Siskoid's Rolodex...............All Good Things



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To see the cards themselves, check out this Card list for the All Good Things set.

#1725-Admiral Janeway, Personnel, Federation, AU, AGT
"In an alternate future where Voyager had remained lost for 23 years, Kathryn Janeway decided to travel back in time and guide her younger self to a faster route home."
-VIP; SCIENCE, ENGINEER, Leadership, Computer Skill, Physics; SD Ablative Armor; Command icon
-INTEGRITY: 7, CUNNING: 9, STRENGTH: 3

PICTURE: Just your basic bust shot against an unobtrusive background. A small look at the future uniform, a relatively obvious wig. A 3, but not enough for more.

LORE: Tells the story plainly enough, not making it too complicated for the reader, but it doesn't really give us anything but the plot. Again, a 3.

TREK SENSE: The old Admiral Janeway, as opposed to the younger one from Nemesis, isn't really in the thick of things in her own time, basically being a revered figure at the Academy and such, so VIP is better for her than Officer here. Her project to time travel to the past has put the focus on Science, Engineer and Physics, all skills she exhibited in the past at some point anyway. Computer Skill is part of that too, but also helps her destroy the Borg Collective with a virus. Leadership works since her old crew is still loyal to her, as are their descendents (Miral). Really, there are a lot more skills that could be tagged on here, like Navigation (she flew a shuttle), Treachery (blatant disregard for the temporal prime directive) and any skill on a present version of Janeway. Since she brought the secret of Ablative Armor from the future, it makes sense she could download it in the present. As for attributes, her incredible level of skill deserves the extra point of Cunning. Being much older and "stiff", the Strength has dropped markedly. But what about that Integrity? She basically betrayed Starfleet and with total disrespect for the lives lived in the last 16 years, she changed history. I'm not asking for really low Integrity, but 7 is simply too high. Destroying the Borg may or may not be a reasonable side-effect (some would call it genocide), but her goal was to save 3 people close to her. This is selfish more than it is selfless. And bringing future technology to the present and leaving it there... irresponsible. That said, it's a fairly good effort, it just has a hole or two. 3.7 here.

STOCKABILITY: VIP isn't too great a classification, but she's got two others and they're hot! She's great mission solver with nothing going to waste even against dilemmas. Science-related missions are the best suited, but she'll be good anywhere. Obviously, she can solve Seal Rift alone (and even report there aboard an AU ship that may report there, getting her swiftly to the Delta Quadrant), that's why she's a broken link. It's not that hard a mission to begin with, but with a skill list like that, it really doesn't take much to solve lots of other missions with a single partner. She also affords heavy protection for your ship thanks to a special download of Ablative Armor. A useful piece of Equipment, certainly. As an Admiral, she can report for free to the Office of the President, and so is a perfect ENGINEER for the Chochrane Memorial. Overall, she has a lot to offer, and isn't a hard AU to report. Hits 4.

TOTAL: 13.7 (68.5%) All Good Things aren't all spectacular things.

#1737-Aid Clone Colony, Mission, planet, Federation, AGT
Mariposa: Help small population of clones who are suffering from replicative fading of their DNA.
-Biology + Diplomacy + MEDICAL x2 + CUNNING>36
-Span: 2; 35 points; When you solve, may download a copy of a personnel in play.

PICTURE: Seems like it wasn't very long ago that I reviewed the 2E version of this card, and nothing's really changed. Same distinctive planet, and that cool (if slightly artificial) look is still worth 3.4.

LORE: Just your usual mission lore. Fairly well written and functional, though as dry as the next. A 2.9.

TREK SENSE: The requirements on this baby are the very same as on the 2E version. The clones are kind of xenophobes now forced to make contact, so Diplomacy is in order, and of course you need the Biology/Medical to get biological samples and get a fix on the DNA fading. Remember that the clones got the benefit of an alternative solution on the show, with the Bringloidi joining their gene pool wholesale, so the Cunning could be used to think of the idea, with the Biology/Medical used to check out the other "race" to make sure they were compatible and healthy, and the Diplomacy to convince the Mariposans this was the way to go. In other words, forget the lore and go with the title. Now, one thing that's different from the 2E version is that the Feds are the only applicable affiliation. This is a good change because 1) they are way more likely to help an old human colony, 2) they are more likely to have DNA to donate because they have humans on their ships, and 3) it makes Biology the driving skill rather than Exobiology, which aliens would have needed to work with human clones. We're not sure if the Mariposans give you that clone of your personnel in play as a gift, or if a cloned personnel wants to leave the planet so soon because it has its former self's memories. Your ship may be handing over a bank of DNA samples that includes personnel in play that aren't present and never were. A bit of a ethical quagmire for the Federation, if you ask me. That whole special game text is cute and, on the surface, sensible, but it opens up quite the test tube of worms. If you don't have a Clone Machine in play, you can't download anyone but a universal. Note that I don't believe a clone would have the genitor's skills, etc. (only in Star Trek folks!). No trouble with points or Span. Overall, it's been fixed from the 2E version, so it scores a 4 despite the odd moral implications.

SEEDABILITY: We've been waiting for Mariposa because it's one of the places where Clone Machine plays, and while not quite as powerful as Delta Quadrant Spatial Scission, it's a fair replacement for Alpha Quadrant decks. Well, the Klingons have a mission where they may use it, the Dominion has its facilities, and the Bajorans and Cardassians can use an Infirmiry, but what about the Feds? They have lots of nice, juicy mission solvers they might like to have two or more of. This is their mission (not that any affiliation can't play Clone Machine here, they just can't solve it without Espionage, Bribery, and the like). 2 MEDICAL and Biology? Fits most if not all CMO profiles, and you need one with low enough INTEGRITY to use the Clone Machine at any rate. Diplomacy is common too, and in any case, you need to raise the CUNNING to 37 or more. Not a problem. A pretty easy mission with a quick Span, which not only gets you 35 points (as much as 45 with mission specialists), but also a download for a personnel you already have in play (or heck, of a personnel your opponent has, if you happen to be playing the same affiliation and/or identical cards). Shape-Shift Inhibitor's a pain here, but you don't have to use the download if it's not advantageous. A good 4.2.

TOTAL: 14.5 (72.5%) Beats its 2E twin by 1%.

#1749-Anij, Personnel, Non-Aligned, AGT
"Ba'ku female who became romantically involved with Jean-Luc Picard. In her 300 years, learned to sustain a perfect moment in time - but never learned to swim."
-CIVILIAN; Twice per game, may nullify a non-[Ref] interrupt and place it atop owner's draw deck; Anthropology
-INTEGRITY: 8, CUNNING: 8, STRENGTH: 4

PICTURE: Anij is a little weary here, and not showing off her golden beauty. Personally, I'd have gone with her using her powers on a ripe dandelion (lyrical), or exuding confidence and wisdom in her scenes with Picard. It's a reasonable headshot with a soft color palette, but no more than that. Leaving it at 3.

LORE: The first phrase is pretty standard and unfortunately makes her an accessory on Picard's arm. The second is much better, telling us about her special powers, but also making fun of her weaknesses, just as the movie did. 3.4 here.

TREK SENSE: The Ba'ku chose a Civilian life for themselves, and being recluses, they are Non-Aligned. Anij's time-slowing power is addressed first, so let's get into it. Because interrupts are very momentary by nature, they are the "moments" that Anij can "sustain". Well, sustain isn't quite the word, is it? She nullifies the moment. But how? Slipping through the cracks of time to escape the interrupt's effects? Again, not really. All too conceptually, the interrupt goes to the top of the draw deck, so that it's play is merely delayed, sustaining the moment just before it comes into effect. Except of course, in a game, the time to play may pass long before it is redrawn. A better way to handle it would be to delay the effects for a turn or whatever, kind of like End Transmission. That Referee icon cards are safe from Anij is a mechanical conceit, though really, there are many interrupts that probably wouldn't come under her power simply because she needn't be present where the interrupt has its effect. Twice per game? Same number as in the movie, but otherwise, again a matter of balance. The special skill thus comes off as quite conceptual, and as such not too bad, but of course, it's never as good as a skill that translates literally. Other than that, Anij is versed in Anthropology, and I agree her interests were more in line with culture and the arts than anything else, though she seemed to have some technical or scientific skills she just wasn't using. Nothing really proven though, so their absence doesn't hurt, and the high Cunning makes up for it. The absence of Diplomacy is more glaring however. Respectful of Ba'ku ideals and able to forgive the Son'a, her Integrity is high. And the Strength looks good too, representing a vital non-combatant. Necessarily incomplete with the space 1E has to lay down a character, she gets a 2.6.

