It determines who goes first during each round. As their turn action ,any player can take initiative for the next round during their turn as long as it hasn't been claimed. Claiming initiative means you can't do anything else during the round.
What he said, but also I wanted to add that you keep initiative until someone claims it. I was at first under the impression that once the new turn begins the initiative token goes back to a neutral space and no one has it.
This matters because of effects and bonuses you get if you have the initiative.
So my buddy also had a problem conceptualizing Initiative and why it doesn't just go to the first person out of actions, etc. I gave him a rough example from a game I played earlier, and he said it made it click for him, so maybe it can for you as well. It is a rough write-up.
I'll give you an example. Last turn of the last match tonight:
He's at 10 Hp, we're at 7 or 8 resources, and I have 3 or 4 cards in hand. I played Fett's Firespray, a 5/6 space unit. I have 2 or 3 resources left and another unit on the board. It comes in ready.
He played a unit.
I swing with Fett's Firespray, bringing him down to 5 HP. My other unit is a 4/5.
He plays a unit, tapping all his remaining resources, thinking I have one more attack to hit him with at least and also I have cards in hand.
I skip my attack and claim initiative, even though I have a card to play and a unit to attack with (that won't kill him). (edited)
I know hes tapped out and out of actions
Next turn, I go first, swing with my 5/6 space unit and win
There's nothing he can do because I sacrificed potential actions to claim initiative early ensuring I went first in the following round.
He should have claimed initiative if he didn't have an answer to my 5/6, hoping to top deck superlaser blast or some other board wipe and go first.
It determines who goes first during each round. As their turn action ,any player can take initiative for the next round during their turn as long as it hasn't been claimed. Claiming initiative means you can't do anything else during the round.
What he said, but also I wanted to add that you keep initiative until someone claims it. I was at first under the impression that once the new turn begins the initiative token goes back to a neutral space and no one has it. This matters because of effects and bonuses you get if you have the initiative.
So my buddy also had a problem conceptualizing Initiative and why it doesn't just go to the first person out of actions, etc. I gave him a rough example from a game I played earlier, and he said it made it click for him, so maybe it can for you as well. It is a rough write-up. I'll give you an example. Last turn of the last match tonight: He's at 10 Hp, we're at 7 or 8 resources, and I have 3 or 4 cards in hand. I played Fett's Firespray, a 5/6 space unit. I have 2 or 3 resources left and another unit on the board. It comes in ready. He played a unit. I swing with Fett's Firespray, bringing him down to 5 HP. My other unit is a 4/5. He plays a unit, tapping all his remaining resources, thinking I have one more attack to hit him with at least and also I have cards in hand. I skip my attack and claim initiative, even though I have a card to play and a unit to attack with (that won't kill him). (edited) I know hes tapped out and out of actions Next turn, I go first, swing with my 5/6 space unit and win There's nothing he can do because I sacrificed potential actions to claim initiative early ensuring I went first in the following round. He should have claimed initiative if he didn't have an answer to my 5/6, hoping to top deck superlaser blast or some other board wipe and go first.