Quick question. At the end of each round you increase threat by the threat level according to which round on back of the book. During some rounds of some missions, sometimes it says "increase threat by the threat level (or sometimes twice the threat level)". Is this in addition to the normal threat you receive or in place of it? Also - if it is in addition are you able to spend that great right away or have to wait until next round?

When it says increase threat this is in addition to the usual threat you get. You increase it immediately when the rule tells you to.

As for spending, it depends on the rules. If the rule says increase threat and deploy then you can spend it immediately including threat already saved before.

If the rule only says increase threat, then you do so immediately but have to wait for the deploy and reinforce step of the mission to spend it.

Do note that if the increase threat is an end of round effect, and does not include the instruction to deploy, this happens after the deploy and reinforce step and you have to wait till the end of the following round to spend it.

Awesome! That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying

The exact order of the status phase is very important in a lot of missions. (Increase Threat, ready, deploy/reinforce, end of round effects, increase round dial.)

Like neosmagus said, a lot of mission rules give threat through events during end of round, so you can't spend it during the deploy/reinforce threat step of the same status phase. (But can use it if the same event in a later step provides an optional deployment.)

The Imperial Informants agenda card is also played at the end of round step, so the rebels have one round to prepare for the threat increase.

Some missions also add a mission rule to give threat at the start of the status phase. This doesn't remove the increase threat step (increase threat dial by the threat level), which is still performed normally.

Additional, just in case:

The threat counter will start at 0 in the beginning of each mission. The threat counter is increased by the threat level (which is specified by the current slot of the campaign log) in the increase threat step of the status phase. The special setup instructions may give additional instructions. For example, they may say to increase the threat by twice the threat level and perform an optional deployment.

Wow. I've been playing the timing wrong in those "increase threat at end of round" triggers. Thanks for being so clear and explicit guys

Also, the same timing is important when Rebels use Allies - if I've read it correctly the Rebel players decide if they are placing any earned allies after any "Increase threat and optional deployment" special rules happen, so you won't be responding to them bringing Han by dropping an AT-ST during mission setup.

Also, the same timing is important when Rebels use Allies - if I've read it correctly the Rebel players decide if they are placing any earned allies after any "Increase threat and optional deployment" special rules happen, so you won't be responding to them bringing Han by dropping an AT-ST during mission setup.

Actually you can -

Rules Reference Guide Page 5, Rebel Allies:

The Imperial player then gains threat equal to the deployment

cost listed on the Ally card and may immediately resolve an

optional deployment.

So you can potentially deploy twice from your open groups during setup of the mission, if the Special Setup allows it, and if the Rebels bring an ally. Note that its two separate instances of gaining threat and deploying and must be handled seperately.

In cases where you have both you could potentially save up both and deploy somebody like Vader if you've earned him, but you need to be careful with saving because Threat can't go above 20, so if it does go above that, you've lost the extra amount.

The rebels decide whether to take an ally after they have already taken their places on and around the entrance. If they do, the imperial player receives the appropriate amount of threat and can perform an optional deployment.

1.Setup, including special setup (which may contain threat increase and optional deployment)

2.Mission briefing

3.Rebels can switch their items (but not class cards), and deploy themselves on the entrance. (Unless changed by mission rules.)

4.Rebels choose whether to take upto one ally which they have earned. If they do, there will be a threat increase and optional deployment.

The order matters - the ally figure(s) cannot be used to get to deploy the heroes further away from the entrance.

Also note that the threat dial cannot go over 20 at any point like said above.