Imperial Assault: Heart of the Empire – The Best Imperial Assault Campaign Ever Made
Coruscant's underworld and imperial palaces, 16 missions, Ahsoka Tano, Emperor Palpatine, and a Clawdite shapeshifter hiding in the crowd — the expansion that perfected the formula.
Watch Before You Buy
📋 Expansion Details
Heart of the Empire takes Imperial Assault to Coruscant — the galaxy's capital, home of Emperor Palpatine, and one of Star Wars' most visually distinctive settings. A priceless ancient artifact has surfaced somewhere on the ecumenopolis city-planet, and both the Emperor and the former Sith Maul want it. The Rebel heroes must locate it first while navigating Coruscant's gleaming halls of power and its grimy underworld alleys — all while a Clawdite shapeshifter could be disguised as any face in the crowd.
Published in 2017, Heart of the Empire is widely considered the best Imperial Assault campaign expansion, praised for its narrative ambition, its new Companion mechanic, and the inclusion of Ahsoka Tano as a supporting ally. The 16 missions cover Coruscant's extreme vertical range — penthouse towers and sub-level slums — creating a visual and tonal variety no previous expansion matched.
Players who complete Heart of the Empire consistently name it the high point of the entire Imperial Assault campaign series — the Companion system, the shapeshifter threat mechanic, and the Coruscant setting combine into a campaign that feels like a genuine Star Wars spy thriller rather than a series of dungeon rooms.
What Heart of the Empire Adds
Coruscant Setting
16 missions across the galaxy's capital — from Emperor Palpatine's palace to the neon-lit underworld — the most cinematically varied setting in the series.
Companion System
Support figures that accompany specific heroes — Ahsoka Tano can join the Rebel heroes as a companion, contributing unique Force-powered abilities each round.
Clawdite Shapeshifter
A new villain who can assume any identity — the shapeshifter mechanic introduces genuine uncertainty about which face in the crowd hides a deadly enemy.
Power Tokens
A new resource system tied to the Companion mechanic — managed carefully to unlock powerful abilities at critical mission moments.
What's in the Box
The Campaign Experience
Heart of the Empire's campaign stands out for its narrative coherence. The artifact MacGuffin gives every mission a clear purpose — you're always either getting closer to finding it or racing to prevent Maul's agents from claiming it first. The Coruscant setting allows missions to range from high-society infiltration (complete with disguise requirements) to brutal underworld firefights, keeping the tone fresh across all 16 missions.
The new Companion system — where Ahsoka Tano can fight alongside the heroes — is the expansion's most significant mechanical addition. Companions activate at specific points rather than taking full turns, providing meaningful support without overwhelming the existing hero roster. The Emperor Palpatine figure is available as an Imperial asset — facing him across the table in the campaign's climactic missions creates moments no other expansion delivers.
Rating Breakdown
Pros & Cons
✅ What We Love
- Best campaign narrative in the Imperial Assault series
- Coruscant setting — cinematic range from palace to underworld
- Ahsoka Tano as a Companion is a series highlight
- Clawdite shapeshifter adds genuine espionage tension
- Emperor Palpatine figure as a campaign adversary
- Companion system adds meaningful depth without complexity
❌ What Could Be Better
- Requires core set and ideally previous expansion experience
- Companion rules add some fiddliness to track
- AT-DP walker is impressive but takes up significant storage space
Who Is This For?
🎯 Perfect For:
- Imperial Assault veterans who want the best campaign in the series
- Star Wars: Rebels fans who want Ahsoka Tano in their campaign
- Groups who want a spy-thriller narrative arc rather than dungeon crawling
- Anyone who wants Emperor Palpatine as a campaign villain figure
❌ Not Ideal For:
- First-time Imperial Assault players — start with the core set
- Groups who want large new figure collections over narrative depth
🌆 Final Verdict
Heart of the Empire is the peak of the Imperial Assault expansion line. Its Coruscant setting, spy-thriller campaign narrative, shapeshifter mechanic, Companion system with Ahsoka Tano, and Emperor Palpatine as a final adversary combine into the most ambitious and memorable campaign in the series. For Imperial Assault players who want the best possible campaign experience the system offers, Heart of the Empire is the essential purchase.
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