Star Wars: Assault on Hoth
| A Star Wars Adventure Boardgame | |
|---|---|
| Designer(s) | Paul Murphy |
| Publisher(s) | West End Games |
| Publication date | 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
Star Wars: Assault on Hoth is a strategic board game produced by West End Games and designed by Paul Murphy that recreates the Battle of Hoth as depicted in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.[1] Each player takes the side of the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire on a hex map that depicts the snowy terrain of Hoth as Imperial forces attempt to destroy the Echo Base shield generator before five Rebel transports escape.
Released in 1988, Star Wars: Assault on Hoth was one of the first products published by West End Games when it first acquired the Star Wars license. Other products included Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game and its supplement books, the Star Wars Miniatures Game, and additional board games such Star Wars: Star Warriors, Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star, and Star Wars: Battle for Endor, among others.
Rules
Star Wars: Assault on Hoth is played on a hex grid using cardboard pieces that represent the various Rebel and Imperial soldiers and vehicles that participated in the Battle of Hoth. These include Rebel light and heavy infantry, Imperial snowtrooper light and heavy infantry, AT-ST and AT-AT walkers, laser towers, and snowspeeder aircraft. The game is played using a deck of 20 Action Cards that determines which unit moves next and what actions is it allowed to perform. If an Action Card says to “Draw Event,” then a card is chosen from that deck that lists reinforcements, special unit bonuses, or a “Transport Away!” card.[2]
In addition to hexes that determine unit placement and movement, Star Wars: Assault on Hoth incorporates “macro hexes” that are used to determine range between units engaged in combat. The game is played using two standard six-sided dice, as well as eight special six-sided dice that contain two blank sides, two Darth Vader sides, and two lightsaber sides. To determine hits, the Imperial player only counts Darth Vader results and the Rebel player only counts lightsaber results. In addition, there are three terrain types (clear, rough, and cliffs) that provide strategic advantages and impact unit movement.[3]
In addition to units on the map, the Rebel player also secretly assigns Luke Skywalker to one of the snowspeeders and does not reveal his identity until the player is ready to use Luke’s “Force Points” that allow him to boost his vehicle’s armor or firepower, as well as reduce the impact of critical hits against his speeder.[4]
The Imperial player wins if he destroys the shield generator before the fifth “Transport Away!” Event Card is drawn. The player may increase his likelihood of destroying the generator if he also destroys the Power Grid. The Rebel player wins once the fifth “Transport Away!” card is drawn or if he destroys all Imperial units on the map.[5]
The game is currently out of print and ranked 2,034th on Boardgamegeek.com.