STOCKABILITY: The Ba'ku can all report for free to the Ba'ku planet (Insurrection), a mission central to the Collect Metaphasic Particles strategy, which gives all your personnel Youth, +2 STRENGTH and an unstopping ability as well as the mission's 35 points. Son'a are Non-Aligned, Ba'ku are Non-Aligned, there's no reason they can't help each other (in defiance of Trek Sense). Anij offers a lot to any deck that wants to use her, be it based on CMP or not, because she has a built-in Amanda Rogers ability. It won't cost you points like Quinn, and it can't be hosed like Amanda. The catch is that the interrupt goes to the top of the draw deck, but even if the conditions are still ripe to use it a turn later (they may not be), the element of surprise is lost. An interrupt brought into play by a special download wastes that download. Forcing an opponent to shuffle her deck will further bury the card. And since Anij can do her thing twice, she could well delay the interrupt's play a second time. Very nice. She can't nullify Referee-icon cards, but that's to be expected. She doesn't have to be anywhere special for it to work, so you can keep her out of harm's way to preserve the ability, or send her on missions. Anthropology is a good enough skill, and her attributes are generally high. A very good 3.8.

TOTAL: 12.8 (64%) Same as Lily Sloane. What is it about Picard's leading ladies in the movies?

#1761-Artim, Personnel, Non-Aligned, AGT
"Twelve-year-old Ba'ku child. Son of Sojef. Taught Data the importance of play and having a little fun every day."
-CIVILIAN, Youth; Your non-Treachery personnel present are each attributes all +1 (or +2 if they also have Youth)
-INTEGRITY: 6, CUNNING: 4, STRENGTH: 3

PICTURE: The adults aren't really distracting as they fade well into the background. Great greens and sunshine in the scene too, which helps sell the idyllic nature of the Ba'ku planet. Artim himself is mesmerized by Data, a good expression on him. A clear 3.5.

LORE: Pretty basic info as to age, species and family, with only the last sentence standing out. I'll give it 3.1.

TREK SENSE: A 12-year-old kid, of course he's gonna have Youth. The Ba'ku no doubt keep their Youth "skill" for the first 100 years anyway, but he really is only 12. His special skill would have him be so endearing that he encourages people around him to be better people, like he did with Data. Encouraging good thoughts adds to Integrity, making people see the world in a new way boosts Cunning, and the wish to protect Artim adds to Strength. As with most attribute boosts, justifications never entirely work, but that's the Sense to be found here. If the person is a Youth personnel themselves, they are boosted even more, but this I take exception to. Obviously it's meant to show kids working better together than with adults, but most Youth personnel are not Artim's age, and at 18 or 19, I wasn't exactly fond of children. Also, put kids together and they will indeed encourage each other, but I don't think the Integrity would go up (see Jake and Nog on DS9). I do agree that Artim should get the boost too, but he gets it even if he's alone. Odd, that. Treachery personnel need not apply, since they are considered to hate children, I suppose. It's all very much glossed over. Artim's attributes aren't really what they seem, really being 8-6-5, which is fine except for the way-high Strength. If he somehow loses his youthful enthusiasm for life (loses the special skill, or Youth, or gains Treachery), they drop, again fine except for the unrelated Strength. Can't go over 1.9, I'm afraid.

STOCKABILITY: A general personnel booster, Artim makes non-Treachery personnel around him 1 point higher in all three attributes, or 2 points for Youth personnel. Youth decks will work well then, and he adds Youth to those Ooby Dooby encounters too. Treacherous affiliations like the Romulans might not want him around, so no saving Away Teams from Firestorms. His own attributes are boosted to safer, better, 8-6-5 levels, and don't forget he reports for free to Insurrection. Attribute boosts can be very useful, especially to INTEGRITY, and Artim barely discriminates, so he's worth 3.5 to the right crew.

TOTAL: 12 (60%) Had so much fun, he just barely passed the exam.

#1773-Bluegill Infestation, Incident, AGT
-Seeds on table; place up to seven unique personnel face up beneath here from outside the game. Your copies of those personnel in play are STRENGTH +5, considered Bluegills, and may not be stunned. Also when one of your Bluegills is killed, you must randomly select a personnel from here; if it matches one who was killed, that personnel was considered to be the Bluegill Queen. (Unique.)

PICTURE: Nasty, but avoids being too gory by doing a close-up of the Queen inside Remmick's chest. You don't see too much, and you don't necessarily recognize those red sections as part of the torn Starfleet uniform. Good rich color and a rare shot of this alien (shown very, very briefly) add extra interest. A 3.5.

LORE: N/A (score will be adjusted accordingly)

TREK SENSE: An interesting and card-light way to model Bluegills, it can't provide a complete picture of the race, but does fairly well. We don't know how the first Starfleet personnel from "Conspiracy" got infected or how long ago really, but there they were, so the card seeds, but does not play (placing personnel here would have been too difficult mid-game anyway). The Bluegills always took great care in selecting hosts, and tried to get high-up or at least useful personnel. The seven hosts you place here must be unique as a consequence. They won't all be in positions of authority, but it's more palatable than having them drive around in universals. These copies are merely "reveals" of infested individuals, and these personnel still report normally. They have all the same skills, which would be true and necessary for the infiltration to work, but maybe adding Treachery and removing Honor should have been in there. Integrity should also have been dropped. Strength goes up however, as these guys were tougher than normal, and they can no longer be stunned. We indeed saw them take phasers standing up. I also like how the Bluegill Queen is handled. We don't know which host has the Queen, so when one is killed, the chest bursts open and we get to see. The random draw doesn't really reveal who the Queen IS, because on the next draw, it might very well be someone else, it shows who the Queen ISN'T. That's the way it's phrased too. When the Queen is killed and Alas, Poor Queen is played, it matches the events of the episode, and all Bluegills die. If Alas, Poor Queen isn't used, then we stray from the episode. We might surmise the Queen has reproduced and implanted a younger Queen in another individual. Possible. Some loose ends: First, the Bluegills don't have an agenda in this game. This isn't a big thing since the missions and battles they get involved in may well all be "part of the plan". Second, they don't recruit anyone beyond the original seven. Ah well. Third, they can't be found out and are always trusted. And last, they can somehow infect androids and changelings. These details don't take too much away from the fact that Bluegill Infestation is a very elegant solution to a broken link that could have spanned numerous cards. And so, a 4.

SEEDABILITY: If you've got your favorite unique personnel in multiples, you can place them under Bluegill Infestation to make them stronger than ever during the game. When they show up in play, their STRENGTH is boosted by a whopping +5, and they can't be stunned in battle. That means that to be taken out in personnel battle, they will have to be mortally wounded by an opponent with more than the Bluegill's STRENGTH+5. Tends to accumulate. Battle-ready affiliations become particularly unbeatable, with a guy like Worf Son of Mogh having STRENGTH 15, and be only taken out of a fight by personnel with... Varon-T Disruptors probably. The only danger is your opponent using Alas, Poor Queen, but it's not that great a danger. It's a normal, non-downloadable Interrupt, and not all that likely to be in your opponent's hand when your Bluegill dies. An opponent who stocked it to use against the Borg might draw it then go after your Bluegills in personnel battle, but is he going to win that battle? Say he does and a Bluegill dies: there's only a 1 in 7 chance that that Bluegill is the Queen. If it does happen though, all your Bluegills in play immediately die. None of that prevents you from recycling the personnel, playing more later in the game and/or using yet another copy in your deck and making them Bluegills again. Bluegill Infestation isn't nullfied, you see, nor are any of the personnel placed here. Now, it's just a STRENGTH/battle booster for a choice 7 personnel, though Delta Quadrant Spatial Scission could double that number, and you do need a lot of extra copies of unique personnel. Thankfully, they aren't all rare. The ability, as modified by its disadvantages, is worth 3.6.

