‘Star Wars: Outlaws’ Sabacc guide – A complete breakdown of the card game
Sabacc is about to become your new obsession in Star Wars: Outlaws. If you are just jumping into Kay and Nix’s adventure, you will have been introduced to the card game known across the galaxy. But the in-game tutorials and the introductory match during the Shadows of Deceit quest aren’t too helpful in explaining the game.
That is why we have broken down everything you need to know about Sabacc in this guide. From the overall rules to the different card pairings that form a Sabacc to the Shift Tokens you can collect, here is what you need to know and some answers to some key questions.
‘Star Wars: Outlaws’ Sabacc rules
Sabacc is a card game where you play against three other opponents across several rounds, with each round consisting of three turns. As you play, you bet chips, and the last person with chips left in their stockpile wins.
During the round, you are given two cards, one from the Sand Deck and one from the Blood deck between numbers one and six. The goal is to match your numbers so that when they are subtracted from one another, you get a score of zero. Or, you can try to get as close to zero as possible by subtracting the two numbers, such as having a five and a four – resulting in a one at the end of the three turns.
Having a score of zero is the goal for your hand of cards. It is called a Sabacc. With a Sabacc you will automatically beat players who don’t have a Sabacc.
However, the lower the numbers of the two cards that match, the stronger your Sabacc hand rank is. So, if you have a three and a three and your opponent has a one and a one, they will win the round as they have minimised their score more than you.
During a round, you are given two cards at random at the beginning. You can then draw a card during each turn by betting a chip. You can either choose to draw a random card from the Sand or Blood decks, or you can choose the last card another player puts down (as you can only hold two cards). For example, if they swap out a five for a two in the Sand Deck, you can then pick up that five from the Sand Deck instead of choosing a random card if you think it will get you closer to a Sabacc.
On top of drawing a card, you can choose to Stand during each turn, which is effectively passing. This is particularly useful to save on chips, or if you happen to get a good Sabacc hand at the start of a round. If every player Stands, then the cards are revealed, and the best hand will win the round.
If no one has a Sabacc hand, then the lowest hand value (the difference between the two cards) will win. The winner takes all the chips they have invested in the round back. The others are taxed an amount of chips equal to the difference between your card values. So if the difference between the two cards is three, you will be taxed three chips. Taxed chips are completely lost and are unrecoverable.
If a round finishes and you have no chips, you are eliminated from the match.
‘Star Wars: Outlaws’ Sabacc Sylop and Imposter cards
On top of the regular numbered cards, the Sand and Blood decks have two additional card types: Sylop and Imposter.
Sylop cards take the value of the other card in your hand. So, if you have a Sand five and a Blood Sylop, when you reveal your cards, the Blood Sylop will equal a five.
When you reveal your hand, Imposter cards will cause a dice roll. The number on the dice will determine the number value of the Imposter card. So, there is more risk to these than the Sylop cards. Each deck has three Imposter cards, where as there is only one Sylop in each deck.
Both Sylop and Imposter Sabaccs have the same weight as a regular, numbered Sabacc.
If you get two Imposter cards, then you will roll two dice, with the numbers determining the value of your cards. If you have two Sylop cards in your hand, you will have a Pure Sabacc, the best hand in the game. Nothing can beat it.
‘Star Wars: Outlaws’ Sabacc Shift Tokens Explained
You can also collect Shift Tokens throughout the world. These are modifiers that you can use at the start of a turn to shake things up. These include taxing players an extra chip, avoiding the draw fee, targeting a specific player and forcing them to invest chips, and more.
You can equip three Shift Tokens at the start of a match, including multiple of the same chip where available, and each one can only be used once at the start of a turn. So, be sure to use them wisely.
‘Star Wars: Outlaws’ Sabacc cheating
With Nix by your side, you can occasionally cheat in Sabacc under the right circumstances. You are able to send Nix to spy on another person’s cards, but you need to avoid suspicion by playing cautiously in these moments and using Fast Talk to get out of questioning.
Failing at cheating or getting caught will heighten your opponent’s suspicion. This will lock you out of cheating for a while, and if you get caught enough, you can be banned from the match, losing the Credits you invested.
Not all opponents will let you cheat, especially those at high-roller tables.
Where to play Sabacc in ‘Star Wars: Outlaws’
Sabacc tables can be found at most bars, restraunts, markets, and clubs across the galaxy. Sometimes, you will have to play a game to complete a story quest or improve your Syndicate reputation with a particular faction. There is also a core Sabacc questline that you can follow after you are introduced to the card game on Toshara.
That covers how Sabacc works in Star Wars: Outlaws. For even more on Star Wars: Outlaws, check out our other news and guides here.
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Echo Apsey
NME
