Created following the success of Sony Online Entertainment's Legends of Norrath digital card game, Star Wars Galaxies: TCG is both a stand-alone, online-only strategy game, and a tie-in with the Star Wars Galaxies MMO. Players can download a free trial of the card game with limited content, but must be a Galaxies subscriber to participate in the majority of game modes. The card game can be played within the MMO, or through a separate downloadable client.

Gameplay is based off of an avatar system similar to Magic: The Gathering. Players draw random cards from their deck and use them to deal damage to the opposing avatar. The game uses "quests" to offer a battlefield and an alternate way to win the game. Two quests are active at any time, and either player can line up unit cards on their side of the quest. "Raiding" a quest is the main way to attack an avatar, but any units marshaled at a quest must be defeated first. Cards can be exerted to add to the attack or defense of a raid. Players can also use ability cards to assist in battle. Once per round, they can spend an ability card's power level toward completing a quest. Completing four quests is another victory condition.

Players can tackle story-based scenarios in solo play, with victory rewarding a new card for their deck. Beating a scenario on the hardest difficulty rewards a "foil" version of the card with an animated shimmer effect. Up to four players can take on special heroic scenarios for greater rewards. Two players can battle each other in a casual game, or players can enroll in frequent tournaments to increase their ranking.

Decks come in four archetypes: Jedi, Rebel, Imperial, and Sith. One archetype's starter deck is provided for free to new players who are also Star Wars Galaxies subscribers. However, scenarios require a specific archetype, so players will be locked out of some content until they buy a new starter deck. Players can also purchase 15-card "booster packs" to add random cards of all archetypes to their library, and can build new decks, or augment existing ones, from this pool.

"Loot" cards offer exclusive in-game items to a player with an active Star Wars Galaxies account. Current SWG players also receive 5 free booster packs a month for the current release (booster packs for previous TCG releases, and the chance of getting their specific loot, can still be purchased at the online store). Any loot cards from a purchased deck can be traded among SWG players, while any loot from free booster packs is locked to that player.

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