Star Wars: The Card Game

Justice4243

I picked this up a week and Friday and I have played a few games.

Star Wars: The Card Game is one of those card games where you don't have to purchase boosters or individual cards. It's all pre-constructed decks. The core set comes with two light side decks and 2 dark side decks with the option to mix and match cards if players are tired of the starter decks and and options to do a third lightside and darkside deck with deck customization. 

Players each play objectives which give them resources, various card advantages, and something to protect. The lightside's player main objective is to destroy and collect three of the darkside player's objectives. The darkside palyer's objective is to run out the game clock (there is a maximum of 12 turns, the darkside character can run the clock out faster depending on how they play). 

Either player losses if they can't draw from their main deck or come up with an objective to replace another. Running out of cards in your main deck is actually a potential scenario. Friday got within 3 cards of running out our last game (though, this is partially because you have a dozen less cards if playing the starting sets). You draw up to a full hand at the start of each turn. This is usually 6, but some cards increase your hand size. If you manage to empty your hand before your next turn begins and have some extra draw mechanisms, you could end up loosing.  

Something I need to get out of the way:

Where the FUCK is Chewbacca? How the HELL do you release a core-set without one of the main characters?! The lightside has Mon Mothma, MON FUCKING MOTHMA, but no room for Chewie?! What the fuck?!

It's already been revealed his coming in a later faction, but STILL...

Anyhow, the game is rather similar to MTG is you basically have a a pile of things giving you resources and all your units are in a single area. This differs from the original Star Wars: Custimizable card game were players fought over territory. 

This also made the learning curve a bit less for Friday and I as we had something to compare it too. Contrast the new Net Runner (another Fantasy Flight game) which was almost utterly unlike anything either of us have played.

Also, maybe it's because of the similarities to magic, but this was the first Fantasy Flight game I've played were the instructions didn't make me want to tear our my hair.

One thing I like is that each objective comes with a set of cards. You pick 10 objectives and their corresponding cards when creating a customized deck. So instead of fielding a deck with the absolute best cards for your strategy, you need to pick objectives combined with their sets that help your strategy. This makes it unlikely that a player would field a deck of just Darth Vaders and Emperors. 

You can have two of each objective (which makes for a clever way to get people to buy the core set twice). This is probably not a bad idea if you want to play often. One of the main problems is that the deck is completely inconsistent with only one of each set. This could make for rather short games if say your opponent fields the Emperor or Devastator or in the early turns and you're Obi-Wan or Home One is not coming up for a while...

I notice the game has positive, but not perfect reviews. I think the mechanics and deck-building are top notch, but the core set leaves much to be desired. Friday and I have played around with the different decks and the darkside seems to have a pretty solid advantage in that it has an easier time strait up murdering units and fielding units capable of murder. The lightside is, in turn, is a bet better at at protection and returning cards to the field, but this is sort of not as helpful given that any game that goes on long enough is the darksides. That is unless the darkside player decks themselves.  

The way the resources rules are "Spies and Smugglers" and also "Scum and Villainy" are difficult to field out of the core while staying competitive. So, despite Han Solo and Boba Fett being in the core set, you'd basically have to build a major portion of the deck around making sure you'd be able to play them if you drew them, denying yourself of some of the better objective sets.

All that considered, Friday and I decided to order another core set and the three expansion sets that have come out. We're hoping this will address the games short-comings and make a well designed set of rules even more enjoyable.

Star Wars: The Card Game is one of those card games where you don't have to purchase boosters or individual cards. It's all pre-constructed decks. The core set comes with two light side decks and 2 dark side decks with the option to mix and match cards if players are tired of the starter decks and and options to do a third lightside and darkside deck with deck customization. 

Players each play objectives which give them resources, various card advantages, and something to protect. The lightside's player main objective is to destroy and collect three of the darkside player's objectives. The darkside palyer's objective is to run out the game clock (there is a maximum of 12 turns, the darkside character can run the clock out faster depending on how they play). 

