Buzz Break: 2016 Topps Star Wars Rogue One Series 1 (blaster box)

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The box: 2016 Topps Star Wars Rogue One Series 1 trading cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 11 (10 standard plus one medallion pack)
Cards per pack: 6
Cards in this box: 62
Base set completion: 
40 of 90 (44 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Insert cards: 22 (see more in gallery below)
Blue Squadron parallel (2) – Jyn Undercover, Saw Guerrera
Death Star Black parallel (5) – Chirrut Îmwe, Imperial Forces Take Over, Bistan Prepares in the Hangar, Jyn’s Departure, Scarif Attack
Green Squadron parallel (3) – Captain Cassian Andor, Preparing for the Arrival, Jyn’s Departure
Blueprints (1) – Krennic’s Imperial Shuttle
Character Icons (3) – Baze, Darth Vader, Bodhi
Character Stickers (1) – Chirrut Îmwe
Darth Vader Continuity (1) – Darth Vader
Gallery (1) – Stormtrooper
Montage (1) – K2SO, Jyn Erso & Cassian Andor
Heroes of the Rebel Alliance (1) – K-2SO
Villains of the Galactic Empire (1) – Death Trooper
Commemorative Medallion (1) – Baze Malbus
Star Wars Card Trader loot card (1)

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What’s Buzz-worthy: Releasing a card set on the day of a blockbuster movie presents challenges — as in don’t offer any spoilers — but there’s nothing that can spoil here save for the card images. There’s literally nothing on the backs of any cards in this set that offer any details about the characters, what’s happening on the fronts or anything else for that matter. This has an interesting retro feel in that regard — a 1970s non-sport vibe to a degree — but this collector doesn’t think it works that well for a movie where, unless you are a diehard, there’s a lot of learning about who’s who. One could argue that cards aren’t where that should happen with a complicated Star Wars universe — but I’d argue that they are one place where it could happen. These cards could have taught me about the movie even after seeing the movie. … The design of the base set is advanced for a basic Topps set with a unique feel that’s a definite thumbs up. The parallels look pretty solid with their colored versions of the basic design and the number of inserts is impressive in its volume and variety. Again, though, none of them have any info about who’s on them. … The medallion cards seem to be a visual hit here — some look pretty good — and this box delivered there just like it did everything else statistically. In fact, all card types in the product were found here except for an autograph. Those have listed retail odds of one in every 31,184 packs, so at one in 3,000-plus boxes you had better hit hobby if you want ink. The good news is that there are a couple notable autos in this release. All in all, the lack of info on card backs is quite jarring but once you get past that (or if you can), then there’s something to see here once a set is complete. Here’s hoping Rogue One Series 2 will offer more when it arrives in March. The autograph lineup here is small — but pretty solid — so that helps its overall grade quite a bit.

Product Grade: B
Box Grade: B
Fun Grade: C

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