To see the cards themselves, check out this Card list for the Q-Continuum expansion set.

PICTURE: This is pretty average. That is, I have trouble finding any real faults with it (her expression is kinda weird) or any real qualities (the colors are fairly shiny). Average, but I can't bring myself to like it much. At least she's at the Café des Artistes where Picard will always remember her. A good locale ups the card to 3.1.

LORE: Eeech. Did they write this one up during Premiere and only use it, without revision, in Q-Continuum? There's the usual stuff about romantic liaisons, and then it just stops. Plenty of room for the Café, or her adventure on the Enterprise. Anything! But no, a terrible 1.5.

TREK SENSE: Is Manheim renegade enough to not be Federation? It's always odd when a human isn't Fed, especially one from Earth. She's a Civilian, that much is sure. The bonuses to one male present is standard for characters who are largely love interests snd not much more. This little two-timer would give +4 to her husband (to which she is dedicated), but she might (to use a translated French-Canadian expression) put the lead in someone else's pencil. Did she leave a lot of broken hearts like Picard's around the galaxy? As a Non-Aligned, there's no limit to the species she can have had as a lover. I have my reservations, and this is the ability that makes sense. The other one, the anti-Ressikan deck one, is Easter Eggish. The 4 Music personnel is a reference to the actress's membership in the 1960s musical group, The Mamas and the Papas. There were, you guessed it, four of them (two Mamas, two Papas). This has NOTHING to do with Jenice herself (gee, they might've done something with the extra lore space). An even better Easter Egg would have been to allow only parents (personnel with children in their lore) to use the Flute. The Staff icon is present because she did assist her husband in his time experiments. How about giving her a little SCIENCE or Physics skill? Or Computer Skill? Or she just giving him a massage as he slaves away? The attributes are fine however, with some pretty average human Integrity (won't leave her husband, but might have thought about it), high Cunning (has to follow Manheim's experiments) and low Strength (basically a damsel in distress). I appreciate the joke, but not the best of matches to the TV character. A 2.6.

STOCKABILITY: Are you afraid of Ressikan decks (those that acquire a Ressikan Flute, then proceed to only report Music personnel to score all remaining points)? You can use Jenice as a walking, talking Event to help curb any abuses. No more than 20 points from a Flute is a good effect if you expect musical cheese. Fringe benefits: she's a Civilian for use with your own cheezy colony strategy and she'll boost one of your males. +2 everywhere to your Picard (or whoever), or +4 with your Manheim. Her stats are nothing to write home about, and no skills to help pass any dilemmas. She's a requirement to pass Security Precautions, but that dilemmas has been totally supplanted by Berzerk Changeling and in any case, you're not carrying hand weapons? Considering there are other ways to deal with a Ressikan Flute deck (like killing off the wimpy musicians during their concert), I'd have to say Jenice qualifies for the big Binder in the sky. Barely a 2.

TOTAL: 9.2 (46%) She wasn't too hot in the episode either...

PICTURE: Ahhh, the joys of future fashions... I really dislike beige cards. The cream shirt and face in shadow really doesn't help. Bleh. A 2.

LORE: His abilities are mentioned, as are his species and sex. The usual romantic involvement is also revealed. (Parentheses: I think Beverly just has the worst taste in men. Between John Doe and Odan, it seems she always goes for sappy pacifists who are due for a sudden - and extreme - change. Close parentheses.) His transfiguration is also mentioned. Slightly odd given that such changes (like death) aren't usually reported so that the character as it's portrayed on the card isn't invalidated. A slight point loss there, but not much: 2.9.

TREK SENSE: He's a bad dresser, so he's automatically a Civilian ;-). Seriously though, I don't see what else he could be. The fact that he has no standard skills is probably due to the fact that he has complete amnesia. The one special skill attempts to explain his healing powers. Let's see how it does, shall we? Basically, he prevents one personnel from dying. That's pretty much true. He can even bring someone back to life. Now, are the limitations okay? Once per turn is a good limit, as he has a finite amount of power. It drains him (or brings him closer to Transfiguration) to use it too much. It only works on a ship? Now, I understand the episode was a ship-only "bottle show", but there's no real reason why John Doe would be limited this way (except play balance, but I'm blind to that in this category). The attributes are okay, with John showing Integrity and Cunning that could even be higher, and nothing too hot as far as Strength goes. Some good overall work, with few flaws. A 4.2.

