Virtual Sets (2002-2009): Difference between revisions

From SWCCG Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
[checked revision][checked revision]
pre-reorg Virtual Sets overview with citations
 
label Virtual Original era
 
(2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Note:''' This page covers the '''original numbered Virtual Sets''' released by the [[Players Committee]] from '''2002 through the September 2009 Block reorganization'''. It is '''not''' the same packaging as the later [[:Category:Virtual Legacy sets|Virtual Block]] hubs on this wiki, and it is '''not''' the post-2014 [[:Category:Current Virtual sets|Current Virtual]] pool. For a full era map see [[History of the Players Committee]], [[Formats]], and [[Rulebooks]].
'''Note:''' '''Virtual Original''' era (2002–2009). This page covers the '''original numbered Virtual Sets''' released by the [[Players Committee]] from '''2002 through the September 2009 Block reorganization'''. It is '''not''' the same packaging as the later [[:Category:Virtual Legacy sets|Virtual Block]] hubs on this wiki, and it is '''not''' the post-2014 [[:Category:Current Virtual sets|Current Virtual]] pool. For a full era map see [[History of the Players Committee]], [[Formats]], and [[Rulebooks]].


The '''Virtual Sets (2002-2009)''' (also called '''pre-reorg Virtual Sets''') were printable PDF game-text slips that players sleeved over Decipher cards. Contemporary announcements described them as a pilot program to revive underused cards and strengthen storyline play. Early slips used a '''modifier / framing style that is very different''' from how the same virtual lineage was later presented after the '''2009 Block reorg''' (and different again from '''current Virtual''' slanted-ring sets after the '''2014 Reset''').
The '''Virtual Sets (2002-2009)''' (also called '''pre-reorg Virtual Sets''') were printable PDF game-text slips that players sleeved over Decipher cards. Contemporary announcements described them as a pilot program to revive underused cards and strengthen storyline play. Early slips used a '''modifier / framing style that is very different''' from how the same virtual lineage was later presented after the '''2009 Block reorg''' (and different again from '''current Virtual''' slanted-ring sets after the '''2014 Reset''').


This wiki does '''not''' yet publish a card-by-card comparison of old Virtual modifiers versus Block-era or current Virtual printings. A later wiki slice is planned for that work. Until then, treat original PDFs, Block packaging, and current Virtual as '''versioned layers''' — do not collapse them into a single "Standard" view.
This wiki does '''not''' yet publish a card-by-card comparison of old Virtual modifiers versus Block-era or current Virtual printings. A later wiki slice is planned for that work. Until then, treat original PDFs, Block packaging, and current Virtual as '''versioned layers''' - do not collapse them into a single "Standard" view.


== How early Virtual worked (2002 framing) ==
== How early Virtual worked (2002 framing) ==
Line 12: Line 12:
* Virtual versions were marked with '''(V)''' in rulings, articles, and deck lists.<ref name="decivs1" />
* Virtual versions were marked with '''(V)''' in rulings, articles, and deck lists.<ref name="decivs1" />
* Players could include both the original Decipher text and the (V) version in a deck, but could not switch a card either way once a tournament began.<ref name="decivs1" />
* Players could include both the original Decipher text and the (V) version in a deck, but could not switch a card either way once a tournament began.<ref name="decivs1" />
* An early official slip PDF survives as [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf] (Wayback, 13 August 2005 snapshot of decipher.com). A closely related file is also archived as [https://web.archive.org/web/20070117223920/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf] (Wayback, 17 January 2007).<ref name="vc1pdf">[https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf], decipher.com virtual cardlists (Wayback)</ref><ref name="vc1apdf">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070117223920/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf], decipher.com (Wayback)</ref>
* An early official slip PDF survives as [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf] (Wayback, 13 August 2005 snapshot of decipher.com). The CDN host for day-to-day citation is [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf] (VirtualCards1.pdf is '''403''' on that CDN). Wayback also has VirtualCards1a.pdf and the early VirtualCards1.pdf framing file.<ref name="vc1pdf">[https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf], decipher.com virtual cardlists (Wayback)</ref><ref name="vc1apdf">[https://web.archive.org/web/20070117223920/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf], decipher.com (Wayback)</ref>


'''Presentation gap (honest):''' those early PDF slips show compact replacement game-text boxes for specific Premiere cards. After September 2009, the Players Committee reorganized Legacy Virtual material into '''Virtual Blocks''' (and later published [[Virtual Shields]] as its own Legacy hub on this wiki). Post-2014 '''Current Virtual''' sets again use different set icons, numbering, and legal pools. Titles, frames, legality, and which cards remain in the pool can differ across those eras — including through '''errata''' and cards being '''dropped''' from the legal pool. Documented change-by-change diffs belong in a later page; this overview only flags that the layers are not identical.
'''Presentation gap (honest):''' those early PDF slips show compact replacement game-text boxes for specific Premiere cards. After September 2009, the Players Committee reorganized Legacy Virtual material into '''Virtual Blocks''' (and later published [[Virtual Shields]] as its own Legacy hub on this wiki). Post-2014 '''Current Virtual''' sets again use different set icons, numbering, and legal pools. Titles, frames, legality, and which cards remain in the pool can differ across those eras - including through '''errata''' and cards being '''dropped''' from the legal pool. Documented change-by-change diffs belong in a later page; this overview only flags that the layers are not identical.


