For a franchise about intergalactic conflict, it took a surprisingly long time for Star Wars to get a proper wargame. The first attempt was Star Wars Miniatures in 2004, 27 years after the release of the original film. However, this game was short-lived, having stopped production by 2010. Eight years later, a proper successor in Star Wars Legion finally arrived. With initial development headed by the iconic Fantasy Flight Games, this was the Star Wars wargame fans have wanted for years.
And now it's getting a campaign mode.
Atomic Mass Games, who took over development of Star Wars: Legion in 2020, just released Tours of Duty. These campaigns seek to recreate the feeling of those epic moments from Star Wars canon. For Warhammer 40k fans, think of it as the Star Wars versions of Crusades.
Players will field a Register of units who you will follow for the rest of the campaign. Units gain experience, and can even be given individual names. They can also gain experience, ranks and commendations over the course of the playthrough. Showing my PC gamer brain here, but it reminds me of how attached I get to my X-COM squads, before they inevitably fail a 95% shot and get vaporized.
Standing above the grunts is what every Star Wars movie needs: a main character. You must pick out a Paragon to be included in all of that army's Tour of Duty games. As a non-unique unit, players are free to build the fanfic OC of their dreams. These units have the Commander Rank, befitting the special abilities and traits they can acquire. You'll find me forcing the OC of my teenage years, Admiral Prawn, who is like Thrawn, but he's a Mon Calamari on the Rebel side.
As the campaign progresses, players will also earn Supply Points to strengthen their armies after every game. Finally, each army will have a Story Arc that every player must accomplish. Each Story Arc has three Agendas, goals that must be met to fulfill the campaign. After two Agendas are achieved, you can finally play the most exciting part of the new mode: Turning Point Missions.
These are the moments where you can fully embrace the cinematic side of the Star Wars universe. Unlike typical missions, Turning Points have unique rules, narratives and scenarios meant for epic battles. You can download the Tours of Duty Core Rulebook right now from the official website.
Want some squadmates on your next mission? The Wargamer Discord has some cool folks who may want to join up. Alternatively, catch up with the Star Wars Legion roadmap!