Star Wars Trading Card Game

Last updated
Star Wars Trading Card Game
Star Wars Trading Card Game cardback.jpg
Cardback of the Star Wars Trading Card Game.
Designers Richard Garfield
Publishers Wizards of the Coast
Players2
Setup timeunder 1 minute
Playing time10–40 Minutes
ChanceHigh
Age range6 and up
SkillsDeck manipulation,
deck optimization,
planning

Star Wars: The Trading Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game produced by Wizards of the Coast (WotC). The original game was created by game designer Richard Garfield, the creator of the first modern trading card game, Magic: The Gathering . [1] After its initial release in April 2002, the game was 'put on indefinite hold' by WotC in late 2005. [2] The Star Wars Trading Card Game Independent Development Committee was created by a group of fans to continue development of the game. They design new cards that are available as free downloads at their website. [3] [4]

Contents

Gameplay

The Star Wars: TCG focuses on gaining control of in-game arenas. In this two-player game, each player controls units which battle in the arenas. The main way to win is to take control of two of the three arenas. Some cards also add new win conditions for the game.

The three arenas are Space, Ground and Character, and feature units from the Star Wars films, such as Star Destroyers, starfighters, AT-ATs, armies, and characters like Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Mara Jade, and Darth Vader. There is also a build zone, a draw pile (for your deck), and a discard pile. The two sides to the game are the Dark side and the Light side, representing the two sides of the Force. There are also neutral cards, which can be used by either side.

There are several types of cards. They are:

Abilities

These are abilities that units have on them and are used by paying a cost (usually force).

These abilities are on as long as the unit is in its arena (e.g. A unit has "Each of your other characters get +10 speed", as long as that unit is in its arena, all your characters gain 10 speed).

These abilities contain a "when" or "whenever" (e.g. a unit has "When this unit is discarded draw three cards." "When this unit is discarded" is the trigger, and "draw three cards" is the ability).

TCG Sets


Sets produced by Wizards of the Coast
Set NameRelease DateNumber of CardsBased onIntroduces
Attack of the Clones [5] April 2002180 Episode II – Attack of the Clones New keywords: Evade, Deflect, Bombard, Ion Cannon, Shields, Critical Hit
Sith Rising [6] July 200290 Episode II – Attack of the Clones New keywords: Stun, Overload
A New Hope [7] October 2002180 Episode IV - A New Hope New keywords: Accuracy, Intercept, Pilot
Battle of Yavin [8] February 2003105 Episode IV - A New Hope New keyword: Retaliate
Jedi Guardians [9] June 2003105 Episode II – Attack of the Clones New keywords: Overkill, Reserves
The Empire Strikes Back [10] October 2003210 Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back New card type: Locations

New keywords: Armor, Enhance

Rogues and Scoundrels [11] March 2004105 Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Legends

New keywords: Bounty, Upkeep
The Phantom Menace [12] May 200490 Episode I – The Phantom Menace New keyword: Lucky
Return of the Jedi [13] October 2004110 Episode VI - Return of the Jedi New card type: Multi-arena Locations

New keyword: Hidden Cost

Revenge of the Sith [14] March 2005110 Episode III – Revenge of the Sith New card type: Equipment


Sets produced by the Independent Development Committee [15]
Set NameRelease DateNumber of CardsBased onIntroduces
Fall of the RepublicJune 2006120 Episode III – Revenge of the Sith New keyword: Parry
Scum and VillainyOctober 200690Episodes I-VI

Star Wars Legends

New keyword: Stealth
Battle of EndorJune 2007180 Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Clone Wars: Republic at WarApril 2008120 Clone Wars: Volume I (2003 TV series) New keywords: Fury, Double Strike
Invasion of NabooMay 2009180 Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Battle of HothSeptember 200960 Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back New card type: Multi-arena Units
Legacy of the Force: Bounty HuntersDecember 201075Episodes I-VI

TV series

Star Wars Legends

New card types: Equipment - Skill, Resources
Legacy of the Force: MandaloriansApril 201175Episodes I-VI

TV series

Star Wars Legends

Legacy of the Force: SithSeptember 201175Episodes I-VI

TV series

Star Wars Legends

New keyword: INSERT
Legacy of the Force: SmugglersFebruary 201375Episodes I-VI

TV series

Star Wars Legends

New keyword: Stack
Legacy of the Force: JediDecember 201376Episodes I-VI

TV series

Star Wars Legends

New keywords: Foresight, Precision
Rule of TwoJuly 201490 Jedi vs. Sith

Darth Bane Trilogy

The Old RepublicDecember 2014120 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (series) New card type: Subordinates

New keyword: Meditate

Clone Wars: Separatist OffensiveSeptember 201590 Clone Wars: Volume II (2003 TV series)
Rogue SquadronOctober 2015180 X-wing (book series)

X-wing Rogue Squadron (comics)

Empire RisingNovember 2015120 Thrawn trilogy New keyword: Alternative Cost
Empire EternalDecember 201590 Dark Empire