STOCKABILITY: Non-Aligned CIVILIANs are a dime a dozen, and this one has no skills to help meet any kind of requirements, but he does have that Genetronic Replicator ability. With both that Event and John, you could be avoiding a great number of casualties both on the ground and in space. As long as he's not targetted for death himself, of course. He's actually pretty good at protecting your personnel from Tactic-induced casualties. Without any skills, he'll be taken out of a number of random selections and will be able to heal your poor personnel. He's also the only one you can play Transfiguration on. With that event, you can pretty much counter pollution decks by eliminating any event in your way such as Tetryon Fields, Gaps in Normal Space, Subspace Warp Rifts, even Baryon Buildups. Watch out for the fast Zalkonian Vessel that acts as a one-way nemesis to you untransfigured John Doe. Since it's a very useable ship, you always run the risk of meeting it when playing with John. Your deck can do without him, but if you fear being run over by your opponent's strategies (whether battle, dilemma combos or pollution), or want to protect yourself from your own (Tactics have made initiating battle riskier), you'll find him very useful. A 3.9.

TOTAL: 13 (65%) Another average score (that's why it's the average).

PICTURE: One of the great close-ups in the collection. Juliana's expression of shock goes with her finding out she's nothing more than a robot (in the game, she might), or at least finding her "son". Great mood lighting as well, and she's got great skin for a woman her age. A proficient 4.

LORE: Good thing they didn't try to fit her entire legal name in the title bar, eh? Her story gets told, plus all the odd family allegiances. This one gets a better than average 3.3.

TREK SENSE: Obviously a scientist, she has skills that go with her line of work (or lines, really). The Geology comes from the episode's mission itself (corresponding to Avert Disaster) in which she and the crew try to rekindle the heat of a planet's core. The Cybernetics comes from her having helped build Data and Lore. Computer Skill is an old science/engineer stand-by (and also allows her to staff a vessel), and her Musical instrument of choice is the viola. Normally, her stats are a little lackluster. Integrity only a 6? I guess she did abandon her family as it were. Cunning as low as 7? She's supposed to be a brilliant scientist, no? (I'll come back to this in a moment.) The Strength looks fair, I guess. If her body is robotic, even if she doesn't allow herself to do anything amazing, it still must have a mimimum strength. Now, when she realizes she's an android, she is first stopped. Just like in the show, she's programmed to shut down so as to never know what she really is. Then the card deviates from the show by not giving you the option of keeping her as she is. Once she is a declared android, her Cunning goes up to 11 (not as smart as Data, eh?) and her Strength to 8. I can believe her maximum Strength wasn't designed to be any higher, but let's talk about the Cunning. Okay, she now lets herself compute far more rapidly, but still. I thought her mind was transferred into the android body. As far as information, memory, personality and intelligence go, she should be basically the same. That's why I think her starting Cunning is too low. Easier to only have an X variable, but it really hurts the card. And why no doubling of the Computer Skill? Come on. We should also look at what makes Juliana turn android. According to the rules, it's anything that uses or affects an android. Some of these, I'm fine with: Android Nightmares in an internal problem; if she gets Shot in the Back or Off Switched, she'll know; etc. But what about a Chinese Finger Puzzle? She won't be mystified by it. Or Malfunctioning Door? She's not even going to try to open that. So it doesn't always work. The other minor thing is that, unlike other personnel, she's got fewer skill dots than skills. That's a little odd, and while it doesn't impact too much on Trek Sense, it makes it immune to certain cards and thus to THEIR Trek Sense. I admit, it's a very cool idea, so a 3.7.

STOCKABILITY: Androids are always useful (in demand on dilemmas, much tougher to kill, etc), and Juliana's no different. Sure, her attributes are a little low, but they can be brought up easily enough. Don't want to wait for an opportunity and have her be stopped at the importunate of times? Simply report her through a Cyberneticist and blamo. She's not ready to leave just then, but at least, it won't happen later. She can then help report more androids since she's one too. Her potpourri of skills is pretty useful. A good SCIENCE personnel can be in demand, and Geology is found on a number of Federation missions (she can solve the universal Geological Survey all by herself, and Mineral Survey with only a little help). Computer Skill is good for a great number of things, and Music is there in case you want to go the Ressikan way. What about that 4 skills/2 skill dots thing? Is there an advantage there? She's immune to Fightin' Words and Flaxian Assassin and probably unafraid of Mandarin Bailiff. Overall, I'd say you should use Data where you can, but she's a good one too, especially if you take advantage of the universal missions. Worth a 4.1.

TOTAL: 15.1 (75.5%) She's the mom of two of the strongest personnel in the game. What did you expect?

PICTURE: This fair shot of the old Klingon woman shows off her wiliness if nothing else. Pretty plain other than that, though the fashions are of interest and there's a nice unity of color thanks to that pink lighting. A 3.3.

