CWCG Clone Wars Campaigns

*Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Clone Wars Campaign Guide*

The Clone Wars embodies traditional warfare better than any other war in the *Star Wars* saga. Whereas the Galactic Civil War features guerilla warfare against a monolithic Empire, the Clone Wars are a struggle between two more evenly matched forces using more conventional tactics and strategies. Battles of the Clone Wars involve two comparable military forces clashing on expansive and exotic battlefields in a struggle to capture and secure territory. The Republic and the Confederacy are vying to be the dominant ruling body of the galaxy, and both sides commit millions of troops- Clones and Droids- in an effort to stop their foes.

The Clone Wars lead millions of ground troops to fields of battle throughout the galaxy, and the heroes of a Clone Wars Campaign quickly find themselves drawn into these conflicts. Part of the excitement of a Clone Wars campaign is that everywhere the heroes go they find conflicts close by. Few places in the galaxy avoid conflict. The Jedi are fighting and dying on the front lines of these wars, sending the Order into decline. The corrupt leaders of the Confederacy use Droid troops to advance their agenda, aided by the sinister leadership of villains like General Grievous and General Loathsom. The galaxy offers the heroes no sanctuary from the effects of the Clone Wars. Even when visiting distant, backwater worlds, they might see secret rendezvous points for Republic military forces or even entire populations toiling day and night to power the Separatist war machine.

## Decline of the Jedi

Through The Jedi are the guardians of the Republic for millenia, during the Clone Wars they dwindle nearly to the point of extinction. The Jedi slowly decline up to the point of the Clone Wars, but the sudden deaths of dozens of Jedi at the Battle of Geonosis mark the first step in the rapid thinning of the Jedi ranks. As the Clone Wars progresses, more Jedi are killed than are raised to knighthood, and the number of Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters shrinks as the war rages on. By the time Order 66 is implemented, The Jedi are significantly fewer in number than they are at the beginning of the Clone Wars.

Showing the Decline of the Jedi in a campaign is a great way to reinforce the common themes of a Clone Wars Campaign. If, as the campaign goes on, the heroes see The Jedi falling out of prominence, they should develop a greater sense of urgency and a deepening impression that their own actions could turn the tide, since calling on The Jedi to fix problems becomes increasingly difficult. The following suggestions offer ways that Gamemasters can weave the Decline of the Jedi into their campaigns.

### The Dwindling Jedi Campaign

When the Clone Wars Campaign opens, the Gamemaster liberally sprinkles The Jedi throughout the early adventures. The heroes receive missions from Jedi Masters, encounter wandering Jedi Knights on the battlefield, and help Padawans escape trouble. As the heroes grow in power, gaining levels and completing adventures, the Gamemaster gradually reduces the number of Jedi that show up in the campaign. Instead of having Jedi show up every session, they begin to show up every other session, then every third session, and so forth. Major NPC Jedi die in the Clone Wars, while others are called away to distant star systems well beyond the heroes' reach. Jedi heroes who become one with The Force are replaced by non-Jedi heroes, so that even within the confines of an adventuring party of heroes The Jedi are on the decline. By the time the heroes reach the highest levels, only a small number of Jedi- one or two, at most- are actively visible in the campaign.

The contrast between the beginning of the campaign, when the heroes encountered Jedi frequently in nearly every adventure, and the end of the campaign, when only one or two Jedi are even interacting with the heroes on a regular basis, should be enough to reinforce the sense that The Jedi are a dying breed.

### The Masterless Padawan

Jedi heroes in a Clone Wars game keep The Jedi in the heroes' perception throughout the campaign. However, this does not mean that a campaign with a Jedi hero cannot take advantage of the diminishing Jedi Order as a theme. A Clone Wars campaign that starts at 1st level could begin with Jedi heroes as Padawans whose masters have died or otherwise deserted them.

Left to find their own way, Padawan heroes are confronted immediately by the decline of The Jedi. If that Padawan then makes contact with the Jedi Council (an encounter that could even be worthy of a small quest). the Jedi Council informs the Padawan that no Jedi Master is available to complete his or her training. The Padawan can be given an assignment, or entrusted to the companionship of the other heroes (particularly if another hero is a Republic soldier or a well-known and loyal noble) until such a time when another Jedi Master can continue the Padawan's training. Alternatively, a Padawan might be entrusted to the care of a mere Jedi Knight- as Ahsoka Tano is entrusted to Anakin Skywalker just a short time after his Knighting ceremony. This leaves the hero under the tutelage of a Jedi who is not yet ready to truly train the Padawan.

