To see the cards themselves, check out this Card list for the Deep Space 9 expansion set.

Terok Nor, Station, Cardassian, DS9
"Mining station built in Bajoran system. Operated by Cardassians using Bajorans in forced-labor conditions."
-Seeds at a Bajor Region location. If commandeered by any personnel who is Bajoran or Federation affiliation, flip card over. (Not duplicatable.)
-WEAPONS: 6, SHIELDS: 34

PICTURES: A great flip-card, I wasn't disappointed by the handling of this inanimate "main". The two stations are distinctive despite being the same old girl, with Terok Nor in orbit around Bajor (like in the good old days) and DS9 out by the Wormhole. Terok Nor is also more darkly lit than DS9 which has more running lights showing. The purplish metal of the station is even enhanced by both the Bajoran magenta and the Cardassian purple of the card graphics. Success! A 4.6.

LORES: Both are short little things, average like most facility lores. The fact that other affiliations are mentioned in both lores is a bit disturbing, to tell you the truth. Not going over 2.8. (And hey, as to the name Terok Nor, anyone ever notice how it sounds like Trek Noir, which is exactly the style of the show.)

TREK SENSE: Terok Nor is obviously Cardassian, while DS9 is owned by the Bajorans. Dual-affiliation on that side would probably have been more appropriate since it DOES have a Starfleet designation and is co-run by the Feds. The Weapons and Shields seem about right, with Weapons not too hot (no maneuverability) and Shields higher than those of most Outposts (she's big and tough). The seeding order makes sense for game play, with DS9 possibly seeding first (with the dilemmas) and holding a bold-faced Terok Nor in its lore, keeping a second copy (impossible, they're the same station) off the table when the facility phase comes. Note that the station always seeds at a Bajor Region location which makes sense, though perhaps Terok Nor should only start at Bajor itself (it's in the picture) which is a Cardassian mission anyway. But the Cardies might want to mine the moons or something. And then there's the commandeering thing: When Terok Nor is commandeered, it keeps the name Terok Nor. But if the Feds or Bajorans do, it becomes Deep Space 9 (Federation designation, and Bajorans would never go for keeping a Cardassian name). A lot of nice things makes this one a 4.2.

SEEDABILITY: While the universal Nor pretty much has everything your Cardassians require of a station, and Empok Nor is the most useful for the most affiliations, Deep Space 9/Terok Nor remains the über-Nor. It has more Sites available to it than any other, and is a great boon to the Bajorans especially. Yes, it's limited by which affiliations may use it and to the region it must be seeded in (not really a problem for the Bajorans already operating in that sector). That said, no other station can have Garak's Tailor Shop (for reporting Obsidian Order personnel, Cardassian equipment and personnel, and peeking at the top card of opponent's draw deck), or Quark's Bar, probably the most powerful site of all, a cornerstone of many Ferengi decks. Of course, all other advantages of using a Nor are there too: reporting of personnel, ships and equipment, ore processing (for Terok Nor only), cargo runs, filing mission reports, card draws and downloads at some sites, and good defenses. Support cards will enhance its attributes and make it move. It also shares the disadvantages of other Nors: Opponent may play sites on it as well, opponent's personnel may report to some of these sites and cause havoc, and the station may be commandeered. This unique Nor has problems of its own though, mainly for the Cardassian player. If the other player plays DS9 in the dilemma phase, the Cardie is screwed and, though he can still play his free sites on the Nor, he's not in control. Better have Guest Quarters, Cargo Bay or Garak's (to name only the best ones) to report your own personnel there before opponent does and commandeer the sucker. A great station, but probably will find the most use in Bajoran decks (their own Nor!) and those of Ferengi players (that Quark's is juicy). An easy 4.3.

TOTAL: 15.9 (79.5%) She's a beauty alright.

PICTURE: Badly framed, too far away, with a shadow crossing the camera's path, and no definition, this one's a bust. Imagine a cool Dedication Plaque on which you could read the motto. The motto of the Defiant, by the way, is "All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by. - John Masefield". How much better would THAT have been. As it is, a lame 1.3.

LORE: Same with the lore. While the inspiration idea is there, the quote itself would have been nice. And the title of the card really should have been just Dedication Plaque, since all Federation ships have them, and other cultures might have equivalents, so that the card could be general enough. Not as bas as the pic, but misses out too. A 2.3.

TREK SENSE: Plays on table, so I guess all Plaques are mounted on each ship at the same time. Uh-uh. Then, if a matching commander is aboard, someone who can harness the inspirational value of the plaque (I suppose, by using it in his or her pep talks), the ship flies faster. Extra-fast if it's a Defiant class, because the Defiant's plaque is in the picture. But it really should affect ONLY the Defiant this way, since other ships of the same class will have totally different plaques and mottos. That's even if you accept the idea that the Defiant should get an extra boost, or that a Plaque boosts Range at all. Of course, this card is just like Captain's Log in that it merely represents a matching commander's ability to know his or her ship so well that he or she knows all the tricks to make it faster and stronger. Captain's Log did this with some credibility (at least the word Captain was in the title), but Plaque comes a little short. Seen in that light, we suddenly understand why Plaque is a Captain's Order. It's Sulu's "Fly her apart then!" from Star Trek VI. The Plaque and its motto become the focus or symbol for the captain's orders. Why RANGE here and not other systems (other than the obvious: the others are taken care of by another card)? That's just game mechanics, and there is still no real reason why Defiants should be faster than the rest, especially with some dweeb like Admiral Ross at the wheel. As a focus for a matching commander's orders (which we must take for truth, especially with non-Federation ships), it goes up to a 2.9.

STOCKABILITY: Ready Room Door will download it, as it would a Captain's Log, and protect if need be. As long as you're playing with matching commanders, you might as well add that +2 to RANGE as well as those +3s to SHIELDS and WEAPONS. The two Defiant-class ships are even faster. Slow ships like the Danubes will get much better distance, while stronger ships will be in the 9 to 12 RANGE which could make them able to pass an extra mission location altogether on each run. Cargo runs get done faster, battles are evaded more easily, go back and forth from the Gamma quadrant, etc. And with Captain's Log also in play, even your scout ships will have the attributes of a 3 staffing icon warship. The Dominion has fewer matching commanders, but the other affiliations should get a boost out of this. And while Borg Cubes didn't stand to gain much for being Logged, Plaquing them will help their RANGE, though perhaps not so much as Astrogation drones. So, a card, perhaps not as necessary or powerful as Log, but not bad. A 3.7.

TOTAL: 10.2 (51%) One out of 5 dentists still doesn't use it (the Vorta hygenist actually).

PICTURE: It's my feeling the two moons are just the main planet, copied, shrunk and pasted, but that doesn't really affect the score (other than keeping it at average). Note that moons are often seen on rendezvous and trade missions, to somehow symbolize that meeting's many participants. An ok 3.3.