Either player losses if they can't draw from their main deck or come up with an objective to replace another. Running out of cards in your main deck is actually a potential scenario. Friday got within 3 cards of running out our last game (though, this is partially because you have a dozen less cards if playing the starting sets). You draw up to a full hand at the start of each turn. This is usually 6, but some cards increase your hand size. If you manage to empty your hand before your next turn begins and have some extra draw mechanisms, you could end up loosing.  

Something I need to get out of the way:

Where the FUCK is Chewbacca? How the HELL do you release a core-set without one of the main characters?! The lightside has Mon Mothma, MON FUCKING MOTHMA, but no room for Chewie?! What the fuck?!

It's already been revealed his coming in a later faction, but STILL...

Anyhow, the game is rather similar to MTG is you basically have a a pile of things giving you resources and all your units are in a single area. This differs from the original Star Wars: Custimizable card game were players fought over territory. 

This also made the learning curve a bit less for Friday and I as we had something to compare it too. Contrast the new Net Runner (another Fantasy Flight game) which was almost utterly unlike anything either of us have played.

Also, maybe it's because of the similarities to magic, but this was the first Fantasy Flight game I've played were the instructions didn't make me want to tear our my hair.

One thing I like is that each objective comes with a set of cards. You pick 10 objectives and their corresponding cards when creating a customized deck. So instead of fielding a deck with the absolute best cards for your strategy, you need to pick objectives combined with their sets that help your strategy. This makes it unlikely that a player would field a deck of just Darth Vaders and Emperors. 

You can have two of each objective (which makes for a clever way to get people to buy the core set twice). This is probably not a bad idea if you want to play often. One of the main problems is that the deck is completely inconsistent with only one of each set. This could make for rather short games if say your opponent fields the Emperor or Devastator or in the early turns and you're Obi-Wan or Home One is not coming up for a while...

I notice the game has positive, but not perfect reviews. I think the mechanics and deck-building are top notch, but the core set leaves much to be desired. Friday and I have played around with the different decks and the darkside seems to have a pretty solid advantage in that it has an easier time strait up murdering units and fielding units capable of murder. The lightside is, in turn, is a bet better at at protection and returning cards to the field, but this is sort of not as helpful given that any game that goes on long enough is the darksides. That is unless the darkside player decks themselves.  

The way the resources rules are "Spies and Smugglers" and also "Scum and Villainy" are difficult to field out of the core while staying competitive. So, despite Han Solo and Boba Fett being in the core set, you'd basically have to build a major portion of the deck around making sure you'd be able to play them if you drew them, denying yourself of some of the better objective sets.

All that considered, Friday and I decided to order another core set and the three expansion sets that have come out. We're hoping this will address the games short-comings and make a well designed set of rules even more enjoyable.

Imipolex G

Does it allow you to hate sand

Justice4243

All the cards so far are around the original set of movies with some EU influences, but no major EU characters or ships, or anything and no prequel cards, yet.

I'd imagine they'll eventually release prequel cards, which might mean Darth Vader and Anakin get to be on the battlefield at the same time.

The original card game side-stepped this issue by never printing an Anakin card. Probably not an option considering the original quit on the Phantom Menace and the new card game has the entire trilogy to consider. 

Interestingly enough, it seems you could have The Emperor, Senator Palpatine, and Darth Sidious could all be deployed at once in the original.

Justice4243

Also, Fantasy Flight is probably going to laugh all the way to the bank when the new movie comes out.

Justice4243

For the sake of completeness:

 The Star Wars game by Wizards of the Coast allowed for multiple-versions of the same character to be fielded. 

Imipolex G

Is Jabba the Hutt in it

Yarrun XIX

Light is forced to battle the darkness; dark will automatically win if light doesn't fight.

There's a metaphor in this.

Justice4243

Imipölex G said:

Is Jabba the Hutt in it

He will be in an upcoming expansion, The same one that will have Chewie. 

I believe Lando is also confirmed for the upcoming set. The Millennium Falcon and more bounty hunters seems likely.

Imipolex G

Is Leia in it? Can you have her wear that metal bikini thing?

