool advantages.
One type of resource is Experience Points (XP). Both heroes and the Imperial player earn XP. We can spend XP to buy cards from our Class deck.
Credits: When you go on missions, you earn credits. You can use these credits to get cool new weapons, armor, equipment, and modifications for your hero.
Influence: The Imperial player has something called influence. They can use influence to do powerful things by playing special Agenda cards.
Instead of keeping track of these resources with tokens, you can write down how many credits and influence you have in the campaign log. It’s like a special journal that keeps track of everything that happens in the game. Whenever you spend or earn credits or influence, just write down the new amount in the log.
Using Influence
The Imperial player can do special events or start side missions by using Agenda cards.
When I reach the Imperial Upgrade Stage, I have an exciting opportunity. I shuffle my Agenda deck and draw four Agenda cards. This is a special deck that holds cards with different strategies and plans. The best part is, I get to keep them a secret from the Rebel players!
Now, I have some choices to make. I can spend my influence points to buy one or more of these cards. Influence points are like tokens that show how much power I have. Spending them wisely is crucial to my success.
But here’s the catch. I can only choose some of the cards to buy. The rest will go back into the deck, without anyone knowing what they were. This adds an air of mystery and keeps the Rebel players on their toes.
So, I ponder my options and carefully choose the Agenda cards that will give me an advantage. Each card represents a different plan or strategy that I can use to outsmart the Rebels and gain control.
It’s an intriguing moment in the game, as I have to think strategically and make the best decision. Will I go for a bold move or play it safe? That’s the beauty of the Imperial Upgrade Stage – it’s a chance to shape the game in my favor and keep the Rebels guessing.
When I receive a card with secret instructions, I don’t show it to the Rebel players once I’ve bought it. They only know the cost of the card and nothing else.
Because of this, I suggest that I tell the Rebel players the cost of the card before I spend influence. This way, we can avoid any mistakes in keeping track of what’s happening. I get to keep the card after buying it, and I can use it later in the campaign, following the instructions on the card.
All the other Agenda cards are revealed and dealt with right away. After purchasing them, I either play them immediately or put them back in the Agenda deck, unless the card tells me to keep it in play. If I don’t have to keep it, I return the Agenda card to the game box.
So, here’s the deal. Some Agenda cards do some fancy stuff when you buy them. They turn into side missions that heroes can choose to take on whenever they want. There’s a catch, though. If the heroes decide to do another side mission instead of the Agenda’s mission, the Imperial player gets a little reward. Sneaky, huh?
Once an Agenda mission is done or tossed aside, it goes back into the game box.
Earning Experience Points
When you’re allowed to spend experience points, you get to check out all the cool Class cards you haven’t bought yet. You can use your XP to buy any of these cards. Just make sure you have enough points to cover the card’s cost.
When you buy a Class card, you put it faceup in your play area. You’ll be able to use the abilities on that card for the whole campaign.
Your main goal is to win the last mission of the campaign, which is called the finale.
As you progress through the campaign, you’ll earn rewards like Item cards, Class cards, Agenda cards, and allies. These rewards will help you in the finale. Some mission rewards will also shape the story and determine which finale missions you’ll play.
The players who win the finale are the ultimate winners of the campaign.
There are some advanced rules that you might not come across in your first few missions. This section explains those rules in detail.
Now, let’s talk about Attribute Tests.
When I’m playing this game, I’ve noticed that sometimes I have to do these things called attribute tests. They don’t come up in the first part of the game, but they’re important for other missions and abilities.
For example, there’s this rule that says, “You can use a terminal ( ) to open a door.” So, if you want to open a door, you have to do an attribute test. You test your attribute by rolling some dice.
If you roll at least one , you pass the test and the door opens. But if you don’t roll any , then you fail the test and the door stays closed.
Passing a test can give you good things and help you on your mission. But if you fail a test, it can have bad consequences, like making it harder for you to finish your mission.
Campaign Record Keeping
After I finish playing Imperial Assault for the day, I need to do a few things to save my progress. This way, I can easily pick up where I left off when I play again next time:
- Record My Progress: I need to make sure that I update the campaign log with the most recent information about my XP, credits, and influence. I should also note which stage of the campaign I am currently on and write down the names of all the missions I’ve completed so far.
- Store the Game Components: To keep everything organized between sessions, I should use small plastic bags (not included) to store and separate the game components. Here’s how I should do it:
- General Bag: I should use this bag to store all the Mission cards that are currently in play, as well as any Agenda cards that are being used.
I got you covered! When it comes to organizing your game components, there are a few important things to take into account. Let me walk you through the process step by step.
First, let’s look at the Imperial Bag. This is where the Imperial player will store their purchased Imperial Class cards and their deck of unpurchased Agenda cards. It’s crucial to keep the secret Agenda cards separate from the Agenda deck to avoid any confusion.
Next, each hero will create their own Hero Bag. This bag should consist of their Hero sheet, Item cards, and purchased Class cards. If there are any available allies, one player should also store them in their bag.
As for the rest of the components, you can store them however you see fit. Just make sure to keep all the unpurchased Class cards separate, so they don’t get mixed up with the ones you’ve already acquired.
Now let’s talk about allies. They play an important role in the game. Allies are special cards that can help you during your quest. Make sure to keep them in a safe place, so you don’t lose them.
By following these simple steps, you can keep your game components organized and ready to play whenever you want. So gather your bags and get ready to embark on an epic adventure!
Do you ever notice those Deployment cards with a bullet () before the figure’s name? Yeah, those are pretty cool. They represent unique personas, like Luke Skywalker.
Oh, and guess what? The Imperial Allies are the complete opposite. They’re called villains, but they follow the same rules as allies. You can’t just use anyone though, unless the mission specifically says so or you earn them as a mission reward.
Here’s the thing about allies: during missions, they’re like extra figures on your side. It’s pretty awesome to have backup, right? But if you want to bring an ally to a mission, there are some “Allies” rules you have to follow. You can find all the details in the Rules Reference Guide.
Let’s Talk Item Restrictions
As you go through the campaign, you’re gonna collect a ton of Item cards. And that’s great! But there’s a catch. Each hero has a limit on how many items they can bring to a single mission.
See, heroes can have as many Item cards as they want in general. But for each mission, there are restrictions. You gotta choose wisely which items you’ll bring with you.
- 1 Armor card (
) - 2 Weapon cards (any card with an attack type followed by dice icons)
- 3 Equipment cards (
)
When it comes to playing Star Wars: Imperial Assault campaign, there are a few important things you need to know about your character’s items. Let me break it down for you.
Starting Equipment
At the beginning of the campaign, each hero has some starting equipment. This includes:
Trading Items
Before going on a mission, you have the option to trade your item cards with other heroes. Remember, you can’t trade during a mission. So make sure to plan ahead and trade wisely!
Modifications
Some items are modifications. These cards can be attached to weapons and provide special abilities. However, each weapon has a limit on the number of modifications it can have. You can find this limit indicated by the number of bars at the bottom right corner of the card.