Ultimate Guide for Playing Kessel Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws

Mini-games have always played a significant role in the Star Wars franchise, and Star Wars Outlaws maintains this legacy with Kessel Sabacc, an engaging card game.

Prepare to wager your skills and outsmart your opponents in Kessel Sabacc, the exhilarating card game featured in Star Wars Outlaws. This guide will explore the game’s mechanics, strategies, and tips, empowering you to become a master at Sabacc.

1. Guide to Playing Kessel Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws

Kessel Sabacc in Star Wars Outlaws blends strategy and skill, akin to poker but with a distinct twist. Players are dealt a two-card hand, drawing from both of the game’s decks. Your objective? To achieve the best hand after three turns.

Your mission is to get closest to zero in three turns, prioritizing matching sets. Learn the value of cards, refine your hand, and employ smart tactics to emerge victorious.

Are you ready to gamble for greatness? Enhance your Kessel Sabacc skills with this comprehensive guide!

2. How to Play Kessel Sabacc

In Kessel Sabacc, players strive for the best hand, ideally forming a pair of matching cards. The gameplay kicks off with each player receiving two cards.
Players can draw a new card or remain with their current hand during their turn. Additionally, they can reclaim the most recently discarded card from either deck.
Drawing a card incurs a cost of one chip. The ultimate goal is to win the hand and recover your chips. However, losing results in forfeiting chips and paying a tax.
The tax owed depends on the nature of the hand lost: one chip for a Sabacc hand or the difference between card values for a non-Sabacc hand.
The game unfolds over three turns, with the losing player eliminated each round, and the final player standing wins the pot.

Two special cards can drastically alter the dynamics of your game: Imposter and Sylop. These unique cards add variability, offering exciting challenges and potential advantages.

1. The Imposter Card

Drawing an Imposter card means its value is concealed until the round ends, determined by a dice roll—but only if it remains in your hand. The player rolls two dice and selects the desired value, which could shift the game’s momentum in your favor.

2. The Sylop Card

The Sylop card serves as a powerful face card, mimicking the value of your other card. Pairing a Sylop with any card results in matching values, effectively achieving Prime Sabacc.

3. Kessel Sabacc Shift Tokens

Shift Tokens enhance the gameplay of Kessel Sabacc. While players start with three basic tokens, winning games and purchasing from merchants can unlock additional options.

Each competitor can bring three Shift Tokens into a game, allowing them to play one each round alongside their standard turn. Choosing the right Shift Tokens can turn unfavorable situations into triumphs, making their selection vital.

Here’s a summary of Kessel Sabacc Shift Tokens, including acquisition methods and recommended tokens to secure early in the game.

Shift Token	Effect	Location
Free Draw	Avoid the draw fee this turn.	– Win at the Pyke Syndicate Table in Mirogana on Toshara. – Win at the Pyke Table in Myrra on Akiva.
Refund	Retrieve 2 Chips.	– Buy from Lalini Ledeno, a Crimson Dawn Smuggler in Toshara.
Extra Refund	Retrieve 3 Chips.	– Hidden in a Syndicate Vault on Tatooine.
Embezzlement	Take 1 chip from each player’s pot to your pot.	– Buy from Clava Zeist, a Hutt Cartel Smuggler from Tatooine.
Major Fraud	Invert Sabacc Ranks until the next reveal.	– Win at the Crimson Dawn Table in Kijimi City on Kijimi.
Cook The Books	Set Sylop value to 0 until the next reveal.	– Win at the Pyke Syndicate Table in Myrra on Akiva.
Markdown	Other players in a stand are taxed 2 chips.	– Win at the Pyke Syndicate Table in Mirogana on Toshara.
Prime Sabacc	Roll 2 dice. Pick one value as the new best Sabacc.	– Win at the Hutt Table in Mos Eisley on Tatooine.
General Tariff	Other players are taxed 1 chip.	– Win at the Pyke Syndicate Table in Myrra on Akiva.
Target Tariff	Choose a player. They are taxed 2 chips.	– Hidden in a Syndicate Vault on Toshara. – Win at the Hutt Table in Mos Eisley on Tatooine.
General Audit	Choose a player in a stand. They are taxed 3 chips.	– Win at the Crimson Dawn Table in Kijimi City on Kijimi.
Target Audit	Prevent Shift token’s effects against you until next reveal.	– Hidden in a Syndicate Vault on Kijimi.
Embargo	Next player must stand.	– Win at the Hutt Cartel Table in Mos Eisley on Tatooine. – Buy from Sol D’lorak, an Ashiga Clan Smuggler from Kijimi.
Immunity	Prevent Shift token’s effects against you until the next reveal.	– Buy from Karpen Miltik, a Pyke Syndicate Smuggler in Akiva. – Win at the Crimson Dawn Table in Kijimi City on Kijimi.
Exhaustion	Choose a player. They must discard and draw a new hand.	– Win at the Crimson Dawn Table in Kijimi City on Kijimi. – Hidden in a Syndicate Vault on Akiva.
Direct Transaction	Choose a player. Trade hands with them.	– Can be found as part of Jet Kordo’s Legacy.

Kessel Sabacc Shift Tokens

1. Immunity Token

With the Immunity Token, other players cannot force you to lose chips, trade cards, or stand against your will, making it a strategic choice when under pressure.
Non-player characters often use chip-focused Shift Tokens in the initial round, so activating Immunity during your first turn can minimize unnecessary losses.
Keep in mind that Immunity does not guard against game-altering Shift Tokens like Major Fraud, Cook the Books, and Markdown, which affect Impostor, Sabacc ranks, and Sylop values.

2. Embezzlement Token

This token allows you to claim 1 chip from every player’s pot, providing a tactical advantage when used strategically.
Embezzlement is especially effective when chip counts are low for you or your competitors, enabling you to gain the upper hand.
Utilize Embezzlement wisely to disrupt opponents’ refund efforts.

3. Target Tariff Token

The Target Tariff is a valuable Shift Token that allows you to impose a 2-chip tax on a chosen player.
Deploy the Target Tariff after an opponent has activated their refund token for maximum impact.
While other options like General Audit and Target Audit exist, the Target Tariff is versatile and can be applied to any player at any time.

4. Embargo Token

The Embargo Token compels the next player to stand, which can secure an advantage in the game.
Using Embargo during the third turn can effectively hinder less skilled players from drawing new cards, particularly in head-to-head matches.
This tactic works well with Audit tokens to capitalize on opponents’ weaknesses.

5. Free Draw Token

The Free Draw Token permits you to draw a card without incurring a chip cost, adding flexibility to your strategy throughout the game.
Ideal for use at the beginning when options are limited or later to conserve chips, Free Draw is crucial for maintaining your resources.
Utilizing Free Draw wisely ensures ongoing gameplay without excessive expenditures, making it a strategic tool to save for key moments.

4. Tips and Tricks for Kessel Sabacc

Observing discarded cards can provide insight into your opponents’ hand strength, guiding your future decisions.
You can also ask your clever companion, Nix, to discreetly peek at opponents’ cards through quick-time events, offering a strategic edge.
Timing is key—reserve your deception techniques for critical hands to maximize their effectiveness.
Some cheats/tricks (including magnetic dice) for Kessel Sabacc can be unlocked by conversing with experts.

Employing these strategies can enhance your winnings in Sabacc. Just remember, risking cheating against the wrong player might lead you into dangerous territory.

5. About Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws is an anticipated action-adventure game developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft, licensed by Lucasfilm Games. Set within the Star Wars universe, it takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

This single-player, third-person action-adventure game features an open world enriched with stealth elements, open combat, vehicle engagements, and branching dialogues.

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