BOARD Star Wars Rebellion First Thoughts!

Howdy!

So I picked up Star Wars Rebellion and have played it twice. Here are my first thoughts.

1.) The first game really doesn't count. My wife and I made a lot of different errors that would never have happened. Chalk it up to learning curve with all the rules.
2.) Playing as the Rebellion is not easy at all! As you can imagine, a Rebellion isn't supposed to be easy. That being said my wife played as the Rebellion first and was not too happy when she lost because we didn't fully understand the rules. On second play I went Rebellion and found it still was not easy but manageable with the rule tweaks we made.
3.) FFG did a great job of making the game an even balance. Even though the Rebellion has a hard time getting resources and placing into service any real weapons it still didn't feel hopeless because you were moving the reputation marker and that was how you really win the game.
4.) Don't let the Empire capture your leader ( or if you are the Empire capture them quickly! )
5.) Hiding in plain site can be the best decision when you are placing your Rebel Base depending on who your opponent is.

These are just my quick first thoughts. I am sure as I have more plays other thoughts will come.

I would love to hear what others thought!

 

Really? No one else has picked up Rebellion and has some thoughts?

I find that really hard to believe! lol

 

Out of curiosity is it anything like the Computer game produced eons ago with the same name?

 

In so far as it is a strategic sim, yes. That being said the combat system, building system, and various other pieces are all dumbed down for a board game.

It really is a delightful game.

 

Ah. I see. I have been looking into it and the "Star Wars Armada" tabletop game a bit. Just I have no one locally that I can play these things with. It's why I stick to my computer or just the idea of collecting it for bragging rights. I probably could get my dad to play, but his work schedule is complicated to work around.

 

Totally understandable.

I haven't picked up Armada because I have no one to play it with. My wife loves board games but I think a tabletop like Armada, while it is fun, is just a bit too much for her to be interested. Hell, I could be wrong!

Have you checked your local gaming stores? They sometimes have group play events to let you get your fix.

 

Not really? I probably should though. Just to see how popular Armada is in my area. I know Magic The Gathering still has a pretty respectable following where I'm at. Never could get into it. After doing the SWCCG by Decipher my collecting focus changed to the Imperial/Sith figures made by Hasbro and filling out those ranks. Then I started getting decent computers and going into gaming more there too.

I stopped playing SWCCG shortly after the Jabba's Palace Expansion actually. I moved away from the usual people I played around with. It was easier because we all went to the same school. I still have my cards for it, but I am keeping them in storage for the most part. Not for "value" so much as nostalgia actually.

 

So funny.

I never played the SWCCG however I have more than enough cards to play it. I think I have something like 5K cards I have collected over the years just to collect.

 

Yeah I could probably pick up playing again if I knew anyone close to me that played anymore. Actually, I heard a Player's Community of sorts took it over after Decipher lost the license though and they make/update new/old cards and all that stuff. I do wish I would've stayed collecting to get the Emperor's card as well as a few others. Good to know about the Rebellion board game. Maybe I'll keep an eye on it on Amazon for the moment, talk to my dad about trying to find a "new thing" to do in our visits, and maybe get the game when my budget aligns to be able to afford it. Might be more possible to play it with my dad when he's off instead of trying to pick up Armada. Though I do love the scale models for Armada. The ISD looks great.

 

The ISD really does look great.

FFG has Rebellion sold out but Amazon has it for like 25% off right now.

 

I just received a copy of Rebellion for my birthday this week and I'm dying to play it. I've gone over the rules and it looks like it'll be a fun game. About how long have your games gone?

 

First one was like 5 hours because we were still learning everything. Second one was closer to 3. About to play a third game later today.

 

After 2 or 3 months (whenever the release date was) of staring at it; I am quite sure some of this dreamful gazing was actually leering; picking up the box, and even going so far as to carry towards the counter of our local games store only to then hem and haw, and finally succumb to the whispering voice of my budget conscious imaginary friend who sits on my shoulder and shudders every time he looks at the price tag (run on?), I finally bit the bullet and purchased Rebellion.

