On November 22nd, FFG dropped the first official look at A Lawless Time, and maaaan… they weren’t kidding when they said this set would shake things up.
For the first time ever, we’ve got:
Two-primary aspect cards
Triple-aspect cards (looking directly at you, Zeb)
As a long-time cube builder, that instantly set off alarm bells in my head — in a good way. Because this isn’t just “new cards.”
This is a fundamental change in how aspects even work.
And if you’re like me and you’ve been tuning your cube to be as clean, consistent, and powerful as possible… you can’t just ignore this.
Right now, my (current) 360 list runs:
80 cards for each primary aspect
pure primary
primary + Heroism
primary + Villainy
That worked perfectly when every mixed card still had one main aspect. But now that we’ve got cards with two primaries baked in?
Yeah, that whole structure needs an update.
So here’s where my head’s at and why I finally pulled the trigger on taking my cube from 360 → 420 cards when Lawless time releases.
- I Needed a Real Home for Two-Primary Cards
These new two-primary cards?
They’re not “flavor twists.” They’re not “cute.”
They’re real cards with real power, and they come with deckbuilding requirements that are no joke.
They’re not the same thing as “Primary + Heroism/Villainy.” They’re their own ecosystem.
So I asked myself:
Do I chop down the 80-per-aspect structure just to cram these in while staying at 360?
The honest answer?
Nope. Not worth it.
Cutting primary-aspect cards:
- Makes archetypes weaker
- Kills leader support
- Forces me to take out staples I love
- Makes the environment less consistent
And let’s be real — I’m running a power cube. Only the best of the best make it in. Two-primary cards shouldn’t replace good cards… they should join them.
- Triple-Aspect Cards Need Their Own Tiny Neighborhood
Zeb hit the screen and I spit out my coffee.
A card with:
Vigilance
Aggression
and Heroism
This is basically the SWU version of a “shard card” from other TCG cubes.
It’s cool. It’s flashy.
It’s also extremely hard to cast.
So instead of trying to shove these into existing sections, I’m doing what I do with Heroism, Villainy, and Neutral:
→ Give them a small, intentional space
Starting at:
10–12 triple-aspect slots
Adjust after playtesting
They should feel special, not common.
- The Real Solution: Expanding to 420 Cards
Every year, the card pool grows. Some leaders get hot. Some dry up. Some don’t get support for two sets straight.
And I’m tired of cutting great cards just to squeeze in new ones.
The multi-aspect reveal was the final push I needed.
Going 360 → 420 gives me:
- Breathing room for new mechanics
- Extra support for factions like Rebels, Underworld, Imperials
- Room to grow archetypes without cannibalizing others
- More variance in drafts
- More fun for players
- Still perfect for 8 drafters, 15-card packs
Basically: it lets the cube grow with the game without losing its identity.
The New Structure (And Why It Works)
Primary Aspects: 4 × 85 = 340 Cards
Each primary goes from 80 → 85.
Adding 5 cards per aspect might sound small, but it’s perfect because it:
- Keeps aspect identity intact
- Lets me add new staples instead of fighting for space
- Helps leaders who occasionally get ignored by sets
- Keeps decks consistent even as mechanics get more complex
This is the spine of the cube.
Heroism – 15
Villainy – 15
Neutral/Bases – 10
Total: 40 cards
These don’t need to grow.
They’re about identity, not volume.
Keeping them stable means draft patterns stay familiar.
Subtotal: 340 + 40 = 380
Multi-Aspect Section: 40 Cards
This is the new stuff.
Instead of letting multi-aspect cards destabilize the whole cube, they get their own clean space.
Breakdown:
Two-Primary Cards — 28
Why this many?
This is the main mechanic being introduced
- They’ll appear more in future sets
- They’re powerful but restrictive — you need enough density to make them draftable
Triple-Aspect — 12
Kept small because:
- These will probably be printed sparingly
- They are VERY hard to cast
- Too many = too many dead picks
This section gives the new mechanic the room it needs without overrunning the environment.
Final Total: 420 Cards
340 Primary Aspects
40 Heroism / Villainy / Neutral
40 Multi-Aspect
Still perfect for:
8 players
15-card packs
A balanced, powerful SWU cube
And now fully future-proof for A Lawless Time and whatever wild stuff FFG gives us next.
