Let's see some good house rules here. Little tweaks to the game that have made your own personal experience better.

So, my two campaign house rules:

1) Rebel allies' deployment cost is reduced by 1/3, rounded up. This has worked very well for me, because the Imperials naturally get stronger through the course of a campaign, but Rebel allies do not.

2) In a mini-campaign, allowing Diala to purchase her lighsaber for 3XP. If it's a mini-campaign she has no way of getting it, and that's lame in my book. So, taking a page from Davith, I've house-ruled that she can buy it.

Do you have any house-rules that have made things better?

▪ Limit of Agenda Cards in play (imperial hand and play area, not including side missions): 4. If over the limit, agenda cards must be discarded until at the limit.

(Encourages playing the agenda cards instead of hoarding them just to win the finale).
▪ During the Rebel upgrade stage draw half of the appropriate item deck (rounded down) instead of a fixed number of cards. Adjust for abilities like Smuggler's Luck.

(Adding new items does not punish the rebels. Half, i.e. 6/12, is what the core campaign uses. The item draws are swingy enough as they are, especially one-shot missions where you get only one draw.)

In each Side Mission stage you're dealt two Side Mission cards, and after you choose one the other card is discarded.

If a hero withdraws during a mission, they can't be used for the remainder of the campaign. Whatever XP that character had is given to the new character and that new character is allowed the opportunity to upgrade (even in the case of a forced mission).

6+ Player Variants

• Have 2 Imperial players. They each control some units and it helps to make sure rules and mission nuances aren’t missed.

• Allow a 5th rebel to play as an ally (you can even use the hero's skirmish cards for this). If they get eliminated, let them re-deploy (if they want to) on the next round and give the Imperial equal threat.

▪ Limit of Agenda Cards in play (imperial hand and play area, not including side missions): 4. If over the limit, agenda cards must be discarded until at the limit.

(Encourages playing the agenda cards instead of hoarding them just to win the finale).

Might use this one in future campaigns.

Our Imperial player currently has 4 agenda cards in the play area and 5 secret going into the finale

Seems extreme, though maybe the Imperial player needs all the help he can get once the heroes are decked out at the end.

In each Side Mission stage you're dealt two Side Mission cards, and after you choose one the other card is discarded.

If a hero withdraws during a mission, they can't be used for the remainder of the campaign. Whatever XP that character had is given to the new character and that new character is allowed the opportunity to upgrade (even in the case of a forced mission).

6+ Player Variants

• Have 2 Imperial players. They each control some units and it helps to make sure rules and mission nuances aren’t missed.

• Allow a 5th rebel to play as an ally (you can even use the hero's skirmish cards for this). If they get eliminated, let them re-deploy (if they want to) on the next round and give the Imperial equal threat.

That 5th Rebel variant is brilliant.

Allies and villians can be used without completing their side missions. The reward for completing the side mission just lowers their cost.

Players can toss out items from the shop they never want to see again.

Heroes can always choose their hero missions.

In each Side Mission stage[/size] you're dealt two Side Mission cards, and after you choose one the other card is discarded. [/size]

If a hero withdraws during a mission, they can't be used for the remainder of the campaign. Whatever XP that character had is given to the new [/size] character and that new character is allowed the opportunity to upgrade (even in the case of a forced mission).[/size]

6+ Player Variants[/size]

• Have 2 Imperial players. They each control some units and it helps to make sure rules and mission nuances aren’t missed.[/size]

• Allow a 5th rebel to play as an ally (you can even use the hero's skirmish cards for this). If they get eliminated, let them re-deploy (if they want to) on the next round and give the Imperial equal threat.[/size]

I always play that all heroes must withdraw in the finale. It is much more thematic and balanced.

Allies and villians can be used without completing their side missions. The reward for completing the side mission just lowers their cost.

Players can toss out items from the shop they never want to see again.

Heroes can always choose their hero missions.

" Heroes can always choose their hero missions."

​Can you please elaborate?

