Who goes first in Star Wars: Rebellion?
Fantasy Flight Games English rules, 2016
Players first choose who controls the Rebels and who controls the Imperials (randomly if they cannot decide). The Rebel player goes first: they assign leaders to missions first and take the first turn of each Command Phase.
If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.
Rule details
In the Assignment Phase, the Rebel player assigns leaders first, then the Imperial player.
In the Command Phase, starting with the Rebel player, players alternate turns activating a system or revealing a mission.
The Rebel player also deploys units first during the Refresh Phase.
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.
Source & edition
- Star Wars: Rebellion — Learn to PlayFantasy Flight Games · Page 4, Setup step 1 (Choose Factions); page 6, Assignment Phase; page 7, Command Phase · Checked 2026-09-25
- Star Wars: Rebellion — Rules ReferenceFantasy Flight Games · Page 6, Command Phase: the Rebel player takes the first turn · Checked 2026-09-25
Related games and editions
Browse available game rulesGames with a similar starting rule
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- That's Pretty Clever (aka Ganz schön clever)Choose a starting player at random; that player takes the six dice.
Found a different instruction in your edition? Send a correction with the game, edition, and source.