TOTAL: 14.8 (74%) Seems like it could have been a lot more, but I'm not complaining.

#1785-Calondon, Ship, Non-Aligned, AGT
"Independent freighter commanded by Zef'No. In 2370, ran weapons supplied by the Cardassians to the Bajoran isolationists of the Circle."
-Kressari Freighter[1 Command, 1 Staff] Smuggling personnel in crew may use hand weapons to complete "cargo runs"
-RANGE: 7, WEAPONS: 6, SHIELDS: 8

PICTURE: Originally seen as the Zibalian Transport, the Kressari Freighter Calondon is actually the same that's on Kressari Rendezvous, only closer up and flipped horizontally. The very same, check the shadows. It's ok, but it's so familiar as to be dull, and the grayish blue highlights on the beige vessel don't really work. Not really Decipher's fault (though that'll teach 'em to make such uninspired broken links), so a simple 2.5.

LORE: Pretty straightforward. The matching commander status is fine, though already referenced on Zef'No, and the history of the ship is plainly written and goes right to the special game text. I'm all for a 3.4.

TREK SENSE: I think this card'll do ok, but I will call into question the ship's class. Clearly, this is the same model as the Zibalian Transport, and that ship was dubbed Zibalian Class. Would it have been so wrong to assume the Kressari bought it from the Zibalians? I know it's referred to as a Kressari freighter by the DSNiners, but that could just be a mark of ownership, not of ship design. The amount of required staffing is also debatable. The attributes may warrant it, but the size and function of the vessel don't. Acceptable, but iffy. I really like the extra option for Smugglers to make cargo runs with hand weapons. The only thing stopping cargo runs from including those pieces of equipment seems to be interstellar law, and clearly, Smugglers should be able to circumvent those laws. Besides, that's exactly what the Calondon was up to on the show. Attributes? Range is high enough to make rather short cargo runs (staying between Bajoran and Cardassian space) at fast speeds (speedy delivery and all that). Just a freighter, Weapons aren't at a premium, though it can defend its cargo decently. Shields ARE at a premium though, with that same goal in mind. A very good effort, though a couple of questions creep in. Ends up at 3.6.

STOCKABILITY: One of the better freighters we have, its attributes are very decent, especially once you throw in its matching commander aboard. Zef'No, Plaque and Log make for a 9-9-11 freighter. Non-Aligned, it can be used by any affiliation, though Zef'No won't work with the Bajorans or Federation, so their Calondon wouldn't be as effective. Still, anyone can use it to get Latinum with the 1st Rule, put System 5 Disruptors on it (7-10-7 attributes, but I wouldn't want to take its freighter status away from it), report it for free at Docking Ports, help with Deliver Supplies or with Establish Trade Route, and of course, can complete cargo runs. And therein lies its best ability: Just like the Bok'Nor, you can complete cargo runs using hand weapons, the most useful of all equipment types. You only need the Smuggling Zef'No brings anyway. Who wants to use PADDs just for cargo runs when those hand weapons will be more useful once the run is completed? Most affiliations have about 3 different hand weapons marked for their use, so the cumulativity issue can be circumvented easily. If running a Non-Aligned deck, all those "Non-Aligned use" hand weapons can be brought in. A nice and efficient card draw engine (or Latinum download engine) when you include Kasidy Yates' doubling effect. The Cardassians already have this ability, and at cheaper staffing, but now the other affiliations have access to it too. Even the Bajorans and Feds if they're willing to forgo the matching commander bonuses (the ship's still pretty good without them) or use a Micro-Wormhole on Zef'No. The Ferengi in particular could be happy adding this freighter to their merchant fleet. An excellent 4.2.

TOTAL: 13.7 (68.5%) An upgrade considering the Zibalian Transport is still the worst ship of all.

#1955-Changeling Sweep, Interrupt, AGT
"Changelings will be forced into a gelatinous state by a mid-level phaser stun. In 2372, special units were placed in many Starfleet facilities to ensure that empty rooms were in fact truly so."
-Plays to "sweep" an opponent's discard pile: examine it and place any interrupt cards (except [Borg use only] or [Ref] cards) out-of-play.

PICTURE: A bit spartan, but that emphasizes how a changeling can hide in plain sight. And that golden yellow palette follows the theme set by such cards as Strike Three. Still, I do think the pic comes off as stiff and not very dramatic. A 3.2.

LORE: No problems here, though no sparks either. A 3 for these straight facts.

TREK SENSE: Having no effect on actual shape-shifters (except the Berzerk Changeling), Changeling Sweep is more than a little conceptual, with its nevertheless fun "sweeping" of the discard pile. You scan that pile for any changeling-y surprises, in this case Interrupts that could be rescued from the pile and used right away, and place out-of-play those cards. That's underestimating changeling troublemakers if you ask me, cuz I'm sure they can get away to safer ground, but there you have it. The exempt cards, Borg use only and Referee, are only that way because of balance and mechanical issues. After all, there are a lot more interrupts that have nothing to do with trouble that could be initiated by a changeling. The conceptuals will give this one a bare 0.8.

STOCKABILITY: Well, while this card can nullify Berzerk Changeling, you're not gonna stock a card just in case someone uses that dilemma, no matter how dangerous it is. So Changeling Sweep has a more proper use, and it's a good one. It removes from play all discarded interrupt cards in your opponent's discard pile, taking away any chance of rescuing, recycling or otherwise using such cards a second time. ...Or a first time, if "discarding from hand" effects are being used either by you (how nasty of you) or by your opponent (usually with backwards-compatible 2E cards). Think of it as a specific super-Fire Sculptor. Borg-use-only cards are exempt because the Borg rely too much on Adapt cards, Awaken and A Change of Plans. Unfortunately, it the protection extends to Assimilation Tubules, Borg Neuroprocessor, and the like. Playing this on the Borg is likely to do very little indeed. Referee icon cards are always protected from this kind of thing, but in this case, that's only The Juggler, The Wake of the Borg, Scorched Hand and Oof! Since interrupts can be played as soon as they are saved from the discard pile, their power is greater than other card types' in such matters, especially the "holy hexany" of Amanda, Kevin, etc. Sweeping them all under the rug can certainly hurt a slim, tight deck that plans on reusing these. Scores 3.5.

TOTAL: 10.5 (52.5%) They just had to go for a conceptual effect.

#1798-Christopher Pike, Personnel, Federation, AU, OS, AGT
"Noted captain. Succeeded Robert April and commanded the Starship Enterprise for 13 years. Accepted promotion in 2263 and relinquished command to James T. Kirk."
-OFFICER, SECURITY, Honor, Diplomacy, Leadership; Your other OS personnel here are attributes all +1; Command icon
-INTEGRITY: 7, CUNNING: 8, STRENGTH: 8

PICTURE: The only personnel card with the original Starfleet collar, Pike is sufficiently heroic here (the Captain's Chair shot, I hear it's called), with a background that avoids the usual TOS pastels in favor of more steely colors. Palette's pretty limited, but not bad at 3.2.

LORE: "Noted captain" isn't very descriptive, and the lore is altogether too interested in the line of succession (April gets a mention at least). We do get the number of years he had as captain of the Enterprise, and this all certainly makes him matching commander of the ship. Oh, another 3.2, but no sparks.

