Star Wars: The Trading Card Game (TCG) is the most recent collectible card game to use the Star Wars license. It is produced by Wizards of the Coast.

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. In addition, if a player runs out of cards in their deck, that player loses. 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, AT-ATs and characters like Luke Skywalker 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 player.

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.
  • Ground: These units have a green border.
  • Character: These units have a purple border.
• 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.
• 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.

Playing the Game (Building a deck)

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)