Battle of Hoth looks like a dice battle, but the larger decision is how to make your command cards, unit positions and scenario medals work together. A strong attack cannot happen without an order, and a cinematic target may be less useful than an objective medal you can capture this turn. These tips are editorial analysis of the official rules, not a claim that one plan wins every scenario.

Start with the scenario briefing, not the board alone

Before playing a card, identify the first player, each side’s hand size, the medal target, and temporary, permanent or sudden-death objectives. A unit elimination usually awards a medal, but a scenario can make an objective more urgent. The rulebook’s ordinary target is commonly four or five medals; the actual scenario may change how those medals are earned.

Example: if a Rebel unit holds a temporary objective medal and an Imperial attack forces it to retreat, that medal is immediately lost even if the unit survives. An assault that clears the hex can swing the visible score without destroying a unit. Conversely, an Imperial unit abandoning a medal hex to pursue a weak target can give away the point it had already secured. The objective reference explains the three medal types.

Keep command-card options alive

Section cards order units in specified flanks or the center. An unused order is wasted, and a card for an empty section may do nothing. A force spread across the relevant sections makes more hands playable; an army bunched into one section may hit hard but leave other section cards stranded. Do not spread so far that ordered units cannot support the objective, however. The goal is to maintain several useful orders while keeping threats mutually reinforcing.

Hexes straddling a dotted dividing line can be ordered from either adjoining section. When you have a choice of two otherwise similar positions, a border hex may improve card flexibility. This advantage has a cost if the hex is exposed or blocks another unit’s line of sight. Treat command access as one of the resources a position provides, alongside cover and firing angle.

Finish an ordinary unit when the medal matters

Partial damage does not reduce a standard unit’s attack dice. An infantry group with only one miniature left still attacks with its normal dice for its type and range. If you can eliminate it now, you remove a full-strength threat and usually gain a medal. Spreading hits across multiple units can leave each one dangerous on the next turn.

The exceptions matter. Destroying Imperial probe droids or Rebel artillery does not grant an ordinary elimination medal. They may still threaten space or an objective, so ignoring them blindly is risky, but they are not equivalent targets in a medal race. An AT-AT is also hard to remove: hits require a confirmation roll with a blast before the walker falls, it ignores retreat results and gets no terrain protection. Do not plan a win around a single unconfirmed hit.

Move for next turn’s attack, not just this turn’s dice

Normal infantry can move one hex and attack or two hexes without attacking. A two-hex reposition may be worth more than a weak long-range shot if it creates an objective threat or a clear attack next turn. Snowspeeders move farther while retaining an attack, so they can threaten a distant flank, but an exposed squadron may hand over a medal when completely eliminated. Movement and terrain restrictions are not the same for every unit; keep the summary sheet visible.

All ordered moves happen before any attacks. If a friendly unit is blocking your shot, moving it first may clear the line. If you move another unit into the path, you may spoil a planned attack. State the desired firing lines before committing each move. Once attacks begin, choose an order that can remove a blocker or force a retreat before resolving the next attack.

Read terrain as both defense and delay

A ridge gives cover against a unit not also on a ridge, but AT-ATs cannot enter it. Rocks protect against an attack and block sight, yet a unit entering rocks stops and cannot attack that turn. Trenches protect infantry and let it ignore one retreat, while leaving sight open. A protected hex is useful when it keeps a unit alive long enough to score; it can be a poor move when the entry restriction costs the attack needed to win immediately.

Example: Rebel infantry can step into rocks now, survive a likely reply with cover, and threaten a shot next turn. If the Rebels need one medal this turn, moving into those rocks forfeits the immediate attack. The same terrain hex supports different decisions at different score states.

Use leaders when both players know the base cards

Leader cards are optional and come in three-card sets for each of six leaders. They change a side’s command deck, not the fundamental setup of a scenario. Introduce them after both players understand section orders, movement and terrain. When selecting a leader, read its card effects alongside the scenario’s objectives rather than expecting a universally strongest character.

Four questions before every command

1. How many medals are needed, and can either side win on the next turn?
2. Which of my cards orders units that can actually reach or threaten the relevant hex?
3. Will moving a unit alter line of sight or give up a temporary objective?
4. Can I eliminate an ordinary unit, or am I merely dealing damage it can survive at full firepower?

Use the turn walkthrough for exact order and the campaign guide for linked battles and optional leaders. Rules checked October 3, 2026. Strategy examples are our own reasoning from the official materials; specific scenario and command-card text take priority.