Bothan Network member David “Manumitter” Fogel is one of my best friends. He introduced me to SWU from the get-go, was the first person I ever mentioned the idea of Two To Base to, and has been a constant source of helpful playtesting and interesting discussions about the game. And now I am beyond enthused to interview David as the Champion of the PQ at Coliseum of Comics, Kissimmee!

David “Manumitter” Fogel, Champion of the Coliseum of Comics, Kissimmee Jump to Lightspeed PQ.

What made you decide to go with Quinlan for the PQ?

Quinlan TT, plays very well into the current Meta, it’s also the deck I have worked on most since BIATL (the Bothan Invitational) and the Release of Set 4. There really isn’t a deck that Quinlan TT doesn’t have play into and I was able to make a meta call on changes to the deck to situate me well into that week’s meta. There were other decks I considered, but, play what you know is an important factor and that is what I ultimately decided to do.

Did you add any spice to your deck that people might not have been expecting?

Anticipating a space / pilot meta I added Fireball to my deck to help contest the early space arena and answer one-drops aggro space decks play that often only have one attack power letting me get a two-for-one trade with a Fireball or even start the race round two. If space / pilot decks don’t have ships to upgrade it throws them off their plan and people generally don’t expect Quinlan to be able to contest the space arena.

What were some of your more challenging matchups?

L8 Night Gaming’s SoloYG on Luke ECL was by far the toughest match of my day. He did a video on the PQ as well and you should check it out! He is for sure a top aggro player and is always a contender in the top cut at PQs. Our matchup melted my brain trying to find the best lines to answer what he was doing. All of my opponents were great and a pleasure to play against. Three of my swiss opponents made the top cut, so there were a couple re-matches on my way to the victory!

What advice would you give anyone who is grinding and trying to win that next PQ?

Draw Good Cards! But for real, learn your matchups and get practice. The meta shifts every week and decks change cards from week-to-week as well. As a member of the Bothan Network Competitive SWU Team I have the pleasure of having top players on every play style to get quality practice against. Luck will always be a part of a big tournament win, let that be dodging certain matchups, strength of schedule magic for top cut or just drawing the right cards at the right time, but having a plan for every matchup and a deck that plays consistently are required to win.

Do you think Quinlan will be relevant going into the next set?

I have not fully looked at the set 5 spoilers, the set was fully released earlier this week but I would have to think as a Leader with the Force trait in a set that is focused on “The Force,” Quinlan will get new tools and probably stay relevant. Just looking at the art on a lot of the cards I am super excited to see what the meta looks like after release going into Galactics.

FFG announced that effective April 11th Jango Fett, Concealing the Conspiracy; Triple Dark Raid; and DJ, Blatant Thief will be suspended. These cards join the already-suspended Boba Fett, Collecting the Bounty. Why these cards were suspended is no mystery, and perhaps most people weren’t at all shocked by FFG’s announcement. Most players were probably elated at the news.

While I do agree that the suspension is warranted, there’s something more troubling than that, and that is the precedent that has been set.

If we rewind back to the very beginning of Twilight of the Republic, FFG announced right from the get-go that Boba would be suspended. The PQ results were definitely telling the story of a meta dominated by Boba Fett. It didn’t even matter which Aspect base Boba was paired with: they were all oppressive in their own right. Suspending Boba immediately heralded in a new meta and it was done at the very beginning of the new set, allowing players a chance to experiment with their new decks before PQ season.

This time it’s different: we’re a month into Jump to Lightspeed and now players that have been running Jango need to shift gears and find a new identity. Boba Fett, Any Methods Necessary is still an option, but without Triple Dark Raid, maybe not so much. Cad Bane is most likely the heir apparent to Jango, though his play style is still different. So while, yes, Jango’s suspension was warranted and a new meta will definitly arise, it still leaves a bitter taste.