Justice4243

There's a Leia card that appears to be her from "A New Hope". She's basically impossible to kill but very prone to being kidnapped by the Empire.

One of the new upcomming sets MAY have "Slave Leia". If not, they'll probably release a version like that eventully like they did with the original card game.

Imipolex G

oh.

Justice4243

Yeah the darkside is mad broken in the core set compared to the lightside. Friday played the Imperial Navy which is about getting vehicles out that tear shit up. My band of wanna-be Jedi's where about protecting each other which is of dubious merit when you're starting down a TIE Bomber, some replicant druids, and an AT-ST.

Also the Imperial Navy has a card that basically makes all your units useful attackers AND a Death Star related ability where they  can simply blow up an objective.

The lightside is really good at getting cards back so they can continue to die horrible, blaster inflicted, melty deaths again.

I think only once did we have a light-side victory, and that was probably due to me not understanding a rule which resulted in the Lightside getting a couple extra turns and also making a tactical error at towards the end of the game.

Imipolex G

Well, I guess that was basically the case in the original trilogy. The rebels were pretty outclassed compared to the empire.

Of course they won anyway because power of friendship or something

Miss Miko Mayonegg

They won because the Force and the way of the Jedi was on their side! (I think?)

Justice4243

Well, Luke Skywalker that's being protected would suck to fight. Red 5 (his X-wing in A New Hope) obliterates objectives, so shielding this would likewise suck for the darkside. 

The issue is with one copy of each powerful card, is that the chances of drawing them are pretty low. Which is problematic if the darkside constantly draws cards that are useful on their own and the lightside requires a combination of cards.

Justice4243

As expected, more consistent decks makes for a more even match. Friday and I have played many a game at both sides and have walked away victorious as either side. Hoth is making for some interesting decks, but it will probably be a lot more impressive when the full set is out. The Hoth objectives for BOTH sides are kinda obscene but usually require more Hoth objectives in play to be useful. 

Also Han vs Boba is pretty much no contest in this game. Despite costing the same amount, Han is a murder machine bad-ass where Fett's abilities are only useful with the right objectives (he can capture someone if he injures and not disintegrates someone, usually he disintegrates them...) .

Han's ability is that he can shoot ANYBODY when in a battle BEFORE anyone else gets to act (the game makers managed to sneak in a "Han shoots first" reference into the game mechanics, my hats off to them). 

Another member of the Light Side that's proving to be a surprise hit: Admiral Akbar. Ironically, Mr. "It's a trap" can be thrown into battle without his resource cost being paid. When this happens, he deal one damage to all enemy units.

Something else I found interesting is that no character has had an alternative version yet except for Vader, Vader got another card in Hoth that tones down his murder capabilities in favor of making him a great support card. 

Basically Hoth/Imperial Navy Vader makes it so all participating attacking Dark Side units do an extra blast damage to an objective. This is similar to another Dark Side card "Orbital Bombardment" which does roughly the same thing.

That's right, the game makers decided Darth Vader should be a walking Star Destroyer raining plasma death on the surface of a planet. 

Anyhow, Friday and I are REALLY enjoying the game, but feel more cards will make it much better.

Justice4243

More cards.

Greedo has a three defense, meaning he can take as much punishment as a squad of heavy Stormtroopers.

Despite that, he's kinda explode prone. He deals himself a damage if the Darkside isn't going first in an engagement he's in.

Another Hoth set, still no AT-AT card. They're in card art and objectives, but not anything as a unit. Strange, especially since General Veers (who is a bad-ass, natch)  is in this latest expansion.

There's several really nice deck strategies now. A will built Sith Deck can work well to run the game clock out in a timely fashion and with Chewie and more Wookies being added, the Lightside can finally create an Old Spice commercial worth of Explosions.

They're still really dragging out adding characters.  

Justice4243

That post has been sitting in my drafts for weeks, it seems.

What I really wanted to add was:

DARK FORCES EXPANSION~~~~!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

This is great because it's EU and also because it means they can do EU sets in as many expansions as they want instead of just throwing a bunch of stuff into one expansion and calling it good. Much like the CCG did.