Risk: Star Wars Edition

1 Overview

Risk: Star Wars Edition is a fast, asymmetric standalone game based on Return of the Jedi's climactic battle. It is NOT a world domination game, it's a focused scenario with three simultaneous battles resolving each round. Rebels and Empire have completely different win conditions.

Play time: 30–45 minutes. Best with 2 players (also works with 4 in 2v2 teams).

2 Setup

The game board shows three connected theatres: the space battle around the Death Star, the Endor ground battle, and the Luke vs. Vader duel track. Set up starting forces as shown in the rulebook. Each player takes their faction's dice and Battle Cards.

3 The Three Simultaneous Battles

Space Battle

Rebel ships try to penetrate the Imperial fleet and destroy the Death Star. Each round, both players roll dice for the space battle. Rebel hits remove Imperial ships; Imperial hits remove Rebel ships. A separate Death Star track advances toward destruction when Rebels score enough hits, or the Death Star fires and destroys ships.

Ground Battle (Endor)

Rebels (aided by Ewoks) and Imperial ground forces fight over sectors of Endor. Controlling the shield bunker sector helps the Rebels in the space battle (disabling the Death Star's shields). Combat works with dice rolls.

Luke vs. Vader Duel

A separate track represents Luke's confrontation with Darth Vader and the Emperor. Each round, move the duel marker toward Luke's redemption or the dark side based on dice results. If Luke redeems Vader, Rebels win; if Luke falls, Empire wins this track.

4 Battle Cards

Each faction has a deck of Battle Cards played to modify combat in any of the three theatres. Cards might boost attack dice, protect specific units, redirect results, or activate special abilities (Millennium Falcon, Boba Fett, Wedge Antilles, etc.). Play one card per round before rolling dice.

5 Win Conditions

Rebels win if:

• The Death Star destruction track reaches zero (enough Rebel hits penetrate), classic win, OR
• Luke redeems Vader before the Empire wins

Empire wins if:

• All Rebel ships are eliminated, Imperial fleet overwhelms, OR
• Luke falls to the dark side (duel track reaches Emperor's end)

All three battles occur simultaneously each round, the game can end mid-round if a condition is triggered.

6 Strategy

Rebels: Go for the Death Star

The fastest Rebel path is a direct Death Star kill through concentrated space battle attacks. Use Battle Cards to boost Rebel fighter attacks. The ground battle matters mainly for the shield bunker, control it to make the Death Star more vulnerable.

Empire: Eliminate Ships First

The Empire can't let the Rebel fleet survive long enough to destroy the Death Star. Prioritize ship kills over the ground battle. The Death Star's superlaser (triggered on certain dice rolls) can eliminate many ships at once.

Duel Cards Are Swing Plays

Battle Cards affecting the Luke/Vader duel are high-impact but situational. Save them for when the duel track is in a critical position rather than playing them for small gains early.