Decoys and detectors are the two sides of mission stealth in Star Wars: Rebellion. Decoys are extra team members that draw attention away from the personnel doing the real mission, and detectors (also called foilers) are the defending units that may spot a mission team.

Decoys

A decoy can be assigned to a mission to draw attention from the personnel performing the real task. The decoy must be qualified to perform that same mission. For example, Bothan spies cannot do sabotage, so they cannot decoy on a Sabotage mission, but they can on an Espionage mission. Decoys are members of the mission team and are chosen on the Decoy tab of the Create Mission window, before the order is confirmed.

How well a decoy diverts attention depends on its espionage rating, whatever the mission type. A decoy gains no skill improvement from a mission that succeeds. The manual also notes that after a foiled or failed mission, it may turn out that the decoys returned safely.

Detectors

A mission team first has to slip by the enemy's defenders before success is possible. Each fighter, troop or capital ship guarding a system may detect a team. These units are called detectors or foilers.

Detecting any non-decoy team member foils the mission, and it fails at once. The team's members may then die, be taken prisoner or be sent home. Detecting a decoy does not automatically foil the mission. The manual's reporting section says members of a foiled mission team can end up prisoners, injured or dead.

Team size

The manual observes that small teams are generally sensible, since two people slip past a guard unit more easily than eight. It adds that, if the team is not detected, every member raises the chance of success, so the number of members is a balance between the two effects.

Defending

Fighters and troops on a system can detect enemy agents and foil their missions. Characters with a command rank improve the ability of their units to detect missions (see Command ranks). The manual recommends that, when a key character goes on a mission, decoys be sent to help protect that character. See also Missions and Character skills.