Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game

The original base box is a two-player Rebel-versus-Empire game. Each player has ten starter cards and draws five; reveal six galaxy-row cards and keep Outer Rim Pilots in a separate supply. Empire goes first and the Force starts fully Rebel. Beginner setup uses five specified bases per faction.

At turn start first reveal a chosen replacement base if you have none, then check the far-end Force resource bonus, then collect resources from your capital ships in play. Do not reveal a replacement during the opponent’s turn when the old base is destroyed.

On your turn play, purchase, use abilities, commit and resolve attacks in any legal order, then end the turn. There is no fixed basic-action allowance, but each card’s values, abilities and attack have their own limits; do not collect the same resource value repeatedly.

Playing a card immediately grants its printed resources and Force. Units normally remain until turn end; capital ships remain until destroyed or removed by another effect. Capital ships grant their printed resources when played and again at the start of your subsequent turns.

Pay to purchase your own faction or neutral cards, never the opposing faction. Purchases normally enter your discard pile; replace a removed galaxy-row card immediately. Outer Rim Pilots can also be purchased from their separate supply.

Ordinary activated abilities are normally once per card per turn and can wait for a chosen time. When abilities follow their trigger and may resolve each time it occurs. Resolve as much as possible when using an ability, and pick a resolvable option for choose effects rather than selecting only a convenient fragment.

Each unit or capital ship in play commits to only one attack per turn. Base attacks must destroy all opposing capital ships before assigning remaining damage to the base. Damage persists, but excess damage after destroying a base is lost and cannot reach the next base.

Bounty hunting and sabotage target opposing units in the galaxy row. Only units participate; capital ships, neutral cards and row capital ships are not valid participants or targets for this attack. Meet the target value at once without accumulating damage, discard the defeated card, refill the row, then optionally receive its reward.

The Force is with you on your three side spaces, not the neutral center. Gain its extra resource only if it is fully on your side when your turn starts. Moving it there during the turn does not grant that resource immediately.

At turn end discard units in play and remaining hand cards, return unused resources, retain capital ships and draw five. Reshuffle discards only when a needed draw finds an empty deck. Beginner play ends immediately on a third destroyed base; Full Galaxy opens all ten bases per faction and officially recommends agreeing on four destroyed bases.