BoardGamesBot

1

Star Wars Outer Rim Unfinished Business Strategy Guide
By Jeff Damonte
Guide categories and organization:
• Introduction Page 1
• Character Rankings Page 2
• Bounty Hunter Strategies Page 7
• Smuggler Strategies Page 8
• The Maelstrom Page 11
• Universal Strategies Page 12
• Combo List Page 14
• AI, Optional Rules, House Rules Page 14

Introduction

Star Wars Outer Rim Unfinished Business (SWORUB) starts by picking a character and ship. Characters
can be divided into 2 groups: Bounty Hunters and Smugglers. Bounty Hunters recommended starting
ship is the G-1A Starfighter with its 3-combat dice making it a combat equal with the level 1 patrols.
Smugglers go for the G9 Rigger, effectively getting 1 extra ship movement (6 total) for giving up a ship
combat die and a hull-point. It may seem like the Smugglers are getting a bad deal getting only 1 extra
movement to lose both a ship combat die and a hull-point, but smugglers don’t typically fight level 1
patrols. Due to the way the planets are spaced, going from 5 ship movement to 6 is a big advantage for
Smugglers whose main early game way to generate credits is hauling regular cargo between planets. None
of the characters or starting ships (except Cad Bane) have advantages or disadvantages that cannot be
compensated for later in the game by buying gear, recruiting crew, and upgrading ships. However, since
the game is a fame race and compensating takes turns and credits starting off with a capable character
helps.

---

2

Character Rankings

Character Rankings and Tiers S->C:
1. Jyn Erso -S
2. Black Krrsantan -S
3. Doctor Aphra - S
4. Bossk - S
5. IG-88 - A
6. Chewbacca - A
7. Boba Fett- A
8. Lando Calrissian - A
9. Dengar - A
10. Ketsu Onyo - A
11. Han Solo - B
12. Enfys Nest - B
13. Hera Syndulla - B
14. Hondo Ohnaka - C
15. Maz Kanata - C
16. Cad Bane - C

Bounty Hunter Rankings:
1. Jyn Erso - 3 ground combat dice, one of the best primary abilities in the game that works in ground
combat, ship combat, and skill tests but NOT for illegal cargo. Tactics lets her use some of the
combat gear and mods, look to pick up gear and mods that Tactics benefits. Early game Jyn can
fight patrols, take easy jobs and bounties, and take regular cargo. Character goal is a pain because
she must go to both Lothal and Naboo on different sides of the map, and Jyn doesn’t have the
Stealth skill needed to make the required skill test, and encountering Imperial planets with
negative Imperial reputation is an easy mistake when already there doing sabotage for the
character goal. The game is often won or lost without Jyn completing her character goal. 2nd
ability is only useful if she spent the early game fighting patrols and now all the factions hate her,
brilliantly thematic but unless there are 4 bounty hunters going after patrols it doesn’t usually
happen. Starting with negative Imperial reputation impedes moving Across the Core. Jyn should
avoid Illegal Cargo, the Maelstrom, Kessel, and moving Across the Core Planets, and avoid planet
encounter cards on Imperial aligned planets. She is amazing as Crew as the crew version of Jyn is
just as strong as the Character with none of the drawbacks but if you encounter Jyn’s crew token
with + Imperial or - Rebel reputation she will attack you instead. Lots of good crew matches for
Jyn including K-2SO as he provides the Strength she is missing for ground combat Gear and helps
reduce the ground combat damage she takes while fighting bounties, Garindan helps with finding
bounties, Ketsu is good for Strength plus has the Stealth needed for Jyn’s character goal and helps
with fighting patrols and finding bounties, Bossk is another good crew match for Strength and
heals. Flexibility between bounty hunting, jobs, and patrol fighting from one of the best primary
abilities makes Jyn a top contender. Jyn isn’t as great at ground combat as Black Krrsantan or as
flexible at skill tests as Doctor Aphra but she is also a good patrol fighter and she has the flexibility
of being good at all 3. She can use most of the best combos including Proton Torpedoes,
Chromium Hull, Mandolorian Armor, Bo-rifle or Sy Snootles from the Luxury deck to pull off multi-
fame turns. Jyn’s 2nd ability helps protect Chromium Hull from the invincible level 4 patrols. Jyn’s
flexibility and strong primary ability outshine her weaknesses in movement, character goal, and

