5 Things You Should Know About Theory11's Star Wars Playing Cards

Theory11 continues to tease its latest collab deck on their social media account- Star Wars Playing Cards. After some research and analysis, here are 5 things you should know about the new decks.

1.  Star Wars Universe
As suspected from the teaser image, the deck will NOT be based on JJ Abram's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker but the original Star Wars Trilogy. On the product page, looks like Rey and Kylo Ren are included as royals and the card backs include the First Order crest, so making this not only related to the original trilogy as initially stated but the Star Wars universe. This is obvious from the red foil seal depicting the classic Imperial crest from the original trilogy instead of the First Order.

2. Two Decks
There will be 2 decks on offer- The Light Side and The Dark Side. The Sight side tuck box features a striking blue foil on black tuck while the Dark Side, stunning red foil on black tuck.

3. Design Elements
Both decks will feature iconic design elements from the Star Wars universe. From the window of the Millenium Falcon, Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and X-Wings to R2D2, Star Destroyers, and TIE Fighters.

4. Foil Seal
Both tuck boxes are kept secure with a foil seal. Red foil with the Imperial crest for the Dark Side and Blue foil depicting the Rebel Alliance crest for the Light Side.

5. Pricing
From their previous releases, Theory11 will continue to make this deck affordable with the usual price of $9.95. You can purchase them as a set or individually.

Star Wars Playing Cards will be available on Theory11.com today (Friday 20 December) at 3pm ET.

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Deck View: Star Wars (Light Side Edition) Playing Cards

Official. Jedi. Lightside.

The Star Wars Playing Cards was released in conjunction with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the 9th and final film in the Skywalker saga. The officially licensed deck is produced by Theory11 in collaboration with LucasFilm and designed by Mattson Creative (Instagram: @tymattson).

The Light Side Edition sports a blue colorway tuck and is one of two decks in the set. Inside the deck is fully custom with special court cards, featuring iconic Star Wars characters. On the light side: Rey, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. On the dark side: Palpatine, Kylo Ren, and Darth Vader.

The blue card back showcases countless details that will sure to delight fans. From the top of R2-D2, the Rebel Alliance symbol, to the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon and a repeating pattern of X-wing starfighters supported by two lightsabers on each side edge. The deck is packaged shiny foil and embossed tuck boxe feature either Rebel Alliance imagery. A must-have for any Star Wars fan!

Printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. and available now from theory11.com for $9.95.

Theory11 Drops Star Wars Force Box Set

Theory11 released a special edition Star Wars box set yesterday May 4th. This beautiful box has a secret… it OPENS and CLOSES by itself like you’re actually using the Force!

According to the product page on theory11,

Channel your inner Jedi to magically open or close the box from ANY distance – with no magnets, strings, or electronics! Showcase your newfound abilities to your friends and family – they’ll be amazed when they see the box slowly OPEN at your command. What’s the secret method? You’ll have to get your own to find out!

The box set includes SIX decks of Star Wars Playing Cards in multiple color: blue, red, black, white and two gold foil special edition decks. 

Designed by Mattson Creative, the deck is fully custom with special court cards, featuring iconic Star Wars characters: Rey, Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. 

The card back prominently features the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon with R2-D2, Rebel Alliance symbol, and X-wing starfighters visible on the mirrored design.

This is the perfect gift and conversation starter for ANY Star Wars fan in your life. Available NOW on theory11.com for $149.

Theory11 Just Released The Special Edition Star Wars Playing Cards

Theory11 has just released the all-new special edition of Star Wars: Light Side and Dark Side Playing Cards. The decks now come in an all-new Silver and Black colorway for Light Side and Dark Side, respectively. The officially licensed deck is produced in collaboration with LucasFilm and designed by Mattson Creative.

Inside the deck is fully custom with special court cards, featuring iconic Star Wars characters. On the light side: Rey, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. 

On the dark side: Palpatine, Kylo Ren, and Darth Vader. Both decks have the same set of 12 court cards. 

The card back showcases countless details that will surely delight fans. From the top of R2-D2, the Rebel Alliance symbol, to the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon and a repeating pattern of X-wing starfighters supported by two lightsabers on each side edge. Light Side sports a white card back while the Dark Side in black.

