Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game

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Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game
StarterDecksCombined.jpg
Platform Tabletop
Engine LANE-to-LANE Combat System
Release Date August 15, 1995
Language English
Retail Price $7.95 (booster), $2.65 (starter)


The Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game is a collectible card game developed by Mag Force 7, Inc. and released in 1995.

Description

Breakdown

The base set consists of 312 regular cards divided into two factions. Each faction has 156 cards further divided into 45 commons, 50 uncommons, 50 commons and 11 nav points each. Ten of the eleven nav points are functionally identical but are printed on both card backs to ensure proper distribution.

Starters were sold from boxes of twelve each, six Terran and six Kilrathi. Each starter includes 65 cards: 41 commons, 16 uncommons, 3 rares and 5 nav points. The reverse side of each starter pack duplicates that faction's carrier nav point card because it is required for play.

Boosters were sold from boxes of 36 packs of 15 cards each. Each booster pack includes 4 commons, 2 uncommons and 1 rare from each faction as well as one nav point (with a 50% chance of having a Terran or Kilrathi card back).

Card Backs

Product Information

Product Internal ISBN UPC EAN MSRP
Booster Pack MAG7102 0-929373-29-4 9 780929 373294 59540 $2.65
Booster Box MAG7102P 0929373-31--6 9 780929 373317 59540 $90
Starter (Terran) MAG7101 0929373-27--8 9 780929 737270 50795 $7.95
Starter (Kilrathi) MAG7101 0929373-28--6 9 780929 373287 50795 $7.95
Starter (Box) MAG7101P 0929373-30--8 9 780929 373300 59540 $90

Card Types

Battle Damage
Carrier
Crew
Fighter
Arrow
Arrow Elite
Hellcat V
Hellcat V Elite
Longbow
Longbow Elite
Thunderbolt VII
Thunderbolt VII Elite
Excalibur
Bloodfang
Darket
Drakhai Darket
Dralthi IV
Drakhai Dralthi IV
Paktahn
Drakhai Paktahn
Sorthak
Strakha
Vaktoth
Drakhai Vaktoth
Luck
Maneuver
Modifier
Nav Point
Pilot
Pilot Award
Secret Orders
Weapon System

Packaging

Booster Pack

Starter Packs

Booster Box

Starter Box

In Situ

Credits

Role Name Source
Design Jeff Grubb Manual
Don Perrin Manual
Assistant Designer Margaret Weis Manual
Andrew P. Morris Manual
Richard Garriott Manual
Art Director Margaret Weis Manual
Card Design Kevin Stein Manual
Don Perrin Manual
Package Design Kevin Stein Manual
Don Perrin Manual
Card Assembly Patrick Lucien Price Manual
Don Perrin Manual
Squadron Insignia Art Michael Scott Manual
Card Art Robert Daniels Manual
Alan Gutierrez Manual
Nicole Harsch Manual
William Hodgson Manual
Gary Kalin Manual
Jose Ortiz Manual
Alan Rabinowitz Manual
DavidLee Anderson Cards
Les Dorscheid Cards
Bob Eggleton Cards
Kevin Hopkins Cards
James Hoston Cards
Kevin Murphy Cards
Don Perrin Cards
Barclay Shaw Cards
Playtester Kirk Botula Manual
Frank Dickos Manual
Richard Dhur Manual
Richard Garriott, Andrew Morris and ORIGIN Systems, Inc. Manual
Glenn Goddard and Wargames West on Central Manual
Nicole Harsch Manual
Randy Lee Manual
John MacKinnon Manual
Janet Pack Manual
Dr. Brad Pontani Manual
Andrew Robison Manual
Mike Sakuta, Ph.D. Manual
Kevin Stein Manual
M. Craig Stockwell Manual
Burl Zorn Manual
NetRep Chrome Sync FAQ

Advertising

Press Release

Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game Press Release

Print Advertising

Promotional Poster

Artist William Hodgson painted a promotional poster for the game which was shown at trade shows in 1995. Only a fragment has been preserved:

This is just a sliver of the promo poster for the Wing Commander III CCG. I really enjoyed the project, in which I got to work with a great group of people at Mag Force 7 (Margaret Weis, Don Perrin, and co.). I'll upload a full image when I can find one!

