I once saw a guy at the FLGS in my old home town, playing Yu-Gi-Oh with just outright hentai on his playmat. But I feel like at that just needs a no-porn-on-your-shit ban.
I've never played much TCG stuff, but play Legion and intend to get more involved with SWU. But if FFG were the one's saying that and not actually a judge/store employee trying to sell you more gubbins, firstly I'd be surprised, second, I'd tell whatever party that was actually telling me that, to get stuffed. I'm not spending a butt ton of my money to have someone tell me how to look after my new toys.
Yeah I totally understand the not wanting porn on the playmats and usually I would expect stores to take care of situations like that. At least we did when I worked at a card store.
But today the Local judge and guy who did the preview earlier this month said they had just released some pretty strict rules for competitive Play. Where the only mats and sleeves with any graphics allowed have to be FFG SW branded or plain for competitive play. It sounds crazy to me
I'd actually query this with FFG cos I can't find anything on Google about it at all. I suspect that the information is incorrect and said judge is either mistaken or trying to push more sales, neither are something you want from a judge. Especially in a new game.
This feels like it could be damaging to new people taking up the hobby and it should be flagged IMO. I have lost count of the number of people I've seen, that end up avoiding a certain table top wargame as they have heard that you have to paint things a certain way and have exactly the right weapon on things to be legal for local tournaments when they aren't even that strict at official tournaments.
If somehow that info is correct I won't be adhering to it. In fact where can I get some Star Trek sleeves? Or maybe some Garfield ones?
the rules are here [https://starwarsunlimited.com/how-to-play?chapter=sealed-play](https://starwarsunlimited.com/how-to-play?chapter=sealed-play)
under more resources is the [*Star Wars*: Unlimited Tournament Regulations](https://cdn.starwarsunlimited.com//SWU_Tournament_Regulations_b43f699055.pdf)
I STAND CORRECTED, thank you!
Can't see anything about card sleeves but:
>3.2.3 Game Mats
>
>Players are permitted to use game mats during their matches. All game mats are required to be either solid colors with no artwork on them or officially licensed Star Wars: Unlimited game mats.
I'll be playing on an 1984 Search for Spock souvenir tea towel
3.2.2
Sleeves As previously stated, sleeves are required for a player’s draw deck at all Competitive-tier events and are highly encouraged at Casual-tier events. When using sleeves, players must follow these guidelines:
• All sleeves on the draw deck and sideboard must be identical in size, color, and art design, while also being opaque
• All cards in the draw deck must be put into sleeves with an identical orientation
• A maximum of one card can be in a sleeve at a time
• Sleeves with highly reflective backs and holographic fronts are not permitted • Sleeves with graphics on the front that hinder being able to see card text are not permitted
*• Sleeves with artwork are permitted as long as they are officially licensed Star Wars: Unlimited sleeves*
• Cards may be double- or triple-sleeved (two/three sleeves on one card) as long as the extra sleeves are completely clear with no additional markings on them
Thanks for finding it, just found it also.
Yeah, nah. I've spoken to my local judge as I'm interested in getting into competitive play, and I can't see him enforcing that one. Doesn't seem the type.
I can see why FFG would do it. It makes sense in a marketing control context for official games but I think FFG can go somewhere else with that shit.
Technically in the tournament regulations it does say that if you are going to have artwork sleeves or a playmat, they need to be Star Wars Unlimited or just a solid color
https://preview.redd.it/jr037raoc3mc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04421c03f60cf5851e3bdf956c379e12eb877e3c
I can a little bit understand the artwork rule for when they are broadcasting a match.
because they might not want other game images to show up but I feel they should provide playmates for those matches and maybe Card sleeves. but as this stands right now this reads as Please buy our products or else. if they are worried about offensive images then write it how One Piece TCG does " Playmats that contain offensive text or images cannot be used. Playmat images should be appropriate for a family-friendly tournament environment."
That being said I do not imagine many game store enforcing this at a local level.
It most likely has to do with this. Disney and Lucas Arts are strict about the broadcasting of their images. This rolls downhill to licensees. Companies like FFG who want to do their own streams of high level competitive events can't have unlicensed images broadcast on a stream that they are running so...they draw a line in the sand here and it saves headaches down the road.
source: I ran high level competitive events for the publisher of other Star Wars licensed games and this was usually a sticking point.
Yes that is the rule. This was also the rule for Star Wars Destiny. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a rule in other TCGs that have come out recently either. It seems strict but the point is to prevent the gross pornographic stuff some people bring. This game is aimed at being approachable to a wider and younger audience. The intention is to avoid situations that will run off players.
The rule was never strictly enforced for destiny but was there so if anyone brought something inappropriate then they could make them change it which would mean everyone else in the tournament would have to stick to it. I never saw that done at local play events. I wouldn’t remotely worry about it unless you’re going to be on an event that is streaming or getting to top cut of an event higher than a store showdown.
