To get a full competitive play list, aka minimum two of each tournament playable objective set (or minimum one of each limited objective set), this is what you buy:
- 2x Core Sets ( link here )
- 2x Edge of Darkness, Expansion Set ( link here )
- 1x Balance of the Force, Expansion Set ( link here )
- 1x Between the Shadows, Expansion Set ( link here )
- 1x Hoth Cycle, Force Packs ( link here , 6 packs total)
- 1x Echoes of the Force Cycle, Force Packs ( link here , 6 packs total)
- 1x Rogue Squadron Cycle, Force Packs ( link here , 6 packs total, 2 unreleased, 6 revealed)
- 1x Endor Cycle, Force Packs ( link here , 6 packs total, 6 unreleased, 1 revealed)
- Standard Size Sleeves or Art Sleeves "63.5 x 88 mm perfect fit or 66 X 91 mm" ( link here , link here , or link here )
FAQ
Why do I need two copies of anything?
- You are allowed to play two copies of an objective set in a deck. This maximizes your draw to get particular cards. Competitive decks usually run two copies of an objective set. Limited objective sets you are only allowed to put one copy into your deck.
Do I need two copies of every objective set?
- No. You can fully enjoy the game and have a full casual playset by purchasing one copy of everything.
I am on a limited budget, what do I need to experience the game?
- I recommend picking up: 1x Core Set and 1x Balance of the Force. This will allow you to experience head to head play (1v1) and multiplayer play. Note that unless you purchase 1x Edge of Darkness Expansion Set, your deck building options for Smugglers & Spies and Scum & Villainy affiliations will be limited (aka Han Solo's and Jabba the Hutt's team).
What does two Core Sets get me?
- You get minimum two copies of each tournament playable objective set. You will have extra sets of some neutral objective sets and limited objective sets, you will have an extra set of tokens including death star dial, you will have an extra set of affiliation and force cards, two rule books.
What extra stuff will buying two Core Sets provide that I won't need?
- See above. It is useful to have the extra Shield, Damage, and Focus tokens.
Why do I need to buy two copies of the Edge of Darkness Expansion?
- Edge of Darkness focuses on Smugglers & Spies and Scum & Villainy affiliations. It provides one copy of each new objective set. To have a competitive play deck including the new objective sets, you need TWO copies.
What extra stuff will buying two Edge of Darkness Expansion provide that I won't need?
- There are a few limited objective sets that are unnecessary. You can only legally play one limited objective set in a deck.
Why do I only need one copy of Balance of the Force Expansion?
- Balance of the Force Expansion is a multiplayer expansion. It does come with tournament legal objective sets, however all these sets are limited so you only need one copy.
Why do I only need one copy of each Force Pack?
- Each Force Pack is packaged to include two copies of each objective set and one copy of each limited objective set so you do not need to buy multiples.
Why did you make this post?
- Because I'm tired of being confused on what to buy -- and as a longtime LCG player, I am sure that new players are even more confused. I didn't preorder two copies of Edge of Darkness and became frustrated when I opened my box to find I needed to buy another box. When I went to preorder Balance of the Force I had to make sure I didn't need two copies.
Sleeve FAQ
Why do I need to sleeve my cards?
- Continual play will cause your cards to wear and tear if they are not sleeved. In tournaments, this means that some cards can be differentiated from other cards and you could get disqualified if you are caught with "dogmarked" cards.
What size sleeves do I purchase?
- Standard Size or "Magic: The Gathering" sized. This is 66 X 91 mm sized sleeves or 63.5 x 88 mm for a perfect/tight fit.
How many sleeves do I need to purchase?
- If you want to sleeve everything, then look at the back of the product or on the product home page. It tells you exactly how many FFG Brand sleeves you need to purchase and what type. The Core Set for example says 5 Silver/Gray. So you need to purchase five of the Silver/Gray sleeves (Standard Size). FFG sleeves come 50 sleeves per pack -- so you need 250 sleeves to cover the entirety of the Core Set. Do note that you may have excess sleeves for product. For example purchasing the recommended 2 Silver/Gray for a single Force Pack will give you more sleeves than you need -- the exact number of cards in a Force Pack is 60, so purchasing 2 Silver/Gray will result in 40 extra card sleeves.
Are sleeves required for tournament play?
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For all officially sanctioned regional, national, invitational, and world championship events, players are required to use protective sleeves for their decks. If a player’s deck contains Aurebesh text or alternate art cards, the sleeves must be art sleeves or opaque. For all locallevel events, card sleeves are not required, but players are encouraged to use sleeves both to protect their cards and to protect themselves against accusations of marking or manipulating decks by exploiting variance in the size, wear, or texture of their cards.
Alternative Art Promo cards and sleeves?
- These are given out at FFG events such as League Nights or at conventions where FFG has a presence such as a booth or running product demos. They are legal for tournament play as a substitute for the card in their objective set. Due to the Print-On-Demand method, the card stock is slightly different so colored backings (not clear) must be used for sleeves.
What are colored backing sleeves?
- These are sleeves that only have clear visibility on one side, the other side is opaque and usually is a solid color or has a design. FFG released its own line of Star Wars themed art sleeves. These are standard fit and are compatible with Star Wars LCG. See all of FFG's standard sized Art Sleeves here .
Why do you talk about Standard Sized and Perfect Fit, what's the difference?
- Standard Size sleeves are 66 X 91 millimeter. However this is not a perfect fit for the card and is a little "loose" -- meaning the card sleeve will hang over a few millimeters as the card is too small. A perfect fit sleeve is 63.5 x 88 mm. Fantasy Flight Supply brand sleeves are not perfect fit.
Where can you get Perfect Fit sleeves?
- You can ask your local hobby game retailer for information on that. I do not want to advertise any particular brand. I personally sleeve my FFG products with FFG sleeves due to the ease of the sleeve system they created.
