Quick answer
CardSpicy takes a game’s structure from the publisher’s own rules rather than from a shop listing, and Fantasy Flight Games publishes both the parts of a card and the parts of a deck for Star Wars: Unlimited. A deck is a leader, a base and at least 50 cards; the card types are leaders, bases, units, events and upgrades; and the aspects are Vigilance, Command, Aggression, Cunning, Heroism and Villainy. Five rarities are printed on cards: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Legendary and Special.
The publisher’s own explanation of a card is the source here, because the rarity symbol on a Star Wars: Unlimited card is read from the same diagram the publisher uses to teach the game.
The five card types
The types are not interchangeable, and the publisher describes each one in terms of what it does at the table.
| Type | What the publisher says it does |
|---|---|
| Leader | The centrepiece of the deck. A double-sided card that starts in play on its undeployed side and can later be flipped over and deployed as a unit. A leader supplies two of the deck’s aspects. |
| Base | The target the opponent is trying to defeat. Most bases have 30 HP and no abilities, and some trade hit points for a special ability. A base supplies one aspect. The reverse side of a common base carries a token, usually an Experience or a Shield token. |
| Unit | The characters, soldiers and vehicles, and the main way damage is dealt to an opponent’s base. Units are marked as ground or space. |
| Event | A one-and-done card: play it, resolve its ability, discard it. Events cover a burst of damage, removing a unit, extra card draw and similar immediate effects. |
| Upgrade | A card attached to a unit in play, giving that unit a benefit or a penalty. Upgrades range from changing power or HP to granting a new ability. |
The card’s own information block carries the same set of labels the publisher uses in its teaching diagram: text for abilities, power for the damage a unit deals, aspect, cost, type, trait, HP and rarity. Traits have no effect of their own; other cards refer to them.
The six aspects
Aspects are what decide whether a card fits a deck. A leader supplies two and a base supplies one, and the publisher describes each aspect by the style of play it supports.
- Vigilance — defensive play: healing damage, removing dangerous units, protecting the base.
- Command — accelerating resources and fielding or strengthening many units at once.
- Aggression — attacking efficiently and dealing damage quickly.
- Cunning — immediate effects, disruption and answers that arrive on the opponent’s turn.
- Heroism — the protagonists of the films and series; often paired with another aspect on the same card.
- Villainy — the antagonists; also often paired with a second aspect.
Heroism and Villainy are unusual among the six, because the publisher describes them as commonly appearing alongside another aspect rather than on their own. That is why a deck built around a Heroism leader and a Command base is not the same proposition as one built around two of the four neutral aspects.
The five rarities, and the treatments on top
Rarity in this game is printed as a symbol in the card’s information block, and the publisher names five of them: Special, Common, Uncommon, Rare and Legendary.
Separately from rarity, a copy of a card can carry a treatment. The publisher names three of these on its own product guide, and each is described as something that appears in booster packs rather than as a rarity of its own:
- Hyperspace — a version of a card printed with different art and frame.
- Showcase — a further treatment applied to a card that already has a rarity.
- Prestige — another special printing named alongside the other two.
The distinction matters for the same reason it matters in any card game with treatments: a treated copy is not a rarer card. It is the same card at the same rarity, printed differently. The publisher also mentions alternate-art promo cards available through its organised play events, which sit outside the booster product entirely.
Formats, and what each one asks for
The publisher runs three formats, and they differ in what a player brings to the table.
| Format | What the publisher specifies |
|---|---|
| Premier | A deck built from a player’s own collection: a leader, a base, and at least 50 cards for the draw deck. |
| Draft | A 30-card deck built by drafting from a limited pool. |
| Sealed | Six booster packs, and a 30-card deck built from what they contain. |
The publisher also lists a multiplayer variant, Twin Suns, distributed as pre-built decks rather than as a deck-building format.
One further fact is worth recording because it is easy to miss: organised play in this game is tiered. The publisher describes a Casual tier and a Competitive tier, and it has used the competitive side of that structure to suspend a leader from the Premier format outright. Format legality, in other words, is a live question rather than a fixed list.
Cards per set
The publisher states that each set contains more than 250 cards, and that special variants can appear in any booster pack. CardSpicy does not publish a card count per set on this page, because the number moves with the set rather than staying fixed.
What this page does not claim
- It does not rank the rarities by scarcity. The publisher names the five rarities and separately names the treatments; it does not publish an order of scarcity that this page can repeat.
- It does not give drop rates. No per-pack frequency is published by Fantasy Flight Games for the products described here, so none is given.
- It does not print prices. CardSpicy quotes no prices and makes no valuation or investment recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
What are the card types in Star Wars: Unlimited?
There are five: leaders, bases, units, events and upgrades. A leader and a base are both required to build a deck, and the leader is double-sided.
What are the six aspects in Star Wars: Unlimited?
Vigilance, Command, Aggression, Cunning, Heroism and Villainy. A leader supplies two aspects and a base supplies one, and those three together set the foundation for the deck.
Is a Showcase card a higher rarity?
No. Showcase is a treatment applied to a card that already has a rarity. The card’s rarity does not change; only the printing looks different.
How many cards are in a Star Wars: Unlimited set?
More than 250, according to the publisher, and each set adds a new card pool rather than replacing the previous one. The exact number differs between sets.
How many cards do I need for a Premier deck?
At least fifty for the draw deck, plus a leader and a base. Draft and sealed play use a smaller deck of thirty cards each.
Sources
Sources and scope
- Fantasy Flight Games, the official Star Wars: Unlimited site, Getting Started section — the card types and their published descriptions; the six aspects and the play styles the publisher attaches to each; the note that Heroism and Villainy are often paired with another aspect; the printed rarity labels Special, Common, Uncommon, Rare and Legendary; and the deck requirements for Premiere, draft and sealed play.
- Fantasy Flight Games, the official Star Wars: Unlimited product guide — the roughly four-month interval between sets, the statement that over 250 cards are in each set, the statement that special variants can appear in any booster pack, and the treatments named by the publisher: Hyperspace, Showcase and Prestige.
- Fantasy Flight Games, the official Star Wars: Unlimited organised play section — the Casual and Competitive event tiers and the suspension of a leader from the Premier format.
- Scope note: only details published by Fantasy Flight Games, or printed on the cards, are stated as confirmed. No drop rate, no card count per set and no prices are given.
Card pools, product contents and format legality are set by the publisher and can change. Check Fantasy Flight Games’ own rules and product pages before acting on the basis of anything on this page.
Related reading
- Star Wars: Unlimited cards
- Star Wars: Unlimited sets and releases
- How to start a Star Wars: Unlimited collection
- Star Wars: Unlimited Homeworlds and Icons 2027
- Other card games
- The Collector’s Library
- The Card Protection Guide
- Humidity and card storage
- Card accessories
Where to go next
- The CardSpicy card index — every card we track, with its PSA 10 population and market history (195 cards).
- The illustrator index — every artist behind those cards, card by card (110 artists).