Some examples that come up (how did this not come up in play testing???)

Han Solo is assigned the "Strike Force" mission where he pulls in ground units to any imperial-occupied planet, then combat resolves.

Sounds simple.

Rebel General selects a planet that has 4 TIE Fighters, an Imperial Star Destroyer, 2 AT-ST and 3 Storm Troopers on it.

Questions fly:

1. If the Imperial player did not (or could not) oppose the Mission (they were out of leaders that had the necessary mission's icon), then the landing succeeds, but now that you move onto combat, should or should not the Imperial player, as part of the Combat mechanic, get to add a Leader that has space and/or ground tactic values? The mission is now bleeding into combat as if it were an activation.

2. Complicate matters further, if the Imperial player gets to place a combat leader, if the Rebels have units in an adjacent system, why wouldn't they be able to draw those units into the combat as well?

What we resolved is:

1. No additional rebel forces can be drawn in as this is unique to System Activation and moving of forces takes place before combat.

2. If you just focus on the combat rules, even though the mission went unopposed by the Empire, they now get to place a leader on the planet to lead the ground forces and draw ground tactic cards.

Thematically, I have a problem with #2. It was supposed to be a "strike force". We've already ignored transport-wise how those units got there, so how does the Empire get to magically react to this at all and send in a leader to support???

This is just one example. We had many similar ones that pushed our play time to 6 hours tonight.

EDIT: Another example: How does it make sense that space combat goes first (ok), but you can LOSE space combat and still land troops for ground combat? If my defending space forces destroyed the enemy, how did they get to land those troops???

Another puzzler: How does it make sense that I, as a Rebel, can turn the loyalty of a planet to Rebel-loyal and if the system is still "subjugated" they get to leave troops on it and TIE fighters above it?

On the flipside, if Han had done his ground strike on a planet that had 2 Storm Troopers and 2 TIE fighters and he won, how does it make sense that this planet is still Empire-loyal and the TIE fighters get to stay in orbit? It should at LEAST be neutral-subjugated, which drops down how much build that planet is worth during the Refresh phase.

None of this at all unclear rules wise.

You want the rules to work differently, that does not mean that the rules aren't working exactly as intended. It does not mean that there will be an FAQ on the subjects, and it certainly doesn't mean that these "things" didn't come up in testing. Not one of those things doesnt work rules wise.

Yes, the Imperial player can add a leader during Combat created by Missions. The first step of Combat is the ability for the defending player to add a leader if they don't have one, why would that step be skipped? Why if skipping that step would you not also skip any other step.

No, you can't take another Leader activation in the middle of another activation, without a specific ability allowing you to do so. What would make you think you could. Nothing in the rules implies that would be possible. Afterall you aren't going to interupt a pending Combat created by Activating System, with another Mission.

How does either side get to react to anything it's opponents do with instantaneous assignment of a leader? That's just how the game works. Assigning a leader to defend Han's Strike Force is no less believable then any Leader defending any Mission they had no knowledge of or ability to predict where it would occur.

They land the ground troops as the space battle opens up... I mean we are talking about entire Systems here and the battles we are fighting could be a month long campaigns.

The System is still Subjugated because there are Imperial troops in the System, they don't get to stay because it's Subjugated they are what is creating the Subjugation. How does Imperial troops occupying a Rebel sympathizing System not make sense?

Loyalty has nothing to do with who occupies the System. It has to do with what side the "populous" of the System supports.

FFG will release an FAQ eventually as they do with all games, but none of these things are likely to be on it. They are all quite clear.

There are two phases here.

Phase one: Resolve the Mission!

From your description, I am assuming you are referring to the "LEAD THE STRIKE TEAM" mission.

So to start, you reveal the mission and place the assigned leader to the system, in this case Han Solo. This is not a System Activation!!!

At this point the Empire player has a chance to oppose the mission, if he wants and it is possible, with a leader that has the Spec Ops (fist) icon. In this case, you said that the Imperial player did not have one of the required leaders so the mission goes unopposed, making it a success.

This allows the Rebel player to move up to 4 ground units from the Rebel Base space to the system, "ignoring transport restrictions and adjency" rules. Basically they smuggled in the strike force.

Now we move to the last line on the card. "If there are Imperial ground units in this system, resolve a combat." From you description, there are Imperial ground units in the system.

Resolve the combat. This means, the mission is over and the combat starts.

Phase two: Resolve the combat

The mission at this point is done...this is a new combat! Follow all the rules governing combat. So, the first thing is "Add Leader" from page 4 of the Rules Reference. If a player does not have a leader with tactic values in the system, he can add one from his leader pool. Well, the Rebel player clearly has Han Solo in the system. He has 2 for Space Tactics and 2 for Ground tactics. So the Rebel player can't add a new leader. But as you described, the Imperial player does not have a leader with any tactics values in the system, so he can add one from his leader pool. Remember, the mission is over, so he does not need the Spec Ops "fist" icon. The only requirement is to have tactics values. Once the Imperial player choses or or to add a leader, resolve the combat as normal with cards and dice for ground combat only as there are no Rebel ships to battle with the Imperial ships, only ground units.

