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16 Jan 2021

Star Wars Miniatures

There have been many questions about pre-game and pre-round procedures. This is a list of pre-game
and pre-round procedures (similar to the step-by-step instructions for attacks) to answer all of them at
the same time.

If there are any rules ambiguities regarding pre-game and pre-round procedures that this guide does not
answer, please raise the issue in a relevant rules forum.

This is the pre-game procedure from the floor rules:

1. Players begin the pregame procedure by revealing their squads to each other.
2. Players roll to determine which player will chose the map to be played on.
3. The player with the higher roll chooses which map will be played on. The player with the
lower roll selects whether to set up first or second. The player who sets up first selects a side
and sets up his miniatures, then the other player sets up on the opposite side.
4. Players roll for initiative to determine who will play first.

Here is the detailed version: Beginning of game

1. Players begin the pregame procedure by revealing their squads to each other.

2. Resolve “deferred squadbuilding” abilities that trigger after seeing the opponent’s squad. This
includes Reinforcements and the first half of Bribery, for example. Players simultaneously reveal
their decisions about bringing in additional characters.

3. Characters that are added to a squad via abilities like Reinforcements and Bribery are added
to their squads. (Normally, order will not matter. If it does, order players randomly and resolve
their abilities player by player.)

4. Other abilities that trigger after seeing the opponent’s squad activate. This includes
Telepathic Insight and Con Artist, for example. Players with these abilities simultaneously reveal
their decisions. (Normally, order will not matter. If it does, order players randomly and resolve
their abilities player by player.)

5. Players roll to determine which player will choose the map to be played on.
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6. The player with the highest roll chooses which map will be played on. The player with the
lower roll selects whether to set up first or second. The player who sets up first selects a side
and sets up his miniatures. (In a multi-player game, the player with the highest roll chooses the
map. The second-highest roll chooses his position in the setup order. Then the third-highest roll
chooses her position in the setup order. This continues in order until finally, the player who
selected the map takes the remaining unselected position in the setup order.)

7. In setup order, a player sets up by selecting a setup area and then setting up his miniatures.
Abilities for that player that trigger during setup activate. For example, this includes Light Tutor,
Dark Master, Light Spirit, and Dark Spirit. The player chooses the order to resolve the abilities.

8. If there is a player who has not yet set up, return to step 7 and the next player in setup order
sets up.

9. Resolve abilities that trigger after setup. For example, this includes Programmed Target;
Lightsaber Trainer; Versatility; the second half of Bribery; and Admiral Gilad Pellaeon’s
commander effect.

a. All players simultaneously reveal all decisions regarding these abilities, except
decisions that require movement.

b. First, abilities that change squad composition are resolved. Old characters are
removed from a squad and then new characters are added to the squad. Abilities that
change squad composition are resolved in setup order. (Thus, in a multiplayer game, a
player setting up first has the first chance to bribe away a character if more than one
player wants to bribe the same character.) If a player has more than one of these
abilities, the player chooses the order to resolve them. If a player’s decision from step
(a) cannot be resolved for any reason (e.g. they wanted to use Pellaeon to replace a
character that was stolen away by Bribery), that player returns to step (a) and makes
another choice.

c. Abilities conferred by Bribery, Versatility, Camaraderie, or a similar ability are gained

d. Finally, other abilities are completely resolved in setup order. This includes abilities
requiring movement (Crix Madine, SpecForce Commander’s commander effect). If a
player has more than one, he decides the order to resolve the effects. (Note that Battle
Ready is not resolved at this time. It is resolved after first round initiative.)
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10. Abilities that trigger “immediately before the first initiative roll” activate. This includes
adding characters with Queen Allana Solo’s CE and with Local Reserves.

11. A pre-game door check happens (timing is specified in the WotC FAQ: “prior to the first
initiative roll”). Note that there is a pre-game door check, but there is no pre-round door check,
so doors do not open after abilities such as Intuition or Surprise Move.

Beginning of round

1. Doellin’s Luck and Wager are resolved. Decisions about whether to use those abilities are
made simultaneously and secretly (including decision about which ally to activate in the case of
Wager). They are resolved simultaneously. Players roll the save for Doellin’s Luck. If both
players successfully use one of these abilities, neither ability can affect the initiative roll.
However, costs for both abilities are still spent (e.g. activated or defeated characters), and they
both still cancel other abilities that affect initiative.

2. Tactics Broker is resolved. Each player with Tactics Broker selects and simultaneously reveals
both a character to be defeated and an opponent. The characters are defeated in a randomly
determined order. The chosen opponents’ initiative checks will be a 1.

3. Players roll the dice for initiative. Some abilities affect the number of dice to roll. A player
with Recon (or a similar ability) rolls two dice and selects one of them. Once per round,
immediately before the first time initiative is rolled, players with Foresee the Future make and
simultaneously reveal their decisions about whether to use Foresee the Future, and if so which
opponent to affect. Affected opponents roll one additional die and must select the lowest roll.
So a player with Recon that is affected by Foresee the Future will roll 3 dice and select the
lowest. Note that Recon and similar abilities still apply if initiative is rerolled, but Foresee the
Future applies only to the first roll.

4. Players with Tactician, Covenant Watch Circle, or a similar ability add to their die rolls if
applicable.

5. If there is a tie for the high roll, Tactics Broker and Tactician are canceled this round. Foresee
the Future can no longer be used. All players return to step 3.

6. Once per round, players with Sense the Future make and simultaneously reveal their
decisions about whether to use Sense the Future. Players using Sense the Future spend their
Force points.

a. If all players use Sense the Future, initiative remains the same.

b. Otherwise, players who chose to use Sense the Future simultaneously reveal their
decisions about who to exchange with (if anyone).
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c. In initiative order (as determined in step 4), players using Sense the Future exchange
die rolls with the player they selected.

d. Return to step 4.

7. Initiative is determined. The high roll wins initiative unless a player is able to use Master
Tactician or a similar ability (such as Darth Sidious, Sith Mastermind’s commander effect), in
which case that player wins initiative. If multiple players have these abilities, the highest roll
wins. In a multi-player game, if there is a tie for highest roll among these players (where they did
not tie for the highest roll overall and therefore did not have to reroll), roll again until a winner
is determined. These additional rolls do not change players’ initiative checks.

8. Once per round, players with Anticipation make and simultaneously reveal their decision
about whether to use Anticipation. Players who chose to use Anticipation reroll. (Reroll 2 dice if
using Recon or a similar ability, but Foresee the Future does not apply to the reroll.) Return to
step 4.

9. Players who gain Reserves simultaneously reveal which pieces they are bringing in. (They are
not placed on the board yet.)

10. The player who won initiative decides who goes first. Initiative order proceeds clockwise
around the table after the first player.

11. In initiative order, a player resolves all other abilities that trigger after initiative is
determined. Abilities are resolved in the order of his choosing. For example, this includes
Resol’nare, Ba’Slan Shev’la, Surprise Move, Intuition, and the Covenant Consular’s commander
effect. (Note that Reserves does not trigger at this time. It triggers immediately before a player’s
first activation of the round.)

12. If other players have abilities that trigger after initiative is determined, return to step 11.

13. Resolve all other abilities that trigger "immediately before the first activation". The first
player is the acting player and decides the order to resolve these abilities. For example, this
includes Battle Ready during the first round. For the first player, this also includes placing
Reserves and the "return to grid" parts of abilities like Mount.

14. The first phase begins. There is only one activation in the first phase. Two activations in
subsequent phases.
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