Star Wars: Battle of Hoth
Command Rebels or Imperials across short, scenario-driven battles on a snowy hex map.
Star Wars: Battle of Hoth is Days of Wonder’s 2025 miniatures game built around the Commands & Colors system. Each side plays a command card to order particular units, moves those units on a divided hex map, and attacks using dice, range, line of sight and terrain. Battles usually end when a side reaches the scenario’s victory-medal target.
The box contains 17 scenarios and two linked campaigns, plus optional leader cards for six familiar characters. It is a complete 2–4 player game. The publisher lists a 30-minute play time for an individual battle; a linked campaign is a sequence of battles, so allow more time if you plan to continue beyond one scenario.
The central decision
A command card may activate troops on a specific flank or enable a tactic. A strong unit cannot simply act because it is ready: you must have a card that orders it. Positioning a force across the center and flanks improves the value of more cards in your hand, while concentrated attacks can finish a unit and claim a medal sooner. The right answer changes with the scenario’s objectives.
The turn in five steps
Play one command card, declare the units it orders, move those units, attack with them one at a time, then draw a replacement card. Movement finishes before any attack begins. Infantry generally move one hex and attack, or two and forgo an attack; snowspeeders can move as many as three and still attack. Terrain and special unit badges can change the normal pattern. The full how-to-play guide follows setup, combat dice, retreats and the end of a battle.
Game at a Glance
Play a card
Your card determines which sections or units can act.
Move on hexes
Use terrain and unit movement limits to reach a target.
Attack
Range, sight and cover set the dice; hits and retreats resolve separately.
Claim medals
Eliminate units or meet scenario-specific objectives.
What is in the box?
The publisher lists 74 miniatures: AT-ATs, snowspeeders, Imperial and Rebel infantry, probe droids and Rebel artillery. There is a double-sided board, terrain and structure pieces, 50 command cards, support cards, attack dice, summary sheets, a scenario book and four campaign booklets. The miniature count does not mean every piece enters every battle: each scenario supplies its own map, units, starting side, hand sizes and victory conditions.
New players should start with scenario 1, as the rulebook recommends increasing complexity across the scenario booklet. Treat the scenario instructions as part of the rules for that battle.
An example decision
Suppose the Empire has an AT-AT threatening a Rebel objective, while Rebel infantry hold a trench. A Rebel card that orders a snowspeeder can bring mobile fire to bear, but an attack requires range and clear sight. The AT-AT also has an extra confirmation step before it can be destroyed, so a single ordinary hit is not a guaranteed kill. If the scenario awards a temporary medal for holding the trench, abandoning it to chase the walker may surrender a point. Count the visible medal race before choosing the cinematic attack.
Rules that matter most
The board has left, center and right sections; hexes on the dividing dotted lines can be ordered from either adjoining section. Units cannot share or move through occupied hexes. A damaged unit normally keeps its full attack dice, making a one-miniature survivor dangerous until eliminated. Hits remove miniatures; retreats move a surviving unit toward its own baseline and may cause casualties when blocked. Probe droid and Rebel artillery eliminations do not grant ordinary victory medals, so the mission target can differ from the number of pieces destroyed.
The terrain and victory reference explains the distinction among permanent medals, medals held only while a unit stays on an objective, and sudden-death objectives. It also covers the line-of-sight traps created by rocks, ridges and other units.
Where to focus as a beginner
Read the scenario briefing before assessing either side’s strength. Check which player moves first, how many cards each side holds, the medal target and any unusual objective. Then look for a useful activation this turn that keeps future command cards viable. Cover matters, but some terrain stops movement or prevents an attack on entry. Positioning on a rock hex may protect a unit next turn while costing it a shot now. Our strategy page works through that timing with Rebel and Imperial examples; the advice is based on published rules, not a claim of playtesting.
Campaigns, leaders and further scenarios
Leaders are optional: each side can choose one of three characters and add that leader’s three command cards to its deck if both players agree. The two campaigns link scenarios so results matter beyond one battle. For three or four players, the rulebook includes team mode, and Days of Wonder provides additional team-campaign guidance. The campaigns and extras guide separates content already in the box from online scenario resources and explains the current expansion status.
Publisher sources and scope
Rules and product scope checked October 3, 2026. Scenario-specific instructions and card text take precedence over this overview.