I got a copy of the game last weekend, and I've played it four times now, twice alone (to learn the rules) and twice against another person (who was also learning the rules). Rebel Alliance was matched up against Imperial Navy and Jedi against Sith each time, for flavor and presumed balance.

Light Side won all four times, and only once was it even close.

I checked on the forums for Dark Side advice, and was surprised to find strategies suggesting aggressive Dark Side play, particularly with the Imperial Navy faction. This seems really counterproductive, as only the Light Side player can win through objective destruction (unless somehow the Dark Side can somehow mill the Light Side objective deck through brute force, which I did get close to doing once).

I found a couple of cards ("Imperial Officer" and a character, maybe Grand Moff Tarkin) that let you pay resources to advance the Death Star Dial when you destroy objectives, but that seems like a really limited solution.

Since Destroyed Objectives are replaced before the next player draws, you can't even deny resources. I realize that one could attack specifically to trigger certain card effects (or remove Light Side objectives with specific effects), but why would the Light Side player ever defend?

Am I missing something? If the Dark Side can't win by destroying Objectives (except by milling the Light Side Objective Deck, why would they attack at all?

You are missing something. The DS player advances the dial when a LS objective is destroyed. The amount advanced is equal to the number of LS objectives in the DS victory pile. So the first objective the DS destroys will advance the dial by 1, the second will advance the dial by 2 more, and the third by 3 more. The DS will almost always have won by the time it destroys 4 objectives (it's at least their 2nd turn for 2 points on the dial, then 1+2+3+4=10 points from destroyed objectives).

Aaahh, thanks. I feel like that should be listed with the Dark Side's victory condition, instead of hidden away in some deep dark corner of the rulebook. Do you know what page this is on?

Aaahh, thanks. I feel like that should be listed with the Dark Side's victory condition, instead of hidden away in some deep dark corner of the rulebook. Do you know what page this is on?

It's on page 23 in the Destroyed Objectives section.

Page 23.