LORE: Real short, even for mission lore. Would adding "at this Bajoran colony" have taken too much effort? I don't think so. A 2.4.

TREK SENSE: Well, such a delivery requires a ship, but the mission is at a planet, so Decipher's made it a "dual-icon" mission, both space and planet. That's fine. The Ferengi are traders by... um... trade, and many Non-Aligneds fall into this line of work. The Bajorans fit here because it's THEIR colony. A span of 4 seems a bit far for the low-Ranged Bajorans, but it's not like the planet's in the Bajoran system. 40 points seems a bit heavy for a routine supply run. The requirements aren't even that tough. Let's look at these: Since Kasidy Yates made that run regularly, she works great here. She can replace the 2 Civilians usually required, but I wonder what they were for. I suppose merchants are often Civilians, but there's no reason Ferengi DaiMons or VIPs couldn't make the transaction. I'm not opposed too much, since the mission could be small potatoes to these other classifications (except it looks juicy at 40 points). And let's not forget the opposite is also true - some Civilians know NOTHING about trade, like Timicin or Ira Graves. Other than that, a correct supply ship is required, and that includes freighters and transports. Transporter Skill has to be aboard to transport the goods down to the planet, where your negociator probably is to receive payment. It's a good card, imaginative even, but there are a couple of rough spots that bring the score down to a 3.9.

SEEDABILITY: One of three dual-icon missions, this one's a boon to the Borg. They can play two objectives on this one (and the second can be scouted without any surprises) and it really helps against Balancing Act. It's not as affiliation-specific as the other two, especially with NA being among the possible attemptees, so it's not as good a choice for the Collective. The actual affiliations listed will also like this mission for its high-points-to-low-effort ratio. Kasidy Yates, both NA and Bajoran, is already a great personnel, so it requires no arm-twisting to use her. She can solve the mission alone on a freighter since she has Transporter Skill. Just send down any old Away Team to the planet while she takes care of the actual mission requirements. Even without her, there are a few CIVILIANs with Transporter Skill available, like Zayra, Lore, Nick Locarno and Thomas Paris. Those freighters and transports are mostly universals downloadable with Spacedoor or, with the D'Kora Transport, seeded at the Ferengi Trading Post. Even the Jovis isn't bad since it'll download one of the CIVILIANs, Kivas Fajo. A friendly warning though: this one'll attract space dilemmas for sure, due to the specific requirements for that ship in orbit and the habitual low attributes of those ship classes (though the Rigellian Freighter has great shields, and the Xeopolite isn't bad either). Cardassian and Dominion spies may even want to bring their own freighters (or military freighters) into the mix. A cool 3.9 here.

TOTAL: 13.5 (67.5%) A better than average card, certainly.

PICTURE: Strangely lighted, Derell is a little spooky for a medical (those Cardies, who can figure them out?), and since this was chosen from a crowd scene in "Emissary", it could have been anyone. Maybe they could have selected someone else? The yellows in the back don't quite go with the purple uniform, and those horizontal streaks to the left make for a strange effect. Can't give it more than a 2.2.

LORE: Universality is acknowledged ("representative") and the rest is invention. His place at Quark's (in the pic) gives him a little background, and they find a way to make him a medical. Not much flash here. A 3.

TREK SENSE: We'll have to go by the lore, because this background character never really did anything on the show. So he's a medical, and judging by his apparent youth, he's probably a medic, not a full doctor, so the Staff icon is appropriate. Exobiology is a skill that goes well with Medical, plus he probably had to treat Bajorans on Terok Nor, putting the "Exo" in Exobiology. Anthropology can be a medical skill too, since it can relate to psychology. And the way he's looking around on the pic, he looks like an "observer of people". Well done. The attributes are those of a universal personnel, though with high Cunning to go with his skills. The rest goes with his classification and affiliation. A competent 3.7.

STOCKABILITY: The Cardassians only have two MEDICAL-classification personnel, both universal (the four other MEDs are unique), so that counts for something. Derell has only two skills, but both are somewhat rare. There are plenty of Cardies with both skills, but Derell is your only universal source for these (unless you go outisde the pack to the NAs). Anthropology isn't too useful for the Cardassian Union - only one mission and a smattering of dilemmas. But Exobiology is on three missions and LOADS of dangerous dilemmas. A fair MEDICAL then, with superior CUNNING, worth at least 3.4. Superior to Ghoren, in my opinion.

TOTAL: 13.3 (66.5%) Not bad for a universal with a bad pic.

PICTURE: The ol' infirmiry screen saver! The odd angle doesn't help this blueish card any, and neither does the glare from overhead lights. The graphics are a little fuzzy too. I'm surprised this was the choice of picture when the DNA clues from "The Chase" (matching the mission Uncover DNA Clues) would have been more appropriate to the title. Of course, that couldn't have fit in an expansion called Deep Space 9, and isn't so close to the game text either. Oh well. A 2.8.

LORE: Fairly good lore that does its job of explaining the game text. I find no fault here and give this one a 4.

TREK SENSE: Well, when it is on a mission, the Clues are found. If you don't study them, you miss an important element and from there on, you'll need more Medical personnel to pass any medical dilemmas. If you do study them, requiring Exobiology and the rest of the turn, you'll need fewer Medical personnel. Simple enough. Of course, there's nothing here that would account for a Microvirus to be more powerful, or for an Archer to shoot straighter arrows, is there? In cases where the Medical dilemma has nothing to do with diseases of any kind, but with wounds, it makes no sense that this card would be effective. For that reason, I can only give this one a 3.6. Still good.

SEEDABILITY: A good card that can serve as a self-seed as well as a regular dilemma. If you use it for yourself, you can seed it at your own mission. Seeding it last, you can guarantee you won't need as much MEDICAL (or perhaps none at all) as long as you stop your Exobiology redshirt there (at a minumum). Of course, you have to guess at which missions will be hit with that type of dilemma, so it's risky. You can also use it to abort a mission attempt, but here - if you're doing this on purpose - I'd use Sarjenka, since it gets you points. Against your opponent, it could really make the MEDICAL-related dilemmas impressive by requiring 2 more MEDICAL to be added to each such dilemma. Yes, your opponent would have the choice of stopping to study the Clues (slows him down, still not bad), but only if Exobiology is present. Not the most common of skills. Or if you don't want to let your opponent get the choice at all, redshirt your own non-Exobiology at your opponent's mission and choose to continue (facing a wall next). The requirements are +2 MEDICAL for both players regardless of who encountered the dilemma. This is great for MEDICAL combos, where you can get rid of doctors along the way (like, with Tarellian Plague Ship), then hit the Away Team or crew with a nice wall or killer with a medical requirement. I believe that's 5 MEDICAL for REM Fatigue Hallucinations and from 3 upward from most others. Heck, even a usually lame Microvirus or Archer can pack a punch when DNA Clues is in the area. For the combo-builder in each of us: a 3.9.