== Launch chronology (sourced) ==
== Launch chronology (sourced) ==
Line 26: Line 26:
| First Virtual Set announced (TFN / GPN)
| First Virtual Set announced (TFN / GPN)
| 12 February 2002
| 12 February 2002
| Target community release '''4 March 2002'''; preview week 25 February–1 March 2002; cadence "every 3 to 4 months"; Virtual Set #2 targeted '''6 May 2002'''
| Target community release '''4 March 2002'''; preview week 25 February-1 March 2002; cadence "every 3 to 4 months"; Virtual Set #2 targeted '''6 May 2002'''
| <ref name="tfn2002" />
| <ref name="tfn2002" />
|-
|-
Line 42: Line 42:
| 29 April 2002
| 29 April 2002
| Contemporary news index also tracks virtual-card and tournament coverage
| Contemporary news index also tracks virtual-card and tournament coverage
| <ref name="gpn2002">[https://web.archive.org/web/20020610202816/http://www.gameplayersnetwork.com/card/games.asp?gm=starwars Game Players Network — Star Wars CCG index], Wayback 10 June 2002</ref>
| <ref name="gpn2002">[https://web.archive.org/web/20020610202816/http://www.gameplayersnetwork.com/card/games.asp?gm=starwars Game Players Network - Star Wars CCG index], Wayback 10 June 2002</ref>
|-
|-
| Virtual Set #2 coverage on GPN
| Virtual Set #2 coverage on GPN
Line 55: Line 55:
|}
|}


== Pre-reorg set index (VS1–18 + Premium) ==
== Pre-reorg set index (VS1-18 + Premium) ==


'''Primary archive list:''' the Players Committee ''Virtual Slips / Files'' library groups '''Legacy Virtual Sets (2002-2009)''' as Virtual Sets 1–17 (plus an oversized Set 17 file), separate from '''Legacy Virtual Blocks (2009–2014)''' and from post-Reset current sets.<ref name="slips">[https://www.starwarsccg.org/resources/virtual-slips/ Virtual Slips / Files], starwarsccg.org (Players Committee resource page; headings "Legacy Virtual Sets (2002-2009)" and "Legacy Virtual Blocks (2009-2014)")</ref>
'''Do not confuse''' these numbered sets with [[:Category:Current Virtual sets|post-2014 Virtual Sets]] (e.g. current [[Virtual Set 1]]) or with [[Virtual Block 1|VB1]]-[[Virtual Block 9|VB9]] hubs.


'''Secondary name list:''' a fan chronology (star-wars.pl) records English set subtitles for VS1–18 and inserts '''Premium Set 1: Defensive Shields''' between VS11 and VS12; it also lists an unpublished VS19. Those '''names are useful labels''' but are '''not''' Decipher press releases; dates on that page are incomplete. Where this wiki lacks a primary dated announcement, the Date column says ''not yet sourced here'' rather than guessing.<ref name="plsets">[https://star-wars.pl/Tekst/1963,Star_Wars_CCG_Virtual_Sets.html Star Wars CCG - Virtual Sets], star-wars.pl (fan chronology; secondary)</ref>
'''Primary slip PDFs''' on [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/ res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/]: '''VirtualCards1a.pdf''' (Set 1 -- use this; <code>VirtualCards1.pdf</code> returns '''403''' on the current CDN) and <code>VirtualCards2.pdf</code> ... <code>VirtualCards17.pdf</code>. For '''early modifier framing''', Bill's Wayback copy remains useful: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf IA VirtualCards1.pdf].<ref name="vc1pdf" /><ref name="vc1a_res">[https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf], res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks</ref>
 