---

3

Illegal Cargo. The AI deck considers Jyn a Smuggler and she has skills and stats that make both
bounties and jobs good options.
2. Black Krrsantan - 3 ground combat dice and 5 health, strong primary ability for ground combat.
Best combat skills for Gear and Mods with Strength and Tactics, easily completed character goal.
2nd ability reduces healing needed between combats. With the right gear Black Krrsantan can roll
12+ ground combat dice! He can sometimes struggle with finding contacts for bounties and
movement around the board. The Wanted and Information Broker from the bounty market deck
both help him. Boba Fett or Garindan as crew and better Ship can help mitigate. Bo-rifle,
Mandolorian Armor, Proton Torpedoes for multi-fame turns.
3. Bossk - 3 ground combat dice, best combat skills for gear with Strength and Tactics, primary ability
works for both character and ship damage mostly eliminating healing time outside of defeats.
Character goal is easily completed and encourages the player on the best path. 2nd ability is great
for keeping up when luck is against you or another player is starting to run away with the game.
Bossk can sometimes struggle with finding contacts for bounties and moving around the board
and can have a slow start in the game. Boba Fett or Garindan as crew, better Ship, his 2nd ability,
and potential for multi-fame late game bounties can help mitigate. Bossk is an amazing patrol
hunter with Proton Torpedoes, also does well with Bo-rifle and Mandolorian Armor for huge
multi-fame turns. If you’re feeling thematic try using the cardboard Fame/Gear/Rep HUD Player
Board with the teeth on the left edge.
4. IG-88 - 3 ground combat dice, Strength for ground combat gear, primary ability is great for both
ground and ship combat, unique droid action can be used to counter smugglers using W1-LE or
Chopper, pick up a crew with Piloting and IG-88 can use the Maelstrom slingshot. Character goal
is difficult to complete, 2nd ability is rarely useful. Finding bounty targets can be a problem in
smaller games, and healing time can be a challenge in larger games. IQA-11 Blaster Rifle from
gear, Boba Fett, Bossk, Garindan crew and upgraded ship can help mitigate. Usual suspects with
Bo-rifle, Mandolorian Armor, and Proton Torpedoes, plus Chromium Hull.
5. Boba Fett - 3 ground combat dice, no Strength skill for ground combat gear but does have Tactics
for other combat gear and ship Mods. Look for Gear and Mods that get better with Tactics like
Ion cannon, and Jetpack to reduce the damage Boba takes when doing bounty combats. Primary
ability is good for finding bounties and crew, character goal is easy and going to be done anyway.
2nd ability is decent, and the extra credits can be used to buy upgraded Ships and luxury deck
items. Boba can struggle in combat against Black Krrsantan, Bossk, IG-88. Can be a good bounty
hunter option when less players are playing (2-3) and they are playing smugglers and finding
bounties will be more difficult and no stronger combat bounty hunters are picked. Boba can also
look to pick up Crew with combat abilities in particular IG-88, Black Krrsantan and Bossk, which is
super thematic. Look to upgrade to a 5 attack ship with the Aggressor or Firespray being great
options. With his secret contacts information Boba can potentially do Jobs with Sy Snootles and
couple solid crew. From the Luxury deck look to pick up the Proton Torpedoes, Bo-rifle, or
Mandolorian Armor and play to combo with it for multi-fame bounty or patrol turns.
6. Dengar - 3 ground combat dice, similar to Bossk in many ways, Strength for ground combat gear
but no Tactics for ship mods. PvP focused primary ability that decreases healing time but slightly
less effectively than Bossk’s ability. 2nd ability a slightly weaker version of Bossk’s 2
nd
. Tech skill
adds potential to use the Maelstrom slingshot with a crew with Piloting. Character goal is PvP and
relatively easily completed if there are non-bounty hunters in the game. Navpoint encounters are
set up to work well with Dengar as is the Jumpmaster 5000. So much PvP may frustrate some
smuggler player opponents. From the Luxury Deck the Bo-rifle, Mandolorian Armor and Proton
Torpedoes work ok but don’t synergize as well with Dengar as they do with other bounty hunters.

---

4

7. Ketsu Onyo - 3 ground combat dice, Strength for ground combat gear, but no Tactics skill for other
combat gear. Primary ability offers strategic options on central planets for patrol fighting and
bounty contact finding but mostly boils down to a movement saver. Character goal is doable if
Ketsu fights patrols but can cause negative reputation problems late game especially if she didn’t
use Proton Torpedoes or the Aggressor Ship. 2nd ability can be a credit generator late game, Ketsu
can struggle in combat against Black Krrsantan, Bossk, Jyn Erso, and IG-88. Look to get a 5 attack
Ship and the Proton Torpedoes from the Luxury deck and use her primary ability to efficiently
hunt the Patrols and bounties.
8. Cad Bane - 3 combat dice, 3 skills with Tactics but no Strength, start with 2 fame, primary ability
is a handicap reducing fame gained by 1 in exchange for 5k credits. Starting with 2 fame makes
Cad Bane an early target. Capable of bounties or jobs or illegal cargo but great at none, fame
penalty is painful, needs 2 fame jobs and 2 fame bounties and particular luxury items that add
fame. Use extra credits from early game fame loss to upgrade ship, buy gear, and get at least 1 of
the following from the luxury deck: Proton Torpedoes, Sy Snootles, Dash Rendar, Chromium Hull,
Bo-rifle, Mandolorian Armor. 2nd ability to buy a single Fame for 20k credits is rarely useful. Lots
of stopping to look things up in the rules reference and FAQ slowing down the game, not
recommended for new players. Cad Bane can still win by using the luxury deck but has a weak
starting position compared with other characters.

Smuggler Rankings:

1. Doctor Aphra - 2 ground combat dice, no Strength or Tactics for gear, protecting yourself and
your crew from bounty hunters can be a problem and make you the other players favorite prey.
Bossk can be Doctor Aphra’s kryptonite stealing her crew for bounties and defeating her again
and again with Bossk’s 2nd ability and the Wanted Bounty, Dengar can also be a problem if Aphra
has negative reputation. If lots of bounty hunters in the game, keep a lookout for the Wrist
rockets, Vibro-knife and Grenade launcher as well as crew with combat abilities to set up credible
defense. Aphra is great at Jobs and among the best at Illegal Cargo, and one of the best at the
Maelstrom slingshot. Her primary skill is great for Jobs and Illegal Cargo but keep in mind it is once
per turn not once per roll. Character Goal is easy to complete and Aphra should pick 2 easy jobs
to get it done quickly to reach her 2nd ability early on. Aphra’s 2nd ability is quietly amazing similar
to W1-LE’s crew ability but for the Planning Step letting Aphra grab multiple market actions in a
single turn setting up multi-fame turns later on, digging for key cards in the Luxury deck, cycling
cards other player need, and generally running the market. With Aphra’s 2nd ability and W1-LE
she can have 3 Market actions in a single turn, buying up to 3 market cards and flipping up to 6
market cards. Aphra has 3 skills, including Stealth and Knowledge for Illegal Cargo, and uses her
primary ability anytime she misses the Illegal Cargo initial roll although she does still lose her
encounter step. Between Tech and her primary ability Aphra can use the Maelstrom slingshot
from the start. Sy Snootles and Dash Rendar from the Luxury deck are amazing crew members for
Aphra allowing multi-fame turns. Aphra’s glaring weakness is in combat. She’s particularly good
in 2 player games where combat is less frequent. She can use the Maelstrom to access Kessel,
speed up delivery of the Sith Holocron or Rancor from the Luxury deck, and starts with positive
Imperial reputation for getting cargo from the Core Worlds and crossing the Core Worlds.
2. Chewbacca - 3 ground combat dice and 5 health, weak primary ability but it helps a little with
surviving the Maelstrom. Strength is good for ground combat gear, with Piloting and Tech Chewy
can use the Maelstrom slingshot if patrols aren’t in the way. Character goal moderately difficult
as bounty hunters avoid flipping orange contacts early game due to the combat difficulty. The
extra health and 3 skills make Chewy capable of some jobs. 2nd ability is one of the best in the