TOTAL: 14.3 (71.5%) Should be nice when playing with smaller, incomplete collections.

PICTURE: While we do have pictures of the interior of the Docking Pad, this is a better choice, matching the other docking sites. The exterior shots are pretty bland, but this one has a classic composition and feel. A 3.1 for the good decision.

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

TREK SENSE: Obviously, docking sites allow ships to dock at, and undock from, a Nor. The Pads can only accomodate ships without staffing, which includes Runabouts and Shuttles, which we've seen do this. It also includes larger ships which couldn't possibly fit on the Pad, like some Scout vessels and Zibalian Transports. One nice feature is that ships actually "land" on the Pad and are taken aboard. Great for Trek Sense. That compatible ships can report there is okay - the Runabouts are stocked in those hangars. It also means that Non-Aligned vessels could report there, but that could be a resident's ship. Then again, it allows your opponent to report ships there, which is a bit much. Dock, sure. Report, not so sure. In any case, ships can dock/undock at any docking site if it has one of three things. 1) If it's compatible, of course. 2) If its crew has a VIP, since Nors are ports of call open to all, even enemies who wish to open negociations, which is a VIP's job. Or 3) a flunky with Computer Skill aboard the Nor (at the site) who can access the airlock and allow, perhaps treacherously, the ship to dock. That Computer expert can't be opposed of course. Allowing for the Computer personnel to jump the ship as it takes off makes it clear the last option is more for undocking than docking, and will work as well there. The Site allows for a download of Establish Landing Protocols, a related card that allows certain ships to land. You don't need it to land ships here, but if you're packing these kinds of ships, it goes to reason you'd be ready to park them elsewhere too. A Tractor Beam is included on every docking site to help guide a ship off the station... or keep it from leaving. The capacity of 6 ships sounds right, the way the Pads are spaced along the Habitat Ring. As for missing features, since the site includes a hangar area (unseen), it should probably allow for repairs like the Pylons. Errata claims this is at the Habitat Ring, not the Docking Ring as is stated on the card, and while that's fixed, the fact that there are actually multiple Pads represented by the same card causes a small problem. It's minor, but here it is: when walking from site to site, should all the Pads be so close together? They should probably be all spread out among the other Habitat Ring sites. So how do we evaluate this one? 3.6 is my score.

SEEDABILITY: Seeing as Nors can't be beamed to (or from), you'll need a minimum of one docking site just to free your personnel from it. But if you're concerned about economy (you only have those 6 free sites), which one would you pick? The Pads, while more discreet than other sites, have a lot going for it. Sure, you can only use small ships with no staffing requirements with it, but with an automatic download of Establish Landing Protocols, you make them landable on planets. Landed ships, you'll remember, cannot usually be attacked. So your ships may be small, but you have a way of making them invulnerable. And it's not just at a planet location, but when they're docked here as well. At this site, they actually land and are carried aboard the station. So instead of attacking a docked ship (with SHIELDS shared with the station), your opponent would have to attack the station itself (with its full SHIELDS) instead. Takes a greater armada, lets say. Like all docking sites, it gives your station a Tractor Beam which can be used in conjunction with Establish Tractor Lock. This last card somewhat makes up for the fact that most anyone can board your Nor, do its thing, and run away with very common skills. The position of the site may also give it an advantage. It docks your ships closer to the hub of activity (and reporting) which is the Promenade, also making SECURITY closer to oppose Computer Skill personnel ready to undock an enemy ship. Autonomous Security System will never make the Ore processing Unit cut you off from your docking site either (I say this for more distracted players, since there's no reason to cut yourself off this way if you play the OPC at the outermost position). No free plays for ships (except USS Danube), which isn't as good as the Ports for cargo runs, but not bad in a more defensive deck. A 3.8.

TOTAL: 14 (70%) Watch for the other docking sites coming next on DS9.

PICTURE: What an ugly piece of cardboard. Composition's shoddy, colors are lame, and the cold cyclopian eye in the middle is quite creepy. Docking sites should be inviting, but even the running lights here don't help. The least elegant of the docking sites at 2.1.

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

TREK SENSE: At the risk of repeating myself, docking sites allow ships to dock at, and undock from, a Nor. Ports allow all the smaller ships to dock (0-2 staffing icons), as anything bigger wouldn't really fit on the outer edges of the docking ring. We've seen ships like the Defiant, the K'Vort-class bird-of-prey and even staffless shuttles and transports dock here. That said, I'm still surprised an Excelsior or Galor will be able to dock here, it just seems like those ships usually use the Pylons. That compatible ships can report there is okay - there are often all manner of Bajoran transports ready to go in case of emergency. It also means that Non-Aligned vessels can report here, but that could be a resident's ship, or independent "airline". Then again, it allows your opponent to report ships there, which is a bit much. In any case, ships can dock/undock at any docking site if it has one of three things. 1) It's compatible. 2) Its crew has a VIP, because Nors are ports of call open to all, even enemies who wish to open negotiations, (a VIP's job). Or 3) a flunky with Computer Skill is aboard the Nor (at the site) who can access the airlock and allow, perhaps treacherously, the ship to dock. That Computer expert can't be opposed of course. Allowing for the Computer personnel to jump the ship as it takes off makes it clear the last option is more for undocking than docking, and will work as well there. If I mention transports, it's that freighters and transports report for free here. Good choice. Even the opening sequence of DS9 has these showing up (from the 4th season on). A Tractor Beam is included on every docking site to help guide a ship off the station... or keep it from leaving. The capacity of 9 ships sounds right, the way the Ports are spaced along the Docking Ring. The fact that there are actually multiple Ports represented by the same card causes a small problem. It's minor, but just like the Pads: when walking from site to site, should all the Ports be so close together? They should probably be all spread out among the other Docking Ring sites (not that there are many). 3.5 here.

SEEDABILITY: I'll ask again: Seeing as Nors can't be beamed to (or from), you'll need a minimum of one docking site just to free your personnel from it. But if you're concerned about economy (you only have those 6 free sites), which one would you pick? Well, Docking Ports is great for cargo runs. Not only is the Cargo Bay right next to it in the Docking Ring, the right ships can report here for free. And what are those ships exactly? There's the Bajoran Freighter, Groumall/Military Freighter, Rigelian Freighter, Xeopolite Freighter, D'Kora Transport and Zibalian Transport. Some of these aren't pushovers either. Nice free plays (some only for certain affiliations). And while stronger ships can't even dock/report here, so what? All your Klingon armada needs is easy-to-staff K'Vorts, right? The Bajorans and Cardassians (the main Nor users) are fine, since they have few or no ships with 3 staffing icons. 9 ships is a huge limit that you'll never hit in any case. As with other docking sites, the Tractor Beam can keep ships from flying away with Establish Tractor Lock, a way to compensate for making the station accessible to opposing personnel and ships. Not as defensive as the Pads, but has nice free plays... a 3.7.

