Star Wars: Outer Rim

2019

Immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe with Outer Rim. Play as a bounty hunter, mercenary, or smuggler, and rise to infamy by completing perilous jobs, tracking bounties and upgrading your ship. The goal? Gain ten fame and become a galactic legend.

180
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium

About the game

Welcome aboard to the thrilling and adventurous world of Star Wars: Outer Rim. This board game transports you to the expansive universe of Star Wars, where you’ll step into the shoes of iconic smugglers, bounty hunters, and rebels. Your mission: to navigate through the perilous edges of the Star Wars galaxy, the Outer Rim, and become the best outlaw in the universe.

As you begin your journey, you’ll be immersed in the rich, fantastical setting of the Star Wars universe. The game unfolds in the remote, lawless Outer Rim territories, home to scoundrels, renegades, and rogues. Here, you’ll encounter various Star Wars characters, planets, and storylines that add depth and complexity to your gaming experience.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

In the board game ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’, players take on the roles of outlaws, smugglers, bounty hunters and other characters from the Star Wars universe. The game components are designed to create an immersive experience and facilitate strategic gameplay. Here is a detailed description of each component:

1. Game Board:

The game board is designed to represent the outer rim of the galaxy. It is where players move their characters, complete jobs, and encounter various events. The board also includes spaces for market and encounter decks, character cards, and more.

2. Player Boards:

Each player receives a board that represents their character. The board details the character’s special abilities, holds the character’s gear, ship, and job cards, and tracks the player’s fame and reputation with various factions.

3. Character Cards:

The game includes 8 character cards, each representing a different character from the Star Wars universe. Each card provides the character’s backstory and unique abilities.

4. Ship Sheets:

These represent the ships players can acquire throughout the game. Each sheet has information about the ship’s abilities, upgrades, and cargo capacity. Ships can be used for traveling, combat, and carrying out certain jobs.

5. Market Cards:

There are four types of market cards: gear cards, job cards, bounty cards, and ship cards. Players can purchase gear cards to upgrade their characters, take on jobs for rewards, hunt bounties for fame and credits, and buy new ships to improve their abilities.

6. Tokens:

The game includes several types of tokens. Damage tokens represent the damage to a player’s ship. Credit tokens are the currency of the game. Reputation tokens track a player’s standing with the game’s four factions. Cargo and job tokens are used to track ongoing jobs and cargo shipments.

7. Dice:

The game comes with custom dice that players roll for combat, skill tests, and other random events.

8. Encounter Cards:

These cards represent random events that occur when a player ends their movement on certain spaces. Encounters can lead to combat, a chance to earn credits or fame, or other outcomes.

9. Patrol Tokens:

These tokens represent the patrols of the four factions. Patrols can impede player movement and lead to combat encounters.

Each component of ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’ plays a vital role in shaping the game’s narrative and strategic elements, creating an engaging experience for all players.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

To initiate a game of Star Wars: Outer Rim, you need to follow several steps to ensure a proper setup. This guide will provide a detailed explanation of the setup process, covering player roles, board placement, initial resources, and random elements.

Step 1: Player Roles

Each player will select a character from the Star Wars universe. Each character has a unique special ability and starting equipment. The character also determines the player’s starting location on the game board.

Step 2: Board Setup

Arrange the game board in the center of the play area. The game board represents the Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy. It is divided into different sectors, each containing planets, navigation routes, and special points of interest.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player starts with an amount of credits based on their chosen character.
Players also receive a ship, which is placed on the corresponding starting space of the board.
Additionally, each player gets a deck of cards representing potential jobs, bounties, and gear. The composition of this deck also depends on the chosen character.

Step 4: Random Elements

Encounter Cards: Shuffle the encounter cards and place them face down in a deck next to the board. These cards represent random events and opportunities that can occur during the game.

Market Cards: Shuffle the market cards and place them face down in a deck. Draw the top five cards and lay them face up next to the deck. These cards represent items, ships, and contracts that players can purchase or undertake during their turn.

Patrol Tokens: Place the patrol tokens on their respective locations on the board. These tokens represent various factions’ patrols that can affect player movement and actions during the game.

The setup for Star Wars: Outer Rim is now complete! You’re ready to begin your adventures in the Star Wars universe.

Game flow Round and round we go

‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’ is a thrilling adventure board game where players assume the roles of iconic characters from the Star Wars universe. The game is structured into rounds, each containing three phases: Planning, Action, and Encounter. The game continues in this manner until a player reaches the predetermined fame points, thereby winning the game.

1. Planning Phase:

Move Ship: A player can choose to move their ship a number of spaces across the Outer Rim up to their ship’s hyperdrive value. They can stop their movement at any time, but can’t move again during this phase.
Recover Damage: The player can choose to stay put and recover all damage from their ship and character.
Gain 2000 Credits: If a player is short on credits, they can opt to gain 2000 credits during the planning phase instead of moving or recovering damage.

