There is no doubt that Star Wars Unlimited has landed. Decks are being constructed, games are being played, tournaments are being won (and lost!). Whether you want to build a deck from scratch, take part in a draft play or do the Twin Suns multiplayer, fans are absolutely loving the game. Perhaps too much, as the last week has seen fans spark concern if there are enough booster boxes to meet the demand that the game is attracting. Certainly, something to keep an eye on, without boosters readily available, draft events can simply not happen.
For myself, I have had the pleasure of doing a draft event, as well as getting the prerelease set. It has meant that I’ve managed to get a fair few cards, enough to construct a couple of decks that I’m thoroughly enjoying playing. One thing I’ve yet to try, is the starter set. I technically have enough cards; I could simply buy more boosters, or I could take part in more draft events to increase my card pool. With that in mind, do I need the starter set? Are there enough exclusive cards to make it worth the price? For some fans, this will be their gateway into the game. With two decks, tokens and playmats, this will be an affordable entry to the game, with the ability to play immediately very enticing.
The Jedi Archives in Dorchester were gracious enough to send me a copy of the set so I could see if it was worth it for fans, both new and experienced (if for a new game you can have experienced players at this point). Just the box itself is enticing enough. Luke and Vader are in the front and look fantastic, the artwork really screams out at you. Having these two on the front, from their confrontation in The Empire Strikes Back really sends a clear message out: this is the Original Trilogy. There are so many products out for Star Wars that are focusing on everything modern: The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Young Jedi Adventures, The Bad Batch… I mean it’s a long list! The Original Trilogy is almost lost within it all. I love that Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) have decided to go back to the core of the franchise. It’s sure to appeal to fans who have been with the franchise for a long time.
On opening the box, there’s a lot within it. First, there are the two decks (one Luke, one Vader), two folded playmats, two sets of tokens, two deck boxes and a rulebook. If you do want to split it with a friend, there’s everything you need so that you can do that (one of you will have to download the rulebook but the game is so easy, I don’t think you’ll need to refer to it too much and you’ll need an extra initiative token). All of this for an RRP of £34.99 (The Jedi Archives have it available for £29.99).
Let me start with everything other than the decks. The folded playmats are just to get you started. They are folded, which is a shame, yet there would be no way to have them rolled up without drastically increasing the size of the box. Each mat has the layout of the game with handy instructions on them so new players can get to grips with the mechanics. I imagine that after a few plays, you won’t need these and will be wanting to upgrade to some of the gorgeous playmats available, but for those players who are new to the game, this is perfect. When you are done with it, the other side has the images of Luke and Vader on each one. Seeing the artwork even bigger really shows the detail and the incredible style of these two cards.
Then there are the two folded deck boxes that will hold both your decks in the box separately. When I initially did my prerelease review (which also included a deck box), I said that these weren’t too sturdy but a nice thing to keep you going. Well, a few weeks have passed since then and actually, the cardboard box has stood the brutality of traveling about. To say surprised would be an understatement but I certainly underestimated how well made these are. Of course, if you are wanting something grander, there are the official Gamegenic boxes. If you are wanting to just carry a deck with you, these are perfect. These two have an image of Vader and an image of Luke so you know which is which (using that awesome artwork again). I can say how much I appreciate a storage solution straight out of the box. It seems like such a small thing, but being able to store both decks separately means storage is so much easier, set-up of the game is so much easier and there isn’t the added cost of having to purchase a box -or two – alongside the starter kit.
The tokens are the same ones that came with the prerelease set. There are two lots, so you don’t need to worry if you do split with a friend, there’s enough for both of you with the exception of the initiative token. As mentioned in my previous review, these are thin, a lot thinner than the token we have come to expect from FFG. But, if you want better tokens, the Gamegenic ones are available (as are a host of third-party ones now) and this allows costs to be kept down. It is initially jarring to see such thin tokens, after several games, I have got used to them and they are showing no signs of wear as of yet.
That leaves the decks themselves. Let’s start with the most appealing part of these decks for fans both new and experienced: the exclusive cards. There are ten exclusives in this pack that cannot be found anywhere else. FFG has a long history of doing this. I remember with their last Star Wars card game (Destiny), buying three copies of starter sets to ensure you could run that one exclusive card properly in your decks, oh the money spent. What is extremely refreshing is that FFG haven’t taken this route. Yes, there are ten exclusive cards, but there are three copies of each of these cards, with the exception of the two leaders, Luke and Vader. That means you only need to buy one starter set to have enough copies of the card to run in your decks. As a fan and player, this I really appreciate.
