'Star Wars' PocketModels offer nerdy tabletop fun you can try out for free

It's a slow summer for Star Wars game fans. Star Wars: Force Unleashed is a very long way off, LucasArts hasn't even officially announced its inevitable lightsaber-oriented Wii game, and let's face it, there hasn't been a good X-Wing/TIE Fighter title since the late 90's (hint, hint, LucasArts). Not all is lost, though: a new Star Wars game just came out that lets you play with all the Star Destroyers, Nebulon B Frigates, and even the copious, not-nearly-as-memorable prequel ships as you want. Best of all, you don't need a game console or a computer to play it.

WizKids Games, the company behind the upcoming HaloClix tabletop game, just released the Star Wars Pocketmodel TGC. You might remember our coverage of their games at the New York Comic Con last February. The Star Wars PocketModel TGC is a collectible, constructible card game focused on building and fighting with 3D models of starships. Every pack comes with both normal collectible playing cards and sheets of plastic pocketmodels you pop out and assemble. Once you build both your deck and your fleet, you can then have starship battles with anyone willing to play with you.

It's a cool game concept; you can build up a fleet of tiny Star Wars ships even if you don't plan to play. Unfortunately, the models can feel a bit flimsy, and the tabs that fit the different parts together break very easily. The Star Wars PocketModel TCG can be found at most comic book stores, and any other store where you would find collectible card games. You can pick up a starter kit with a special edition Imperial Star Destroyer for around $15, or get individual booster packs for about $4 each. Each booster pack comes with two plastic sheets containing 4-8 pocketmodels (bigger ships take up more of each sheet) and a handful of cards. You don't have to drop the cash to check them out, though: WizKids is offering a coupon for a free sample pack containing an X-Wing and two TIE Fighters.