The deck is packaged shiny silver foil and embossed tuck box featuring the Millennium Falcon cockpit window. While on the front of the dark side box, look through the window of the Imperial Throne Room, with symbols of the Galactic Empire and First Order on each corner. 

A must-have for any Star Wars fan! Printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. and available now from theory11.com for $9.95.

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Star Wars: Year of the Dark Side Playing Cards

Theory11's latest Star Wars deck is designed for those ready to embrace their inner Sith. This fully custom deck bring legendary Dark Side characters to life with stunning, custom artwork. 

The court cards features Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, Emperor Palpatine, and other infamous figures are captured in exquisite detail, celebrating their power and menace.

The deck is packaged in a tuck box with silver and red foil accents that exude Sith-worthy elegance. Iconic Dark Side elements such as the Imperial crest, Death Star, Imperial Throne Room window, and Darth Vader’s helmet make it a tribute fit for a new apprentice of the Empire.

This deck is a must-have for Star Wars fans and collectors. Available now for $12.95 from Theory11.

Star Wars Gold Foil Special Edition Available for Pre-Order Now on Theory11

Theory11 has just released the Gold Foil Special Edition Star Wars Playing Cards for pre-order from theory11.com. The deck now comes adorned with stunning gold foil on the tuck box. According to the product page,

The gold foil mixed with clear, reflective foil creates the illusion of the Millennium Falcon™ cockpit window on the front, with the Imperial Throne Room window on the back. Several iconic elements of both sides of the Force are represented in this special edition.

Inside the deck is fully custom with special court cards, featuring iconic Star Wars characters, from Rey, Leia Organa, Han Solo, to Luke Skywalker, Palpatine, Kylo Ren, and Darth Vader.

The card backs now look like they’ve been plated with the same gold used on C-3PO™. Printed with the highest quality gold foil, the back design looks stunning at every angle, and shimmers beautifully in the light. 

Printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. and available now from theory11.com for $14.95.

Deck View: Star Wars (Gold Foil Edition) Playing Cards

Force. Iconic. Galactic.

Theory11’s Gold Foil Special Edition Star Wars Playing Cards elevate the fan-favourite deck with an opulent gold-adorned tuck box. The combination of gold foil and clear reflective foil creates clever visual illusions... resembling the Millennium Falcon cockpit on the front and the Imperial Throne Room window on the back.

Inside, the deck remains fully custom, showcasing Star Wars icons across the courts, including Rey, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Palpatine, Kylo Ren, and Darth Vader. The card backs, now appearing as if plated in C-3PO’s signature gold, shimmer brilliantly from every angle.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company.

Top 5 Collector Playing Cards of 2020

What an uncertain year it has been! However, one thing is certain: we are incredibly fortunate to be part of such an inspired community of artists, designers, cardists, magicians, and collectors! Even with the pandemic, we have had a huge selection of decks released and delivered this year. 

We've compiled our favorite decks for 2020 right here. This will be the second of four articles counting down to our Deck of the Year reveal next week.

Top 5 Cardistry Decks

Top 5 Collector Playing Cards

Top 12 Playing Cards of 2020

Deck of the Year 2020

If you think we've missed your favorite deck, let us know in the comment section below. Note that the selection expressed in this top 5 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

United

From Cartamundi, the United decks were made to celebrate the acquisition of USPCC earlier this year. These decks are never to be sold and were only given away to the lucky attendees of Cartamundi and USPCC's House of Cardistry event in NYC.

Legal Tender 

From Kings Wild, Legal Tender is a beautifully crafted deck and strikes a balance between classic banknote engraving and the modern sleekness of high tech banknote manufacturing. Inside, the court cards feature many iconic American figures that are featured on current American currency: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. Legal Tender is the culmination of some of Jackson Robinson's most breathtaking artwork combined with the industry-leading advancements in printing technology and production.

Crypt

Image by Richard Arturo (Instagram: @richardarturo47)

CRYPT Playing Cards by Lotrek of Oath playing Cards is the third installment of Oath's mystery decks. Bought sight unseen, no pictures of this deck has been released to keep all its secrets hidden like - a crypt.

