Star Wars Board Games: miniatures game
Star Wars Miniatures Game: A Skirmish, Step by Step
Star Wars Miniatures (2004) is a two-player skirmish game from Wizards of the Coast. It uses prepainted collectible figures and one twenty-sided die. Fans of squad-building and tactical movement can stage battles in the classic trilogy era.
- 2004
- 2 players
- 60 minutes
- Ages 12+
- miniatures game
- Wizards of the Coast
Build a squad, roll the d20, and hope the Force shows up.
Skirmishes play out in rounds, with two players taking turns activating two characters at a time. The seven steps below walk through that back-and-forth. Looking for a modern take on Star Wars tabletop battles? Star Wars: Legion has its own page.
Each character activates only once per round.
A quick look at one round of Star Wars Miniatures
A skirmish plays in rounds, starting with an initiative roll. The seven steps below cover one full round.
A natural 20 always hits and deals double damage.
- Step 1:
Initiative: Both players roll a d20. The higher roller picks who goes first; reroll ties. Roll again each round.
- Step 2:
The first player activates two characters, one after the other. That pair of activations is a phase.
- Step 3:
The second player activates two characters, one after the other.
- Step 4:
On its turn, a character can move up to 6 squares and attack, attack before moving up to 6 squares, or move up to 12 squares without attacking.
- Step 5:
To attack, roll a d20 and add the character’s Attack number. If the total matches or beats the target’s Defense, the attack hits and deals its Damage.
- Step 6:
Players alternate phases until every character has activated. Each character can activate once per round.
- 7Step 7:
The round ends after everyone has activated. Remove any defeated character whose Hit Points have reached 0. The skirmish ends when one squad is wiped out.
The quick version leaves out squad points, line of sight, and cover, which shape most fights. Next up: building a squad, moving, attacking, and spending Force points. For a broader view of the war, read about Star Wars Shatterpoint as a current alternative.
Star Wars Miniatures rules, made clear
Setup
Each player secretly builds a squad from stat cards, spending up to 100 points. A character’s point cost appears on its base and at the top right of its stat card.
Choose a faction. The Rebel player can use Rebel Alliance and Fringe characters; the Imperial player can use Galactic Empire and Fringe characters. A squad made up entirely of Fringe characters works, too.
Place the battle grid between you. The Rebel player starts at the Hangar Bay end, while the Imperial player starts by the turbolifts. The grid’s edges count as impassable walls.
Reveal your squads. The Rebel squad sets up first on the ship in the hangar; the Imperial squad starts in one or both turbolifts.
Roll for initiative, and the first round begins.
Turn by turn
Activating and moving
When activated, a character can move up to 6 squares and attack, attack and then move up to 6 squares, or move up to 12 squares. A diagonal step counts as 2 squares. Characters can move through allies, but not enemies, and can’t end a move in an occupied square.
Line of sight and cover
You need line of sight to attack. Walls, closed doors and large objects treated as walls block it; characters and low objects don’t. A target in cover gets +4 Defense, and you can attack it only if it’s the nearest enemy.
Attack rolls
Roll a d20 and add your Attack number. If the total meets or beats the target’s Defense, you hit. A natural 20 always hits and deals double damage, except against droids. A natural 1 always misses. If an enemy is adjacent, you must target one of them.
Combined fire
Allies that haven’t activated yet and have line of sight to the target can give up their turn to help. Each adds +4 to Attack for one attack. Characters with Melee Attack or no damage can’t help or benefit.
Attacks of opportunity
If an enemy moves out of a square next to your character, you may make one immediate attack against it, even if you’ve already activated. You can make only one attack per turn of the moving character.
Force points
A character with a Force rating can spend 1 Force point to reroll an attack or save, or move 2 extra squares. It can use the Force once per turn. Spent points are gone for the rest of the skirmish.
End of the game and scoring
Defeat all enemy characters to win. If 10 rounds in a row pass without damage, an attack roll or a forced save, total the point costs of defeated characters. The player who defeated more points wins. Ties go to the player with a character nearest the grid’s center.
Key rules
Hit Points and defeat
Hit Points show how much damage a character can take. At 0 or lower, the character is defeated and removed from the battle grid.
Large characters
Large characters occupy a 2-by-2 area. They can squeeze through narrow openings, but can’t stop where they don’t fit or squeeze past enemies.
Squad-building etiquette
Build your squad in secret with the stat cards and keep it ready. Reveal your squad when you set up the skirmish.
Terrain
The starter set’s terrain tiles can change the Death Star side of the grid or add terrain to the blank side. Leave at least 2 squares between impassable terrain.