Press

Behind the Scenes

Reviews

InQuest (Issue 9, December 1995)

Card Lists

Scrye (Issue 9, September-October 1995)

News

Prices

InQuest

InQuest included Wing Commander in their price guide starting in January 1996. Wing Commander was delisted following issue 17.

Development

Team Shirt

The team shirt is a baseball jersey with the Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game logo on the breast and a recolored version of the Hell's Archer Squadron logo on the back. The shirt provides Wing Commander lore which has not been presented anywhere else.

The example seen below was made for Mark Hamill to wear at GenCon in 1995. He refused and it remained unworn. It has since been signed by Margaret Weis and Tom Wilson.

Cancelled Developments

Proposed Expansion

When the game launched, the developers at Mag Force 7 had rough plans to release an 'Unlimited' set and/or additional expansions with new content in the same manner as contemporary collectible trading card games. Little beyond the initial idea was locked down, although there was talk about the first expansion including grey 'Border Worlds' cards inspired by Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom which could be played by either side as well as a Kilrathi corvette modifier card.

Gift Box

In 1996, Mag Force 7 and the rights to the Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game were sold to Thunder Castle Games. Thunder Castle Games planned to release an updated version of the game in the form of a two-player gift set. These sets, popular at the time, included everything two players would need to enjoy a collectible trading card game together. The company promoted the box set on their website but never completed development or published anything; they have since become defunct. Artist Brad Kelly designed the proposed packaging for the set. His description of the experience:

I mocked up a number of gift set box designs for TCG including this one for Wing Commander. To my knowledge it never got published. TCG mostly imploded in 1996, hemorrhaging employees, including myself.

I don't recall details of any plans, beyond the obvious expectation of releasing a two-player gift box. I knew at the time that relations soured between TCG and MF7, but didn't know details. TCG had/has a reputation for burning bridges, so it was not unexpected.

I spoke to Margaret Weis years later at a conference, mentioned who I was, and that I had worked on this a bit. Asked in general terms what had happened and she just said that it was a bad experience.

Documentation

Manual

Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game Manual

Frequently Asked Questions

Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game FAQ - Version 1.00 (September 25, 1995)

Official Card List

Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game Card List (August 1995)

Usenet Posts

Wing Commander Collectible Trading Card Game Usenet Posts

Card Scans

Card List

Terran

Common

Card Type Card
Arrow Blue Devil Squadron
Arrow Golden Cheetah Squadron
Arrow Hell's Archers Squadron
Arrow Jade Dragonfly Squadron
Arrow Northern Lights Squadron
Arrow Scarlet Speedster Squadron
Arrow Sparrowhawk Squadron
Hellcat V Dynamo Hum Squadron
Hellcat V Fire Birds Squadron
Hellcat V Gray Hornet Squadron
Hellcat V Great White Squadron
Hellcat V Killer Bee Squadron
Hellcat V Osprey Squadron
Longbow William Tell Squadron
Thunderbolt VII Hurricane Squadron
Thunderbolt VII Sky Giant Squadron
Crew Radio Rollins
Deadbolt Lieutenant Amanda Carruthers
Luck Capture Pilot
Luck Recover Pilot
Maneuver Academy Training
Maneuver Attack My Target
Maneuver Break and Attack
Maneuver Break-off
Maneuver Hard Brake
Maneuver Kickstop
Maneuver Roll
Maneuver Shake
Maneuver Sit-'n-Kick
Maneuver Tail
Maneuver Taunt
Maneuver Tight Loop
McGoo Lieutenant Simon LeDuke
Pilot Award Bronze Star
Rusty Lieutenant Russ Wilbury
Snapshot Lieutenant Regina Ortwin
Weapon System Improved Comms
Weapon System Improved Shields
Weapon System Improved Tac Computers
Weapon System Pilum Friend-or-Foe Missile
Weapon System Spiculum Image Recognition Missile
Weapon System Torpedo
Weapon System Torpedo Mount
Wizard Lieutenant John Hefter
Zydeco Lieutenant Michael Williamson