The main thing that I think really worries me is: how did we get to this point? Boba I get: he arrived in the first set and quickly became an example of what does an over-statted leader card look like. Jango was already developed before the sins of his cloned son were becoming obvious through tournament results, and even during the Shadows of the Galaxy meta he wasn’t that bad (probably because everyone was playing Boba). But the grace period ends there.

The designers already had enough metrics by the time Jump to Lightspeed was being developed that cards like War Juggernaut make players question if the designers were even paying attention. It’s not all that hard to connect the dots between a unit that can deal damage to both arenas and a leader that benefits from enemy units being damaged. But here we are: the cards have already been printed and yeah, they enabled Jango decks to be oppressive.

Suspending cards is a natural in the lifecycle of a card game. The designers don’t have the wealth of the whole fan base during production to see potential pitfalls. But when players align themselves with certain leaders: whether they love seeing that character in Star Wars media, they have that card’s showcase, or they just like the playstyle that leader offers, it becomes hard to suddenly give that up. And unfortunately it seems when a problem card arises, it’s most likely going to be a leader. The next time that player picks a new leader to buy into, there’s always going to be that nagging thought: what if the leader is “too good” and joins the Fetts in suspension?

FFG made the right call. There’s no doubt that a picture had been painted of a meta where you either played Jango or played against Jango (or both). I just hope that suspensions won’t need to happen as often, and if they do, that it’s at the beginning of a new set, not a month in.

By: thedonz

NOTE: This article is intended for folks that are already familiar with the basics of Star Wars Unlimited (SWU). If you’d like a primer on how to play, please check out the How To Play section of StarWarsUnlimited.com.

There’s a moment we all face in SWU when we look back at a long string of losses and ask, “Why do I still suck!?”   We’ve been jamming game after game, maybe tweaking our decks, maybe not, but something feels off. The needle isn’t moving; the wins aren’t coming, and we ask ourselves “Should I even bother showing up to that Showdown?”

YES! You should. And hey—just so we’re clear, I’m writing this not as some seasoned champ with trophies on the shelf, but as a fellow traveler on the path. My win/loss record? It’s humbling. My misplays? Frequent. But I love this game. And more than that, I love this community. People will often say, with kindness, “You don’t have to win to have fun.” And that’s true—to a point. But let’s be real: losing over and over again can knock the wind out of anyone’s sails. I’ve felt it.

That’s why I’m writing this. Not because I have all the answers, but because I’m searching for them, too. This guide is my way of learning out loud—with the hope that it might help someone else out there feel a little more grounded, a little more encouraged, and a little more equipped to grow.

Brute Force vs. Intentional Growth

As players, we often assume the key to improvement is sheer volume. “Just play more games,” we tell ourselves. And sure, more reps can help. But if we’re not reflecting, not observing, not asking questions—then all we’re really doing is reinforcing the same habits, good or bad.

When I first got into SWU, I dove in headfirst. I played as many games I could per week, sometimes multiple matches back-to-back. (Shoutout to The Haven for straight up being our home base during the launch of Spark of Rebellion!) But something wasn’t clicking. I’d make the same misplays. I’d tilt – more often than I’d like to admit – to my chagrin. I’d get frustrated and try to patch over my losses by queuing up again and again – telling myself I was “getting my reps in.”

But I wasn’t learning.

Grinding without reflection is like walking a treadmill and wondering why you haven’t gotten anywhere. You feel busy. You’re moving. But you’re not moving forward.

The Trap of Auto-Pilot

Part of the danger is that we can improve a little through repetition alone. You’ll get more comfortable with the rules, learn some basic interactions, maybe even win a few games by sheer brute force and luck. (As our buddy Wes points out, “It’s a trading card game!” – and that means variance). But this is a ceiling, and you’ll hit it fast. The real breakthroughs come from slowing down, not speeding up.

In a game like SWU – with thousands of cards, “Unlimited” lines of play, and delicate sequencing – it’s not just about what you do. It’s about why you do it.