### Order 66

Using Order 66- the order given by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to wipe out The Jedi- can be tricky because it represents a major setting shift. When Palpatine issues Order 66, the Clone Wars quickly come to an end, and within a brief time The Galactic Empire rises and The Dark Times begin. However, using Order 66 in a campaign gives the Gamemaster a chance to build up to a single, climactic event that is prominent in *Revenge of the Sith* and can connect a campaign to the *Star Wars* films. For campaigns taking place during the Clone Wars, Order 66 should probably be one of the last major events in the campaign. Jedi heroes in the company of Republic Clones during Order 66 must deal with sudden betrayal, which can surprise players if they do not know it is coming. This surprise can also be enhanced if any of the heroes have Clone Followers, as formerly loyal allies that have likely been through many adventures with the heroes suddenly, without warning, become enemies.

Order 66 presents a great opportunity to surprise the heroes, and Gamemasters planning to use Order 66 should be careful, over the course of the Clone Wars campaign, to resist providing too much information as to how close, or how far away, Order 66 is. Additionally, after the Order 66 event, Jedi become outlaws, and Jedi heroes quickly find themselves hunted and cut off from the resources they have come to rely on over the course of the campaign, radically altering the feel of the campaign. Order 66 represents the final blow in the collapse of The Jedi Order, and it should be treated as either a major shift in the campaign's tone or as one of the final events leading to the climax of the campaign.

## Rampant Corruption

By the time the Clone Wars begin to tear the galaxy apart, the Republic has already been steeped in massive corruption for decades, even centuries. In fact, corruption in the Republic allowed Palpatine to maneuver his way into becoming Supreme Chancellor a decade before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Similar corruption allowed him- in his guise as Darth Sidious- to manipulate the Separatists into engaging the Republic in open war. In a Clone Wars Campaign, the heroes are likely to encounter corruption at every turn, and those in positions of power can never be truly trusted, for they might have their allegiances bought by enemy factions. Politicians sell their votes, corporate leaders disregard the basic rights of their employees, and security forces turn a blind eye to crime and violence all out of the greed that permeates the Republic during this time.

The heroes are likely to encounter Rampant Corruption when dealing with their enemies and opponents. A corrupt Republic Senator, taking bribes from Separatist agents, might reveal the heroes' plans to their enemies, allowing the Separatists to set a trap and draw the heroes into it. A civilian contractor at a military shipyard might deactivate the automated security system at the shipyard, forcing the heroes to repel an invasion without the help of the yard's Droid defenders.

Corruption usually means saying one thing and then doing another, meaning the heroes likely have no idea that they are dealing with a corrupt individual until proof of corruption surfaces. For example, a high-ranking military officer who has proven to be an ally and an asset for the heroes is suddenly revealed to have been sending substandard weapons to the front lines, endangering not only the war effort but also the soldiers on the front lines. The heroes are then faced with a difficult decision: to continue to benefit from that officer's assistance and expertise, or reveal the officer's corrupt dealings and lose the benefit of his friendship. If they decide upon the latter, they make an enemy of that officer and also likely find themselves making enemies with whoever bribed the officer to buy the substandard munitions in the first place.

Typically corruption is problematic, but sometimes it can work in the heroes' favor. Savvy heroes who use the corruption of the enemy to their advantage can orchestrate victories that prey upon the susceptibility of their enemies. Heroes who know that two enemy leaders are distrustful of one another could arrange for one (or both) to be bribed into betraying the other, using credits and leaning on their lack of trust to create friction within the enemy ranks. Similarly, if the heroes discover that an enemy leader is particularly susceptible to one form of bribery, they could turn that enemy into an ally by exploiting the enemy's corruption. The heroes gain insight into the workings of the enemy, and gain a valuable, though untrustworthy, asset who can provide a significant advantage in future adventures. For example, if the heroes learn that a Trade Federation Starship captain is willing to accept bribes, they can use credits to ingratiate themselves with that captain and then turn him to their advantage. When the heroes need to sneak behind enemy lines, they call in a favor with the bribed Starship captain and find themselves moving through Confederacy Space aboard a Confederate vessel. Gamemasters should feel free to use the corruption of the enemy to help heroes achieve their goals once in a while, since it keeps the heroes from feeling as though corruption happens only among their allies.

