/pic2247647.jpg)
Star Wars: Imperial Assault
A stormtrooper-blasting campaign that nails the movies and tests your patience for expansions.
Designed by Justin Kemppainen, Corey Konieczka, and Jonathan Ying · 2014
If you want to live inside the original trilogy for fifteen-plus sessions, nothing else does the Star Wars feeling quite like this. Just know the campaign's prize structure is a bit deflating, and the box is the start of a very expensive habit.
Best for: Star Wars fans with a regular group who want a long tactical campaign
What it is
Here's the pitch. One of you plays the Empire, up to four play Rebel heroes, and together you grind through a branching campaign of missions set in the original trilogy. It's built on the bones of Descent, but tightened. You alternate one figure at a time instead of moving your whole army at once, line of sight is cleaner, and the custom dice make every blaster shot feel like a tiny scene from the films. Players keep coming back to that combat. It just works.
The catch
Now the honest part. This is a commitment, not a Tuesday filler. A full campaign runs many sessions, and the rulebook will overwhelm a casual group before mission one. The Imperial player carries a real load, almost a dungeon master, and balance swings hard by mission and hero count (four heroes is widely considered the sweet spot). Two things sting most for real players: the campaign often hinges on the very last mission no matter how the earlier ones went, and the winner gets stronger rewards, so leads can snowball.
Who it's for
So who's this for. If you've got a steady group of three to five who love Star Wars and want a story to chew on for weeks, this is the one. The Legends of the Alliance app even lets you play fully co-op or solo, no Imperial overlord needed. If you want a tight one-and-done or a clean competitive duel, the skirmish mode is fine but you're better served elsewhere. And brace yourself: the ally packs and expansions never stop. The base box is just the doorway.
What other players say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
More from the shelf
All reviews/pic4458123.jpg)
Wingspan
A calm little game about birds that tables get weirdly competitive over.
/pic6973671.png)
Azul
Lovely tiles, simple rules, and a surprising amount of quiet cruelty.
/pic9156909.png)
Catan
The one that started a thousand game nights, and one or two genuine arguments.