Star Wars Unlimited Is My First Trading Card Game – Here’s Why It Should Be Yours Too

I’ve always been intrigued by card games like Magic The Gathering, or online versions like Legends of Runeterra or Hearthstone, but for one reason or another, none have clicked when I’ve tried over the years. That is until Star Wars Unlimited released earlier in 2024.

Star Wars Unlimited is a Trading Card Game from Fantasy Flight Games that pitches two players against each other in control of a ‘leader’ from the Star Wars universe, along with a set of units, events and more, for a deck of at least 50 cards. Your objective is to do enough damage over a number of rounds to destroy your opponent’s base – this is typically done by attacking with your units.

Thematic Gameplay

As of right now, there have been two set releases, the first being Spark of Rebellion, and more recently Shadows of the Galaxy. The first set introduced the core gameplay mechanics of SWU, alongside a selection of iconic heroes and villains to lead your deck. Shadows of the Galaxy focused on the underworld of Star Wars, and included new mechanics that allowed you to capture enemy units as bounties, smuggle in allies, and more. Immediately, I found myself invested as a Star Wars fan to build thematic decks around characters I loved, much more so than I had when trying to build Hearthstone decks with characters I had no attachment to.

If you’ve been holding off from trying a TCG in the past but you’re a big Star Wars fan, you owe it to yourself to try Unlimited. The themes and characters on offer already allow you to create and play with a deck that sparks creativity and nostalgia as you learn. A great example of this card theming is the recently announced General Grievous unit. This card will become available in the upcoming Twilight of the Republic set, and the text reads ‘Ignore the aspect penalty on each lightsaber upgrade you play on this unit. On Attack: if this unit has 4 or more lightsaber upgrades attached to him, defeat 4 enemy units’. This type of obvious reference is rife throughout the entire catalogue of Star Wars Unlimited cards so far, and makes deck building to recreate your favourite movie moments not only achievable, but sometimes pretty powerful too.

Easy To Learn

As far as I can tell, the gameplay mechanics are relatively simple in comparison to some of the other TCG’s on the market. With the game being new, you won’t find yourself years behind in terms of player knowledge, collections and experience. There’s never really a better time than the present to jump in, and whilst the first set is no longer readily available, you can pick up singles from sites like Card Market. With that said, Fantasy Flight Games have confirmed they will be doing a reprint of the first set later this year, in case you want to try your luck opening packs (I have had one really rare card so far after opening maybe 3 or 4 boxes – a showcase Iden Versio which I promptly sold to fund the rest of my collection).

There are plenty of fantastic creators online who give advice on deck building, and thoughts on cards that are really beneficial to new players like me – if you’re interested in learning more I highly recommend checking out TowerNumberNine on YouTube for analysis on cards and play styles.

A Growing Community

Star Wars Unlimited has also opened me up to the community of trading card games. Previously, I’d visit comic book shops or game shops to browse the stock, but now, some of them feel like hubs of activity, and safe places where you can go to nerd out with fellow Star Wars fans about not just the game, but the movies, shows, comics, anything! Getting out of my comfort zone and playing in local tournaments and casual weekly play has been one of my highlights of 2024, and I encourage you to do the same. People are super friendly, you can rock up with a prebuilt starter deck, and learn the game!

If physical events really aren’t your thing, there are a growing number of online resource and communities. Firstly, make sure to use SWUDB to track your collection online, this will save you time in the long run when it comes to deck building. Then, search for subreddits and Discord servers in your time zone. I’m in the Star Wars Unlimited UK Discord server, which is full of players not just discussing the game, but syncing up to play matches online via webcam. I’ve even participated in a tournament this way, and found myself making new acquaintances who I’ve since traded cards with. I know it’s cliché but the community really is a fantastic part of a trading card game, at least this one.

As I said earlier, I’ve always wanted to get started with a TCG, but lack of interest in the setting, or the FOMO of feeling like I’ve missed years of activity always put me off. Star Wars Unlimited is a breath of fresh air, and I encourage you to get yourself a starter deck, head down to your local gaming shop, and get the same fulfilling experience I’ve had so far.