In each Side Mission stage[/size] you're dealt two Side Mission cards, and after you choose one the other card is discarded. [/size]

If a hero withdraws during a mission, they can't be used for the remainder of the campaign. Whatever XP that character had is given to the new [/size] character and that new character is allowed the opportunity to upgrade (even in the case of a forced mission).[/size]

6+ Player Variants[/size]

• Have 2 Imperial players. They each control some units and it helps to make sure rules and mission nuances aren’t missed.[/size]

• Allow a 5th rebel to play as an ally (you can even use the hero's skirmish cards for this). If they get eliminated, let them re-deploy (if they want to) on the next round and give the Imperial equal threat.[/size]

Seems extreme! I took Jyn down in two turns in the last mission I played. Seems like Imps could win by default pretty easily!

I always play that all heroes must withdraw in the finale. It is much more thematic and balanced.

It's a little extreme, but the new character(s) gets to outfit themselves with all new abilities using the XP already gained.

We tried it when playing Bespin Gambit since it's a short campaign. There were 2 experienced players with 2 Rebel heroes each. I wouldn't recommend this variant for new or semi new players, it's really more of a veteran thing. It's a good variant for players that have experience with most/all of the heroes.

As the Imperial, I intentionally avoided causing 1 hero to withdraw because I felt they weren't very good in BG. Out of the other 3, only 2 heroes withdrew over the course of the campaign. Since most missions only need you to wound all heroes, it doesn't make a lot of sense to force them to withdraw. In my games, it usually comes about as more of an opportunity or a mistake by the rebel player rather than an objective I strive for. But with this variant it can change the dynamic of the campaign. If anyone else ever tries it, I'd like to know their experience.

-- Supply crate items can be traded to any adjacent hero character.

-- Imperial player (me) must select Imperial units for open groups.

I do like the 5th rebel option talked about above.

-- Supply crate items can be traded to any adjacent hero character.

-- Imperial player (me) must select Imperial units for open groups.

I do like the 5th rebel option talked about above.

I always thought you could trade supply cards!

The hero who interacts with the crate claims the supply card. Only that hero can use it, although there are a couple of supply cards that do not in effect depend on the hero's activation, like CI Comlink.

Heroes cannot trade item cards during the mission either, only just before they arrive on and around the entrance. (And even then, item cards that are class cards can not be traded.)

-- Supply crate items can be traded to any adjacent hero character.

-- Imperial player (me) must select Imperial units for open groups.

I do like the 5th rebel option talked about above.

Would you count this as an interact -action?

Though i haven't implemented it yet I plan to allow crate items to be carried over from mission to mission, just seems odd that you have to ditch it if you don't use them, and by default allow rebels to swap those crate items between themselves between missions.

Also on crate items, allow them to remain hidden from the the imp player, in particular the one that allows players to look at the open group in the imp players hand as I would also allow them to use it at the time of their choice rather than immediately as often it gets collected late in the mission providing no new info.

Basically trying to create an incentive to grab the crates as my current group don't feel there is enough value against the loss of an action particularly in regards to having to get rid of them at the end of the mission

Basically trying to create an incentive to grab the crates as my current group don't feel there is enough value against the loss of an action particularly in regards to having to get rid of them at the end of the mission

Funny, my group always seems to have a useless activation waiting around when they are near a crate, (ie stacking by a door, ready to breach or something like that). As they are prepping for the next phase, one guy is left waiting, or is the last one to get into position, has a spare activation, boom, 50 free cr.

Basically trying to create an incentive to grab the crates as my current group don't feel there is enough value against the loss of an action particularly in regards to having to get rid of them at the end of the mission

Funny, my group always seems to have a useless activation waiting around when they are near a crate, (ie stacking by a door, ready to breach or something like that). As they are prepping for the next phase, one guy is left waiting, or is the last one to get into position, has a spare activation, boom, 50 free cr.

While I've had more situations like what Hersh is describing, I've always found the 50cr. reward per crate worth the loss of an activation. There are enough opportunities that present themselves. There are also those times when, as the Rebels, you know you can't win based on the number of activations left and how much needs to be done. If the math works out like that, I will spend whatever time I have left grabbing crates (or as the Imperial blocking crates). I'm going to have to look at this a little further and figure out if more incentive is needed and whether it breaks the balance too much. But I generally like the idea of making them a bit more valuable/utile.

I always thought you could trade supply cards!

The hero who interacts with the crate claims the supply card. Only that hero can use it, although there are a couple of supply cards that do not in effect depend on the hero's activation, like CI Comlink.

