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Product Review: Deluxe Deck Box (Armada Games)

While you only ever really need to have one deck to play Star Wars: Destiny, if you’re like me, you’ll want to pack more than one most of the time. Anytime that I’m headed to a casual meetup, I usually bring more than one deck. And that means that while single deck boxes are great, they’re somewhat less desirable than a deck box that can accommodate multiple decks. Enter the Deluxe Deck Box from Armada Games that holds three complete decks with dice. It certainly sounds like a convenient solution, but can it really hold three decks in a way that is convenient, organized, and portable? Let’s find out!

Appearance (4.5/5.0)

The Deluxe Deck Box currently lacks an option to include custom art like you’ll find available from other retailers, and instead offers a more minimalist design. That’s not a bad thing, mind you, but for customers hoping to adorn their box with Star Wars art, you’ll need to look elsewhere for the time being. (Armada Games said that they are considering including that option in the future.) That said, the exterior of the box is attractive in its simplicity. While it may not be my favorite aesthetically, it’s definitely nice, and for this it receives a solidly positive score. Additionally, if you’re willing to pay an additional $10.00, you can have the exterior stained black.

 

Utility (4.75 /5.0) 

After opening the Deluxe Deck Box, you might feel a bit taken aback by how many pieces there are. Don’t be discouraged! The included instructions make assembly relatively simple, and it will all go together more rapidly than you imagine. Assembly only requires some super glue or wood glue – I used wood glue. Though not strictly required, I strongly recommend having some clamps or rubber bands available to hold pieces in place as the glue dries (I used rubber bands, and they worked very well) along with some sandpaper. While assembling the box, make sure that the pieces of the magnetic lid line up properly! I probably obsessed over this more than I should have, but this is definitely a step you want to get right. Also, I found that the dice tray columns that hold the trays in place required some sanding before they fit easily through the slots in the dice trays. Without having sanded these, the fit would have been too snug to be usable. Sanding doesn’t take long, so this isn’t a complaint as much of a warning to prevent frustration.

The Deluxe Deck Box is surprisingly effective at organizing and holding plenty of cards (including sleeves) and dice for three decks. The card slots for the decks are separate and removable so you don’t need to worry about having to sort through your decks, and the cutaway design on the sides makes for easy visibility and removal of decks. The magnetic lid used on the Deluxe Deck Box also deserves a mention. While Armada Games could have easily omitted a magnetic lid and still make a box that closes securely, they instead elected to use rare-earth magnets to make sure that the lid stays firmly on the box, and it certainly does! You could easily turn a full box upside down and the lid would remain in place. Lastly, I was concerned that there was no dedicated space for tokens. This seemed to be an unfortunate oversight to me. However, after contacting Armada Games about this issue, they pointed out that their tokens are deliberately designed to fit into your unused dice slots (of which you’ll certainly have plenty). While this solution isn’t quite so elegant if you don’t use their tokens (the tokens that come with the game are slightly smaller and don’t work as well), the easy fix to this problem for me is to use their fantastic tokens (but that’s another review that’s coming soon).

I’m left with only two very small concerns about the utility of the Deluxe Deck Box. First, the sides of the dice trays are just slightly too high to easily pluck the dice out of them. In order to remove dice, you’ll have to flip over the tray and dump them out. This isn’t really a problem for me, but for competitive players hoping to keep their dice a secret from their opponent until they enter play, this might be a concern. Secondly, the deck box is not designed to hold cards in plastic top loaders. I personally use these for my character and battlefield cards, so not having the option to store them in the box means having to tote a second small box for them. Obviously, many players won’t think of this as a problem since they either don’t use top loaders or won’t mind switching to regular sleeves.

Durability (5.0 /5.0)

Durability is often a difficult quality to evaluate, but if you’re investing some serious money into an accessory, it’s an important one. The Deluxe Deck Box is made of 3 mm MDF, and the magnetic lid helps ensure that everything stays securely inside of the box. The dice trays fit together solidly, and I have no concerns that this product will last for a very long time. Fortunately/unfortunately, I had the opportunity to really put the durability of this box to the test, and I’m pleased to say that after taking a rather nasty tumble out of the backseat of my car when I was forced to come to a quick stop, this box showed absolutely no damage, and everything inside was still perfectly in place when I got to my FLGS. I don’t think you’ll find a more durable MDF box on the market.

Cost (5.0 /5.0)

At $54.99 (or $64.99 for the stained version), the Armada Games Deluxe Deck Box is certainly an investment. However, considering the sturdy construction, excellent usability, and impressively low profile (this thing takes up much less space than it seems like a triple deck box should), I think the design and quality justifies the price. If you’re looking for a high quality box that can hold multiple decks, and you have the money to spend on this one, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Overall Rating: 4.75 /5.0

Final Thoughts

While no product is ever perfect, the Deluxe Deck Box from Armada Games comes quite close. The small issues that I have with the box are justifiable design choices, and ultimately, I’ll be using this box for a long time in spite of them. As a player that likes tinkering and traveling with multiple decks at a time, this box will likely be my go-to box for the foreseeable future. If you’re looking for a truly “deluxe” way to transport multiple decks, then look no further than this box by Armada Games.

**A Deluxe Deck Box was provided to me by Armada Games in exchange for a fair and honest review.


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