---

5

game and helps with illegal cargo, jobs and combat. Chewy has maximum flexibility late game to
go for bounties, jobs, patrols, and illegal cargo. Chewy should NOT take Illegal Cargo early game
since he doesn’t have his 2nd ability yet or the Influence, Knowledge, and Stealth to complete it
if the first roll is missed, avoid the common though thematic mistake of taking illegal cargo early
game with Chewy and wasting multiple turns. After Chewy has his 2nd ability look for Dash Rendar
from the Luxury deck and then he can go for the Illegal Cargo. Or buy Strength based ground
combat Gear and use his Maelstrom slingshot to chase bounties with Bo-rifle, Bowcaster, or
Mandolorian Armor. As a bounty hunter Chewy doesn’t have an easy way to find contacts or heal
damage from combat. With 2 orange crew and Sy Snootles he can go for most jobs. With a 5 attack
Ship, Proton Torpedoes, and the Maelstrom slingshot he can hunt patrols. Chewy is a Jack of All
Trades but can have a slow start.
3. Lando Calrissian - 2 ground combat dice, no Strength or Tactics for combat Gear, primary ability
of reroll is good especially since it can be used for everything, helps compensate for Lando having
only 2 ground combat dice and is probably the best for Illegal Cargo and good for Jobs. Lando has
2 of the 3 skills needed for Illegal Cargo even if he misses the roll and reroll. He can use the
Maelstrom slingshot if he can find a crew with Tech. Character Goal is hit or miss as he must dig
through the cargo market deck looking for Illegal Cargo, sometimes Illegal Cargo can be picked up
on Kessel. 2nd ability synergizes well with selling Reputation for Fame on Kessel or the Extravagant
Wardrobe Luxury Item. 3 skills and the primary ability reroll also helps with Jobs. Lando benefits
from W1-LE, the Smuggling Compartment, and the Millenium Falcon. Lando needs either Dash
Rendar or Sy Snootles for multi-fame turns to really shine. Lando is vulnerable to combat from
bounty hunters, though slightly less than Aphra since he has his reroll and tends to focus more on
Illegal Cargo which requires less crew.
4. Han Solo - 3 ground combat dice, no Strength and no Tactics for combat gear, both Piloting and
Tech skills make Han ready for the Maelstrom slingshot from the start, primary skill of +2
movement and 2nd skill of passing patrols lets Han access more of the map than any other
character. Character goal of better ship is easy to complete, Han does great with regular cargo
but needs to avoid Illegal Cargo in the early game because he doesn’t have Influence, Knowledge,
or Stealth to complete it if he misses the initial roll. Cool thematically with Han in trouble with
Jabba the Hutt at the beginning of Star Wars for failing to deliver illegal cargo. New players
frequently pick Han and then immediately try to smuggle Illegal Cargo wasting turns and putting
them behind. Although Han makes the fastest trip across the board, he doesn’t have a direct path
to getting fame, a major problem in a game won by fame. No Strength or Tactics for gear to get
bounties, none of the skills needed for Illegal Cargo, and only 2 job skills aren’t a good start. Mid-
to-late game look to deliver the Rancor or Sith Holocron from the Luxury Deck. A game as Han is
shaped more by the crew picked up rather than the starting character.
5. Enfys Nest - 3 ground combat dice, no Strength and no Tactics makes getting quality gear a pain
and makes bounty hunting difficult. Primary ability is a decent ground combat ability but note it
can only cancel hits NOT critical hits. Character Goal can take a little time depending on the
contacts you come across, but crew are needed to turn Enfys into a functional character. Enfys
needs a crew with Tech to use the Maelstrom, 2nd ability helps with skill tests but gives an
occasional reroll rather than a guaranteed result lacking dependability, with Bossk, Black
Krrsantan, Jyn, IG-88, or Ketsu as crew she can make a decent bounty hunter, Doctor Aphra or
Lando make her a decent smuggler.
6. Hera Syndulla - 2 ground combat dice, Tactics helps with combat gear and ship combat mods,
Piloting makes Maelstrom slingshot possible if you find a crew with Tech. Primary ability is good
for movement and you get to use it as an Action potentially allowing Hera to go to multiple nearby
places on the same turn. Chopper covers the drawbacks of Hera’s primary ability and together

