Hi

I just wanted to share something that I think is important when discussing getting into this game. There have been a few comments about needing to drop hundreds of <insert local currency here> to get started and the randomness of getting characters. I don't actually think it's as big a problem as some people are claiming and this is my experience.

I've bought both starter sets and 2 boosters. Sadly I can't remember what the 'dice' card was from one of those boosters but I did pull Sith Holocron in one of them. I guess I could work out what the other one was by deduction but I don't have access to my cards right now. It wasn't a character I know that.

I figured out that by adding a single Bala-Tik to what I had I could build a legal constructed villain deck. Sure I was lucky in that a player just gave me the Bala-Tik but checking locally I could have bought it from a dealer at the cost of a booster pack. So now I have a legal deck, how is it going to play out as there are certainly a few cards I'm playing because I have to rather than want to?

Last night I played two games against people with large collections. I lost the first and won the second. Both of the games were close and I'd say that I lost the first because my opponent was just a better player with more experience not because his deck crushed mine. I won the second and it was one of those games where I either won that turn or lost on the next so very close and great fun to play. Just for the record my Holocron never showed up in either game so it's not like that was a pivotal part of my results!

It's not a lot of evidence but I now really believe that it's possible to play and enjoy the game with one of each starter set and Bala-Tik. Maybe I used a couple of other cards from my 2 boosters I can't be totally sure without checking but I do have a couple of cards that could legally go in the deck left over. At the moment the price of Bala-Tik is low enough not to add any significant amount to the cost but even if it somehow spikes in price you would in theory at least have the hero side of the starters to trade for it.

So yeah, you can play for an almost fixed cost of roughly the total price of the starters and a booster. You may want Vader/Raider or some other deck design but it's possible to have fun without immediately having to buy boxes of boosters.

I figured out that by adding a single Bala-Tik to what I had I could build a legal constructed villain deck.

The points on characters doesn't have to exactly equal 30, you can play with less and still be legal. So even if you didn't add Bala-Tik to your eKylo and Trooper from the starter you'd still be legal, at a slight disadvantage sure, but still a legal team.

What does have to equal 30 though is the number of cards in your deck, which would be tough to do with just 1 starter and 2 boosters packs.

I figured out that by adding a single Bala-Tik to what I had I could build a legal constructed villain deck.

The points on characters doesn't have to exactly equal 30, you can play with less and still be legal. So even if you didn't add Bala-Tik to your eKylo and Trooper from the starter you'd still be legal, at a slight disadvantage sure, but still a legal team.

What does have to equal 30 though is the number of cards in your deck, which would be tough to do with just 1 starter and 2 boosters packs.

I understand about the points but one big advantage is that Bala-Tik is yellow so allows you to add yellow cards to the 30 making getting there easier. The fact that he fits in the 10 point gap between Elite Kylo + Stormtrooper is helpful but not the major reason.

Plus I used both starter packs not just one. That's the key, the Hero starter has a villain gun plus neutral cards plus you now can use yellow as well as blue/red.

Plus I used both starter packs not just one. That's the key, the Hero starter has a villain gun plus neutral cards plus you now can use yellow as well as blue/red.

Ahh I misread that you had both starters. That makes all the difference, as you said there's a lot of stuff in Rey's starter that can be added to Kylo's to make a legal deck. Ignore my previous then. :-D

No problem. Plus with both starters I can always put them back together to introduce people to the game.

Nice to see a positive thread, there are so many negative ones, I pretty much stopped visiting this forum altogether because of all the negative threads. I too have had nothing but positive experiences from this great game. I did go and get both starters and a box of boosters + 1 booster which i was incredibly lucky to pull a vader, and was lucky enough to make 4 decks out of it. Had some friends over and played a 4 player game, (all 4 of us using my cards).

I was able to make, Evader/tusken (only 10 dice cards), grievous and 2 troopers (only 9 dice cards), leia, ackbar, and a hired gun (only 9 dice cards), and last deck was erey/luke (only 9 dice cards). Got all the colors in on both sides. I just can't wait to get more. All my dice match and are in perfect condition, I don't have a single complaint. I like that i'm using almost all the cards I got. Not one of my cards have hit the binder for ever, I've given them all a go.

I like that you just got a character, and he fills out your deck, and as you pointed out, could have bought him as a single for the price of a booster pack.

I actually saw the same thing as OP. I bought a booster box and a kylo ren starter. I was able to make a full 30 card deck (trooper, Phasma, night sister) with just about all the cards I wanted. My opponent last night has a Rey starter + 3 boosters. I won by exactly one action, if I had rolled anything even slightly differently I would have lost. The game has internal balance to it and I think it has a lot to do with forethought and planning. I'm impressed that even though my deck performed (relatively) the way I wanted, it was still close enough to make me sweat. It means the games are inherently close and often won by whose looking ahead and making better decisions.