TOTAL: 12.4 (62%) I can't respect a card with a bad pic.

PICTURE: The station looks much whiter than normal in this picture of the less-than-interesting docking ports. The image is most interesting, perhaps, for its transport shuttle. Yeah... real interesting. Color-wise, it's incredibly plain. I must admit I can NEVER remember the picture for this card. Never. A lame 2.1.

LORE: Pretty good, with some relationship to the game text. The title isn't too interesting, but otherwise, this is okay. A 3.

TREK SENSE: We've seen this done on Deep Space 9 numerous times - Sisko wants to stop a ship from leaving so he makes the entire effort highly bureaucratic. These "Procedures", when enforced, may stop a ship from docking (forcing it to go in circles over the airport, as it were) or undocking (being kept at customs). This is so simple an effect that it easily scores high on the Trek Sense meter. I must point out that playing it at your opponent's facility is really not something you should be able to do yourself, but like the lore says, these Procedures may be "crucial", especially in high traffic areas or when a plague is on the loose in the quadrant. Enemy ships undocking from your facility might be in a hurry and would normally evade whoever monitors the Procedures, so again, you might have a problem there. Doesn't cover every situation, but good enough for a 4.1.

SEEDABILITY: A nicely flexible card, this one can be put to good use in many deck configurations. First, it slows down the game for your opponent. The ship AND the crew are stopped, so they can't do much for that entire turn. Keeping them from undocking also keeps them in their place until that Borg Ship arrives, or that Supernova blows up the entire location at the start of your own turn. Intruders on your Nor might be kept from leaving while you get reinforcements, or be kept from becoming intruders while you report your SECURITY there. In armada decks, it sure is good to keep ships from docking, thereby making it impossible for the outpost to share its SHIELDS with them. A damaged ship that can't dock, can't get repaired and is much closer to destruction. Loss of life too, if the facility has no transporters and there's no other ship nearby. Anything that slows down your opponent is good, and this one's got a couple of other tricks. A 3.6.

TOTAL: 12.8 (64%) A pretty simple card.

PICTURE: The best looking docking site, without a doubt, there's a richness of detail and color here, and a simplicity of composition. Some odd shadows, but still the best of the three sites at 3.6.

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

TREK SENSE: I've done the other docking sites already, and this one's much the same, allowing ships to quite sensibly dock at, and undock from, your Nor. The larger ships usually dock here, for want of room at the other sites. "Fewer than five staffing icons" should take care of any ship, since only the most powerful vessels require 4 icons (outside of the Collective). It's kind of silly to imagine a shuttle at a Docking Pylon, but not impossible. This site avoids a lot of the problems associated with ship limits this way, and by not allowing reporting to occur here. This way, we don't have to worry about opposing ships somehow starting from here. Compatible vessels (like Non-Aligneds and same-affiliation opposing ships) may still dock here, as a Nor is meant to be a kind of "public nexus". In any case, ships can dock/undock at any docking site if it has one of three things. 1) Compatibility, 2) a crew with a VIP, because Nors are ports of call open to all, even enemies who wish to open negotiations, (a VIP's job), or 3) a flunky with Computer Skill aboard the Nor (at the site) who can access the airlock and allow, perhaps treacherously, the ship to dock. That Computer expert can't be opposed of course. Allowing for the Computer personnel to jump the ship as it takes off makes it clear the last option is more for undocking than docking, and will work as well there. A Tractor Beam is included on every docking site to help guide a ship off the station or keep it from leaving. The capacity of 6 ships is just right (6 pylons per station). And the fact that you can conduct repairs here, while perhaps lacking from Docking Ports (they did repair the Defiant from the Ports), isn't a problem here. Again, there's a Docking Ring problem with the fact that all 6 Pylons shoudn't be grouped together, allowing other Docking Ring sites to separate them. Less problems than the others due to a simpler design: a 3.8.

SEEDABILITY: Since you only get 6 free sites, and you need a docking site to get around the no-beaming nature of Nors, economy would suggest only using one docking site. Pylons don't allow for the usual direct reporting, but they do allow your bigger ships to dock. Not important for Bajorans who have minimal staffing on their ships, but the Cardassians have a the larger Keldons to think about. Other affiliations commandeering a Nor or working with a Treaty might also appreciate the ability to dock their larger ships. Have the Nor close to your HQ or outpost and send your personnel to the station as soon as possible, if you want. Not so close to your outpost, the Pylons make for a great secondary repair facility. And while you do conduct repairs, your personnel might not be as useless as they would be waiting around at an outpost. They can use some of the game text at various sites on the station. Allowing for your opponent to dock or undock under certain conditions is something shared with all docking sites, so not particularly relevant to seedability. The Tractor Beam can be used in conjunction with Establish Tractor Lock, but isn't that useful to begin with. Lastly, the smaller capacity makes no real difference, since big ships require more staffing anyway. I don't think you'll be docking more than 6 at a time. On the downside, no reporting, no free plays, no downloads. A competent 3.5.

TOTAL: 14.53 (72.67%) The elegance of the pic and design puts this one above the two others.

PICTURE: Who ever said the Kazon had the worst hairdos in the galaxy conveniently forgot about the T'Lani. Looking like some kind of elf, Nydom is a credit to his rocket-powered-hair people. Aside from the patently ridiculous figure in the foreground, the background is fairly interesting and colorful. The whole thing smells of a 3.2.

LORE: Haven't seen such average lore since the Premiere set. Species and gender, check. Universality acknowledged, check. Backstory, check. The bare minimum and not very interesting. 2.6 here.

TREK SENSE: Typicality may be indicated in the lore, but this guy seems less than universal somehow. Maybe it's because we've never seen his species outside that one episode, maybe because he seemed atypical of the rest of his people, maybe even because his attributes are on the high side for a universal. In any case, as a medical technician, he naturally gets MEDICAL and the related skill, Biology. Working on destroying the harvester virus requires that at the very least (more, but he couldn't do it alone). The Honor makes sense too, as he was working on destroying a weapon, and even got killed for his trouble. The Integrity is at a Medical high which is good, the Cunning is likewise high, and the Strength, well, maybe a little too high for a pipsqueak like him. The Staffing icon suits him, and I guess a people still on the brink of civil war haven't entered the Federation yet, so he IS Non-Aligned. Few problems... a 3.8.