Uncommon

Card Type Card
Arrow Crimson Knight Squadron
Arrow Fireball Squadron
Hellcat V Blue Meanie Squadron
Hellcat V Burma Tiger Squadron
Hellcat V Crazy Diamond Squadron
Hellcat V Red Ranger Squadron
Hellcat V Throat Wolves Squadron
Longbow Air Mogul Squadron
Longbow Angelheart Squadron
Longbow Monarch Squadron
Longbow Sky Demon Squadron
Longbow Tiger Killer Squadron
Thunderbolt VII Dragon Master Squadron
Thunderbolt VII Earth Shaker Squadron
Thunderbolt VII Hadrian's Hammers Squadron
Thunderbolt VII Mud Shark Squadron
Thunderbolt VII Storm Lord Squadron
Battle Damage Communications Link Down
Battle Damage Main Guns Damaged
Battle Damage Maneuvering Thrusters Destroyed
Battle Damage Shield Failure Imminent!
Battle Damage Smashed Windscreen
Cobra Lieutenant Laurel Buckley
Flash Major Jace Dillon
Flint Lieutenant Robin Peters
Hard-Luck Lieutenant Anthony Yee
Luck Intel Inside
Luck Malf!
Luck Mr. Kat
Luck Skillful Use of Missile Decoys
Luck tHE lOVE aNIMALS
Luck Well-Placed Hit
Maneuver Burn Out
Maneuver Eject!
Maneuver Fish-hook
Maneuver Furball Fever
Maneuver Heck Outa Dodge
Maneuver Shake, Rattle, & Roll
Maneuver Shelton Slide
Maneuver Turn-n'-Spin
Maneuver Assault the Carrier!
Modifier Transport
Paladin Major James Taggart
Pilot Award Silver Star
Secret Orders Capture Transport
Secret Orders Defend Listening Post
Secret Orders Fighter Recon
Secret Orders Spaceborne Warning and Control Operation
Vagabond Lieutenant Winston Chang
Vaquero Lieutenant Mitchell Lopez

Rare

Card Type Card
Arrow Elite SeaKing Squadron
Arrow Elite Speed Demon Squadron
Excalibur Galahad Squadron
Excalibur Gawain Squadron
Excalibur Lancelot Squadron
Excalibur Merlin Squadron
Hellcat V Elite Alphonzo's Raiders Squadron
Hellcat V Elite Black Lion Squadron
Hellcat V Elite Valkyrie Squadron
Hellcat V Elite Zombie Wolf Squadron
Longbow Elite Black Widow Squadron
Longbow Elite Fire Dagger Squadron
Thunderbolt Elite Death Merchant Squadron
Thunderbolt Elite Tsunami Squadron
Angel Colonel Jeannette Devereaux
Battle Damage Accidentally Shoot Wingman
Battle Damage Fuel Rupture
Battle Damage Hit by Own Heat-Seeker!
Battle Damage Stabilizer Destroyed
Battle Damage Tail Shot Off
Crew Admiral Geoff Tolwyn
Crew Captain William Eisen
Crew Chief Tech Rachel Coriolis
Hobbes Colonel Ralgha nar Hhallas
Luck Magnum Launch
Luck Media Blitz
Luck Shift in Battle
Luck Show Trial
Luck Summons from Kilrah
Luck Too Much Vak'qu
Luck Traitor!
Luck Zu'kara
Maneuver Maniac Solution
Maneuver Rock & Roll
Maneuver Ram!
Maniac Major Todd Marshall
Modifier Asteroid Field
Modifier Minefield
Modifier Nebula
Modifier Pulsar Snarls Communications
Modifier TCS Agincourt
Modifier TCS Coventry
Modifier TCS Sheffield
Pilot Award Gold Star
Pilot Award Terran Medal of Honor (The Pewter Planet)
Secret Orders Capture Fighter
Weapon System Reaper Cannon
Weapon System Stealth Technology
Weapon System Tachyon Gun
Wing Commander Colonel Christopher Blair

