This September, the Original Trilogy DVD is not the only thing that many Star Wars fans will be eagerly anticipating. At the 2004 Toy Fair, Wizards Of The Coast revealed that they would be releasing a Star Wars Miniatures game. Ever since then, I have been anticipating it's release. Since Toy Fair, not much information has come out about the game, but, there are tidbits of info in different spots if you know where to look.
One of the best places for official information is the Wizards Message Boards. There, one of the WOTC Staff that is working directly on the game, tries to answer some of the questions that eager fans have. Important to note is that he cannot answer all questions, as much of the info about the game is reserved for special announcements, and articles in different publications. Also, seasoned veterans from the D&D Miniatures Game lend their thoughts and speculations as to what we can expect. I highly suggest checking it out!
What has been revealed on the WOTC Boards are some of the rules, and also some fantastic, Hi-Res images of the upcoming game pieces. To date there have been 4 images of the game pieces released on the WOTC Message boards, they are a Bothan Spy, Elite Rebel Trooper, Scout Trooper, and a Mon Calamari Mercenary. In order to view the detailed pics, you have to be a registered member of the WOTC Message Boards:
   
So far, it has been confirmed that the initial release of the Miniatures will be a 60 figure set called Rebel Storm. Starter Sets, and Booster Packs will be available to build your collection. The starter set will consist of 8 random figures and 2 exclusive figures. The 2 exclusive figures will be only available in the Starter set. The Starter Set is made to be playable right out of the box. Here is more info on the Rebel Storm Starter Set:
On June 14th, we got a good look at the box art for the Booster Packs, as StarWars.com ran an article about the Star Wars Miniatures Game. The Booster Packs will contain 7 random figures, and are meant to build-up your forces. Then, on June 15th, StarWars.com posted an interview with Bill Slavicsek, and Mary Elizabeth Allen. In the interview we were privy to some of the insight that brought the Star Wars Miniatures Game to be. One of the more important things to note out of the interview was that there are already plans for a second set of miniatures, to be released in December of this year. The next set has been named Clone Strike, and will involve characters from Episodes 1 and 2. The third set is scheduled to be released early next year, and will be centered around Episode 3. We also got a look at 2 more pieces from the Rebel Storm Set:
 
While official sources of info are somewhat scant, there are some good un-official sources out there for info. In Mid-March, a website named, GamingReport.com was able to attend the 2004 GAMA Trade Show, in which they were able to snap some nice pics of some of the upcoming miniatures. What they saw were a Wookie Warrior, a Jawa, a Stormtrooper, an Ithorian Warrior, a Male Twi'Lek, a female Twi'lek, a Quarren, and last, but certainly not least, an Emperors Royal Guard, which happens to be my favorite so far. To see the images make sure to visit the GamingReport.com Image Gallery!!
Another good Un-Official source of info is a web page ran by Ghenghis_Ska. His SITE, acts as a depository for info and images. He updates the site regularly whenever new, news is released about the Star Wars Miniatures Game.
Also, this past weekend, Origins 2004 took place in Columbus Ohio
(June 24-26, 2004). Wizards Of The Coast not only gave visitors to the WOTC booth a first look at the some not yet seen Mini's, they also got the first promotional figure. Given away at Origins was the Mon Calamari Mercenary (see picture above). The figure also came with his stat card, which provided some insight into game play. Almost like clockwork, Ebay auctions have sprung up for this promo figure, some going as high as $20. If you are interested in this figure, I would say hold onto your cash, as this same figure will be one of the 60 in the Rebel Storm Set. This info was officially confirmed by the WOTC Staffer on the WOTC Message Boards. The figures that WOTC also brought with them for visitors to see was the Stormtrooper, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and a Tusken Raider. Also, they got a good look at the playing board for the game. The SWRPG Network has posted a great summary on what they saw at Origins, as well as an image gallery of their pics!
With just 2 short months left before the release of this game, I would think that more information for the game would be out there, especially from the Official Source, WOTC. However, look forward to the July issue of Undefeated Magazine, as there will be an interview related to the Star Wars Miniatures Game in that issue. Also, something else to look out for: a poster for the game. As to when the poster will be released has not yet been confirmed. I hope that for anyone interested in this game I have pointed you in some different directions to get some information and to hopefully answer some of your initial questions. Stay Tuned as more updates are made available!
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