TREK SENSE: The original captain of the Enterprise is an Officer with Leadership and a Command icon, and of course, all the icons required. I don't think he's pre-OS since he did appear in that series, in "The Menagerie" if you don't count "The Cage". Security isn't baseless given that he was primarily an action-based hero, certainly versed in combat tactics. The way he handled his only known mission, the Talosians, showed both Honor and Diplomacy. A legend close to Kirk's own stature, he inspires all OS personnel with him to greater attributes. Cunning and Strength go up because of he coordinates his people's efforts better, and as for Integrity, just look at the loyalty he inspired in Spock! If he's such a legend though, why wouldn't Feds from later eras also be inspired by him? Nagging. His mental discipline facing his telepathic adversaries gives him lots of Cunning, but maybe it should have upped his Integrity too. A 7 still isn't too bad given that he did resort to violence and threats by the end. Still, less Integrity than Kirk? That penchant for action does warrant the high Strength (your basic human maximum). Solid, though nothing that really jumps out and grabs you. A 4.

STOCKABILITY: Your matching commander of choice to command the Starship Enterprise may well be Captain Kirk, he IS the superior personnel, but you could still use Pike to cover the bonuses while Kirk is busy stopping a female (now THERE'S a euphemism!) or attempting a planet mission. Ready Room Door downloads him even if Kirk is aboard, so why not? While there, he'll also give all your OS personnel +1 to their attributes. Every little bit helps, I suppose. As far as skills go, he's almost your basic DipHoLe, which the Feds have plenty of already, but he adds SECURITY, which is far more useful, the OS Feds having few unique personnel with the classification. Great attributes, of course. One side-ability is that of overcoming Talosian Cage, which otherwise requires 3 Empathy, a requirement your OS deck would have a hard time meeting. Heck, I dare say most decks will have trouble with that one. But using a personnel just in case the Cage shows up? Not enough. And since the attributes boost is only good for OS personnel, I can't really recommend him for other decks. Manages 3.4.

TOTAL: 13.8 (69%) So many Fed personnel, you really have to stand out to make an impression.

#1811-Colonel Kira, Personnel, Bajoran, AGT
"During Captain Sisko's absence after the death of Jadzia Dax, Kira Nerys was promoted to command DS9. She soon learned the responsibilities of the captain's chair."
-OFFICER, SECURITY, Honor, Diplomacy, Leadership, Computer Skill; X=2 if a [Rom] personnel in play; Command icon
-INTEGRITY: 7, CUNNING: 7+X, STRENGTH: 8

PICTURE: The interesting thing here is that it actually shows more than its 2E counterpart. Same image, and yes, it's smaller overall, but we get more information at the bottom of the frame than on 2E's seemingly more open frame. Funny thing about assumptions, eh? In 2E however, the pull from "What You Leave Behind" was appropriate to the special skill, but here, it's too late an episode to have her square off against the Romulans. An image pull from the start of the season should have replaced this one. The expression is much too bright for that time of her life. The viewscreen on her desk sections off the composition, which is another flaw. Will do better in 2E, but the repeat wasn't the best idea. A 2.5.

LORE: I would have thought she would have been made Colonel even if Sisko was around to command the station (case in point: they didn't send her away when he came back), so that phrasing is a little misleading. Not incorrect, just misleading. The second sentence is pretty good though. A 3.2.

TREK SENSE: At this point in her career, Kira's much more distanced from her Resistance background, and it need not come back until she joins Damar's cause as the version called, simply, Kira. As station commander, she's an Officer with Leadership and a Command icon, that's obvious. Computer Skill and Security are usually part of her skill package. The first comes from the work she does in Ops, routing ships, etc., and the latter from her days as a soldier as much as some of her duties on DS9 (like reviewing security reports with Odo, and protecting Bajoran space). Diplomacy appears here because she had to make a Romulan presence on the station work (not to mention her dealings with all those other species throughout the station). Honor isn't on the baseline persona, but it does appear on the 7th-season (Cardassian) Kira. Same season, same skill, but it's more than that. If we look to the opening episodes of that season, to which the special skill will also speak, we see Kira's willingness to die for the greater good. She will lay down her life to keep the Romulans from bringing weapons to a Bajoran moon. Later in that season, she'll agree to help her former enemies to fight an even more evil enemy, and will willingly give up Odo when he must return to his people. The more mellow, Diplomatic Kira, tempered by the hard decisions of the "captain's chair", is more Honorable than her younger self. Kira's attributes are usually 7-7-8. She's courageous, if able to cross the line; she's cunning, but not the one that comes up with the most brilliant ideas; and she's a fighter through and through. But each "normal" Kira (i.e. forgeting Anastasia, The Intendent, etc.) follows the same theme when it comes to attributes, which I really like. She's a fighter, is what she is, and when she's not fighting the Cardassians, she's opposing Starfleet's authority over the station, or fighting the Dominion. In this case, she was in a rather dangerous poker game with the Romulans. So instead of adding to her Strength, as was done against the Cardassians and Dominion, she adds to her Cunning, making her able to outwit and outbluff the Rommies. The Romulan(s) in question may be far away from her location however, and that's a stain on the Trek Sense of the card, though she may be dealing with closer offstage Romulans, since she would have at this point in her life. The Romulan in play simply reminds us of the fact. Love it despite that point, and don't find anything wrong with the rest of her (though I hate it when Orb icons disappear like they never meant anything), so a high 4.3.

STOCKABILITY: We needed the Colonel Kira broken link fixed in order to play the Bajoran/Romulan Treaty for free, though Senator Cretak could also allow it. Not too great an ability, since the Treaty is better seeded than played, but mid-game, if The Devil nullifies it, not losing a card play to replay it may be of use. Playing Bajoran/Romulan does mean that her attributes will be boosted (to 7-9-8) automatically, with much more certitude than if you wait for your opponent to play a Romulan personnel. Indeed, the still backwards-compatible 2E Colonel Kira is much better working with a Bajoran/Federation Treaty than an alliance with the Romulans. If up against the Dominion or Cardassians, you can always switch versions for personnel battles to get the STRENGTH boost instead. The skill lists are fairly similar, but with important differences. You won't find Diplomacy on Kira anywhere else, a skill that may be a little less common on Bajorans than Navigation. For skill flexibility, however, I wouldn't stock more than one Kira Nerys. I might keep them in Q's Tent for the personnel battle aspect mentioned above, but really, they are too similar to be worth holding in hand for switching otherwise. Not to say those skills aren't good, with SECURITY certainly a high point, but if not using the Romulan Treaty, Kira Nerys' Navigation x2 is probably the better skill to use. That makes Colonel Kira a niche card, to be used in certain decks only. Amounts to a 3.2.

TOTAL: 13.2 (66%) Highest ranking, but lowest scored Kira yet.

#1823-Dimensional Shifting, Interrupt, AGT
"Poweful form of folded space transport, capable of penetrating all known shields and forcefields. Repeated use of the technology causes a fatal degradation of the subject's cellular chemistry."
-During your turn, discard a random card from hand to place any number of your personnel and equipment at one mission aboard any ship at the same mission.

PICTURE: Same as on the 2E "preview", the smaller image makes it look darker, warmer and slightly more in focus. The dimensional rift opening behind Finn is cool with those shafts of light streaming through it, and his shock of white hair sort of relates to the electrical discharges of the effect. Too bad about the lame beige background though. Manages to hit 3.6.

LORE: 2E went "1E" on this lore, and so it's the exact same thing. The techno-babble is understandable and well written, but the repeat disappoints. A 3.

TREK SENSE: The basic effect works, but the details don't do so well. Yes, the technology that allows Shifting possible can transport personnel and equipment to a ship at their own mission (no cross-system transports, certainly), but the effect isn't broad enough. Yes, they could shift to a ship, regardless of its shields, but couldn't it also transport them to a facility such as a Nor? We're told that Shifting is costly for those who attempt it, that it is quite harmful to their health. Maybe personnel just can't Shift often enough in the space of a game for this to make any difference, but there's absolutely no effect. The cost is instead transfered to a conceptual area: you must discard a card to enable the Shift. I appreciate the "toll" Shifting has on a player, but would like to see it paid by the personnel too. Conceptually, it could also represent the massive amounts of energy Shifting requires. The bugs in the system keep this one at 2.2.