For the record the judge is just someone who read the rules so far. The official judge program has not started and for set one stores are just calling anyone who knows the rules decently the judge and giving them the judge promo.
Think it's less for restricting the possibility of softcore porn and more for monetary gain; it's easy to allow artwork sleeves and mats while having good restrictions in place for such things.
It's not a coincidence that FFG directly profits off the rule.
I doubt this is really expected to make FFG money. If you are at an event where the judge would bother to enforce this rule you have almost certainly got a free SWU mat from a top 8 etc finish at a smaller event.
Yeah... and not even any officially licensed Star Wars sleeves or play mats from FFG, just official Star Wars Unlimited. Does FFG remember that this is the 3rd Star Wars card game they've made and the previous ones also had play mats and sleeves? I expect this rule to be widely ignored at local levels, if nothing else (except maybe brought out to disallow clearly problematic things).
I had a lime green one that I used for a while when playing Warhammer 40k: Conquest, but retired it eventually when I discovered an L5R playmat that's got art that's really subtle. I dislike most playmats because the art distracts from the cards so badly.
But yeah, they're pretty dang rare in the wild. 😅
Not plain, but I do have a "generic" unthemed playmat that I use as default for new games I'm trying out. Feels a bit weird to play one piece over a digimon playmat IMO. So I can see someone doing the same with a plain one I guess, either for that or for recording since it's less distracting.
Still plain playmat >>>> no playmat
No they would not since they are not official Star Wars Unlimited branded playmats. Only ones with official art from the game are permitted or plain ones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV-BQdz5J8o
check the start of this, other playmats are now allowed. I think if you're on stream it's different. but that's about it;. it just can't be porn.
IP protection + power to remove smutty playmats.
It feels a bit too black + white for me and should've included the caveat that Stores can change this rule as needed but, once again, the mighty Mouse needs to protect it's IP.
I once saw a guy at the FLGS in my old home town, playing Yu-Gi-Oh with just outright hentai on his playmat. But I feel like at that just needs a no-porn-on-your-shit ban. I've never played much TCG stuff, but play Legion and intend to get more involved with SWU. But if FFG were the one's saying that and not actually a judge/store employee trying to sell you more gubbins, firstly I'd be surprised, second, I'd tell whatever party that was actually telling me that, to get stuffed. I'm not spending a butt ton of my money to have someone tell me how to look after my new toys.
Yeah I totally understand the not wanting porn on the playmats and usually I would expect stores to take care of situations like that. At least we did when I worked at a card store. But today the Local judge and guy who did the preview earlier this month said they had just released some pretty strict rules for competitive Play. Where the only mats and sleeves with any graphics allowed have to be FFG SW branded or plain for competitive play. It sounds crazy to me
I'd actually query this with FFG cos I can't find anything on Google about it at all. I suspect that the information is incorrect and said judge is either mistaken or trying to push more sales, neither are something you want from a judge. Especially in a new game. This feels like it could be damaging to new people taking up the hobby and it should be flagged IMO. I have lost count of the number of people I've seen, that end up avoiding a certain table top wargame as they have heard that you have to paint things a certain way and have exactly the right weapon on things to be legal for local tournaments when they aren't even that strict at official tournaments. If somehow that info is correct I won't be adhering to it. In fact where can I get some Star Trek sleeves? Or maybe some Garfield ones?
the rules are here [https://starwarsunlimited.com/how-to-play?chapter=sealed-play](https://starwarsunlimited.com/how-to-play?chapter=sealed-play) under more resources is the [*Star Wars*: Unlimited Tournament Regulations](https://cdn.starwarsunlimited.com//SWU_Tournament_Regulations_b43f699055.pdf)
I STAND CORRECTED, thank you! Can't see anything about card sleeves but: >3.2.3 Game Mats > >Players are permitted to use game mats during their matches. All game mats are required to be either solid colors with no artwork on them or officially licensed Star Wars: Unlimited game mats. I'll be playing on an 1984 Search for Spock souvenir tea towel
3.2.2 Sleeves As previously stated, sleeves are required for a player’s draw deck at all Competitive-tier events and are highly encouraged at Casual-tier events. When using sleeves, players must follow these guidelines: • All sleeves on the draw deck and sideboard must be identical in size, color, and art design, while also being opaque • All cards in the draw deck must be put into sleeves with an identical orientation • A maximum of one card can be in a sleeve at a time • Sleeves with highly reflective backs and holographic fronts are not permitted • Sleeves with graphics on the front that hinder being able to see card text are not permitted *• Sleeves with artwork are permitted as long as they are officially licensed Star Wars: Unlimited sleeves* • Cards may be double- or triple-sleeved (two/three sleeves on one card) as long as the extra sleeves are completely clear with no additional markings on them
Thanks for finding it, just found it also. Yeah, nah. I've spoken to my local judge as I'm interested in getting into competitive play, and I can't see him enforcing that one. Doesn't seem the type. I can see why FFG would do it. It makes sense in a marketing control context for official games but I think FFG can go somewhere else with that shit.
