Almost all trading card games (or TCGs) have set rotation, but since launch in 2024, Star Wars Unlimited has not been subject to this. However, from the release of A Lawless Time onwards, we’ll see set rotation affect older cards in Star Wars Unlimited. If Star Wars Unlimited is your first TCG, or you simply haven’t had to deal with rotation before, you might not understand what it means. So let’s check it out, in our Star Wars Unlimited set rotation guide!

What is Rotation?

As trading card games mature and the card pool becomes ever bigger, it often becomes necessary to “retire” older cards. There are many reasons for this, but perhaps the most important one is that often, game design and the meta evolves over time as a response to player feedback. With a healthy playerbase and numerous sets having been in the hands of players over the last few years, the designers of Star Wars Unlimited have great data to hand on what’s working, and what doesn’t quite hit the mark, in the game. Rotation is a good way of solving several problems at once.

Which Sets Will Be Subject to Rotation in Star Wars Unlimited?

The first ever rotation in Star Wars Unlimited will affect the first three sets that were released for the TCG. This means that, when rotation comes into effect, cards from Spark of Rebellion, Shadows of the Galaxy and Twilight of the Republic are all affected.

What Does Rotation Actually Mean for the Cards in My Collection?

When cards are rotated, it means that they cannot be used in the Premier format of Star Wars Unlimited. Simply put, if you’re taking part in an organized play event, either at a local store or at a larger tournament, you will not be able to use those cards any more. However, do bear in mind that you can play in the Eternal format with friends or at events if agreed in advance of play with your opponents and organizers. Eternal is exactly as it sounds: all cards, from any set ever printed, can be used. So don’t get rid of those older cards yet!

Especially as cards can be reprinted as part of new sets. If you have a card from the older sets which is reprinted in a Premier legal set, you can still use the older card in your deck.

How Do I Identify Which Set My Cards Are From?

In the bottom left of each Star Wars Unlimited card, or on the bottom right of horizontally-faced cards, is a three letter set code. You can see in the image above, we’ve circled the LAW set code to make it easier to spot. The codes are as follows for all currently available main sets:

So if you look at your cards and they have SOR, SHD or TWI as their set codes, this means that they will be rotated out of legality as of the first set rotation date. As of the fourth set, Jump to Lightspeed, cards also have a set rotation symbol, making it even easier to identify whether or not cards are legal for Premier play.

When Will Rotation Be Coming Into Effect?

The first ever set rotation for Star Wars Unlimited is happening in March 2026. As mentioned, this affects all cards in sets 1-3, and when the second rotation occurs, all cards with the set rotation symbol A will be added to the list. The third rotation will be rotation symbol B, and so on. There will be at least a year between rotations, so at any given time, up to 6 sets will be legal for the Premier format.

Check out our guide on how to play Twin Suns, the multiplayer version of Star Wars Unlimited. We also have a guide to the improved booster pack pull rates, coming into effect with the release of A Lawless Time!