Star Wars 

Star Wars Plying Card is an officially licensed deck produced by Theory11 in collaboration with LucasFilm and designed by Mattson Creative Inside the deck is fully custom with special court cards and card backs with details that will sure to delight fans. The deck is packaged shiny foil and embossed tuck boxe feature either Rebel Alliance imagery. A must-have for any Star Wars fan!

Trident

Trident Playing Cards by Kevin Yu is an incredible looking deck featuring an eye-catching tuck concept designed with magnetic opening and closing system. When the box is spread out, one will notice that each piece is lined by a stunning Foil line, which traces the weapon-shaped cutouts. The card backs feature a mesmerizing silver and copper metallic ink with highly saturated colored lines outline the image of the Poseidon’s trident. The courts are represented by legendary heroes from a different historical period, from Athena, to Alexander the Great and Hector from Homer’s epos Iliad.

Note that the selection expressed in this top 5 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.
 

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Top 12 Playing Cards of 2020

What an uncertain year it has been! However, one thing is certain: we are incredibly fortunate to be part of such an inspired community of artists, designers, cardists, magicians, and collectors! Even with the pandemic, we have had a huge selection of decks released and delivered this year. 

We've compiled our favorite decks for 2020 right here. This will be the third of four articles counting down to our Deck of the Year reveal next week.

Top 5 Cardistry Decks

Top 5 Collector Playing Cards

Top 12 Playing Cards of 2020

Deck of the Year 2020

If you think we've missed your favorite deck, let us know in the comment section below. Note that the selection expressed in this top 5 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

United

From Cartamundi, the United decks were made to celebrate the acquisition of USPCC earlier this year. These decks are never to be sold and were only given away to the lucky attendees of Cartamundi and USPCC's House of Cardistry event in NYC.

Modern Idols

Modern Idols is a brand new series of playing cards by Thirdway Industries, based on the beliefs of the modern age. Designed by the Italian designer Giovanni Meroni the decks are inspired by the TV Series about American Gods - The story is about the new Idols that replaced the Old Gods. Inside, the artwork is fully custom with unique court cards, different color schemes for each suits, and eye-catching neon ink card backs.

Legal Tender 

From Kings Wild, Legal Tender is a beautifully crafted deck and strikes a balance between classic banknote engraving and the modern sleekness of high tech banknote manufacturing. Inside, the court cards feature many iconic American figures that are featured on current American currency: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. Legal Tender is the culmination of some of Jackson Robinson's most breathtaking artwork combined with the industry-leading advancements in printing technology and production.

Card College

Ark Playing Cards' Card College Limited Edition is a stunning deck based on Robert Giobbi's Card College. This exclusive playing card set design reflects the classic, elegance, and legacy of Robert's work. The tuck box comes with an elegant pop-up surprise that sets this deck apart. Inside, the face cards are standard with the exception of the custom Ace and Jokers. Metallic ink is used on the face and the card backs to give it a touch of luxury and elegance.

Crypt

Image by Richard Arturo (Instagram: @richardarturo47)

CRYPT Playing Cards by Lotrek of Oath playing Cards is the third installment of Oath's mystery decks. Bought sight unseen, no pictures of this deck have been released to keep all its secrets hidden like - a crypt. 

Meadowlark

By Meadowlark Pharmacy, the Meadowlark playing cards feature fully custom artwork by Russell Gray. The overall design of the deck has a retro yet modern feel throughout. From the mirrored card backs to the court cards, Ace of Spade, and cute Jokers. The deck is packaged in an eye-catching tuck box, copper foil, embossed, and capped with a beautiful seal. Everything ties together very well!

Star Wars 

Star Wars Playing Card is an officially licensed deck produced by Theory11 in collaboration with LucasFilm and designed by Mattson Creative Inside the deck is fully custom with special court cards and card backs with details that will sure to delight fans. The deck is packaged shiny foil and embossed tuck box feature either Rebel Alliance imagery. A must-have for any Star Wars fan! 

Robin Hood

Meticulously designed by Jackson Robinson, the unique artistic style achieved with the Robin Hood playing cards took heavy inspiration from the Bayeux Tapestry - a French tapestry from around 1066. Every stitch is hand-drawn to create this incredible display. The beautifully crafted court cards feature characters from the legend. The deck is kept in a striking tuck case designed to resemble an ancient book, including life-like features to resemble canvas and leather design-work, a book spine, frayed paper edges, and finished with realistic wear-n-tear details. 

