If you want to start Star Wars: Imperial Assault without wasting money, this guide breaks down the core box, the best early expansions, and what to skip until you know your group’s play style. It focuses on practical buying advice for collectors and players who care about value, availability, and long-term shelf appeal.

Start with the core game

If you are buying Star Wars: Imperial Assault for the first time, the Imperial Assault Core Set should be your first purchase. It is the only box that gives you the full foundation: the campaign system, the skirmish mode, the dice, the map tiles, the tokens, and enough figures to actually play the game as intended. Without the core set, the expansion packs are just add-ons sitting on a shelf.

For most buyers, the core set is also the best value because it gives you the widest possible entry point. You can use it to test whether your group prefers the campaign game, the competitive skirmish format, or simply the hobby side of painting and collecting the figures. If you are buying for display as much as play, the core box also has the strongest “complete set” appeal.

When you shop for the core set, check condition carefully if you are buying secondhand. Missing punchboards, worn cards, and absent dice can turn a bargain into a headache fast. Reprints and stock swings have also affected pricing over time, so compare new and used listings before you commit.

The first expansions to buy

Once you have the core set, your next purchase should depend on how you plan to use the game. If you want more campaign content, prioritize expansions that add missions, heroes, and villains you actually want to field. If you care more about skirmish play, look for packs that improve your faction options and give you stronger list-building flexibility.

A good rule is to buy one or two expansions at a time rather than chasing everything at once. Imperial Assault has a lot of product, and some packs are much harder to find than others. Prices can jump quickly on out-of-print items, especially if a character or unit becomes popular with collectors or competitive players.

For many buyers, the best early expansions are the ones that do at least one of these things well:

  • add a favorite character or faction unit
  • expand campaign variety with new missions or side content
  • improve skirmish roster depth
  • offer a figure or sculpt you want to display even if you do not play every mode

If you are unsure, buy the expansion that supports the mode you will actually play most. That keeps you from overpaying for content that will sit unused.

Every Imperial Assault product line to know

Imperial Assault Core Set

The core set is the essential starting point and the only purchase you should make before anything else. It is the best place to begin if you want the full game experience, and it remains the most important box for collectors because it anchors the entire line.

Imperial Assault: Twin Shadows

This is a strong early buy if you want more campaign material and a straightforward way to extend the game after the core set. It is the kind of expansion that makes sense once you know your group is committed.

Imperial Assault: Return to Hoth

A popular pick for players who want more recognizable Star Wars flavor and a bigger campaign footprint. It is also a good collector piece because Hoth-themed products tend to stay desirable.

Imperial Assault: Heart of the Empire

This is a later-era expansion that appeals to buyers who want more content and a more substantial shelf presence. If you are building a display-focused collection, it is one of the more visually appealing boxes to track down.

Imperial Assault: Jabba’s Realm

A strong choice if you want one of the most recognizable themes in the line. It is often sought after by collectors, so availability and price can move around depending on the market.

Imperial Assault: The Bespin Gambit

This expansion is worth considering if you want a more focused slice of Star Wars atmosphere and a box that stands out on the shelf. It can be harder to find at a fair price than newer mass-market items.

Imperial Assault: Tyrants of Lothal

A later expansion that is especially appealing if you like the Rebels era and want to round out a collection with a distinctive setting. As with many late-line products, stock can be uneven.

Imperial Assault: Ally and Villain Packs

These smaller packs are best bought selectively. Pick the characters or units you care about most instead of trying to complete the entire category right away, because some packs are much more expensive than others on the secondary market.

What to skip at first

If you are new to Imperial Assault, do not start by chasing every expansion pack. The line is deep enough that it is easy to overspend before you know whether you prefer campaign play, skirmish play, or collecting. A lot of buyers also get caught up in out-of-print hype and pay too much for packs they will not use immediately.

You should also be cautious with listings that look too cheap. Some older copies may be incomplete, and some marketplace listings can blur the line between official product and bootleg or counterfeit packaging. If a price looks unusually low for a sought-after expansion, verify the seller, the contents, and the condition before you buy.

Reissues and restocks can also change the market quickly. A pack that seems impossible to find one month may become easier to buy later, while another item may spike because collectors suddenly decide it is the missing piece in a set.

Best buying strategy for collectors

If you are collecting Imperial Assault as a display line, buy in this order: core set first, then your favorite theme-driven expansion, then the packs that are hardest to replace later. That approach gives you the best mix of play value and long-term collectability.

If you are buying to play, focus on the content that supports your group’s habits. One campaign expansion and one or two character or unit packs are usually enough to tell you whether you want to go deeper. From there, you can expand based on actual table time instead of speculation.

For value-minded buyers, the safest move is to watch price movement for a few weeks before purchasing out-of-print items. Imperial Assault is a line where availability matters almost as much as MSRP history, and patience can save you real money.

The short version is simple: buy the core set first, then choose expansions based on the mode you will actually play and the characters you want to own. That keeps your collection useful, display-worthy, and much easier to justify.