The Imperial Assault releases follow a pretty basic pattern based on moving chronologically through the original trilogy.

A New Hope - Big box, the starter set. Small box, Tatooine.

Empire Strikes Back - Big box, Hoth. Small box, Bespin.

Return of the Jedi - Big box, Jabba's palace. Small box, Endor.

So there are a couple of different options for after that, I'd be curious to see which people think will be most likely/most exciting.

Force Awakens

Pros; It keeps moving chronologically forwards. It keeps the original trilogy aesthetic that all of Imperial Assault has. The movie was crazy popular and models for Rey, Finn etc could possibly bring new people into the game.

Cons; Big box is obviously Jakku, but no obvious small box expansion. Once in the new era players might be reluctant to move backwards, which could put FFG in a tricky situation where they have to wait for new movies to develop new content. Details about the state of the galaxy in this era are actually pretty sparse, might be better to work from an era with more details to develop from.

Rebels

Pros; The Inquisitor has already been released, so FFG are clearly looking at this. Keeps the original trilogy aesthetic. Good collection of villains to use (Agent Kallus, the Inquisitors, Maul, Thrawn) as well as the rebels crew themselves. Lothal would be a good location for a box expansion. Tons of details and ideas to develop from. AHSOKA.

Cons; Not as popular with older fans. Moving backwards chronologically.

The Prequel Era

Pros; Um

No but seriously there are tons of cool soldier types and designs as well as fun locations, and the mass war would give FFG infinite possibilities to play with. And the prequels are under rated there I said it.

Cons; Would be moving backwards chronologically. Different aesthetic. Difficult to balance against the generally lower power level of the other eras. Could be a huge nerd backlash against it. Sand gets everywhere.

I'm not counting Rogue One as an option, just because there isn't enough time for FFG to develop for as their next set of releases after Endor. It does look awesome though and I'd love to see it get some Imperial Assault love down the line.

Wild card option, FFG drops the release convention for a year or so

Pros; Not limited in what box expansions can be released.

Cons; Could lead to a weird mishmash of different timeframes etc.

On balance I think a focus on Rebels for two expansions, before moving onto Force Awakens era, would be best. But I'm curious what other people think.

The Force Awakens would be quite a stretch, as it's "Imperial Assault" and not "First Order Assault". With all those Stormtroopers having new Designs means basically all Imperial Miniatures couldn't mix and match. Not that likely. Same goes for the Prequel Area Stuff – not beeing able to use anything from the Empire together and the name of the game just doesn't really work that well.

Battle of Jakku They already took some designs from Star Wars: Battlefront, and it would varant a big box.

While Rebels doesn't interest me that much (I think the whole animated "Pixar-Style" Star Wars thing never worked for me), it is a logical step. And I do think that Rogue One just goes together with Rebels, they don't have to define which is which - it's the same Time after all. I guess they focus on that, as Disney is fleshing out that Time Period anyways, with the Han Solo Movies coming etc.

There is another Option: It would actually be easy to switch the Sides and make an Imperial Assault Campaign with Imperial "Villains" and a Rebell Commander. Not something that gets Expansions for itself, but one Box would work (They might even do a Civil War Crimson Empire Theme with the Rebel Heroes beeing Imperial Traitors, but in Skirmish they have Imperial Faction Cards).

The Force Awakens would be quite a stretch, as it's "Imperial Assault" and not "First Order Assault".

I don't want to shock you too much, but it's quite common for a game of "X-Wing" to have not a single X-Wing on the table.

If they wanted to do Rogue One, they easily could. We had the FA X Wing game before the movie after all. I think the only carch would be anything other than the announcement article would have to be released after the movie. But this really isn't an issue. Don't forget that they haven't announced the Endor small box yet!

Rebels does seem likely, though.

FA, not so much.

If they really needed to stall, though, a Battlefront expansion could easily be done. It would work best as a small box, I think, or maybe a $50 box with a little content, but I think the side missions made campaign work best for this (but can you imagine a mini campaign with 2 more missions? 3 options). They could give us shadow troopers and shock troopers, a couple of heroes and Tiles which are one side Sullust, and the other side could be random locations from Tatooine and Endor.

The Force Awakens would be quite a stretch, as it's "Imperial Assault" and not "First Order Assault".

I don't want to shock you too much, but it's quite common for a game of "X-Wing" to have not a single X-Wing on the table.

I think that is actually different from a new Faction from another Timeline. Almost everything in Force Awakens from the Dark Side got a redesign (even the lightsaber ). You don't have Imperials in a Skirmish Game between Rebels and Scum, but you do have units from the time where the bad guy is called Empire.