'''Theme names''' also appear on the 2008 Icon Guide ([http://karcianki.pl/files/sw/Icon%20Guide.pdf Icon Guide.pdf]) and in PC Block intros (including "Virtual Set: Defensive Shields").<ref name="iconguide">[http://karcianki.pl/files/sw/Icon%20Guide.pdf SWCCG Icon Guide] (karcianki.pl host; PC 2008 imprint)</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! # !! Name (secondary / PC label) !! Best-sourced date !! Notes
! # !! Name !! Date !! Conf. !! Primary notes / sources
|-
| 1 || Legacy (Icon Guide); PDF "Virtual Set #1a" || Legal '''9 March 2002''' (community release targeted 4 Mar 2002) || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf]; TFN 12 Feb 2002;<ref name="tfn2002" /> decipher.com legal Sat 9 Mar 2002;<ref name="decivs1" /> early framing: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf IA VirtualCards1.pdf]
|-
| 2 || Our Most Desperate Hour (Icon Guide); PDF "Virtual Set #2" || '''Legal 1 June 2002'''; Regional '''8 June 2002''' || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards2.pdf VirtualCards2.pdf] banner: not legal for tournament play until June 1, 2002; Legal for Regional Saturday June 8th
|-
| 3 || Revolution; PDF "Virtual Set #3" || '''Legal immediately 20 September 2002''' || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards3.pdf VirtualCards3.pdf]; HTML archive downloadable '''22 Sep 2002''' (does not override 20 Sep legal banner); period TFN/DecipherCon coverage
|-
| 4 || Battle Of Hoth; PDF "Virtual Set #4" || '''Legal 5 February 2003''' || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards4.pdf VirtualCards4.pdf]
|-
| 5 || A Dark Time; PDF "Virtual Set #5" || ~'''June 2003''' (CreationDate 11 Jun 2003; no legal banner on slip) || '''med''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards5.pdf VirtualCards5.pdf]
|-
| 6 || City In The Clouds; PDF "Virtual Set #6" || late 2003 / early 2004 (CreationDate '''12 Jan 2004'''); CardVault by '''27 Mar 2004''' || '''low-med''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards6.pdf VirtualCards6.pdf]; HTML bound does not invent a legal-day banner
|-
| 7 || Shadows Of The Empire || Official text as of '''4 December 2006''' || '''med''' (line); '''low''' as first-ship || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards7.pdf VirtualCards7.pdf]. '''Caveat:''' Dec 2006 official-text / Redux-style packaging is '''not proven''' first ship for Sets 7-11.
|-
| 8 || Jabba's Court || Official text as of '''4 December 2006''' (PDF stamp); CardVault by '''12 Dec 2004''' || same V7-11 caveat || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards8.pdf VirtualCards8.pdf]; HTML CardVault date shows public presence before Dec 2006 stamp
|-
| 9 || Sanctuary Moon || Official text as of '''4 December 2006''' || same V7-11 caveat || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards9.pdf VirtualCards9.pdf]
|-
| 10 || Fourth Anthology || Official text as of '''4 December 2006''' || same V7-11 caveat || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards10.pdf VirtualCards10.pdf]
|-
| 11 || Gathering Storm || Official text as of '''4 December 2006''' || same V7-11 caveat || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards11.pdf VirtualCards11.pdf]
|-
| Premium || Defensive Shields ("Virtual Set: Defensive Shields" on Icon Guide) || legal day ''not yet sourced here'' || '''med''' name; '''low''' date || Icon Guide;<ref name="iconguide" /> listed among Virtual Sets on star-wars.pl then reorganized into Blocks;<ref name="plsets" /> later [[Virtual Shields]]. Not current [[Virtual Set D]].
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 1 || Legacy (secondary name); PC "Virtual Set 1" || Legal '''9 March 2002'''; community release targeted 4 March 2002 || 12 Premiere (V) slips per decipher.com announcement; see also [[#How early Virtual worked (2002 framing)|early framing]] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf]
| 12 || Martyrs & Magistrates || Official text as of '''9 January 2007''' || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards12.pdf VirtualCards12.pdf]
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 2 || Our Most Desperate Hour (secondary) || Targeted '''6 May 2002''' (TFN announce); GPN headline '''24 May 2002''' || Early second set; exact card count/legal day not copied here without a full primary article body
| 13 || Remote Outpost || CreationDate '''6 August 2007''' (no cover "Official text as of" in extract) || '''med''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards13.pdf VirtualCards13.pdf]
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 3 || Revolution (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' || Name from secondary list; PC slips library lists Set 3 under Legacy Virtual Sets
| 14 || Armed & Operational || CreationDate '''23 December 2007''' || '''med''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards14.pdf VirtualCards14.pdf]
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 4 || Battle of Hoth (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| 15 || Galactic Frontier || Official text as of '''21 March 2008''' || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards15.pdf VirtualCards15.pdf]
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 5 || A Dark Time (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| 16 || Revenge Of The Sith || Official text as of '''15 August 2008'''; Icon Guide '''7 Aug 2008''' || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards16.pdf VirtualCards16.pdf]
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 6 || A City in the Clouds (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| 17 || The Force Unleashed || Official text as of '''6 February 2009'''; HTML out by '''18 Apr 2009''' || '''high''' || [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards17.pdf VirtualCards17.pdf]
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 7 || Shadows of the Empire (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| 18 || Fifth Anthology (planned) || Preview '''8 June 2009'''; planned '''July 2009''' (secondary); '''no VirtualCards18.pdf''' on res CDN || '''med''' plan; '''none''' legal day || [https://star-wars.pl/Tekst/1963,Star_Wars_CCG_Virtual_Sets.html star-wars.pl];<ref name="plsets" /> Block PDFs count "previous '''18''' virtual sets"<ref name="blockreorg" />
|}
 