Nav Point

Card Type Card
Carrier TCS Victory
Nav Point Alpha
Nav Point Beta
Nav Point Gamma
Nav Point Delta
Nav Point Epsilon
Nav Point Zeta
Nav Point Eta
Nav Point Theta
Nav Point Iota
Nav Point Kappa

Kilrathi

Common

Card Type Card
Darket Crimson Birha Squadron
Darket Fangs of Death Squadron
Darket Kilra'k Demon Squadron
Darket Monkey Hunter Squadron
Darket Sabak Liegemen Squadron
Darket Steel Death Squadron
Dralthi IV Blooded Claw Squadron
Dralthi IV Blood Rain Squadron
Dralthi IV Deathstroke's Pride Squadron
Dralthi IV Furfighter Squadron
Dralthi IV Honor Bearer Squadron
Dralthi IV Laser Fangs Squadron
Dralthi IV Mandibles of Doom Squadron
Dralthi IV Night Prowler Squadron
Dralthi IV Smiting Pride Squadron
Paktahn Death from Beyond Squadron
Paktahn Heartbreaker Squadron
Paktahn Hero of the H'rai Squadron
Paktahn Unchained Thunder Squadron
Vaktoth Blazing Death Squadron
Vaktoth Darkpride Squadron
Vaktoth Ghostwalker Squadron
Vaktoth Winterblast Squadron
Crew Braxna "Minx" nar Caxki
Luck Capture Pilot
Luck Recover Pilot
Maneuver Attack My Target
Maneuver Break and Attack
Maneuver Break-off
Maneuver Hard Brake
Maneuver Kickstop
Maneuver Lie in Wait
Maneuver Roll
Maneuver Shake
Maneuver Tail
Maneuver Taunt
Maneuver Tight Loop
Maneuver Warrior Code
Weapon System Fang Friend-or-Foe Missile
Weapon System Claw Image Recognition Missile
Weapon System Improved Comms
Weapon System Improved Shields
Weapon System Improved Tac Computers
Weapon System Torpedo
Weapon System Torpedo Mount

Uncommon

Card Type Card
Darket Fireclaw's Avenger Squadron
Darket Lightning Strike Squadron
Darket Vengeful Pursuit Squadron
Dralthi IV Khantahr's Snarl Squadron
Dralthi IV Leatherhide Squadron
Dralthi IV Rage of Sivar Squadron
Dralthi IV Space Terror Squadron
Dralthi IV Star Pouncer Squadron
Paktahn Battle Brothers Squadron
Paktahn Blazing Draptil Squadron
Paktahn Bloodmist's Loyal Squadron
Paktahn Lair Master Squadron
Paktahn Storm Bringer Squadron
Vaktoth Fearful Symmetry Squadron
Vaktoth Fire-Eater Squadron
Vaktoth Forever Loyal Squadron
Vaktoth Lusterfur Squadron
Vaktoth Savage Fury Squadron
Vaktoth Thundering Anger Squadron
Apeshredder Canth nar Kur'u'tak
Battle Damage Accidentally Shoot Wingman
Battle Damage Communications Link Down
Battle Damage Main Guns Damaged
Battle Damage Maneuvering Thrusters Destroyed
Battle Damage Shield Failure Imminent!
Battle Damage Smashed Windscreen
Battle Damage Stabilizer Destroyed
Battle Damage Tail Shot Off
Deathstroke Dakhath nar Caxki
Fireclaw Najji Ragitagha
Longshot Zrank nar Sihkag
Luck Blooms of the Birha Tree
Luck Imperial Security
Luck Malf!
Luck Show Trial
Luck Sivar's Blessing
Luck Well-Placed Hit
Maneuver Dewclaw
Maneuver Pounce on the Prey
Maneuver The Savage Feast
Maneuver Assault the Carrier!
Modifier Transport
Motley Kuklext Ragitagha
Rogue Vruskt nar Sihkag
Secret Orders Capture Transport
Secret Orders Defend Listening Post
Secret Orders Fighter Recon
Secret Orders Spaceborne Warning and Control Operation
Skitz Khitz nar Ki'ra
Wise Hunter Kukubno nar Hhallas