LORE: The nice thing here, of course, is that she found K'mpec "too fat". Love it. The rest tells her early history, but neglects the more recent events (the ones we saw onscreen). I don't mind and give this lore a 3.7.

TREK SENSE: She certainly a Civilian and one with Honor. She was, after all, in the employ of the very honorable Mogh family. The other two standard skills are speculative, but reasoned. Let's see it this way: she was some kind of nursemaid to Worf. Medical, then, would come in handy in case the child broke his head (or someone else's) for example. And I could easily see this segment of Klingon society be trained in the medical arts, since they don't seem too advanced in this area as a society. It's for the kids. A warrior does not need band-aids. The Music, I imagine, is for her to sing her wards to sleep. (Klingon lullubyes... yeeech!) Nice extrapolation all around. The last ability is a little broad to make it past my sensors, though. She boosts the Strength of Honorable Klingons around. How? More singing? Inspiration from a venerable ancient? Why Strength rather than Integrity? Or even Cunning (by sharing her experience)? I can see she would only boost those with Honor, because that seemed to be a very important trait to her, but how she acts as a disruptor of sorts is a little hard to understand. Integrity could have been higher, but is okay. Cunning probably goes with her station in life, and Strength is high for an old woman, but she's Klingon after all. Ends up around 3.9.

STOCKABILITY: The Klingons have a particular weakness with MEDICALs, so Kahlest makes a good addition to your red deck. Two classifications (one major) is good for Kurlan Naiskos. Music will fit in well with Ressikan decks (and the Klingons are one of the favored affiliations to make this work). And Honor is one so many of their missions, it isn't even funny. Add to that her ability to boost STRENGTH, like a Disruptor, but immune to Overloads and Thieves, and you've got a pretty good deal (mostly if you're running an Honor deck, with Qa'pla! and Honor Challenge and such). She does have a weakness though. While she could boost your Away Team's STRENGTH significantly in a personnel battle, her own low STRENGTH (which rises to a 6 unless she's somehow lost Honor) may not let her survive such a battle, not against Jem'Hadar anyway. Because of this, she's much less useful than she could have been otherwise. Still pretty good - an even 3.

TOTAL: 13.9 (69.5%) A good Klingon, but let's not go overboard.

PICTURE: Pretty enough, and her golden hair matches well the brown outfit, but the picture is at most workmanlike. A lot of these photos are simple reaction shots that must have been kinda dull to act out. The actors look bored. Sorry for the digression, a plain ol' 3.

LORE: Not bad. We get her job and her admitting to being attracted to Graves. Gets us inside at least, but still receives the middle-of-road 3.

TREK SENSE: Like Ira, she's a non-aligned Civilian. The affiliation is strange for a human, as I consider them to be Federation in most cases. I mean, they did call Starfleet when they had a problem. If it's their less than pure intentions (Graves' anyway), why is Vash a Fed, and not Ira and his babe? Neither are on the side of the angels. And moral fiber isn't a mark of affiliation. Just look at the dishonorable Klingons, the exiled Garak and loads of criminal Bajorans for the proof. That aside, as technical assistant, she gets Computer Skill and ENGINEER. Since Ira Graves works in Cybernetics, both skills will come in handy in helping him, especially the ENGINEER since he lacks the skill himself. He thinks things up and she makes them happen. Add to that her Youth, though I wonder how youthful she really is. She must be brilliant to really be Ira's private Engineer. Oops, nope. Despite having achieved Staff icon status, expertise in those skills and an assistant position with one of the quadrant's greatest minds, she only rates a 6! UNbelievable. Soppy as she is, I would still think an adult with Youth would have greater Strength. Integrity seems okay. Now, as for the special skill that nullifies Male's Love Interests, we have to ask ourselves how exactly she does this. In the context of her episode, our best bet is that whichever male gets targeted with the Love Interest is actually interested in her. "Sorry, babe, I'm in love with someone else." So he isn't relocated. I wonder why she doesn't "stop" the male though. Since she's been in the crew/Away Team for a while, I guess even loverboy is used to having her around. We can't all freeze up when the coveted one is in the room. ;-) Some mistakes, but not bad at 3.4.

STOCKABILITY: Two classifications is never bad. For Kurlan Naiskos uses, you especially want to match the less useful CIVILIAN with something better. ENGINEER is as good as they come. The Computer Skill is always useful, and Youth has its uses as well, especially if you build your deck around the skill (card management with Ooby Dooby, a good selection of missions). Nullifying a particular dilemma is just a bonus because you can never be sure that one dilemma will even be seeded. Note that Male's Love Interest can be annoying as you're likely to have at least one male in any given Away Team AND it always hits while forcing your team to keep going (no stopping). Relocation is as bad as death in the dilemma combo passing process (maybe worse). Attributes are lackluster, especially the awful STRENGTH and lame CUNNING. Will fit in with any affiliation, but I think the Feds have plenty of personnel like this already. Over average, but not by much. A 3.2.

