I am currently new to imperial assault, but the few times I've played, I loved every single game.
The topic title is pretty self-explanatory, are there any tips or rule-of-thumbs I should know about?
I am aware of the Royal Guard, Imperial Officer, and Rebel Sabotuer nerfs, but are there any other great rule changes?
Thanks
Edited by bconsYou can load the FAQ from https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/star-wars-imperial-assault/
And you can read the news/preview articles https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/tag/star-wars-imperial-assault/?
There are too many "special" things related to the intricasies of rules details, ability interactions / combos, and strategy to give you other than:
Know that you have lot to explore / learn.
Well, and:
The campaign is fun!
Make sure you pour one out for your wallet.
Another major rule change from the Core Set rulebook that is available in the FAQ and/or Tournament Rules is that you may choose to pass your activation if your opponent has more activations than you. Will definitely help you keep those high value figures alive or to gain superior field position later in the round.
Ernest Shackleton is a BIG FAN.
Campaign specific (So might not be relevant but...):
The imperial player has a large advantage the first time the rebels play the campaign due to all the surprise factors. In addition to that the campaign can get quite snowbally so if you're the IP you might want to go a bit easy on the rebels. In a similar vein if the IP uses the class deck "Subversive tactics" things can get pretty miserable for the rebels since it's built around stopping them doing things.
Thanks for the feedback, the ability to pass your activation could prove quite useful...
Thanks for the feedback, the ability to pass your activation could prove quite useful...
Yeah, it's kinda huge, actually.
Also, if at some point you get into the tournament scene, there is a list of 3 Legal Maps for competitive play. You don't need to bring all 30 maps and 60 missions with you to each event, but only the tiles and mission cards for the 3 Legal Maps at the time. Right now those maps are Coruscant Landfill (Bantha Rider pack), Training Ground (Stormtrooper pack), and Nelvaanian Warzone (Leia pack). So if you're at all interested in tournament play, then I'd suggest learning those maps first, and then get to the other maps when you have the time. Besides, those 3 are some of the best-designed maps and missions anyway (which is why they're on the Legal Maps list in the first place).
You should know, that skirmish is the best strategy game in the world.
Armada is better!
At that moment Felswrath saw his life flash before his eyes.
I would second the statement that Subversive Tactics is a fun sucker. I would NOT run it with new people, and I would NOT run it in a long campaign. Maybe one of the mini campaigns though.
Also, don't be afraid to houserule if needed. It's about you and your friends having fun. I houserule that all Rebel allies get a 1/3 deployment cost reduction and it works well.
Another good houserule that I heard on a podcast is that if one side wins twice in a row both sides get full rewards. This helps to keep it from getting too swingy. If that seems like too much, then just make it to where both sides get full influence and XP (if one side wins twice in a row) - but maybe not any of the other rewards such as unlocking a character or item.
I would second the statement that Subversive Tactics is a fun sucker. I would NOT run it with new people, and I would NOT run it in a long campaign. Maybe one of the mini campaigns though.
Also, don't be afraid to houserule if needed. It's about you and your friends having fun. I houserule that all Rebel allies get a 1/3 deployment cost reduction and it works well.
Another good houserule that I heard on a podcast is that if one side wins twice in a row both sides get full rewards. This helps to keep it from getting too swingy. If that seems like too much, then just make it to where both sides get full influence and XP (if one side wins twice in a row) - but maybe not any of the other rewards such as unlocking a character or item.
Do the other way around with Subversive Tactics. Play it at the beggining and "IF" the Rebels win anyway (either by luck or good play or both) keep it and dont make any comment if they loose just say next time you wont play with it and will pick another tactic. If you have stubborn players like mine they will ask you to keep playing that tactic to see if they can beat it
Really, though, it has become a truly great competitive game and the Campaign game is alive and well, with the promise of another long, thematic campaign on the way with Jabba's Realm. Certainly some early imbalances, but most of those have been corrected and it is a joy to play for fun and has become quite deep from a tactical and strategic point of view.