That’s why one carefully reviewed game can teach you more than ten played on autopilot.

What “Mindless” Practice Looks Like

Let me describe some of the traps I’ve fallen into:

• Playing too quickly and skipping key decisions.
• Not taking notes on what I learned from matches.
• Not reviewing a close game to figure out if I lost from variance… or from a misplay three turns earlier.
• Avoiding conversations with other players out of fear of sounding “dumb.”
• Blaming my deck instead of evaluating my lines.

These aren’t signs of laziness—they’re signs of burnout, confusion, and disconnection. And they’re deeply human. Especially when the losses pile up.

So if you’ve been there too? I see you. You’re not alone, and The Force is still with you.

The Shift to Mindful Practice

The good news is that improvement doesn’t require grinding more. It just requires practicing better. You don’t need to be a genius, a spreadsheet wizard, or a former Magic Pro Tour champ. You just need to slow down, ask questions, and be curious.

Next time you play a game, ask:

• What was the first real decision point in this match?
• Did I evaluate my Turn 1 Resourcing decisions carefully?
• What was I playing around—and why?
• Did I get tilted? If so, when?

Even just noticing these things can begin to transform the way you think. And that’s the spark that leads to intelligent growth.

Up Next: Part 2 – The Anatomy of Intelligent Practice

In the next installment, we’ll break down the core components of smart practice: play review, emotional regulation, focusing on matchups, and using community insights to level up your game.

Let’s learn—and grow—together. MTFBWY.

“The strongest stars have hearts of kyber.” – Chirrut Îmwe

This post sponsored by The Haven Games. Click here for a discount on sealed SWU product. Shipping available!

“My lasting memory from this weekend will be meeting everyone. So many people I’d heard of in the community came down and hung out with us, and getting the chance to meet them was amazing! -Nick Fraser

CardsHQ in Atlanta, GA isn’t your usual LGS. When was the last time you saw a card shop that has stadium seating exclusively designed for streaming opening card boxes? While CardsHQ does have a main focus on sports cards, it also has plenty to offer for TCGs, including SWU. It was also the host for the first ever Bothan Invitational. We spoke with Nick Fraser, who helped coordinate the event.

You have a pretty sick Anakin podracer jacket. What’s the story behind that?

Yeah, my jacket gets a lot of compliments, which I’m very happy about! I bought it for myself as a birthday present last year, and since then, it’s something I wear at work to distinguish myself to the SWU players. I also wear it to most big events, one of the best fashion choices I’ve ever made! The story of Anakin Skywalker is fantastic mythology, and I love having that jacket as a piece of that story.

CardsHQ is a unique facility that it has the Breaker Arena for doing box breaks and the breaker studios. How often are those used for SWU content?

The Breaker Arena gets used by pretty much everyone for everything, including SWU boxes. One of our regulars opened up a Shadows box on stream and pulled a Hunter showcase! It’s magical in that way.

What was one of the biggest logistical challenges you had for the BIATL event?

The big thing for us was converting a space dedicated to browsing and hanging out into one where we can host up to 128 players. We raided the local Home Depot for tables and chairs three times total! We’re happy with how things turned out, but we’re going back to the drawing board to see how we can fit more people for future large events. It’s remarkable what goes into planning these things!

What did you enjoy most about hosting the BIATL event?

My lasting memory from this weekend will be meeting everyone. So many people I’d heard of in the community came down and hung out with us, and getting the chance to meet them was amazing! I had a big moment of relief when everything concluded, and seeing the joy on everyone’s faces is a feeling that can’t be replicated.

Now that the BIATL is over, can we look forward to any future large SWU events from CardsHQ?

As always, Frank Myers and the Bothan Network are an ambitious group, but we have a thing or two up our sleeves. The response BIATL received was monumental, and our intention is to make it happen again. Keep an eye & ear out for more from this collaboration soon!