Additionally, the heroes should not be considered above the temptation of corruption. During an adventure, a liaison from the enemy could approach the heroes, offering them an astronomical sum of credits to turn over secret information or abandon their mission. Such situations can be interesting roleplaying opportunities because each hero must decide whether greed outweighs principles in a time when corruption is everywhere. If the heroes are smugglers, mercenaries, or bounty hunters, the corruption might serve to further their goals. With the promise of credits from both sides, the heroes can turn corruption to their advantage, plying their trade while draining credits from corrupt officials on both sides of the war.

For more advice on running campaigns in which the heroes are confronted and tempted by widespread corruption, check out the *Scum and Villainy* supplement.

## Villains

The Clone Wars has an abundance of high-profile villains. Count Dooku, General Grievous, Durge, Asajj Ventress, General Loathsom, and others make up a motley group of villains who share the spotlight. Though some, like Asajj Ventress, work behind the scenes, other villains are well-known. Count Dooku and General Grievous are famous names recognized throughout the galaxy, even among those who are not directly involved in the war. High profile villains are extremely important in *Star Wars*, but even more so in a Clone Wars Campaign. The following aspects of the villains of the Clone Wars should give Gamemasters a good basis on which to build their own villains. Providing such notable enemies for the heroes not only provides a more genuine Star Wars experience but also helps the Gamemaster create memorable characters and storylines that can last throughout an entire campaign.

### Dehumanization

One important aspect of creating memorable, high-profile villains for a Clone Wars Campaign is the dehumanization of those villains. Even though this need not apply to all villains (Count Dooku is a good example of a very Human villain), most of the villains of the Clone Wars are distinctly dehumanized, even monstrous. A villain's physical appearance has a great deal to do with how monstrous that villain seems. Some villains, like Asajj Ventress, are merely twisted shadows of humanity; her gray skin, dark eyes, and lack of hair are just different enough from Humans to make her seem both alien and terrifying. On the far end of the spectrum are villains like General Grievous and Durge; though vaguely humanoid in shape, they are so distinctly monstrous in their appearance that no one confuses them with Humans. Grievous achieves new levels of inhumanity because he is a near-total replacement Cyborg Hybrid, truly embodying the idea of being more machine than creature. Durge, on the other hand, is dehumanized by his faceless armor, an effect like that of Stormtroopers and Clone Troopers. When creating a villain for a Clone Wars Campaign, Gamemasters should take care to describe them in a way that makes them seem one step away from Human- monstrous and yet just familiar enough that Human qualities are recognizable. These similarities make the differences stand out all the stronger.

High-profile villains need more than a frightening and monstrous appearance to sustain them. The villains of the Clone Wars have voices, mannerisms, and habits that augment their inhuman appearances. The metallic echo to General Grievous' voice, the harsh accent, and the hacking coughs wracking his cybernetic body combine with his physical description to create a complete, memorable villain package. Asajj Ventress has a hissing, snakelike voice, while Durge is notable for his disturbing silence. General Loathsom's boiling anger complements his physical stature and personality, producing a three-dimensional villain. Not all of a villain's mannerisms must be offputting or exaggerated, and strong contrasts can also breed good villains. A Human villain who speaks with a smooth, well-cultured accent and rich vocabulary can be interesting if the Gamemaster contrasts his conventional appearance with a deep, inhuman cruelty.

The above advice might tempt a Gamemaster to make one-dimensional villains who are little more than monstrous caricatures. However, the villain's actions truly define him as an antagonist. Especially among the Confederacy, high-profile villains are careless with the lives (or, in the Separatists' case, good repair) of their subordinates, and they are willing to cast their followers aside when the situation demands it. The lives of underlings mean little to the Clone Wars villain, and ruthlessness is the order of the day. A truly sinister and dehumanized villain kills anyone or anything that gets in the way of his or her progress, and Gamemasters should not be afraid to have their villains perform acts of heartlessness and cruelty to get the heroes' undivided attention.

### Powerful Personality

A villain is more than just a collection of physical descriptions, mannerisms, and acts of cruelty. A key aspect of creating good villains for a Clone Wars Campaign is giving the villains a strong personality that resonates throughout an entire campaign. For example, Count Dooku is an excellent and iconic villain of the Clone Wars because he is charismatic and bold. Likewise, he is not afraid to delve into darkness to achieve his goals. Yet he is still very much the Jedi Master who left the Order after the death of one of his most beloved apprentices. Similarly, Asajj Ventress is more than just a pair of Lightsabers and a frightful appearance. She strives to be the heir to the Sith legacy, and must prove again and again to Count Dooku that she is worthy of his tutelage. A good villain has his or her own aspirations, flaws, and personality traits that heroes can relate to. Many Jedi heroes, for example, begin their adventuring careers trying to prove to their Masters or to the Jedi Council that they are worthy of knighthood, much as Ventress begins her career as a villain trying to prove her worth to Dooku.

