DECIPHER.com > Star Trek > Expansions > Fractured Time

The Traveler, Transcendent Explorer

by Justin Beal

Every card is balanced. Every card has a cost-to-skill ratio, which must be maintained. If you have spoken with any of the Decipher Star Trek CCG designers they will talk about how every card fits within a formula to maintain balance among personnel. Well, I am trying to find how this personnel fits in that system. First he has 7 skills. Well, others have that many. He has total attributes of 17 (6-8-3). Again, not unheard of, but not common either. But all this for a cost of 2??!? That is amazing! The Traveler has solid skills for the Federation cunning deck (Astrometrics, Engineer, 2 Physics, Science), but to help overcome some dilemmas an added dose of Anthropology and Honor just makes this card even better.

Well, with all these bonuses there has to be a drawback, right? Well, unfortunately there is... "When this personnel is stopped by a dilemma, place him on the bottom of your deck." Every time you hit a dilemma wall, this personnel goes away. And you'd better believe that your opponent will take every opportunity to remove this personnel from the attempt.

So how can you protect your Traveler from being bounced? My best suggestion is to play him later in the game, after you have overcome dilemmas. This way he shouldn't get stopped, or at least the risk is minimized.

So what other cards will work well with The Traveler? Serova will boost his cunning to 9 so that Chula: Echoes is not a problem. His skill selection would go great in a Cardassian Comfort Women deck. Leave him on the ship and you can access his skills as you need them, and Cardassians are generally low on those skills. If you attempt with him early, you can use Sarina Douglas to put him back on top of your draw deck so you can draw him again and play him again the next turn. So I guess this card is balanced after all, but he is definitely going to see play with his insane skills and attributes.

September 8, 2004