Systems are only subjugated with ground units. If TIE Fighters are the only Imperial units in the system, it won't be subjugated. Those units will, however, prevent the Rebel player from building and deploying in that system if it is Rebel loyal.

I figure it's better to post here than make a new thread. If there is going to be combat and you or your opponent need to take a leader from the pool but there is none to take, what happens during combat? I'm assuming the player unable to use a leader is penalized and combat results in a victory for the one initiating it right?

Scottie and BlindAdmiral, good explanations. You too Rowdy, but, I already give you enough credit.

Yea, I don't think either case is unclear. The Mission involves getting the units into the system. Once the mission is over, if there are Imperial units, you resolve a combat. Very clear from the rules as written.

As for the other questions:

1. Remember all of the combat is really simultaneous; troops are landing as the space battle is occurring. Would be more realistic to have a chance that destroying the transporting unit would also destroy the ground forces? Probably. But the unit density of the game is low enough I don't think this adds anything. And it is clear in the rules as written.

2. Loyalty represents the support of the system's population; it doesn't mean that all Imperial forces would automatically be destroyed or driven off. You'll need military forces for that.

3. No; Subjugation is not available to the Rebels, so the planet would remain Loyal to the Empire. But your forces still occupy it, so my understanding is that the Empire can't use the resources on the planet or place units there; so haven't you accomplished the same thing?

I figure it's better to post here than make a new thread. If there is going to be combat and you or your opponent need to take a leader from the pool but there is none to take, what happens during combat? I'm assuming the player unable to use a leader is penalized and combat results in a victory for the one initiating it right?

I believe if you are unable to add a leader to a combad than you don't receive a starting hand of tactic cards. You still fight combat by rolling dice for your forces and can still draw tactic cards whenever lightsabers are rolled.

I figure it's better to post here than make a new thread. If there is going to be combat and you or your opponent need to take a leader from the pool but there is none to take, what happens during combat? I'm assuming the player unable to use a leader is penalized and combat results in a victory for the one initiating it right?

I believe if you are unable to add a leader to a combad than you don't receive a starting hand of tactic cards. You still fight combat by rolling dice for your forces and can still draw tactic cards whenever lightsabers are rolled.

Correct; you don't NEED to have a leader if you are the defender (the initiating player had to use one to get his units into the system, obviously; the only penalty is that you don't start with Tactics cards.

-Will

Correct; you don't NEED to have a leader if you are the defender (the initiating player had to use one to get his units into the system, obviously; the only penalty is that you don't start with Tactics cards.

-Will

That, and you're not actually able to retreat!

That, and you're not actually able to retreat!

Oh man, almost overlooked that! Yes, ALSO very important!

-Will

That, and you're not actually able to retreat!

Oh man, almost overlooked that! Yes, ALSO very important!

-Will

What if I happened to have a leader in the system because he/she attempted a mission in the system earlier? Can I use that same leader to retreat?

That, and you're not actually able to retreat!

Oh man, almost overlooked that! Yes, ALSO very important!

-Will

What if I happened to have a leader in the system because he/she attempted a mission in the system earlier? Can I use that same leader to retreat?

Yes

BadAsh1, Most of your issues are covered in the rules, I suggest you read them again.

You are conflating "Activating A System" with "Combat". You can "Activate a System" without initiating "Combat" (no enemy units). You can also have "Combat" without "Activating a System" (Missions or Action cards)

"On the flipside, if Han had done his ground strike on a planet that had 2 Storm Troopers and 2 TIE fighters and he won, how does it make sense that this planet is still Empire-loyal and the TIE fighters get to stay in orbit? It should at LEAST be neutral-subjugated, which drops down how much build that planet is worth during the Refresh phase."

You need to read the Build portion of the rules, in the above scenario (Empire Loyal, Rebel Troops on the ground, Imperials in the air), the planet would not build anything and the empire couldn't deploy any units to it (identical to being Sabotaged).

The rest of your issues seem to be tied to not being able to come up with explanations for the abstractions in the game and/or allowing them to bother you.

For example:

"How does it make sense that space combat goes first (ok), but you can LOSE space combat and still land troops for ground combat? If my defending space forces destroyed the enemy, how did they get to land those troops???"

Answer: The star destroyer came in on the far side of the planet, launched shuttles with the ground troops on them and then proceeded to engage the enemy fleet. (there are any number of explanations)

or

"Thematically, I have a problem with #2. It was supposed to be a "strike force". We've already ignored transport-wise how those units got there, so how does the Empire get to magically react to this at all and send in a leader to support???"

Answer: That Imperial leader was already there, the rebels just did not know it. In any game, you do not need to interpret the resolution of effects in the same order in which they are resolved in game. (like if I as the active player destroys a star destroyer, why does it get to fire back? Its been destroyed.)