---

6

they can use the Maelstrom, and hunt Patrols. Finding Chopper early in the game is heavily luck
based since he is 1/11 orange contacts, reliance on Chopper for her ability also makes Hera
vulnerable to IG-88’s droid ability, W1-LE is good for Hera as the extra market step matches well
with Hera’s extra movement and can set up multi-fame turns. Hera is NOT good with illegal cargo
early game as she doesn’t have Knowledge, Influence, and Stealth. Character goal can be
completed by fighting the Imperial Patrols but can restrict her to one side of the board and she
can’t cross the Core Worlds with the negative Imperial reputation. 2nd ability can help with credits
but leaves Hera open to attack by bounty hunters. Can do some unique maneuvers using the
Maelstrom and Hera’s primary ability although she cannot use her ability on the Maelstrom itself.
Hera with Chopper, 5 attack Ship and Proton Torpedoes from the Luxury deck makes an excellent
patrol hunter. Look to deliver the Sith Holocron and the Rancor from the Luxury deck. Hera needs
lots of pieces that don’t always come together, but she is very thematic to play, modding a ship
and attacking those imperial patrols.
7. Hondo Ohnaka - 2 ground combat dice, no Strength or Tactics for combat Gear, primary ability is
a bit weak, especially against bounty hunters. Character Goal is easy to complete but makes him
a target for Bounty Hunters. 2nd Ability is to redo his Character goal for 10k credits, so 1 fame for
10k credits with some possible complications. Hondo is the only Character to start with all 3 skills
needed for Illegal Cargo and should go for Illegal Cargo from the start just don’t plan on using his
Encounter step very often. Starting with 3 skills also makes some jobs possible but need to choose
carefully which ones. Like other smugglers W1-LE is helpful and Bounties Hunters are a threat.
Chopper is a good crew member for Hondo because he can then access Kessel for Illegal Cargo
and the Maelstrom. Look for Sy Snootles or Dash Rendar from the Luxury deck and use Hondo’s
ability to gain fame for stealing from other players, very thematic.
8. Maz Kanata - 2 ground combat dice, no Strength or Tactics for combat gear, primary ability of
additional crew slot is weak as upgraded ships offer more crews slots anyway. Character Goal is a
pain. 2nd ability lets Maz buy up to 2 fame from the Luxury deck for 10k+ credits each which is
better than the 20k Cad Bane pays but more than Hondo and some of the Fame buying planet
cards. Maz’s Influence and Knowledge skills are good for Illegal Cargo but she needs her encounter
step to get crew. With a crew member with Piloting Maz can use the Maelstrom slingshot, W1-LE
is helpful for Maz although again she needs her Encounter Steps to gather Crew, Garindan can be
useful, Maz’s Goggles can add extra fame for recruiting crew if you can get them early. 3 starting
skills and lots of crew are good for jobs after you manage to gather the crew. Flipping contacts for
crew helps bounty hunters and Maz Kanata collecting crew makes her a floating bounty pinata
(the Kanata Pinata). Look for Sy Snootles, Maz’s Goggles, Dejarik Holotable from the Luxury deck.

---

7

Bounty Hunter Strategies

Bounty Hunters pick the G-1A Starfighter ship and move around the board taking regular cargo, fighting
patrols, flipping contacts, upgrading ground combat gear, ships, and mods when possible, and
encountering Navpoints or Nal Hutta when nothing else is available. Bounty hunters should avoid Illegal
Cargo. Get ground combat gear early such as grenade launcher, vibro-axe, wrist rockets. Ground combat
is more important for both bounties and PvP, but some bounties do require ship combat and patrols
require ship combat. Look for chances to grab crew of Garindan, Boba Fett, Ketsu for finding contacts,
crew of IG-88, Black Krrsantan, Jyn, or Bossk for ground combat or healing bonus. Use encounter phase
to flip lots of contacts and fight combats. Keep in mind PvP battles on planets are ground combat and at
Navpoints they are ship combats. Build up characters and ships, flipping ship goals and character goals,
and then go after 2 Fame bounties when strong enough. Keep an eye out for the Bo-rifle, Mandolorian
Armor, and Proton Torpedoes from the Luxury market deck. Late in the game look for opportunities to
get multiple fame points in a single turn.

Bounty hunters should not be too polite to attack smugglers using secrets, wanted bounties, picking other
player characters from the bounty market deck, Bossk’s and Dengar’s abilities, and bounties for smuggler
crew members. Wanted bounties are great for getting fame and credits while simultaneously slowing
opponents. Most PvP combat tends to happen on planets, making ground combat gear more important
for PvP. Be ready to swap bounty jobs whenever a better or closer bounty comes along. Most bounty
hunter market actions should be used to cycle and buy cards from the equipment (gear/mods), ship, and
bounty market decks. The more players (2 vs 4) and the more fame required (8 vs 10 vs 12) also tends to
help bounty hunters because more contacts get flipped, more player characters are nearby to attack, and
more chances for late game multi-fame bounty turns. Saw Gerrera is also a good choice for harassing
other players who already have damage or softening them up for a defeat during an encounter phase
combat, especially in 4 player games. When deciding whether to deliver or eliminate a bounty target
consider whether fame or credits are urgently needed and the distance to the delivery location. Except
for the Mandolorian Armor and the Plastoid Armor, bounty hunters are usually better off choosing
weapons for Gear as more hits win the combat rather than last one standing. When deciding whether to
attack remember the attacker wins ties, abilities that modify combat value happen first then abilities that
allow rerolls, and the player who rolled the dice must use their abilities first on the attacker’s dice roll and
defender’s dice roll. Bounty hunters want to make full use of the Information Broker and Wanted cards in
the bounty market deck. Apart from Nal Hutta, the Navpoint encounter cards tend to be better for bounty
hunters than planet encounter cards but it’s usually not worth missing a market action for the difference.
As a bounty hunter, winning the combat is usually more important than being defeated. Pay attention to
the colors/pips on the back of the bounties to narrow down the locations your current bounty might be
at. Be careful about picking a bounty hunter against a smuggler in a 2-player game as not as many contacts

---

8

will be flipped. The more players and more bounty hunters in a game the faster contacts are flipped and
the easier it becomes to collect bounties and fight other players. 4 player all bounty hunter games can
turn into a real slugfest with PvP combat nearly every turn in the mid-to-late game.