TOTAL: 12.6 (63%) Q-Continuum spawns another average card.

PICTURE: While I know she was fairly unliked as a character, she's not an unhandsome woman as this close-up of her attests. It's a good action shot too, better than Beverly's rather passive posture. Kate is actually DOING something medical. Her expression is inquisitive and skeptical, just like the woman herself. A good 3.7.

LORE: Woefully truncated. I would at least have liked to see something about her mispronouncing Data's name, or her romantic liaison with Riker senior. At least we get the McCoyish dislike of transporters (it's evident the creators tried to make her a McCoy clone, but they just plum forgot to put Bones' old country doctor sweetness into the recipe), which is nice flavor. And what's that about turbolifts? That's actually a nice little easter egg: Diana Maldaur's character on L.A. Law died from falling into an elevator shaft (actually, from landing). Now her 24th century reincarnation (of sorts) has a phobia about it. Cute. Manages to rise to a 3.7.

TREK SENSE: Only Staff?!? Come on now, she may not have stayed on the show very long, but she was still Chief Medical Officer. I don't even care how many pips she had on her collar, she had people under her command (including the Captain when it came to his health), she's earned a Command star (or is that specifically for ship commanders? I'll have to check). Next, we have the double MEDICAL endemic to the CMO position. Along with that, no Biology or Exobiology, but rather a SCIENCE. I won't argue with that since she was much more at ease with scientific matters (cloning, timeshifts, cybernetic hearts, clip-show enducers) than Bev ever was. I still think another skill should have been tacked on there. How about a Cybernetics for her connection to Picard's heart (maybe not, but SOMEthing). The odd restriction is cute, but probably overkill. She may not like transport, but neither does Reg Barclay (no restriction), and we've seen her beam more often than him. Her special ability regarding Doppleganger is... well, hard to justify. After all, Pulaski or no, Picard killed Picard2. She wasn't present anymore, one could argue, but I don't see how any harm could have come to Picard2 had she not been there earlier in the episode. That card has its own Trek Sense problems, which makes interpretation of this one difficult. Integrity would have been higher if she'd respected Data's sentience more. Cunning and Strength are at probable levels, though Cunning could have been a touch higher, going by her impressive credentials. Mostly problematic at 2.2.

STOCKABILITY: The beaming restriction alone is enough to keep her bindered, but it's not the only thing. A double (indeed, a triple) classification is always nice (MEDICAL/MEDICAL/SCIENCE in particular), but that's really all she has - no other skills. Her other abilities, listed and not, are rather weak as they are based on your opponent using certain cards. One is Doppleganger, a card that got just 1.4 in Stockability. And why not? As more and more personnel and affiliations become available to us, the less chance of "duplication in the universe". Who needs to suspend (not even nullify) Doppleganger when there are none? Her nullification of Picard's Artificial Heart may be slightly more useful, but too rare an occurence to warrant her inclusion on that basis. So, to wrap up, I go back to the restriction which makes her difficult to use in a speed deck (unless leaning heavily on space missions or landed ships) or even in conjunction with the Away Team-only Genetronic Replicator and slap her with a low 2.5.

TOTAL: 12.1 (60.5%) As unpopular as she was on the show (though she's better in reruns).

PICTURE: Not as "evolved" as later Klingons (neither was Worf the first season), K'chiQ nonetheless sports some interesting armor. The card is hurt a bit by the heavy shadows and boring background, and it probably won't be popular with feminists ;-). A 3.2.

LORE: Shortened by the restriction box, the lore still has some zest, pointing to her game text and giving her story pretty much in full. The best thing here is her totally made-up name. She's a true "chick", with a K for Klingon (the K-apostrophe is a common Klingon prefix) and a Q for her Q-Continuum origins. Brilliant, and enough to make this one rise to a 4.