Commander effects
Some characters have commander effects that help allies, such as sharing Force points. These effects don’t apply to droid or savage characters.
Tips for your first game
- For a quick start, use the printed Death Star side of the battle grid, as the rulebook suggests.
- Each stat card lists Hit Points, Defense, Attack and Damage. Read the cards before choosing your 100 points.
- Before planning a shot, check whether the nearest enemy has cover. If so, only that nearest enemy can be targeted.
- Remember to turn the stat card or change the miniature’s facing to show that a character has activated.
- Fringe characters can fight for either side, making them easy picks for a first squad.
Cover gives you +4 Defense.
Now that the rules are covered, here’s some background on this collectible game and how its sets were organized. This section looks at the launch, the rulebook’s design credits, and how the game came to an end. It also covers the saga era featured in the first starter set.
The game and the Star Wars battles that inspired it
Once spent, Force points are gone for the skirmish.
The game
Design and release
The game premiered on September 3, 2004, with the Rebel Storm set. Its rulebook credits Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Jonathan Tweet and Rob Watkins with game design and development. It also says the rules draw on the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and the D&D Miniatures skirmish rules.
How it ended
Wizards of the Coast announced it wouldn’t renew its Star Wars license with Lucasfilm, citing the economic downturn. The license ended in May 2010, and the game ended with it.
The film or series it covers
The Rebel Storm starter draws on the classic trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Later sets in the line cover other eras of the saga too.
In the starter set, you command a Rebel or Imperial squad during the Galactic Civil War. Characters come as figures with stat cards. The three factions are the Rebel Alliance, the Empire and the Fringe.
Scenes and story beats in the game
- 1
The printed battle grid shows part of a Death Star deck, complete with a Hangar Bay and turbolifts.
- 2
The starter set includes two exclusive figures: Luke Skywalker, Rebel and Darth Vader, Dark Jedi.
- 3
Fringe characters include bounty hunters, smugglers and mercenaries who fight for either side.
- 4
Force points let characters like Vader reroll, move faster or use Force powers.
What’s in the Rebel Storm starter set
- 2 exclusive prepainted plastic miniatures: Luke Skywalker, Rebel and Darth Vader, Dark Jedi
- 8 randomized prepainted plastic miniatures
- 10 stat cards, one for each figure
- A two-sided battle grid (play mat), with a printed Death Star side and a blank side
- 8 terrain tiles
- A rules booklet and rules summary sheet
- Damage and Force counters
- A 20-sided die and set checklist
Wizards of the Coast released the line in sets, and the starter set was only the beginning. Below are the sets confirmed by Wikipedia and the rulebook, with the years that can be verified. The sci-fi board games hub is a good next stop for similar battles.
Each character activates only once per round.
Star Wars Miniatures sets and expansions
Rebel Storm 2004
The first set, launched on September 3, 2004. Its starter set holds the two exclusive figures, eight randomized figures, the battle grid and the rules.
Revenge of the Sith 2005
A later set in the collectible line, released in 2005.
The Clone Wars 2008
A set released in 2008, one of the last in the line.
Masters of the Force 2010
The final set, released in 2010 as the license came to an end.
Star Wars Miniatures FAQ
How do you play the Star Wars Miniatures Game?
Each player builds a squad worth up to 100 points. Players take turns activating two characters at a time. A character moves and attacks with a d20 roll plus its Attack number. The last squad standing wins.
How many points is a Star Wars Miniatures squad?
The Rebel Storm rulebook sets a 100-point squad limit. Each character’s point cost appears on its base and stat card.
How many players can play Star Wars Miniatures?
The skirmish rules are for two players, though the rulebook also describes scenarios for more players, including multiplayer and team games.
When did the Star Wars Miniatures Game come out?
The game debuted on September 3, 2004, with the Rebel Storm set. It ran until Wizards of the Coast's license ended in May 2010.
What dice does the Star Wars Miniatures Game use?
One twenty-sided die, used for initiative, attack rolls and saves.
What are Force points in Star Wars Miniatures?
Characters with a Force rating can spend points to reroll an attack or save, move 2 extra squares or use a Force power. Spent points are gone for the rest of the skirmish.
Is the Star Wars Miniatures Game still made?
No. Wizards of the Coast didn't renew its Star Wars license, so the line ended in 2010.
A natural 20 always hits and deals double damage.
Cover gives you +4 Defense.
Sources
- Wizards of the Coast: Star Wars Miniatures Rebel Storm rulebook (Internet Archive) archive.org
- Wikipedia: Star Wars Miniatures en.wikipedia.org