'''Confidence:''' '''high''' = legal/official-text line on primary PDF or Decipher/TFN announce; '''med''' = primary file/metadata or well-attested plan; '''low''' = inferred / explicitly caveated (esp. V7-11 Dec 2006 is not proven first ship).
 
=== Errata / official-text layers (pre-Block) ===
 
These are '''version stamps''' on surviving PDFs -- not a claim that each date is the only reprint, and '''not''' a drop-list.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Layer stamp !! What it marks !! Conf. !! Notes
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 8 || Jabba's Court (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| '''4 December 2006''' "Official text as of..." || V7-V11 slip PDFs on res || '''high''' as stamp; '''low''' as first-ship || Redux-era packaging caveat -- do not treat as proven original ship dates
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 9 || Sanctuary Moon (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| '''Jun-Sep 2007''' file CreationDates / builds || e.g. V8/V9 Sep 2007 metadata; V13 Aug 2007 || '''med''' || File dates are not always printed legal days
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 10 || Fourth Anthology (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| '''Per-set V12-V17''' official-text / metadata lines || V12 9 Jan 2007; V15 21 Mar 2008; V16 15 Aug 2008; V17 6 Feb 2009; etc. || '''high''' where "Official text as of" prints || See table rows
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 11 || A Gathering Storm (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| '''7 December 2009''' Block "Official text as of..." || VirtualBlock1-5.pdf (and peers) || '''high''' || Reorg of previous 18 sets into six thematic blocks<ref name="blockreorg" />
|}
 
'''Drops:''' Virtual cards '''can be dropped''' from the legal pool (and errata'd) across eras. A sourced '''drop-list''' is '''not''' published here yet -- later wiki slice.
 
=== Spot-check: early modifier != Block packaging ===
 
Example (illustrative, '''not''' a full diff): early Virtual '''Luke (V)''' modifier framing on the 2002-era slips is '''not''' the same presentation as Luke-line cards in [[Virtual Block 1]] packaging. A later wiki page will compare old Virtual modifiers vs Block-era / current Virtual '''card-by-card'''; this page only flags that the layers diverge.
 
'''Still open:''' first-ship dates for V5-V6 and V7-V11; Premium Shields legal day; V18 legal day / whether a public slip PDF shipped.
 
 
=== HTML / CardVault archival strengthens (alongside PDF banners) ===
 
Alpha1 HTML archival pass (CardVault / period mirrors). These '''strengthen''' or '''bound''' dates; they do '''not''' downgrade a clearer PDF legal/official-text banner when both exist.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Item !! HTML/archival note !! How it relates to PDF table
|-
|-
| '''Premium Set 1''' || '''Defensive Shields''' (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' (chronologically between VS11 and VS12 on the secondary list) || Defensive Shields later appear as their own Legacy hub on this wiki ([[Virtual Shields]]); do not assume Premium Set 1 == current [[Virtual Set D]]
| V1 || Legal '''9 March 2002''' (decipher.com / TFN) || Confirms '''high''' PDF/announce row
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 12 || Magistrates & Martyrs (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| V3 || Downloadable '''22 September 2002''' (HTML archive) || Aligns with PDF '''legal immediately 20 Sep 2002''' (download may lag legal day by ~2 days)
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 13 || Remote Outpost (secondary; fan note: first set changing some original card names) || ''not yet sourced here'' || Fan claim about renamed cards is noted as '''unverified on this page''' until a primary slip/announce is cited
| V6 || On CardVault by '''27 March 2004''' || Bounds late-2003/early-2004 PDF metadata row (CreationDate 12 Jan 2004) without inventing a legal-day banner
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 14 || Armed & Operational (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| V8 || On CardVault '''12 December 2004''' || '''Earlier public presence''' than the Dec 2006 "Official text" stamp on VirtualCards8.pdf -- supports the V7-11 caveat that Dec 2006 is not proven first ship
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 15 || Galactic Frontier (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| V16 || Icon Guide imprint '''7 August 2008''' || Consistent with PDF official text '''15 August 2008'''
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 16 || Revenge of the Sith (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' ||
| V17 || Out by '''18 April 2009''' (HTML) || After PDF official text '''6 February 2009'''
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 17 || The Force Unleashed (secondary; fan note: first with new illustrations) || ''not yet sourced here'' || PC slips library also lists an oversized Set 17 file
| V18 || Preview '''8 June 2009''' (star-wars.pl / period) || Plan/preview only; still no VirtualCards18.pdf on res CDN
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 18 || Fifth Anthology (secondary) || ''not yet sourced here'' || Listed on the secondary chronology; '''not''' called out by name on the PC slips heading snippet cited above (which stops at Set 17) — treat VS18 inclusion as '''needs primary confirmation'''
| starwarsccg.org || Forward by '''5 July 2009''' (HTML) || Hosting forward toward modern PC site (exact takeover still '''UNKNOWN''' on [[History of the Players Committee]])
|-
|-
| Virtual Set 19 || Galaxy at War (secondary; marked unpublished) || — || Secondary list only; no claim of release on this wiki
| Block 6.3 Mercenaries || Polish chronology '''15 March 2010''' || Post-reorg Block-era slice -- not a pre-reorg VS row; listed for continuity only
|}
|}
'''Virtual Shields among sets:''' A fan chronology lists Defensive Shields with the numbered Virtual Sets and notes later reorganization into Blocks.<ref name="plsets">[https://star-wars.pl/Tekst/1963,Star_Wars_CCG_Virtual_Sets.html Star Wars CCG - Virtual Sets], star-wars.pl</ref> That matches this wiki's story: Shields appear in the pre-reorg/Premium layer, then Legacy packaging points at [[Virtual Shields]] / Block-era hubs. '''Do not edit''' Virtual Block hub Date fields here (Sep 2009 / most-likely values stay unless a stronger primary appears elsewhere).


