I have two questions:

1) Do you get to pick your starting 3 objectives, or are they dealt randomly from the 10 you build your deck from?

2) When you run out of cards in your deck (which seems very likely with potential card draws of 6+ every turn), what happens?

Thanks!

1) It's currently a draw 4, keep 3 mechanic, discard goes to the bottom of your objective deck.

2) If the Light Side deck runs out, there's no re-shuffling, you draw no more, play with what you've got. If the Dark Side deck runs out, the Light Side win. Neither is likely given the low number of turns required to achieve a victory condition.

They told me something different when I asked about decks running out. I was told that either side trying to draw with an empty deck caused them to lose the game. They also told me that it happened very rarely and that there were no plans for "mill" cards so that running out of cards in your deck was completely in your control.

Something that I don't think has been discussed yet (at least, I can't remember seeing anything about it) - I know the cards were sleeved for the demo, but did anyone have a look to see what the card backs look like?

Thanks

spalanzani said:

Ooh good question!

Sorry, I didn't look. Maybe one of the pictures of the box in the display case showed the card backs? I'm assuming LS and DS cards had different backs. Even the "neutral" cards that weren't assigned a faction were clearly light side or dark side (for instance, R2-D2 and C-3PO were both neutral cards). The easiest way to show which side neutral cards go with (most important for "neutral" objectives) would be different card backs… but there are other ways it could be handled.

spalanzani said:

They were AGoT cards.

Another question for folks who played the demo:

What is the number in the upper right corner on the Fate cards? For example, Target of Opportunity has the number '9' and Twist of Fate has the number '1'.

Mattr0polis said:

In the Team Covenant video, that number was used to determine which Fate card gets resolved first, I believe.

Inksplat said:

This is correct. Important because there's one Fate card that cancels all other fate cards and the edge battle and starts a new edge battle (Twist of Fate). By having the number "1" it will always resolve first.

Few other questions:

-Does the Dark Side win when the Death Star counter hits 12? Or when they would hit 13?

-"Focusing a unit" just means placing an activation token on him, right? There's a few cards that say something like "Focus a unit to strike".

-You can only start 3 battles a turn, 1 per objective. But what if I destroy 1 objective during the first battle? Does a new objective immediately flip up? If not, when do they? If they do, can I attack that one as one of my 3 attacks? Can I make 4 attacks that time, 1 per objective? Or can I only make a total of 2 more and only against the other 2 objective 'slots'?

-Some people have said that units like the Interrogation Droid that have the target icon (that adds activation tokens to units) can target units not in the battle. Is this correct? And does this mean the blaster icon (that damages units) can only be used against units in the battle?

-Still just a bit shaky on the battles. So here's an example:

It's my turn. I initiate a battle and have a unit that can damage an objective. I win the edge battle. I choose that unit and attack the objective as my first unit activation. Is there nothing the opponent can do to stop this first attack? Basically, you don't get to assign defenders to an attack, like in games like Magic, right? After the first one there's lots of options like stunning or shooting the bad units before they activate, but is that first one is like a free shot? OR are you able to assign a defender after each unit attacks a thing? Though that doesn't seem to make sense with the blaster icon units. Maybe a defending unit can step in front to defend but only on an objective attack?

I guess what keeps confusing me with this is the rule that an undefended attack against an objective deals an extra 1 damage. But what does that mean? Does that mean if the opponent chose no units to enter the battle at all? Or just no units defended that 1 unit's attack? And then if I have 2 units I choose to start a battle with and the opponent chooses no characters as defenders, does each unit do 1 extra damage to the objective? Or just 1 total extra?

Mattr0polis said:

Judging by FFG's other products, I'd say it'd be more of the first one.

Ok, nevermind on all of those questions. I re-watched those two videos that are floating around and it answered all of those.

For others that are curious:

-Dark Side wins when the counter hits 12.

-'Focusing' is their word for activating/exhausting, and 'Striking' is when a unit attacks in battle. Thus 'Focusing to Strike'.

-You can only start 3 battles a turn. 1 per each objective. Destroyed objectives aren't returned until the refresh phase so no, you can't start more battles that way.

-Units like the Interrogation Droid with the Tactics icon can indeed add focus tokens to units not participating in battle and no, blaster icon can only damage units that are participating.

-You do not focus units to defend each strike, so just ignore everything I asked in that question.

-an undefended attack is just when the opponent chooses to not have anyone participate in the battle.

Another question for those that played the demo:

For the Edge battle, do the units participating in the battle add their Force icon bubbles to the Edge battle total? Or is it just the cards you play from hand that count for your total?

Just the cards from hand.

Mattr0polis said:

Not sure about which videos this info came from, but some clarifications …

It's possible for more than 3 attacks to be launched on a turn. One example from the demo was an objective which had an effect where it's immediately replaced (A Journey To Dagobah).

Defenders need to focus to strike (otherwise the tactics icon, which lays down a focus token on an opposing unit, is much less useful). But when a unit strikes, defender or attacker, it's a free shot, there's no stopping it - unless you can action a relevant interrupt.

The attacking side gets one extra hit (total) at the end of combat against the attacked objective (a reward for unopposed) if there were no defenders OR if all defenders were destroyed. Which can make for tougher decisions on what to defend and with what (ie will they survive) and which can make for tenser edge battles as well if that's the determinant.

Cool. Thanks PBrennan.

That was a big help.

I compiled all the cards I could manage from Darksbane's pictures, compiled a rules document, printed out the cards and managed a semi-decent learning game experience tonight with a friend.

The game was really fun, so I wish all of these freaking people incessantly complaining on the forums would shut up until they at least play the thing.

Still a few rules questions I need to lock down but overall it was a really fun, tense, exciting game.

Mattr0polis said:

Cool!

But wait, you mean i can't complain until this winter? Aaaw maaan!

Another question for folks who actually played the game:

-Do all units that participate in a battle get a focus token after it ends? I ask because some units don't have any of the 3 combat symbols, so if I throw on of them into a battle just so the attack doesn't go off undefended, will they still get a focus token if they live since they have no reason to "strike"? The biggest example was the Corellian Engineer. She's great and can last a bit with her shielding ability, but she has no battle icons.

Bolfa Fluffbelly said:

Hah! Hey, by all means, have at it, it's the internet. People say whatever they want.

It just makes no sense to me that a lot of these people are basically telling the designers to throw out half of the game when they haven't even sat down to play it yet, but again, it's the internet.

Mattr0polis said:

So you think they should wait with their opinions until AFTER the game is released so there is no chance for any impact?

There is alot of people who's blatantly bashing this game or whining like children(i'm clumping the people who whined that is was gonna be co-op and the ones who cries when it's gonna be pvp). There is also alot of people just defending everything FFG do or doesnt do and telling people who's concerned to basically shut it.

Then ive seen a few who actually gives some good criticism and feedback, both those who has played the demo and the ones who hasnt. Besides, i think all attention is good in the end, it gives the game attention and maybe, MAYBE it can give some ideas for the future.

Lastly, it's frakkin' Star Wars man. There's gonna be opinions. And it's gonna be heated.

Mattr0polis said:

Yes. To explain, all units participating in a battle must strike, even if they have no icons. So the Corellian Engineer would end up with a focus token from her "strike" even though it doesn't do anything.