STOCKABILITY: The Deep Space 9 expansion had a odd design strategy when it came to Non-Aligneds. Few of them have anything original to offer, and though they don't duplicate any previous personnel, it does seem like they were made to supplement DS9-only games. A MEDICAL like Nydom might be useful to the Bajorans and Cardassians who have very few MEDICAL-classification personnel. Unfortunately, he's merely average here, especially compared to the personnel who are MEDICAL in addition to their true classification. Biology is an okay skill, but Honor is not at a premium for the DS9 affiliations. (The Cardassians even have a "no Honor" mission!) One thing that's nice is the high attributes. On a universal, that means Lower Decks can make them a whopping 10-9-8. Not bad. But if this one's not binder fodder, he's at least, cannon fodder. A 2.3.

TOTAL: 11.9 (59.5%) What? He almost passed? That was close.

PICTURE: Interesting mostly because it shows a totally different transporter effect. Gaudy yes, like something out of Dr. Who, but kinda cool in its own way. Unfortunately, the composition's a mess. Whether its the rainbow glare, the temple portal, the Promenade balcony lights or the glitchy lines on the right-side frame, none of the lines go in any coherent direction. Add to that the fact that the Hunters in the pic are using invasive transporter technology, not exactly adhering to the game text... Keeps the score at 2.6.

LORE: Reeeeaaaaaal short. Too short. The general thought is there, but none of the specifics of the picture proper. Reads like the faulty Premiere lores. A 2.5.

TREK SENSE: Whether we're talking about the old standby, beaming people through shield cycles, or new, punch-through techniques, this card makes a lot of sense. Basically, you can use Transporter Skill to beam to an opposing ship or facility in one of two ways. One, by waiting for Shields to drop for some other transport to get your own personnel aboard. The other, to punch through weaker Shields (a weak version of Invasive Beam-In) is less proven, but not impossible. We've often seen people beam aboard opposing shuttles (with low Shields) as if they were nothing. That you need Transporter Skill makes sense even in the case of shields being dropped by opposing ships/facilities, since it assumes personnel aren't stupid. When an opposing ship is in their backyards, they will only beam personnel through micro-interruptions in their shields. This card actually helps the entire game's Trek Sense by mentioning that Shields do get dropped during transport. Before, there was no mention of this, or any way to take advantage of it. The second function doesn't work as well. It nullifies your Dead End. Let's see now... Well, Dead End is represented on the card as a forcefield. Maybe Dropping In allows you to beam through that wall? The problem is that it only nullifies the one *you* seeded. Why the distinction? In any case, Dead End isn't really a forcefield, it's a set of circumstances. It just doesn't work. It feels like just a tag-on use that didn't deserve its own card. A mistake that will reduce an otherwise excellent score to 3.8.

STOCKABILITY: Invasive Transporters for the rest of us, but are they as efficient? Not quite. You still need the Transporter Skill, but it's much harder to produce results. If you're going for beaming into ships with low SHIELDS (you don't actually expect to invade a facility with this option, do you?), you'll need to find ships with SHIELDS between 0 and 3. By my count, that only means Federation, Romulan and Yridian Shuttles, Romulan Scout Vessels and the Phoenix. A simple damage marker will drop a few other ships below that line, mostly shuttles, scout ships and freighters. You could use this card to send a raiding party over to a shuttle (perhaps one launched from an exploding ship) to play Captured, or just pick off survivors in personnel battle. The other way to work this is to shadow your opponent's personnel, and swoop in when they beam to or from a ship or facility. If you get a strong personnel aboard an opponent's Outpost, maybe even play an Airlock there, you can kill personnel as they are reported. Personnel seeking refuge on their ships when your personnel aim to attack them on a planet surface might find your Klingons quite willing to take the fight aboard their craft. There are all kinds of little tricks with this one - including turning the tables on Open Diplomatic Relations, perhaps by commandeering an opposing vessel while its crew is aboard your ship - but they often necessitate lots of planning or lucky happenstance. If your opponent is running a Nor-only strategy, there are many more ways of invading a facility (and not this one), so, you're on your own. And if you're just looking for battling, stranding personnel on planets with Mission Debriefing is much more effective. The secondary function will only nullify the Dead End YOU seeded, so you can use the dilemma to protect your mission from theft, then later swoop in an attempt it before you've reached 50 points. Or play to steal your opponent's mission. He sets off the Dead End, it gets played on planet, you swoop in once again. A card that can be used creatively, but far from being a staple. How 'bout a 3.5?

TOTAL: 12.4 (62%) That's pretty average, though it tries.

PICTURE: The slimiest villain in the Alpha quadrant has a nice and clear close-up going for him, and I especially like the pose (not easy to get a "pose" out of a headshot). Look at how his head and neck are placed; doesn't he look like a cobra about to strike? Really shows off the more reptilian qualities of the Cardassians. The pic is also appropriately taken from an important Dukat episode, "Indiscretions", in which he rescues, plans to kill, then has mercy on, Ziyal. Fair overall composition too. A 4.2.

LORE: Gul, Legate... are we gonna get some personae soon? In any case, this makes him reportable for free at the Cardassian HQ (extra points). In the category of extra points, the lore also makes him matching commander of the Prakesh, but that's a vice-versa thing, so not as good. Otherwise, it's all very telegraphic. I can't believe there was anything better than to call him a "liaison" between Cardassia and the Dominion. Ok, but just the facts. A 3.5.

TREK SENSE: The Gul version is of course Officer, though he almost falls in the VIP category some days. The double Leadership is certainly warranted since he practically led the entire Cardassian Union. Even when he didn't, he convinced BAJORANS to follow him. The man's charismatic alright. This also accounts for his Diplomacy (as well as his cutting a deal with the Dominion). Treachery's a given. Computer Skill and Navigation are old stand-bys, but not inappropriate for Dukat. The double Navigation may have something to do with commanding fleets of ships, or being able to even pilot Federation ships. I'm just a little disappointed that there are no special skills, downloads, etc. He's pretty baseline. The Integrity is good at 4 - treacherous, but capable of some compassion. Cunning and Strength are also appropriately high, though it seems Strength may be a bit much. He just seems more like a manipulator than a fighter, y'know? No problems, but nothing particularly original, at 3.9.