== After September 2009: Blocks (not a silent rename) ==
== After September 2009: Blocks (not a silent rename) ==


Around '''September 2009''' the Players Committee reorganized Legacy Virtual material into '''Virtual Blocks''' (Block 1 onward), which this wiki hubs as [[Virtual Block 1]] … [[Virtual Block 9]] plus [[Virtual Shields]]. The PC slips library explicitly separates '''Legacy Virtual Sets (2002-2009)''' from '''Legacy Virtual Blocks (2009–2014)'''.<ref name="slips" />
PC '''Virtual Block''' PDFs (e.g. [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualBlock1.pdf VirtualBlock1.pdf]) are stamped '''Official text as of 7 December 2009''' and state: "Since the reorganization of the previous 18 virtual sets, there are now six blocks structured by theme..."<ref name="blockreorg">[https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualBlock1.pdf VirtualBlock1.pdf] (same blurb on VirtualBlock2-5.pdf)</ref> Soft Aug/Sep 2009 announces exist in period channels; use '''7 Dec 2009''' as the firm PDF stamp.
 
This wiki hubs [[Virtual Block 1]] ... [[Virtual Block 9]] plus [[Virtual Shields]]. The PC slips library separates '''Legacy Virtual Sets (2002-2009)''' from '''Legacy Virtual Blocks (2009-2014)'''.<ref name="slips" />


That means:
That means:
Line 120: Line 177:


* [[History of the Players Committee]]
* [[History of the Players Committee]]
* [[Virtual Block 1]] … [[Virtual Block 9]], [[Virtual Shields]] — post-reorg Legacy hubs
* [[Virtual Block 1]] ... [[Virtual Block 9]], [[Virtual Shields]] - post-reorg Legacy hubs
* [[:Category:Virtual Legacy sets]]
* [[:Category:Virtual Legacy sets]]
* [[:Category:Current Virtual sets]] — post-2014 Reset
* [[:Category:Current Virtual sets]] - post-2014 Reset
* [[Formats]] — Standard vs Legacy
* [[Formats]] - Standard vs Legacy
* [[Rulebooks]] — Decipher / Legacy Virtual AR 2.0 / current AR bands
* [[Rulebooks]] - Decipher / Legacy Virtual AR 2.0 / current AR bands
* [[Mission]] — card type introduced in Legacy Virtual-era AR 2.0
* [[Mission]] - card type introduced in Legacy Virtual-era AR 2.0
* [https://www.starwarsccg.org/resources/virtual-slips/ Virtual Slips / Files] at starwarsccg.org
* [https://www.starwarsccg.org/resources/virtual-slips/ Virtual Slips / Files] at starwarsccg.org


