Star Wars Trading Card Game

Infobox Game
subject_name = "Star Wars Trading Card Game"
image_link =
image_caption =
designer = Richard Garfield
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
players = 2
ages = 6 and up
setup_time= under 1 minute
playing_time = 10-40 Minutes
complexity = Low
strategy = Middle
random_chance = High
skills = Deck manipulation,
deck optimization,
planning
footnotes =
bggid=4052

"Star Wars: The Trading Card Game" is the most recent collectible card game to use the "Star Wars" license. It is 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, "". It was announced to be 'put on indefinite hold' by WotC near the end of 2005. However, a non-profit, player-elected community called the Independent Development Committee, or IDC for short, began making virtual cards that can be downloaded and printed out to continue gameplay.

Game play

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:
*Units: these can control arenas and are the most plentiful card in any deck. Each unit can only be placed in a certain arena designated by color and subtype. All units have several statistics including: build cost, speed, power, health, alignment. Units must be built.
**Space: These units have a blue border and represent the space ships throughout the Star Wars films and books.
**Ground: These units have a green border and represent the ground forces in the Star Wars films and books.
**Character: These units have a purple border and represent the people and aliens found throughout the Star Wars films and books.
*Battle: These cards have special one time use effects and can only be used while your units are doing battle. They don't need to be built and some for an extra cost can be enhanced to give the user a better effect.
*Mission: These cards are like battle cards, but must be built. Their effects differ and must be played in the build step.
*Location: This type of card effects its arena until it is replaced with another Location card. Most location cards are colored like units and can only be placed in specific arenas. Some locations can be placed in any arena and are not colored like any normal unit.
*Equipment:This card type represents the weapons and vehicle upgrades in the Star Wars universe. These cards have a silver border and enhance the unit they are equipped to.

Abilities

*Activated AbilitiesThese are abilities that units have on them and are used by paying a cost (usually force).
*Static AbilitiesThese 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).
*Triggered AbilitiesThese 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

*"Attack of the Clones" (April 2002)
*"Sith Rising" (July 2002)
*"A New Hope" (October 2002)
*"Battle of Yavin" (February 2003)
*"Jedi Guardians" (June 2003)
*"Empire Strikes Back" (October 2003)
*"Rogues and Scoundrels" (March 2004)
*"Phantom Menace" (May 2004)
*"Return of the Jedi" (October 2004)
*"Revenge of the Sith" (March 2005)

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:
*two sixty-card decks (one Light side, one Dark side)
*several dice (six sided)
*a method of tracking Force points (counters, pen and paper, or a twenty sided die)
*damage counters
*build counters (can be the same as damage counters)

External links

* [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=swtcg "Star Wars TCG" website]
* [http://www.rebelbasers.com/ipb/index.php?act=portal Rebelbasers]
* [http://www.skywlkr.net/idc/index.asp "SWTCG" Independent Development Committee]