STOCKABILITY: Dimensional Shifting is great for assault teams that would like to board an enemy ship without the use of Invasive Beam-In, Boarding Party, etc. Hey, sometimes, you're just not on a ship at all, or simply don't have the right cards in play. This Interrupt solves that problem, with Barclay Transporter Phobia only keeping one personnel from joining in, and a random one at that. And it's not the only utility it would have. You could also use it to get personnel (yes, yes, and equipment) off a planet that's in the grip of a Distortion Field or other delaying tactic. Similarly, it could be used to access transporterless ships when landing is out of the question. You can't do this to your cards during your opponent's turn, which does remove a few interesting options, but overall, I'd say this can be put to good use both aggressively and defensively. Note that the small timing difference between this and its 2E clone makes the 1E version a bit more flexible. A 3.6.

TOTAL: 12.4 (62%) I do wish they'd thought of All Good Things before fixing broken links in 2E.

#1835-Empathic Touch, Interrupt, AGT
"It's accelerating. You have no more time for games."
-When your personnel is about to be killed, if your Empathy personnel is present, stop both personnel to prevent that.

PICTURE: Again, though the 1E pic is smaller than 2E's, it shows more. Seeing more of the Viceroy's head completes the picture and showcases more clearly the really cool metal plates in the background, looking like waves emanating from the Viceroy's head to Shinzon's. The armors are a little muddled, but the moody lighting helps the scene. Also note that this is the only 1E card with a Nemesis logo. I don't particularly like the logo, but it's an interesting element nonetheless. Where are we at? Oh yeah: a communicative 3.8.

LORE: Is Decipher sure it wants to send out this message? "No more time for games"? ;-) Seriously folks, it's fine, but it doesn't do much with the game text or title. Dull, too, that it's a total repeat of the 2E card. A 3.

TREK SENSE: The change from "Telepathy" to "Emapthy" in the game text actually helps this card, since Empathy represents more varied powers in the game than just mental communication. Indeed, this card is meant to represent the healing touch of such characters as Gem and Ilia (the latter unfortunately without the Empathy skill, grrrr). Mechanically, this works fine, with a dying personnel being saved by the healer, and both rightly being stopped. Unfortunately, most Empaths don't have a healing ability, and that's where it all falls apart. I blame the initial confusion about the Empathy skill, but crying about it doesn't help Empathic Touch. For the few instances where this makes sense, a 1.5.

STOCKABILITY: A broken link from Ovidian Cane, it hasn't really convinced me to use that Artifact anymore than I already was, but we'll get back to that in a moment. Outside of that context, this is a fine card, especially for the Empathy-heavy Federation. (Of course, Non-Aligned Empaths make it possible for everyone to share in the love.) Personnel die all the time, but you can save at least one of them with this interrupt. Since Genetronic Replicator is vulnerable to Panel Overload, you can't count on that Event anymore. Don't get me wrong, it's still the superior card with its staying power and multiple coverage, but you could lose access to it at the worst time either through a magic bullet or having too many MEDICAL personnel targeted. You still have to get it into hand and have it at the right time, so it's not a huge effect, but simply a good, reasonable one. With Ovidian Cane, you can save 2 personnel from death at the same time, though I gather you need 2 Empathy personnel to do so. Too much effort to make this work, but it's there if you want it and really hate multiple killers. A good little defensive card at 3.5.

TOTAL: 10.8 (54%) Who's hurting now, eh?

#1847-Environmental Suit, Equipment, AGT
"Self-contained garment for protecting personnel in a hostile environment. A variable magnetic field can be activated in the boots when working in zero-gravity."
-You may discard this equipment to prevent a personnel present from being killed by a dilemma or a Tactic card (that personnel is stopped instead).

PICTURE: An unconvincing closet (is that dry-wall?) and a boring prop shot of the Environmental Suit. The composition tips toward the left side because of more dull elements. Couldn't this have been an action shot with someone WEARING the Suit? Could've been a nice opportunity for an Enterprise pic too. Ah well, a disappointing 1.4.

LORE: Checks out, not too babbly, but of course, as dry as any equipment card. A 3 for giving us straight facts with no mistakes.

TREK SENSE: What works is that a personnel wearing the Suit (there's only one) can survive damage from a Tactic card, since the casualties may well be due to a hull breach. Why someone would be wearing it in sickbay is anyone's guess though.  As for protection from dilemmas, well, that's a pretty big call. It might apply on a number of space dilemmas, but planet dilemmas are rarely about a hostile environment. Does the Suit really protect you from an Angry Mob or an Artillery Attack? Even in space, there's a big difference between an Astral Eddy and a Kelvan Show of Force. Even stranger is the fact the Suit is destroyed by the act. Gee, if an Environmental Suit is damaged beyond repair (discarded) if it's ever exposed to open space (or another environmental hazard), then what good is it? And why the discrepency between its effect on Hull Breach and on other dilemmas? Hull Breach is the only dilemma where the Suit isn't discarded. Seems like the Suit acts as armor for the usual dilemmas, saving a life, but making the Suit unuseable (and of course stopping the personnel). That's a fine way of thinking about it, but in fact, the Suit simply isn't used as it would be in Star Trek. It doesn't allow you to go on the hull for repairs, doesn't allow access to "poisoned" locations (that might have a personnel-draining dilemma played on them), or anything like that. Also strange is that an Away Team would beam down to a dangerous location with only one member being in a Suit. Too many problems to get more than a 1.6.

STOCKABILITY: An equipment card that discards to save a personnel from being killed by either a dilemma (any kind) or a Tactic (as a damage marker). Covering many different situations, it's readily useful. Hull Breach, if encountered, is entirely overcome by this card, saving two personnel and not discarding the equipment. There's nothing preventing you from carrying multiple Suits to save multiple personnel. Most dilemmas and tactics only kill one personnel, but you may face more than one each turn! Prepare to have all the saved personnel stopped however, which could impair your mission attempt or counter-attack in the same way a death could have. Still, saving personnel from death is a worthy function, and the discard isn't that different from the costs associated with Lt. Grant or Jem'Hadar Sacrifice, packaged as an often easy-to-report Equipment card. A 4.1.

TOTAL: 10.1 (50.5%) Maybe Garak can make me a better suit.

#1859-Espionage: Bajoran on Dominion, Event, AGT
"No strangers to oppression, many Bajoran fought the 2374 Dominion occupation from within. With Odo's help, Kira's small 'resistance cell' paved the way for the Dominion withdrawal."
-Plays on any Dominion mission (for free if you have Odo there).Your Bajoran personnel may now attempt this mission. Discard after mission completed.

PICTURE: Not Odo's first appearance on an Espionage card, he shares the screen with Kira this time, and part of their makeshift cell can be seen in the back (Odo's deputies). Looks fun and aptly covert. A 3.5.

LORE: Well told, truth be told, with some flair. Not sure why "resistance cell" had to be in quotation marks, but I suppose it divorces the meaning from the Resistance skill (i.e. the resistance against the Cardassian Occupation). Again, an above average 3.5.

TREK SENSE: And here I thought I was done with Espionage cards. Well, the same rather great problems hold steady, and the card starts at 2 and goes up or down based on any differences from the original card type. Those problems? Mainly, espionage doesn't equate with mission theft! Why would the Bajorans Invade Betazed under the Dominion's guise? A case of the title not matching the effect whatsoever. The little extra here is that the card plays for free where you have Odo, and that brings up the score a little. Odo, after all, is a changeling and privy to some Dominion information. He need only ask Weyoun point blank to get an answer! He's literally the man inside. Even with the game's definition of Espionage, Odo is more likely to participate in a Dominion mission than any other Bajoran. Good 'nuff. A 2.4.

