Page 43 - Star Wars Insider #195

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DESTROY THE DEATH STARR
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D DES TR O Y T HE DEA TH ST A R
STRATEGY
GAMES
“I suggest a new
strategy, Artoo.”
Strategy games are more focused on
autonomous gameplaying decisions,
where the player can affect the outcome
and direction of a game through their
actions and thought process rather than
pure chance or manual dexterity. In
1982, Tsukuda Hobby’s prolifi c designer scenario detailed,
Atsutoshi Okada created the very fi rst in the main real-time land
licensed Death Star strategy game. It rulebook, with and space battles
was an impressive effort that was, sadly, rules for a trench run as players wrestled for
only ever released in Japan, and featured but no Death Star surface control of the galaxy. An
three levels of complexity to choose map to play it on. Players of Imperial player could build a Death
from, with advanced rules including Fantasy Flight’s offi cial X-Wing Star which was capable of blowing away
aerobatics like Immelmann Turns and game, originally released in 2012, planets but was vulnerable to attack
Split-S maneuvers. assemble squadrons of highly detailed, by Luke Skywalker’s Red Squadron.
West End Games acquired the license pre-painted starship miniatures to battle The Forces of Corruption expansion to
to publish Star Wars games in 1987, each other on any fl at surface—no this game added the second Death Star
releasing Star Wars: The Roleplaying game board or map required! Popular along with a new threat from bounty
Game and a starfighter combat board fan-made scenarios have hunter IG-88, who was

game Star Warriors (1987), ushering in added rules for attacks on To defeat a able to destroy a Death Star
a new era of stories and games set in the Death Star, and some by hacking into its central
the galaxy far, far away. Star Warriors players have even built Death Star, the computer system!
included an Attack on the Death Star custom Death Star surface rebel player Designer Rob Daviau’s
environments to play on. 2004 board game, Risk:
Building a Death Star had to roll an Star Wars Original Trilogy
was an integral element of 18 on three Edition, took the mechanics
Fantasy Flight’s 2016 game, of the classic game of Risk
Star Wars: Rebellion, in attack dice. and applied them to the

which the Imperial player galactic conflict. To defeat
begins with one Death Star but could a Death Star, the rebel player had to roll
build more! Death Stars are vulnerable an 18 on three attack dice. Fortunately,
to attack if the rebels get the “Death Star bonuses added from fi ghters, bombers,
Plans” objective, especially if they also and capital ships in the battle gave
get a “One in a Million” shot. them a fair chance, especially if the
Empire at War, published by Force was with them (for up to a +3
Petroglyph Games in 2006, allowed for bonus). The 2014 edition carefully

recreated the final battle in Return of
the Jedi on three simultaneous fronts:
sabotaging the deflector shield generator

on Endor, the space battle around Death
Star II (based on traditional Risk rules),
and the duel between Luke and Vader
in the Emperor’s throne room. After
destroying the shield generator, the
rebel player could attack the Death Star,
destroying it if they rolled a 6 on at least
one attack die. Whether that equates to
bullseying a womp rat from a moving
T-16, however, is debatable.
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