When creating a personality for a Clone Wars villain, the Gamemaster can likely take a look at the histories, personalities, and aspirations of the heroes in the campaign for reference. Villains are often merely twisted, dark reflections of heroes, having walked a different path after reaching a decisive turning point. Others are simply damaged beings thoroughly corrupted by the injustices (real and imagined) inflicted upon them. If the heroes see something of themselves in the villain, that villain is not only memorable but also relatable. For example, if one of the heroes in the campaign is a Scoundrel whose aspiration is to become the greatest smuggler in the galaxy, the Gamemaster might create a villain who once had similar aspirations. This new villain might have once been a smuggler who bartered away his freedom for the credits to buy a Starship, and as his debts to crime lords grew, the more horrific and dangerous acts he had to perform to placate them. Over time, working for crime lords eroded any sense of right and wrong, reducing the once aspiring smuggler to a brutal, uncompromising pirate captain who has achieved the notoriety he once sought by sacrificing his humanity in the process.

## Militarization

The onset of the Clone Wars necessitates that various planets of the galaxy leave their peaceful, prosperous, and civilized ways behind and embrace militarization to survive. Worlds that have not seen major conflicts for thousands of years become central to the war, and more than just infrastructure must change for those worlds to survive.

A Clone Wars Campaign brings with it an aspect of growing military importance, and few worlds are exempt from this. Gamemasters have several options for highlighting this militarization in their campaigns; some methods are overt, such as throwing the heroes directly into a battle between the Republic and the Confederacy, while others are more subtle, such as having the heroes witness the launch of a Republic flotilla from a staging point on an Outer Rim world. Below, Gamemasters can find suggestions on ways to make militarization a small or large part of a Clone Wars Campaign.

### Conversion of Civilian Assets

One intrusive form of militarization is the conversion of civilian assets into military assets. Droid-manned factories devoted to pumping out civilian Airspeeders or computers for homes are converted to manufacturing AT-TEs ard fire control computers for Droid Starfighters. Research hospitals that once served xenobiologists as havens for study are commandeered by the military and transformed into research facilities for biological weapons and their countermeasures. Few industries escape militarization, and practically all those that involve manufacturing are transformed by the Clone Wars.

For Gamemasters, including this aspect of militarization in a campaign entails showing how the military has invaded every aspect of life. The heroes might be required to go behind enemy lines and rescue engineers who are being forced to work on weapons against their will, or they might receive a mission to escort former Republic citizens who have been forcibly removed from a hospital to make room for Separatist mercenaries. Gamemasters need only refer to a facility's former role to instill a sense of militarization. For example, when the heroes infiltrate a Separatist weapons factory, the GM can include in the description of the building some offhand references to discarded consumer electronics or dormant machinery that once made Speeder Bike parts. The transformation of important civilian resources into military resources is a big part of conveying the Clone Wars' impact on the galaxy, and Gamemaster should feel free to include many references to assets that have been confiscated or stripped by the military for use in the war effort.

### Forces of the Clone Wars

One of the easiest ways to make militarization more visible is to make references to the Republic and Separatist militia ries. If the heroes are working for- or against- the Republic, this is easy. Including Clone Troopers, V-19 Torrent Starfighters, and AT-XTs in an adventure gives the Republic an extremely visible presence. However, not every reference to military presence requires direct interaction with military personnel or assets. For example, heroes who have taken no side in the Clone Wars might see Confederacy *Recusant*-Class Light Destroyers in orbit above a planet they are visiting, or they might be stopped by a Separatist security detail. Alternatively, the heroes might enter a cantina where a number of off-duty Clone Troopers are taking some downtime. Picking out individual elements of the various militaries to highlight during an adventure does not require the GM to involve them directly in the adventure. Gamemasters should feel free to use elements of the two opposing factions as simple "Window Dressing" when setting the scene during an adventure. Every casual reference to Republic or Separatist forces helps reinforce the image of a wartorn galaxy, keeping the players in a mindset appropriate to a Clone Wars Campaign.

