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Tenth Anniversary Collection:
Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise-D

by Darren Lacoste

Ever since a few Jean-Luc Picard, Starship Captain promotional cards slipped through the proverbial cracks and ended up in players hands via Energize booster packs, the Star Trek CCG Second Edition community has been all a-buzz. "When will this fantastic personnel card, and the ship he commands, make their official appearance?" Well, recent Territorial Open Championships granted us the alternate image of the famed Starship Captain, but it will be the Tenth Anniversary Collection that delivers a foiled version along with his ship.

And what a ship it is! Behold, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, Explorer! Every bit the Galaxy-class ship you would expect it to be, it has the critical Range of 8, as well as Weapons and Shields of 8 and 9 respectively. Where it truly shines, however, is in its fantastic game text: "When you complete a space mission requiring Diplomacy, if this ship is at that mission, score 10 points." While several missions meet these criteria, you may find yourself drawn to Amnesty Talks and Host Metaphasic Shielding Test. Round it out with a planet mission such as Investigate Maquis Activity, and you've got a strong Integrity deck which can frequently "Lose 5 points to..." create some delightfully-Necessary Evil.

"What are the best cards to do that?" you ask. Well, since you're already attempting space missions with the "-D," why not perform some Field Studies? At its worst, you'll find that your opponent has two planet-only dilemmas on top of his dilemma pile, which is great given where your ship is. At its best, you'll add two overcome dilemmas to the space mission, possibly enabling you to solve it facing no further resistance at all. I'd say that's worth 5 points. Then, there are the new standards, Endangered and At What Cost? The former is a "Complications" that costs 5 points, not 5 counters, while the latter will net you 14 counters to spend in one of your Play and Draw Cards segments. Even a Ferengi would agree that's quite a bargain!

Speaking of bargains, take a look at the aforementioned Jean-Luc Picard, Starship Captain. This version only costs 3, and still grants the renowned 8 Integrity. Plus, you'll find his Diplomacy, Law, Leadership, and Navigation particularly helpful in solving the missions listed above. If instead you chose some of the many other missions available in Second Edition, or perhaps were considering dilemmas you might face, you'll appreciate the Captain's "Order" as well. At the cost of putting aside his Diplomacy, Law and Navigation, this something-of-a-Renaissance man can pick up Anthropology, Archaeology, and Science – perfect for taking a Captain's Holiday to do some Excavation with Vash.

"But that's only 3 of those 14 counters. What can I do with the rest?" Well, since you've got the good Captain and his ship, why not play the cost-1 Inspiring Leader? Its +2 bonus will give the Enterprise-D a Range of 10, perfect for flying back and forth between the span-2 Earth, Cradle of the Federation and those span-3 space missions. If you've completed Amnesty Talks, its Anthropology will authorize you to play an Artifact such as (appropriately) Ressikan Flute or (ironically) Thought Maker. (The Flute would be especially helpful, since you've likely got an Integrity deck using events.) Of course, there's always Running a Tight Ship, and VIP Welcome, and – well, let's just say that there are a whole host of great cards to consider. This is a universe with endless possibilities after all. But regardless of how you decide to "see what's out there," rest assured the Trek CCG world just got "much more interesting."

March 26, 2004