Last night we played another Star Wars Miniatures game. Each side had about 160 points. The scenario was an Empire raid on a Hoth Rebel facility to blow up some McGuffin. I was, once again, the Empire. Darth Vader led the raiding party. Defending the compound were Han, Luke, Leah, and a host of Rebels.
The compound only had two entrances. The Rebels had a laser turret guarding one of them. Although its Damage was weak, the fact that it could take 150 points of damage forced the Stormtroopers to fight a holding action on that flank while Vader and the main body tried to work their way into the other entrance.
Vader waded into a bunch of Rebels, brandishing his light saber, taking down a bunch of them. Leah and the Rebel machine-gun looking thing with its three shots per turn hammered Vader. He failed almost every light saber parry Force roll. By the time he and three remaining Stormtroopers forced their way into the compound, Vader had taken 130 of his available 140 hits.
An elite Stormtrooper fired on the device the Empire was trying to destroy but missed. A hit would have ended the game with an Imperial victory. In the next turn, the Rebels won the initiative roll (one of the few they won all night). Instead of me getting a second shot on the device, the Rebels killed both Vader and the last Stormtrooper.
The game was a real nail biter. I am consistently surprised with the balance of these games. They often seem to come down to the last couple of figures. In this case, when Vader was killed there were only three Rebel troopers (none of the officers or main characters) remaining on the table.