Crimson Empire

New keyword: Inspiration
The Clone Wars: A Galaxy DividedMarch 2016270 The Clone Wars (2008 TV series) (Seasons 1-3)
The Dark TimesMay 2016300 Star Wars Legends New counter type: Captivity counters
Clones and DroidsJuly 2016120 Episode II – Attack of the Clones

Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

New keywords: Double Damage, Damage Control
10th AnniversaryAugust 201640
The Force AwakensSeptember 2016180 Episode VII - The Force Awakens New card type: Event
The New Jedi Order: Vector PrimeNovember 2016180 The New Jedi Order Books 1-6 New side: Yuuzhan Vong

New card type: Mission - Trap

New keyword: Avenge

The Old Republic: Tales and LegendsJanuary 2017240 Dawn of the Jedi

Tales of the Jedi

Lost Tribe of the Sith

New card type: Mission - Campaign
The New Jedi Order: Star By StarJune 2017120 The New Jedi Order Books 7-12 New keyword: Focus
The Old Republic: Days and NightsDecember 2017150 Knights of the Old Republic (comics) New keyword: Forewarning
The Clone Wars: Battle LinesApril 2018270 The Clone Wars (2008 TV series) (Seasons 4-6) New keywords: Ambush, Protect
Rogue OneJune 2018180 Rogue One New card type: Equipment - Trait

New keyword: Resilience

Battle of Starkiller BaseAugust 2018105 Episode VII - The Force Awakens New keyword: Ferocity
The Last JediDecember 2018210 Episode VIII - The Last Jedi New keywords: Backfire, Fortitude
Spark of RebellionJuly 2019180 Star Wars Rebels (seasons 1 and 2)
BattlefrontAugust 201990 Star Wars: Battlefront New abilities: Reduced Cost X and Area Damage X
Jedi KnightOctober 201990 Jedi Knight video gamesNew ability: Riposte X
The New Jedi Order: The Unifying ForceDecember 2019120 New Jedi Order books 13-19New abilities: Intimidation and Redirect
Battle of CraitApril 2020150 The Last Jedi (second half)
SoloSeptember 2020180 Solo: A Star Wars Story New ability: Cunning
The Old Republic: Knights and ExilesDecember 2020180 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (series) New counter type: Redemption counters
The MandalorianApril 2021240 The Mandalorian (season 1)
The Rise of SkywalkerMay 2021210 Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker New ability: Absorb
Apprentices and AssassinsSeptember 2021150 Episode I - The Phantom Menace Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice (books)

Jedi Quest (books)

New ability: Persuade
Fires of RebellionNovember 2021180 Star Wars Rebels (seasons 3 and 4)
Battle of the SarlaccDecember 2021120 Episode VI - Return of the Jedi New ability: Surge
Non-Star Wars sets produced by the Independent Development Committee
Set NameRelease DateNumber of CardsBased on
Marvel Cinematic UniverseDecember 201990 Marvel Cinematic Universe
Avengers: EndgameApril 2020300 Avengers: Endgame

Playing the game

This is a two-player game. The following is recommended for each player, but can be shared among friends and opponents in casual play:

Reviews

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<i>Illuminati: New World Order</i> Collectible card game

Illuminati: New World Order (INWO) is an out-of-print collectible card game (CCG) that was released in 1994 by Steve Jackson Games, based on their original boxed game Illuminati, which in turn was inspired by the 1975 book The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. An OMNI sealed-deck league patterned after the Atlas Games model was also developed.

<i>Netrunner</i> Collectible card game designed by Richard Garfield

Netrunner is an out-of-print collectible card game (CCG) designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering. It was published by Wizards of the Coast and introduced in April 1996. The game took place in the setting for the Cyberpunk 2020 role-playing game (RPG), but it also drew from the broader cyberpunk genre.

Star Wars: Customizable Card Game (SW:CCG) is an out-of-print customizable card game based on the Star Wars fictional universe. It was created by Decipher, Inc., which also produced the Star Trek Customizable Card Game and The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game. The game was produced from December 1995 until December 2001. Since 2002, the game has been maintained by the Star Wars CCG Players Committee, with new virtual cards being released every few months and the capability to play both in person and online.

<i>The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game</i> Collectible card game

The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game produced by Decipher, Inc. Released November 2001, it is based on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the J. R. R. Tolkien novel on which the films were based. Decipher also had the rights to The Hobbit novel but did not release any cards based on it. In addition to images taken from the films, in 2004 Weta Workshop produced artwork depicting characters and items from the novel absent from the films for use on cards. In 2002, LOTR TCG won the Origins Awards for Best Trading Card Game of 2001 and Best Graphic Presentation of a Card Game 2001. Decipher's license to The Lord of the Rings expired on July 30, 2007, after which all official promotion and distribution of the game stopped.

<i>Star Trek Customizable Card Game</i> Collectible card game

The Star Trek Customizable Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game based on the Star Trek universe. The name is commonly abbreviated as STCCG or ST:CCG. It was first introduced in 1994 by Decipher, Inc., under the name Star Trek: The Next Generation Customizable Card Game. The game now has two distinct editions, though both forms of the game have many common elements.