STOCKABILITY: As the main member of the Cardassian "mains", Dukat is of course useful on a number of levels. For one thing, Computer Skill and Navigation are always important. The double dose of Nav will especially help in the Badlands. Diplomacy also falls in the always useful category. Leadership is semi-redundant on an OFFICER (both enable attack initiation), but it's more dilemma-friendly than a single level of the skill. Treachery's good for Cardassian missions at least. The only qualm I have here is that these skills are all fairly common on Cardassian personnel. He's a good repository of all of 'em together, but certainly not the only source. The Integrity is at a dangerous 4, but the other attributes a good, even hot in the case of the STRENGTH. I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. He'll find a way of helping on most Cardassian missions, especially Search for Weapons (completes it alone), Verify Evidence (uses both double skills) and Search for Suvivors (which may hold his daughter who raises his stats). Dukat really shines when it comes to his interaction with other cards. First, he can report for free at Central Command, always a plus, especially with powerful personnel. Second, he's matching commander on 3 ships (3!): the Prakesh (for a 10-10-11 powerhouse), the Groumall (not your weak little Military Freighter since it downloads System 5 Disruptors) and the Naprem (which cloaks without the need for fussy Obsidian Order personnel and is MUCH more easily staffed). This gives you added flexibility in reporting Dukat (with Ready Room Door) and in using Captain's Log (choose a ship? jump from one to the other?). Damar reports directly to him, adding more scientific skills (and ENGINEER) to his party (and Damar can be persona switched for different skills still). Dukat's INTEGRITY is repaired if Tora Ziyal is present (no more Firestorm burns). The Cardassian/Dominion Treaty plays for free with him in play too. Dukat will be useful in a number of deck concepts, methinks, at least as mission/dilemma solver. A good 4.1.

TOTAL: 16.7 (83.5%) Currently the top score on Cardassia!

PICTURE: I wish I could get enthusiastic about a shot of something hidden in the dirt, but the pic's as grubby as that description makes it sound. While there might be excitement in the discovery itself, the composition's lukewarm, the colors all run together and the details of the machine fuzzy, at best. A 2.5.

LORE: A simple description followed by direct links to the two effects the dilemma has on a planet. Good work in the technobabble field. Here, a 3.5.

TREK SENSE: Mostly good. The dilemma is immediately placed on the planet since it affects the entire beaming site (where the mission takes place), and hey, it's buried under there! The effects go right along with the episode's events, though in limited fashion. Sure, no beaming and no ships taking off, but there should also be something about equipment not working here as well. Except maybe Ketracel-White, Latinum and Kukalaka which don't really need electricity. But the dampening field definitely affected tricorders and phasers! The Generator can be found and disabled by 3 Engineers (equivalent to O'Brien/Sisko) or a Miracle Worker (Scotty, cuz he's so good). It was indeed a miracle what O'Brien did in that episode, constructing a makeshift tricorder with "stone knives and bear skins". I always thought he should have the Miracle Worker skill myself. A good effort, though not as gutsy as it could have been at 4.3.

SEEDABILITY: This one's nasty! Once uncovered, any Away Teams present are trapped on the planet, as the mission continues. If you just want to slow down your opponent, leave it at that. But if you really want to cause damage, follow it up with a dilemma that has staying power. My personal favorite is Harvester Virus, which kills one personnel every turn (2 per full turn) and is very difficult to overcome. Coalescent Organism and Dal'Rok are okay killers too. Garak Has Some Issue will trap personnel with a homicidal killer. Generator practically insures there will be personnel for The Sheliak to destroy (unless a landed ship is here). Note that it also removes the OPTION of beaming out, so that Punishment Zone becomes an automatic kill. The requirements for nullifying it aren't too easy either - Miracle Worker is on exactly one personnel (though it may be chosen by or Therapied on others), and 3 ENGINEER is a lot. Still, ENGINEER being one of the most important classifications in the game, weeding out these guys before they hit the Duonetic Field makes sense. Make Us Go and No Loose Ends are your best bets. Easier for Feds to overcome (Scotty and the ENGINEER-based deck archetype), but still quite a piece of work. This link in the combo chain is worth its 4.4.

TOTAL: 14.7 (73.5%) A personal favorite.

PICTURE: Pretty straightforward as far as execution and composition go, but probably better than a close-up of the lamp without any context. Here, Kira's praying gives it one. Not a bad prop either, though the flame doesn't flicker much in freeze-frame. A decent, but dull 3.2.

LORE: A nice explanation and description of both the object and the custom, it's also careful not to offend by not placing the Prophets as gods themselves, but rather as spiritual guides. A good 3.5.

TREK SENSE: Though somewhat conceptual, how can any truly spiritual concept be handled any other way? Lighting the flame and praying over it (the act of playing this event), it guides your Bajoran soul to the afterlife where "it is with the Prophets". That afterlife is a physical space on the table, and acts as confirmation of a personnel's death. After all, normal death in the game means little if you can re-report that personnel later on. I call it "comic book death", where a character's not dead unless you've seen the body, and even then... If a personnel's soul (or pah or katra or whatever) is in the afterlife, then that personnel really IS dead (despite Picard's and B'Elanna's experiences which may or may not be true afterlives). And since the Prophets are a force for good (as opposed to the Pah-Wraiths who deal in evil), the more Integrity (good) you have, the more glorious your afterlife. Getting points equal to the personnel's Integrity represents the goal most Bajorans have set for themselves of walking the path the Prophets have laid out for them. Very, very nice, and I'm hard-pressed to find any fault with this card. An excellent 4.9.

STOCKABILITY: The trade-off you're expected to make here is agreeing not to Res-Q, Regenerate or re-report one of your personnel (plus a card play) in exchange for 3-9 bonus points. Is it really worth it? At least Particle Fountains are interrupts, right? And the personnel that are worth the most, such as Kai Opaka and Odo, aren't exactly the ones you want to send, like lambs, to the slaughter. The card is further handicapped by its only being useable on Bajorans, which leaves all but 3 affiliations out of the loop (unless you're targeting Tora Ziyal, or pulling off the affiliation switch with your NA Kasidy Yates). Of course, like Arbiter of Succession, you might want to use this as an end-of-game tactic. Simply have Opaka attack some Jem'Hadar, and it's instant death for her and instant 9 points for you. Your opponent will be kicking herself for giving you the points required to put you over the top. (Of course, you can also accomplish this by redshirting your personnel after they've outlived their specialized usefulness.) Event speed isn't anything to cheer at, but that's what we're stuck with. You can also mitigate damage by using this on universals, therefore allowing you to re-report the personnel. Prylar Mond is ideal for this with his 8 INTEGRITY and 3 STRENGTH. How about a 3.4?

TOTAL: 15 (75%) I like how, like the Klingons, the Bajorans have been given a culture as much in the cards as on the screen.

PICTURE: The T'Lani look like elves, and that just doesn't help any of them. Oh, the background is colorful enough, and somehow sylvan, but it's hard to take this personnel seriously with that hair and expression. And how 'bout that turtleneck? A competent but silly 3.1.

LORE: Yep, the information's all true. Hits the right notes, but there's nothing there to take it over the top. A simple 3.