Heroes cannot trade item cards during the mission either, only just before they arrive on and around the entrance. (And even then, item cards that are class cards can not be traded.)

So is MH-D useless?

Why would it make MHD-19 useless?

He cannot be affected by medical cards, but can perform the Rest action to heal himself and can use medical cards to affect other rebels.

Allies and villians can be used without completing their side missions. The reward for completing the side mission just lowers their cost.

Players can toss out items from the shop they never want to see again.

Heroes can always choose their hero missions.

" Heroes can always choose their hero missions."

​Can you please elaborate?

Whenever its time for a side mission, heroes can choose to do a hero (red) side mission regardless if it is drawn or not. IMO it'd be lame to never have a chance at your specific reward card just because it wasn't drawn.

In each Side Mission stage you're dealt two Side Mission cards, and after you choose one the other card is discarded.

If a hero withdraws during a mission, they can't be used for the remainder of the campaign. Whatever XP that character had is given to the new character and that new character is allowed the opportunity to upgrade (even in the case of a forced mission).

6+ Player Variants

• Have 2 Imperial players. They each control some units and it helps to make sure rules and mission nuances aren’t missed.

• Allow a 5th rebel to play as an ally (you can even use the hero's skirmish cards for this). If they get eliminated, let them re-deploy (if they want to) on the next round and give the Imperial equal threat.

I'd throw missions just to gank Gideon or Fenn, particularly if the Rebels have both and Fenn is doing 4 (or more) blast 3 shots per round.

Basically trying to create an incentive to grab the crates as my current group don't feel there is enough value against the loss of an action particularly in regards to having to get rid of them at the end of the mission

Funny, my group always seems to have a useless activation waiting around when they are near a crate, (ie stacking by a door, ready to breach or something like that). As they are prepping for the next phase, one guy is left waiting, or is the last one to get into position, has a spare activation, boom, 50 free cr.

I almost never have "free" activations unless it's an untimed mission, where it depends on whether or not I can keep up with threat generation, which generally comes down to luck of the dice or mission balance. For timed missions, opening crates is a gamble and I generally don't unless I know I have it well in hand. Of course, if I know I'm going to lose then it's a crate opening party!

Why would it make MHD-19 useless?

He cannot be affected by medical cards, but can perform the Rest action to heal himself and can use medical cards to affect other rebels.

I guess I had never looked at the supply cards that hard.

Though i haven't implemented it yet I plan to allow crate items to be carried over from mission to mission, just seems odd that you have to ditch it if you don't use them, and by default allow rebels to swap those crate items between themselves between missions.

Also on crate items, allow them to remain hidden from the the imp player, in particular the one that allows players to look at the open group in the imp players hand as I would also allow them to use it at the time of their choice rather than immediately as often it gets collected late in the mission providing no new info.

Basically trying to create an incentive to grab the crates as my current group don't feel there is enough value against the loss of an action particularly in regards to having to get rid of them at the end of the mission

Valuable Goods

C1 Comlink

1x Adrenal Stim

1x Bacta Infusion

That way by the third or fourth mission the rebels are sure to get Valuable Goods and Comlink every mission.

well thats fairly simple to stop if you are going to let the hero's carry supply cards between missions limit how many a hero can carry between missions to 1 per hero (or per activation if playing with less than 4 hero's)

My full 5th hero variant:

Heroes have -2 HP

Increase threat level by 1

Starting threat increased by threat level

Open Groups increased by 1

I did a full (original) campaign with those rules and i thought it worked well and the balance felt similar to a standard game.

The only thing I do with a standard campaign is I have removed several of the weaker item cards in order to combat "dillution" that happens each time an expansion adds cards to a deck.

I have tested a few others like reduce ally cost by 1/3, but thought it is more trouble than it is worth and properly costed allies are now coming out. I also have alternate versions of overcharger and telescoping lens but i still ended up just removing the cards.

• Missions with time restrictions can be stretched by adding additional threat level. ( 1 round extended = x1 the new round # is the threat issued i.e if they go to round 6 the imperial player get 6 extra threat, 2 rounds extended = 2 times the new round # is the threat issued i.e. if they go to round 7 the imperial player get 14 extra threat, etc.)

This allows the mission to go longer, but the longer they take the more the imperial player can redeploy.