2. Action Phase:

Market Action: Players may buy, sell, or trade one card from the market deck. They can also discard a card from the market row and replace it with a new one.
Deliver Cargo or Bounties: If the player’s current location matches the destination on a Cargo or Bounty card, they can deliver it for rewards.
Resolve Card Ability: Players can resolve an ability on one of their cards, such as a ship, gear, or mod card.

3. Encounter Phase:

Resolve Patrol Encounter: If a player’s ship is in the same space as a patrol token, they must resolve an encounter with that patrol.
Resolve Navpoint Encounter: If there are no patrols in a player’s space, they can choose to have an encounter with a navpoint in their space.
Resolve Location Encounter: If a player is on a planet, they can resolve a location encounter by drawing the top card of the matching planet’s encounter deck.

After all players have completed their encounter phase, the round ends. A new round begins with the first player marker moving to the next player in clockwise order.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’, a player’s turn consists of three phases, each with their own set of possible actions and strategic choices. The three phases are: Planning, Action, and Encounter.

Planning Phase:

A player can make one of three decisions during the planning phase:

Gain Credits: The player can choose to gain 2000 credits.
Recover All Damage: The player can recover all damage from their ship and character.
Move: The player can move their character up to a number of spaces equal to their ship’s hyperdrive value. Choosing the right direction and distance is crucial for strategy, as it can lead to beneficial encounters, job opportunities, or market purchases.

Action Phase:

The player can perform any number of actions, but each action can only be performed once per turn. The possible actions are:

Trade: The player can trade a card from their hand with another player in the same space.
Market Action: The player can buy one card from the market deck if they’re on a planet space. This can include ships, gear, crew, or bounties, all of which can upgrade the player’s abilities.
Deliver Bounty or Cargo: If the player has a bounty or cargo in their possession and they are in the right location, they can deliver it for credits or fame.
Job Action: The player can attempt a job they have in their possession. This will usually involve a skill test, and success can bring considerable rewards.

Encounter Phase:

The player can encounter one of the following:

Space/Planet: The player can draw an encounter card corresponding to their space or planet and follow the instructions.
Patrol: If the player shares a space with a patrol, they can encounter it, potentially leading to combat.
Contact Token: The player can encounter a contact token in their space, revealing a character they can interact with for potential rewards or penalties.

Strategic choices in ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’ often involve balancing risk and reward. Do you take a dangerous job with a high payout, or play it safe and build up your resources slowly? Do you engage patrols in combat, potentially gaining fame, or avoid them to keep your character and ship undamaged? The choices players make shape their journey through the Outer Rim.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’ ends when a player manages to achieve 10 fame. Fame can be gained through a variety of ways throughout the game such as completing jobs, delivering cargo, defeating bounty targets, or even through certain encounters. Once a player reaches the desired fame, they are declared the winner and the game ends immediately.

Victory Conditions

The main victory condition in ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’ is to be the first player to gain 10 fame. This can be achieved through:

Completing Jobs: Each job a player completes awards a certain amount of fame. The more challenging the job, the more fame one can gain.
Delivering Cargo or Illegal Cargo: Successfully delivering cargo and illegal cargo can also result in fame. Illegal cargo is riskier but often results in more fame.
Defeating Bounties: Players can also gain fame by successfully capturing or defeating their bounty targets.
Encounter Cards: Certain encounter cards can provide fame when successfully navigated.
Purchasing Luxury Items: Some markets offer luxury items, which can be bought to gain fame.

Actions Players Must Take Before Final Scoring

As the game ends immediately when a player reaches 10 fame, there are no specific actions that need to be taken before final scoring. However, players should ensure that they have completed all their actions on their turn before declaring that they have reached 10 fame. This includes resolving any combat that may occur, delivering any cargo or bounties, and resolving any encounter cards.

In the case where multiple players reach 10 fame in the same round, the player with the highest total value of credits, gear, mods, cargo, jobs, and bounties wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most remaining health wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the game of ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’, players are bounty hunters, smugglers, and mercenaries vying to become the most notorious figure in the galaxy. The scoring system is based on earning ‘Fame’ points.

How Points are Awarded:

Action Cards: Players can earn Fame points by successfully completing the tasks on their action cards. These tasks may include smuggling cargo, hunting bounties, or engaging in other thematic actions.
Character Goals: Each player’s character has a unique personal goal. Once accomplished, the player earns Fame points.
Ship Goals: Similar to character goals, each ship has its own goal. Completing these goals can also earn players Fame points.
Job Cards: Performing well in jobs, which are more complex tasks requiring multiple steps, can provide Fame points.
Encounter Cards: During the game, players will ‘encounter’ other entities in the galaxy. These encounters can result in Fame points if handled correctly.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the game has specific rules to determine the winner:

The player with the most credits is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most combined combat rating from their character and ship wins.
If a tie still persists, the player who completed the most jobs wins.
Finally, if there is still a tie, the player who first reached their current fame level is the winner.

