Star Wars: Secret Invasion
Star Wars: Secret Invasion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 17 cards
- 4 reference cards
- 14 victory tokens
- rules of the game
Cards
The game contains 17 cards. Each one depicts either a brave hero taking part in the secret invasion of the Death Star, or a supporter of the Galactic Empire. The upper-left corner of the card shows a numeric value — the higher it is, the closer that character is to Princess Leia. The lower part of the card describes its effect, which takes effect when the card is discarded.
Victory Tokens
These tokens help track which player is closest to freeing Princess Leia and winning the game.
Round Setup
Gather the 17 cards into a deck, shuffle them, and place the deck facedown. Remove the top card from the deck and set it aside without looking at it.
In a two-player game, also remove the next three cards from the deck, reveal them, and set them aside — they take no part in the round.
Each player draws one card from the deck and keeps it secret from their opponents.
The youngest player goes first.
How to Play
The game consists of several rounds. Each round represents a stage of the rescue plan. At the end of a round, one player moves a step closer to freeing Leia and gains a victory token. When a player has accumulated enough tokens, they free Princess Leia and fly off with her to the Rebel base, leaving their opponents to answer to Darth Vader.
Turn
On your turn, draw the top card from the deck. Then you must send one of the two cards now in your hand to your personal discard pile, faceup. Apply the effect of the discarded card. You must apply the card's effect even if it works against you.
Card effects are described in detail on the back of these rules. Some special cases are also described there.
All discarded cards remain in front of the player who discarded them. Cards should be stacked on top of each other, offset, so that the order in which they were discarded remains visible. This helps players guess which cards their opponents hold.
After applying the card's effect, pass the turn to the player on your left.
Out of the Round
If a player is knocked out of the round, they discard the card from their hand faceup without applying its effect, and they do not take a turn again until the next round.
Fair Play
If a player cheats when facing the Stormtrooper or Boba Fett cards, or fails to discard the Obi-Wan Kenobi card while holding the Luke Skywalker card or the Darth Vader card, stop playing with them and find yourself more honest opponents.
End of Round
The round ends if, after a player's turn, no cards remain in the deck. One more step toward the rescue has been taken, but the stormtroopers are also growing more alert, so you should hurry.
All players except those who are out of the round reveal their cards. The winner of the round is whoever holds the card with the highest value. If several players are tied, the winner is the player with the highest total value among the cards they discarded during the round.
The round also ends if all participants except one are out of the round. That player becomes the winner of the round.
The winner of the round gains a victory token. Then the players must reshuffle the 17 cards and begin a new round according to the rules. The winner of the previous round goes first.
Victory
A player wins when they collect a certain number of victory tokens, depending on the number of players in the game:
- 2 players — 7 tokens
- 3 players — 5 tokens
- 4 players — 4 tokens
Card Notes
8 — Princess Leia
If you discard the Leia card (no matter the reason), your rescue operation has failed, and you are out of the round.
"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. All hope rests on you."
7 — Obi-Wan Kenobi
The effects of most cards take place when they are discarded. The Obi-Wan Kenobi card's effect is different: it takes effect while the card is in your hand. Moreover, its effect does not take place when the card is discarded.
If, in addition to the Obi-Wan Kenobi card, you hold the Luke Skywalker card or the Darth Vader card in your hand, you must discard the Obi-Wan Kenobi card. When you do, you are not required to reveal the card that remains in your hand.
You may discard the Obi-Wan Kenobi card in other situations as well, even if you hold neither the Luke Skywalker card nor the Darth Vader card.
"Who's the more foolish: the fool, or the one who follows him?"
6 — Darth Vader
By discarding the Darth Vader card, exchange the card remaining in your hand for any card in the hand of any opponent. You cannot exchange with a player who is out of the round or who is protected by the Chewbacca card. If all other players are protected, nothing happens.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing."
5 — Luke Skywalker
By discarding the Luke Skywalker card, choose any player who is still in the round (you may choose yourself). That player discards the card from their hand without applying its effect, and draws a new one. If no cards remain in the deck, that player takes the card that was set aside at the start of the round.
If all other players are protected by Chewbacca cards, you must choose yourself.
"I want to learn the ways of the Force, and become a Jedi, like my father."
4 — Chewbacca
By discarding the Chewbacca card, you are protected from all of your opponents' card effects until the start of your next turn.
If all players are protected by Chewbacca cards except the one taking their turn, that player must apply the effect to themselves.
"Arrrrgh!"
3 — C-3PO
By discarding the C-3PO card, choose another player who is still in the round. Together with them, secretly from the other players, compare the cards in your hands. Whoever holds the card with the lower value is out of the round. If the values are equal, nothing happens. If all other players are protected by Chewbacca cards, nothing happens.
"We're doomed!"
3 — R2-D2
By discarding the R2-D2 card, choose another player who is still in the round. Together with them, secretly from the other players, compare the cards in your hands. Whoever holds the card with the higher value is out of the round. If the values are equal, nothing happens. If all other players are protected by Chewbacca cards, nothing happens.
"Beep-beep."
2 — Han Solo
By discarding the Han Solo card, you may look at the card in the hand of any opponent, but do not reveal it to the other players.
"I can imagine quite a lot."
1 — Stormtrooper
By discarding the Stormtrooper card, choose an opponent and name a number from 2 to 8. If that player holds a card with the named value in hand, they are out of the round. If all other players are protected by Chewbacca cards, nothing happens.
"These aren't the droids we're looking for."
1 — Boba Fett
Works the same way as the Stormtrooper card, but you get a second attempt. Choose an opponent and name any value from 2 to 8. If they hold a card with that value, they are out of the round. If not, you may make another attempt (against the same opponent or a different one), but if you guess wrong a second time, you are out of the round instead.
"I don't want him dead."