STOCKABILITY: There are about a dozen Dominion missions the Bajorans can't attempt without an Espionage card, and since their own mission base isn't as big as, say, the Federation's, you could supplement your spaceline with them. Many of them have something to do with SECURITY and STRENGTH, which is something the Bajorans have no real trouble with, what with all the boosting they have access to. In addition, Odo's a good personnel (4 applicable versions) that allows you to play the Espionage for free, that's if you don't want to download it via Bajoran Resistance Cell (for card draws, no less!). BRC prevents nullification too. Now, mission theft is always risky because of Fair Play (though Betazed Invasion is worth enough to countermand Fair Play), so this would usually be used on your own seedlings. With the flexibility afforded by Bajoran Resistance Cell, it could be used in enough quantity to make your opponent initially believe you're playing Dominion, letting him waste his time getting White Deprivation out, for example. Mind games that only work if you haven't seeded BRC, so I probably wouldn't try it. Still, this second Espionage card does make BRC more interesting, and I do give it a 3.1.

TOTAL: 12.5 (62.5%) At least it's not another PADD or Treaty ;-).

#1871-Gideon Seyetik, Personnel, Federation, AGT
"Gifted terraformer who in 2370 planned to crown his career by reigniting the burned-out star Epsilon 119. Failure - and modesty - do not agree well with him."
-SCIENCE; Each time he helps solve a mission requiring SCIENCE, you may draw a card; Astrophysics, Physics x2; Staff icon
-INTEGRITY: 5, CUNNING: 8, STRENGTH: 4

PICTURE: A little better look at the patterns on his shirt than in the 2E version, but essentially the same. He's supremely confident, as he should be, and the sculpture in the background (no doubt one of his) works well with the terraforming theme, as does the card's overall geometry. Seyetik as Creator, and all that. More than competent at 3.7.

LORE: Just the facts in the first sentence, but the second has more flair, poking fun at the man's vanity. A well done 3.6.

TREK SENSE: Seyetik may be a self-proclaimed genius, but you can't dispute that he IS a genius. I don't think that's carried over all that well here. The standard skills are relevant to the reignition of Epsilon 119, with the necessary double-Physics, Astrophysics and Science, but his other terraforming marvels no doubt required Geology, and possibly other skills, perhaps Biology. His Cunning also rings false. A jackass, sure, but not stupid. Likewise, his Integrity is too low. Being a jerk tends to drive it down, but he did manage to make the ultimate sacrifice in the end so that his wife could be freed from a marriage that was killing her. Strength's ok, mitigating age with vitality. The Staff icon has basis in fact, which is ease working on a starship even if not a member of Starfleet. That leaves us with the special skill - finally something that hints at his genius. Every time he helps complete a Science mission, genial inspiration gets you another resource. Perhaps he makes an important discovery. Thematically, it's a creation on his part, even if the Science mission might have very little to do with terraforming. Not all that focused, but at least it tries. I'm afraid there are too many holes for more than a 2.3. Just too much was based on the 2E version.

STOCKABILITY: A good SCIENCE personnel, he's especially useful at space missions, with Astrophysics, and a double dose of Physics. The Feds can get all those skills elsewhere, of course, with Albert Einstein very similar but better, if you have a Holodeck, but he does get you a card draw each time he helps solve a SCIENCE mission. Nice little mechanic, even if all his skills don't figure on a lot of Alpha Quadrant missions (Physics is particularly absent from SCIENCE mssions there). Obviously, he'll solve Reignite Dead Star all by himself (for 35 points and a card draw), but otherwise, he won't be hugely useful (depending on dilemmas, of course). The universal, low-point Explore Interstellar Matter comes to mind as well. For extra tricks though, let's remember the backwards-compatible 2E version. Because his Astrometrics can be turned into either Astrophysics or Stellar Cartography, you can switch between the two as quickly as you switch between versions of the persona. The special skill is also different, with an actually more poweful deck manipulation mechanic. Leads me to suggest you might only use the 2E version and dump the other, but it depends what's important to you. Fact is, the Feds have one more SCIENCE mission that requires Stellar Cartography than those with Astrophysics, and he can get you more card draws, if at a price. Worth the -1 to CUNNING? Leaves the 1E version at an ok, but not great 3.3.

TOTAL: 12.9 (64.5%) Was I defending the character so much because I'm a little like him? Scary thought.

#1883-In For a Trim, Objective, AGT
-Seeds or plays on table. Barber Pole and Mot's Advice play for free. Once each turn, if you have Barber Pole in play, you may "take a little off the top": peek at the top X cards of opponent's draw deck, where X is the number of your non-[Borg] Barbering personnel in play. You may discard any events, incidents, or interrupts (except [Borg use only] and [Ref] cards), then replace the rest in any order.

PICTURE: Yes, that's Mot the Barber, but not played by the same actor featured on the personnel card. In fact, two people played Mot (three if you count Picard). I have no real preference, but I like this one's demeanor and costume. I also like that the Barber Pole can be seen in the background, and how ridiculous Geordi looks. I mean, a blind man checking himself out in the mirror. I don't even know what the VISOR is giving him when he does that. The whole thing is as silly as a barbering card should be. A fun 4.3.

LORE: N/A (score will be adjusted accordingly)

TREK SENSE: The main effect is totally conceptual, but there are some more sensical elements. The idea is that the card opens the barber shop for business (Barber Pole plays for free) and/or that your personnel are visiting that barber shop (Mot's Advice plays for free). Then we head into conceptual waters as the Barber Pole allows for a barbering job to be done on an opponent's deck. I like the idea of "taking a little off the top", of "trimming" the top of opponent's deck, removing some cards, and then deciding on the order of any remaining cards (a hair styling?). Its mechanics use Barbering cards as much as possible, with the number of cards being related to the number of Barbers in your shop, and the shop having to be open (as represented by Barber Pole). But it's all mechanics. Another good thing (pun not intended): The text reminds us that the Borg have no hair, so no valid Barbers. Of course, there's no real way cutting hair would actually affect your opponent's resources, but as far as conceptuals go, I think this one is a lot of fun. Reaches 2.8.

STOCKABILITY: The last Barbering card is a doozy... IF you're willing to suffer a lot of Barbers in your deck. Yes, there's only one, Mot (plus "select-a-skill" personnel like Lal), but Mot's Advice can create others. A slow-playing event usually, In for a Trim usefully allows you to play the event for free (in multiples in the same round if you want/can). Mot the Barber himself can be called upon at the very start of the game with Assign Mission Specialists, so you'd always have a shot at one card so long as Barber Pole was in play. Again, it conveniently plays for free, but you do need to draw it. Since they ARE free, multiples can't do much harm, and back-ups can protect your strategy from event nullification. Q's Tent is another possibility. To get more Barbering on a turn, you could use Vulcan Mindmeld and plenty of Vulcans, or perhaps trick your opponent into giving all your personnel the skill with Protection Racket. More extreme solutions using Persistence of Memory/Anti-Time Anomaly and tons of undead Mots are better left to stunt decks ;-). No matter how many Barbers you have in play, each turn you may look at that number of cards from the top of opponent's deck, discard all the big verb cards (all interrupts, events and incidents) save for the ones with the 2 mentioned icons, and replace the surviving cards in the order of your choosing (probably most useful last). You don't HAVE TO do this, but you really should. Every turn. Until your opponent is bald. Against the Borg, it's not as efficient, and it has no effect on Referee-icon cards for obvious reasons. Still, if you don't mind putting Barbering cards in your deck with the express purpose of dealing blow after blow to your opponent's deck (as well as get steady information on it), it's great. Card drawing/downloading mechanisms are recommended to alleviate the suffering from drawing all the Barbering cards. At the very least, Mot allows the Feds to do this to one card per turn. Can't believe I'm going high on a Barbering card, but a 4.1 here.

