How to Play

Star Wars: Rebellion

2-4 players 180-240 min 8.4 Board Game Geek Rating

Star Wars: Rebellion pits the Galactic Empire against the Rebel Alliance in epic galactic warfare. Players command starships, troops, and iconic heroes like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader on secret missions. The Empire wins by locating and destroying the hidden Rebel base, while Rebels must survive long enough to inspire galaxy-wide revolt through successful operations.

Published 2016

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Select starting leaders

Start with the 4 leaders that have no 'recruit' icon; recruit 4 more leaders at the end of rounds 1-4

Observe leader pool limit

Maximum of 8 leaders allowed at any time, even with mission/action card recruitment

Draw action cards

Draw 2 random 'starting' action cards (those with no 'recruit' icon)

Apply immediate effects

"Immediate" effects on action cards occur now during setup

Remove unused starting cards

Remove remaining starting action cards from the game; all remaining action cards have 'recruit' icons

Build rebel objectives deck

Include 5 cards from each stage

Create imperial projects deck

Include all mission cards with a star at the bottom-right

Determine starting loyalty

Shuffle and draw cards from the probe deck

Place Death Star in queue

Put a Death Star on space 3 of the build queue

Set up remote system

In any remote system, place 4 TIE fighters, 1 stormtrooper, and a Death Star Under Construction, then remove the matching probe card from the game

Distribute imperial units

Place units among the 6 Imperial systems (including Coruscant) and the remote system; all must have at least 1 ground unit

Place rebel base

The rebel player places their base in any system containing no imperial units

Mark base location

Slide the matching probe card under the "location" slot next to the rebel base space

Distribute rebel units

Place units between the rebel base space and 1 other system containing no imperial units (doesn't need rebel loyalty)

Create starting mission hand

Draw 4 starting missions and 2 random missions

Note hand limit

Maximum 10 mission cards, including imperial projects but not rebel objectives

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Determine turn order

The rebel player always goes first (except during setup) for assigning leaders, taking actions, recruiting leaders, and deploying units

Assign leaders to missions

1 or 2 leaders may be assigned whose total skill icons meet the mission card's skill requirement

Use minor skills

Small skill icons fully count toward meeting skill requirements but only allow green dice to be rolled

Counter opponent's missions

The opposing player may counter with 1 leader only, who may or may not have matching skills

Roll against opposition

The active player must still roll greater than 0 even if the opposing player rolls no dice

Play action cards

Action cards may only be used if one of the pictured leaders is involved

Activate systems

Leaders with no tactic values cannot activate a system and move units

Remove target markers

Either player may remove triangle markers when they have unopposed ground units in the system; also removed if system is destroyed

Check build restrictions

A system won't build any units if it's sabotaged or contains any enemy units

Handle structures in combat

All structures are destroyed if they are the only units remaining and the opposing player has ground units present

Use special combat rolls

The double-lightsaber die face may immediately remove 1 damage from a matching-colored unit with existing damage

Interpret draw tactic card abilities

Special rolls cannot draw tactic cards with the expansion; abilities that say "draw a tactic card" mean return a discarded tactic card to its deck before choosing this round

Reveal rebel base

The secret location is revealed when any Imperial ground units move into that system

Perform cleanup phase

Retrieve leaders, draw 2 mission cards, draw 2 probe cards, draw 1 objective card, advance time marker (possibly recruiting/building), and deploy units

Deploy new units

Deploy maximum 2 units to any subjugated/loyal systems without sabotage markers or enemy units