Two small packs, two different jobs
Star Realms United: Assault and Star Realms Crisis: Heroes are both compact expansions, but they solve different problems. Assault adds multi-faction ships and bases that reward flexible deck-building. Crisis: Heroes introduces the Hero card type, which goes directly into play when acquired and can be scrapped for a special ability. Neither pack is a full game on its own; each is designed to be shuffled into a Star Realms trade deck, and the supplied information does not confirm age ratings or safety certifications for either pack.
What each pack actually contains
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Star Realms United: Assault: This United Assault pack includes all-new multi-faction ships and bases: 2 Alliance Transport, 2 Blog Bot, 2 Coalition Patrol, 1 Embassy Base, 1 Exchange Point, 1 Lookout Post, 2 Trade Star, and 1 Union Stronghold. The card mix shows Assault is built around multi-faction ships and bases, so it changes what you can buy and combine during play.
Star Realms United: Assault
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Star Realms United: Assault: Each 13 card pack comes with 12 new Star Realms cards and 1 rules card. The 12-card count is the real playable addition; the rules card is a reference, not an extra deck card.
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Star Realms Crisis: Heroes: This pack contains 12 cards: 2 Cunning Captain, 1 Admiral Rasmussen, 2 Ram Pilot, 1 Blog Overlord, 2 War Elder, 1 High Priest Lyle, 2 Special Ops Director, 1 CEO Torres. Crisis: Heroes is entirely Hero cards, so its impact depends on how often you acquire and use Heroes rather than on adding new ships or bases.
Star Realms Crisis: Heroes
How the two packs play differently
The core difference is card type. Assault adds ships and bases, which enter your deck and are played through the normal draw-and-play cycle. Crisis: Heroes adds Heroes, which behave differently: they go directly into play when acquired, are not discarded at the end of turn, and can be scrapped to unleash a special ability and trigger an ally ability of their faction. That makes Heroes a more tactical, timing-sensitive addition, while Assault is a more conventional deck-building expansion.
- Assault: multi-faction deck building: The pack's ships and bases are all multi-faction, so it rewards decks that can use cards from more than one faction. The supplied contents list does not specify which factions each card belongs to, so check the cards themselves if faction balance matters to you.
- Crisis: Heroes: persistent Hero effects: Heroes stay in play and are not discarded at the end of turn. You can scrap a Hero to trigger its special ability and an ally ability of its faction, which gives you a one-time burst or combo effect.
- Compatibility: Crisis: Heroes is designed to be combined with the Star Realms Deckbuilding Game and/or the Colony Wars expansion. The supplied information for United: Assault does not list specific compatibility requirements, so treat it as a Star Realms expansion and confirm with the base game you own if you are unsure.
Which pack should you buy first?
Your choice depends on what your collection already does well and what kind of decisions you enjoy. The supplied information does not include player counts, play time, or age ratings for either pack, so use the contents and mechanics below rather than guessing at those details.
- Choose United: Assault if…: You want more ships and bases to shuffle into your trade deck and you like multi-faction deck-building. It is the more straightforward expansion of the two.
- Choose Crisis: Heroes if…: You already own the Star Realms Deckbuilding Game or Colony Wars and want to add the Hero card type. Heroes change how you time acquisitions and when you cash in abilities.
- Consider both if…: You want variety in card types. The packs are sold separately, and the other three United expansions are also sold separately, so you can add them over time.
Pack sizes and what you need to play
- Star Realms United: Assault: The other three United expansions are sold separately. Assault is one part of the United line, not a complete United collection; budget for the other packs if you want the full set.
- Star Realms Crisis: Heroes: Just shuffle these cards into the trade deck, and you are ready to play! Crisis: Heroes is a shuffle-in expansion, so it does not add a separate board or setup procedure.
- Star Realms Crisis: Heroes: Heroes go directly into play when acquired. This is the key rule difference from ships and bases, and it affects how quickly a Hero can influence the game.
