Star Wars Miniatures

Gameplay

In Star Wars Miniatures, two or more squads engage in rapid and intense skirmishes. Participants will decide upon a point value (with 100, 150, and 200 being the formally recognized values) and then assemble a squad that remains within the agreed-upon point limit, adhering to one of the following formats:

• Free-for-all: Each player constructs a squad from a single faction (and Fringe) for the engagement. Factions from different time periods or even identical factions may clash. This format is employed in officially sanctioned competitions.
• Era Play: Players select a specific era and then designate one player to represent a light side faction and another to represent a dark side faction from that era. Fringe characters have the option to integrate with either player's squad.
• Light Side vs. Dark Side: Players assemble a multi-faction squad, with one player embodying the light side ( Old Republic , Republic , Rebel Alliance , New Republic ) and the opposing player representing the dark side ( Sith , Separatists , Empire , Mandalorians , Yuuzhan Vong ). Fringe characters can align with either side.
• No Faction: Players create a squad by freely combining any characters.
• Sealed: Players will unwrap a specified number of Starter packs and Booster packs, subsequently forming a No Faction squad using the miniatures found within.

After all players have prepared their squads, the units are positioned on a gridded battlefield—typically on opposing sides. The battlefield can be personalized using terrain components included with certain sets and rulebooks. During each "phase" of the game, units are "activated" in pairs. Players have the option to either move a unit six grid spaces and then attack (in either sequence), or move twelve grid spaces without attacking. To initiate an attack, players roll a twenty-sided die (referred to as a d20) and add the attacking unit's attack bonus. If the resulting total equals or exceeds the defending unit's defense score, the attack is successful, and damage is inflicted. The player or team that completely eliminates all opponents, accumulates sufficient victory points, or compels their opponents to concede is declared the winner.

The majority of characters in the game possess Special Abilities, which provide players with distinctive gameplay strategies in addition to both offensive and defensive capabilities. The effectiveness of Special Abilities varies considerably, ranging from those that can drastically alter the course of a game (or even conclude it prematurely) to those that are seldom utilized.

Furthermore, characters who are sensitive to the Force (such as Jedi and Sith) may possess Force Powers. These powers are fueled by the Force (represented in the game by expending Force points) and generally exhibit greater potency than Special Abilities. However, much like Special Abilities, the effectiveness of Force Powers varies significantly. These statistics and abilities are documented on the unit's corresponding stat card. The card provides details regarding a unit's faction, hit points (HP), defense, attack, special abilities, force powers, and supplementary advanced information. The reverse side showcases a reference sketch employed during the model's creation.

Miniatures sets

A total of sixteen miniature sets have been launched. The initial ten sets each contain sixty figures, characterized by varying degrees of rarity. Subsequent sets, commencing with Clone Wars, comprise 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 notable for the unique design of its figures, being the only set in the series with square bases.
• The Force Unleashed : The set includes characters from its namesake game and the Expanded Universe . The game also has new force powers and puts a focus back on force using melee characters in the game.
• Legacy of the Force : A set released March 28 , 2008 . Focuses on Star Wars: Legacy , Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, as well as other Expanded Universe sources.
• Knights of the Old Republic : Released August 7 , 2008 . Based on the award-winning RPG series, Knights of the Old Republic , and the comic series of the same name.
• The Clone Wars : A set released October 31, 2008 based primarily on the Clone Wars , including content from the original Clone Wars cartoon, and the new CG The Clone Wars film and television series.
• Imperial Entanglements : A set released March 17, 2009, with content based on Galactic Civil War Era characters with a few exceptions, such as Kyp Durron and Mitth'raw'nuruodo .
• Jedi Academy : Released June 30,2009, The set is comprised of force users from all eras, including several from the Legacy era.
• Galaxy at War : Released October 23,2009, this set focuses on the second season of The Clone Wars animated series
• The Dark Times : Released January 2010, this set focuses on the comic series of its namesake, as well as other expanded universe sources of that era in addition to movie characters
• Masters of the Force : Released April 2010. This is the final set of Star Wars Miniatures released by Wizards of the Coast.

In addition to the standard sets, a number of non-random, themed packs were also made available:

• Galaxy Tiles : Released in January 2008, it contains tiles for use with the RPG Game.
• AT-AT Imperial Walker Colossal Pack : Packaged with an AT-AT, a special scenario/rulebook, and Hoth maps.
• ' Attack on Endor' : A reposed AT-ST with several assorted Imperial troopers, a special scenario/rulebook, and several maps including Endor .
• ' Hoth Battle Pack' : This set includes two exclusive figures (General Veers Hologram and Blizzard One AT-ST) with some reprints of several characters. The set also includes a rulebook and a new Hoth Map.
• Clone Wars Battles : This set consists of ten miniatures (including five exclusive figures), 2-sided map sheet and rules booklet.
• Map Packs : Each pack contains two nonrandom figures (Including one exclusive) released with a two sided map. 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 featured unique versions of Anakin Skywalker , Asajj Ventress , and Luminara Unduli , respectively.

Virtual sets

The player community has persisted in creating and distributing "virtual" sets. These sets comprise novel cards and statistics designed for use with the existing miniatures produced by WotC. These community-generated cards are eligible for use in tournaments organized by the player community. (As of June 2011, the most active online hubs for Star Wars Miniatures players are located at www.bloomilk.com and www.swmgamers.com. Details pertaining to tournaments and virtual sets can be accessed at these locations.) The virtual sets include:

• Destiny of the Force : Released December 2010. This marks the inaugural "V-set" for Star Wars Miniatures, conceived by a committee formed from within the Star Wars Miniatures player base.
• Renegades and Rogues : Released August 2011. During competitive gameplay, certain factions were perceived as being comparatively "weaker." The initial two V-sets incorporate additional components for these less potent factions, with the objective of fostering a more equitable competitive environment across all factions.

Ultimate Missions

The Ultimate Missions series of books serves as a supplementary resource for Star Wars Miniatures. A dedicated book is published for each expansion (including one encompassing all eras), providing scenarios, gameplay concepts, complete maps, and terrain components to further enrich the game's potential for play. However, due to underwhelming sales figures, the Ultimate Missions series was brought to a halt shortly following the release of the Revenge of the Sith set. Numerous online scenarios also leverage the maps and tiles featured in these books. The three books in the series are Ultimate Missions: Clone Strike, Ultimate Missions: Rebel Storm, and Ultimate Missions: Revenge of the Sith.

Starship Battles

In 2006, Wizards of the Coast introduced a "space combat" variant of Star Wars Miniatures. This variant is not compatible with the original Star Wars Miniatures game.

Sources

• 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)

Notes and references

External links

• "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