Imperial Assault is a difficult game to categorize. Hovering at ceiling height above the table, it's a miniatures game for 1-5 players that plays a campaign across varying scenarios using a modular map to recreate classic Star Wars environments. Tatooine deserts, Dagobah jungles, Imperial bunkers, and star destroyer bridges are just some of the places the wonderfully sculpted plastic minis portraying Rebel heroes and Imperial villains battle it out.
Down at the table level, one player takes on the mastermind role of the Imperials, controlling all of the stormtroopers, probe droids, officers, and other baddies in an attempt to prevent the Rebels from achieving their scenario goals. The other players take on the role of Rebel heroes, and depending on the scenario will fight off the Imperials to accomplish objectives; rescuing captives, stealing data, destroying bunkers—real Star Wars stuff. Linking these pieces together is a campaign that never plays the same way twice. Oh, and a set of custom dice developed specifically for resolving the game's attacks and skill tests.
Sure, dice are dice, and their non-determinism certainly adds the degree of uncertainty and excitement Imperial Assault needs. But they are not entirely random. Imperial Assault offers a good selection of special actions unique to the different figures through cards and player powers. Highly thematic, Stormtroopers, for example, fight better in groups and back each other offensively, but are generally weak and can be defeated quickly. Probe droids are highly mobile, able to traverse obstacles with ease and can self-destruct causing big damage. But they are also slow and can be sniped from a distance by Rebel sharpshooters. On the Rebel side, players take on the role of one of six new hero characters who each have their own set of unique skills. Gaarkan the wookie, for example, can perform a charge action which enables him to both move and attack. The quick-draw Jyn can interrupt an Imperial attack to perform a free attack of her own, potentially defeating the character who was attacking her before they get a shot off. For the record, known characters like Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke, etc. do exist in the game, but are secondary. They enter play as rewards or allies, and can be very powerful when deployed properly.
Which is a good time to discuss the rpg-ish system. After each scenario, both Imperials and Rebels are awarded with XP and credits which can be used to upgrade their side of play. For the Rebels this can be bigger, badder weapons, armor, special abilities, and the like, while Imperials get new tricks to surprise the Rebels in the course of future scenarios. Ramping up steadily and satisfyingly, by the end of a campaign the Rebels are jacked up with damage-heavy weapons and abilities, and the Imperials have an arsenal of moves they can make beyond just adding more figures to the board.
Imperial Assault is thus thematically asymmetrical. While Imperial and Rebel players each have two actions per figure activation, Rebel figures have much higher health and can attack twice.. At the same time, Imperial players are able to field significantly higher numbers of figures. But each has only one attack and less health, meaning they are defeated faster. This balance makes the Rebel heroes feel super powerful when winning and overwhelmed when losing. Overall this mismatch aligns nicely with the Star Wars universe.
Regarding missions, there is a large selection. The game comes with approximately forty, but a single run-through of the campaign will only see approximately 25% of those. Replaying the campaign means replaying some of the main missions, but it is less likely side missions will be repeated. While I wish the campaigns operated more like Arkham Horror: The Card Game, I understand that the digression of side missions creates a degree of surprise and engagement.
A mid-weight game, Imperial Assault is very family friendly. Knowing the popularity of Star Wars, it's clear Fantasy Flight Games wanted to make this accessible to a wide audience. With asymmetrical gameplay, it becomes natural for a parent to take on the role of the Imperials and their kids the Rebels, with the parent adjusting gameplay as each mission proceeds. I would be remiss not to mention how imminently paintable the plastic miniatures are, something kids can also get involved in.
And now to the potential drawbacks. Like most if not all FFG products, there is a huge amount of expansion material to purchase beyond the core set reviewed here. To be clear, the core set contains a massive amount of content. There are thirty-six plastic miniatures, more than sixty map tiles, and more than twelve different types of cards that provide upgrades, bonuses, rewards, missions, etc. It's a big box brimming with content. But still there are things “missing”. For example, only cardboard tokens for characters like Han Solo, the Emperor, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and others are provided, no minis. If players want the plastic minis for those characters, they must be purchased separately. More than just plastic, however, the separate minis come with custom scenarios and missions of their own. Fantasy Flight Games have also released six additional campaigns (large and small box) in which those additional minis can also be put to use. The bottom line is that, for as full as the core box is with stuff, there is much more available that must be purchased separately should the fun grab you. Beware the rabbit hole.
In the end, Imperial Assault is thisclose to Star Wars on the table. It's missing spaceships due to scale, but besides that people's favorite heroes and villains come to life in engaging scenarios across many locations, known and new. Blasters blasting, lightsabers sabering, and everything between comes to life in this asymmetrical, 1 vs many tabletop game. Just be warned of the potential rabbit hole of additional content the game could trigger the desire for. Star Wars, after all, can't really fit in a box. But the feel of it can.
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