How to Play Star Wars: Unlimited – Part 3: Building Your First Deck

Welcome back to our Star Wars: Unlimited series! In Part 1, we covered card types and counters. In Part 2, we broke down the symbols and rarity icons. Now it’s time to dive into one of the most exciting parts of the game—deckbuilding.

Whether you're gearing up for casual play or prepping for your first tournament, building your own deck is where strategy meets creativity. Here's how to get started.

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🧩 The Basics: What Makes a Legal Deck?

Before we get into card choices, let’s cover the rules:

• Deck Size: Minimum of 50 cards, No Maximum (not including your Leader and Base).

• Card Copies: You can include up to 3 copies of any card.

• Leader and Base: You choose one Leader and one Base to define your deck’s identity and aspect access.

🧠 Step 1: Choose Your Leader

Your Leader is the heart of your deck. It determines your available aspects (Aggression, Cunning, Heroism, etc.) and sets the tone for your strategy. Leaders also have powerful abilities and an Epic Action—a game-changing move that can only be used once per game, so timing is everything.

Pick a Leader whose playstyle matches how you like to win—and whose aspect symbols support the cards you want to include.

🏰 Step 2: Pick a Base

Your Base starts the game in play and represents your stronghold. Most Bases begin with 30 health, but some rarer Bases may have higher or lower health totals, and even come with special abilities or their own Epic Actions. These can add unique twists to your strategy and give your deck a distinct identity.

Your Base’s aspect symbols combine with your Leader’s to define your deck’s aspect pool. If you include cards with aspects not supported by your Leader or Base, you’ll need to pay 2 extra neutral resources per unsupported symbol—so choose wisely!

⚔️ Step 3: Add Unit Cards

Units are your boots on the ground (and ships in the sky). They fight in either the ground or space arena and come in all shapes and sizes.

• Include a mix of low-cost units for early pressure and high-cost units for late-game power.

• Consider units with keywords like Overwhelm, Ambush, or Shield to add tactical depth.

Aim for around 25–30 units in a typical deck, depending on your strategy.

📜 Step 4: Include Event Cards

Events are one-time effects that can change the tide of battle. They’re great for removing threats, drawing cards, or triggering combos.

• Use events to support your Leader’s strengths or cover your weaknesses.

• Don’t overload—10–15 events is usually a good range.

🛠️ Step 5: Add Upgrade Cards

Upgrades attach to units and give them new abilities or stat boosts. They’re great for enhancing your best units or turning a small threat into a big problem.

• Include 5–10 upgrades depending on how many units you run.

• Look for upgrades that synergize with your Leader’s strategy or offer flexible utility.

🧪 Final Tips

• Test and tweak: Play a few games and see what works. Don’t be afraid to swap cards or adjust your curve.

• Balance your costs: Make sure you have plays at every stage of the game—from turn 1 to turn 7+.

• Stick to your aspects: Avoid cards that require unsupported aspects unless you’re ready to pay the extra cost.

🛒 Need Cards to Build With?

If you’re ready to start building, check out our online store for Star Wars: Unlimited singles, sealed product, and accessories. We’re adding new inventory all the time to help you build the perfect deck.

Stay tuned for Part 4, where we’ll explore powers and abilities cards may have. Until then, happy deckbuilding and may your draws be strong!