### Playing as Separatists

Though adventuring heroes likely want to work for the Republic against the Separatists if they take sides in the war, some might instead choose to work as Separatist agents against the Republic. In this case, the Gamemaster can choose from two styles of campaign. First, the campaign can assume that the heroes are, in fact, villains; they work for the Separatists willingly out of greed or lust for power, and Jedi in this style of campaign are likely to have fallen away from The Jedi Order and instead joined the Separatist cause. The heroes in such a campaign are probably out to see the Republic shattered so they can seize power, and adventures in this kind of campaign are merely the opposite of adventures run with heroes of the Republic. These Separatist-aligned heroes might infiltrate Republic installations, sabotage shipyards, or engage in large-scale battles against the clone forces of the Republic. Gamemasters running this style of campaign need only treat the relationship between the heroes and the Republic as adversarial to craft fulfilling adventures.

However, the alternative campaign involving Separatist heroes is more complex. Instead of joining the Separatists out of greed or out of a desire to see the Republic destroyed, the heroes might have aligned themselves with the Separatists because they believe they are doing the right thing. These heroes might be unhappy with methods used by the Confederacy, but they believe that the Separatists are a more appealing faction than the Republic. Campaigns of this type rarely feature Jedi heroes, since it can be difficult to reconcile the heroes' desire to protect the Republic with joining the Separatists. Gamemasters running campaigns of this type can challenge the heroes with a broad range of adventures and enemies, beyond the obvious "Heroes against the Republic" scheme. For example, even though the heroes are, themselves, Separatists, they might come into conflict with members of the Confederacy; for example, Separatist heroes who discover a Techno Union research facility torturing the indigenous inhabitants of a remote world might be compelled to intervene, even violently. Gamemasters running Separatist campaigns of this type should include adventures that blur the line between ally and enemy, and encourage the heroes to consider whether they are on the right side of the Clone Wars.

## Large-Scale Conflict

Large-Scale battles are common throughout the Clone Wars. Battles of the Clone Wars reach truly epic proportions, spanning multiple Star Systems or covering the surface of an entire planet. Adventures in the Clone Wars should also include similar Large-Scale battles, either as encounters themselves- using the Mass Combat rules- or as the backdrop for Clone Wars adventures. If the heroes participate- and perhaps even turned the tide- in the Battle of Glee Anselm, for example, the players become invested in both the setting as well as the campaign. Large-Scale Conflicts are an important part of the Star Wars milieu, and the Clone Wars give Gamemasters ample opportunity to create battles that reach massive proportions, involving the copious resources of both the Republic and the Separatists.

When the time comes for a Large-Scale Conflict to take place in your campaign, as the Gamemaster you should be prepared to answer certain questions about the battle and the role it serves in the story. First and foremost, you should decide whether the battle is merely the backdrop for this section of the campaign's story, or whether it is a pivotal event. If it is simply a backdrop, the actual outcome of the battle is likely out of the players' hands, but if it is a pivotal event, you should take care to design the adventure so that the heroes' actions can sway the outcome of the battle. Gamemasters using the battle as a backdrop can still allow the heroes to influence the battle, but more likely the battle is scripted and plays out according to the needs of the adventure.

Next, you should decide where the battle takes place (as determined by the needs of the adventure) and whether it is a land battle, a space battle, or a combination of both. The opposing factions are usually the Republic and Separatists, but you also need to decide whether mercenaries or indigenous peoples are involved. And you need to determine whether one side will have an advantage in the battle. From there, you should either construct the battle's sequence of events to match the needs of the adventure, or play out the battle using the Mass Combat rules.

Large-Scale battles are complicated, and literally millions of tiny factors can influence the outcome of real battles. For the purposes of your adventure, you should determine the major turning points of the battle and focus on describing those rather than getting caught up in the little details. The battle should serve the needs of the adventure and the greater campaign, and as the Gamemaster, you should feel free to script the battle as much as you need to accomplish that. The progress of the battle should make sense, but fantastic occurrences can turn the tide on the battlefield. Similarly, you want to make your battle memorable, so make sure you choose a locale that lends itself to an easily visualized and interesting series of events.

