Getting started with Star Wars: Unlimited
Star Wars: Unlimited is a card game for two players where you choose a leader and a base, and win by destroying your opponent's base. The game was released in 2024 and is built to be quick to learn: resources are created by setting cards aside, battles take place in two arenas, and a match takes around 20 minutes.
Quick facts
| Launch | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 2, but the Twin Suns format supports 3–4 |
| Playing time | Around 20 minutes |
| Deck size | At least 50 cards, plus leader and base |
| Maximum per card | 3 copies |
| Win condition | Destroy your opponent's base |
| Card size | Standard, 63 × 88 mm |
What makes the game different
The leader and the base are in play from the start. You choose them before the match and both are visible the whole time, which means neither of you is playing against anything hidden: the whole game is about how you handle what you already know. At the right moment the leader can also be flipped into a unit and step into the fight, and that move decides more matches than anything else in the game.
Resources are created from your hand: any card can be put down as a resource, so every card you hold is a choice between playing it or paying with it. Battles are split between two arenas, ground and space, and units in one cannot reach the other. And the initiative, meaning the right to start the next round, changes hands during the game and is itself something to fight over.
The card types
The leader has an ability and can be flipped into a unit. The base is your life total and the match is over when it falls. Units fight in the ground or space arena, events are one-time effects of the same kind as spells in other games, and upgrades are attached to a unit to strengthen it. Resources are not a card type of their own but a state: any card can be placed face down to pay.
The sets
The series began with Spark of Rebellion (SOR) and has since continued with, among others, Shadows of the Galaxy (SHD), Twilight of the Republic (TWI), Jump to Lightspeed (JTL) and Legends of the Force (LOF). The set code is printed on the card together with the card number, and the two identify the card. The foil version shares its number with the base card. Each set draws on a part of the Star Wars story and adds new leaders, new bases and new mechanics. What is available to buy is listed in the Star Wars: Unlimited category.
Spark of Rebellion
The first set in Star Wars: Unlimited, released in March 2024 and mainly focused on the war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Already here every card could come as a Hyperspace variant, with a frame that shows more of the artwork, and the leaders were available as Showcase cards with their own illustration and foil. The two-player starter box contained ten cards that were only available in it, in full playsets.
The chase cards are the set's Showcase leaders, among them Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett.
Twilight of the Republic
The Clone Wars and the battles between the Republic and the Separatists are the theme of the third set, which came out in November 2024. The set brought token units into the game and two new keywords: Coordinate, which triggers when you have three or more units, and Exploit. The two-player starter box had Ahsoka Tano and General Grievous as leaders and was the last of its kind, since Spotlight Decks took over from Jump to Lightspeed onwards.
The chase cards are the Showcase leaders “Mace Windu, Vaapad Form Master” and Maul.
Jump to Lightspeed
After the first sets, where ground combat had dominated, Jump to Lightspeed shifted the focus to space. The Piloting keyword was introduced, and Boba Fett and Han Solo became the first leaders that can be deployed in two ways, as a regular unit or as a pilot upgrade. The set also introduced Spotlight Decks and Carbonite Edition packs, where the new Prestige variants are found.
The chase cards are the numbered Serialized Prestige cards from Carbonite Edition, the set's new top tier, for example Annihilator – Tagge's Flagship.
Legends of the Force
Force users such as Jedi and Sith from several eras are at the centre of the fifth set. The set introduced the Force token, of which each player can have at most one at a time, and the Hidden keyword. Spotlight Decks were released with Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul as leaders.
The chase cards are the numbered Serialized cards with Anakin Skywalker and Yoda, plus the Showcase card with Darth Revan.
Ashes of the Empire
The eighth set takes place around the Battle of Endor and the years after, when the Empire fell. It introduced the Support keyword, Mandalorian token units and Advantage tokens that give a temporary boost. Spotlight Decks were released with Luke Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine as leaders.
The chase card is the numbered Serialized version of The Mandalorian, plus the Showcase card with Emperor Palpatine.
Homeworlds
The planets of the galaxy and their alien peoples, and the armies that invade them, are the theme of the ninth set. The Fortify keyword attaches upgrades to the base instead of to a unit, something the game has not had before, and the set has Beast tokens, larger than earlier token units, as well as Weakness tokens. The Spotlight Decks are led by Chewbacca and Grand Moff Tarkin, who can be deployed as the Death Star.
Icons 2027 Edition
A mini set with 194 cards, meant as an entry point for new and returning players, with well-known characters and simple mechanics. All commons are reprints from earlier sets, while the other uncommons, all rares and legendaries and the set's eight leaders are new. The set has neither Spotlight Decks nor Carbonite Edition packs, and the starter box has Darth Vader and Leia Organa as leaders.
The chase cards are the set's new rares and legendaries plus the eight new leaders: only the common cards are reprints.
The rarities
| Common | Most common |
|---|---|
| Uncommon | Second most common |
| Rare | Rare |
| Legendary | Rarest in normal packs |
| Hyperspace | Parallel version with a different background |
| Showcase | Specially treated leader version with its own illustration and foil |
| Prestige | Numbered special print from Carbonite Edition packs, rarer than Showcase |
The last three are prints, not rules: they play exactly like the original.
Getting started
- Buy a starter deck. It contains two decks, so you can play against each other straight out of the box.
- Play three matches before you change anything. Most changes you want to make after one match turn out to be wrong after three.
- Build on it with boosters once you know which leaders you like.
- Sleeve the decks. The cards get shuffled a lot in this game.
- Read the series' current rules document before you go to a tournament.
Besides starter decks, the series is sold as booster packs and displays built for draft, prerelease boxes ahead of new releases, and official playmats and sleeves with the series' artwork. The cards are standard size, 63 × 88 millimetres.
Building your own deck
Choose leader and base first: everything else follows from them. Stick to the leader's and base's aspects, meaning the cards' alignments, otherwise the cards cost extra to play. Build for both arenas or consciously accept that you leave one open; the latter is a strategy, but only if it is a choice. Mix cheap and expensive cards so that you have something to do early, and expect roughly half your hand to become resources. A deck is at least fifty cards plus leader and base, with at most three copies of the same card.
Beginner mistakes
Setting aside too few cards as resources early is the most common one, and the consequence only shows in the middle of the match when you cannot afford anything. Building a deck that only works in one arena is the second most common. Then comes forgetting that the leader can be flipped and playing the whole match without it, filling the deck with expensive cards, and ignoring the initiative, which often decides who wins an exchange before the cards even meet.
Words you will come across
| Leader | The leader card that is in play from the start |
|---|---|
| Base | The base, your life total |
| Resource | Card placed face down to pay for other cards |
| Ground arena | Ground combat |
| Space arena | Space combat |
| Initiative | The right to start the next round |
| Aspect | The cards' alignments, which determine what the cards cost to play |
| Epic action | One-time ability on the leader and some bases |
More terms are in the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to know Star Wars? No, but it makes it more fun. The rules stand on their own.
- What should I buy first? A Two-Player Starter, which contains two ready-made decks.
- Which sleeves fit? Standard size, 63 × 88 mm.
- Does the format rotate? Yes. Premier rotates out older sets in groups of three, and in Eternal all sets are allowed.
- What is Hyperspace? A parallel version of a card with a different background, same rules.
Read more about the rarities, the pack types and sleeves.
Shop: Star Wars: Unlimited at Bangerpack.
Written by those of us who run Bangerpack. Range and prices change continuously. What applies when you read this is shown in the category.
