My favourite Star Wars film for years was The Empire Strikes Again as a result of it was simply so good begin to end and had the primary and greatest gritty floor battles of the collection. This film additionally launched followers to the AT-AT and AT-ST walkers which have been simply superior and so imposingly cool to see on the display. Now, Rogue One is my fave however Empire Strikes Again was the highest one for a very long time and for good causes.
This brings us to as we speak’s evaluation, Star Wars: Battle of Hoth, a 2-4 participant recreation utilizing the Command and Colours system the place gamers would be the Rebels or Imperials battling out on Hoth. Gamers can select from a number of situations and even attempt a marketing campaign type video games too. Most situations set-up and play in about half-hour.
Sport Overview:
The setup for Star Wars: Battle of Hoth will depend upon the state of affairs listed within the Situation ebook. These will decide which and the place your items and terrain shall be positioned at the beginning of the battle, in addition to what number of command playing cards and which aspect will go first. Earlier than gamers begin, the toughest determination shall be who would be the Galactic Empire or the Insurgent Alliance.
Star Wars: Battle of Hoth makes use of the Command and Colours system, and so in case you performed video games like Battle Cry or Memoir ‘44 you have to be accustomed to the fundamentals. If not, Command and Colours is a straightforward system to grasp. The board is split right into a left and proper flank and a middle part. On a participant’s flip, they may do the next:
- Play A Command Card– face up from their hand
- Order – announce all items (this may be from one or a number of sections, relying on the cardboard) that shall be ordered with this card
- Transfer – the ordered items shall be moved one after the other, and relying on the terrain
- Assault – the ordered items then assault by rolling cube relying on the unit and vary
- Draw – draw a brand new command card – this alerts the tip of a participant’s flip and discarding of the command card that was performed
The Galactic Empire or Insurgent Alliance can have victory circumstances that may fluctuate relying on the state of affairs, and most victory circumstances will focus on amassing medals. Medals are often collected by destroying a unit fully and amassing that final destroyed determine as a medal, however that’s not true for each state of affairs. Some have alternative ways to gather medals (sorry no spoilers).
The items for either side are as observe: the Galactic Empire has Infantry items made up of 4 Snowtroopers, Car items made up of 1 AT-AT Walker, and Droid Items made of two Probe Droids & the Insurgent Alliance has Infantry items made up of three Echo Base Troopers, Car items made up of three Snow Speeders, and Artillery Items manufactured from 1 Insurgent Artillery.
The very last thing to focus on is that there are 2 marketing campaign books that may use the situations from the Situation ebook, however these campaigns have chapters that may fluctuate relying on which aspect wins and grant gamers of every aspect completely different victory outcomes. These can vary from gaining the usage of Chief and/or help playing cards, which add to your present command deck, and gamers may also acquire these playing cards from reaching secondary targets listed within the marketing campaign chapter as nicely.
Sport Expertise:
Star Wars: Battle of Hoth has so many good issues going for it, and the very first thing I need to notice is that it’s extremely thematic. This recreation mirrors parts of the film carefully, which makes you assume again to many scenes of The Empire Strikes Again. Sure, a number of the situations weren’t proven within the film, however they slot in nicely with the sport and add nice depth that it appears like some may have been left on the movie editor’s slicing room flooring. General, Star Wars: Battle of Hoth does an impressive job placing gamers again into the film and Star Wars mindset (and sure, you and others can have negative effects comparable to quoting The Empire Strikes Again and probably many others).
I must let readers know that total manufacturing values are nice. Every little thing is high quality from the minis, playing cards, recreation board, cube, and even the cardboard holders, that are barely curved (so there’s no peeking out of your opponent), they usually match collectively. Plus, the art work on the playing cards is superb, and the identical goes for the rule, state of affairs, and marketing campaign books. All of the art work helps with the theme and total appear and feel of the sport. My minor difficulty is that I would like the terrain tiles numbered or lettered as a result of these are two-sided, and either side shouldn’t be the identical, and this will make set-up barely longer whilst you’re flipping by way of searching for the correct tiles for the state of affairs.
The state of affairs ebook is nice, however I’d relatively use the marketing campaign books. These offer you a marketing campaign “gentle” really feel, which isn’t a slight. I like that you simply may have the ability to end a marketing campaign and play a number of chapters throughout a recreation evening. That is nice enjoyable as a result of which aspect wins will decide the following chapter, plus every chapter gives secondary targets that may give gamers varied rewards like extra items, leaders, or help playing cards. These parts assist with replayability and add nice selection even in case you’ve performed the identical marketing campaign prior as a result of he expertise is not going to be an identical.
The very last thing that I completely love in regards to the marketing campaign books is gaining chief and help playing cards. You may add leaders to the situations, however help playing cards are designed for the marketing campaign solely. There are 3 leaders for either side, and every has three playing cards that may be added to a participant’s command deck. Most of those playing cards are “higher” playing cards than typical Command playing cards, with improved actions to your items and assist with some luck mitigation as nicely. What’s nice about help playing cards is that they’re a separate deck that, as you acquire, you add and choose from that deck and discard from the sport as soon as performed. Assist playing cards might be highly effective and, given the correct state of affairs, will help flip the tide.
My single most important difficulty with Star Wars: Battle of Hoth is that this can be a 2-player recreation. Are you able to play it with 4 gamers? Certain, there are guidelines for that. Will it reduce your expertise and reduce your enjoyment? I’d guess sure, and I’d add that I don’t need to play this recreation with 4 gamers. The one exception can be the final epic state of affairs included, which is designed to mix two copies of Star Wars: Battle of Hoth and play state of affairs Assault on Hoth (this recreation’s model of Operation Overlord from Memoir ’44).
Ultimate Ideas:
I need to admit, I had excessive hopes that Star Wars: Battle of Hoth and this recreation blew away my expectations. I personal Battle Cry and have performed Memoir ’44, however Star Wars: Battle of Hoth is my new fave Command and Colours recreation and to date my greatest recreation of 2025. This recreation simply rocks, with it being extremely thematic with nice manufacturing values. The state of affairs and marketing campaign books with variable chapters based mostly on the victor is an easy however nice mechanic so as to add selection and replayability. Lastly, I like the Chief and help playing cards. These have been good additions to assist steadiness the sport and add nice choices to a participant’s command deck.
The problems just like the terrain tiles not being numbered or lettered, and that Star Wars: Battle of Hoth is a 2-player recreation, don’t damage this recreation for scoring excessive for me. That is an important recreation for me, and I’d guess most, if not all, avid gamers who’re Star Wars followers.
Ultimate Rating: 5 Stars – A extremely thematic, well-produced, and simply an superior new addition to Command and Colour and Star Wars catalog of video games.
Hits:
• Extremely Thematic
• Nice Manufacturing Values
• Marketing campaign Books
• Chief & Assist Playing cards
Misses:
• Quantity or letter terrain tiles
• 4-player recreation
