Tyrell Archer

I must admit that I came to this game as a Star Wars fan, not a card game fan. Star Wars card games left me cold in the past due to the focus on collecting, and inevitably I would lose to my friends as they spent more money on their cards than I did. Happily, the FF Living Card Game model solves this problem. When my son and I play, our challenge in selecting a deck does not include how much money we’ve spent. Though we’re new to deck building games of this type, we’ve enjoyed it enough that we will look at other card games whether they are Star Wars or not!

The goals for each side (the light side vs the dark) are different but balanced, and essentially involve the capture or destruction of the opposing player’s objectives. Play is divided into distinct steps for each turn, allowing players to refresh their cards, set up their attacks, and conclude their turns. During setup and attack phases, players may spend resources to launch attacks and activate special abilities. Where we found the game really shines, however, is its individual use of characters and elements from the Star Wars universe. Jedi and Sith characters use lightsaber combat forms and Force abilities. Rebels and Imperials launch massive attacks with starfighters and capital ships. Smugglers steal resources, while bounty hunters capture cards for various effects. Enjoying these elements of our favourite fictional universe made it easy to learn to play the game.

My issues with the game are few, but they are there. While learning to play was easy, we’ve found that some expansions refer to rules in such a way that we realize we were playing incorrectly from the beginning. Some clarification would be welcome for some of these more obscure rules. Also, and this is more from the fan point of view rather than the game player, I love the focus on the classic movie characters, but there needs to be more on the Prequel trilogy, rather than exploring the expanded universe, which appears to be the direction they are heading. This won’t make a difference to the average game player, however.

I can’t recommend this game enough to Star Wars fans and gamers alike. If, like me, you’re new to deck building games, this is a perfect introduction, kept alive by monthly expansions that take the game elements in new and exciting directions. Looking forward to more!