I played a very, very close 2 player game, which was completed in the most anti-climatic, but humorous way possible just over an hour ago, and all I can say is, I am very glad I finally splurged. As OP experienced, both parties made a lot of mistakes, which is natural for a first run through, and perhaps the biggest weakness of this game is its horrendously ambiguous rule book. Also agree with Op's remark about the Rebels feeling outmatched right from the start. The struggle is real. But at the end of the game it was apparent that, though you have a feeling of insurmountable odds facing the empire, it is actually very difficult for the Empire to achieve its game winning scenario (find and destroy your base), and the game is actually setup to be very balanced, it's just not obvious at first.

Both myself and my friend are looking forward to playing it again and will hopefully be trying the 4 player team style next time.

FYI - 6 hours to study game rules and complete game. at least 2 hours of that was setup and rules.

 

I've had it for a few months now and thoroughly enjoy it.

The game is pretty complex. Even after playing it for a few months I still occasionally discovered we were doing something wrong. (Though the rule book can be occasionally be disorganized, it is still very helpful).

But this complexity can be rewarding. Both of the sides having different objectives and ways to win, which helps make it pretty well balanced. There are a number of strategies that keep most games feeling fresh and different. I have felt the joy of luring my opponent into a trap, and the despair of falling into my opponent's trap. And of course I love the Star Wars aspect, getting to play in one of my favorite franchises and do things like turn Leia to the Dark Side or freeze Lando in carbonite.

I would say it is better as a two player game though. With 4 players it takes longer to explain the rules, and players pausing to talk and strategize with each other can add to the time. Once we understood the rules 2 player games typically lasted 2 hours, but the 4 player games usually lasted 4 hours. Some people can handle a 4 hour board game, others tire of it quickly, it all depends on your group of friends.

 

The only reason I haven't picked up any of the Star Wars tabletop games strictly comes down to cost...they're just too dang expensive and I don't make a whole lotta money to begin with...

 

Seriously debating grabbing this one...looks epic!

 

It really is epic but I highly recommend it.

In all seriousness I wish I had more time/a regular stable of gamers to partake in this game with because I don't get to play it nearly enough.

 

I've played a few games now and I have to say that it might be my favorite board game ever. The way that the mechanics mesh with with the theme is nearly flawless, and I love that every time I play I'm creating a new version of the OT. While I've also been loving Imperial Assault and the X-Wing miniatures game, I think Rebellion is the ultimate Star Wars board game.

 

I still need to play it! Lol

 

Do it, it's so fun!! FFG is absolutely killing it with their Star Wars games!

 

DID YOU SEE THIS

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/5/5/rise-of-the-empire/

 

YES I DID!! To say I'm excited would be quite the understatement!!

 

This game is currently running around 80 bucks new. If I'm going to drop that much on a game, I have to know I will enjoy it and it will be a part of my regular rotation of about a dozen board games. It's ranked 8th on Board Game Geek, which is high praise, but I'm always wary of movie/TV franchise themed games because the more popular the theme (and what's more popular than Star Wars these days), the higher the BGG rankings. Strip away Star Wars would it still be a game worthy of its price? I've played the game only once and was able to pick up the rules fairly quickly only because I play a LOT of complex board games (Twilight Imperium anyone?) and I enjoyed the gameplay and the mechanics. My only drawback is average play time, which seems to be somewhere in the 3 hour range (our game took around 3 hours and 20 minutes). While I don't mind sitting down to a three plus hour board game, it's a real challenge to find players willing to commit that much time to a single game. The best board games I've ever played hit the sweet spot of about 90 minutes to 2 hours. Anything longer than that you'll have a tough time finding the time or willing participants, even at board game gatherings. Finale verdict - not ready to spend $80 on a game that I might play only a couple of times a year. If they ever drop it down to the $20-$30 range I'll definitely add it to my collection.

 

I love this game, and have a friend with whom I play it pretty frequently. The problem is playing a single person we have it down to the point where you anticipate not only the objective and mission cards but also the way the other person plays.

The game itself is excellent though. Haven't played a game as consistently as Rebellion in a long time, with Battlestar Galactica being a close second.

The Rise of the Empire expansion adds a lot of cool new stuff but I find myself liking the way the base game played more. Although the new cinematic combat rules are superior to those of the base game.