Some extra tricks: Buy Mandalorian armor when you already have captured bounties on board but before
they are delivered. Garindan crew is great for trying to find contacts. Having either tactics or strength
helps a lot in ground combat because some of the best Gear benefits from them. In a game with 3-4
bounty hunters the Wanted bounty for other players will start to come up more often as the game
progresses since Wanted is discarded instead of removed from the game making PvP combat very likely
in the late game with multiple bounty hunters. 2 weapons instead of 1 armor + 1 weapon can make bounty
hunters great at ground combat even against other players but weaker at jobs. Many jobs and planet
cards cancel some of the damage if you win the combat further encouraging prioritizing winning combat
over avoiding defeat. Bounty hunters can attack their own crew members to collect a bounty on them but
may not use the attacked crew member’s abilities in resolving that combat.

Ship attributes ranking for bounties and patrols: 1. 5 attack dice, 2. 2+ mod slots, 3. Extra gear slot, 4. ship
ability, 5. 7 movement, 6. Hit points.

Smuggler Strategies

Smugglers pick the G9 Rigger ship and start moving from planet to planet taking regular cargo to NEARBY
destinations, doing low level jobs (Rebel Favor, Hutt Favor, Syndicate Favor, Imperial Favor) they have at
least a ‘skilled’ rating for, gathering crew, and AVOIDING Illegal Cargo unless they have skills and abilities
for it (only Hondo, Lando, and Doctor Aphra start out the game with Illegal Cargo worth the risk).
Smugglers should avoid fighting patrols (except for Hera). Avoid Navpoints as Navpoints have rewards
meant for Bounty Hunters and Smugglers can’t afford to miss market actions, so end turns on planets as
much as possible. If getting to a destination takes 2 turns try to pick a mid-point that lands on a planet,
often you won’t need your maximum movement to reach your destination on the second turn. Buy Jobs
and Cargo near both your current location and other places you need to go anyway, don’t spend turn after
turn moving to the other side of the Outer Rim just to deliver regular cargo. Gear should not be completely
neglected especially if bounty hunters are in the game, making sure your character is not the easiest PvP
target on the board can help. Use the Encounter Phase to pick up crew and if nothing else is available

---

9

encounter planets you have positive reputation with or that will give you a chance at more jobs, crew, or
cargo (Mon Calamari, Naboo, Takodana, Cantonica, Kessel if good at Illegal Cargo). A general rule of thumb
is that planet cards are weaker than market cards (with a few exceptions). Buy one or more of the
following luxury cards that fit your character’s skills and abilities to speed up fame gains: Smugglers
focused on Illegal Cargo need Dash Rendar, smugglers focused on Jobs need Sy Snootles or Maz Kanata’s
Goggles, smugglers with fast ships who can use the Maelstrom Slingshot can go for the Gift for Jabba or
Sith Holocron. Later in the game look for opportunities to get multiple fame points in a single turn.

Jobs and Skills: Skills listed in Italics on the Job card description are needed to complete the Job (for
example: Tactics), make sure to have Italics skills at least at a ‘skilled’ rating before buying the card. Failing
an Italics Skill test usually results in repeating the test until you pass or failing the Job. Skills listed without
italics mean it is tested in the Job, but a passing roll is not needed to complete the job. The penalty for
failing a Job’s non-italics skill test is usually character damage or ship damage so armor helps with many
jobs. Expect to take 1-2 damage per failed skill test, so starting with full health a character can fail at least
1 non-italics skill test and still complete the Job. With Armor 2 or more skill tests can usually be failed and
still complete the job. Any job that requires 2 player characters to be in the same space is usually a skip
unless you see a very specific opportunity on the current board, especially true in a 2-player game. When
recruiting crew for smugglers, look to get a diverse range of the 7 skills needed for jobs. The Kessel Run
job is extremely difficult and it’s usually better not to take the job. Hijacking a Freighter and Rebel Prison
Break jobs are easy and give 2 fame, grab them if you get the chance. Both Doctor Aphra and Jyn Erso
make great crew members for smugglers going for Jobs with their 2 skills and abilities that help skill tests.

Some extra tricks: Lando can re-roll a die every time he rolls so he can often re-roll more than 1 time per
turn. Some jobs can be purchased on the same planet as the destination while others cannot, so read the
card carefully. Buy and hold one or both Wanted bounty cards from the bounty market deck so it cannot
be used against you (there are 2 Wanted cards in the bounty deck). W1-LE is incredibly helpful for
smugglers replacing many wasted Encounter Phases with extra Market Actions giving the player more
control over the market and a chance to deliver multiple cargos at once. There isn’t a bounty for W1-LE
in the game, so you don’t have to worry about losing her to a bounty hunter. Consider taking planet cards
when you have positive reputation with the faction for that planet, avoid taking planet cards when you
have negative reputation with the faction for that planet. Sabacc games test Influence, Tactics, Stealth,
ground combat, often opposed by another player. Market actions are precious, when spending more than
1 turn moving towards an objective try to stop on planets rather than Navpoints so you don’t miss out on
your Market actions. Try to line up the cargo deliveries, jobs and bounties you take so they are on the
same planet, nearby, or on the way to each other. Having less than 6 ship movement is a disadvantage
due to the spacing of the planets so most smugglers want to start with the G9 Rigger to help with
delivering regular cargo in the early game.

Databank: The Databank has critical information for smugglers about Jobs, Crew, and Illegal Cargo. If a
contact token is facedown on the map (for example Boba Fett’s ability) then the player may NOT look at
the corresponding databank card. If a contact token is faceup on the map any player can look at the
contact’s corresponding databank card at any time. Our group had a discussion of whether during a
market action a player can look at the corresponding databank card to a faceup market Illegal Cargo or
Job card. One player made an argument by analogy to the contact token databank card rule. Another
player reasoned the skills tests and die rolls on the Job and Illegal Cargo cards were pre-requisites to
resolving the databank card and noted on p.10 of the Rules Reference under the Jobs section a subsection
reads: “Players are allowed to read sections of a databank card they are resolving, but not reading ahead
is encouraged.” Our group ultimately decided frequent databank card reading slowed the game down,

---

10

but agreed we couldn’t find an official resolution to the question and could see a house rule going either
way. Being able to read the corresponding databank cards to faceup market cards at any time benefits
smugglers so if your group allows it then go for it. If allowed, when considering buying Illegal Cargo check
the databank card in advance so you know if you have the skills you need to gain the cargo if you don’t
roll the * hit. Check faceup contact databank cards in advance.

