Page 35 - Star Wars Insider #188

only because it was fun to play.
“Its source book became this ACROSS
“People might bible of Star Wars lore before there

grow up, but we was anything else like it,” explains THE BOARD
retain our creative Jarvis. “Even if you didn’t play role-
imagination. playing games, you still wanted to Insider’s pick of the most
Tabletop games pick up the source book because it memorable Star Wars games.
gave you all this information you
let you express it.”
couldn’t find elsewhere.” Vintage Victor
BROOK S F L UGA UR - LE A V IT T Naturally, when the prequel DESTROY DEATH STAR (1977)
Developer, Fantasy Flight Games trilogy arrived, fresh games came One of the best of the fi rst Kenner games, this
with it, including one that was wasn’t just a straightforward spin-the-spinner-
and-move affair, it required each player to lead
almost too ambitious: The Queen’s
a squadron of three X-wings along the Death
Gambit (2000). Based on the climax Star’s trench and blow it up before it can turn
to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Yavin 4 into
(1999), it re-enacted the four battles asteroids. Just
to complicate
on Naboo, spreading its action
matters, the
across three different boards and a board’s Death
central three-tier representation of Star rotated,
meaning you
the Theed Royal Palace, with 155
had to time
miniatures representing Gungans, those trench
Trade Federation droids, star runs
just right.

fighters and more.
“It goes for unbelievable money
now,” says Jarvis. “People love it.” Mastering the Lore
However, despite the success of STAR W ARS :
THE ROLE-PLAYING GAME (1987)
Decipher Inc’s popular Star Wars:
Customizable Card Game, which The fi rst ever Star Wars role-playing game
(RPG), allowing players to create their own
allowed deck-collecting players
heroes in a galaxy far, far away and go off on
to play out light-versus-dark-side adventures devised by the Games Master. Using
battles between 1995 and 2001, the same system as
the Ghostbusters
both Jarvis and Green agree that
RPG, it was beloved
modern Star Wars board gaming by fans for being such
didn’t truly come into its own until a valuable source of
Star Wars information
Minnesota-based publisher, Fantasy
in the pre-internet
Flight Games, acquired the Star age. A special
Wars license in 2012 and released limited-in-number
the Star Wars: X-Wing miniatures 30th anniversary
edition was released
game. “They’ve really pushed the
in 2018 by Fantasy
envelope in terms of what they’ve Flight Games.
been able to do with the Star Wars
universe,” says Green. The Lost Classic
STAR W ARS :
THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT (2000)
Attention To Detail
Still praised by many gaming die-hards,
It’s hard to think of any other this monster of a game recreated all four
cinematic franchise that feels so theaters of the Battle of Naboo on a table-
swamping arrangement of boards, cardboard
thematically ripe for the modern
constructions, and plastic miniature fi gures.
tabletop experience. Not only is One of the designers, Rob Daviau, went on to
the Star Wars galaxy huge, but it become one of today’s most celebrated and
also compels you to explore its innovative game designers.
every Naboo nook or Corellian
cranny. “I watch the cantina scene
in A New Hope, and I’m thinking,
‘Who are all these people?’” says
Fantasy Flight Games’ Frank
Brooks. “It’s this very rich, detailed
world that makes you want to try
living in it and playing in it.”
“Star Wars has captured the

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