CardsHQ hosts locals for SWU every Wednesday at 6 PM and Sunday at 12 PM!

Frank, Hunter, and Jeff (left) on team Bothan Blue, versus Kyle, Gudo, and Sean during the 3v3 event.

The Bothan Invitational has come and gone, and for Two to Base, it was a chance for us to increase our exposure outside of central Florida.

We participated in the 3v3 event, the 6k and 2k tournaments. For the 3v3 event, we decided to go off-script and play decks that other teams wouldn’t expect. Sean was on Han1 Green, Gudo on Yoda Blue, and Kyle on Boba Yellow. Our first match was against The Bothan Blue Team, which proved to be a formidable opponent. We lost that match, so went into the loser’s bracket, where we paired against Sekrit Alliance. However, we fought hard and managed to eke out a win! We moved on against the Moof Milkers, which unfortunately resulted in our second and final loss.

Overall the team event was very exciting and it was great to be a part of SWU history. It was also very cool to be the first feature match of the day. You can watch Frank and Kyle battle it out here (The commentator accidentally attributed Gudo as Frank’s opponent, but shoutout to Beatza for providing the correct info in the chat).

We had mixed results during the other tournaments. Jango decks were certainly everywhere, though there was also a healthy mix of other decks. Our decks didn’t play into them as well as we had thought, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time. It was also very cool getting to meet finally meet Kyle in person.

Stay tuned for future posts related to the Bothan Invitational and videos on our YouTube channel.

This post sponsored by The Haven Games. Click here for a discount on sealed SWU product. Shipping available!

It’s nearly time! On Thursday we head up to Atlanta, where we’ll finally get to meet Atlanta teammate Kyle and prepare for the Bothan Invitational!

We’ve had several crises of faith this past week and several deck choices made, but we’re feeling pretty confident about our choices (right now).

We also playtested the 3v3 format both in person and virtually, so we have a game plan for going into the tournament. It’s a pretty neat format. Unlike a regular 1v1 tournament it’s kind of neat that you have some say into which deck you play into. So of course that introduces a whole game in itself. The Galactic Gonks have a video about how to play it with SWU.

Don’t forget to participate in the bracket predictions contest, hosted by Team Sekrit. There are also prizes for joining their Discord.

We’ll be posting our thoughts and reactions throughout the tournament all weekend, so stay tuned!

Finally, don’t forget to check us out Friday morning at 9AM on Blonde Sabine for a stream of our game!

This post sponsored by The Haven Games. Click here for a discount on sealed SWU product. Shipping available!

“With the great relationships we’ve built across the competitive SWU landscape, our thriving Discord community, and our own desire to host a weekend tournament, we decided to go for it. We found a great partner in Cards HQ Atlanta and planned the event.” - Frank

The Bothan Invitational is less than a week away, so we took this moment to speak with Frank from the Bothan Network to learn more about how the idea started and what to expect from the weekend.

Frank (right) with teammate Daniel “Moophisto” at the Gamers N Geeks PQ.

We’re getting even closer to the start of the Bothan Invitational, which is very exciting. How did you decide that you wanted to run such an event?

When our competition team, the Bothan Network, grew to over 20 players, we began joking that some tournaments felt like a “Bothan Invitational” because we had to play each other so often. After a few tournaments of making the joke, we started taking the idea more seriously.

The primary motivation to host this fan-run event is our passionate love for Star Wars: Unlimited. Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) has evolved the trading card game (TCG) design space into something with the perfect DNA for competitive players. They’ve reduced draw variance by introducing the card-down resource system, coupled with the “Howling Mine” effect of drawing two cards per turn. The alternating action mechanic — without “instant” speed interaction — makes the game feel like chess. Given a board state and the information at hand, players can analyze and determine the optimal play lines. There hasn’t been a TCG with such strong mechanics for high-level competitive players.