TREK SENSE: Totally imaginary, K'chiQ is obviously AU, but one can't help but wonder what would have happened if she had been a Q-card too. Dream card makers have been pondering the possibility of Q-Personnel ever since Q-Continuum came out, and maybe Enhanced QC will finally give us one, but for now... She DID spring from the mind of a Q (albeit a temporary Q), maybe having her spring to "opponent's crew or Away Team until next Q-Flash" would have been more appropriate. In any case, there's no limit to the number of K'chiQs you can have in play, so long as they don't meet their twin, because there are as many "ideal mates" as there are male Klingons. Two K'chiQs together would insure a cat fight, or maybe some sort of matter/antimatter reaction (I'm not sure why they would be discarded if they met). Without a male Klingon, the fantasy girl has no basis for existing. She's there just for "him", whoever "him" happens to be at that moment. Some people will have a fantasy girl who's good at Diplomacy, others like the ENGINEER type. You might even like variety, and this is what the changeable skill is supposed to mimic. I wonder what Worf's K'chiQ was good at? The Civilian classification makes as much sense as any. Since she's just supposed to be a "mate", it works. Likewise, we don't have enough information about her to really dispute her attributes, though the low Cunning seems appropriate for the growling beauty, as does the relatively high Strength. Could have been more, but is enough already. A competent 4.2.

STOCKABILITY: Always having the skill you need has been proven to be a big advantage for the Borg with their Queen, so what do the Klingons think of theirs? Well, without an Interlink ability available, it's not as potent, but it's still good. Keep her aboard your ship in case she can come down and solve a dilemma for you, or replace a just lost skill you needed for a particular mission, it's all fair game. Never forget the skills with built-in uses, like Cybernetics to report androids for free, Miracle Worker's built-in Transporter Skill and Guramba's attack restrictions. For mission theft strategies, K'chiQ will give you access to non-Klingon skills like Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order. While being quite versatile, the Klingon bimbette does have some nasty restrictions. While she's universal, you can't have any copies together (or else, imagine an Away Team completely made up of K'ChiQs solving mission after mission by simply changing skills between each) and they must always be accompanied by a male. The Klingons have lots more males than females (making K'chiQ more valuable), so it's no real problem, but if she gets relocated for any reason (like Female's Love Interest for example), she dies. For extra versatility, make her part of your Cryosatellite, or report her directly to your AU ship with Crew Reassignment. Stats are pretty okay. A 3.7.

TOTAL: 15.1 (75.5%) Now I want to see Worf's rating.

PICTURE: I don't have much love for the character who quickly became a true-life nag (with some sweetness sometimes thrown in). Her smiling demeanor is a bit off-putting because of that. Well, it's her wedding after all. The traditional japanese dress is very appropriate for someone who has remained close to her culture, and the composition of the picture is fair to good, lines following her gaze. A 3.2.

LORE: Botanist AND vegetarian? Isn't that like saying Zoologist AND BBQ expert? The wedding seems to take the whole of the lore, and I might push for a DS9 version (with her school duties, having two kids, etc.) if I could find a real reason to change her game text. A bit obsolete at 2.9.

TREK SENSE: The big question is - is Biology equivalent to Botany? Well, in a way it is, since Botany is the biology of plants. But are they equivalent in the game? Beverly Crusher's Biology is very different from Keiko's, for example. And would Keiko really be called upon to help with the Plague Planet? Actually, it's not as far-fetched as all that. Plants can yield a number of natural and chemical remedies to a number of diseases. So Keiko has both the normal Biology and the more specialized Exobiology. She's SCIENCE rather than CIVILIAN, something I will base my criticisms of other non-com CIVILIANS in the sciences. She's even Staff. Well... okay, but iffy. The attribute boost is normal for spouses and love interests, using the thinking that you work better when you're in love/in a relationship. I'm not sure we'd find that to be true in our own lives though ;-). And with Keiko and Miles, we've seen them fight so much, it's a wonder she doesn't make Miles' attributes DROP, even as hers go up. No problems with her own attributes by the way. Pretty good, if a little boring, at 3.9.

STOCKABILITY: Exobiology/Biology and SCIENCE are all good skills, though they can be found elsewhere. There are better Biologists (the MEDICAL ones) and there are better SCIENtists (the ones with lots of skills). The skills make her good at supporting certain mission attempts, and passing those multiplying Exo/Biology dilemmas though. She's also a requirement on the nasty nasty No Loose Ends. Boosting attributes when present with specific personnel is not that useful, and not usually considered a good reason to stock either card. It's a nice coincidence if you're using both personnel, that's all. With either Miles present (Fajo or BoG), she's 9-9-5, still not much of a survivor in case of personnel battle, and not that much more useful. Theme decks, sure. Your opponent just traded for 6 No Loose Ends, okay. Otherwise, she'll be cozy in the binder. A 2.7.

TOTAL: 12.7 (63.5%) Still makes it over average. I'd say she was more of a collector card (which I'm still missing).