Rare

Card Type Card
Bloodfang Blood Most Noble Squadron
Drakhai Darket Favored by Sivar Squadron
Drakhai Dralthi IV Atomic Claw Squadron
Drakhai Dralthi IV Death Reaper Squadron
Drakhai Dralthi IV Kabaka Warrior Squadron
Drakhai Paktahn Righteous Vengeance Squadron
Drakhai Paktahn Throat Ripper Squadron
Drakhai Vaktoth Deathfang's Warmates Squadron
Drakhai Vaktoth Sivar's Honored H'rai Squadron
Sorthak Unrepentant Rage Squadron
Strakha Dark Inquisitor Squadron
Strakha Enslaver of Races Squadron
Strakha Hidden Dagger Squadron
Strakha Silent Doom Squadron
Strakha Unrelenting War Squadron
Battle Damage Fuel Rupture
Battle Damage Hit by Own Heat-Seeker!
Bloodmist Bhuk nar Hhallas
Crew Baron Melek
Crew Xilerks "Nikodaemus" Ki'ra
Deathfang Kramm nar Caxki
Luck Court Martial
Luck Power of the Emperor
Luck Shift in Battle
Luck The Emperor Speaks!
Luck TNS Publicity Tour
Luck Too Much Fire Liquor
Luck Traitor!
Maneuver Change the Hunting Ground
Maneuver Changing Prey
Maneuver Eject!
Maneuver Going Ape
Maneuver The Glorious Hunt
Maneuver Ram!
Modifier Asteroid Field
Modifier Cruiser Shal'kuz Mang
Modifier Destroyer Bordrav
Modifier Destroyer Trak'hmar
Modifier Dreadnaught Vengeance of Vukar Tag
Modifier Minefield
Modifier Nebula
Modifier Pulsar Snarls Communications
Pilot Award Icon of Glory
Pilot Award Icon of Sivar
Prince Thrakhath Heir to the Kilrathi Throne
Secret Orders Capture Fighter
Stalker Marjak nar Kur'u'tak
Weapon System Reaper Cannon
Weapon System Skipper Missile
Weapon System Stealth Technology

Nav Points

Card Type Card
Carrier Sivar's Glory
Nav Point Alpha
Nav Point Beta
Nav Point Gamma
Nav Point Delta
Nav Point Epsilon
Nav Point Zeta
Nav Point Eta
Nav Point Theta
Nav Point Iota
Nav Point Kappa

Promotional Cards

Two unique promotional cards were released for the game. 10,000 copies were printed of each card. The first promo card released was Wing Commander Heart of the Tiger which was given away at the Mag Force 7 booth at GenCon. Mark Hamill appeared at the booth on August 12, 1995 to sign copies of the card. The second promo card, Admiral Tolwyn, was included in the earliest copies of Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom when it was released on February 12, 1996.

Card Type Card
Wing Commander Heart of the Tiger Colonel Christopher Blair
Admiral Tolwyn Admiral Geoff Tolwyn

Original Art

As was common with trading card games at the time, artists were allowed to keep the copyright for their work. This has resulted the private sale of many of the original paintings and also has allowed high resolution, uncut versions of some to become available to the public.

Robert Daniels

Bob Eggleton

"Drinking with Aliens", 6"x15" acrylic.

Alan Gutierrez

Alpha 

From the card came Wing Commander, commissioned and published by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, 1995.

One of the most striking cards of the 12  I did, it is one of the last astronomicals left in my archives.

I had to recreate the art, as the scan brought up the printed pixels too much (very small image), so it is a digital version of the original trad. version.

Part of a series that includes Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Epsilon.
Beta

From the card game Wing Commander, commissioned and published by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, 1995

Part of a last offering of astronomical works in the archive, a simple rendering for mood in the game...

Gouache on Masonite, photoshop finishing.
Capture Pilot

From the card game Wing Commander, commissioned and published by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, 1994.

A "Luck" card (in this case bad luck) capturing an opposing pilot from a destroyed fighter.

Gouache on masonite.
Epsilon

From the card game "Wing Commander", commissioned and published by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, 1995.

The original idea in the commissioned game.