I would like to see a Clone Wars expansion with those figures, but I don't see that happening for quite some time, I imagine they would want to run through the OT content first, which includes Rebels and Rogue One and most likely the new Han Solo film. They might branch out to the sequel trilogy at some point though, or they might make a sequel and prequel version of the game that is compatible with the Imperial Assault system. Here is what I imagine is the coming release schedule:

Skirmish Wave: January/February or Spring 2017

Endor Small Box: Summer 2017

-Most likely having Han Solo, Commander, Ewoks, Imperial Villain, and 4-Lom and Zuckass as allies and villains.

Skirmish Wave: Summer or Fall 2017

-Maybe a Yoda/Emperor/Maul set.

Lothal Rebels Big Box: Winter 2017

-Most likely including a Hera and Chopper figure pack and a Kallus villain figure.

Skirmish Wave: Spring or Summer 2018.

Mandalore/Lasat Small Box: Summer 2018

-Most likely including a Zeb and Sabine figure pack, and probably the new mandalorians we see in the Rebels season 3 trailer.

Skirmish Wave: Fall or Winter 2018

Jedi Big Box: Winter 2018

-Most likely including a Ezra and Kanaan figure pack, maybe with a focus on generic order inquisitors, aka a generic version of the 5th brother, 7th sister, and 8th brother. Or maybe they would add the new dark troopers from season 3.

Skirmish Wave: Spring or Summer 2019

Rogue One Jedha Small Box: Summer 2019

-Most likely either adding some of the characters from the film as heroes or adding one or two of the more memorable characters, and adding Death troopers.

Skirmish Wave: Fall or Winter 2019

Rogue One Scarif Big Box: Winter 2019

-Most likely add more Rogue One characters and shore troopers.

Skirmish Wave: Spring or Summer 2020.

Rebels Season 3/4/5 Small Box: Summer 2020.

-Most likely adding more stuff from the newer seasons.

Skirmish Wave: Fall or Winter 2020.

Force Awakens Big Box: Winter 2020.

By waiting this long FFG can see where the new trilogy is going and better plan to add the more memorable parts of it to the game, not to mention it gives the new EU stuff the time to fill in gaps and add more trooper types and more potential heroes and such. And despite the addition of prequel characters in the Star Wars Destiny game I don't think FFG is really planning to push too much prequel era content, though if they chose to the Clone Wars 2d animated show, the films, the comics, and the Clone Wars 3d animated show would easily give them enough material to pull from over a good 3 or 4 year cycle if not more. I just imagine that FFG will be pushing the more new and popular content, the same way we say X-wing get Force Awakens X-wings and Tie fighters.

Rogue one Xmas release.

Probably TFA.

Probably Rebels, what with the Inquisitor already existing.

I think Animewarsdude has the right idea above, but I'm not sure they'll push that much Rebels content.

I'm thinking max 2 big boxes, 2 small boxes.

Plenty of material to fill those boxes with though

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

As much as that would be nice, ffg isn't paying huge bucks for a lisence to then not use parts of the IP...

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

You are not the only one. There was once a time when people craved stories that had nothing to do with the film arc. Those days are long past. I had hoped, before I started seeing footage, that Rebels would be such a show, but boy was I wrong. The people like me who played the WEG Star Wars RPG were keen to invent new stories in sandbox of star wars species. So, yes, I would love to see a campaign that's only tie in to the movie is that it is during the galactic civil war.

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

I would LOVE this! I really want to see Rhen Var, Sullust, Kamino, Kashyyyk, Muunilust, Rattattack, etc. However, an expansion for these is unlikely as they are not mainstream enough. Instead we'll get Rebels. Ughh!

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

While I don't disagree with the idea of this, it's in their best interest as a business to capitalize on tie in products, so as a general rule it's probably unlikely at this point. However, we have always gotten EU or otherwise new figures in the Tie in sets, and that should continue. It's also likely that if they ever do decide to do one that is otherwise unrelated or out of sequence thematically, that it will include figures from the movies or current Expanded Universe canon.

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

I would LOVE this! I really want to see Rhen Var, Sullust, Kamino, Kashyyyk, Muunilust, Rattattack, etc. However, an expansion for these is unlikely as they are not mainstream enough. Instead we'll get Rebels. Ughh!

It only makes sense that they market popular and known characters, but you never know if the did make a Clone Wars version of the game they could easily feature those planets in expansions called Campaigns, like the Ryloth Campaign, the Kamino Campaign, etc...

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

I would LOVE this! I really want to see Rhen Var, Sullust, Kamino, Kashyyyk, Muunilust, Rattattack, etc. However, an expansion for these is unlikely as they are not mainstream enough. Instead we'll get Rebels. Ughh!

It only makes sense that they market popular and known characters, but you never know if the did make a Clone Wars version of the game they could easily feature those planets in expansions called Campaigns, like the Ryloth Campaign, the Kamino Campaign, etc...

