Quick answer

Store each Star Realms United pack type in its own labeled compartment or small deck box, keeping the 12 cards from a single pack together. If you own a display, keep the six packs of United: Assault, United: Command, United: Heroes, and United: Missions in four separate rows or bins. This prevents dual-faction ships from being mixed with Heroes or Missions and makes it obvious which pack to grab when you want to add a specific mechanic.

Match the storage method to how you actually play

Star Realms United added four distinct pack types, and each one changes the game in a different way. United Assault and United Command introduce dual-faction ships and bases. United Heroes adds new Heroes. United Missions adds the Mission card type. If you store all 12-card packs loose in one big box, you will eventually pull a Mission when you meant to add a Hero, or mix a dual-faction base into the wrong faction pile. The fix is not a bigger box; it is a box with more dividers.

Start by deciding whether you store by pack type or by play group. If you usually play with everything shuffled together, store each pack type in its own labeled section so you can rebuild a full set later. If you play limited formats or teach new players, store one pack of each type in a small deck box as a ready-to-go kit. Either way, the 12 cards inside a single pack should stay together until you deliberately mix them.

Label by pack name, not just by faction

Faction labels alone are not enough for United packs because dual-faction cards belong to more than one faction. A card from United Assault might work with two factions, so filing it under a single faction color creates confusion. Write the full pack name on the divider: United: Assault, United: Command, United: Heroes, or United: Missions. If you use a larger storage box, place the four United sections next to your base Star Realms cards so expansion cards are easy to find without digging through unrelated decks.

For loose cards that you have already mixed into a main collection, keep one empty United pack wrapper or a labeled index card in front of each section. That way you can tell at a glance which cards came from which pack if you ever want to separate them again.

Use vertical storage to protect card edges

Storing cards vertically in a box with snug dividers keeps pressure off the card faces and makes it easier to pull out a single pack. Horizontal stacks encourage sliding and edge wear, especially when you add and remove packs often. A standard card storage box with adjustable dividers works well for a full display, and small 100-card deck boxes work for individual pack sets. If you sleeve your cards, measure the sleeved thickness before buying dividers, because a box that fits unsleeved cards may not close once you add sleeves.

Keep the box out of direct sunlight and away from humid rooms. Card stock can warp over time, and United packs are no different from the rest of your collection in that regard.

When to stop reorganizing and just play

Storage is only useful if it gets you to the table faster. If you have spent more time sorting than playing, switch to a simpler system: one row per pack type, no sub-sorting by faction or card cost. The goal is to find United Missions when you want a Mission, not to create a catalog. If your collection has grown beyond a single display, consider storing only the packs you are currently using within easy reach and archiving the rest in a labeled box.

Diagnosis: why your United packs keep getting mixed up

  • Symptom: you find a Mission card in your Heroes pile: The likely cause is that all 12-card packs went into one unsorted box after opening. Corrective action: pull out every United card, sort by pack name, and put each pack type behind its own labeled divider. Stop when each of the four United pack names has its own section. If you cannot tell which pack a card came from, your dividers are not specific enough.
  • Symptom: dual-faction ships end up in the wrong faction stack: Dual-faction cards do not belong to a single faction, so faction-only dividers will always mislead you. Corrective action: label dividers by pack name instead of faction color. Stop when you can find a dual-faction card without checking a second pile. Choose pack-name labels over faction labels for United cards.
  • Symptom: you avoid playing with United packs because setup takes too long: The likely cause is that your storage does not match how you play. Corrective action: keep one ready-to-play pack of each United type in a small deck box, and archive the rest. Stop when setup takes less than a minute. If setup still drags, reduce the number of packs you keep within reach.

Product facts that affect storage

  • Star Realms United Display 6 Each of 4 Packs: Each display contains six United: Assault, six United: Heroes, six United: Command, and six United: Missions packs, and each pack contains 12 cards. A full display gives you 24 small packs to organize, so four labeled sections or rows are the minimum sensible layout.
  • Hero Realms Base Game & Character Bundle: This bundle includes the Hero Realms Base Game, five character packs, and two boss decks. If you also store Hero Realms, keep character packs and boss decks separate from your Star Realms United packs so deck-building cards do not get mixed between games.