52 Plus Joker 2020 Club Deck

The 52 Plus Joker club 2020 deck is designed UUSI. The deck is fully custom features original hand-drawn artwork by Peter using just 2 colors, black and red. The deck comes with a bold Ace of Spades, custom jokers, old-style suit symbols, and traditional courts inspired from full figure courts popular before the 1900s. The deck does have a vintage look and feel but with a modern simplistic touch.

Trident

Trident Playing Cards by Kevin Yu is an incredible looking deck featuring an eye-catching tuck concept designed with magnetic opening and closing system. When the box is spread out, one will notice that each piece is lined by a stunning Foil line, which traces the weapon-shaped cutouts. The card backs feature a mesmerizing silver and copper metallic ink with highly saturated colored lines that outline the image of the Poseidon’s trident. The courts are represented by legendary heroes from a different historical period, from Athena, to Alexander the Great and Hector from Homer’s epos Iliad.

Fontaine x Babylon

The Babylon Fontaines generated quite a buzz within the community when Zach dropped the SPOTLIGHT video on youtube. The deck features a minimal white tuck box design and a white card back featuring the iconic 'f' in black and thin black borders. When using a UV torchlight, the deck is 'activated' with the Babylon brand logo revealed on the white spaces of the tuck AND card backs! Genius! 

Beowulf

A last-minute addition to the list. Beowulf playing cards inspired by the longest epic poem with the characters represented on the face cards in unique carving-styled artwork by Jackson Robinson. The deck is kept in a tuck case designed to resemble an ancient book, including life-like features to resemble canvas and leather design-work, and finished with realistic wear-n-tear details. 

Honorable mention:  Royal Verge by Dealt Playing Cards, Kodiak by Black Ink Playing Cards, Postage Paid by Kings Wild Project, Black17 by Stockholm17,  Aurum Deus by Encarded, Charmers by Kellar O'Neil, Stratosphere by Legends Playing Card Co, Tough Luck by Native Tongue Studio and Doc's Playing Card Co., Mono Hexa by Luke Wadey Design, Rose Gold Gatorbacks by David Blaine and Fontaine x DabsmyLA.

Note that the selection expressed in this top 12 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

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Top 12: Playing Cards of 2019

Another record year for playing cards! What an incredible year it has been! Looking back, one thing is certain: we are incredibly fortunate to be part of such an inspired community of artists, designers, cardists, magicians and collectors! We have had a huge selection of decks released and delivered this year. To celebrate, we've compiled 12 of our favorite decks for 2019 right here. We realized that the benchmark is increasing each year with designers and producers putting out stunning decks, trying new innovation and design styles. So, if you think we've missed your favorite deck, let us know in the comment section below. :) You can also download the PDF on our Patron page.

Note that the selection expressed in this top 12 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

Crayon

Designer Jackson Robinson released the Crayon deck, a nostalgic deck that looks just like your fave childhood crayons! A Super Duper Polka Dotted Gilded Edition Crayons features the limited edition red tuck case but with vibrant color splash paint and stickers scattered throughout the tuck... externally AND internally. No two tucks are the same. Inside, the deck is fully custom and features fractured holographic gilding, which gives this deck a vibrant and fun vibe!

NPCCD 2019

This year’s 2019 National Playing Card Collection (NPCCD) was inspired by the beauty of Morocco. The country is commonly known for its mesmerizing architecture and its labyrinth-esque marketplaces- the two aspects of the culture that designer Alex Chin wanted to imbue into this series when designing it. This year’s theme was to encapsulate this culture into this year’s 2019 NPCCD Palace Edition.

Fontaine Futures

Zach Mueller unveiled the Fontaine Future at Cardistry-Con Portland featuring a new product offering not seen in the playing cards industry. The decks are packed in a sealed anti-static shielding plastic pouch, giving it a futuristic look. Six different decks are on offer for the "blind packs": Glitch (1 of 1000), Polka (1 of 1500), 500 (1 of 500), Window (1 of 2000), Floral (1 of 2500) and Parrot (1 of 2000).

