Star Wars: Rebellion

Overview

Star Wars: Rebellion is an asymmetric strategy game where two players (or teams) reenact the struggle between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. The Imperial player commands vast fleets to hunt down and destroy the hidden Rebel base, while the Rebel player works to delay the Empire and gain the galaxy’s sympathy through completing objectives. Each side has fundamentally different victory conditions, resources, and strategies.

Components

• 1 Game Board with star systems and tracks
• 153 Plastic Miniatures (ships, troops, structures)
• 25 Leader figures with stands
• 10 Custom Dice (red and black)
• Mission Cards (Rebel and Imperial)
• Objective Cards (Rebel)
• Probe Cards (Imperial)
• Tactic Cards (ground and space)
• Action Cards
• Loyalty markers, subjugation markers, sabotage markers
• Build queues for each faction
• Time/Reputation track markers
• Rulebook and Learn to Play guide

Setup

1. Place the game board with time marker at 1 and reputation marker at 14.
2. Each player takes their faction sheet, leaders, and starting mission cards.
3. Position starting units and loyalty markers per the setup diagram.
4. The Rebel player secretly selects the base location from probe cards.
5. Each player draws starting missions (4 starting + 2 from deck).
6. Prepare objective, tactic, and probe decks.

Turn Structure

Each game round resolves three phases:

Phase 1: Assignment Phase

Players assign leaders to missions by placing them face-down on mission cards. The Rebel player assigns first, then the Imperial player. Unassigned leaders remain in the leader pool for the Command Phase.

Phase 2: Command Phase

Players alternate turns (Rebel first). On each turn, a player either:

Activates a System: Place a leader from the pool into any system. Move units from adjacent systems to that system (ships carry ground units based on transport capacity). If opposing units are present, combat occurs.

Reveals a Mission: Flip a face-down mission card and place the assigned leader in the target system. “Resolve” missions succeed automatically. “Attempt” missions can be opposed – the opponent may send a leader from their pool to the target system. Both sides roll dice matching their leaders’ skill icons. Each X or S = 1 success; each ? = 2 successes. The side with more successes wins.

Phase 3: Refresh Phase

1. Retrieve all leaders to pools.
2. Draw 2 mission cards each (hand limit: 10).
3. Imperial draws 2 probe cards.
4. Rebel draws 1 objective card.
5. Advance time marker; on build icons, deploy new units from build queues to loyal systems.

Actions

Leader Skills (4 types)

• Diplomacy: Gain loyalty, acquire allies
• Intel: Locate rebel base, gather intelligence
• Spec Ops: Sabotage, capture leaders
• Logistics: Move units, accelerate building

Mission Types

Missions require leaders with matching skill icons. Key missions include diplomacy (gain loyalty), military operations (destroy units/systems), sabotage (disrupt Imperial resources), and recruitment (bring new leaders into play).

Combat

When opposing units share a system, combat occurs:

1. Draw tactic cards based on leaders present.
2. Resolve space battle first (if applicable), then ground battle.
3. Each round: play tactic cards, roll dice, assign damage, retreat or continue.
4. Structures (Shield Generators, Ion Cannons) provide special defensive benefits.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Rebel Wins: The reputation marker and time marker reach the same space on the time track. Reputation increases by completing objective cards (e.g., winning battles, sabotaging systems, inspiring loyalty).

Imperial Wins: The Imperial player conquers the Rebel base’s system (Imperial ground unit present with no Rebel units remaining).

The game is a race: the Rebel player tries to run out the clock while the Imperial player searches for and destroys the base.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Hidden Rebel Base: While hidden, Rebel units can deploy to the “Rebel Base” space on the board without revealing the location. If the Imperial player ever has loyalty or ground units in the base’s system, it is immediately revealed.
• Subjugation: When Imperial ground units occupy a system without Imperial loyalty, the system is subjugated. The Imperial player can use its resources but the Rebel player cannot build/deploy there.
• Sabotage Markers: Placed by Rebel missions; prevent resource use and unit deployment in affected systems.
• Captured Leaders: Attach a captured ring to the leader. Captured leaders cannot oppose missions and do not return to the pool during refresh. The Imperial player can interrogate captured leaders.
• Death Star: Obtained through the Imperial “Research and Development” mission. Can destroy entire systems (removing all units, loyalty, and the system from the game).
• Objective Cards: The Rebel player plays objective cards when their requirements are met, advancing the reputation marker toward the time marker.
• Loyalty: Each populous system has loyalty (Rebel, Imperial, or neutral). Gaining loyalty in a neutral system places your marker; gaining in an opponent’s system removes theirs.
• Probe Cards: The Imperial player uses probe cards to narrow down the Rebel base location by eliminating systems.

Player Reference

Phase	Rebel	Imperial
Assignment	Assign leaders to missions first	Assign leaders to missions second
Command	Activate systems or reveal missions (first turn)	Activate systems or reveal missions
Refresh	Draw objectives, missions	Draw probes, missions

Victory: Rebel wins when reputation = time marker. Imperial wins when base is conquered.

Leader Skills: Diplomacy, Intel, Spec Ops, Logistics

Mission Resolution: Roll dice matching skill icons; X/S = 1 success, ? = 2 successes