This would only work if someone went out and made a program similar to the Star Wars screen crawl but had it narrate the adventure intro in Tom Kane's voice:

"Separatist Tyranny! With forces spread thin, Yoda has sent a rag-tag band of freedom fighters to..."

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

I would LOVE this! I really want to see Rhen Var, Sullust, Kamino, Kashyyyk, Muunilust, Rattattack, etc. However, an expansion for these is unlikely as they are not mainstream enough. Instead we'll get Rebels. Ughh!

It only makes sense that they market popular and known characters, but you never know if the did make a Clone Wars version of the game they could easily feature those planets in expansions called Campaigns, like the Ryloth Campaign, the Kamino Campaign, etc...

I see no reason this can't be done in the Galactic Civil War. Battles were fought all over the Empire, not just on Hoth and Endor.

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

I would LOVE this! I really want to see Rhen Var, Sullust, Kamino, Kashyyyk, Muunilust, Rattattack, etc. However, an expansion for these is unlikely as they are not mainstream enough. Instead we'll get Rebels. Ughh!

It only makes sense that they market popular and known characters, but you never know if the did make a Clone Wars version of the game they could easily feature those planets in expansions called Campaigns, like the Ryloth Campaign, the Kamino Campaign, etc...

I see no reason this can't be done in the Galactic Civil War. Battles were fought all over the Empire, not just on Hoth and Endor.

Very true and they could, but those planets are a little more associated with battles during the Clone Wars or at the very least that is how I feel about those planets. Well except for Sullust which could work as a Battlefront expansion and I could see a Kashyyyk campaign where the Rebels are trying to liberate them from Imperial slavery.

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

I would LOVE this! I really want to see Rhen Var, Sullust, Kamino, Kashyyyk, Muunilust, Rattattack, etc. However, an expansion for these is unlikely as they are not mainstream enough. Instead we'll get Rebels. Ughh!

It only makes sense that they market popular and known characters, but you never know if the did make a Clone Wars version of the game they could easily feature those planets in expansions called Campaigns, like the Ryloth Campaign, the Kamino Campaign, etc...

I see no reason this can't be done in the Galactic Civil War. Battles were fought all over the Empire, not just on Hoth and Endor.

You are right, they could have fought there. However, those locations are likely not mainstream enough to get anything other than a Side Mission or two. Except for Kashyyyk.

You are right, they could have fought there. However, those locations are likely not mainstream enough to get anything other than a Side Mission or two. Except for Kashyyyk.

I could be wrong, but I feel you are overestimating the draw of this game outside of people not already familiar with Star Wars. This game contains a bunch of made up heroes who had nothing to do with the movies, I think it could survive a campaign on a few lesser known worlds where you are still dealing with familiar enemies and allies, save maybe the people directly related to the films. As for Kashyyyk, that's always popular, as you mentioned. If they released some Wookiee commander for skirmish they and the Wookiee warriors, Chewbacca, and Han could all play a part in the liberation of Kashyyyk following Endor. The Empire is far from over the years following the second Death Stars destruction, so intense fighting would be everywhere, a perfect time to extend the game beyond the confines of the OT.

Am I the only one who would be quite happy to have a box that *doesn't* reference the movies or shows? I'm fine if they do choose to go for Rebels or Rogue One (as they really are the obvious choices), but do they need to? Why not have campaigns set in new surroundings with new characters, or at least not as as 'derivative' as the current model?

I promise you, you're not the only one (of course I don't think that actually makes it more likely to happen in the near future...)

I think we got a good clue about the expansion process in Boardwars recent interview. They said it takes about a year to get an expansion out, saying they started Jabba's Palace in roughly October of last year.

I think it's safe to guess an Endor expansion will be second quarter of next year; the question is what follows that?

If the schedule remains the same then they are beginning the next big box expansion in October, which means they are limited by what is available to view in October. Sadly, that means no Rouge One I think, but Rebels and TFA material is definitely not out of the question. Personally, I lean more towards Rebels because it's much closer to the timeline of the OT. Then we could probably expect Rogue One about 2018 fourth quarter.

Unless Disney lets them see it early - or - they build the basic mechanics and then slap the theme over the top when they see the movie in December. I REALLY hope they do that.

From my understanding of how movie tie-in products work, they would not necessarily need to see the movie to do a tie-in. Lucas Film would likely send them "bibles". So they would know about the scarab troopers, and the tank, and the main characters, etc. That way FFG could produce a box using Rogue One content without revealing Rogue One.

This would probably never happen for market reasons, but

Wraith Squadron expansion

I wonder if by the time the have endor small box out if there would be enough rebel content to have a Imperial based campaign like a Rebel Assault. Legendary Villains for example.