“General, prepare your troops for a surface attack.”

–Darth Vader, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Imperial commanders and Rebel strike team leaders, gather your soldiers and prepare for tactical Star Wars™ combat. Imperial Assault will arrive at your local retailer this week!

You’ll have twice the opportunities to immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe with the two complete games included in Imperial Assault. In the campaign game, up to four players command heroes of the Rebellion, battling against a single Imperial player in a narrative campaign that changes every time you play through it. The skirmish game, on the other hand, gives you the chance to go head-to-head with a single opponent – mustering your own armies and fighting to complete conflicting objectives. Whichever game you play, your tactical decisions decide the fate of the galaxy!

A Narrative Campaign

Our series of in-depth previews examined each aspect of the Imperial Assault experience. We began with a discussion of the basis of every mission: moving and attacking. In Imperial Assault, every figure has two actions to move, fire a blaster, engage in melee combat, search crates, open doors, or complete other tasks. Deciding which actions your figures will take each turn is the heart of gameplay.

Next, we turned our attention to the Rebel heroes in the campaign game. When you play a hero in the Imperial Assault campaign game, you play as the same hero in every mission. Over the course of the campaign, you gain experience and credits, which you can use to purchase new skills and items. Whether you play as canny squad leader Gideon Argus or hardened veteran Fenn Signis, every hero offers a unique play experience and a new style of play.

We also examined the massive power wielded by the Imperial player during a campaign. One preview discussed the might of the Galactic Empire, made visible by countless stormtroopers, massive AT-ST walkers, and villains like Darth Vader. We also saw the tactics that the Imperial player can harness by calling upon reinforcements and pursuing nefarious agendas. Finally, we looked at the options made available to the Empire by taking advantage of Mercenary units, including Trandoshan hunters and the Assassin Droid, IG-88.

Deadly Skirmishes

Other previews focused on the second game within Imperial Assault: the skirmish game. In a skirmish mission, both players attempt to gain victory points by eliminating an opponent’s figures and completing the mission’s objectives. We presented a detailed overview of the skirmish game, highlighting the differences between campaign and skirmish missions and revealing some of the Deployment cards and Command cards you use to achieve victory.

Before any skirmish game, you and your opponent construct separate armies and Command decks. Once you’ve finished creating your squad, you and your opponent test your forces against each other on the field of battle. We featured a diary by Imperial Assault developer Paul Winchester that focused on the massive amount of armies available for each of the three factions in the Core Set.

The First Ally and Villain Packs

Ally Packs and Villain Packs are the first expansions to be released for Imperial Assault! We announced seven upcoming Ally Packs and Villain Packs, but the first two figure packs are included as a bonus in the Imperial Assault Core Set: the Luke Skywalker Ally Pack and the Darth Vader Villain Pack.

These figure packs each offer a detailed plastic figure, as well as new missions and powerful new cards for both the campaign game and the skirmish game. You may help Luke escape from the clutches of Darth Vader, or control the Sith Lord himself as he destroys a Rebel strike team. Whether you fight for the Rebellion or uphold the claim of the Empire, every figure pack offers new adventures for every game of Imperial Assault.

To Battle Stations!

The Galactic Civil War rages across the galaxy, consuming entire star systems in the turmoil of war. In Imperial Assault, you can influence this galactic struggle in the favor of the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance as you battle on countless planets. Grab your blasters and prepare to begin your first mission.

Visit your local retailer this week and pick up your copy of Imperial Assault!