How to Play Star Wars Deck Building Game if you hate rulebooks

I hate reading rulebooks and compiled this How to Play Star Wars Deck Building Game rules to help get your game started quickly with minimal hassle.
If you are looking for an overview, click here to get a quick summary of the gameplay, game mechanics, videos and find out what makes the game fun and suitable for you.

Setup

• Each player selects Empire or Rebel faction.
• Each player has a deck of base cards and starts with their designated starting base in play.

• To form their player deck, players take and shuffle the 10 Empire starter or 10 Rebel Starter cards listed below based on their faction.

• Shuffle deck of Galaxy Cards and deal 6 cards face up to form the Galaxy Row.
• Empire cards face Empire Player. Rebel Cards Face Rebel Player. Neutral cards turned sideways .
• Galaxy deck placed is facedown at one-end of the Galaxy Row.
• The Outer Rim Pilot deck is placed face up at the opposite end of the galaxy row.

• Damage and resource counters are placed at the side
• The Balance of the Force track is set up with Rebel symbol facing Rebel Player and the Force marker is placed on the Rebel side.
• Each player draws five cards from their player deck.

Key Game Concepts

Players start with not very powerful starter decks and use resources to add new cards to improve their deck’s power.
Different combos of cards work well together. Players strategise cards to add as well as adapt to what their opponent adds.

The ‘Balance of the Force’

Some card abilities are triggered by the phrase “If the Force is with you,” which means they can only be used when the Force marker is on your side of the track.

• When the Force marker is on the three dark side spaces, the Force is with the Empire player.
• When the Force marker is on the three light side spaces, the Force is with the Rebel player.
• When the marker is on the neutral space, the Force is not with either player.

Gaining Force allows you to move the marker towards your side. If the Force marker is fully on your side at the start of your turn, you gain one extra resource for that turn.

Playing the game

The game proceeds in turns, starting with the Empire.

Start of the turn

At the beginning of each turn, follow these steps:

1. Choose a New Base: If your opponent destroyed your base on their last turn, select a new base from your remaining base cards and reveal it.
2. Gain Force Resource: If the Force marker is fully on your side, take one resource counter from the supply and place it in your play area.
3. Gain Capital Ship Resources: Collect resources from each capital ship you have in play by taking resource counters from the supply equal to the card’s resource value. Early in the game, you may skip this step if you have no capital ships in play.

Turn Actions

On your turn, take the following actions in any order:

1. Play a card: Put a card from your hand into play, gain resources equal to its resource value, and move the Force marker based on its Force value.
2. Purchase a card: Spend resources to buy a card from the galaxy row or Outer Rim Pilot deck. Purchased cards are placed in your discard pile and will be shuffled into your deck later.
3. Use a card ability: Activate a special ability on a card in play.
4. Commit to an attack: Use units and capital ships to attack your opponent’s base or use units to attack enemy cards in the galaxy row (sabotage for Rebels, bounty hunting for Empire).
5. Resolve an attack: Calculate damage dealt based on the attack values of committed cards. Damage is first applied to capital ships, then to the base.
6. End your turn: Discard units, return resources to the supply, discard your hand, and draw five new cards.

Play a Card

1. Place the Card: Take the card from your hand and place it faceup in your play area. It is now considered “in play.”
2. Collect Resources: Immediately gain resources equal to the card’s resource value.
3. Move the Force Marker: Move the Force marker towards your side on the Balance of the Force track by a number of spaces equal to the card’s Force value.
4. Use the Card: Once in play, you can use the card’s ability and/or commit it to an attack.

Unit cards remain in play until the end of your turn, while capital ship cards stay in play until they receive damage equal to or greater than their hit points.

Purchase a Card

You can purchase cards from the galaxy row or the Outer Rim Pilot deck.

• Rebel Player: Can purchase Rebel and neutral cards, but not Empire cards.
• Empire Player: Can purchase Empire and neutral cards, but not Rebel cards.

To purchase a card:

1. Spend Resources: Use resources equal to the card’s cost by removing that number of resources from your resource pool and returning them to the supply.
2. Add Card to Discard Pile: Remove the card from the galaxy row (or the Outer Rim Pilot deck) and place it faceup on top of your discard pile. When you shuffle your discard pile into your deck, the new card will be included and can be used in future turns.
3. Replace Galaxy Row Card: Immediately replace the purchased card in the galaxy row by revealing the top card of the galaxy deck and placing it faceup in the galaxy row.

Use a Card Ability

1. Indicate and Resolve: Tell your opponent which card’s ability you want to use and then resolve its effects.
2. Optional Use: Using card abilities is optional.
3. Performable Effects: Execute as much of the ability’s effect as possible, ignoring anything that cannot be performed.
4. Once Per Turn: Each card’s ability can be used once per turn, including the turn it was played.
5. Mark Used Abilities: Tilt the card slightly after using its ability to indicate it cannot be used again that turn.

Commit to an Attack

You can attack your opponent’s base or enemy cards in the galaxy row using your units and capital ships.

1. Attack Enemy Base:
   • Use your units and capital ships to attack your opponent’s base.
   • Group the attacking cards together in your play area or place them directly in front of the base to indicate they are attacking.
2. Attack Galaxy Row Cards:
   • Use units to attack enemy cards in the galaxy row via sabotage (Rebels) or bounty hunting (Empire).
   • Place the attacking units in front of the target card in the galaxy row.

Winning the Game

The first player to destroy three of their opponent’s bases wins the game.

Card Types

• Units: Characters, vehicles, etc., that are used for attacks and have abilities.
• Bases: Locations that provide resources and special abilities.
• Capital Ships: Powerful ships that can attack and defend.

The Force

The Force is a mechanic that can shift between the Empire and Rebels. Card abilities can be affected by whether the Force is with your side. Gaining Force moves the Force marker on the track.

Additional Rules

• Card Abilities: Abilities are optional and can be used once per turn.
• Bounty Hunting/Sabotage: Attacking enemy cards in the galaxy row to gain rewards.
• Exile: Removing a card from the game entirely.
• Repair: Removing damage counters from your base.