Overall- on many of levels i'm enjoying the new LCG game more than the Decipher CCG:

Battling is encourgaged- your opponent can't constantly run away from you.

Decks can be constructed quickly.

The cards are more balanced. Introducing the objective cards- makes you play with cards you may not have.

And the big one…price.

I invested alot in the Decipher game. I probably have enough extra cards to wallpaper a room with.

I remember back in the 90s.. when i used to complain on the Decipher message boards about buying several booster boxes to complete the sets.

It was a huge waste to spend money on extra cards that you weren't going to use.

I remember suggesting fixed packs so you only had to purchase them once.

People argued against the idea because they said they liked 'opening packs to see what they got'.

Granted, there was a certain excitment when you pullled a rare Vader, but it was equally depressing when you pulled a rare that you didn't want or need.

Well, we know what happened to Decipher.

So hats off to the people at Fantasy Flight that realized change was needed!

I agree with you, I love the fixed distribution. I really hated getting some crappy effect or a no name chud as a rare. So much so that around Cloud City, I stopped buying boxes and instead I bought a complete sets online.

However, I wish this game had just a little bit more of the built in cinematic quality that the old CCG had. With the locations you could almost see the action happening. This game takes a bit more imagination when you have Red 5 vs a Rancor (to borrow from another board.) I mean, it's there, you just have to…imagine harder to get there.

I love that it's quicker pace and encourages battles. I'm still not crazy about the edge battle yet, but I can get used to it. I just like having a Star Wars card game to play again!

Having played the Decipher Star Wars CCG from the beginning, and as a tournament director for that game, I will always have a soft spot for that game.

It is, and will continue to be, the best game I've ever played. However since the license was lost, and the players committee has taken over, it has gone downhill in my opinion; through little fault of their own.

Now we have a new, vibrant, exciting Star Wars game that I enjoy quite a bit; and plan to play for as long as FFG makes product for it.

That being said, the LCG product will run into some of the similar problems the CCG product had.

Eventually the cardpool for the LCG will reach a critical mass in which drawing in new players will become difficult, it was a problems the CCG had around the time that they were forced to develop Special Edition and introduce new card types (objectives) to draw in new players and provide them with an easier jumping in point.

Thankfully we are several years away from that ever having to happen here with this game.

In this game you're trading the edge battle for destiny draws in combat for the CCG.

But in the and both mechanics give the skilled player the advantage. (Knowledge of pod contents in the LCG vs. the ability to track multiple destiny numbers throughout the various piles in the CCG)

From a financial standpoint, the LCG model is far superior to the randomness of booster pack treasure hunting.

All in all, I am looking forward to seeing where they take this game and how it evolves.

After playing the decipher game since 1996, I have to say it is a great game that I will play as long as there are people to play. The community that has survived is fantastic, and to me one of the reasons I still play. I am waiting to see how this community evolves and grows. The gameplay is fun, and it is exciting to see new cards!

I like collecting CCG cards but I like LCG better in terms of the gameplay as it has more defined rules compared to a small booklet of CCG back in those days. It also nice to see the new arts on LCG cards … they give the new feeling and it's definitely more instense ..

I like collecting CCG cards but I like LCG better in terms of the gameplay as it has more defined rules compared to a small booklet of CCG back in those days. It also nice to see the new arts on LCG cards … they give the new feeling and it's definitely more instense ..

* I'm not sure why it published twice. Mod please delete this one.

As yet another player of both SWCCG and SWLCG, I think that they are both great games but hard to directly compare. If I want to play a longer, more in-depth game then the Decipher games are the way to go. If I'm wanting a shorter, but highly tactical game - it'll be the FFG game every time. I'll probably spend more time teaching new players the LCG at this point though, it's much easier to learn and new cards coming out makes it easier to get people excited about the game.

Shikaku said:

Where were you a TD? I was a squadron member in VA.

I really I loved the objectives, but you make a good point about the cardpool getting too large.. I don't know what the circumstances were that led to the loss of the SW license but it's a shame they didn't get a chance to 'reset' with a 2nd edition like the Star Trek game.

I will have to disagree with you about the edge battle vs destiny draw, though. By using the deck, you almost always had a destiny draw. In this game, quite frequently you will go into an edge battle (usually as the defender) with no cards in hand and no way to win. Just try winning an edge battle as the Rebels!

It's probably just because I am not crazy about the mechanic, but I liked destiny draws sooooooo much better. Hell, even if edge battle cards were put at the bottom of your deck instead of discarded that would make it better.

