While the sequels have taken the mantle of most derided trilogy, there was a time when the prequels split the Star Wars fandom in half. Outside of overly dramatic monologues about sand, one of the main complaints was that politics took precedent over lightsabers and blasters. It could be down to my age when they first hit cinemas, but I’ve always enjoyed the senate scheming plaguing Coruscant.
The newest Star Wars Unlimited set, Secrets of Power, plays into my senate sensibilities, focusing on the wheeling, dealing, backstabbing, and scheming conducted in the shadows of grand galactic conflicts. In a year of releases where we’ve seen both major overhauls and minor tweaks, with Jump to Lightspeed and Legends of the Force, respectively, Secrets of Power caps off the year with new content that lands comfortably in the middle.
While there’s no shortage of blasters and starships in the set, Secrets of Power focuses primarily on the behind-the-scenes players from throughout the Star Wars saga. From Republic figureheads like Chancellor Valorum through to political pawns like Nute Gunray, the 266-card strong set is filled to the brim with deep cuts and rarely mentioned movers and shakers. It even features a surprisingly useful Jar Jar Binks Unit card, though the art depicts the Gungan single-handedly gifting Palpatine ultimate power over the Republic, so it’s a win-lose situation.
Speaking of the Chancellor turned Emperor, Palpatine is joined by Padmé Amidala as the two Spotlight Deck Leaders. Both decks are built around the set’s new keywords, with Sheev’s deck prioritising unlimited power, while the once Queen of Naboo favours a more diplomatic style of combat.
At the centre of Secrets of Power is the new keyword: Plot. Similar to the Smuggle mechanic, Plot allows you to play cards directly from your resource pool instead of your hand, allowing you to set up plays ahead of time. What differentiates this new rule is that these cards can only be played once the Leader is deployed. The main benefit of this is that multiple cards with the Plot keyword can be played at once, letting you flood the field with Units, provided you have the resources to use them.
An interesting wrinkle with this new rule is that the cards being played from the resource pool can be spent as a resource on their way out, giving you more opportunity to beef up your zones. It’s a mechanic that requires forward planning and patience, especially when playing against an opponent using a different playstyle. There’s a significant risk that comes with the Plot mechanic, as your entire game plan rests on a single turn. With that said, if you’re able to devise a plan, wait for the right moment, and successfully spring the trap on your foe, it can utterly shift the game’s momentum in your favour in the most satisfying way.
While less game-changing than Plot, Secrets of Power does introduce another new mechanic in the form of disclose. As the name suggests, the disclose mechanic asks you to reveal cards to your opponent in exchange for an ability. Rather than revealing several cards, the disclose mechanic asks that you reveal a set number of aspect icons from the cards in your hand. Opting to use aspect icons adds some depth and challenge to the mechanic, forcing the user to plan out their turns and withhold certain cards that they would otherwise resource or play. It doesn’t hurt that the mechanic is thematically appropriate for the set either, with disclose leaning into the sharing of information and misinformation that keeps the corrupt political landscape of the series spinning.
Fantasy Flight continues to impress when it comes to pulling from all corners of Star Wars lore to fill out each new Unlimited set. Clone Wars standout Satine Kryze, Republic turncoat Colonel Yularen, and sequel trilogy dropkick DJ are all Leaders that can have decks built around them, with deep Units like Darth Sion and Sly Moore waiting in the wings to join them. If you’re interested in a Star Wars trading card game, it’s more than likely you’re a sicko for the series, so it’s nice to be consistently impressed with references to characters, bases, and moments outside of the mainline movies.
Final Thoughts
While they haven’t all been transformative, all of the Star Wars Unlimited sets have been worthwhile to date. That trend continues with Secrets of Power, with this latest expansion offering an exciting risk/reward mechanic that fits the theme to perfection. Sure, the risk you run betting all your chips on a single turn can end in a swift defeat, but the rush of successfully pulling off a coup is worthwhile. Add in the more subtle, yet potentially potent new disclose mechanic, and you‘ve got another banger set that further improves on an ever-impressive card game.
Review copy of Star Wars Unlimited Secrets of Power decks supplied by the publisher
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