I am a huge Star Wars fan. It’s a statement uttered by countless nerds who have grown up with and continue to grow with characters from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I am also a huge fan of tabletop miniature war games. Put the two together and look out. Fantasy Flight has done just that. They’ve had great success with the X-Wing miniatures game and recently released Star Wars Armada (I haven’t played it yet, but it sounds cool). However, the one most likely to lure me to the dark side is Imperial Assault.
On the Fringe
As an avid Star Wars fanboy and Warhammer 40K player, I am not alone in my desire to build a Star Wars-themed 40K army. I’ve seen other gamers actually do it, with varying degrees of success. When I heard about Imperial Assault, I thought, “at long last, my prayers have been answered.” Finally, a Star Wars tabletop miniature war game in which I could compose my own force and paint my own models.
Engaging Hyperdrive
I wasted no time and was at my local game store with $99.95 in hand (plus tax) the day it was released. I was not disappointed. There are two different ways to play the game, campaign and skirmish mode. And for being one-piece plastics, the miniatures look really good. My only grievance is that skirmish (versus) mode is restricted to the game board. Now, the mechanics of the game are great. They are simple to follow, yet detailed enough to be engaging. I only wish Fantasy Fight had taken Star Wars off the board.
A Long Time to Wait…
A long time ago in a decade far, far away WestEnd games held the license for the Star Wars roleplaying and tabletop miniature war game. They developed rules for an open board skirmish game, but it was slow and complex compared to recent trends in game mechanics development. A generation later Wizards of the Coast got a hold of Star Wars and developed a map-based, collectable-miniatures skirmish game. The terrible pre-painted models and linier unimaginative play style made me want to cry. Now, here we are with Fantasy Flight knocking the ball out of the park, but with no men on base.
End Credits
Imperial Assault is a fantastic game, and it is a true homerun compared to the benchmarks set by its predecessors. Unfortunately, it’s no grand slam. But I will continue to hope, dream, and trust in the Force that one day Star Wars will move beyond the board onto the tabletop where it belongs.
To hear about Jay’s experience at a Star Wars: Imperial Assault event, check out the end of this Inside the Gamer podcast: Uncontrollable Urges.
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