FFG is a wonderfully creative game company that thrives in the casual game niche. However, it hasn’t found long-term success with any of its “competitive” games, and the competitive tournament structure for SWU has so far felt like an afterthought during Season Zero. As much as they’ve innovated on game design, they haven’t yet evolved into a company that fully supports a competitive scene. Some of this may be due to restrictions from their Star Wars intellectual property (IP) licensing agreements. We don’t know for sure, but what we do know is that, in the Internet Age of 2025, we don’t have to passively rely on a corporate game company — understandably driven by profit motives and licensing contracts — to determine how we have fun with their product. Our public, free-to-join Bothan Network Discord server has grown to 1,200 SWU players, all looking to connect and find competitive, yet fun, games of SWU. We built our team’s public Discord to be a place where chill but competitive SWU players can meet each other. It has also become a space where many content creators collaborate and engage with their audiences.

With the great relationships we’ve built across the competitive SWU landscape, our thriving Discord community, and our own desire to host a weekend tournament, we decided to go for it. We found a great partner in Cards HQ Atlanta and planned the event.

When we organized and announced the Bothan Invitational: Atlanta (The Battle at BIATL) in early January, FFG had no competitive events beyond the Set 3 Planetary Qualifiers (PQs) announced or scheduled. We looked at the FFG calendar and saw a large gap between the end of Set 3 PQs and what we guessed would be the start of Set 4 PQs. I say “guessed” because FFG has been consistently late in announcing event dates and locations.

There was also a gap in the Star City Games schedule—they didn’t have a Set 4 event until mid-April in Denver. We didn’t want to wait that long to have a major event with the new set releasing in early March. For Set 2, we had Gen Con; for Set 3, we had SCG: Columbus. But for Set 4, the calendar seemed wide open. We had no reason to expect any other major competitive events besides Star City Games’ cash-prize series. It was only after we had announced and sold tickets that FFG surprised us by announcing Sector and Regional tournaments. Honestly, it worked out for the better. Had FFG announced those tournaments earlier, we likely wouldn’t have hosted this event — but now that we see how incredible this weekend is going to be, I’m glad it happened this way.

The very first tournament of the invitational will be a 3v3 event. What made you decide to run it in that format and how have you handled the logistics for it?

TCGs are just better when played with friends. While SWU’s casual format hasn’t taken off  (pun intended) yet, we have high hopes for Twin Suns in the near future — and perhaps a new format that may be coming later this year. Competitive play, as set up by FFG, misses some of the “best-played-with-friends” aspects of TCGs. So, we wanted to showcase at BIATL how much fun you can have with friends while still competing. That’s why we’re running a $2,100 3v3 prize tournament.

As for logistics, we went with a double-elimination bracket. Like “March Madness” in basketball, we’re running a free online competition where people can predict the winning teams in the 3v3 tournament. Whoever makes the most correct predictions will win a free event t-shirt, and the runner-up will get a free swag bag filled with event goodies that all attending players will also receive. Anyone can enter at this link, which will also provide live updates during the event as matches conclude.

Even in the 3v3 space, we benefit from FFG’s excellent SWU mechanics. Before a game starts, you already know your opponent’s leader and base. So, I thought, why not incorporate that public information into a seat draft? Based on which team wins the initiative roll, players will take turns—like a snake draft—placing their leader and base. It’s a fun and high-skill interaction that leverages SWU’s core mechanics and reinforces our belief that SWU is the best competitive TCG ever designed. One of the 3v3 teams, the Galactic Gonks, even filmed us demonstrating the seat draft if you’d like to see how it works.

What’s been one of the more challenging aspects of planning the invitational?

The biggest challenge has been the lack of support from FFG. We assume it’s due to licensing restrictions related to the Star Wars IP, but they can’t support fan-run events. We accidentally violated their IP policy. After selling out both the 3v3 and the Saturday $6K event, we revealed an exclusive playmat that we commissioned from a SWU freelance artist. Unfortunately, this became an expensive mistake of their internal company policy concerning the IP, forcing us to change our event artwork and they suspended my wife Courtney’s Blonde Sabine YouTube channel from the FFG content creators’ program for at least six months. Lesson learned, and we corrected our mistakes as best as we could by replacing all the offending art work at our own expense.

