Preparing for an event the size of Star Wars Unlimited’s first Galactic Championship can be overwhelming.  The prep required can feel akin to the movie Apollo 13 when Flight Director Gene Kranz (played by Ed Harris) calls on each department for a go or no-go status required for launching the rocket into space.  A daunting task and one that required a ton of coordination.  If only porgs chewing on the ignition switch was all he had to worry about.  

It may not be quite the same stakes that Apollo 13 faced, but preparing for and getting to the championship weekend is going to entail a similar and pretty significant go/no-go checklist.  

Basics

With only a month to go until the big weekend, you hopefully have at least thought about some of the basic crucial bits that could disrupt your plans.  

• Permission.  You DID check with your significant other, parent or parole office, right?

• Schedule.  Don’t tell me you forgot to clear your work schedule again! And don’t forget to remind the pet sitter to look after your Curious Flock.

• Funding.  Meh!  We’ll make it back on the craps table. (Don’t do that…or do.  But, only tell us if it went well)

• Travel.  Hopefully you got your plane tickets by now.  If someone on Discord says they have an extra boat ticket to the event for cheap, just say no.

• Accommodations.  Are you going for the rooftop suite all to yourself for a good night’s rest, or twelve dudes to a room to save some cash?  Either way, find someplace to sleep that is a notch above the broke and desperate that are sleeping in the gutters of Sin City

• Packing.  For everyone’s sake, don’t forget to bring more than your SWU cards!

What to Do

We highly recommend having a game plan going into the weekend.  Are you playing in the main event, grinding drafts, or playing in premier pods all weekend?  If you are playing in the main event, what are your goals?  Are you playing all of day 1 regardless of record?  Dropping at 3 losses?  Figure it out ahead of time and save yourself some decisions.  There are enough things to think about while playing SWU.

Tickets for the main events have been sold out for some time, but if you want to play and have not registered, you should keep checking every day.  

What are your prize wall goals?  Hoping to come home with a Vader or Luke showcase?  Well, so is everyone else.  But, that’s OK.  Focus on grinding out tickets to get to the 5,000 required to come home with one of them.  

All kinds of details are available here.

No matter what, your general goal should be to have fun!  It’s going to be an amazing weekend.

And be sure to grab some porg goodies from any of the Porg Depot team members at the event.  Just ask between rounds.  We’ll have a limited number each day so grab them early!

What to Play

If you’re doing things right you are grinding games with the deck you plan on playing now, learning every matchup inside and out, knowing what your opponent is going to play before they do.

If you are like the other 99% of us, you are bringing five decks with you, playing a bunch of games the night before with your friends, and quickly trying to build a 6th deck the morning of the main event that you will play to a 3-6 record.

With Legends of the Force dropping relatively closely to the event there are no large events leading up to it that will help define the meta.  This could mean a high percentage of known good decks from the prior meta like Qi’ra Data Vault or Sabine ECL.  However it could also mean that a person or team comes up with some solid new tech that exploits the new Force mechanic and takes people a bit unaware as a more rogue option.  Granted the reverse could be true as well with a ton of people wanting to build and play decks with the new mechanic.

Actual Event

Make sure to stay relaxed, stay hydrated, and stay fed.  Don’t go into the event itself without at least some plan for how to take care of these things.  Power bars and water bottles are your friends.  Bring plenty of each.  

Most importantly regardless of the outcomes of any games, plan to enjoy yourself.  You are afterall a participant at the first ever Star Wars Unlimited Galactic Championship.

Non-SWU Things to Do

Las Vegas is a pretty fun place to be with tons of things to do there aside from being in a convention center playing cards.  The obvious pick is gambling. SWU not going your way?  The craps tables are sure to get you out of that funk. 

Catch a show.  The Backstreet Boys are playing at the Sphere the same weekend.  Which… sure, I guess they are still a thing.  Vegas is also known for some stellar magic shows, acrobatics, and comedy.  

Vegas is known for some of the best bars and restaurants around.  They won’t quite be Oga’s Cantina, they are sure to serve up some tasty drinks and snacks. Be adventurous and try something fun.

If you are spending the time and money to visit a city for any event, it’s always a decent idea to use some web searching and try to take advantage of the local ambiance and attractions while you are there.

Go / No-go?

Permission = Go.
Schedule = Go.
Funding for SWU = Go.
Funding for casinos = YOLO.
Travel = Go.
Hotel = Go.
Event Ticket = Go.
Event Plan = Go.
Decks = Go?

The team at Porg Depot hope to see you in Vegas!!!  Feel free to say hello.  We love to hear from people.  If you happen to be wearing some Porg Depot merch we’ll have something special for you!  A Galactic Championships exclusive!