Illegal Cargo tricks: Lando Calrissian, Doctor Aphra, and Hondo Ohnaka are the only characters who should
take Illegal Cargo at the start of the game. Chewbacca is good at Illegal Cargo but only after completing
his character goal and getting his 2
nd
ability. Avoid taking Illegal Cargo early game with Han Solo or un-
flipped Chewbacca. Illegal Cargo main skills: Influence, Knowledge, Stealth. Be careful not to try delivering
Illegal Cargo when there is a patrol you have negative reputation with in your space. To make Illegal Cargo
competitive some combination of Dash Rendar, W1-LE, Smuggling Compartment, or Millenium Falcon is
recommended. Do other possible actions before buying roll to buy Illegal Cargo because if you miss the
die roll it will end your turn even if you pass the skill test. Core Worlds with + Imperial Reputation or Kessel
with Piloting and Tech and + Syndicate reputation can be good for smugglers. In the Kessel planet deck
6/20 cards give a chance to obtain illegal cargo and 2/20 are unrefined coaxium. In the Naboo planet deck
5/20 cards give a chance to obtain cargo with a fame reward. Only make deliver rolls on delivery illegal
cargo as the last action during your action step as failing to get a hit * on a single die roll (3/8 probability
of hit) will end your turn. The combination of 1 fame at a time + chance of failure + losing the encounter
phase + mix of roll of delivery vs roll on buy + only rolling 1 die = lost time. The inevitable early game
cycling of the Cargo market deck often presents Illegal Cargo as an option to players before they are
prepared to handle it efficiently. Be cautious of buying ‘on hit buy this’ Illegal Cargo as some bonuses such
as the Smuggling Compartment and Millennium Falcon do not help.

Rule of thumb: Neutral reputation is good for recruiting contacts as crew (Maz is the exception).
Lando Calrissian: 10k credits
Ketsu Onyo: + or neutral Syndicate reputation required. 6k credits
Jyn Erso: Cannot have + Imperial or – Rebel reputation unless pass a Stealth test. 6k
credits
IG-88: + or neutral Imperial reputation required. 6k credits
Han Solo: Cannot have + Hutt reputation. 6k credits
Enfys Nest: Cannot have + Imperial or + Syndicate reputation unless pass a Tactics skill test.
6k credits
Doctor Aphra: Cannot have + Rebel or – Imperial reputation. 4k credits
Chopper: Spend 3k credits to test Tech
Bossk: Cannot have 2+ negative reputations. 6k credits
Boba Fett: + or neutral Hutt reputation required. 6k credits
Ahsoka Tano: Ground combat of 5 dice and lose 1 Imperial reputation. 6k credits
W1-LE: Pass Tech OR 3k credits
Saw Gerrera: Cannot have – Rebel or + Imperial reputation AND pass Influence.
Ponda Baba: 3k credits
Maz Kanata: Must have – Imperial or neutral Imperial reputation. 4k credits
Lobot: 2k credits
Leia Organa: + or neutral Rebel reputation required for Rebel Prison Break Job
K-2SO: Test Tech, failure hurts if you have + Rebel or – Imperial reputation
IG-RM Droid: + or neutral Syndicate reputation AND pass Tech test.
Hondo Ohnaka: 3k credits
Hera Syndulla: - Imperial or + Rebel reputation AND 2k credits

---

11

Greedo: + or neutral Hutt reputation AND either pass Influence test or 2k credits
Grand Admiral Thrawn: + or neutral Imperial reputation required for Rebellion on Lothal Job
Garindan: Cannot have – Imperial or + Rebel reputation unless Stealth test passed AND 2k
credits.
Doctor Evazan: 2k credits
Dengar: Cannot be recruited as crew, any – reputation results in 5 dice ground combat.
Chewbacca: 4k credits
BoShek: 2k credits
Black Sun Agent: + or neutral Syndicate reputation required, AND Influence test or 2k credits.
Black Krrsantan: You must currently have a bounty or job AND 1k credits.
4-LOM: 3k credits less 1k for each bounty you have.

Contacts in planet decks by planet and Reputation:
Takodana and Cantonica have 80% of the planet crew available in the Outer Rim. Most planet crew have
a cost between free –> 3k credits. ISB Agent on Lothal requires + Imperial reputation. Gamorrean
Mercenary on Takodana requires an Influence test. Quarren Racketeer on Mon Calamari is great for
smugglers (buy the top card of the Jobs market deck as an action) but good luck pulling him.

Ships ranking attributes for smugglers: 1. 3+ crew slots, 2. 7 movement, 5. hit points, 6. attack dice, 7. ship
ability.

The Maelstrom

The Maelstrom has 2 uses: 1. It is the guardian of Kessel, 2. the Maelstrom Slingshot. The turn eating ship
stopping Maelstrom is at one entrance to Kessel and the other entrance has 7 extra Navpoint spaces to
the next planet which eats a turn. When not headed to Kessel, the extra turn from the Maelstrom can be
used to perform the Maelstrom Slingshot maneuver which effectively allows the player to move more
spaces. Important skills for navigating the Maelstrom are piloting and tech, an upgraded ship can
sometimes help too. The Maelstrom gives about a 75% chance of an extra turn if skilled in both piloting
and tech (95% if highly skilled). For 2 of the cards when encountering the Maelstrom you need to win a
ship combat for the extra turn instead of testing Piloting or Tech, making an upgraded ship helpful. Han
Solo, Chewbacca, and Doctor Aphra are best at the Maelstrom. Lando or Hera with an astromech,
preferably Chopper, work too. The best crew members for the Maelstrom are Han Solo, Doctor Aphra,
and Chopper, or planet crew of Savvy Pilot, or Corellian Hotshot. Except for Han, Chewy, Aphra, or other
character and crew combos with piloting and tech, the Maelstrom and Kessel should be avoided. W1-
LE can be used to avoid encountering the Maelstrom by using W1-LE’s Encounter instead, note the
Maelstrom still impedes movement through it sort of like a neutral patrol would.