What are you most excited about for this event?

The exclusive playmat art is still ridiculously cool. They’re serialized 1 to 25, and 23 of them will only be awarded to the top two teams of the 3v3, the top 16 of the $6K, and the winner of the Sunday $2K. Playmat #24 will be gifted to our amazing Tournament Organizer, Nick Fraser, and #25 will be auctioned to the highest bidder to benefit our designated charity, Our House, an afterschool and summer program in Auburn, Alabama, that works with at-risk tweens and teenagers.

But for me personally, it’s about the time we’ll spend together with friends. This weekend will be epic — almost 200 of the world’s best SWU players, many of whom I now consider friends, will gather to battle. Honestly, I don’t care how well I do, how our team does, or who wins the $2,000 first prize in the $6K. We’ll all win by spending quality time together, playing the game we love.
The 3v3 competition has also inspired many friend groups to form competitive SWU teams, which has been awesome to see. I’m excited to meet them all in Atlanta.

For those that aren’t participating, but want to watch the games, what are some of the ways they can observe?

Courtney will be streaming the entire event live on her YouTube channel, and Maclunky Gaming will be simulcasting it on their Twitch channel. The 3v3 bracket will be updated live at this link, where you can also join the “March Madness” prediction game for free.

We are pleased to announce that The Haven will be sponsoring our content! Click here for a discount towards buying SWU sealed product! Shipping is available!

Also, if you are in the Central Florida area or visiting Florida, make sure to check out their shop in Casselberry! Matt and the staff are super knowledgeable, friendly, and inclusive.

Just like an ECL’d War Juggernaut, the Bothan Invitational is barreling towards us!

We’ve been testing out our decks at locals and jamming games with each other online, trying to hone in on what we’ll need to tackle the meta.

There’s no doubt that Jango is going to be a threat. War Juggernaut is just a filthy filthy card that Jango can leverage to tap down both arenas. Luckily we have our newest member, Aaron, to help us get some insight into how Jango plays. A true Jango fan, Aaron has been running him ever since Shadows of the Galaxy.

It also looks like Quinlan has decided not to go quietly into the night and has a lot of tricks ready to be used, including more hand disruption with Jam Communications and more Force users to enable Force Throw.

Needless to say that the meta is very early, but it’s already shaping up to be a ping-heavy environment, just like during Twilight of the Republic. It will be interesting to see how all the new cards and interactions in the space arena will play out in this. Admiral Piett will certainly have his moment to shine.

But the most exciting part is that we have one week to go! Stay tuned to the website and our YouTube channel for content and updates during the event.

Also don’t forget about the March Madness-type bracket to vote on. Yours truly will be starting in the bottom right Tatooine sector. Don’t forget to cast your predictions for a chance to win prizes. You can vote up until an hour before the tournament starts on March 28th at 9 AM.

The Jump to Lightspeed set is now Premier legal, which means it’s giving us a chance to finally test out our decks in the wild. We’re getting even closer to the Bothan Invitational.

It’s been fun going through our shopping lists of cards needed for decks and trading for them or looking through our pre-release packs to see if we had snagged any copies. Some of the team played our first locals at Lobo Cards in Orlando. The sampling of decks was what was to be expected, so it gave us a chance to see how our decks played into them. Also, as a side note, the weekly play packs are awesome! FFG really did a great job not only selecting playable cards, but also the art is so good!

For those playing at home during the Bothan Invitational, there will be a March Madness-type bracket to vote on. Yours truly will be starting in the bottom right Tatooine sector. Don’t forget to cast your predictions for a chance to win prizes. You can vote up until an hour before the tournament starts on March 28th at 9 AM.