== Sources ==
== Sources ==


* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf] (Wayback) — '''cite this early slip PDF''' for original Virtual Set 1 modifier framing
* CDN slips: [https://res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf] (VirtualCards1.pdf is '''403''' on CDN) through VirtualCards17.pdf; Blocks VirtualBlock1.pdf...
* Early modifier (Wayback): [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf]
* [http://karcianki.pl/files/sw/Icon%20Guide.pdf Icon Guide.pdf]
 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050813215254/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1.pdf VirtualCards1.pdf] (Wayback) - '''cite this early slip PDF''' for original Virtual Set 1 modifier framing
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070117223920/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf] (Wayback)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070117223920/http://decipher.com/starwars/cardlists/virtual/VirtualCards1a.pdf VirtualCards1a.pdf] (Wayback)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020610072829/http://www.decipher.com/starwars/playerscommittee/virtualcardset1.html Virtual Card Set #1 is Away!] (Wayback)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020610072829/http://www.decipher.com/starwars/playerscommittee/virtualcardset1.html Virtual Card Set #1 is Away!] (Wayback)

Latest revision as of 18:42, 23 September 2026

Note: Virtual Original era (2002–2009). This page covers the original numbered Virtual Sets released by the Players Committee from 2002 through the September 2009 Block reorganization. It is not the same packaging as the later Virtual Block hubs on this wiki, and it is not the post-2014 Current Virtual pool. For a full era map see History of the Players Committee, Formats, and Rulebooks.

The Virtual Sets (2002-2009) (also called pre-reorg Virtual Sets) were printable PDF game-text slips that players sleeved over Decipher cards. Contemporary announcements described them as a pilot program to revive underused cards and strengthen storyline play. Early slips used a modifier / framing style that is very different from how the same virtual lineage was later presented after the 2009 Block reorg (and different again from current Virtual slanted-ring sets after the 2014 Reset).

This wiki does not yet publish a card-by-card comparison of old Virtual modifiers versus Block-era or current Virtual printings. A later wiki slice is planned for that work. Until then, treat original PDFs, Block packaging, and current Virtual as versioned layers - do not collapse them into a single "Standard" view.

How early Virtual worked (2002 framing)

Per Decipher / Players Committee material from early 2002:

  • Virtual cards were distributed as PDF slips to print and insert in opaque sleeves with the matching Decipher card.[1][2]
  • Virtual versions were marked with (V) in rulings, articles, and deck lists.[2]
  • Players could include both the original Decipher text and the (V) version in a deck, but could not switch a card either way once a tournament began.[2]
  • An early official slip PDF survives as VirtualCards1.pdf (Wayback, 13 August 2005 snapshot of decipher.com). The CDN host for day-to-day citation is VirtualCards1a.pdf (VirtualCards1.pdf is 403 on that CDN). Wayback also has VirtualCards1a.pdf and the early VirtualCards1.pdf framing file.[3][4]

Presentation gap (honest): those early PDF slips show compact replacement game-text boxes for specific Premiere cards. After September 2009, the Players Committee reorganized Legacy Virtual material into Virtual Blocks (and later published Virtual Shields as its own Legacy hub on this wiki). Post-2014 Current Virtual sets again use different set icons, numbering, and legal pools. Titles, frames, legality, and which cards remain in the pool can differ across those eras - including through errata and cards being dropped from the legal pool. Documented change-by-change diffs belong in a later page; this overview only flags that the layers are not identical.

Launch chronology (sourced)

Milestone Date (as sourced) Notes Source
First Virtual Set announced (TFN / GPN) 12 February 2002 Target community release 4 March 2002; preview week 25 February-1 March 2002; cadence "every 3 to 4 months"; Virtual Set #2 targeted 6 May 2002 [1]
Virtual Card Set #1 announcement on decipher.com 5 March 2002 (page date) Twelve cards (six Light / six Dark), all from Premiere; PDF sleeve method; (V) marking [2]
Virtual Set #1 tournament-legal Saturday, 9 March 2002 Sanctioned tournaments required to allow the cards to remain sanctioned [2]
Decipher product / backing gift to the Players Committee (GPN headline) 29 April 2002 Contemporary news index also tracks virtual-card and tournament coverage [5]
Virtual Set #2 coverage on GPN 24 May 2002 (headline date) Describes a second, more ambitious set of "virtualized" Premiere texts after the success of the first set (headline/summary on the archived index; full article body not fully recovered here) [5]
Players Committee / Advocate program announcement on decipher.com Early PC transition era (archived June 2002) Decipher announces first Star Wars Player Advocates and outlines turning support over to the Players Committee; mentions a forthcoming virtual-card pool timetable [6]

Pre-reorg set index (VS1-18 + Premium)

Do not confuse these numbered sets with post-2014 Virtual Sets (e.g. current Virtual Set 1) or with VB1-VB9 hubs.

