The IDC in Review
Editorial by C. J. Williams

The last year has been both turbulent and rewarding. It has seen the discontinuation of our beloved game by its founding company, Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) and resurrection by a dedicated group of individuals known as the SWTCG Independent Development Committee (IDC).

Some thirteen months ago, after much speculation about a future set (Rise of the Empire) and the cancellation of the game, we received word that WOTC had put the Star Wars Trading Card Game (SWTCG) on “indefinite hold”. For some, this was a kind of hope for the future revival of the game. For others, this was a death knell. No matter what it meant, it was time to take action.

Some three months earlier, it was suggested to begin work on a Charter for a new committee to continue the game. After much discussion and a group vote on Rebelbasers.com, it was decided that we should wait until official word of its cancellation. Later, when the word came down from WOTC, several members formed the SWTCG Charter Committee. Just forming the committee, though, proved to be a greater undertaking than writing the first Charter itself. A system of guidelines for activity and self-governing were needed and took some two and half months to work out. Afterward, the Charter was worked out in a matter of weeks. When finished, the Rebelbasers members voted in the members of the IDC and the IDC Board. As soon as voting was finished, they eagerly began on the first official IDC set, Fall of the Republic (FOTR).

In June of 2006, FOTR, The follow-up to WOTC’s Revenge of the Sith (ROTS) expansion, was released a year and two months after ROTS. Though the committee was conservative in its efforts, it was well received and praised. The game had been resurrected and fans now had a new hope for the future of the game. It was a confirmation and a proclamation that the IDC was a success and will continue to make more sets. The release saw an immediate revival of interest, and the IDC began to be talked about on many international internet forums and even got mention in a couple trading card industry non-IDC related internet articles.

The goal of FOTR was to make Equipment more attractive, meet or exceed previous set standards, and fulfill fan expectations that weren’t fulfilled in ROTS or its never-released sequel, ROTE. FOTR featured Clones, which were conspicuously left out of ROTS, and a faction of Wookiees, Jedi in Space and Ground, Trade Federation units, Separatists, and the much-awaited General Grievous. It also included the Parry keyword ability slated to be released with the ill-fated ROTE.

Immediately after the release of FOTR, the Card Development sub-committee set to work on the next IDC set, Scum and Villainy. This set would feature the first IDC-created keyword ability, known as Stealth. However, the wording on Stealth underwent major debate throughout SAV production. In the end, the original wording changed little, and the intent and how it operates remained the same. However, to keep Stealth as worded, one card was dumped and a speed limit on Stealth units was established.

In October, 2006, SAV was released to hungering members eagerly waiting to see what “Scum and Villainy” truly meant and what it held for the game. Fans were more than pleased with the results. The set was marked by noticeable advancements in the power and effectiveness of units, as well as improvements in subtype synergies. There were Jawas, Tuskens, Rebels, and most notably Imperials and Bounty Hunters. SAV proved to be a great boon to the game.

There was also a You Make the Card vote during SAV that was very popular and which produced a great card that is now one of the best in the game thanks to the efforts of members of Rebelbasers.com. You can be sure there will be more You Make the Card votes in the future.

Along with the release of SAV was the release of the long awaited IDC Annotated Rulebook and Select Annotated Rules/Errata/FAQ Document (SARD). This was a major milestone for the IDC. It featured a complete melding of the Consolidated Errata, FAQ, and Rulings. The Rulebook also received many new needed rulings not just for the new sets, but also for many things that were neglected by WOTC’s Rulebook writers.

SAV has been touted as the best expansion ever, and rightly so. The goal of SAV was to make Equipment less expensive and produce more powerful and effective units. It features units that will see play for a very long time, as well as making many corrections in the game long needed. Veterans of the game are returning, and more is happening now than any time since the game was given the axe by WOTC, and has incited many more international discussions and little to no dissatisfaction.

However, despite the success of these two sets, there were many bumps in the operation of the IDC, and the original Charter was all but abandoned to facilitate smoother operation. As a result, a new Charter needed to be written, so the IDC reformed the Charter Committee, which immediately began work on the new Charter. The new Charter would accommodate the new operation style, establish rules for its operation, and provide regulation flexibility to ensure that the Charter is never abandoned again, giving it a fluid stability to make it indispensable. Earlier this month it was released. During the month in which the Charter was reworked, work in the IDC ceased, as a new Charter would not be able to be implemented in the middle of production on a set. However, as soon as the Charter was released, work began full steam on the third IDC expansion.

A name, a goal, and a date for release have now been set for the next expansion. We look forward to a long run of expansions that will feature more movie material, and increasingly more extended universe (EU) material, including possible whole EU sets.

To date, there have been many great cards released by the IDC. Such legendary cards include 501st Legion (A), Jedi Interceptor, Anakin Skywalker (N), Buzz Droid Swarm, Darth Sidious (H), Darth Vader (T, V), General Grievous (A, B, C, D), Sly Moore (A), Lava Flea, Obi-Wan’s Lightsaber (A), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Q), Clone Grenade, Separatist Buzz Droid, ARC Fighter, DD-13 Medical Droid, Eta-2 Squadron (A), Felucia Battlegrounds, Clone Landing Platform, Dash Rendar (B), Grk’Urr’Akk (A), Havoc (A), Zoomer (A), Mara Jade (C), Vader's TIE Fighter (C), Pirate Swoop, Pirate Raiders, Boba Fett’s Armor (A), Han Solo (L), Zam’s Sniper Rifle (A), Luke's X-wing (E), Imperial City, R2-D2 (K), Vizam (A), Thermal Detonator, Assault Trooper, Bespin Engineers, Force Pike, Hapan Battle Dragon, Kessel Runner, Infiltration Team, T2-B Repulsor Tank, and Wretched Hive.

We look forward to providing more quality sets for your enjoyment. Let your appreciation be known by spreading the word about the IDC and its sets. We welcome your support and participation. Let us know how you enjoy our sets by contacting idcadmin@skywlkr.net.

Thoughts or comments? Visit the message board thread for this article here.

---

About the Author
C. J. has been a player of the game since 2003 and was the Text Finalization Leader of the IDC Rules Sub-committee during FOTR and SAV. He is currently the Public Affairs Editor. C. J. has written many other articles for the IDC and Rebelbasers.com and has been a member of both the Wizards and Rebelbasers forums since January of 2004, posting under the name Corjay.