Star Wars Miniatures

Star Wars Miniatures involves two or more players pitting their squads against each other in a fast-paced, intense battle to the death. The players will come to an agreement on a point limit (with 100, 150, and 200 being the official recommended values) and then construct a squad that stays within that limit, following one of these formats:

• Free-for-all: In this format, each player assembles a squad from a single faction (with Fringe characters allowed). These factions can be from different eras or even the same one. This is the format used for official tournaments.
• Era Play: Here, players first select an era, and then one player takes on the role of a light side faction while the other plays a dark side faction from that same era. Fringe characters can be added to either player's squad.
• Light Side vs. Dark Side: In this format, players create a multi-faction squad, with one player representing the light side ( Old Republic , Republic , Rebel Alliance , New Republic ) and the other representing the dark side ( Sith , Separatists , Empire , Mandalorians , Yuuzhan Vong ). Fringe characters can be included on either side.
• No Faction: Players can build a squad using any combination of characters they choose.
• Sealed: In this format, players open a set number of Starter packs and Booster packs, and then create a No Faction squad using only the miniatures they find inside.

Once all players have their squads prepared, the units are placed on a gridded map, typically on opposite sides of the playing area. The map can be customized using terrain tiles that are included with certain sets and books. During each "phase" of the game, units are "activated" in pairs. When a unit is activated a player can choose to move the unit six grid spaces and then attack (in any order), or move the unit twelve grid spaces without attacking. When attacking, a player rolls a twenty-sided die (a d20) and adds their unit's attack bonus to the result. If the total is equal to or greater than the defending unit's defense score, the attack is successful and damage is applied. The player or team who eliminates all opponents, accumulates enough victory points, or forces their opponents to concede is declared the winner.

Most characters in the game possess Special Abilities, which provide players with unique tactical options in addition to both offensive and defensive capabilities. The effectiveness of these Special Abilities varies greatly; some can be game-changing (or even game-ending), while others are rarely used at all.

Additionally, characters who are sensitive to the Force (such as Jedi and Sith) may have Force Powers. These powers are fueled by the Force (represented in the game by spending Force points) and are generally more potent than Special Abilities. However, similar to Special Abilities, the effectiveness of Force Powers can vary significantly. A unit's statistics and abilities are detailed on its corresponding stat card. This card includes information such as the unit's faction, hit points (HP), defense, attack, special abilities, force powers, and other advanced details. The reverse side of the card features a reference sketch used during the model's creation.

There have been sixteen sets of miniatures released. The first ten sets each contained sixty figures with varying degrees of rarity. Later sets, starting with Clone Wars, contained forty figures:

• Rebel Storm : Classic trilogy Era
• Clone Strike : Prequel trilogy Era: Introduced the Republic and Separatist factions.
• Revenge of the Sith : Episode III Revenge of the Sith
• Universe : Prequel trilogy through New Jedi Order Era, introduction of the first "Huge" models, and introduction to the factions: New Republic and Yuuzhan Vong .
• Champions of the Force : All eras, including Knights of the Old Republic models. Introducing the Old Republic and Sith factions.
• Bounty Hunters : All eras, and introduces Mandalorians .
• Alliance and Empire : Utilizes Original trilogy characters to celebrate thirty years of Star Wars. This set is unique due to the square bases of its figures, a feature not found in any other set in the series.
• The Force Unleashed : This set features characters from the game of the same name, as well as content from the Expanded Universe . It also introduces new force powers and a renewed emphasis on force-using melee characters.
• Legacy of the Force : This set was released on March 28 , 2008 and focuses on content from Star Wars: Legacy , Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, and other Expanded Universe sources.
• Knights of the Old Republic : Released on August 7 , 2008 . It draws inspiration from the acclaimed RPG series, Knights of the Old Republic , and the comic series of the same title.
• The Clone Wars : This set, released on October 31, 2008, is based primarily on the Clone Wars , incorporating elements from the original Clone Wars cartoon, as well as the new CG The Clone Wars film and television series.
• Imperial Entanglements : Released on March 17, 2009, this set focuses on characters from the Galactic Civil War Era, with a few exceptions like Kyp Durron and Mitth'raw'nuruodo .
• Jedi Academy : Released on June 30, 2009, this set features force users from various eras, including several from the Legacy era.
• Galaxy at War : Released on October 23, 2009, this set centers around the second season of The Clone Wars animated series.
• The Dark Times : Released in January 2010, this set is inspired by the comic series of the same name, along with other expanded universe materials from that era, in addition to movie characters.
• Masters of the Force : Released in April 2010, this set marks the final release of Star Wars Miniatures by Wizards of the Coast.

In addition to the standard sets, several non-random, themed packs were also released:

• Galaxy Tiles : Released in January 2008, this pack includes tiles for use with the RPG Game.
• AT-AT Imperial Walker Colossal Pack : This pack contains an AT-AT, a special scenario/rulebook, and Hoth maps.
• ' Attack on Endor' : This pack features a reposed AT-ST , along with assorted Imperial troopers, a special scenario/rulebook, and various maps, including Endor .
• ' Hoth Battle Pack' : This set includes two exclusive figures (General Veers Hologram and Blizzard One AT-ST), as well as reprints of several characters. It also includes a rulebook and a new Hoth Map.
• Clone Wars Battles : This set consists of ten miniatures (including five exclusive figures), a 2-sided map sheet, and a rules booklet.
• Map Packs : Each pack contains two nonrandom figures (one of which is exclusive) and a two-sided map. They are based on the Clone Wars 2003 and 2008 series. Three Map packs were released throughout 2009: The Attack on Teth, Showdown at Teth Palace, and The Crystal Caves of Ilum. These packs featured unique versions of Anakin Skywalker , Asajj Ventress , and Luminara Unduli , respectively.

The player community has continued to create and release "virtual" sets. These sets provide new cards and statistics that can be used with the existing miniatures from WotC. These community-created cards can be used in tournaments organized by the player community. (As of June 2011, the most active online communities for Star Wars Miniatures players are at www.bloomilk.com and www.swmgamers.com. Information about tournaments and the virtual sets can be found on those sites.) Here are the virtual sets:

• Destiny of the Force : Released in December 2010, this was the first "V-set" for Star Wars Miniatures, developed by a committee formed from the Star Wars Miniatures player community.
• Renegades and Rogues : Released in August 2011. In competitive play, some factions were considered to be "weaker" than others. The first two V-sets aimed to address this imbalance by providing more options for those weaker factions, with the goal of creating a more balanced playing field.

The Ultimate Missions book series served as a supplement for Star Wars Miniatures. Each expansion had its own book (including one that covered all eras), which offered scenarios, gameplay ideas, full maps, and terrain tiles to enhance the game's playability. However, due to disappointing sales, the Ultimate Missions series was cancelled shortly after the release of the Revenge of the Sith set. Many online scenarios still make use of the maps and tiles found in these books. The three books that were released are Ultimate Missions: Clone Strike, Ultimate Missions: Rebel Storm, and Ultimate Missions: Revenge of the Sith.

In 2006, Wizards of the Coast introduced a "space battle" version of Star Wars Miniatures, but it was not compatible with the original game.

• Size Matters Not: Star Wars Miniatures on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• A Closer Look at The New Miniatures Game on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• "What Are Star Wars Minis" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Star Wars Miniatures Update on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• "Gen Con Indy 2006" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)

• "Star Wars Miniatures" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• "Star Wars Minis Rules, Errata, and FAQ" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• "STAR WARS(tm) Miniatures DCI(tm) Floor Rules" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link) (text file)
• Star Wars Miniatures Wiki
• Star Wars Miniatures on Wikipedia