TOTAL: 14.93 (74.65%) A long time waiting, but can't argue with this haircut.

#1895-K'Temoc, Personnel, Klingon, AGT
"Captain of the sleeper ship IKC T'Ong, on a crucial mission ordered by the High Command in the late 23rd century. Awoke 75 years later in a much-changed galaxy."
-OFFICER, Astrophysics, Transporter Skill, Geology; SD Engage Cloak; Command icon
-INTEGRITY: 6, CUNNING: 7, STRENGTH: 8

PICTURE: Well, that's one ugly Klingon, and that's saying something! I dunno, that moustache belongs on my slumlord more than on a Klingon captain. I don't mind his two pals in the back, but he just looks like a ridiculous floating head at this angle. Not really Decipher's fault, but I'm starting to see why this guy has been a broken link since Q-Continuum. A 2.5.

LORE: Matching commander status is taken care of early, and when we get down to brass tacks, his story is well told. An above average 3.3.

TREK SENSE: Captain of the T'Ong, he's naturally an Officer with a Command icon. A CF icon would have been nice too, even if the T'Ong isn't considered a CF ship, because well, he's actually from that time and would have been able to staff those ships. The special download is particularly relevant when you think the T'Ong was cloaked for 75 years without being detected. Talk about coming out of nowhere! No doubt, Astrophysics was used to choose a place with low traffic and/or useful gravimetric properties. The rest can't really be proven using onscreen evidence. Transporter Skill might have been used to transport troops to Federation bases or ships in a surprise raid, that would make sense. Geology, I can't really find a reason for, though it's an apt partner for Astrophysics in Science personnel. Here, well, it's merely ok. I would much rather have seen something to do with cryogenics (perhaps Medical?). Integrity may be a bit high for a Klingon of his era, but I have nothing to impeach his character, so 6 is fine. Cunning, on the other hand, could have been lower by virtue of his knowing little about the era he's arrived in. He WAS fooled by Worf and K'Ehleyr, after all, and don't tell me this sleeper ship idea is a good one either. When you awoke, you wouldn't know the political situation and your ship would be 75 years out of date. The Strength works for me though. A number of grievances brings the score down to 2.3.

STOCKABILITY: Engage Cloak is a great card, so anyone who downloads it can be useful. Before K'Temoc, this was reserved for the Romulans, who have Keras and the backwards-compatible 2E Haakona. K'Temoc gives this ability to the Klingons, and needs no AU capability. Of course, you may still want to seed Engage Cloak, and I wouldn't blame you. What else has he got to offer then? Well, he's the matching commander of a little ship called the IKC T'Ong. Its attributes are pretty weak, but with Plaque and Log, he can bring things up to 7-9-9. Better, if still a little slow. The main draw of this ship is that it can report to the end of any spaceline with up to 3 personnel aboard. A quick reporting scheme if you have the personnel in hand. If K'Temoc is among them, fine, but you can also add to the crew once the ship is out with Ready Room Door. His skills, meanwhile, aren't really fit for any specific Alpha Quadrant missions. Colony Prep is another matter, however, when reporting to the Gamma Quadrant. He's more of a dilemma solver really, with uncommon and useful skills for that. All in all, not really a necessity, but with his uses. A 3.3.

TOTAL: 12.4 (62%) We probably shouldn't be surprised if he doesn't truly fit in.

#1907-Kobayashi Maru Scenario, Incident, AGT
-Seeds or plays on a mission; adds Computer Skill to mission requirements. At the start of each mission attempt here, one attempting personnel (random selection) is placed beneath this incident ("in play" for uniqueness only). When a player solves this mission, all of their compatible personnel beneath this incident join the solving crew or Away Team (any other personnel are discarded).

PICTURE: This was a simulation, so the screen shot is appropriate, and I appreciate that we can read a lot of stuff off of it even at this size. The Enterprise with various axes and the very small neutral zone area (never really understood the design there) are the only truly graphic elements, with the bottom part of the pic pretty much wasted space. Somewhat interesting, but not aesthetically. A 2.6.

LORE: N/A (score will be adjusted accordingly)

TREK SENSE: By adding Computer Skill to a mission, they're somewhat turning that mission into a simulation. After all, Kirk was only able to beat the Scenario thanks to that skill (the Scenario doesn't necessarily have a Computer Skill component though). One attempting personnel is put through the paces à la Saavik (you could also think of Wesley in "Coming of Age"), where everyone around her was "in on it", but unfortunately, it's a random choice. Should Picard still be passing these kinds of tests? Maybe it's something like in "Peak Performance", where senior officers are tested too? Well, that could work, except that the feeling I get from the rest of the card is that the personnel under the incident "graduate" or "fail" (discard) when the mission is finally solved. It's all a little absurd, and doesn't really run with the idea of a no-win scenario. Furthermore, removing the trainee from the Away Team/crew makes no sense whatsoever. A fun thematic card, but the details are all over the place. Manages a 1.7.

STOCKABILITY: A dilemma masquarading as an incident, Kobayashi Maru seeds or plays on your opponent's mission, adds a skill to its requirements (though a very common one), and then takes away a personnel from the attempting Away Team or crew à la Alien Abduction, i.e. until the mission is solved. This is the perfect mission to put a lot of walls at, since every new attempt takes away another personnel. If that personnel would have gotten past the wall, then it stops the personnel again, though it IS a random selection. The personnel under the incident are still in play and cannot be replaced by other copies, nor are they recoverable as if they were in the discard pile. Do you really abandon the mission with all those people trapped under KMS? You do have the option of sending those opposing personnel to the discard pile if that's what you like (to use Fire Sculptor on those cards, for example) by stopping the Away Team or crew with one last dilemma, then swooping in and solving it (this will not work if mission theft is not an option here, so choose well initially). Your lone personnel under KMS will be rescued, all of your opponent's personnel will be discarded. Nasty if convoluted: Destroy opponent's Treaty just as he's going to solve the mission - he won't get the personnel from one affiliation back. The one balancing factor here is that most players will only have access to a single copy of each card in All Good Things, so avoiding the mission shouldn't be too hard for your opponent. If you have Saavik though, you could suspend play to download the card just as it is being attempted. She has to be at the right place at the right time, but it's one way to do this. Again though, your opponent may just avoid Saavik's location, and maybe her downloading a Ref card is a more important ability. A lot of power in this card, but potentially risky to use. A 4.

TOTAL: 11.07 (55.33%) It's a no-win scenario, what did you expect?

#1919-Lokirrim Vessel, Ship, Non-Aligned, universal, Delta Quadrant, AGT
"The Lokirrim, at war with photonic insurgents, forbid the use of holograms in their space. Their ships can emit a disruption field that decompiles holographic matrices."
-Patrol Ship[1 Command, 1 Staff] Tractor Beam; All [holo] cards here are deactivated
-RANGE: 7, WEAPONS: 7, SHIELDS: 6

PICTURE: Large in the frame, graceful, unique design... it even has a color that meshes well with the NA template. Some of the details are in shadow, and the port wingtip looks truncated due to an optical illusion, but it's not a bad attempt at all. A 3.3.

LORE: The story is efficiently told, no problems here. I am wary of the chosen ship class however - Patrol Ships are a Cardassian card. They couldn't find anything else? A 3.

TREK SENSE: The Lokirrim Vessel was about the size of Voyager, but not really a match for it militarily, which is all borne out in the staffing and attributes. Don't really have anything to add to those aspects of the card. What really interests us here is the ship's special ability. Its disruption field should, by all accounts, destroy holograms, not simply deactivate them. It was thanks to Seven's intervention that the Doctor was only deactivated (in a sense anyway). We are to assume that a computer expert on any ship is able to save the program, or that a diplomat might pass the Lokirrim unmolested if only their holos were deactivated. Possible, but the right resources won't always be on hand. What if the crew is totally composed of holos? I'm not calling for the effect to be stronger, you understand, I already find it too harsh, but Trek Sense is unrelentless. Sinks to 2.9.

