This document is to explain what SWCCG is and how you can play it as well as a brief overview of how it is played.
What is SWCCG?
SWCCG or Star Wars Customizable Card Game is an out of print game that was made by Decipher from 1995 to 2001 when Decipher lost the Star Wars license from Lucasfilm. Since 2002, the game has been maintained and grown by the Star Wars CCG Player's Committee. It was, at it's height, the second most popular CCG in the world after Magic: The Gathering.
What is the SWCCG Player's Committee?
The Player's Committee, or PC as its known to most players, we created by Decipher in 2002 after being unable to renew the license. It is made up of developer's of the game and some of the best players in the world who have oversight of the game. This allowed them to continue creation of the game, the making of new sets and the running of both regional and world tournaments with some restrictions:
- Cards can only be made and distributed electronically.
- Can not create physical cards.
- Can not use images from new star wars films(The card art used is made by cosplayers).
- Everything the PC creates must be given out for free. Not allowed to make any profit.
What Makes SWCCG Unique?
SWCCG is the only CCG where your deck is your actual life. Most CCGs have an arbitrary number of health points that must be depleted in order to win or lose. In SWCCG, your deck is not only how you win, but if its depleted you will lose. You activate your deck to play cards and lose cards from your deck when you take damage.
SWCCG also tells a story while you play. You can design decks to reply parts of the movies. Their are objectives that let you save the Princess, blow up the Death Star and make the Kessel Run as well as many others.
How is it Played?
- Choose a Dark Side or Light Side deck.
- Each side Draws eight cards.
- Dark Side goes first.
- You play either a planet or a site on a planet to be used as "Battlegrounds".
- You activate force from your deck based off the number of Lightsaber symbols on your side(Red for DS and Blue for LS) of the battlegrounds as well as one for yourself which represents the force you generate.
- Your Turn is then broke into the following phases:
- Control Phase: Allows you to force drain (deal damage based off of their lightsaber icons) if you control a site and other card specific actions.
- Deploy Phase: Allows you to play characters,starships,vehicles and other cards buy using the required amount of force.
- Battle Phase: Allows you to battle the opposing player at battleground sites.
- Move Phase: Allows you to move your characters and ships from site to site using landspeed or hyperspeed based on the card being moved.
- Draw Phase: Allows you to draw the force you activated and didnt use into your hand and concludes the turn.
Where Can I Play It?
The Player's committee has made a web application to simulate playing SWCCG. It is totally free, has all cards available(except for a select few still being coded in) and even has prebuilt decks that can you use to play.
The site is coded in such a way that it actually helps you learn because during each phase of your turn it highlights what you can do and only allows you to do what you are able to.
In Conclusion
SWCCG is a great game that requires thinking and strategy. Its fun to play from the most basic starter deck up to the World Championship decks. It also brings back a great sense of nostalgia while playing. Dont be afraid to learn and try this game for yourself.