Star Wars Miniatures Battles is a tabletop wargame produced by West End Games in 1989 and republished in a 2nd edition version in 1990. It was winner of the 1991 Origins Award for Best New Miniatures Rules. West End Games lost the license to produce any more "Star Wars" games in 1999, and the license was subsequently picked up by Wizards of the Coast the following year. Star Wars Miniatures Battles should not be confused with WOTC's Star Wars Miniatures.
Star Wars Miniatures Battles core rulebook was written by Stephen Crane and Paul Murphy, published by West End Games in January 1989. The rules included are for playing battles using the metal miniatures produced by West End Games. The stats included in the book can be easily converted to use with its Star Wars role-playing game
The Star Wars Miniatures Battles Companion, published in 1994, was the first supplement and added vehicle rules and flight rules to the game. It also included errata and rules revisions, as well as new and optional rules, new equipment, a section detailing unit insignia and organization, and a collection of game scenarios.
The Imperial Entanglements book, published in 1996, was primarily a scenario supplement, but also contained updated errata and new squad stats.
Both the core rulebook and companion were repackaged in two boxed sets along with some miniatures, The Star Wars Miniatures Battles Starter Set and Star Wars Vehicles Starter Set respectively. A third set, the Mos Eisley Adventure Set which was targeted primarily to the RPG aspect, included not only some miniatures and maps, but a small supplement with a Miniatures Battles scenario. Also, the short run series of the Star Wars Adventure Journal had a few articles pertaining to the miniatures rules.
Famous quotes containing the words star wars, star, wars and/or battles:
“The obvious parallels between Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz have frequently been noted: in both there is the orphan hero who is raised on a farm by an aunt and uncle and yearns to escape to adventure. Obi-wan Kenobi resembles the Wizard; the loyal, plucky little robot R2D2 is Toto; C3PO is the Tin Man; and Chewbacca is the Cowardly Lion. Darth Vader replaces the Wicked Witch: this is a patriarchy rather than a matriarchy.”
—Andrew Gordon, U.S. educator, critic. “The Inescapable Family in American Science Fiction and Fantasy Films,” Journal of Popular Film and Television (Summer 1992)
“Well gentlemen, this is it. This is what we’ve been waiting for. Tonight your target is Tokyo. And you’re gonna play ‘em the Star Spangled Banner with two-ton bombs. All you’ve got to do is to remember what you’ve learned and follow your squadron leaders. They’ll get you in, and they’ll get you out. Any questions? All right that’s all. Good luck to you. Give ‘em hell.”
—Dudley Nichols (1895–1960)
“O how wretched
Is that poor man that hangs on princes’ favors!
There is betwixt that smile we would aspire to,
More pangs and fears than wars or women have;
And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,
Never to hope again.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Probably the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing-fields of Eton, but the opening battles of all subsequent wars have been lost there.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)