### Battlefield Adventures

When set amid Large-Scale Conflict, adventures require extra considerations for their construction. Entire adventures can take place during the course of a single battle, or the battle can be the backdrop for just one or two encounters. For adventures that take place entirely on the battlefield, as Gamemaster you should plan the events that will happen and determine the goals of the heroes. The heroes' goals should encourage them to stay involved in the battle, so giving them objectives like "Sabotage the Shield Generator" or "Rescue captive allies from the enemy bunker" mesh well with the backdrop of a battlefield adventure. When designing a Battlefield Adventure, keep in mind that though you can have encounters that are just as diverse as in other adventures, a battle is a dangerous place. With explosions all around them and troops advancing over the next hill, the heroes likely will not want to stop for an extended rest to allow their medic to perform surgery. Provide players with plenty of ways to heal up and prepare for the next encounter, and plan the encounters so that they do not follow one another so closely that the heroes' survival becomes impossible.

Encounters in a Battlefield Adventure are usually objective-based. If the heroes are going to sabotage a Separatist antivehicle cannon, an encounter might likely involve Droids trying to defend the cannon while the heroes try to set explosives. Battlefield encounters feature an additional degree of tension, and the Gamemaster can reinforce this with descriptions of troops coming over the horizon, Droid Bombers screaming in to target the heroes' location, and explosions growing closer by the second. A battlefield encounter should be built just like any other combat encounter, but use the ongoing battle as a backdrop. Don't worry about the number of troops in the vicinity or how long reinforcements take to arrive any more than you would for a normal encounter. The battle is going on around the heroes, in the background, but for the purposes of the encounter, all that matters are the heroes and the enemies you have arrayed against them. An ongoing battle offers an opportunity to create exciting and challenging terrain effects. For example, if stray bombs falling on the encounter area cause an explosion to go off every round at a random location on the map, the encounter becomes even more interesting and players feel like they actually are part of a larger battle.

### Using Troopers

*See also: Squads*

Low-CL Nonheroic characters are easy to use in large numbers as background elements or obstacles in a battlefield adventure. By the time the heroes have hit middle levels, low-level opponents like basic B1-Series Battle Droids are no real threat. However, battles of the Clone Wars feature dozens, if not hundreds, of basic troops engaged in the fight. Gamemasters can use non-threatening, low-CL enemies (hereafter referred to simply as troopers) as a means of highlighting this aspect of the Clone Wars. Since low-CL enemies are not much of a threat, the heroes and their allies can blast through them with relative speed without earning much (if any) XP for defeating them. However, Gamemasters should be wary of the threat of the Natural 20 when including large numbers of troopers in the encounter, and therefore, should have troopers take the Aid Another Action to assist a single trooper on an attack roll. The Squad rules use this basic principle to transform a cluster of troopers into a more significant threat. Gamemasters can add a number of troopers to an encounter to not only make the encounter feel more like it is taking place on a large battlefield but also to present a number of enemies that function more like obstacles than true opponents.

## Mass Combat

*Main Article: Mass Combat*

The Clone Wars are all about the massive battles that transform the galaxy for decades- even centuries- to come. No conflict on the scale of the Clone Wars is complete without sweeping battles that cover entire planets. In most cases, these battles serve as the backdrop for adventures, with either predetermined outcomes planned in advance by the Gamemaster or outcomes based on the results of smaller encounters, as described in the guidelines for Large-Scale Conflict. However, sometimes the GM might want the players to act as commanders and tacticians on a higher level. In these cases, Jedi Generals can truly be generals in command of entire battalions, and all the heroes can participate in these large-scale battles.

The following rules govern massive ground combat, like that seen in the *Star Wars* movies and *The Clone Wars* animated series. In many ways, these rules mirror Vehicle Combat- and for good reason. Units- the basic organizational name for a large number of troops- function like Vehicles in that heroes can join the Unit and take Actions to control and manipulate that Unit. The Mass Combat rules are designed to simulate the outcome of large-scale ground battles, and Vehicle-only or space battles are likely better resolved using the existing Vehicle Combat rules (including the expanded rules from *Starships of the Galaxy*).

These Mass Combat rules represent the chance to put thousands of soldiers into play during a single encounter. This section also includes rules for integrating both individual Vehicles as well as groups of smaller Vehicles, allowing Gamemasters more diversity than just having two armies firing at one another across an open plain. Like designing interesting character-scale and Vehicle encounters, designing interesting Mass Combat battles is a matter of choosing compelling opponents, providing an engaging setting, and adding existing Hazards and challenges. The Clone Wars feature battles deep in the jungles of Felucia, on the ash-choked streets of Mygeeto, and deep in the sinkholes of Utapau. Picking an exciting setting for a Mass Combat battle is an important step- just as important as choosing the two (or more) opposing forces.