Primary slip PDFs on res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks/: VirtualCards1a.pdf (Set 1 -- use this; VirtualCards1.pdf returns 403 on the current CDN) and VirtualCards2.pdf ... VirtualCards17.pdf. For early modifier framing, Bill's Wayback copy remains useful: IA VirtualCards1.pdf.[3][7]

Theme names also appear on the 2008 Icon Guide (Icon Guide.pdf) and in PC Block intros (including "Virtual Set: Defensive Shields").[8]

# Name Date Conf. Primary notes / sources
1 Legacy (Icon Guide); PDF "Virtual Set #1a" Legal 9 March 2002 (community release targeted 4 Mar 2002) high VirtualCards1a.pdf; TFN 12 Feb 2002;[1] decipher.com legal Sat 9 Mar 2002;[2] early framing: IA VirtualCards1.pdf
2 Our Most Desperate Hour (Icon Guide); PDF "Virtual Set #2" Legal 1 June 2002; Regional 8 June 2002 high VirtualCards2.pdf banner: not legal for tournament play until June 1, 2002; Legal for Regional Saturday June 8th
3 Revolution; PDF "Virtual Set #3" Legal immediately 20 September 2002 high VirtualCards3.pdf; HTML archive downloadable 22 Sep 2002 (does not override 20 Sep legal banner); period TFN/DecipherCon coverage
4 Battle Of Hoth; PDF "Virtual Set #4" Legal 5 February 2003 high VirtualCards4.pdf
5 A Dark Time; PDF "Virtual Set #5" ~June 2003 (CreationDate 11 Jun 2003; no legal banner on slip) med VirtualCards5.pdf
6 City In The Clouds; PDF "Virtual Set #6" late 2003 / early 2004 (CreationDate 12 Jan 2004); CardVault by 27 Mar 2004 low-med VirtualCards6.pdf; HTML bound does not invent a legal-day banner
7 Shadows Of The Empire Official text as of 4 December 2006 med (line); low as first-ship VirtualCards7.pdf. Caveat: Dec 2006 official-text / Redux-style packaging is not proven first ship for Sets 7-11.
8 Jabba's Court Official text as of 4 December 2006 (PDF stamp); CardVault by 12 Dec 2004 same V7-11 caveat VirtualCards8.pdf; HTML CardVault date shows public presence before Dec 2006 stamp
9 Sanctuary Moon Official text as of 4 December 2006 same V7-11 caveat VirtualCards9.pdf
10 Fourth Anthology Official text as of 4 December 2006 same V7-11 caveat VirtualCards10.pdf
11 Gathering Storm Official text as of 4 December 2006 same V7-11 caveat VirtualCards11.pdf
Premium Defensive Shields ("Virtual Set: Defensive Shields" on Icon Guide) legal day not yet sourced here med name; low date Icon Guide;[8] listed among Virtual Sets on star-wars.pl then reorganized into Blocks;[9] later Virtual Shields. Not current Virtual Set D.
12 Martyrs & Magistrates Official text as of 9 January 2007 high VirtualCards12.pdf
13 Remote Outpost CreationDate 6 August 2007 (no cover "Official text as of" in extract) med VirtualCards13.pdf
14 Armed & Operational CreationDate 23 December 2007 med VirtualCards14.pdf
15 Galactic Frontier Official text as of 21 March 2008 high VirtualCards15.pdf
16 Revenge Of The Sith Official text as of 15 August 2008; Icon Guide 7 Aug 2008 high VirtualCards16.pdf
17 The Force Unleashed Official text as of 6 February 2009; HTML out by 18 Apr 2009 high VirtualCards17.pdf
18 Fifth Anthology (planned) Preview 8 June 2009; planned July 2009 (secondary); no VirtualCards18.pdf on res CDN med plan; none legal day star-wars.pl;[9] Block PDFs count "previous 18 virtual sets"[10]

Confidence: high = legal/official-text line on primary PDF or Decipher/TFN announce; med = primary file/metadata or well-attested plan; low = inferred / explicitly caveated (esp. V7-11 Dec 2006 is not proven first ship).

Errata / official-text layers (pre-Block)

These are version stamps on surviving PDFs -- not a claim that each date is the only reprint, and not a drop-list.

Layer stamp What it marks Conf. Notes
4 December 2006 "Official text as of..." V7-V11 slip PDFs on res high as stamp; low as first-ship Redux-era packaging caveat -- do not treat as proven original ship dates
Jun-Sep 2007 file CreationDates / builds e.g. V8/V9 Sep 2007 metadata; V13 Aug 2007 med File dates are not always printed legal days
Per-set V12-V17 official-text / metadata lines V12 9 Jan 2007; V15 21 Mar 2008; V16 15 Aug 2008; V17 6 Feb 2009; etc. high where "Official text as of" prints See table rows
7 December 2009 Block "Official text as of..." VirtualBlock1-5.pdf (and peers) high Reorg of previous 18 sets into six thematic blocks[10]

Drops: Virtual cards can be dropped from the legal pool (and errata'd) across eras. A sourced drop-list is not published here yet -- later wiki slice.

