Remembering The Star Wars CCG

The Star Wars: Customizable Card Game (SW: CCG) was introduced in December of 1995. It continued to be produced until December 2001. The game was a success right from the start. Oversight and operation of the game were controlled by a group of volunteers, called the Star Wars Customizable Card Game Players Committee. Today, the Players Committee, otherwise known as the PC, still controls the game. They also continue to release new cards online. These virtual cards are first released in PDF format. They can then be printed and used in the game.

History

Since the game’s original release in December 1995, 11 expansions of cards have been added. Various other promotional releases, special purpose sets and smaller expansion packs were also released during first six years that the game was in existence. The game encompassed the original Star Wars trilogy (Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), as well as Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

The Star Wars: CCG still has a very active playing community. The Players Committee continues to administer the game by organizing tournaments and interpreting the rules. They also release virtual expansions that contain alternate text for cards that already exist. These new virtual cards function as completely new cards that allow the game environment to keep evolving as time goes by. These virtual cards can be obtained for free from the PC website. However, a person must have the original card to use the new version. Over 20 virtual sets of cards have been produced.

Game Play

Every game requires one person to play as the Dark Side of the Force while the other person plays as the Light Side. A player can specialize in a specific side. However, if a person is playing in a tournament, they are required to use both Light and Dark decks.

This two-sided format of game play is unusual in the customizable card game genre. Netrunner is another customizable card game that also uses this rare format. The game’s action happens at location cards that feature both planet-bound and interstellar locations from the Star Wars Universe. These locations are able to be used as the game moves along. Most locations have both Light Side and Dark Side versions. There is also an on-the-table location able to be switched to the opposite side. The locations have an impact on the way the game is played.

Each card also has a Force icon. These determine how much Force a player is able to use during each turn. The game play is similar to that of the Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game.

Popularity

From 1995 to 1998, SW: CCG was one of the best-selling CCGs in the world. During its peak, it often outsold the massively popular Magic: The Gathering, the original trading card game. This fact surprised many people in the toy industry who thought that Magic: The Gathering was a juggernaut that could never be beaten.

SW: CCG also outsold the very popular Star Trek Customizable Card Game. There have been rumors of a new SW: CCG in recent years, but nothing has been confirmed. Many Star Wars websites believe that a new card game will come out when the new Star Wars movie is released.

Byline

Tyler Mitchell is a freelance writer who specializes in geeky topics such as CCGs, sci-fi movies, fantasy games, video gaming and other similar topics as well; readers interested in the Star Wars CCG should definitely give consideration to Card Kingdom Magic the gathering cards.

Image credit goes to friendofdurutti.