PICTURE: If this pic was available from the Klingon opera scene, why was Batrell produced years before it? Great colors, a dignified Klingon... definitely a winner. Aesthetically, one of the best Klingon pictures out there at an even 4.

LORE: Again, way better than his "partner" Batrell. Most of it is invention on Decipher's part (well, everything related to his medical skills), but it works, and he certainly looks the part they've assigned him. His part in the opera scene is mentioned (where Batrell's lore failed) and the resulting score is a 3.7.

TREK SENSE: He has the look (older, well-groomed) to be a doctor, and one that runs a laboratory to boot. Klingons don't have many doctors, and those they do have are usually field medics. So I'll accept the conjectural skills here, especially the Medical and Exobiology. The Science and Cybernetics relate to the lab he runs (yes, both a clinic AND a lab), and Cybernetics isn't so far from medical concerns. Finally, his singing shows up under Music. The attributes are fair. I imagine his Integrity isn't that high because some of his experiments are dubious (also, he's playing the bad guy's part in the opera). Cunning is high enough for a scientist from a non-science-centered culture. And the Strength is low Klingon because the guy's old and something of a lab rat. Pretty good, though often conjectural. A 3.4.

STOCKABILITY: A great Klingon personnel. They have so few MEDICAL personnel, that Kitrik's MEDICAL/SCIENCE combo (your one stop for Botanical Research) definitely makes him a must-have. Exobiology (also found on few Klingons) is also showing up in more and more dilemmas, and Cybernetics, while less useful, is very rare and necessary if you want to report Soong-Type androids a little more quickly. Music is the one common skill, but it has to be common if you want to go the Ressikan Flute route. Seeing as the Klingons have an unusually (for them) high number of MEDICAL-related missions, Kitrik plugs a lot of holes. A very useful personnel card at 4.2.

TOTAL: 15.3 (76.5%) Well done!

PICTURE: Gowron in full galaria strikes an imposing and warlike figure, and I like the funky background (also seen on Arbiter of Succession) as much as the glitzy coat, BUT. This picture really belongs on a Chancellor Gowron card, not here. The game text supports a picture of two Klingons ships firing on one another, and don't tell me there are none. I've seen the episodes. A nice pic, but hopelessly mismatched. What went wrong? A 2.

LORE: I would have prefered it if the war hadn't been won already, but it's not too bad as an explanation of why this card is Klingon only. A 2.9 here.

TREK SENSE: Once the Civil War has broken out, it becomes a game goal (points = goal completion) to destroy the opposing Klingon ships. It's good (even very good) that the event affects both players (that is, both can get the points). On the other hand, it might have been nice if ships allied with opposing Klingons could also have been included in the deal (the Feds were sort of on one side, the Romulans definitely on the other), but there's just so much room on a card. The way the points are calculated make as much sense as any, and are based on battle prowess (Weapons and Shields). These are Klingons after all! The immunity to Kevin Uxbridge's influence probably relates to this being a historical and political event rather than an actual happenstance. Kevin would have to erase the portion of history leading to the war, and that seems to be beyond even his powers. So, a success, though a necessarily incomplete one. Gets a 4.2.

STOCKABILITY: Well, the event is completely worthless if your opponent is not playing Klingons. So right away, it's a back-up card competing for those valuable Q's Tent card slots. With Blaze of Glory's release, the battle-heavy Klingons have become a more popular affiliation, getting this card dusted off in some parts, I'm sure. But with BoG also came Tactic cards that make space battles much harder to predict, and do you want your opponent to get his hands on those juicy points? Of course, the thought of anywhere between 12 and 18 points per ship (and isn't everyone running an armada in that particular club?) may sound appetizing, and it could go down to who builds the better Battle-Bridge side-deck. Get yourself a souped-up ship and you could get even higher "modified" ships with Metaphasics/Nutationals, Bynars, or even Kurlan Naiskos. Again, you gotta figure these things are in your opponent's arsenal. A risky venture at best, don't be dazzled. A 3.3.

TOTAL: 12.4 (62%) Amazingly, it got the same score as Bajoran Civil War.

PICTURE: While the orange glow holds some interest for the eye, the purple background is really weak. Still, K'mpec is sufficiently noble in death and the overall look of the card isn't that bad. I'll give it a 3.1.

LORE: Lots of Klingon lore here (well, the section is called "the lore"). The Rite of Ascension has absolutely nothing to do with the card's function unfortunately, but makes good filler. As does O'Brien's little ditty about monopods (whatever those are). A nicely padded 3.4.

