Quick Answer
Star Wars Unlimited launched in 2024 and quickly built a strong player community in Australia. It uses an alternating-activation system: each player takes one action at a time rather than completing a full turn. which makes it feel more interactive than most TCGs. See current prices at /cards/star-wars-unlimited.
Star Wars Unlimited launched in 2024 and quickly built a strong player community in Australia. It uses an alternating-activation system: each player takes one action at a time rather than completing a full turn. which makes it feel more interactive than most TCGs.
This guide covers the rules you need to play your first game.
The Goal
Destroy your opponent's Base before they destroy yours.
Your Base has a health value (typically 30). When it reaches 0, you lose. No life totals, no decking out: the single goal is destroying the Base.
What You Need
Two players. Two 50-card decks. One Leader Card per player. One Base Card per player (separate from the main deck).
Starter Sets come with two ready-to-play decks plus Leader and Base cards for both players. Available at local game stores in Australia for around AU$25 to AU$35.
Card Types
Leader Cards: Your featured character. Leaders can be deployed to the arena mid-game by paying their cost once per game.
Base Cards: Your headquarters. Has a health value. Protect it.
Unit Cards: Your fighters. ground troops and space ships. Played to two zones: Ground Arena and Space Arena.
Event Cards: One-time effects played from hand.
Upgrade Cards: Attachments that improve your units.
The Resource System
Every card in your hand can be played for its effect, or placed face-down as a Resource to generate one resource per turn.
Most cards have a cost in the top-left corner. Pay that many resources by exhausting (tapping sideways) that many resource cards.
This is the same card-as-resource decision seen in Dragon Ball Super. every card is a potential resource.
How Turns Work (Alternating Activation)
Star Wars Unlimited doesn't have traditional "my turn, your turn" gameplay. Instead, players alternate taking single actions until both players pass consecutively (ending the round).
Each action is one of:
- Play a card from your hand
- Attack with one of your units or your Leader
- Use an action ability
- Take the Initiative (a special marker that gives priority advantages)
- Pass (skip your action for this round)
Once both players pass without taking an action between them, the round ends. Both players ready their exhausted cards and a new round begins.
The Two Arenas
Units go into one of two zones: Ground or Space. Ground units can only attack Ground units (or the Base if your opponent has no Ground units). Space units can only attack Space units (or the Base if your opponent has no Space units).
Units can only attack the opponent's Base directly if there are no enemy units in that same arena.
How Attacking Works
Declare one of your ready (non-exhausted) units as the attacker and a target. The target can be any enemy unit in the same arena, or the opponent's Base if they have no units in that arena.
Both units deal their Power damage simultaneously. If a unit takes damage equal to or greater than its HP, it's defeated and discarded.
When attacking the Base, the attacking unit deals its Power damage directly to the Base's health total.
The Leader
Leaders start the game deployed at the side of the battlefield, not in an arena. Once per game, you can pay the Leader's deploy cost to flip it and bring it into the Ground Arena as a powerful unit.
What to Buy in Australia
Starter Set: AU$25 to AU$35. Two complete decks, ready to play.
Booster Packs: AU$8 to AU$10 per pack.
See our Star Wars Unlimited booster boxes guide for more.
Track your collection with the free C3 tracker.
Aspects: The Alignment System
Star Wars Unlimited uses Aspects to represent faction and moral alignment. Cards have one or two Aspects from: Vigilance (blue), Command (green), Aggression (red), Cunning (yellow), Villainy (black), Heroism (white).
Your Leader and Base each provide one Aspect each. Playing cards whose Aspects match your Leader or Base is efficient. Playing cards outside your Aspects costs 2 additional resources per unmatched Aspect. This is the deck construction constraint that creates faction identity.
After the Attack: How Combat Resolves
Both the attacker and the defender deal damage equal to their Power simultaneously. If either unit takes damage equal to or greater than its HP, it's defeated and removed from the arena.
Unlike many TCGs, combat in Star Wars Unlimited doesn't require the defender to tap (exhaust). Your units can defend without being committed: but they can only be used to defend against one attack per round.
Common Mistakes New Players Make
Ignoring the Initiative token: The Initiative marker lets one player go first in the next round. Taking it costs your action for that turn, but controlling initiative gives you significant strategic advantage. New players often ignore it entirely.
Playing all units to the same arena: Spreading units between Ground and Space creates multiple attack angles. Stacking everything in one arena leaves the other Base undefended.
Not reading Aspects before deckbuilding: Playing cards outside your Aspects costs 2 extra resources per violation. Ignoring Aspect restrictions destroys your economy. Build decks that align with your Leader and Base Aspects.
Building Your First Star Wars Unlimited Deck
Two-Player Starter Sets come with two complete decks, Leader Cards, Base Cards, and everything needed for both players. Available in Australia at local game stores and online for approximately AU$25 to AU$35.
The format is 50-card constructed plus one Leader and one Base (both separate from the main deck). Up to 3 copies of any card are allowed. Aspect restrictions apply as described above.
The competitive meta in Star Wars Unlimited has developed quickly. Check our Star Wars Unlimited deck building guide for current competitive and budget build options.
Star Wars Unlimited Community in Australia
Star Wars Unlimited has a growing organised play scene across Australian capital cities. Asmodee runs Premier events including Planetary Championships with prize support. Local game stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth run weekly Constructed and Draft events.
See the C3 Release Calendar for upcoming Star Wars Unlimited events near you.
Checking Star Wars Unlimited Card Prices in Australia
Current AUD prices for Star Wars Unlimited singles are tracked at the C3 Card Vault. Use the C3 Card Compare tool to check multiple cards side by side before purchasing.
The C3 Take
The decisions you make with your TCG collection matter more than most guides suggest. Whether you are buying, selling, or holding, the difference between a good outcome and a poor one almost always comes down to checking current AUD prices before you act. Use the live data at /cards/star-wars-unlimited to make price-informed decisions every time.
What to Read Next
- Compare TCG options at /quizzes/which-tcg-extended
- Browse card prices at /cards/mtg
- Calculate booster box expected value at /tools
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to learn Star Wars Unlimited?
The basic rules can be learned in a single afternoon with a patient opponent or by following the official tutorial. Strategic depth takes months to develop. Most new players find the game enjoyable before they have mastered it.
Do I need to buy specific cards to learn Star Wars Unlimited?
No. Starter decks or preconstructed decks give you everything needed for your first games. You do not need to know card values or build your own deck to start playing.
Is there a free digital version to practise?
Most major TCGs have a free or low-cost digital version. Check the relevant game's official website for their digital platform options.