VS system or SWCCG?

[itjunkie]

I'm thinking of playing another tcg other than lotr... what would be my best option? I'm thinking of star wars or marvel/dc simply cause its cool to get these characters that I'm very familiar with (as opposed to creatures in magic, yugioh etc etc).

Also, the local card store here seems to be overstocked with VS system and are selling boosters really cheap... they only got fantastic 4, web of spiderman, batman and JLA sets though. any of those sets good?

which is the better tcg? i understand VS is no longer in production...is this also the case for star wars?

[ket_the_jet]

I tried both of them. I really like Vs. System because it was a much simpler game to get into (but that's not to say that strategy is simple!)

I think that Star Wars CCG would've been fun if I had friends who played it and literally sat me down and showed me how to play the game. Vs. System didn't take too much effort to figure out after reading through the rulebook.

Plus, I am a closet comic nerd.
-wtk

[ket_the_jet]

Also, you are right...Vs. System is really, really cheap now (for the most part). I found that the low price made it easier for me to get people involved in the game since it wasn't a large commitment monetarily.

Star Wars is also not in production; however, the prices are still pretty high because the rarity of some cards (whereas there are no "ultra-rares" in Vs. System).
-wtk

[itjunkie]

there are also no more boosters available for starwars here, so if i opt to take that up id probably be playing the PC version.

as for VS system, i tried playing it on the DS before but i got bored... maybe its just cause the starter deck's limited strategy got boring or tcg's are just no fun if u're not playing against other people.

[itjunkie]

true..i am actually leaning a bit  towards VS esp with booster packs selling for a mere $.50 here. Helm's Deep boosters also sell at that price... though that expansion is useless imho. i already got grishnakh and stinker so that expansion is of no further use. hehe

[stimpy]

I play (played) SWCCG and I love the game. It is really pretty hard to learn; not so much the basics, but all the meta and different rules and sub-components (there are many minute rules that go with certain cards or types of cards) are quite cumbersome. But if you can learn it it's an awesome game, and the complexity gives you a lot of options for creativity in deck-building and it gives the games a more true-to-the-story feel.

As mentioned above, it's a pricy game to get into now. I've never played online, so that could be the way to go. I've never played Vs either.... so all in all, I can't really help you out much!

[Jerba]

Star Wars is my first love, but it has a steep and very time consuming learning curve. The cards are no longer produced and are really expensive. To be competitive will cost you hundreds of dollars and hours. Virtual cards are released every few months like a new expansion set. These keep the game fresh and makes useless cards good. You can find out more about SWCCG at www.swccgpc.com

You can play online with Holotable to see if you like the game.

Personally, the thought of starting a game like SWCCG is daunting. I can't even keep up with it, and gave up being competitive years ago.  TCGs are far too expensive and time consuming for me. I just keep the cards to play once or twice a year and because I can't bear to part with them.

[itjunkie]

hrm... feedback on swccg seems to be consistent in that it is too difficult to learn. I think I'll give the PC version a try first, to get a good feel of how it goes...

I read that the goal in swccg is to use up your opponent's force by using up his draw deck? is that true? sounds boring...hehehe

[Rathmaker]

If you are interested in trying out Star Wars CCG, but do not want to drop a large part of your salary to get going I am going to suggest to you the WARS TCG.  It was Decipher's replacement for the SW CCG when they lost the license. 

The game engine is a streamlined version of the SW CCG, and the cards are very cheap to come by (you can find a case of boosters for around $80 on Hills Wholesale gaming).  The game consists of the base set (Incursion) and one expansion (Nowhere to Hide).  The last version of the playtest cards for the third release (Edge of a Sword) were also revealed to us in PDF format.  You can easily print those off and have a third set to add to the collection.

If you have a small group of players, and are looking to just get some cheap enjoyment out of a very fun game I would suggest you look into WARS.

[Jerba]

The SWCCG/WARS game engine is THE best game engine I've ever played with in a TCG. There are no outside counters, your deck is the counter. The deck circulates every turn, the top cards move down to the bottom of the deck and bottom cards move up as you 'activate' Force for your resources (similar to twilight tokens but without the counters).

There are no dice, you build the randomization into your deck based on the 'destiny' number of each card. Generally, the 'better' the card the lower the destiny.  These destiny draws are used anytime a die would be rolled in a normal game. This allows players to track (if you are really good) and plan their game based on the draws they built into the deck. Every deck is 60 cards, and a player loses when the deck is exhausted.

The fact that the deck is completely self contained is a big bonus to me. Also, that luck is built into the deck and doesn't hinge on bad dice rolls is a real gaming delight. Star Wars is a great game, its just too complex and expensive. WARS could be a decent sub, but the storyline isn't nearly as fun as SW.

[Rathmaker]

The SWCCG/WARS game engine is THE best game engine I've ever played with in a TCG. There are no outside counters, your deck is the counter. The deck circulates every turn, the top cards move down to the bottom of the deck and bottom cards move up as you 'activate' Force for your resources (similar to twilight tokens but without the counters).

There are no dice, you build the randomization into your deck based on the 'destiny' number of each card. Generally, the 'better' the card the lower the destiny.  These destiny draws are used anytime a die would be rolled in a normal game. This allows players to track (if you are really good) and plan their game based on the draws they built into the deck. Every deck is 60 cards, and a player loses when the deck is exhausted.

The fact that the deck is completely self contained is a big bonus to me. Also, that luck is built into the deck and doesn't hinge on bad dice rolls is a real gaming delight. Star Wars is a great game, its just too complex and expensive. WARS could be a decent sub, but the storyline isn't nearly as fun as SW.

I totally agree with you on the engine being the best one ever created (The only one that comes close to it IMO is L5R).

As for the story, I personally have to disagree with you on that one.  I have read all the WARS short stories, RPG manuals, and the lore on the cards, and I cannot wait to get my hands on more!!  Thank goodness the graphic novellas are just around the corner for being released!!!!! 

But, then again, the story preferences are just personal opinion.  The game engine is what rocks!

[stimpy]

Very much agreed Jerba, the game mechanics of SWCCG are unlike any other (in a good way). The deck manipulation and destiny component are unmatched... LotR tried it in a few ways, but it doesn't come close. (Sorry LotR)