Just a note for those of you who enjoyed the Decipher game, when they lost the Star Wars license, they converted their game over to a generic science fiction setting and renamed it Wars. Same exact mechanics, same rules, the cards even look the same, just no Star Wars characters. My game store has starter decks for $4 and boosters for 99 cents, which seems pretty standard pricing from what I've seen. So if you really liked the game and can live without the Star Wars coat of paint, it's certainly a viable option.

DailyRich said:

I thought that game was dead too? I know they even put out a soundtrack , wrote fiction and everything for it.

Personally, I really don't understand the love the Decipher game gets. I never got the opportunity to play, but looking over the rules and the cards I do have, the game always seemed to me to be too focused on simulating the Star Wars universe, to the point it forgot to be a game. Of course, just my two credits, and no insult meant to anyone who enjoyed the CCG.

Holliday88 said:

Oh, it is. It's just probably a lot more easily attainable for those looking to scratch this particular itch than trying to track down the Star Wars cards.

Holliday88 said:

It is, which is why you can buy it for so cheap.

Decipher's game is not dead, unless your definition only includes whether or not the cards are in print. There is an active community with players worldwide. A group of playtesters and proofers continue to "make" cards, though they are fewer in number and frequency than a company with paid staff. Many of us travel a few times a year to play at events, and I organize tournaments for Colorado and the region annually.

In many respects the SWCCG game does attempt to recreate the scenarios in the movies. There is a degree of anachronism - Luke can go toe to toe with Maul, or Lando can battle against General Grevious; but at least X-Wings and Rancors don't battle!

In other respects, however, the game falls short. For example, at the end of the Decipher era they printed and released some cards that had not thoroughly been worked through. The significant power creep it generated continuously acts as a thorn in the side of the current dev team. Also, with lots of volunteer changeover, there have been some unbalanced cards that have shifted the meta in a bad way; some of which is fixed by errata (generally to the virtual cards, not to the printed cards).

I really do enjoy the game. I have been playing since 1996 or so - with a short break during the broken / end of life era. I came back to the game in 2006 and have been playing since. The game is fun, engaging and I REALLY enjoy the community.

Having worked for Decipher, I loved the game and the company. I went all around the country for Decipher and it sucked that it went downhill so fast. SWCCG will always be the best card game in my opinion (second would be Anachronism by TriKing) and always referred to as "chess on steroids!"

Having said that, I love this new LCG. The way it is sold and the deck concept. Though it is slighty easier to play, it still holds a competitive vibe to it that makes you want to play more.

Nothing (and I mean NOTHING) will ever truly be as complete a game as the old Decipher Star Wars CCG. No markers, beads, pads of paper, dice, or other general crap to clutter the table as their is in every other game I have played. The mechanics are sleek and highly thematic to the Star Wars mythos… with that said, this is a new Star Wars game… and it's very solid.

Yea… SWCCG is and forever will be the greatest card game ever made. Period.

Rogue 4 said:

william?

Yes as an overall game the ccg version will be tough to beat. But this version has a chance if the multiplayer (more then 2) version is kick ass.. at that point it will offer more then the ccg version ever could.

Desipher ccg

+ version is more complete, it is very cinematic, it has very interesting rules and it is more compicated, the basic rules are wery sleek and works really nice!

- The rules are so diversed because it tryes to simulate everything, so it is very complex to learn (rules for asteroids, rules for sabback, rules for…), It was really hard game to collect: No limits to the number of individual cards, super rares, ccg random distribution

FFG lcg

+ easy to learn (so far at least) (the rule book is not so great), it is fast, easy to collect due lcg format.

- too easy? Some very uncinematic situations.

I am hc-player so original has a warm spot in my heart, but this new one has more appeal to casual players.

alot of the feelings and comments her reflect my thoughts, i will love the decipher ccg till the day i die, i till play and even still make tons of dream cards on my deviantart page. My friends and i are currently running a custom campaign rule set i created where at the end of each game you level up by swaping out cards from your deck (1 of each type) to a leveled up card, IE a tie fighter can upgrad to a tie advanced or a uniqe tie fighter, luke can upgrade to luke skywalker ect. I am enjoying the new game though without the solo play or co-op option its harder to get ppl to play as allot of my freinds dont like pvp (cuz some of us r to good lol) or they dont feel they have the time to invest in pvp games.

I do like the collectability aspect and the fact this game will be drawing allot from the expanded universe. I really cant wait a few years from now to see if we get to go into the thrawn trilogy. Id rather see us enter the novels then go into the new movies right away. Let them come later when that area of the timeline is more complete.

I still take issue with some of the battle mechanics like having luke take on the devastator. But i have mostly moved past it and can enjoy the battles. I like that the games move faster and i love the force packs and the fixed no blind buys. I also like that they arent milking the game with foils or alternate images.

I still do NOT like the deck building mechanic of the pods. I feel its way to restrictive. But i can see how it helps my friends build decks allot faster when i bring my binders over to their houses.