---

12

Universal Strategies

The options the game presents often
diverge from your starting character
plan, go with the flow. Avoid
demanding a particular order of events
if that isn’t what the game is giving you
(for example don’t spend turns as Han
failing illegal cargo deliveries and
searching for Chewy while ignoring
better options).

Strategically Cycle a market deck to
keep important cards away from other
players during market actions.

Flip ships for Fame. Buy cheap ships early in the game because you can barter them when you upgrade
ships and won’t lose the fame gained by completing the Ship Goal even if you trade it in for a different
Ship later. Completing ship goals is an important secondary source of fame that both smugglers and
bounty hunters can opportunistically pursue. Avoid buying the Used Ship card unless the ship’s card has
already been removed from the Market Deck or you have a Ship repair ability (for example
Chopper). Ships with easy fame goals:
• Rogue-Class Porax-38 Starfighter (win 2 ship combats, easy for early game bounty hunters)
• HWK-290 Freighter (7k credits + a Mod, easy for anyone)
• Heavy Duty Lifter (complete a job with 1 cargo on board, easy for smugglers)
• Jumpmaster 5000 (encounter 2 Navpoints, easy for bounty hunters)
• Aggressor-Class Assault Fighter (win 2 combats against patrols, easy for bounty hunters)
• YV-666 Light Freighter (recover 1 damage from ship + 7k credits)
• Modified YT-1300 Light Freighter (2 mods, easy for anyone)
• Edgehawk-Class Swoop Carrier (3 Gear, a late game gift to bounty hunters).

Complete the Character Goal (flip character card) for 1 fame and unlock the 2
nd
character ability. For
some characters like IG-88 and Jyn Erso it sometimes isn’t worth it to pursue the character goal.

Skills: 7 skills total: All skills are used by some jobs:
1- Strength and Tactics are the most important skills for combat as many Gear and Mods require them for
full combat effect. Characters without Strength or Tactics may have trouble finding top gear for ground
combat. Bossk and Black Krrsantan have both Strength and Tactics giving them the widest possible
weapons choice.
2- Piloting and Tech are needed for the Maelstrom. Han and Chewy each have both making them well
equipped for the Maelstrom.
3- Knowledge, Influence, and Stealth are needed for Illegal Cargo if the initial 3/8 chance die roll is missed.

Reputation: When deciding which reputation to gain or lose consider: Rebel reputation can help with Jobs
(Mon Calamari). Syndicate reputation can help with Illegal Cargo (Kessel). Hutt reputation can help with
bounty hunting (Nal Hutta). Imperial reputation can help movement Across the Core. If you have +
reputation with the planet’s faction then an encounter phase on Nal Hutta, Mon Calamari, or Kessel can

---

13

be converted into a sort of 2
nd
market action although you still need some luck to pull the
job/bounty/cargo card out of the planet deck. Neutral reputation helps with recruiting crew. Extravagant
Wardrobe benefits from + reputation. Neutral and – reputation slow movement around the Outer Rim
because the Patrols become obstacles. Also look at which patrols are nearby and if any of the patrols are
level 4 when considering reputation.

Luxury Deck: Buying the right luxury cards in the early to middle game can allow a runaway victory.
Luxury cards with no fame limit including Dash Rendar, Sy Snootles, Mandolorian Armor, Proton
Torpedoes, Maz Kanata’s Goggles, and the Bo-rifle are in this category. The ability to dig for the luxury
cards you need makes W1-LE and Doctor Aphra’s 2
nd
ability subtly strong. Best Luxury cards: Bo-rifle for
Bounty Hunters, Mandolorian Armor for bounty hunters, Sy Snootles for smugglers after Jobs, Maz
Kanata’s Goggles for smugglers, Proton Torpedoes for bounty hunters, Dash Rendar for smugglers of
Illegal Cargo, Cape Wardrobe for reputation, Rancor and Sith Holocron for speedy smugglers.
Bounty hunting with Luxury items is very effective because of 2 fame bounties (3 with Mandalorian armor
or Bo-rifle). Patrol hunting for level 2 or level 3 patrols is effective with 1 fame (2 with Proton torpedoes).
Jobs fame varies from 0-2 (up to 3 fame with Sy Snootles). Illegal cargo gives 1 fame (2 fame possible with
Dash Rendar) but you lose your encounter phase 5/8 of the time (except Lando and flipped Chewy). There
are NO bounties for luxury crew in the game (Sy Snootles, Undercover Agent, Dash Rendar).

Planets: Takodana for crew, Maelstrom for additional turn if you have piloting and tech, Nal Hutta for
bounties, Kessel for Illegal Cargo, Mon Calamari for Jobs and movement for smugglers, The Ring of Kafrene
for buying fame and Mods, Core Worlds for regular cargo and movement Across the Core. Across the Core
usually requires + Imperial reputation or a skill test to allow crossing or avoid a penalty. Planet decks are
weak and more random compared to market decks and should usually be the last choice for Encounter
phases (flipping contacts, hiring crew, fighting combats, doing jobs are all higher priorities). A possible
exception is a smuggler trying to avoid flipping contacts against a bounty hunter. Some planets have
affiliations with factions (Imperial: Lothal + Naboo, Rebel: Mon Calamari + Ryloth, Hutt: Nal Hutta +
Tatooine, Syndicate: Ord Mantell + Kessel). Positive reputation often gives benefits while negative
reputation can cause an unexpected combat or credit loss. Avoid sitting on a planet for the planet cards
and 2k per turn, you can do better even in the early game by delivering regular cargo and fighting patrols.
Even with the Lando + Lobot combo and 4 positive reputations you would only get 6k credits per turn
sitting on the planet. It’s not that a player should never take the 2k credits but sitting on the same planet
turn after turn isn’t a good strategy because the main ways to get fame (bounties, illegal cargo, jobs)
require movement around the Outer Rim.

