Mission Control

“When I was young, I was told amazing stories of creatures that lived in the stars, traveled between the worlds. Old pilots said it was the purrgil who inspired us to jump from system to system. But I don’t believe it.”
   —Hera Syndulla, Star Wars: Rebels

The Galactic Civil War is tearing the galaxy apart, and nowhere is the fighting fiercer than in the lawless Mid and Outer Rim. These often ignored systems may be far removed from the glittering lights of the Core Worlds, but they are rich with resources and potential allies that may be able to shift the scales of power. Both the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance are desperate to gain a steadier hold on the region, presenting the perfect opportunity for newly promoted commanders to lead their fleets and make a name for themselves.

In the Rebellion in the Rim campaign expansion for Star Wars™: Armada, two to six players journey to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, where they must fight for control of the valuable territories over the course of multiple battles across the Rim. But the exact missions themselves may differ with each adventure as the needs of each side shift with the tides of war. If you wish to advance through the ranks and lead your fleet to victory, you must be prepared to face any challenge.

Today, we are pleased to offer you a closer look at the new objectives found in Rebellion in the Rim—now available for pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping within the continental United States!

Battle and Betrayal

Rebellion in the Rim includes new objective cards that can be used with all modes of play, whether you are progressing through a challenging campaign or engaging in traditional battles. This expansion includes twelve new standard objective cards and eleven new campaign objective cards to increase strategic complexity and expand the possibilities of your battles to put you in the mindset of a fleet commander locked in the middle of the Galactic Civil War. You may be asked to  Recruit Allies  or  Steal Supplies , all in the name of your faction.

But not every mission is simple—some may take their toll on not only your mind, but also your spirit. For example, you may be forced to confront one of the greatest challenges a commander can face in the form of a  Pilot Defection.  Before deploying fleets in games running this objective, the first player chooses 3 additional non-unique squadrons of the opposing faction with a total value up to 40 fleet points and add them to the second player’s fleet. Then once during the battle, the first player may assign an objective token to one of the chosen squadrons. This is the defector. It will join to the first player’s fleet for the remainder of the game, offering them additional firepower and strategic potential. If the defector can manage to reach the safety of the opposing side by the end of the game, the commander they are defecting to will gain one victory token. However, if the commander who lost the defecting squadron can manage to destroy them, they will gain one victory token as some small compensation for their lost ships and crew. But will any victory be enough to ease the pain of betrayal?

And the trails of conflict do not end there.  Double Agent  opens the battle by having the second player choose one of their ships to act as the objective ship. When the objective ship reveals a command dial, it may gain 1 matching command token without spending the command dial. What's more, this ship can drop objective tokens across the map, allowing players to scoop up valuable information. If no player has any victory tokens by the third round, the first player may remove the objective token from its ship at the start of a round and place it in the play area at distance 1 of the objective ship, allowing it to be picked up by another ship, which then becomes the objective ship and earns it owner one victory token in the process. But these objective ships are also very tempting targets. When an objective ship is destroyed, the opponent gains a victory token and the objective token remains in play near the destroyed ship. This creates a new tactical play experience where objective tokens are constantly shifting control and commanders are forced to focus on a small area of the battlefield. Will you be able to maintain control of the battle even as it turns to chaos around you, or will you falter and watch as your opponent rakes up victory points at your expense? If you wish to win the pivotal battle and solidify your commander’s place in the fleet, you cannot afford to lose an inch!

Life Among the Stars

Beyond the new objectives tailored to the campaign itself, Rebellion in the Rim also offers you a variety of new objectives that can be integrated into any game of Armada, bringing more variety to your games and introducing new challenges to overcome. Along with the difficulties you will face from your opponent, you will also be forced to contend with both new and familiar obstacles, including purrgils, exogorths, dust fields, and gravity rifts. 

Purrgils, the incredible whale-like creatures that inspired hyperspace technology, are as wonderous as they are dangerous. They are known to crash into ships or wander into hyperspace lanes, with devastating consequences. And now as the purrgils make their appearance in Armada, you have the chance to use them to your advantage. During a  Hyperspace Migration,  players alternate moving these living obstacles at the end of each round, potentially blocking their opponent’s path or lining up a collision. If a squadron overlaps a purrgil, it suffers one damage, and if a ship should do so, it suffers damage equal to its speed. You must take care to respect the natural creatures that surround you, even in the heat of battle.

Far removed from the peaceful purrgils are the opportunistic exogorths. These space-slugs often live on asteroids, waiting to grasp at any passing prey. You may find these troublesome creatures popping up in  Asteroid Tactics,  where asteroid fields offer helpful recovery benefits to fleet commanders, but place ships at greater risk of being attacked. At the end of each round, the second player places two exogorths, which must be touching other obstacles. Here, they lay in wait. If a ship should overlap them, it suffers one damage as the creature springs from its hiding place, attempting to catch an easy meal. And at the start of each Squadron Phase, each player chooses an exogorth to perform an anti-squadron attack against each squadron that has wandered too close. Afterwards, the exogorths retreat back into their hiding places and are removed from the board until the next round. None of these creatures are actively evil or seek to do harm; they simply exist. The conflicts of various warring factions have no effect on them. But if you wish to claim victory in the Mid and Outer Rim, you will need to adapt to your surroundings and rise to the face the trials ahead. Are you ready for a new challenge?

Control Your Destiny

Whether you are preparing to take on the Rebellion in the Rim or your next tournament, the time has come to take command and lead your fleet to victory. Find your next mission and prepare for a new adventure in a galaxy far, far away!

Pre-order your copy of Rebellion in the Rim(SWM31) at your local retailer today or online through our website with free shipping in the continental United States here!