Union Arena Card Game: A Beginner's Guide for Australia
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Union Arena is Bandai's crossover trading card game, where decks built from anime series like Sword Art Online, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Bleach battle one on one. Each series plays as its own colour, so you can build around the franchise you love. This guide covers how it plays, the 2026 sets, and how to start in Australia. Last updated 9 June 2026.
What is Union Arena?
Union Arena is a two-player card game that pulls characters from dozens of popular anime and game franchises into one shared system. You build a 50-card deck from a single series, which keeps each deck on-theme while letting any series face any other. That crossover hook is the main reason new players pick it up.
How Union Arena plays
You play character cards from your hand, build up energy to fund bigger plays, and send characters forward to attack. Damage chips away at your opponent's life cards, and the first player to break through their life and land the final hit wins. Decks reward smart attacking and blocking rather than long setup, so games stay brisk.
What you need to start
- Starter Deck: a complete, ready-to-play deck for one series. The simplest way in, and you only need two for a game against a friend.
- Booster box: sealed packs to upgrade your deck and chase rarer cards once you know the series you like.
Union Arena 2026 sets
| Set | Type | Australian release |
|---|---|---|
| Sword Art Online Vol. 2 | Booster | 30 January 2026 |
| Evangelion | Booster | 30 January 2026 |
| 100 Girlfriends | Booster | 10 July 2026 |
| Chainsaw Man | Booster | 2026 (expected) |
| InuYasha | Booster | August 2026 (expected) |
| Attack on Titan Vol. 2 | Booster | September 2026 (expected) |
| NIKKE | Booster | October 2026 (expected) |
Dates after July are scheduled but not all locked for Australia, so we have flagged them as expected and update them as Bandai confirms.
What to buy first in Australia
- Trying the game: a Starter Deck for a series you like, plus a second deck if a friend wants to play.
- Hooked already: a booster box of your series to upgrade and collect.
Frequently asked questions
What is Union Arena based on?
It is a crossover game. Each deck is built from a single anime or game series, and 2026 brings sets for Sword Art Online, Evangelion, Chainsaw Man, InuYasha, Attack on Titan and more.
Is it beginner friendly?
Yes. Starter Decks play out of the box, and the attack-and-block flow is quick to pick up.
How many players do you need?
Two for a standard game.
Where can I buy Union Arena in Australia?
GB Toys stocks Union Arena Starter Decks and booster boxes, shipped Australia-wide in AUD.
Start Union Arena at GB Toys
Grab a Union Arena Starter Deck for your favourite series at GB Toys and ship Australia-wide. Bookmark this page, since we keep the 2026 set list current.