So, are the exclusive cards enough for experienced players? It’s these that are what fans who already have the prerelease set and boosters are going to be paying the money for. The first thing to really look at are the two leader cards: Luke and Vader. Both are strong leaders and I do like using both in games. Whether Luke is put on the ground or not, giving a shield token (even for the cost of a resource) is actually pretty good. I’m finding when playing at the moment that shield tokens are becoming some of the best tokens in the game to allow my team to survive. When Luke does get deployed, the fact he can do this without a cost is very handy indeed. Vader on the other hand is all about damage. For a resource, you can do a damage to a unit and a base, something not to ignore. When Vader enters the battlefield, he is able to just do two damage to a unit. It just slowly whittles your opponent down, which is good, as Vader won’t deploy until you have seven resources (whereas for Luke it is six). Although both powerful, they do seem very balanced in what they can do, making them perfect for a starter.
For the other exclusive cards, there are lightsabers for both Luke and Vader. Although they are good in any deck, they are more suited if you’re thinking of doing a Vader or Luke deck, as they give bonuses if placed onto those characters. I would say these are the only two really designed for just Luke and Vader, but I do think Admiral Motti is also rather well suited for this deck. When he is defeated, you can ready an imperial unit. This will work with other decks, but it’s the fact that Vader can do two damage to a unit… any unit – including one on his side! Very thematic and allows you to ready a much more powerful unit.
The other exclusive cards in the sets, while do work great in these starter sets, are also invaluable in other decks. Artoo and Threepio work really well together, allowing you to move through your deck quickly, selecting what’s good and place units you’d rather not have immediately to the bottom of your deck. Although just Artoo lets you do this, with Threepio you can place those cards into your hand, increasing your card selection quickly. With no colour affiliation but a Rebel one, these two are sure to find their way into many decks. The other Rebel card included is Leia. At two cost, she’s very easy to get out quickly and when she is played, you get to ready a resource or exhaust a unit. Again, these are huge benefits, particularly if you can get her out three times during the game. Starter or not, I already know she’s going into one of my already constructed decks.
On the Imperial side of things, there is Tarkin, who allows you to take Imperial cards off the top of your deck and place them in your hand. This is only when he is played, so isn’t quite as repetitive as Artoo and Threepio, but still could be very useful, particularly if most of your deck is Imperial based (it just so happens my Thrawn deck is… how my eyes lit up seeing this card!). The other exclusive card is the event ‘I am Your Father’. Your opponent has to say ‘no’ if they don’t want to take seven damage (the silliness is just awesome!), otherwise you draw three cards. Neither option is bad for the player using the card. It fits perfectly into the Vader deck but is most definitely suited to many decks outside of this.
The exclusives certainly seem worth it for those players who already have decks. The rest of the cards are available in boosters, so I won’t dwell too much on them. That said, I do like that there are four rare cards included (two for each deck) for cards that I do really want. Han and Obi-Wan feels very thematic from the first film and having Palpatine for the dark side is just perfect! They do all work really well and provide a perfect base for new players. While they are a great starting point, I do really like that it is that a starting point. With a few switches in cards, I can easily see how these decks can be immensely powerful. Also, cards like General Dodonna, you might want more than one copy of, but in this set you can see how useful he might be. It provides direction for where a player might want to go and take the deck.
For the price, I actually think this starter set is superb. For new players, there are two balanced decks that really allow you to see what the game has to offer with everything you need to start playing right away. Mats, storage, tokens, everything is here. Yes, it can all be upgraded but if you don’t need all the fancy stuff, everything in this box is all you will need (with the one exception of sleeves – and for a lot of players, these aren’t necessary). With a few boosters, some change in cards, these decks could be extremely competitive. For the more experienced players, who have already brought booster boxes and the prelease kit, the exclusive cards do offer something that might add a little flare to existing decks. I already can see some of the huge benefits of having these cards in my deck and I’m eager to add them. The fact that FFG have provided three of each of these cards shouldn’t be ignored. Yes, sometimes it can be frustrating to have to get a starter to get exclusive cards, but FFG have made this a lot easier, so players only need a single copy. After what fans have had to endure from previous games, this is a welcome relief for wallets around the globe. It also says a lot about what FFG think of their customers to do something like this, as well as the faith they have in their game. No matter who you are, whether you are looking to add to your already growing collection or to dip your toe into the new, big Star Wars game, the starter set is an excellent purchase. A huge thanks to The Jedi Archives for sending me a copy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some changes to the decks I need to do!
If you would like to purchase the starter set, you can find it at The Jedi Archives, and don’t forget, if you spend £50, you get free UK shipping.
