Hello and welcome to a very special article on the eve of the first ever Star Wars: Unlimited Prerelease weekend. It's been a long road from the game's initial introduction in May of 2023 to its imminent worldwide release on March 8th.
Deploy Your Leader Gaming is so appreciative to partner with our content contributors from the Golden Dice Podcast and Roll On Gaming in bringing you new Star Wars: Unlimited content each and every week. So far, we've delivered almost 3 months worth of content!
For this feature article, Jack from GDP and Kevin from ROG sit down for a joint Q&A session, discussing their thoughts on the game itself, its mechanics, some of the more notable cards included in this first set, Spark of Rebellion, and what they're most looking forward to in the immediate weeks ahead. Please Enjoy!
How has your mindset about Star Wars: Unlimited evolved, from the announcement in May of 2023, to February 2024 as we await the release of Spark of Rebellion?
Jack
Originally when the announcement came we got together and said, “alright, lets at least try it out” thinking we might cover the game a bit but that life was so different from 2017-19 in the (Star Wars) Destiny Days.
As we played more, and as more cards got revealed... well, we now post content 5 days a week. So that shows how much we got hooked on the game and love it. Not only is the game great but FFG (Fantasy Flight Games) has continuously showed us that they care and are different and that plays a huge part in us jumping in so deep.
Kevin
When Star Wars: Unlimited was announced, I was all in, but for very different reasons than I am currently. I was always going to play a Star Wars TCG, but my natural reaction was to brace myself for eventual heartbreak, as we’d seen a similar pattern with FFG and Star Wars games previously. So I was prepared to play the game for as long as it lasted and then have to move on to the next thing.
However, seeing all the ways FFG has continued to knock it out of the park with SWU, how incredibly well-designed the game is and how beautiful the cards look, I am now unreservedly all-in. I have soaring hopes for the game and I am salivating at the fact that we’ll have real cards in hand soon!
What part of SWU’s design do you find the most interesting personally?
Jack
I really love the back and forth that they kept from Destiny. I have played a lot of great CCGs since then such as Runeterra, Flesh and Blood, and One Piece, but nothing compares to the “you go, I go” of SWU. Sometimes I get frustrated at instants in games but with SWU everything is an instant! (Kind of lol) It also just gives the feel of an epic battle taking place between your leaders as the battlefield changes each round.
Kevin
For me, it’s the Leader system. Building a deck around an iconic character and then getting to deploy them onto the battlefield feels so quintessentially Star Wars to me. It evokes so much of what makes the franchise great - heroic clashes, dramatic moments, and fun. Can’t wait to see what other leaders arrive in the future, but excited to get to play with the ones in Spark of Rebellion for sure.
What part of SWU’s design do you find most attractive to new players?
Jack
I think the action system I said above is great for new players, BUT I really do think people love to just have their leaders on the board. I think its super satisfying to bring Darth Vader, or Luke, or Han and have them impacting the game the whole time. You aren’t just relying on drawing and playing them. For me that has been a huge factor in the flavor of the game and makes the game have so much depth.
Kevin
It seems we’re trading answers! I was going to reflect on the back-and-forth action structure here, but for the sake of variety (and because I do think it’s an attractive quality to players) I love the freedom that Star Wars: Unlimited allows for.
When it comes to deckbuilding, you’re not restricted to any specific aspect or card pool - anything can go into your deck if you can pay the cost! During the game, your units can attack or behave as you wish (barring things like Sentinel or exhaust mechanics)... you don’t have to only push towards the base, or resort to only attacking already-exhausted units. The design of the game really allows for multiple lines of play to be explored, even within the same decks, and presents a wealth of options for the player to consider.
Given access to a full playset of Spark of Rebellion, which Leader/Base combination are you sleeving up first?
Kevin
Well, if you’re giving me a full playset, I will definitely take that, thank you very much! I primarily lean towards the villainous characters of Star Wars, so my early testing will likely be done with some of my favorites: Darth Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn. However, I’ve really taken a shine to Iden Versio, so I’m excited to see what I can do with her when paired with Energy Conversion Lab.
On the Heroism side, I will likely play more casually - I’ve been enjoying Hera Syndulla, Spectre Two (SOR 8) with Capital City (SOR 20) more and more since the reveal of The Ghost, Spectre Home Base (SOR 50), so that’s likely one I will bring to locals and jam with other players for theme, memes, and accessibility (love that there are so many uncommon Spectres!)
Jack
I will have about 9 boxes worth of cards come release day so it is safe to say I will be making several decks! Casual wise, I really want to have Hera built and I want to see where I can take Jyn Erso. Even if she ends up in the binder fast, she seems solid! Just gotta work on that Hero Cunning cardpool.
For competitive I really want to give Cassian a real shot and see how far he can go, likely with Command. I also will be sleeving up Sabine Command and Boba Command. I just like Energy Conversion Lab as a base I guess!
