High-speed Smuggling Tip, First Sig Card, ESB Illustrated Set

We're a couple of weeks into this brave new post Force Friday world, and while we're still happy overall, we do wonder aloud about sets that haven't gotten updates about their rewards, and specifically when those deadlines are...we trust the award cards will come in due time, but how's about a heads up on when the sets need to be complete?

Also, we discuss this tip that makes "coloring up" base cards in the Smuggler's Den a breeze:

Workaround for Shredding In Bulk - from maxreebok on reddit

Unfortunately for Android users, we discovered after recording that this glitch that allows for speedy smuggling is iOS only.

We also talk about SWCT's first signature card, and what exactly Billy Dee Williams may have been doing while he "signed" the 440 blank inserts that were swapped in the Smuggler's Den.

Finally, we discuss the ESB Illustrated in-depth. It's an expansive set with options for traders of all ages and budgets.

Enjoy, and keep sending us feedback on Twitter: @CT_Illuminerdy

The New Attitude at SWCT and Force Friday Recap

As we finished recording last week, it was the beginning of the end for a lot of things in SWCT. At
first it just seemed like the end of sets and updates on awards that were so overdue for closure "#NeverForget" was being used non-ironically in the community. But the bigger story seems to be the change in tone overall that we've seen since from Topps. New sets have total counts and award info upfront. Transmissions even address what's known to still need addressing. The app had a huge update and by the end of the weekend had another update to address bugs. We may not have gotten any credits for the sets we completed, but here at CTI we're unanimous in preferring this new level of communication over the previous effort.

New Sets, Old Sets, and Force Friday preview

We've never been shy about claiming our huge amount of influence on the timing and direction of Topps choices. But imagine our surprise when they cater to our whims even as we're recording! Such was the case today, when we went over in detail the sets that remained outstanding, and even before we could wrap the episode, award cards began appearing in the app, and as you read this, checklists and award deadlines have been posted. I don't think there's really much else to say besides, "You're welcome." We discuss other new sets that have launched, including the (mostly initial) head-scratching surrounding the I Am set, and look forward to the Force Friday weekend. Enjoy everyone!

Things mentioned in this episode:

- Unresolved sets/awards post on Reddit
- Another way to look at pack odds post on VintageHan.com
- @SWCT_Info fan-run Twitter account for the most reliable notifications of new announcements

Germain Lussier interview, Classic Art 2, Women of Star Wars

Joining us this week is io9.com entertainment reporter Germain Lussier, the author of How the Hell Is This JPG of Han Solo Worth $225? He's been trading cards since nearly the beginning, and wrote the article to introduce the app, who runs it, and the community surrounding it, to people not already in the know. He gives us a background into how he got pulled into the app, the approach he used for the story, and extra bits from the people he spoke with at Lucasfilm and Topps that didn't make it into the article.

In other news, Michael's bold predictions fell flat last week: Topps stays silent on TK and storyboard...Topps gently put us in our place, reminding us that our predictions come true or not at their whim. So, thus humbled, we rein in our projections for this week, which, is probably a safe hedging of our bets, given what may be launching on Force Friday. We discuss the new sets, including the changes to the Classic Art format in #2, and Women of Star Wars, overall giving both a thumbs up due to the info we've been asking for, set length, awards to be had, etc., at their launch.

Also, of course, our R2 unit reveals the final clues for the Black Sun Card Cantina contest! Join the group and collect the clues from this month's episodes for a chance to win 7 marathon cards!

Follow Germain (and us) on Twitter, and stay close with us as we approach Force Friday!

No New Sets, Two New Pink, and How Did GM Go Wrong?

Like the groundhog seeing his shadow and adding additional weeks of winter, Michael's prediction of "no new sets" two weeks ago has somehow frozen the introduction of them for a second week. We discuss this strange phenomenon along with a potification, or dare I say, rumination about the reason for the GM variants that just won't seem to go away. And if you're following along with the contest brought to us by the Black Sun Card Cantina, note that once the final clues are revealed during next week's podcast, you'll have time to privately send your answer in, instead of having to be the first to post it. The winner will be selected at random from among all correct answers submitted in time. Finally, Michael pokes his head out of the ground again to make a new bold prediction. Tune in to hear it!

65 1977s, Pink Yoda, Rising Odds

Michael's prediction came true: after a blistering schedule of seven sets released, Topps released absolutely no new sets. That's not to say there's nothing to talk about...there were two new kinds of chases that came in both gold and pink. One was more noteworthy than the other. Possibly the biggest kerfluffle in the community was the inadvertently exciting conclusion of what had otherwise been one of the most stable reliable sets in the game. And unfortunately the excitement was not due to the surprise of the 11 award cards that were announced. Are you part of the '77 family? How do you feel ending up one short of the expected number? Let us know on Twitter, @CT_Illuminerdy, and of course keep tuning in during August for additional pieces of the puzzle that, if you're the fastest to solve when all the pieces are given out, could net you seven marathon cards courtesy of the Black Sun Card Cantina.

Seven new sets in a week: From Prism to Naboo

"I'm thinking a new set between now and the next time we record." Michael, Thursday 7/30/2015.

I don't know if his prediction was accurate, or wildly inaccurate. Prism was released that afternoon and made his prediction true, but then 6 other sets introduced after that made something of a mockery of "a new set or two." Posters of the Rebellion, Mechanical Evolution, Icons, Light Side, Street Art, and Naboo have followed so fast and furious that our usual reflexive refresh of the Transmission feed has been tempered somewhat, lest it reveal another set and associated packs to vie for our at
tention in the Cantina. Speaking of which, at the time we recorded and our posting this, we count 18 different packs for sale in the Cantina without master pack access, and a whopping 37 total if you've got access to that. Don't say they never gave you enough options about where to spend credits!

Our contest in association with the Black Sun Card Cantina continues; listen for R2 to get another couple of letters for the prize hunt.

Thanks for letting us know you're enjoying what you're hearing. Reach out to us at CT_Illuminerdy on Twitter.