The launch of Star Wars™: Unlimited is nearly upon us! As we rocket toward the release of this game of unlimited possibilities, we’d like to take a look at two of the Casual-tier events that will be part of each set: Prerelease Events and Store Showdowns. Even if you have no interest in the Competitive scene for this game, you might still want to check these events out. Read on to see what Prerelease Events and Store Showdowns have to offer!

Prerelease Events

As we mentioned back in our preview on Casual Play, each set of Star Wars: Unlimited begins with a prerelease phase. The Prerelease Events take place during this phase, which occurs just one week before the set’s official release date. Releasing alongside these events are the Prerelease Box product and the Launch Kit for Organized Play.  

To participate in a Prerelease Event, all you have to do is show up at a store that’s hosting one. You won’t need to bring anything, because everything you need to play in the event is included within the Prerelease Box. Purchase one of those, and you’re all set!

To recap, each Prerelease Box comes with six booster packs, two promo leader cards, a set of quickstart rules, some damage counters, a deckbuilding guide, and a foldable deckbox. Since all Prerelease Events are casual sealed tournaments, this provides you with exactly enough materials to participate. As we described in our article about draft and sealed play from earlier this month, you open six booster packs to build a sealed deck, which is the same number of packs that are in the Prerelease Box. You can use any of the materials within that box—including the promo leader cards—as part of your deck, so all you need to do is crack it open and dive right in!

As for the event itself, we’ve mentioned before that it’s a “casual sealed tournament,” and we mean it! While it does take the form of a tournament, a Prerelease Event’s main focus is providing your local community with the chance to gather and enjoy a first look at the latest set. True, you can earn an extra booster pack or two by winning games during the event, but just by attending you will have gotten to experience the set before anyone who didn’t go to a Prerelease Event. It’s an opportunity that no fan of the game will want to pass up!

Store Showdown Events

Jumping from the beginning of each set to the middle, we have the Store Showdown events. Taking place a couple months after the release of a new set, Store Showdown events can be thought of as the “culmination” of Casual play at a given store. Supported by the Store Showdown Organized Play Kit, these events are a great opportunity for casual players to test the waters of the tournament scene and earn some great prizes while they’re at it.

All Store Showdowns take the form of a simple and casual constructed play tournament. If you want to participate in one of these events, you’ll need to bring a deck you built beforehand using the cards in your collection. Since this is a Casual-tier event, you can use any cards from the current set as well as any from previously-released sets when building your deck (note that this is subject to change as more and more sets release).

As a reminder, while the Store Showdown is a tournament, it is still a Casual-tier event. The focus of this event is still on having fun and helping players learn the game, so the event will tend to have a more “laid back” vibe than Competitive-tier tournaments. Bring whatever deck is most fun to you or use the opportunity to try out a new strategy in a tournament setting. The stakes are low, and the most important thing is that you have a good time!

All Store Showdown events are composed of several Swiss rounds. They typically do not involve a top cut, which means everyone can keep playing until the event is over. Just by participating in the event, you will earn yourself an alternate-art promo card. If you happen to win a few rounds, you can earn an additional promo based on your final placement. And of course, most stores will also award booster packs for each match you win!

Star Wars: Unlimited will finally release in just a few short weeks. We cannot express just how excited we all are for all of you to dive into events at your local stores. Tune in next month for a look at Weekly Play and what the rest of the Casual Play circuit entails!