Mindset: Flexible mindset to take advantage of the best opportunities wherever they come from. Watch
for cards that play to your Character’s strengths, while opportunistically taking advantage of what the
game offers. Thematic play can be fun but most of the best moments happen organically when no one is
trying to force them. Characters with flexibility in where they can get fame from have a head start (Jyn
Erso, Chewbacca, Black Krrsantan). Outer Rim has a balance between cooperating with other players and
competing with them, but don’t be afraid to engage in PvP, after all the aggressor wins in ties.

---

14

Combo List

Doctor Evazan + Ponda Baba (turn blanks to focus).
Ponda Baba + IG-88.
Ponda Baba + Black Krrsantan.
Ketsu + Proton Torpedoes + Aggressor-Class Assault Fighter ship.
Lando + W1-LE + Dash Rendar + Doctor Aphra + Sy Snootles + Smuggling Compartment + Millenium
Falcon + Extravagant Wardrobe.
Maz + Sy Snootles + Maz Kanata’s Goggles + Dejarik Holotable.
Smugglers + W1-LE (use encounter actions to get more jobs and multiple cargos) + Dash Rendar.
Doctor Evazan + Enfys (turn blanks to focus).
Hera + Chopper + Proton Torpedoes.
IG-88 + Blaster Rifle.
Doctor Aphra + Sy Snootles + Dash Rendar.
Doctor Aphra + Han Solo + Sith Holocron + Rancor.
Jyn Erso + Sy Snootles.
Jyn Erso + Bo-rifle + Mandolorian Armor + Proton Torpedoes.
Bounty Hunter + Bo-rifle + Mandalorian Armor + Ponda Baba + Proton Torpedoes.
IG-88 + Proton Torpedoes + Aggressor-Class Assault Fighter ship.
Bossk + Proton Torpedoes + Aggressor-Class Assault Fighter ship.
Han Solo + Chopper + Sith Holocron + Rancor.
Hera Syndulla + Chopper + Sith Holocron + Rancor.
Jyn Erso + Ponda Baba + IG-88 + Doctor Evazan + 5 attack dice Ship + Chromium Hull.
IG-88 + Ponda Baba + Doctor Evazan + Jyn Erso + 5 attack dice Ship + Chromium Hull.
Cad Bane + Chromium Hull + Jyn Erso + IG-88 + 5 attack dice Ship.

AI, Optional Rules, House Rules

AI player: The AI bot buys jobs and cargo with no care for efficiency. Control how far the AI travels by
manipulating the Cargo market deck. Against the AI bot, cycle market deck illegal cargo unless it is far
away from the AI player. Likewise with the Job deck cycling away jobs that give fame instead of just credits.

---

15

Leaving jobs and cargo that force the AI to go to the complete other side of the map since it can’t use the
core worlds or Maelstrom.

Optional Favors: Favors increase player interaction but slow down the game as players spend time
negotiating and reassessing moves on their turn with less planning ahead. Our games with Favors fell into
2 categories. 1. Favors were hardly used, or 2. The players falling behind used Favors to team up
against whoever was ahead in Fame causing a rubber band effect (N64 Mario Kart anyone?) making the
game closer but reducing the impact of some strategic choices.

Optional Ambitions: Using the optional Ambitions extends game length, especially for 3-4 player games.
With the length of the optional Ambitions games some players fell far behind enough they gave up or lost
interest. Here is a cool Ambitions table posted on BGG forums:

Optional Modular Map - Randomizing planet tiles impacts game balance. The Maelstrom becomes
irrelevant on the edge of the map. Although less thematic, randomizing the map creates a different
exploration feel for each game.

Gear & Mods Refresh House Rule: Pick a few planet deck gear and mod cards to add to the Market Gear
deck for the game (for example Flamethrower, Personal Shield, Feedback Array). Planet deck cards are
rarely seen so some of these cards may never have come up in previous games. This can keep the game
exciting without disturbing game balance. Same with picking a couple crew from the planet decks and
adding them to the Jobs deck for the game. Veteran players can’t wait to test out the new gear, mod, or
crew.

---

16

Planet Deck House Rule – When taking a planet card during the Encounter phase you may say which of
the 2 categories of cards in the planet deck you want out-loud and flip over planet cards until the first
card of that category comes up, then shuffle the planet deck.

Jabba the Hutt House Character: primary ability is to flip 4 market cards (including from different market
decks (for example flip 1 luxury, flip 1 cargo, flip 1 jobs). 2
nd
Ability to place a bounty on another player
with a goal token, any player including Jabba may act on the bounty gaining 5k credits and if the bounty
target had more fame then also 1 fame. Stats: 2 attack dice, 5 hit points. Skills: Influence, Knowledge,
Stealth. Jabba does not have to test Influence to gain the Gamorrean Mercenary and Jabba gets Greedo
without being attacked, having to pass a skill test or pay credits if he encounters his contact token. Jabba
starts with + Hutt reputation and – Syndicate reputation. Setup card: 91 (cargo) or 92 (job). Character
goal: establish a base of operations for Jabba’s enterprise: pass an Influence test on Nal Hutta and an
influence test on Tatooine to flip character card and gain 1 fame.

Miniatures: The intelligent and handsome readers of this guide may note the FFG X-Wing game ship
miniatures match the art of Outer Rim and look thematic on the game board.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

---