What is one non-leader card in SoR that you feel will make the largest impact on the meta?
Jack
It has to be Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight (SOR 51) or Darth Vader, Commanding the First Legion (SOR 87) for me. Both of them have amazing on play effects that change the state of the board completely! Will definitely want a playset of each! Force A Cause I Believe In is a great shout out, too, as that really just makes Heroism Aggression so much more viable as an aggro archetype.
Kevin
This is one where I have to disagree with Jack, and not because he’s wrong about the power level of Luke and Vader - that part is 100% accurate. The game kicks into another gear when Luke and Vader hit the table! But the fact that those cards are Legendary means that not everyone will have the same access to them - some players may be playing 1-2 copies in their deck because that’s all they’ve pulled, or are focusing more on “budget” decks that are more accessible. As a result, I’ve selected a more accessible card: Overwhelming Barrage (SOR 92).
As an Uncommon, OB has been a monster since it was revealed and one of the few cards you are guaranteed to sleeve up as a 3-of in any Villainy deck that features Command - which, with the existence of Energy Conversion Lab, is a lot of them. (In reality, ECL is probably the answer, but bases aren’t as fun to talk about!) It’s also one of the few cards you’d even consider playing with an aspect penalty! I think Overwhelming Barrage will be one of the cards that singlehandedly keeps Villainy as a contender in the meta because of its impact on the game.
Give us one card in SoR that you were high on initially that has fallen off in your estimation?
Kevin
As much as it pains me because I love the card, I’m going to have to go with Seventh Sister, Implacable Inquisitor (SOR 133). I’m a big fan of the Inquisitors and I think in the right deck, Seventh Sister is incredible.
However, I think that’s her problem - there’s only one right deck for her currently, and it’s in a Grand Inquisitor deck, the likes of which has not really broken through in early testing. I think Seventh Sister is a card that will only get better as she finds more uses, but I just don’t see myself currently making room for her in anything else.
Jack
Not that I expected a lot of single aspect heroism or villainy cards to be amazing, but I did think that General Veers, Blizzard Force Commander (SOR 230) and General Dodonna, Massassi Group Commander (SOR 242) were going to have more of a presence in the game. Lately I don’t think I have seen anyone running them, and I certainly haven’t been either. I also did have some hope for Mace Windu more but I think it is just tough that every hero Aggression deck is aggro and he just doesn’t fit there.
Give us one card in SoR that you were low on initially that has exceeded your expectations.
Kevin
I’m sure I will eat crow a lot over the lifespan of Star Wars: Unlimited, but I definitely am doing so after watching the rise of Steadfast Battalion (SOR 116). When that card was revealed I did not have high hopes for it, but when paired with Ambush and/or multiple attacks it can be a real menace. In an environment where a lot of 4- and 5-drop Leaders are being played, Steadfast Battalion is in a really great place, and I expect it to continue to flourish as long as Energy Conversion Lab exists.
Jack
It is hard to say, I have said a lot of stupid stuff. I know I have gone back and forth on several cards but I think the biggest swing so far has been me with Fleet Lieutenant (SOR 240). At first I thought he was solid, then super meh, and I cut him from every list. But now he is one of the first cards that I put into my list!
What will your strategy be for building decks when attending Prerelease events this coming weekend?
Jack
I definitely want to shout out Scott from my team and his article on DYL last week focusing on prerelease. I am going to be using a lot of what he talked about, sorting the cards you get, eliminating aspects that you don’t have enough cards for, consider what leaders are options now, and then build my deck from there!
Kevin
I will second Jack’s recommendation to check out Scott’s article! Aside from that, I will personally be trying to fit all my shiny cards in the same deck as much as I can. It’ll be my first time playing with them, and I’m not super concerned about wins and losses as much as I am having fun with the community. I will also be making myself available to teach the new players around me as much as I can!
What is your prediction for the deck that wins the first ever Store Showdown?
Kevin
It’s so difficult to pick against Boba Fett right now. So I won’t! Boba Fett, Collecting the Bounty (SOR 15) is proving to be very strong early, and combined with the power of Villainy and Command, it’s going to be tough to stop. If I had to pick a dark horse contender, though… watch out for Chirrut Îmwe, One With The Force (SOR 4)!
Jack
I legit think any leader can win a Store Showdown especially at the stores that are doing Best-of-1 games and just swiss rounds. Even on the weekend events of Best-of-3 and top cuts, I think that every leader can sneak one out, even IG-88! As for my prediction for the first, I would bet that Sabine Wren, Galvanized Revolutionary (SOR 12) takes the first one and just comes out swinging! Boba and Iden Versio, Inferno Squad Commander (SOR 2) are great shouts too but most people will need some time to tweak those lists a bit!
JustJack
Golden Dice Podcast
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Kevin
Roll On Gaming
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