Although it’s a repurposing of an older game, Star Wars: Epic Duels, the Unmatched series quickly made a name for itself as the premier head-to-head skirmish board game after its release in 2019. Its formula of simple rules married to giving each character their own deck of cards, ensuring a unique feel and endlessly tweakable gameplay, shot it to the top of the charts.
Since then, its success has ensured that it’s spawned a dizzying array of different sets, all of which can be mixed and matched. After all, one of the key selling points of the series is that it lets you pit anyone from its bewildering array of fantasy and franchised characters against any other, offering huge replay value.
There are so many sets available that we’re focusing on in-print ones for this guide, although it’s not hard to find the older ones second-hand. But if you’re confused by where to get into this exciting universe of carnage, or how best to expand your collection, we’re here to help with a rundown of the various options. Fundamentally, however, it’s a fantastic franchise with a strong core system, so wherever you start you’re unlikely to go wrong.
Unfranchised Versions
The original Unmatched box was Battle of Legends, which featured a variety of mythical characters from across the world. Even while it’s spun off into various licensed products, the series has continued to maintain this line and, unless you’re a superfan of one of the franchised versions available, these remain the best place to start.
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