No Turning Back

"You give way to an enemy this evil with this much power and you condemn the galaxy to an eternity of submission. The time to fight is now!"
     –Jyn Erso

It is a dark time for the galaxy. The Old Republic is dead. In its place, the Galactic Empire has seized control of the galaxy, subjugating worlds with unprecedented speed and ruthlessness. Every day, the Imperial flag spreads to new worlds. And worst of all, there are rumors that the Emperor has been developing a new superweapon, one with the power to destroy whole planets.

What do these rumors mean? Is this the death of freedom? Or is it the first spark of a war that will shake the galaxy? The time has come for you to decide.

The Rise of the Empire expansion for Star Wars™: Rebellion is now available!

What Is Rise of the Empire?

Largely inspired by the characters and events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Rise of the Empire is an expansion for Star Wars: Rebellion that adds new depth and intrigue to the game's epic conflicts between the tyrannical Galactic Empire and rag-tag Rebel Alliance.

With its wealth of new heroes, villains, starships, troopers, and vehicles—as well as its new rules for Cinematic Combat—Rise of the Empire allows you to send Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor to recover the Death Star plans. As the Imperial player, you can seize command of Director Krennic and his finest death troopers, then set traps for the Rebel pilots and soldiers, luring them away from their base and into massive battles. You'll even find new characters and units from other Star Wars materials, as the Empire gains access to Admiral Motti and the Interdictor. Even Jabba the Hutt makes an appearance, feeding his prisoners to the Sarlaac.

Altogether, Rise of the Empire introduces eight new leaders, thirty-six plastic miniatures, five target markers, two attachment rings, three new dice, and more than one-hundred new cards. You'll find U-wings, TIE Strikers, Nebulon-B frigates, and assault tanks. You'll gain new ways of subverting your opponent's plans, and you'll discover a whole new chapter in your ongoing Galactic Civil War!

Learn More from Our Previews

Since its release, Star Wars: Rebellion has quickly established itself as one of the top-rated and best-loved boardgames of all-time. Its asymmetrical, star-spanning conflicts combine with iconic heroes, villains, and their secret missions to offer an experience that is unquestionably Star Wars in both its scope and tenor, and Rise of the Empire carries this balance forward, even as it introduces new mechanics and possibilities that have early reviewers hailing it as a "must-have expansion," (Dice Tower) and saying, "I'd heavily recommend this. If you like Rebellion, I don't see any reason you wouldn't want to pick this up." (Ding & Dent)

• In our first preview, "Single Reactor Ignition," we looked at many of the expansion's new missions and projects and saw how they reinforced the importance of your leaders and missions, even as they lent new color to your games, setting them more fully within the time period and conflicts of Rogue One.
• We got a look at the new leaders and their minor skill icons in "Daring Heroes and Dastardly Villains."

• "A Galaxy at War" then offered an in-depth look at the expansion's new units, its new tactics decks, and how they worked together with the new rules for Cinematic Combat to present a more fully integrated, thematic, and strategic combat experience designed to appeal to veteran gamers.
• The expansion's new target markers and their impact on your games took center stage throughout "Stay on Target."
• We turned our gaze to the expansion's new action cards in "Take Action," paying attention to the ways they distinguish the new leaders and explore new design space within the interactions with the probe deck and for actions that aren't associated with a specific leader.

• Finally, in "A Rebellion Built on Hope," we made the rulebook (pdf, 1.4) available for download and looked at the Subversion mission, a new mission that arrives for both Imperials and Rebels and permits another layer of bluffing beyond that available in the core game.

Pick Up Your Copy Today

The early reviews are in, and the Rise of the Empire expansion looks poised to conquer the galaxy. Now you can see for yourself what the reviewers have already praised.

Rise of the Empire (SW04) is available now. Head to your local retailer to pick up your copy today!