Start strong in Force Arena Reborn
Force Arena Reborn isn't the grind the original was. You start with every leader, every Unique and every other card, every feature is open from Tier 1, and resources come in fast. This guide covers what's new, how to set up before your first match, a plan for your first week, one Light Side and one Dark Side deck to start with, and where to find the community.
What's different in Reborn
If you played in 2017 to 2019, this is the same game you remember, but the slow parts are gone. Here are the changes that matter most when you start:
Every card from day one
Starter packs with a copy of every unit wait in your in-game inbox, and everything is unlocked for every new download. Every leader, every Unique and every squad, support card and structure is yours to build with from your first match.
Nothing locked behind tiers
Guilds, Arcade and Datacard Quests are open from Tier 1. You don't have to climb to unlock anything. 2v2 is live too, unranked, in Arcade and guild Friendly Matches.
Resources come fast
Arena wins pay extra Credits on top of the normal rewards, foils drop 9% of the time, the shop has 3 foil cards a week, and all 4 deck slots are free. You'll be upgrading your main deck within your first few sessions.
Weekly seasons
Ranked seasons reset every Monday, like the original game. Light Side and Dark Side climb separately, so playing both doubles your season rewards.
No middle-turret rush
The center turret can't be targeted until one of the side turrets is destroyed. Every match now starts with a real lane fight.
A fresh start for everyone
No progress from the original game carries over. Everyone started Reborn at zero, so the ladder is wide open.
Full, dated list of changes: What's new in Reborn.
Before your first match
- Install from forcearena.net only. Android, Windows and iPhone steps, plus what to do if your browser blocks the download, are in Install help.
- Link your Google account in the game and write down your account ID. That's how you keep your progress if you change devices or reinstall.
- Open your inbox and collect everything. Your starter packs (a copy of every unit) and any gifts from the Reborn team land there.
- Set up your 4 free deck slots: a main Light Side deck, a main Dark Side deck, and a counter deck for each side. The two decks below are a good starting point.
- Join a guild right away. Guilds are open from Tier 1, and guild card donations are the fastest way to level your deck. Search JEDI in the Guild menu.
- Join the Discord and the SWFAR Facebook group so you hear about updates, events and balance changes as they happen.
Your first week
Every day
- Claim the daily Check-In reward and your free packs.
- Request a card from your guild every 6 hours, and donate your spare copies.
- Run your 2 Datacard Quests for your main eras.
- Play ranked on both sides. They climb separately, so you earn twice the rewards.
- Work through the tutorial quests. Finishing them all pays a Legendary Wild Card.
- Check the Character Gallery under More. Its missions pay 100 Crystals each, and finished galleries pay 2 Legendary or Unique Wild Cards.
Where to spend
- Credits: upgrade the 16 cards in your two main decks first. Spreading Credits across every card you own is the most common early mistake.
- Leader perks: your main leaders' perks are the biggest single power jump you can buy.
- Crystals: deck slots are free now, so put Crystals into extra Datacard Quest runs.
- Wild Cards: save them for the card that's holding back your main deck.
Costs and priorities in detail: Upgrades and resources.
Overall strategy
You own every card, so the difference between winning and losing comes down to how you play. These habits win more matches than any single card:
- Never sit at full energy. Energy refills to a cap of 10, and anything over it is wasted. Always have a card you can drop.
- Defend first, then counter-push. Let them commit, wipe their push near your turret, then walk your survivors straight back up the lane.
- Kill the leader, then push. While their leader waits to respawn, their defense is at its weakest, and you get bonus energy for the kill.
- Pick a side turret. The center turret is locked until a side turret falls, so commit to one lane and finish it.
- Every turret counts. If time runs out, the side with more turrets destroyed wins, and Sudden Death goes to the first turret kill.
- Use your era. Run 4 or more cards from your leader's era for a set bonus that grows with every matching card. The numbers for each era are in Factions and eras.
- Know your leader. Each leader's skill and leadership bonus decides what your deck should look like. See Leaders and Uniques for every leader's Unique.
Go deeper: Game basics · Strategy and 1v1 · 2v2 team play · Special Modes · Deck building · Factions and eras
Two decks to start with
One deck per side, both easy to learn and built around their leader. Open either in the builder to tweak it, or follow the full guide.
Anakin Unleashed
How it wins: kill the enemy leader with Anakin and Ahsoka during Untempered Rage, then walk Riot Clones, Clone Troopers and the Rebel Demolitionist into the turret while they respawn.
Vader Dark Fist
How it wins: win the leader fight with Force Pull and Doctor Aphra's stun, then push the turret with a healed army and the Dewback Trooper while they respawn.
Want something else? Browse all 9 starter decks, or build your own in the deck builder, which checks your curve, coverage and Unique as you go.
Join JEDI
JEDI is the home guild of the SWFAR Facebook group. It's Public, open to every rank, and built for players who donate every day, team up for 2v2 and help each other learn.
- Tap Guild in the left menu of the main screen.
- Search for JEDI.
- Tap Join Instantly. No application, no wait.
- Say hi in guild chat and set your first card request.
Why guilds matter and how donations work: Guilds and community.
Join the Discord and the SWFAR group
Reborn changes fast. The team ships updates every few days, and the community figures out what they mean before anyone else.
Reborn Discord
Official announcements, patch notes, bug reports and the development team. If something breaks, this is where to report it.
SWFAR Facebook group
Tips, decks and news from players as it happens, plus a weekly lineup: Looking for Players on Monday, Tier List Tuesday, Deck Doctor Wednesday, Guild Recruiting on Friday and more.
- Vote on the community tier list so new players can see what's strong right now.
- Share your deck with a link from the builder in Deck Doctor Wednesday.
- Bring a friend. Get them into JEDI and queue Arcade 2 vs 2 together, or play 2v2 Friendly Matches from guild chat. It's the best way to learn the game.
- Can't find something? Request a guide and we'll write it.