TREK SENSE: Well, as an ambassador, she's certainly a VIP, and with the strings she must have had to pull, the Command icon makes sense too. Same with Leadership. Treachery is a given - she tried to kill Miles and Julian!!! And the Medical is there because of her association with the harvester virus. She must have known SOMEthing about the lethal pathogen. The Integrity is perhaps a little low, since destroying the harvesters was something she did for her people, not for herself, even if her measures were on the low end of the ethical yardstick. Cunning and Strength are about right. I'm disappointed there's no connection to No Loose Ends (since she appears on the card), or anything more original. It keeps this card at 2.8.

STOCKABILITY: DS9 NAs too often read like Premiere personnel with different skill packages. Seems to me that Decipher was trying to supplement the Cardassians and Bajorans in DS9-only tourneys/games. And sure, the extra MEDICAL isn't bad for the two affiliations who lack variety in that field. And both Leadership and Treachery are hallmarks of their missions. Even the VIP has a place in those decks. But in the larger game environment, this is just another NA. The MEDICAL is nice, don't get me wrong, but it, and the others, can be found elsewhere (and on better personnel). The Treachery might interest the Romulans. The Leadership can be used to attack. The VIP has some uses too. But those attributes are pretty lame if you're trying to go into battle, or even go after mission points. 2 INTEGRITY is no help at all and even a liability. 4 STRENGTH is simply weak, and E'Tyshra wouldn't last long Opening Diplomatic Relations with a Klingon cruiser. Still, a fair support personnel for the Bajorans and Cardies, but just fair since the MEDICAL/Treachery combo isn't in high demand. 2.9 here.

TOTAL: 11.8 (59%) The forgettable aliens from "Armageddon Game" really shouldn't have received any kind of priority.

PICTURE: The darker, more spy-related Garak is appropriately suspicious-looking. It's not very strong color-wise, but it is well-framed. That rather large dot in the window behind him is a rarely seen planet in a star field... or is it a glitch? A fair 3.5.

LORE: One of two baseline Garaks (the other is Plain, Simple Garak), his lore is as telegraphic as the next "main". This one highlights his Obsidian Order connections, including relationships forged by that facet of his life (with Dukat and Tain). A good selection of facts, getting him to a 3.4 here.

TREK SENSE: Garak is a multi-faceted individual. This particular facet of everyone's favorite Cardassian is more serious than the campier "tailor" version. No, this is the former Obsidian Order agent, the one that Bashir had to draw out of him. So the card is more serious. He's still a Civilian because he was drummed out of the service, you could say. No Security, but Obsidian Order does the trick. His Computer Skill is evident in his knowledge of passwords and Cardassian encryption measures. Treachery probably has to be on your resumé before the Order will hire you (plus, he betrayed the Order). Anthropology may come from his study of psychology, which certainly helps with interrogations, but it's also his learning about other species through their literature, for example, as he did through Bashir. Other skills he has exhibited can be found on other personae of Garak, so I won't give them away here. Each Garak (including the AU version) has a random selection-based special skill. While this is fun thematically, it should also work in Trek Sense. Here, I guess it does, up to a point. This is the Garak that's avoided death on Cardassia by arranging his exile on a Bajoran space station, that avoided mental torture on that station by using an endorphin-producing implant, that avoided assassination by blowing up his own shop! Now, that's slippery! Except those somehow sound like "opponent's choice" dilemmas, not random acts, and there's always a certain amount of luck available to someone before something bad happens. The attributes look okay, though Elim's 10 CUNNING might have been more appropriate here (see discussion on avoiding danger). The Integrity is just above Firestorm tolerance because, while he has Obsidian Order and Treachery, he's still "aligned" with the good guys - which brings up a point about his Cardassian affiliation... is he in exile or not??? - and I have nothing to say about the Strength, either good or bad. Seems fine. The Command icon is questionable since, again, he's in exile, but his knowledge of command codes certainly can (treacherously) befuddle other personnel into thinking he's in control. A very good effort, with some plot holes (especially the affiliation): a 3.9.

STOCKABILITY: The Garaks are wonderful mains, in part because each persona is different enough from the rest to warrant persona-switching (not always the case). This one has both Obsidian Order and Treachery, so not only can he report to Garak's Tailor Shop for free, but he can start peeking at your opponent's draw deck right away! Or start reporting other Cardassians there. His Computer Skill will also allow him to commandeer the station, and later to get at capture-related cards in the Holding Cell. Those skills, along with the rarer Anthropology, are great for solving Cardassian missions (and note the Anthro/CIVILIAN combo kills Primitive Culture if he's the lone Obsidian Order there). Add to that the ability to staff the Advanced Keldon, to work with Plans of the Obsidian Order, and Leadership granted by Defensive Measures, and it just gets better and better. Good attributes too. And hey, you can always persona-swicth for some Diplomacy, Acquisition, SECURITY, etc. And I didn't even get to the special skill yet! See, you can protect your investment (all those abilities) by avoiding any random selection. That includes most of the stronger (or requirement-less) dilemmas, end-of-battle selection for death, Tactic casualties, and some other cards like Captured, Tommygun, and Gaps. You can keep your Garak alive (and in the right spot) for the longest time with this ability. And if he's alone and facing random selection? He still avoids it (replace dilemma under mission). Some redshirting potential there, at least to find out what's coming. An excellent Cardassian at 4.4.

TOTAL: 15.2 (76%) How will he fare against his "twins"?

PICTURE: The best thing about this planet is that it's big. Otherwise, while it follows the trend of diseased planets with an eclipsed "blight" on their faces, it's pretty plain. A simple 2.5.

LORE: This differs somewhat from the actual mission seen in "Armageddon Game" in that the virus here is "re-released". Is this meant to be a follow-up to the mission from that episode? Was there an outbreak we don't know about? I consider this an error, or at least, an imprecision. Otherwise quite complete: a 2.9.

TREK SENSE: Obviously a Medical mission, it also requires Exobiology because the virus is so exotic (plus, it affects an alien race). The Computer Skill is nicely placed, as it serves the function of erasing all evidence of the virus from any files. That's what O'Brien was doing there in the episode while Bashir did the usual stuff. If Havester Virus is in play, the mission points don't count. Why? Well, did you or did you not erase all trace of this virus? Brilliant move on the designers' part. The points themselves are fine (big undertaking but minor episode). The span must mean the location was close enough to DS9 for it to be natural for Bashir and O'Brien to help, but since we never saw the T'Lani again, I wonder if they're that close to the main spacelanes. The last point of note is the affiliations that can solve this mission. Anyone else think it doesn't read like a Cardassian mission? They're not the best doctors in the galaxy, and probably wouldn't work to destroy biowarfare technology. Aside from that sore point, a very good effort at 4.1.