This was also used as the background for 

https://www.deviantart.com/alangutierrezart/art/Stranded-sketch-2-736178955

And as part of other concept sketches for the "Stranded" book.

Gouache on masonite with Photoshop enhancement.
Gamma

From the card game Wing Commander, commissioned and published by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, 1995

Part of the 12 illustrated works, and one of two more I mustered up for the last astronomicals in my archive, for mood...

Gouache on Masonite w/photoshop finishing
Kilrathi Capture Pilot

From the card game "Wing Commander", commissioned and published by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, 1995

This Kilrathi is none too happy at being captured, and is one of 4 "Luck" cards I did, showing 2 of each adversary.

Gouache on masonite.
Kilrathi Recovery Pilot

From the card game "Wing Commander" commissioned and published by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, 1995

One of 4 "Luck" cards of "recovery" and "capture" pilots of adversaries in the game.

Gouache on Masonite.
Magnum Launch

From the card game "Wing Commander" commissioned and published by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, 1995
A "Luck" card, it was the launching of the "Arrow" fighter, and used again for "X Wing Fighter Scramble"

Edit: This may have came before the "X Wing" art (presumably). But since I'm not sure when that commission happened, It could be Magnum Launch as the original...
Minefield!

From the Wing Commander card game, commissioned and published by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, 1995

This is the combination of 2 traditionally painted works, "Minefield", and "Skillful Use Of Missile Decoys" from the game. Since I had the original scan from "Minefield", I digitally added the ship (unscanned and had to be digitally restored from the printed card) to present this new variation.

Top half gouache on Masonite.
Nebula 2

From the card game "Wing Commander" commissioned and published by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, 1994

Last of the Wing Commander art.

Second of 2 Nebulas, the first;

https://www.deviantart.com/alangutierrezart/art/Nebula-756876557

Gouache on masonite.
Pulsar

Commissioned by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman 1996, for the card came "Wing Commander"

I did about 10 small illustrations for the card game, with various celestial effects, that might affect the outcome of the game.

This was the only one I ever scanned from the original art.

It's been many years, but my understanding is that a collapsed star-burnt out and becoming more dense, emits electromagnetic radiation (the blue streaks) and, spins very fast, with the light (the eruption in orange) "pulsing" as it spins.

There may be other more accurate depictions, but this was done just for fun, so I'm not interested in the specifics. Just the wonder of outer space...
Gouache on masonite, 7" x 10"
Recovery Pilot

From the card game "Wing Commander" commissioned and published by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, 1994

A grateful pilot rescued in a "luck" card.

Gouache on masonite board.

William Hodgson

16 x 20, mixed media on hardboard. Illustration for the Wing Commander III collectible card game, a great game created by an awesome group of people -- but arriving on the CCG scene at the wrong time to be as successful as it could have been. tHE lOVE aNIMALS were a "technotronic, retro-folk band of the 28th century," serving as a morale-booster in the game, when they toured the space fleet, cheering on the pilots and crews. I figured that some futuristic instruments could be offset by granny glasses and bell bottoms to get the effect.

Gary Kalin


Barclay Shaw

I’ve attached a zip file of what I have; the files were recovered from a hard drive crash in the early 2000s and two of them are very low resolution. The artwork was a combination of painting, digital painting and primitive 3D renderings – one of my early forays into the digital art realm, pretty rough by today’s standards (scanner lines are apparent in the backgrounds) but it opened up a whole new world for me.

Lore

Characters

Terran

Kilrathi

Other

Ships

Terran Confederation

Empire of Kilrah

Units

Terran Confederation

Empire of Kilrah

Locations

Weapons

Other

OTHER TERMS

Generic Maneuvers

Terran Maneuvers

Kilrathi Maneuvers

Fan Projects

LackeyCCG Implementation

An implementation of Wing Commander for LackeyCCG is available here (30M).

Vassal Implementation

An implementation of Wing Commander for Vassal is available here (150M).

Tabletop Simulator Implementation

An implementation of Wing Commander for Tabletop Simulator is available here on Steam Workshop.

Playmat

Publisher files that can be used to print custom playmats. Includes two and four player variants. Adapted from the manual illustrations. Available here (58M).