A planetary assault is the way a fleet uses its troops to take control of an enemy or neutral system in Star Wars: Rebellion.

Launching an assault

The Planetary Assault command on the Fleet menu lands the fleet's troops on the system. They fight any ground defense troops and try to establish a garrison, and if they succeed the attacking side controls the system. Fleets carry the troops (see Troops), and the manual says troops can engage enemy troops on a system and then hold it as a garrison.

The command can be grayed out. If the fleet has troops and is in orbit over an enemy or neutral system but cannot assault, at least two planetary shields defend that system. The shields must be destroyed first, by bombardment or sabotage.

Assault Summary

Each assault brings up the Assault Summary window, which gives a general description. The same window is available as a message when the opponent assaults one of the player's systems. The Imperial Forces and Alliance Forces buttons open a damage summary, with tabs showing which troopers survive or were destroyed, and other tabs for the side's capital ships, fighters, factories and defenses, and personnel.

Defending against assault

Several layers defend a system, including fleets and fighter squadrons that can keep an enemy from establishing a blockade (see Planetary blockade), shields, and troops to prevent assault.

• Garrisons. Troops stationed on a system's surface engage the attackers. The manual lists the number of regiments on each side, the leadership rating of the commanding general, and the relative attack and defense strengths of the troops as factors in the outcome. It gives Stormtroopers as stronger than Alliance Army Regiments. See Garrisons.
• Command. A character with a general's rank commanding a regiment improves its performance, more so with a higher leadership rating.
• Shields. With two planetary shields on a system, an opponent cannot assault it. A shield can still be knocked out by bombardment or sabotage.
• Batteries and ion cannons. Batteries such as the LNR Series I and LNR Series II fire at trooper regiments that attempt an assault, as do ion cannons such as the KDY-150.