Yesterday, we saw the release of a really cool new set. The “Elegant Weapons” set, commemorating the most famous of the lightsaber weapons in the movies and cartoons debuted with a group of cards that might prove to be the lowest count and hardest to pull inserts in the 3 months the game has been around.

Aside from the fact that rare parallels have been a part of each of these types of sets going back to the original Nightbrothers set, the Gold Lightsaber released at 10 copies is easily one of the rarest cards in the game. It might be THE rarest. At 1:4000 packs, the 10 copies rival the one of one cards that were just released in Bunt, and that’s saying something.

It also should be mentioned that the base Elegant weapons are similarly rare for an insert set of this magnitude. At only 1000 copies for the base, opened at 1:100 packs, this is a structure that is only for those individuals that have the money to spare.

The question remains – is this the right approach for the game. I think there are arguments for both sides here.

Why These Cards Are Awesome

First off, the design is really freaking cool. The weapons are presented like a Hall of Fame, and that resonates with me being a sports guy. Although there have been complaints that the weapons look boring and unused, glowing blades and active hilts are not what this set is about. This is about the weapon itself, and that is why this museum presentation is perfect. Museums and Halls of Fame only house the best of the best, and that’s what this set is built for.

Secondly, the game is trying to evolve to meet the market needs of a number of different types of users. For example. Shadowbox cards can be had for close to nothing, mainly because they are meant for the lower end casual user. These are in EXPENSIVE packs, with long odds to ensure that the top pay to play users are the ones that are going to get their share of the action. Its keeping everyone happy, and like I said, if you are going to pay the money, you should get something that is NOT readily available for the Joe Schmoes out there.

Lastly, we have seen that the Jedi and Sith are finally coming to be the focus of the last few insert sets in a completely dynamic fashion. Although we have seen them as PART of other sets, these releases dedicated to the main characters from the universe is a welcome change.

Why These Cards Are Terrible

I think that people are upset that they have spent so many coins and more often than not, walked away with nothing. Because the packs are available for everyone, and there is no VIP system as of yet, many of the casual users are buying in and getting pretty pissed that these are so tough.

Similarly, the pack structure is almost too much skewed towards ensuring people have to open a ton of packs just to get the set they desire. Each level seems to have its own pack, and the master pack at 25k is the most expensive insert pack ever created. There is such a thing as overkill, and Im not sure this is on the right side of that line.

Star Wars Card Trader has been changing significantly over the last month and a half, and I fully expect more to change as the app continues to grow. This wont be the last time that a controversial release hits the sheet, but at least we know what the team is capable of putting into practice. I know I am going to chase down some of these cards.