<i>Pokémon Trading Card Game</i> Collectible card game

The Pokémon Trading Card Game, abbreviated as PTCG or Pokémon TCG, is a collectible card game developed by Creatures Inc. based on the Pokémon franchise. As of March 2023, the game has sold over 52.9 billion cards worldwide.

<i>Yu-Gi-Oh!</i> Trading Card Game Trading card game

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is a collectible card game developed and published by Konami. It's based on the fictional game of Duel Monsters created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, which appears in portions of the manga franchise Yu-Gi-Oh! and is the central plot device throughout its various anime adaptations and spinoff series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neopets Trading Card Game</span> Neopets card game

The 'Neopets TCG' is an out-of-print collectible card game and a spin-off of the popular virtual pet website, Neopets. The game was launched in 2003 and produced by Wizards of the Coast, a large trading card company that produces a variety of other trading card games. Neopets is aimed at a slightly younger audience than other Wizards of the Coast offerings such as Magic: The Gathering. As with many other trading card games, the cards serve two purposes, collecting and playing a game.

<i>Legend of the Five Rings</i> (collectible card game)

Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) is an out-of-print collectible card game created by a joint venture featuring Alderac Entertainment Group and ISOMEDIA in 1995 and published until 2015, when it was announced that the game would be discontinued for a rules-incompatible successor that will be part of Fantasy Flight Games' Living Card Game line. L5R takes place in the fictional empire of Rokugan from the Legend of the Five Rings setting, where several clans and factions vie for domination over the empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Potter Trading Card Game</span> Collectible trading card game

The Harry Potter Trading Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game based in the world of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels. Created by Wizards of the Coast in August 2001, the game was designed to compete with the Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering card games. Its release was timed to coincide with the theatrical premiere of the first film in the series. The game was praised for the way it immersed children in the Harry Potter universe. At one point the game was the second best selling toy in the United States; however, it is now out of print.

Star Wars PocketModel Trading Card Game is an out-of-print tabletop game manufactured by WizKids, Inc. that debuted in 2007, based on the Star Wars universe. The game was designed by Mike Elliott and Ethan Pasternack.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collectible Card Game</i> Trading card game

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collectible Card Game is an out-of-print trading card game based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was released in December 2001 by Score Entertainment. As of January 2004, Score Entertainment no longer holds the rights to this game. Hence, no further production runs or expansions for the game are planned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedi Knights Trading Card Game</span> 2002 Star Wars trading card game

Jedi Knights Trading Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game set in the Star Wars Universe and published by Decipher, Inc. on April 25, 2001. Two expansion packs, titled Scum and Villainy and Masters of the Force, were produced before the end of 2001. Shortly after their release, Decipher lost the license to utilize material from the Star Wars franchise and was forced to discontinue the game.

The rules of Magic: The Gathering were originally developed by the game's creator, Richard Garfield, and accompanied the first version of the game in 1993. The rules of Magic have been changed frequently over the years by the manufacturer, Wizards of the Coast, mostly in minor ways. However, major rules overhauls have also been done a few times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collectible card game</span> Game played using specialized playing cards

A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards, introduced with Magic: The Gathering in 1993.

<i>BattleTech Trading Card Game</i>

The BattleTech Trading Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game (CCG) set in the BattleTech universe. The game was developed by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) for FASA and released in 1996.

<i>Magic: The Gathering Arena</i> Video game

Magic: The Gathering Arena or MTG Arena is a free-to-play digital collectible card game developed and published by Wizards of the Coast (WotC). The game is a digital adaption based on the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) card game, allowing players to gain cards through booster packs, in-game achievements or microtransaction purchases, and build their own decks to challenge other players. The game was released in a beta state in November 2017, and was fully released for Microsoft Windows users in September 2019, and a macOS version on June 25, 2020. Mobile device versions were released in March 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Final Fantasy Trading Card Game</span>

The Final Fantasy Trading Card Game, often abbreviated as Final Fantasy TCG or FF-TCG, is a trading card game developed by Hobby Japan and published by Square Enix. The first iteration was released in Japan in 2011 but never released outside Japan and was discontinued in order to release a second iteration worldwide in October 2016.

References

  1. Kaufeld, John; Smith, Jeremy (2006). Trading Card Games For Dummies . For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   0470044071.
  2. Miller, John Jackson (2003), Scrye Collectible Card Game Checklist & Price Guide, Second Edition, pp. 588–590.
  3. "Star Wars Trading Card Game: Independent Development Committee". Star Wars Trading Card Game: Independent Development Committee. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  4. "Star Wars Card Game".
  5. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - Attack of the Clones". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2002. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  6. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - Sith Rising". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2002. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  7. A New Hope
  8. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - Battle of Yavin". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2003. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  9. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - Jedi Guardians". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2003. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  10. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - The Empire Strikes Back". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2003. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  11. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - Rogues and Scoundrels". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2004. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  12. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - The Phantom Menace". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2004. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  13. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - Return of the Jedi". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2004. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  14. "Star Wars Trading Card Game - Revenge of the Sith". www.wizards.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2005. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  15. "Expansion List". Star Wars Trading Card Game: Independent Development Committee. 2016-01-28. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  16. "Pyramid: Pyramid Review: Star Wars Trading Card Game: Attack of the Clones".