SEEDABILITY: MEDICAL/Exobiology is a common combo, and each concerned affiliation has a MEDICAL/Computer Skill as well, so solving this mission won't be too difficult. It fits easily in a deck. Risky in that the points might not count if a Harvester Virus is in play. It can be cured with the same Away Team and an extra MEDICAL (often found on that Exobiology combo), but you still have to move around to the right location. Nothing much here. The Cardassian might enjoy having another mission, but it's not "right up their alley" like it is the Feds'. 30 points is regardless covered by Fair Play and immune to assimilation. Short span means faster ships... Not much at an even 3.

TOTAL: 12.5 (62.5%) Average, just average, despite good Trek Sense.

PICTURE: Wide turtleneck not whitstanding, Tain's a cool and dangerous character. You can tell just with the eyes. The extreme close-up makes him all the more imposing where you'd expect the shot to be too intimate. I also like the vertical stripes of light behind him that go with the curve of his shoulder. A very good image at 4.4.

LORE: Okay, but not very impressive. The usual information tending to family, organization membership and a little backstory, but little else. I like the word "estranged" here. A 3.1.

TREK SENSE: Well, if a personnel ever deserved either a Cardassian/Romulan dual-affiliation OR that specific Treaty download, it would be Tain. That this isn't the case isn't the end of the world, but it would at least have been fitting. Persona, anyone? What we do have is to the point. As head of the Obsidian Order, the skill should be doubled, and is. Treachery, VIP, Leadership and Security are all excellent accompanying skills, and so is Computer Skill for that matter (computer codes, encryption, data manipulation, etc.). So from that one little bit of information (oganizational membership), we get his entire list of skills (plus the icon). Attributes are okay for the most part, with appropriately low Integrity (he's eeeeevil) and high Cunning (lots of balls in the air). The Strength is a bit high for an older, portly man, but he's difficult to kill, so he might have a few tricks up his sleeve. Without anything special, hits a comfortable 4.

STOCKABILITY: A big Obsidian Order personnel, he can complete Espionage Mission (Earth) and/or pass Primitive Culture by himself , all the while making use of Advanced (cloakable) Keldons, Plans of the O.O., Brig downloads, Garak's Tailor Shop (and that Computer Skill can commandeer the Nor), and Defensive Measures. His skill list can be inserted easily enough into your mission solving strategy, featuring the redundant Treachery, Computer Skill, Leadership (also allowing him to initiate battle) and SECURITY. Alter Records is a joke with him around, for example, and he'll help greatly on your own homeworld with HQ: Secure Homeworld's requirements. In fact, he can lend at least one skill to most Cardassian missions (plus the odd dilemma). Never a waste, Tain also has great CUNNING, which, in Treachery/Computer Skill combo, means a lot of personnel can be thrown out the Airlock (maybe the one on your opponent's Nor, the one you just reported to). Low INTEGRITY and lukewarm STRENGTH are his weaknesses, but they aren't so large compared to what he can bring you. 4.3 here.

TOTAL: 15.8 (79%) Just shy of 80%.

PICTURE: While the picture is more crisp 'n' clear than any tricorders shown to date, and the angle goes with that of the "viewscreen", I'm not sure how this "engineering" tricorder is in any way different from a regular one. Here's hoping it's being held by an actual engineer. A nice pic (especially for an equipment card), but nothing great. A 3.1.

LORE: "... developed by many races, bla bla bla..." These are all the same. Well said, but dreadfully boring. A 2.3 from me.

TREK SENSE: Well, it's like I was saying for Engineering PADD - while I don't dispute the fact that an Engineering device should give you Engineering skill, I'm amazed it isn't used (or useable) by Engineers! With the PADD, it wasn't that terrible as there is a lot of crossover between the Science and Engineering fields, so that Scientists could use the PADD and their knowledge to act as Engineers. But Medicals? They are very far from Engineering. Probably couldn't be any farther. A simple Tricorder and they can repair warp engines? I don't think so! I don't even have to get into the matter of just how many Tricorders exist to one card to give it a 0.6.

STOCKABILITY: Who wouldn't want a card that makes all your MEDICALs dual-classification? And that gives them the equally important skill ENGINEER to boot? Those are the two best classifications. So it's useful for sure, reducing necessary Away Team sizes, et al. The Bajorans have few of each so they might be inclined to use it (it did come from the DS9 expansion). The Cardassian, Romulans and Dominion don't really have enough MEDICALs for it to be worthwhile though. The Ferengi have NONE (except a Non-Aligned if you will). Inversely, the Federation has a lot of both, so again, not that worthwhile. The Klingons are more balanced. Creates a good skill combo, but unequaly useful depending on the rarity of the MEDICAL classification, which is rarer than ENGINEER. As a Tricorder, it'll also work with Borg Neuroprocessor, Quest for the Sword, Verify Evidence, Ferengi Bug and the like. Unfortunately, no mission on that list also requires ENGINEER or MEDICAL. 3.4 here.

TOTAL: 9.4 (47%) Ah, equipment... why bother? ;-)

PICTURE: A smarmy Cardassian always has the kind of expression that makes you want to hate him, and Entek has that look down cold. Cold, detached and cruel, that is! Good lighting and coloring too. Only glitch I see is that purple patch behind him which gives him a kind of hump, but it just makes him a little more imposing. A cool 3.7.

LORE: A good one by virtue of its last line which seems to be in contradiction with the rest. He sounds like an awful person, then the "classic switch" hits, and Garak "rather likes" him. Hehehe. By the time we read this, we can forgive the early telegraphic style. A 3.9, easy.

TREK SENSE: An Obsidian Order operative (so O.O., Security and Treachery are pretty easy to justify) who seems to excel at transforming other operatives so they can go under deep cover. Biology and Exobiology are finely suited to this, making him cognizant of what it takes to transform one of his people (Biology) into someone from another species (Exo). Since there's no evidence he actually made the changes himself, I don't see him as a Medical. The Command icon is required of a high-up member of the Order (a trainer). More a behind the scenes operative, his high Strength may be pushing it, but there's no hard evidence that he would be a weakling, except maybe his death at the hands of a "simple taylor". Hm. Cunning certainly seems appropriate and so does Integrity. Pretty straightford - a 3.7.

STOCKABILITY: A good Cardassian SECURITY personnel, with the important Obsidian Order skill (which staffs ships, makes Espionage more practical, etc.) and a couple of rarer scientific/medical skills which can't be weeded out by SCIENCE/MEDICAL filters. Treachery's a good skill for Cardassian missions as well. Good STRENGTH and CUNNING, though terrible INTEGRITY (there's always In the Pale Moonlight I suppose). Entek's secret ability is that he prevent E-Band Emissions from being nullified, which isn't that great an ability, but given his generally useful skill list, it'll be a bonus when you do use capture/infiltration strategies. And his Obsidian Order skill allows him to download those necessary Brainwashes for use with E-Bands. Not bad at 3.8.

TOTAL: 15.1 (75.5%) One of those irrefutably well-designed cards.

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