Six Strings

Six Strings is a collaboration between Kardify and Murphy's Magic inspired by the most majestic and fascinating musical instrument- the guitar. This limited edition deck is designed by Ade Suryana. You will love the fully custom design featuring gorgeous reimagined courts, visually appealing pips and suits, bold Ace of Spades, and an intricate card back design. All packaged in a beautifully crafted letter-pressed tuck case by Clove St Press.

Nutcracker

A fully custom deck crafted from the ground up and designed to communicate the joy, wonder, and imagination of Christmas. The artwork is hand-illustrated by Jackson Robinson, from the card backs, Ace of Spades to the whimsical royals and jokers. What makes this deck incredible is the limited card stock with gold foil on both sides printed on top! The white borders are double priced so it would look like hot press foil with zero impressions on the cards from the foiling.

Messymod

Art of Play's minimalist, delightful and weird deck of playing cards conceived by the Los Angeles based creative team, TRÜF born from their love of geometry, pattern, white space, Bauhaus, and Miró and mashed it all into a style called Messy Modernism – “messymod” for short. The deck features a completely custom design in typical Messymod fashion. What we love about this deck is that each card has its own presence and personality, making it an ideal piece of artwork that can stand on its own.

Luminosity

From Blackink Playing Cards, Luminosity Playing Cards are inspired by Norse Mythology depicting the age-old conflict between good and evil. Not only is it functional, but the fully custom deck has unique characters with their own story. The face cards include Silver Metallic ink accents which give it a touch of elegance. The Tuck Case designs are unique and printed on matte grey card stock adorned with elegant copper hot foil stamping and embossed.

Standards

Produced by Art of Play in collaboration with Kevin Cantrell Studio, Standards playing cards are crafted with meticulous attention to detail inspired by nineteenth-century British opulence, an era of elegance unsurpassed. Stredefineedefines luxury at the card table with fully custom artwork from the bold Ace of Spades, intricate card backs, to the gorgeous courts and ornate jokers.

Star Wars

A last-minute addition to the list. Theory11 released the deck in conjunction with the release of JJ Abram's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. 2 decks are on offer, The Light Side and The Dark Side. The Light side tuck box features a striking blue foil on black tuck while the Dark Side, stunning red foil on black tuck. Both decks will feature iconic design elements from the Star Wars universe. From the window of the Millenium Falcon, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and X-Wings to R2D2, Star Destroyers, and TIE Fighters.

Ascension

There's something special about Steve Minty decks, and his latest deck is no different. Ascension Playing cards are epically designed and illustrated as an homage to his beloved TV series while giving it a spin in his style and interpretation. The deck features fully custom artwork from the gorgeous Aces to the pips, indices, and courts featuring characters from the series. 

Chronos

Lotrek first announced Chronos Playing Cards during the 2019 52 Plus Joker Annual Convention. As the name suggests, the theme of the beautiful deck is time. The deck is fully custom from the pips, jokers to the court cards and Ace of Spades. All this while keeping the traditional elements of playing cards in place. The tuck box is stunning and the card backs are printed with gold foil.

Betrayers

All four decks are gorgeous! Betrayers Lucis, Tenebra and Veritas, in particular, are vibrant, colorful and thought-provoking, which add to the appeal and character of the decks. Giovanni Meroni loves to add small custom details to his artworks, so there is a lot to discover. What makes Betrayers different is flat design style and bold color schemes giving the illusion of 3D. Fans of Giovanni will notice that the artwork of Betrayers is a departure from his usual style.


Honorable mention:  Parlour by The Gentleman Wake, Butterfly by Ondrej Psenicka, Vittoria by Nicolai Aaroe, Silk by Lotrek, Equinox 2019 by Kings Wild,  FLUX by Lotus in Hand, Valley Forge by Kings Wild, Seafarers by J&T Playing Cards, Playing Arts ZERO by Playing Arts, Mono-Xero by Luke Wadey Design, Bitcoin by Patrick Kun and Andrei Jikh, Jerry's Nugget Reprint by Expert Playing Card Co., Coffee by Edo Huang, Tavern on the Green by Theory11, Ladybug by PlayingCardDecks and Tom's Town by Art of Play.

The selection expressed in this top12 is solely those of the author. 

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