I remember when Star Wars Card Trader launched, and right away, we were shocked that no gameplay element existed. I personally was curious to see how the community would react with no reason to buy other than just collecting. Obviously, we know what happened, and I could not be more happy how far the app has come over the last 25+ weeks.

A few weeks ago, the new update launched what could end up being a very entertaining “quest style” mode in Smuggler’s den. At the time, the Den seemed like a way to improve your collection through the enormous amount of base cards out there. It soon evolved to be a  method by which game content could be created through user interaction, most notably in shredding preview cards for the completed inserts, or achieving special variants.

Introducing the SD Build Mode!

For the first time yesterday, we saw what might end up being one of the largest segments of the den in the Build Process, which prompts users to collect resources and schematics to build a ship. We know that eventually, vehicles and other things will likely be created through this process, and it might end up serving as the “play mode” that people have been curious about since day one.

I absolutely love the idea of using an RPG style approach to engage users to collect cards, whose goal is something other than a set reward.  This type of segmentation of the Den’s interface offers so much potential it isnt even funny. I could see ships, vehicles, even bases being created through the Build Process, and that’s without putting my mind to it. Im sure there will be amazing stuff coming, and who knows, a certain planetary weapon could be on its way eventually? Maybe a bird named ship that people have been waiting for?

Using Resources and Schematics

With the launch of the new mode, people have been looking only for the resources that can be used to build Slave I, Jango and Boba Fett’s ship. What they dont realize is how valuable each resource will eventually be, as there is no way Topps would create 10 resources and only use 4. Every resource will eventually have a place, and this is your chance to get ahead of the game.

To build a ship, go to the Smuggler’s Den, and scroll down to the bottom. There you will see what you have the opportunity to build, and by clicking on the ship, what is needed to build it.

For Slave I, you need Fuel, Wires, Computers, and Metal, as well as a parallel of Boba (kid) and Jango. The hardest part will be obtaining the Schematic (or Schematic Parallels), which are much more difficult to pull. Once you have pulled or collected all the necessary elements, you can shred the cards for Slave I. It is a huge accomplishment and is unlike collecting any prior set, let me say.

The most interesting part is collecting the resources, which come at one per pack in the resource pack located in the cantina. From what I can tell, you cant pull resource parallels yet, only the resources base version – something that comes into play when building higher parallels of each ship. To get the parallels of each resources, you will need to shred the base to get the equivalent card for usage.

To build the Green Ship, you will need 25 of each resource, which is 100 packs minimum you will need to open. Even then, there is no guarantee that you will get all 100 in the resource you need. This means trading and some wheeling and dealing will be necessary.

On top of that, each parallel of the Schematic for Slave I is inserted at higher odds, so to get the green schematic means you will need to get awfully lucky at 1:100 odds. I managed to pull one, but I do not have either gold parallel of Boba and Jango, nor the resources needed to even come close to building the ship. The Schematics have been trading reasonably well, so I am trying to see if there is a way to pick up some cards for stuff I know I want now.

Future Plans

Here is where things get REALLY tricky. Slave I is a pretty small ship, at least when you compare it to a Star Destroyer, or a Death Star. This means that eventually, it might be more than 1 resource of each type needed to build the larger ships – thus making the final product that much more difficult to build, and much more valuable in the process.

I can also see a time in the future where multiple ships in their final form may be shredded for a larger ship of some sort, or maybe even representing a fleet card or something like that. Pretty clear that this is going to be a very big thing in the game going forward, and that means X-Wings, Tie Fighters, and other fun things will likely come to be. That also means its not a good idea burning through all your resources just to get all the parallels of Slave I, unless that is your favorite ship.

As of this week, most of the game’s marathons will be coming to a close in short time, and they will need some element to ensure that the game doesnt have a lull where nothing happens. Star Wars has no offseason like Bunt and Huddle, so there is a need to have content year round. With the Movie release now under 3 months time, you can bet that things will be happening with reckless abandon.

Smuggler’s Den isnt just about shredding your cards for better cards anymore, its about an entirely different side of the game. Its a fun expedition through the movie’s different elements, and right now we have only seen the tip of the iceberg – if even close to that.

Its very easy to get excited and blow through everything with each new release, but have the slow play in mind. Remember, you dont want to miss out on something awesome, just because you couldnt contain yourself early on.

This is going to be a fun ride, shred some resources and build yourself a seat belt before you fly out of the vehicle!