TREK SENSE: The easiest function to grasp is the second, so let's start with that one, shall we? In the picture, we see the Sonchi ritual which consists in cattle prodding a corpse to make sure it is dead. The personnel in question is proven dead and so can't be reported for duty again. Finally a card that makes some sense of multiple copies of the same unique personnel existing in the same deck. Why can Picard report to an outpost when we just saw him die by Armus' hand? He wasn't really dead! Happens in comic books and science-fiction all the time. Always ask: "Did you see the body?" So the Painstik (weird spelling if you ask me) is your way to prove a personnel is dead so it can't be reported again. The first function has to do with the Arbiter of Succession. Both cards are thematically linked to the Klingon Civil War story arc, but is there much of a relationship beyond that? The Arbiter's points are a sort of badge of office owned by the new Chancellor (he battled for the title). The Painstik nullifies that title (as represented by the points) and gives you the ability to hold another battle to choose yet another Chancellor. So in that case, the old chancellor isn't dead, and the whole thing is invalid? Or the battle wasn't really won (not to the death anyway)? Maybe, but note that the losing Klingon isn't suddenly resurrected. So the card works, and has a lot of texture, but still has a few flaws. A mitigated 4.

STOCKABILITY: First, if you're using Arbiter of Succession, you may want this card as insurance. Your opponent went and killed your Klingon and now has the points? That's still YOUR Arbiter he's got there. Nullify those points and still have a chance to use the card later. Of course, the best way to use Arbiter is to do so at game's end to score the 10 points that bring you over the top. Klingon Painstik has no use here. The second function really hinges on your opponent's use of multiple copies of important personnel. Does that happen much? And how do you know which personnel to play this on? (Suggest using Jaglom Shrek if you really want to use this.) It'll also keep key personnel from being Res-Qed or Regenerated or Ore Processed, so it's up to you to analyse your opponent's greatest needs and neutralize them. I'd say Founders are a good target except you can still morph one into another, even if it was painstiked, and it's really too bad the Borg Queen isn't unique, eh? Androids and personnel with personae are probably good targets. If your opponent gets his Elim Painsticked, none of the other Garaks he had in his deck can be reported either. It'll also beat decks built around Kova Tholl's or K'Nera's bonus points. And as the card does not go out-of-play, it becomes a dud draw from a regenerated deck. Depends on the situation, but not worth it most of the time. With all the card recycling methods out there, might have become slightly more useful. A 2.6.

TOTAL: 13.1 (65.5%) There, that didn't hurt, did it?

PICTURE: One and only one tone, but the darkness if very atmospheric. We know he's one of the "good" Klingons because the Federation icon is behind him (hey! do those two affiliation icons count for probes? I'm joking, don't you start sending questions to Decipher). Coolness of the day: Klingon writing under the Fed logo, turning it into an odd hybrid. Basically, a 3.6.

LORE: Everything he ever did is listed here, including that forgotten tidbit about Worf. Likeable and well-tied to his skills. 3.1.

TREK SENSE: Obviously an Officer with Command ability, most of his skills make sense. Security, because he's basically a policeman hunting criminals. Honor, because he's one of the good guys and offered Worf a position. Transporter Skill is an odd one - no real evidence of this. The special skill is interesting. Where there are points to be gained, there you should find someone's goal. K'nera's goal is to get the two criminals. Their deaths have points attached (a price on their heads?), but couldn't their capture be equally favored? They also have to die in battle, but aren't criminals somewhat dishonored anyway? Since K'nera doesn't have to battle them himself, I don't see the point. He did say something to the effect that he prefered they would die honorably so as to redeem them though. The attributes are fairly arbitrary, with Integrity a touch too low for Mr. Honor, and Cunning slightly too high for the guy who never did capture his two Klingons. An even 3.

STOCKABILITY: Used to be, there weren't many great SECURITY Klingons, and K'nera sorta filled this hole in the Empire, but now there are a LOT of multi-skilled SECURITY red cards, and he's not as wanted here, especially with his (high) average stats, but relatively weak STRENGTH. (He's still got two classifications.) The Honor is basic to the affiliation, very common but nicely redudant on missions. He's one of three Transporter Skill Klingons, getting more and more useful with Orion bombs on the horizon, and a nice way to get your Away Team aboard an enemy ship with Target These Coordinates. The special ability is the basis for a non-Trek Sensical, but otherwise cool bonus point strategy. The idea is to report Konmels and Korrises and killing them ad infinitum, ad nauseum. How do you do this? Well, Arbiter of Sucession will make two Klingons battle even if they're on the same side, and since our two criminals are leaders, just get a tougher leader (higher STRENGTH than 8) and score 15 points in all on that one. For the rest, you'll have to send your guys to their deaths against tougher opposing Away Teams. Gee, make sure your guys are weak by encoutering self-seeded Interphasic Plasma Creatures or something. Another idea is to do it with ship battles. Have your two Assign Mission Specialist-downloadable idiots attack a self-seeded Borg Ship for instant death (10 points). And is your opponent ready to give you points by retaliating to your duo's ship attack? Add Klingon Death Yells (+5) to the mix (for Korris), go wild. That Arbiter winner could get Data's Medals too. Watch out for bonus points hosers... solve a mission or two. A distinct 3.8.