Spot-check: early modifier != Block packaging

Example (illustrative, not a full diff): early Virtual Luke (V) modifier framing on the 2002-era slips is not the same presentation as Luke-line cards in Virtual Block 1 packaging. A later wiki page will compare old Virtual modifiers vs Block-era / current Virtual card-by-card; this page only flags that the layers diverge.

Still open: first-ship dates for V5-V6 and V7-V11; Premium Shields legal day; V18 legal day / whether a public slip PDF shipped.


HTML / CardVault archival strengthens (alongside PDF banners)

Alpha1 HTML archival pass (CardVault / period mirrors). These strengthen or bound dates; they do not downgrade a clearer PDF legal/official-text banner when both exist.

Item HTML/archival note How it relates to PDF table
V1 Legal 9 March 2002 (decipher.com / TFN) Confirms high PDF/announce row
V3 Downloadable 22 September 2002 (HTML archive) Aligns with PDF legal immediately 20 Sep 2002 (download may lag legal day by ~2 days)
V6 On CardVault by 27 March 2004 Bounds late-2003/early-2004 PDF metadata row (CreationDate 12 Jan 2004) without inventing a legal-day banner
V8 On CardVault 12 December 2004 Earlier public presence than the Dec 2006 "Official text" stamp on VirtualCards8.pdf -- supports the V7-11 caveat that Dec 2006 is not proven first ship
V16 Icon Guide imprint 7 August 2008 Consistent with PDF official text 15 August 2008
V17 Out by 18 April 2009 (HTML) After PDF official text 6 February 2009
V18 Preview 8 June 2009 (star-wars.pl / period) Plan/preview only; still no VirtualCards18.pdf on res CDN
starwarsccg.org Forward by 5 July 2009 (HTML) Hosting forward toward modern PC site (exact takeover still UNKNOWN on History of the Players Committee)
Block 6.3 Mercenaries Polish chronology 15 March 2010 Post-reorg Block-era slice -- not a pre-reorg VS row; listed for continuity only

Virtual Shields among sets: A fan chronology lists Defensive Shields with the numbered Virtual Sets and notes later reorganization into Blocks.[9] That matches this wiki's story: Shields appear in the pre-reorg/Premium layer, then Legacy packaging points at Virtual Shields / Block-era hubs. Do not edit Virtual Block hub Date fields here (Sep 2009 / most-likely values stay unless a stronger primary appears elsewhere).

After September 2009: Blocks (not a silent rename)

PC Virtual Block PDFs (e.g. VirtualBlock1.pdf) are stamped Official text as of 7 December 2009 and state: "Since the reorganization of the previous 18 virtual sets, there are now six blocks structured by theme..."[10] Soft Aug/Sep 2009 announces exist in period channels; use 7 Dec 2009 as the firm PDF stamp.

This wiki hubs Virtual Block 1 ... Virtual Block 9 plus Virtual Shields. The PC slips library separates Legacy Virtual Sets (2002-2009) from Legacy Virtual Blocks (2009-2014).[11]

That means:

  • Old Virtual Set PDFs / modifier slips remain historical printings.
  • Block packaging is a later organizational and presentational layer for the pre-Reset pool.
  • Current Virtual (from Virtual Set 0 / the 24 September 2014 Reset onward on this wiki's Main Page) is a third era for tournament Standard play.

Cards could be errata'd or dropped from the legal pool between eras. Formats distinguishes Legacy (pre-Reset virtual pool) from Standard (post-Reset). Rules documents likewise version by era: Decipher core books, Advanced Rulebook 2.0 (Legacy Virtual-era), and the current Players Committee Advanced Rulebook (2023).

See also

Sources

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Player's Committee Announces the First Virtual Card Set, TheForce.Net, 12 February 2002 (citing Game Players Network)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Virtual Card Set #1 is Away!, decipher.com (Wayback, 10 June 2002 snapshot; dated 5 March 2002)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 VirtualCards1.pdf, decipher.com virtual cardlists (Wayback)
  4. ↑ VirtualCards1a.pdf, decipher.com (Wayback)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Game Players Network - Star Wars CCG index, Wayback 10 June 2002
  6. ↑ The Star Wars Players' Committee, decipher.com (Wayback, 11 June 2002)
  7. ↑ VirtualCards1a.pdf, res.starwarsccg.org/legacyblocks
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 SWCCG Icon Guide (karcianki.pl host; PC 2008 imprint)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Star Wars CCG - Virtual Sets, star-wars.pl
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 VirtualBlock1.pdf (same blurb on VirtualBlock2-5.pdf)
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named slips
Retrieved from "https://wiki.swccg.com/index.php?title=Virtual_Sets_(2002-2009)&oldid=22729"