When you first play the Star Wars strategy board game Imperial Assault, you might get a certain air of déjà vu. After all, the basics, where each player takes turns to move a character around a grid, not to mention battle adversaries and complete other objectives, are akin to those of Space Crusade, HeroQuest and XCOM. However, spend more time playing Imperial Assault, and you should soon realise why it’s something very special – and not just another in a long line of Star Wars tie-ins.

Get the players that you need for a good game

Made by Fantasy Flight, Imperial Assault is intended for 2-5 players. However, if you want to play it, we reckon it’s worth inviting a fair few friends around – as, the closer to five participants you get, the more fun it ultimately is. One player takes on the role of the antagonist Galactic Empire – and so gets control of the dungeon and all Imperial forces. Each of the other players choose a Rebel character – a sniper or support, for example. Now, everyone is set for some fun…

Fancy a Campaign or a Skirmish?

The main bread-and-butter of the game is Campaign mode, whereby the Rebels can embark on a succession of missions which, together, form a larger adventure. You don’t have to worry too much if, as a Rebel, you turn out to be too much of a novice and so end up failing a mission early on. That’s because this won’t instantly end your time in the game – instead, it will affect which mission follows, or the conditions placed on you in that mission.

Plus, there’s always the option to take a break from the main game, thanks to the great Skirmish mode. If, at any point, you don’t have what you need to take on a campaign, you can head into Skirmish mode, where you can defeat enemy figures to amass points and meet mission goals. You can even put together your own personalised armies, complete with your own choice of figures and Command cards, for confident entry into battle. It all adds up to a huge amount of fun.

How does the battle system work?

Basically, most control over a battle’s outcome is held by the defender. Firstly, the attacker will roll the dice and be practically guaranteed to hit their opponent. However, depending on what that opponent rolls, the blow could be greatly softened or even completely negated. For all of that, we assure you that playing an Imperial is very enjoyable – as, in that role, you would be the only participant permitted to make a map or spawn an army at any moment.

You can add various expansions and characters

While the core game already includes a lot, you can further enhance the playing experience by adding further expansions and characters. These include ally packs, villain packs, and ally and villain alternative miniatures – all of which are available from online specialist retailer Tritex Games. The customisation possible with extra packs is fantastic fun.