Glossary

Here is a regularly updated glossary of Star Realms related terms used on this site and in the game. Until there are enough to sort, we’ll keep these in roughly alphabetical order.

Have a term we haven’t heard yet? Send it to us at megahaulin@gmail.com or post a comment below.

Updated February 5, 2024

aggro – Short for “aggressive”. A strategy in which you focus on doing damage over the “long game” of economy/life gain, typically by almost exclusively acquiring cards that do damage.
Bacon – Nickname for the Warning Beacon from the Colony Wars set.  “Two strips of bacon” refers to having two Warning Beacons in play at the same time.
Base Set – The three Star Realms sets that can be played stand-alone, i.e., Core Set, Colony Wars, or Frontiers.
Base Wall – Having a large number of bases in play, typically enough that your opponent is unable to do you damage.
“bbygurl” – When you make your opponent discard 4 cards in a turn, you have pulled a “bbygurl”.  [This was coined at WWGF 2017].
BIGDECK – Game format using all expansions available in the digital app.  Also referred to as “MAXDECK”.
Bike – Nickname for the Recycling Station from the Core Set.
Blitz Shift – The point in a Star Realms game where a player shifts out of economy purchases and goes entirely for maximum combat each turn.
Bomb – A very powerful card. Typically Cost 6 or higher.
Bottomdeck – When an important card in your deck ends up in the last draw of your deck, or as part of the last draw when you reshuffle your cards. Example: “Brain World was bottomdecked!”
Bounce – Used in the context of bases.  If a player “bounced” a base, it means they played it, used an ability that let them put the base back into their hand, and then played it again…all on the same turn.
Butt – a numerical toughness applied to bases and outposts. Example: That’s a 6 butt Outpost!
Cantrip – a card that draws a card (replaces itself) when played.
Cycle – Using the “draw to discard” or “discard to draw” ability.
Deck # – Your Deck # refers to the number of times you have gone through your deck.  You start the game with Deck 1 and each time you reshuffle your Deck # increases.  “I got a Deck 1 Ark” means that you acquired Ark before your first reshuffle, which would typically be on your first or second turn.
Discard Lock – Making your opponent discard 5 cards on consecutive turns.
Eddy – Nickname for the Emperor’s Dreadnaught from Colony Wars.
Explorer Race (or Bomb Race) –  When both players are drafting only explorers in the hope that they will pick up a valuable card (or cards) first. Often ends in tears and/or the gnashing of teeth.
Fast Deck – A deck that allows you to play well more than 5 cards each turn.  A fast deck typically has many cards with draw abilities and has scrapped away many of the starter cards.
Fishing – Flipping many cards in the trade row in a single turn in the hopes of finding an Event, Hero, or other cards that can help you in a desperate situation.  Fishing is usually accomplished by scrapping cards from the Trade Row with Blob cards, or by buying as many of the cheapest cards in the Trade Row that you can afford.
Flip – To turn up the next card in the Trade Row. Not to be confused with The Flip
Fred – Nickname for Federation Battleship
Go Green/Blue/Yellow/Red – This “Go” usage indicates that a player is able to acquire several cards of the noted color early in the match. For example, “TheCutter Went Green super fast.”
Grind/Grinding – Playing many games at once for an extended period of time.
Hate Draft – Buying a card you don’t want to keep your opponent from acquiring it.
Haul/Hauled – The action of purchasing a card for free and placing it on the top of your deck. This can be accomplished via cards like Megahauler and Blob Carrier.  See also Topdeck.
Hide/Hiding – When a non-outpost base and outpost base are both in play, the non-outpost base is said to be “hiding” behind the outpost.  See also Protect.
Lethal – Enough damage to defeat your opponent.  The phrase “passing on lethal” refers to ending your turn without using that damage would defeat your opponent in order to extend the game.  Certain league formats may incentivize such move.
Levi – Nickname for the Leviathan from Colony Wars.  Whether this term is pronounced Lee-vai or Leh-vee is a hotly debated topic.
Markdown – A nickname for Star Realms game mechanic that allows a trade row card to be “purchased for 1 less” based on having a certain set of cards in play. Originally quoted in Podcast Episode 91.
Mirror Match – When both opponents are playing the same Commander.
Overkill – Continuing to play cards and accumulate damage after you already have enough damage to defeat your opponent.
Protect/Protecting – When a non-outpost base and outpost base are both in play, the outpost is said to be “protecting” the non-outpost base.  See also Hide.
Rainbow Deck/Hand – A deck (or hand) with an approximately even number of cards from all factions.
RNG – Allegedly, the reason you lose a match.  But paradoxically not the reason your opponent loses to you.
Row Punch – Scrapping cards from the trade row; you have “punched” the row. See also Trade Row Control.
Sacrifice – Wrecking a card permanently from the game in order to get some additional benefit.
Salty – Your emotional state when you lose a game you think you should have won.
“SilentAl” – If you “whiff” two turns in a row, you have pulled a “SilentAl”.  [This was coined at WWGF 2017].
Slow Deck – A deck in which you are often only playing 5 cards per turn.  Slow decks often have most or all of the starting cards and/or have a large number of cards with few draw abilities.
“The Flip” – The First reshuffle of your deck after your second turn.
Time Walk – Term used by former MTG players when making your opponent discard 5 cards, effectively resulting in you taking 2 turns in a row.
Topdeck – Putting a card you acquire directly to the top of your deck rather than into your discard pile.  See also Haul.
Trade Row Control – A strategy involving the use of Blob faction cards to selectively scrap cards from the Trade Row in an attempt to “control” what cards are available for purchase. See also Row Punch.
Tuna slap – A sound trouncing in Star Realms.
Turtle/Turtling – A strategy of building a base wall that your opponent cannot break through a la a turtle retreating into its shell to protect itself.
Unicorn – Winning a game by completing a Mission on each of your first 3 turns…the fastest possible win.  Referred to as a “Unicorn” because it’s so rare.
Unicorn Format – A format including only W-GEHCUM.  Generally believed to be the best format for finding a “Unicorn.”  [See “Unicorn”].
Unicorn Hunting – When you are actively queuing games and/or sending challenges in the Unicorn Format in order to “find a Unicorn”.  [See “Unicorn”].
Vanilla – Star Realms format played with only the Core Set (the original base set) and no other sets or expansions.
whiff – When you have a powerful deck and a chance to win the game, but draw a hand full of your weakest cards and are unable to finish off your opponent.
WWG – Wise Wizard Games

Expansion Abbreviations

V = Core Set or “Vanilla”
W = Colony Wars
R = Frontiers
G = Gambits
1 = Year 1 Promos
B = Bases & Battleships
E = Events
H = Heroes
F = Fleets & Fortresses
C = Cosmic Gambits
2 = Year 2 Promos
K = United Command
U = United Heroes
A = United Assault
M = United Missions
L = Stellar Allies
N = Frontiers Events
P = Frontiers Promos
D = Commanders
T = High Alert Tech
Q = High Alert Requisition
O = High Alert Heroes

Fan-Created Online League Abbreviations

BGG – BoardGameGeek League
EC – Endurance Challenge
NML – Nebula Minor League
PGL – Pan Galactic League
QF – Quickfire
SRGS – Star Realms Galactic Summit
SRO – Star Realms Olympiad
SRPC – Star Realms Premier Circuit
WWBC – War World Battle Circuit
Click Here for a description of these online leagues, and how to join.

DISCLAIMER: These abbreviations are not official WWG abbreviations, but are rather what the fan community generally uses to help organize online leagues.