These rules ensure there is always a clear winner in ‘Star Wars: Outer Rim’, even in the case of a tie in Fame points.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Star Wars: Outer Rim is a game of bounty hunters, merchants, and smugglers for 1-4 players. Players take on the roles of outcasts on the edge of the galaxy and work to build their reputation and wealth. While the rules of the game are generally straightforward, there are some rare or special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players should be aware of.

Jobs and Bounties: One unique aspect of Outer Rim is the job and bounty system. Players can accept jobs and bounties from the Job Market, but they can only have a limited number of each at any time. Some jobs or bounties require specific skills or equipment, which generally means players need to plan their actions carefully.

Players can have a maximum of 3 active jobs and 2 active bounties at any given time. Any additional jobs or bounties must be discarded.
If a player completes a job or bounty, it is immediately removed from their active jobs or bounties.
Some jobs and bounties require the player to travel to specific planets. Players cannot complete these jobs or bounties unless they are on the specified planet.

Fight and Damage: The fight system in Outer Rim is also unique and has some special rules and exceptions that players should be aware of.

In a fight, players roll dice equal to their ship’s or character’s combat value. However, if a player is using a ship to fight, they cannot use their character’s combat value and vice versa.
If a player’s ship is damaged, its combat value is reduced by 1 for each damage card it has. If a ship’s combat value is reduced to 0, it is destroyed and the player must acquire a new ship.
If a player’s character is defeated in a fight, they do not die. Instead, they are healed to their maximum health at the beginning of their next turn.

Reputation and Fame: Reputation and fame are key aspects of the game and there are some special rules regarding how they are gained and lost.

Players gain and lose reputation with the four factions in the game (the Hutts, the Syndicate, the Empire, and the Rebellion) through their actions. However, players cannot gain reputation with a faction if they have a negative reputation with that faction.
Players gain fame by completing jobs, capturing bounties, and achieving personal goals. The first player to reach a certain amount of fame (usually 10) wins the game.

Market Deck and Market Actions: The Market Deck and the Market Actions are an integral part of the game. Here are some rule clarifications.

Players can only buy one card from the Market Deck per Market action. However, they can buy multiple cards from the Market Deck during their Market phase if they have multiple Market actions.
Players cannot buy a card from the Market Deck if they cannot afford it.
If the Market Deck is ever empty, players shuffle the discarded Market cards to create a new Market Deck.

These are some of the rare rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players might need to know when playing Star Wars: Outer Rim. Understanding these rules can help players navigate the game and make strategic decisions.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Star Wars: Outer Rim is a thrilling game of bounty hunters, mercenaries, and smugglers for 1-4 players. The game can be complex for beginners, so here are some strategies and tips to help you become a successful player in the Outer Rim.

Advanced Strategies:

Plan your actions carefully: Each turn in the Outer Rim is precious and can greatly alter the outcome of the game. Try to consider the implications of each action on your future turns.
Focus on completing jobs: Jobs are a great way to earn credits and gain influence with certain factions. Make sure to complete jobs whenever possible.
Use your crew wisely: Crew members can greatly enhance your abilities. Try to select crew members that complement your character’s abilities or that can help you complete specific jobs.
Control the market: Controlling the market can give you a significant advantage. Try to buy valuable items and sell them at higher prices to other players.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the game mechanics: Before playing, make sure to understand the rules and game mechanics. This will help you make informed decisions during the game.
Start slow: Don’t rush into complex strategies. Start with simple jobs and gradually increase the difficulty as you become more comfortable with the game.
Learn from others: Watch other players and learn from their strategies. This can help you understand the game better and develop your own strategies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Not planning ahead: This is a strategy game, and successful players are those who think several moves ahead. Make sure to consider the consequences of your actions.
Ignoring the market: The market is a crucial aspect of Outer Rim. Ignoring it can leave you without essential resources and at a disadvantage.
Not utilizing crew members: Crew members can greatly enhance your abilities. Neglecting to use them can make the game more challenging.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Use resources wisely: Resources are limited, so make sure to use them wisely. Don’t waste resources on unnecessary items or actions.
Keep an eye on your opponents: Pay attention to what your opponents are doing. This can help you anticipate their moves and plan your actions accordingly.
Stay flexible: While it’s important to have a strategy, it’s equally important to be flexible and adapt to the changing game dynamics.