Star Wars Unlimited: Icons 2027 Edition - Starter Box

The Icons 2027 Edition Starter Box for Star Wars: Unlimited is a two-player starter that teaches the game over four games. You get two 30-card decks led by Darth Vader and Princess Leia, and between games you open preset packs of cards to grow the decks step by step. Two regular Icons booster packs wait at the end. The publisher recommends this box as the first product for new and returning players.

• 2 decks of 30 cards: Darth Vader and Princess Leia
• 132 English-language cards and 6 deckbuilding packs
• 2 playmats, 40 counters, a rules sheet and 2 Icons 2027 booster packs
• 2 players, ages 12+, about 30 minutes a game

What's in the Icons 2027 Starter Box

• 132 cards, including two 30-card starter decks with leaders and bases
• 3 non-randomized deckbuilding packs per deck, 6 in the box
• 40 counters
• 2 playmats that double as deckbuilding guides
• 1 rules sheet
• 2 Icons 2027 Edition booster packs of 9 cards

The deckbuilding packs have fixed contents, so every box teaches the same way. Only the two booster packs at the end are random.

Four games, four lessons

The decks start at 30 cards rather than the full 50 of earlier Spotlight Decks and Two-Player Starters. Each game adds new rules:

• Game 1: the basics. Setup, phases, available actions and initiative. Each deck has one aspect plus Heroism or Villainy, there are no upgrades, and unique units such as R2-D2, Grogu, Rune Haako and Blizzard One appear only once.
• Game 2: bases and upgrades. The leader's first pack swaps the base for one of a different aspect: KCM Mining Facility for Vader, Echo Base for Leia. Upgrades arrive (Resilient for Vader, Academy Training for Leia), along with second copies of unique units, which brings in the uniqueness rule.
• Game 3: tokens and synergy. Experience and Shield tokens appear, with cards that grant them: I've Got A Bad Feeling for Leia and Consumed by the Dark Side for Vader. Eighth Brother shows trait synergy by readying an Imperial unit. This pack also holds a full-art Hyperspace Han Solo.
• Game 4: your own deck. The final pack offers a choice of cards from Icons and earlier sets to mix in as you like: Leia can add Jar Jar Binks and Jyn Erso from A Lawless Time, Vader can add Darth Sidious and IG-88.

The leaders: Darth Vader and Princess Leia

Darth Vader is a Vigilance and Villainy leader. For a resource and the defeat of a friendly unit he draws a card and heals your base, so he works well with cheap units. Princess Leia is a Cunning and Heroism leader: she puts a card of your choice on top of your deck, helping you find the card you need. Both leaders are new Icons cards, and the publisher designed the set's cards with power comparable to a standard expansion. So these decks are more than teaching material: they are a starting point for decks you will keep playing.

Icons Starter Box vs Intro Battle: Hoth

Both boxes teach two people to play, in different ways. Intro Battle: Hoth gives you two ready-made 50-card decks and a video that guides your first game, and its cards were designed for ease of learning rather than strength. The Icons Starter Box also teaches deckbuilding, and its cards have the power of a regular set. Some cards will look familiar from Hoth: Han Solo and Blizzard One return in Icons as reprints.

What to get after the Starter Box

When the starter decks stop being enough, get new cards from the Icons booster 4-pack with Cassian Andor or the 24-pack Icons display. For tournament play a deck needs at least 50 cards.

Frequently asked questions

How many players is the Starter Box for?
Two: each gets their own deck, leader and playmat.

Do I need to buy anything else to play?
No. Decks, counters, playmats and rules are all in the box.

Can I use the Starter Box cards in tournaments?
Icons cards are legal in the game's main constructed format, but a tournament deck needs at least 50 cards, so the starter decks have to be expanded.

Will I know the rules after four games?
Yes, that is the point of the box: after the fourth game you know the basics of playing and deckbuilding.

What language are the cards in?
English.