Star Wars: Unlimited’s second set, Shadows of the Galaxy, takes players to the underbelly of worlds filled with smugglers, bounty hunters, and those who take matters into their own hands. Shadows of the Galaxy brings many fan-favorite characters into the mix from series such as The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch, and The Book of Boba Fett. Players will be able to start buying and cracking open booster boxes or packs on July 12, 2024, when the set is released worldwide.
The new mechanics of Shadows of the Galaxy
This set is filled with galactic criminals so it’s only appropriate that new mechanics are introduced to fit the theme. Three new mechanics are being added with Shadows of the Galaxy that will certainly spice up the meta. Units can be Captured, guarded, and rescued by other units, Bounties can be applied to units and claimed by opponents, and characters can Smuggle resources into play.
Bounty
The Bounty mechanic adds various effects to units that trigger whenever the unit is defeated. Bounties can be attached to units via upgrade cards or can be found as an inherent ability with some units. Many bounty hunter characters gain bonuses when attacking units that actively have a bounty, making this a powerful mechanic to play around with.
Capture/Guard/Rescue
Three mechanics in one, capturing goes hand-in-hand with the new Bounty system in Star Wars: Unlimited. Using certain abilities or action cards, units can be captured and guarded by another unit. When the guard unit is defeated, the captured unit is Rescued or set free. Various actions allow rescuing units without needing to defeat the guard units.
Smuggle
Cards with Smuggle can be used as a resource and then played for their Smuggle cost later on. This allows high-cost cards to be put to use generating resources early on while still being able to be played later in the game once players can afford them. While it’s a simple mechanic on the surface, many synergies and triggers work with Smuggle to make it a competitive theme to build around.
The best cards of Shadows of the Galaxy
10. Razor Crest – Reliable Gunship
The new Mandalorian units of Shadows of the Galaxy have many bonuses that activate when attaching upgrades to them. Since the Razor Crest can return discarded upgrades to your hand, it’ll certainly become a staple card in Mandalorian or Upgrade-heavy decks.
9. Wrecker – BOOM!
Overwhelm is a powerful keyword on its own, especially on units with high power such as Wrecker. 5 damage from a low-cost ability is super valuable and can help create board advantage against some of the more bulky units in the game.
8. Unexpected Escape
With the new Capture mechanic, this card will be a necessary inclusion in any deck. Even if it only rescued the captured unit, it would be worth it. However, being able to exhaust the guarding unit adds tremendous value for a 1-cost card.
7. Ruthlessness
Base damage is how you win a Star Wars: Unlimited game. Within Spark of the Rebellion, Sabine Wren and decks revolving around base damage have dominated the competitive scene. Ruthlessness will find its home in these top-performing decks and extend its viability into future sets.
6. Maul – Shadow Collective Visionary
Maul is loaded with aggressive and defensive abilities alike. Ambush and Overwhelm with 7 power make him a threat that can close out games on his own. His ability to redirect damage to other friendly Underworld units makes him one of the hardest-to-kill units in the TCG.
5. Crosshair – Following Orders
Shadows of the Galaxy brings additional methods of boosting unit power to the game. With three different unit traits, experience counters, upgrades, and his inherent action, Crosshair’s power can easily be increased. His exhaust action can quickly become a unit-deleter, and his 6 HP gives him a fair bit of staying power.
4. Choose Sides
Swapping control of units has the potential to be the most broken ability in any TCG. Besides simply swapping a weak unit for a stronger one, players can trade units with bounties to their opponent so that they can claim the bounties for themselves. This card is one to revisit with every new set release, as the potential is limitless.
3. Ma Klounkee
Bounce effects are one of the strongest mechanics in any TCG. Ma Klounkee not only enables the bouncing of Underworld units but has a built-in burn. For 1-cost, having two effects of any kind is extremely valuable. This card effectively duplicates the effects of Underworld units that have triggers when entering play.
2. Dryden Vos – Offering No Escape
With 7 HP and the Shielded keyword, Dryden Vos is tough to kill. Although his stats aren’t too impressive for a 7-cost unit, his ability that allows him to take control of a captured card for free can drastically change the board state. Along with other cards with similar effects, such as Choose Sides, stealing your opponent’s cards can become a viable strategy.
1. Jango Fett – Renowned Bounty Hunter
Jango is one of the best units to take advantage of the new Bounty system. Within a deck filled with Bounty upgrades, Jango will have a high uptime for his +3/+0 Overwhelm ability. His card draw effect rounds out his kit and allows him to create both a card and board advantage for players.
