With Star Wars Unlimited set, Legends of the Force, now widely available, we here at Card Gamer thought it’d be useful to let our readers know why we think it’s the most exciting set so far!
Every Era of Star Wars is Represented
Though this doesn’t necessarily have any bearing on the gameplay, except from a thematic point of view, it’s fantastic to see such a wide range of source material and time periods being represented in Legends of the Force. First set Spark of Rebellion was set during the original trilogy, its immediate successor Shadows of the Galaxy heavily featured post-Return of the Jedi characters and settings, third set Twilight of the Republic had a Clone Wars theme and set four, Jump to Lightspeed, was more wide-ranging, but focused on the vehicles and pilots of the Star Wars saga.
Legends of the Force focuses on Jedi and Force sensitive characters; with such a rich and deep history to draw from, it seems as if the designers at Fantasy Flight Games have left no point of the Star Wars universe’s timeline untouched. Joining characters, objects, vehicles and settings from the three distinct film trilogies are cards representing elements from books, comics, video games and TV shows.
The set goes as far back in the Star Wars timeline as The Old Republic era, which is thousands of years before the events of original Star Wars movie’s climactic Battle of Yavin, also classified as BBY, or Before the Battle of Yavin. It also covers The High Republic (hundreds of years BBY), and features characters from video games such as the “Jedi” titles (Fallen Order and Survivor), which happen after the end of the Clone Wars, but just a few years BBY. For a good look at the main characters featured in Legends of the Force, check out our guide to the best Leader cards in the set.
Players Can Use the Force
Of course, with a set that focuses so strongly on Jedi and Force sensitive characters, it’s the perfect excuse to introduce the Force to the game, as its own mechanic. From the very first Star Wars movie in 1977, the Force has been an essential element of the universe’s mythology; it’s no surprise given its name, Legends of the Force, that the mystical energy is used so extensively in this particular set. For more on how the Force works, check out our guide on how to use the Force in Star Wars Unlimited.
It’s a Great Set for New Players
Most TCGs can rapidly become very daunting for new players to jump into, but Star Wars Unlimited has been fairly restrained in terms of adding new mechanics and even products, remaining accessible and relatively newcomer friendly along the way.
A few sets have perhaps felt more mechanically complex, with Shadows of the Galaxy’s Bounty and Smuggle keywords, Coordinate and Exploit in Twilight of the Republic or Jump to Lightspeed’s Piloting introducing layers of complexity, but even then they’ve mostly remained confined to their specific sets.
In Legends of the Force, the single new keyword is Hidden, and it’s a very straightforward one to deal with. Though the aforementioned addition of the Force adds another element of complexity, it’s actually not too difficult for new players to get to grips with either. Spotlight Decks, featuring Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jinn, are a good entry point for new players too. Check out our guide to all keywords in Star Wars Unlimited, which we’ve updated to include the Hidden keyword and bring it right up to date!
Collectors Haven’t Been Forgotten
Launched with a strong focus on play, rather than collecting, Star Wars Unlimited was built from the ground up with a variety of game formats being made possible through its single booster type. The release of Jump to Lightspeed saw Carbonite Boosters introduced, which are filled with all kinds of special cards, including rarities and foil treated cards that can’t be found in standard booster packs. Legends of the Force has its own Carbonite Boosters, which are especially for collectors, and released in limited numbers to make opening each pack feel like a premium, special experience.
Check out our full gallery of the cards in Legends of the Force, and what we know so far about upcoming sixth set, Secrets of Power.
