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Complete Game Setup (Rise of the Empire)

The below information is a step-by-step guide to setting up Star Wars: Rebellion with the Rise of the Empire expansion.

Players either choose to play as the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire.

Step 1: Choose Factions

Each player takes his four starting leaders and places the in the box labeled "Leader Pool" on his faction sheet.

Step 2: Place Starting Leaders

Step 4: Prepare Objective Deck

Sort objective cards into 3 piles based on the number shown on the card back (I, II, or III).  Build a stage III deck with 1 "Death Star Plans" card and 4 random stage III cards and shuffle this deck.  Build a stage II deck with 1 "Death Star Plans" card and 4 random stage II cards, shuffle this deck, and place them on top of the stage III deck.  Shuffle the stage I pile and deal 5 random cards onto the top of the stage II deck, creating a single objective deck.  Then, the Rebel player draws one card from the objective deck.

Step 3: Prepare Reputation and Time Markers

Place the time marker on space "1" of the track and the reputation marker on space "14" of the track.

Step 5: Prepare Action Deck

Each player takes all of his action cards that have a recruit icon and shuffles them to create his action deck.  He places it face down next to his faction sheet on the side labeled "Action deck."

Step 6: Prepare Tactic Decks, Project Cards, Markers, and Dice

Remove all original space and ground tactic cards from the game.  Instead, use the advanced tactic cards from the expansion.  Shuffle project cards (imperial mission cards with a white star at the bottom-right corner of the card) and place this deck on the "Project" space of the game board.

Step 7: Prepare Mission Cards

Each player takes his four starting mission cards (identified by a curved arrow at bottom of card) and sets them aside.  The expansion includes a new set of mission cards for both the Rebels and the Imperials.  Players can choose whether they wish to use the Rise of the Empire set of mission cards or the original set of mission cards.  To choose a mission set:

 

  • Shuffle all mission cards together.  Each player each chooses any one card from their mission decks and reveals them simultaneously.  Each player that revealed a card with a Darth Vader icon on it will use the Rise of the Empire set of mission cards this game.

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  • To build a mission deck for Rise of Empire, use all cards from the original game with a Leader Icon and all cards from the Rise of the Empire expansion set (Darth Vader Icon)

Step 8: Place starting units, loyalty, and starting action cards

  1. Shuffle the probe deck and reveal cards from the top of the deck until 3 Rebel systems and 5 Imperial systems have been revealed.  Place a rebel loyalty marker on each of the three Rebel systems.  Place a subjugation marker in the first 2 imperial systems and a loyalty marker in each of the remaining 3 other systems.  Remove the 5 probe cards showing the imperial symbol from the game and re-shuffle the probe deck.

  2. The Imperial player must place at least one ground unit in each Imperial system and receives:

    • 1 Death Star on space 3 of his build queue.  Then, he chooses any remote system and places 4 TIE Fighters, 1 Stormtrooper and 1 Death Star Under Construction in that system.

    • 3 Star Destroyers​

    • 3 Assault Carriers

    • 8 TIE Fighters

    • 2 TIE Strikers

    • 12 Stormtroopers

    • 4 AT-STs

    • 2 Assault Tanks

    • 1 AT-AT

  3. The Rebel player can place the following units on the "Rebel Base" space and/or any one Rebel or neutral system:

    • 1 Corellian Corvette​

    • 1 Rebel Transport

    • 1 X-Wing

    • 1 Y-Wing

    • 1 U-Wing

    • 5 Rebel Troopers

    • 2 Airspeeders

    • 1 Rebel Vanguard

  4. Each player draws two random starting action cards (ie. the action cards without a recruit icon on them).  All other starting action cards are not used this game.​

Step 9: Choose Base Location

The Rebel player secretly chooses one card and places it facedown under the Rebel base "Location" space of the game board.  Then, the probe deck is shuffled and placed on the "Probe Deck" space of the game board.

Each player takes his four starting missions and draws two additional cards from his mission deck to create his starting hand.  Players are now ready to begin playing the game!

Step 10: Draw Starting Hand

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