Ever dreamed of commanding a unit of Rebel Alliance heroes against the Galactic Empire? Or leading the Pyke syndicate in a turf war against the Black Sun? Then you’re in the right place! Let’s talk getting started with Star Wars: Legion, the awesome miniatures game of epic armies and tabletop battles set in the Star Wars universe.

What is Star Wars: Legion?

Star Wars: Legion is a tabletop miniatures game published by Fantasy Flight Games that lets you experience amazing cinematic battles in the Star Wars setting. Players control armies of miniatures that represent your favourite characters and units from the Star Wars films, TV shows, and expanded universe, using clever strategies and cunning tactics to best the opposing players on the battlefield.

Each player builds an army of miniatures by choosing a commander such as Darth Maul or Luke Skywalker and adding a range of units like clone troopers or wookie warriors for them to lead into battle. These miniatures are then placed on the tabletop battlefield representing the iconic planets, locations and terrain from the Star Wars universe.

Each player takes it in turn to move their army, activating each unit or character’s special abilities and weapons to attack their opponent. Ultimately the goal is to defeat the opposing player's commander or capture various objectives on the battlefield. In order to win a game of Star Wars: Legion players will need to outwit and outmanoeuvre their opponent using strategy, tactics and luck.

What Do I Need to Play Star Wars: Legion?

In order to get started playing Star Wars: Legion, you'll need the following:

Miniatures

To start playing Star Wars: Legion you'll need to choose some miniatures that will represent your army on the tabletop. You can either buy a Star Wars: Legion core set (which comes with a selection of easy-assembly miniatures plus all the rules, cards, dice and tokens you need) or you can pick and choose the exact units and characters you want from the various Star Wars: Legion expansion packs. There’s a huge range of miniatures to choose from, including iconic characters like Darth Vader and Boba Fett. As you’re new to the game, a core set is the safest option though, until you become more familiar with the army composition rules.

Many players choose to paint their miniatures. While this is not essential it’s generally considered to be preferable and helps to make games feel more immersive. We stock a wide range of paints, brushes and hobby products to get you started.

Battlefield

Star Wars: Legion is a tabletop game, meaning that you’ll need a large tabletop upon which to recreate the battlefields of a galaxy far, far away. Gaming mats are a great place to start, and you can add further interest and tactical challenges to your games with scenery and terrain pieces, like the ones produced by Battlefield In A Box.

Dice, Tokens & Cards

Star Wars: Legion uses D6s and D8s to determine the outcome of attacks and other actions. You'll also need a variety of tokens to represent different game effects, such as suppression or cover. These are included in the core sets or can be bought separately in the Star Wars Legion: Essentials Kit.

Rules

As you’d expect, you’ll also need a copy of the Star Wars: Legion rules, which explains the game's rules and gameplay. The rules are included in core sets but can also be found on the Fantasy Flight Games website.

How Do I Start Playing Star Wars: Legion?

Once you’ve gathered together all of the bits listed above and found a willing opponent (such as at our regular Star Wars: Legion organised play events), you're ready to start playing a game of Star Wars: Legion!

Here's a quick guide to how you go about setting up and playing your first game:

Choose Your Commanders

Each player first chooses a commander for their army, such as Han Solo or Count Dooku. Your chosen commander will be as the leader of your force, with special abilities and unique powers that can help you best your opponent on the tabletop.

Assemble Your Army

Next, the players assemble their forces by selecting units and assigning them to the commander. You can choose from a massive range of units, including stormtroopers, rebels, dewback riders, speeder bikes and so much more. It’s best to think about the strengths and weaknesses of each option and choose a balanced force (pun intended!) that’s adaptable to different scenarios that might arise on the battlefield. You'll need to agree on a game size with your opponent (such as 500 points or 1000 points), which will determine the number and type of units you can include.

Set Up The Battlefield

Once you've chosen your commanders and picked your forces you’ll need to set up the tabletop battlefield, as we mentioned in the previous section. You'll also need to place the objectives that you’ll be fighting for as described in your scenario.

Of course, if you book to play with us here at Firestorm Games our events team will have already set up an incredibly immersive Star Wars battlefield for you by the time you arrive!

Deploy Your Armies

With your armies picked and the battlefield set up, each player takes turns deploying their forces. You'll need to choose where to place your miniatures on the battlefield, keeping in mind important factors such as cover, line of sight, and the location of your opponent's units.

Playing The Game

Once both players have finished deploying their armies, you'll need to roll off to determine which player will take the first turn. The game is then played in turns, with each player taking their turn to move and attack with their miniatures. On your turn, you'll be able to move your miniatures and use their special abilities and weapons to attack the enemy. As the game progresses, you'll be able to score victory points by defeating enemy units or capturing objectives. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is the winner.

So there you have it - a basic (but hopefully useful) overview of how to get started with Star Wars: Legion! Would you like to see some more in-depth articles about Star Wars: Legion here on the blog in future? Let us know. In the meantime, may the force be with you!