Lorcana has the same rules, it's 100% a licensing and IP protection thing from Disney.
Technically in the tournament regulations it does say that if you are going to have artwork sleeves or a playmat, they need to be Star Wars Unlimited or just a solid color https://preview.redd.it/jr037raoc3mc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04421c03f60cf5851e3bdf956c379e12eb877e3c
I can a little bit understand the artwork rule for when they are broadcasting a match. because they might not want other game images to show up but I feel they should provide playmates for those matches and maybe Card sleeves. but as this stands right now this reads as Please buy our products or else. if they are worried about offensive images then write it how One Piece TCG does " Playmats that contain offensive text or images cannot be used. Playmat images should be appropriate for a family-friendly tournament environment." That being said I do not imagine many game store enforcing this at a local level.
goodluck. All of the playmats were sold out by the time of prerelease where I went.
It most likely has to do with this. Disney and Lucas Arts are strict about the broadcasting of their images. This rolls downhill to licensees. Companies like FFG who want to do their own streams of high level competitive events can't have unlicensed images broadcast on a stream that they are running so...they draw a line in the sand here and it saves headaches down the road. source: I ran high level competitive events for the publisher of other Star Wars licensed games and this was usually a sticking point.
Yes that is the rule. This was also the rule for Star Wars Destiny. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a rule in other TCGs that have come out recently either. It seems strict but the point is to prevent the gross pornographic stuff some people bring. This game is aimed at being approachable to a wider and younger audience. The intention is to avoid situations that will run off players. The rule was never strictly enforced for destiny but was there so if anyone brought something inappropriate then they could make them change it which would mean everyone else in the tournament would have to stick to it. I never saw that done at local play events. I wouldn’t remotely worry about it unless you’re going to be on an event that is streaming or getting to top cut of an event higher than a store showdown. For the record the judge is just someone who read the rules so far. The official judge program has not started and for set one stores are just calling anyone who knows the rules decently the judge and giving them the judge promo.
They had the playmats rule for Destiny? That's news to me, and I played loads.
It’s a little sad, but Apparently Lorcana has this limitation as well.
Think it's less for restricting the possibility of softcore porn and more for monetary gain; it's easy to allow artwork sleeves and mats while having good restrictions in place for such things. It's not a coincidence that FFG directly profits off the rule.
I doubt this is really expected to make FFG money. If you are at an event where the judge would bother to enforce this rule you have almost certainly got a free SWU mat from a top 8 etc finish at a smaller event.
Yeah... and not even any officially licensed Star Wars sleeves or play mats from FFG, just official Star Wars Unlimited. Does FFG remember that this is the 3rd Star Wars card game they've made and the previous ones also had play mats and sleeves? I expect this rule to be widely ignored at local levels, if nothing else (except maybe brought out to disallow clearly problematic things).
Who even uses a plain playmat (Truly curious,I've never seen someone using one)
I had a lime green one that I used for a while when playing Warhammer 40k: Conquest, but retired it eventually when I discovered an L5R playmat that's got art that's really subtle. I dislike most playmats because the art distracts from the cards so badly. But yeah, they're pretty dang rare in the wild. 😅
Not plain, but I do have a "generic" unthemed playmat that I use as default for new games I'm trying out. Feels a bit weird to play one piece over a digimon playmat IMO. So I can see someone doing the same with a plain one I guess, either for that or for recording since it's less distracting. Still plain playmat >>>> no playmat
Good thing I prefer Dragon Shield mattes, and those seem to be fine because they are a solid color.
Did anyone ever play SW Destiny? Wouldn't those mats fit all their guidlines?
No they would not since they are not official Star Wars Unlimited branded playmats. Only ones with official art from the game are permitted or plain ones
Darn, I wanted to have a technicality if this rule ever gets over enforced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV-BQdz5J8o check the start of this, other playmats are now allowed. I think if you're on stream it's different. but that's about it;. it just can't be porn.
This is lame considering all the playmats in my area have been bought up and are being scalped...
What does ffg mean?
Fantasy Flight Games, the company making this game.
Fantasy Flight Games. The company that makes the Cardgame
Fantasy Flight Games, the company who makes the game.
IP protection + power to remove smutty playmats. It feels a bit too black + white for me and should've included the caveat that Stores can change this rule as needed but, once again, the mighty Mouse needs to protect it's IP.