The Star Wars Customizable Card Game (SWCCG) is a trading card game, where cards are collected, that draws its inspiration from the original trilogy (inclusive of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire) and also The Phantom Menace. Decipher, Inc. conceived and launched it; however, the license to officially publish Star Wars products was lost by Decipher in 2001.
The initial release of Star Wars CCG occurred in December of 1995. Over a span of years, Decipher enriched the original card pool with eleven complete expansions, along with a multitude of smaller expansions, specialized sets, and promotional releases. The final set, Theed Palace Limited, saw its release in the autumn of 2001. The game encompassed the entirety of the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi) in addition to Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. From 1995 to 1998, for several years during its run, the game was a top-selling CCG, surpassed only by Magic: The Gathering, as reported by InQuest magazines. In 2001, Decipher's license to create official Star Wars products expired; the Star Wars Trading Card Game from Wizards of the Coast then took its place.
A guide to the game's strategy, named Star Wars Customizable Card Game: Official Player's Guide, was made available in 1996.
Decipher put out more than twenty expansions and smaller, niche products. New cards are introduced to the game via expansions.
- Premiere Limited
- Premiere Unlimited
- A New Hope Limited
- Hoth Limited
- Dagobah Limited
- First Anthology
- Cloud City Limited
- Jabba's Palace Limited
- Second Anthology
- A New Hope Revised Unlimited
- Hoth Revised Unlimited
- Special Edition Limited
- Endor Limited
- Dagobah Revised Unlimited
- Reflections: A Collector's Bounty
- Death Star II Limited
- Reflections II: Expanding the Galaxy
- Tatooine Limited
- Coruscant Limited
- Reflections III
- Theed Palace Limited
Prior to the license being lost by Decipher, several sets had been formally revealed but did not ultimately get released.
- Shadows of The Empire expansion [3] (portions of which were incorporated into Reflections II)
- Jedi Masters expansion [3] (portions of which were incorporated into Reflections III)
- Skywalkers expansion [3] (portions of which were incorporated into Tatooine)
- Scoundrels expansion [3]
A fifth set, Reflections Gold, was being worked on when Decipher's license expired, and despite the company's objections, the cards were not permitted to be released to the public, not even in a digital format. Over time, preliminary versions of many of these cards have surfaced in the secondary market, and they are now considered exceptionally rare.
In comparison to other trading card games (TCGs), SWCCG is intricate and presents a significant learning challenge. Its rule set is more extensive than other TCGs, including some obscure and rarely needed rules. Certain fundamental concepts (like the distinction between "battle damage" and "attrition" during combat) can be confusing. However, the core mechanics are both innovative and adaptable, giving SWCCG a depth that appeals to dedicated gamers.
Another feature that set SWCCG apart from many other TCGs was that, while Decipher was in charge of the game, no card was ever prohibited from tournament participation. Instead, Decipher chose to introduce "magic bullets," which were new cards specifically created to counteract the problematic strategy, whenever a card or strategy was deemed overly powerful or abusive. In some instances, Decipher also used errata, which are revisions to a card's game text that override the printed version. The use of errata also makes the learning curve steeper, since players must be aware of errata in order to properly use the affected cards. While alternative formats have been developed using a restricted card selection, the initial open format still permits all cards to be played.
Each game necessitates one player to assume the role of the Light Side of the Force, while the other player represents the Dark Side. The game's goal is to empty the deck of the opposing player.
A player can specialize in either side during casual play, but players are required to have both Dark and Light decks for tournaments. The game's action unfolds at various Location cards (both in space and on planets) within the Star Wars universe. Locations can be deployed as the game advances; furthermore, the majority of locations are available in both Dark and Light Side versions, and any location on the table can be "converted" (switched to the opposite side) at any moment. The majority of locations have an impact on gameplay in some way; all of them also offer "Force icons," which indicate the quantity of "Force" – the game's resource – that a player is able to activate each turn.
Each unit of the Force is simply a card taken from the top of a player's deck and positioned to the side in the Force Pile. When utilized to deploy something, each unit of Force is placed on another pile, referred to as the Used Pile, which is then cycled back to the bottom of the deck. Any unused Force remains in the Force Pile and can be saved for the following turn or drawn into the hand. The game's objective is to compel the opponent to discard all of their Life Force (comprising the Reserve Deck, Force Pile, and Used Pile). This is achieved through Force Drains (forcing the opponent to discard cards by controlling a location with their Force Icons on it unopposed), engaging in battles with opposing characters, and resolving specific pivotal situations (such as freezing a character in carbonite, emerging victorious in a pod race, or dueling a Jedi).
The game system also incorporates Destiny draws, which signify the aspects of chance, uncertainty, luck, and the Force. Each card features a destiny number, ranging from 0 to 7, located in the upper right corner (with the exception of locations, which are counted as destiny 0). Rather than employing dice for generating random numbers, players "draw destiny" from the top of their deck, revealing the top card and utilizing its destiny number as the outcome. This is employed for various purposes, from establishing weapon hits to mandatory losses incurred by your opponent, and determining whether a character passes a Jedi Test. The drawn Destiny card is sent to the Used Pile and is recycled back into the deck. Through this mechanism, a skilled player has the ability to legally count cards, remembering the positions of the high-destiny cards within the deck. Finally, the stronger (or rarer) cards typically had lower Destiny values, although there were exceptions.
Star Wars CCG included more fundamental card types compared to the majority of CCGs; the game commenced with 8 card types, the majority of which encompassed numerous subtypes. Subsequent expansions introduced additional fundamental card types.
The original card types were:
- Character
- Starship
- Vehicle
- Device
- Weapon
- Interrupt
- Effect
- Location
Card types introduced later:
- Epic Event
- Creature
- Jedi Test
- Objective
- Admiral's Order
- Podracer
- Defensive Shield
- Star Wars CCG at CCGTrader
- Decipher.com
- Archived copy of Decipher.com's full card list at StarWarsCCG.org
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game on Wikipedia