Introduction

So why am I making an article in November 2024 about painting models for a Star Wars board game that was released way back in 2016?

Mainly because I just got around to actually painting the models, but second because when I did sit down to finally do the painting I was surprised at how many of the tutorials about painting the models seem to be fading away online and I want to get something up that can make it easy for anyone still picking this game up or maybe deciding to take the plunge and paint the models for a copy of the game they've owned for years (like me).

Inspiration

I want to give major credit to a few sources online that gave me the confidence to even bother trying to paint this entire set, with the two standouts (for me) being:

1) This painting tutorial video from the Dice Tower It really highlighted for me that the vast majority of these models can be quickly painted using only a spray primer (of the right color), a couple of highlight markings and then a black (Nuln Oil) wash to finish things off.

2) This post on Reddit by Logaan777 It provided me with some nice closeup 'final' images of all the models, something which is totally lacking from the Dice Tower video.

Major Decisions

Before you start this project, you'll want to make some major decisions about how you're going to approach painting the models, namely:

Do you want to put all the ship models onto flying bases or keep them as-is?
Do you want to paint the models for maximum variety (including ground forces for different biomes) or just keep them simple and all (mostly) the same?
Do you want to put flock on all the bases of the ground models or just paint the bases black?

For me personally, I had purchased the Feldherr foam trays that fit into the original box (and the expansion box), so that kind of limited me to the amount of customization that I could give to the models (such as putting all the ships onto flying bases). So for me, my answers were:

I decided to keep all the models as-is, especially as I am fine with them looking more like board game pieces than 'models'. But if you are interested in basing your ships, this guy's painted set is a good inspiration. You can also just google 'Star Wars Rebellion Ship Stands' and find several different options on Etsy, etc.
As I was aiming to keep this looking like a (nicely painted) board game set, I didn't feel the need to go hog wild on miniature variety, with my only variances being a few different colors on the Rebel fighters. One of the reasons I made this choice is because if you start painting ground forces to look like specific biomes, now you have to hunt for the right models anytime you're going to deploy them to a specific world and if you're adding more models to an existing planet, now you have to make sure they match or else things start to look weird. I didn't want any of this headache, so I kept everything simple.
Per my decision above, it didn't make sense to flock the bases of the ground troops. I also think doing so kind of makes them look like board game pieces and more like tabletop miniatures. But given that you're playing this game on an abstract star map, it just doesn't make sense to me to have models with flocked bases, but of course your mileage may vary on this concept.

Rebel Forces

Mon Calamari Cruisers

Primed: White.
Details: A few different shades of grey in random locations and some random yellow panels mixed in as well. Engines light blue.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

Medical Frigates (expansion)

Primed: White.
Details: The underside elements of the 'onboard motor' are grey. A few horizontal elements are orange. Engines are pink.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

Blockade Runners

Primed: White.
Details: A few horizontal elements are red. Engines are pink.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

Rebel Transports

Primed: White.
Details: Underside elements are grey. Engines are light blue.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

X-Wing Fighters

Primed: White.
Details: A colored stripe on the fuselage sides and wings. Cockpit is light grey. Astromech droid is blue.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

Y-Wing Fighters

Primed: White.
Details: Colored elements on the fuselage top and engines. Cockpit is light grey. Astromech droid is blue. Engines are grey with pink tips.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

U-Wing Fighters (expansion)

Primed: White.
Details: Colored elements on the fuselage. Cockpit is light grey. Engines are grey with pink at the end.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

Snowspeeders

Primed: White.
Details: Orange elements on the fuselage. Cockpit is light grey.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

Rebel Troopers

Primed: Dark grey.
Details: Boots, gun and vest are black. Shirt/collar are light blue. Hands/face are a light bone color. helmet is white. Pants and helmet visor left the primered dark grey. Gun tip, belt buckle and antennae are silver. Base is black.
Wash: Nuln Oil.

Vanguard Troopers (expansion)

Primed: Dark grey.
Details: Boots are black. Pants are light brown. Shirt and hat are olive green. Hands, lower arms and face are a light bone color. Backpack is brown. Belt and wristbands are grey. Gun left the primered dark grey. Base is black.
Wash: Nuln Oil.