STOCKABILITY: Are holograms so powerful that we needed a magic bullet to put a stop to their photonic rampage? Well, they are a little less vulnerable than flesh and blood personnel, deactivating where others might be killed, and only rarely going to the discard pile. Some specific holos are excellent personnel you'd want out of the picture, like the various versions of the Doctor, Crell Moset, or all those NAs that have interesting special skills (must I mention Vic Fontaine?). Yes, there are cards that fight them, but you'd have to pollute your deck or dilemma stacks with them, only to find you didn't need them after all. At least the Lokirrim Vessel has other uses, specifically ferrying your personnel around to their missions, etc. It's not too good a ship for battling, so I won't mention that as a use. Still, you might very well get into sticky situations if you plan on floating around your opponent's ships to deactivate their holograms, unless removing the holos renders the ship unstaffed. Those low SHIELDS are definitely going to be a problem there. And though the Delta Quadrant has a good holographic pool, you'll have to somehow import the ship to the Alpha Quadrant if you want to stop the holos there (Spacedoor seems your best bet). And again, I ask, are holograms so prevalent and so powerful that you need to prepare for them this way? A bit over the top even against Vic, but 2.5 should do.

TOTAL: 11.7 (58.5%) And to think people wanted more 1E. ;-)

#1931-Lt. Palmer, Personnel, Federation, AU, OS, universal, AGT
"Representative of relief officers serving on Federation starships. Such officers routinely fill in for crewmembers on shore leave or restricted duty."
-ENGINEER, Anthropology, Computer Skill; Staff icon
-INTEGRITY: 7, CUNNING: 6, STRENGTH: 4

PICTURE: The telephone operator console looks huge and complicated (no button functions are identified), but that's not a flaw at all. I rather like all the colors and fluid motion this bright card provides. A shiny 3.4.

LORE: Very, very universal throughout, with nothing about Palmer specifically. In fact, it seems to espouse 2E design philosophy in that sense. (Note that there is another Lt. Palmer in Star Trek, a role played by astronaut Mae Jamison  in TNG's "Second Chances" - apparently no relation.) A very basic effort worth its 3.

TREK SENSE: There's a discrepency between Uhura and her relief pitcher Palmer in that they have different classifications. Red uniforms in TOS are for services, i.e. security and engineering, so why isn't Uhura an Engineer? Well, the distinction must be that Uhura is regular bridge crew (she has the Engineer too), while Palmer hasn't achieved that post yet. In any case, isn't the issue with Uhura and not Palmer? The skills are well chosen too (as is the support personnel designation and staffing icon), with Computer Skill being the usual stand-in for communications, and Anthropology no doubt useful for linguistics. Integrity is Federation-standard, Cunning stays low because of her low posting, and Strength that of a Starfleet "basically-untrained" female. No surprises, but no mistakes, and that's a 4.

STOCKABILITY: One of the more dubious "broken links" fixed by All Good Things, Lt. Palmer exists to give the Starship Constitution another universal OS personnel to download (the word "any" implies it). While absolutely nothing prevents the ship from downloading a Mirror universal, it was felt that an Alpha Quadrant native was still required. Well, OS or not, as a support personnel, she can be reported/downloaded to any ship in any quadrant. She thus joins an already large group of support personnel with Computer Skill. And though Anthropology is rarer, there really are no rare skills in the Federation. She's a good back-up for Homeward (all requirements), except that it's hardly worth any points. DQ decks might like her mix of ENGINEER and Computer Skill because of all the missions that require it there, but again, nothing rare about that. More skills CAN be piled on with OS Equipment, so she might be more at ease in OS decks, where she indeed CAN be downloaded by a ship, and mix well with a crew, and likely be the only universal source of both skills AND classification. In-theme, she's good. Otherwise, not so much. Enough for a general 3.3.

TOTAL: 13.7 (68.5%) All that for only a couple of episodes, including "The Way to Eden"!

#1943-Miral Paris, Personnel, Federation/Klingon, AU, AGT
"¼ Klingon, ¾ human daughter of B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris. Has her father's charm and her mother's temper. In a possible future, helped Janeway negotiate with Korath."
-OFFICER, Youth, Honor, Anthropology, ENGINEER; Diplomacy (x2 if Treaty: Federation/Klingon is in play); Staff icon
-INTEGRITY: 8, CUNNING: 7, STRENGTH: 7

PICTURE: We're not used to these amber tones, but they're not bad. Miral is very much awake, a wide-eyed explorer in the Star Trek mold. Don't really care for the background though: brown paper bag on the left, and a distracting Janeway on the right. Two borders available, the Klingon red meshing more smoothly with the pic's color palette. An ok 3.1.

LORE: Parentage has to be described in full (a Next Next Next Generation may well feature only characters who are mixes of 3 or more species at this rate), but that formality is well followed-up by telling us what she got from each parent personality-wise. Nothing about being a Klingon messiah, but that's not the story they're trying to tell here. The future stuff is fine, and places her in the AU context. Too bad you don't really get a clue as to who Korath is though. Good enough for a 3.4.

TREK SENSE: First things first - the dual affiliations. Sorry, I don't see it. She's a Starfleet officer (Fed), whose mother is liaison with the Klingon High Council (so an outsider, Fed). In no way can she really be regarded as a Klingon personnel, except by lineage. Her dealing with Klingons does show through with the Anthropology and Honor, two skills that are useful to a diplomatic attaché (also takes care of Officer and Diplomacy). She's still Young, that's a given, and since she was negotiating for technology for Janeway, she deserves Engineer. As for the doubling of Diplomacy if you have the right Treaty in play, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, she knows the Klingons so well, she knows how to deal with them better. On the other, when are you ever using Diplomacy on your own personnel? The Diplomacy x2 would be used against dilemmas, missions, even Q, but Klingons mixing with your Federation crew? Doesn't quite work. Attributes show very high Integrity (a mix of Honor and Youthful naiveté), good, but not over-the-top Cunning (a bright young officer chosen by an Admiral for a special task, but also manipulated by that Admiral), and Strength that figures in her Klingon genes and temper. A couple of major hiccups keep this one at 2.9.

STOCKABILITY: Miral Paris is a broken link because she is an alternate requirement of Establish Settlement. A fine little DQ mission that only really comes into its own if you're ready to discard DQ Klingons there. Now, Miral isn't a DQ Klingon, so you'll need to get her to the Delta Quadrant by some means to attempt the mission with her. Strangely, she has all the skills required of the mission, so the alternate requirement is redundant. They're not hard to come up with either, so just leave her in the Alpha Quadrant. There, she's a pretty good addition to Federation Klingon decks, by which I mean Fed decks that make use of Klingon-species personnel. Thanks to her Honor, she can make use of Klingon Honor cards as well as any Worf. Good attributes, the especially useful ENGINEER, and nothing useless except maybe Youth (which can be put to good use in a Federation deck). Diplomacy is pretty standard in either of her affiliations (really, there's nothing rare about any of her skills, though the Klingons might enjoy the ENGINEER), and doubling it would put her in the same league as Jean-Luc Picard, Ambassador Sarek or Ch'Pok. What's that good for? Well, it's an efficient means of disposing of Door-Net, Q-Net and a host of normal dilemmas that require that amount of the skill, and it's absolutely required of backwards-compatible 2E dilemmas like Inside Collaborators and Tense Negotiations. Only doubled while you have the Fed/Klingon Treaty in play, which isn't a bad one, but each affiliation has a handful of Diplomacy x2 personnel, making this a simple side-effect, not something to seek after. In a Treaty deck, at least Miral will work well, never going under house arrest when The Devil comes calling, and certainly not hampering the Klingons' ability to do battle, while still opening up Federation missions to them. Like many cards in All Good Things, fine, but far from game-breaking. A 3.2.

TOTAL: 12.6 (63%) Average is as average does.

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