I hope for more, and while i know allot of people here are anti prequel i would like to see prequel stuff happen as its own game with perhaps the same rules and compatibility the same way lord of the rings lcg has the hobbit. As for tourneys and stuff, simply have either classic, prequel or mixed. If you dont like prequel stuff dont buy lt lol. I look at it this way, there is allot to explore in the star wars universe. Why limit outselves when we can explore every aspect. The parts we dont like we dont need to play or use. Still i would rather them focus on the EU novels more then the prequels. Like the thrawn trilogy, shadows of the empre, the yuuhzan vong ect. Theres so much awesome stuff we can get from those books.

But as for the old decipher it still is the greatest star wars card game ever. I love it and wish they would bring it back but im enjoying the new game as well.

I have seen guys play both, and they had a equal passion for but games, but when it came down to it they love the game play and Art work of the LCG. The game play I know in the first couple of games in LCG is a little wierd but after the 3rd game everything falls into place.

In the end they are different games - and I think for a different target player base. If the latter was not true before, it is now, as the game has been out of print for more than a decade.

I can honestly say I really dig the LCG right now, but I think it is because of the "limited" cardpool, the simple mechanics and, of course, that there are people I can play against IRL.

I, too, used to play the old Decipher Star Wars CCG and I agree with those here who say it is perhaps the best game ever made. It is certainly the best STAR WARS game ever made. Drawing destiny, the way that under the weapon rules the lightsabers truly were not "as clumsy or random as a blaster" because you got to draw two destiny to try and hit something. The thematic momento f drawing destiny to see if your Superlaser fired fromthe Death Star really did destroy a PLANET! And of course, the possiblity of turning Luke to the Dark Side or redeeming Darth Vader also ruled by that ever important destiny draw.

But, then again, some of those cards LITERALLY involved doing algebra at the gaming table.

See Brainiac: http://www.starwarsccg.org/cardlists/images/starwars/ANewHope-Light/large/brainiac.gif

And of course the Commence Primary Ignition card:

http://www.starwarsccg.org/cardlists/images/starwars/ANewHope-Dark/large/commenceprimaryignition.gif

That limits your general appeal, you know? This new game from FFG is great in that it has a Star Wars feel and is easy to play/learn for newbies. I've already signed up for and planned a Star Wars LCG regional at Your Local Game Store in Matthews NC. It is scheduled for April if anyone is in the area and wants to give it a try.

I'll always love the Decipher SW:CCG - but the future is now and there is a new SW card game available to buy and play. It has solid design and is a worthy product to carry on the SW card game legacy (let's not talk about the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars TCG, ok?)

I look forward to many years of fun with the SW:LCG and it's not like my SW:CCG cards have all ceased to exist, right?

I've played many CCGs/TCGs and even playtested a few different games, and while I have a special place in my heart for the Star Wars CCG because it was the first game I ever played, it was a very clunky game with a high learning curve, and poor design. A lot of this had to do with trying to keep with the Star Wars flavor. And while it really added to the feel, it made the rules overly complicated, bullet cards had to be added for dominant stratigies, and things at times were not interactive (even to the point where the first few sets had degenerate strategies like Asteroids, cloud decks, etc). It got better with objectives being released, but inherit flaws with the game made the best strategies where you wanted to avoid confrontation, or heavily punished players for trying to be interactive. With that being said, at times the game was the closest you could get to the Star Wars universe in card game form, and can really show the mental abilities of a player.

I actually think the LCG has a good foundation, and the deck building really adds a different approach to the traditional deck building found in other TCGs/LCGs. You have to consider all cards as a group when making deck building choices. And while I find that refreshing, the design of the game has hand advantage working differently in this game compared to other games - holding on to powerful cards is usually a bad idea, and going through your deck is usually the best option because you can get through a bad turn with ease. To me, this is a double edge sword as at times, as some of the challenge is taken away as I don't even have to think about plays and just go into auto-pilot. Also, there's a lot of poker play - winning edge battles is very important and can easily change the fate of the game. I feel as the game evolves, there will be a lot more player choice, and different affiliations will get better cards to make them work more flawlessly.

As it stands, my biggest gripe, in my opinion, is that the Sith is the best affiliation, and it's hard to beat their turtle-style play. They have too much control cards, and some of the biggest defenses and most powerful units. Playing the light side can be a chore. A lot of it has to do with the pod designs - Vader and Emperor pods really have some of the most powerful filler cards, whereas when you look at Yoda/Luke sets they have some of the weakest. I hope as the game gets more cards, this power creep can go towards the light side a bit more.

Darik said:

And you couldn't have had it closer to Raleigh?