TOTAL: 13.5 (67.5%) I wasn't expecting much more.

PICTURE: Gray, whether its greenish or brownish, light or dark, is still gray. It goes with this fatalistic guy, but it's still just... gray. Standard but boring, so 2.9.

LORE: Aside from species and sex, the designers didn't try to give us too much else on this individual. We do get a history lesson on Mizar II, which explains his special ability, but it reads oddly on a personnel card. A fair 3.

TREK SENSE: Easy stuff first. This guy's a Civilian for sure, and since his society is based on peace, he's got natural Diplomacy (though he was an annoying diplomat on the show). His Integrity is likewise high, though not a 9 on account of his annoying the heck out of everybody. Cunning at 6 shows little imagination, but a working brain nonetheless (sort of like an accountant). And Strength just HAD to be low. Now for the hard part: as I'm fond of saying, where there are points to be won, their should be some sort of goal, a mission, if you will, to accomplish. Kova Tholl's goal is an ideological one. He gets points if, even when attacked, he doesn't retaliate. If he gets killed without retaliation (an extreme turning of the other cheek), he scores the points. His point of view has prevailed in the galaxy. Kind of a hollow victory though, and it feels like I have to overexplain it to justify it. Gets a pretty decent, if shaky, 4.

STOCKABILITY: There's a Kova Tholl strategy, but like any strategy based on acquiring bonus points, it's put into danger by such hosers as The Big Picture and Intermix Ratio. Still, a few 10-pointers can go a long way to supplement your mission points. So what is this strategy? The idea is to report Kova and have him killed (no retaliation of course) for points. The trick is to have him be attacked though. You can use Attack Authorization on your own ship to blast his shuttle to pieces, send him against Borg Ships, or make him the only target on a spaceline littered with Conundrums and Saltha'na Clocks. Works with anyone, unlike the similar K'nera/Korris/Konmel trio. A 10 point gain also means Kova can protect your Colony or ship from attack. Who wants to give you those points for free? And with Tactic card Casualties, who's to say just a damaging attack won't kill him? Add Mona Lisa to the mix and it's a definite no-no. All that, plus Diplomacy and high INTEGRITY to meet a couple of requirements. Like him, it's for a more passive-defensive strategy. A 3.7.

TOTAL: 12.7 (63.5%) Too specific for regular use.

PICTURE: Not necessarily a good idea to picture someone in front of a strong light source like this, it makes Lal a little dark. That aside, its a fair headshot with nothing really exceptional or disturbing. A 3.

LORE: Not much except for the "family" relationship, but I really do like the last sentence. Lal's name actually means "Beloved" in Hindi. Imzadi also means "Beloved", but in Betazoid. A great idea by the design team to cross the two. Does wonders for the Trek feel, and ties in with her kiss with Will "Imzadi" Riker. Jumps to a 3.7.

TREK SENSE: Obviously a Civilian, I do have to ask why she has a Staff icon here. I don't think she actually mastered the necessary skills in her one episode, or are we to believe any android can staff a ship? As for the skills she does have, Computer Skill is your regular android skill. They think like computers and have a natural affinity for them. She has all the naiveté of Youth. Fun stuff: just like in the episode, she's learning as she goes along and you can teach her two skills when she reports. Obviously, she must learn them from someone present. This can lead to some odd occurences however. For example, she can be taught a thing or two by opposing personnel. I don't see how Mindmeld and Empathy can be learned, since they require something biologically different about a personnel's brain, but somehow, Lal can learn these. I'm also not sure if Tal Shiar or Obsidian Order agents would give Lal any of their secrets. The attributes are all fine, from high Integrity due to ethical subroutines, to high computer-mind Cunning (lowered because of inexperience), and regular non-fighter android Strength. Kinda cool to see Lal as if she had never broken down and had carried on a life, but there are always problems when it comes to "select any skill" skills. A 3.6.

STOCKABILITY: Lal has all the perks afforded Soong-type androids - Vulcan Nerve Pinches, Android Headlocks, protecting Away Team members from a variety of dilemmas, etc. Her attributes are all high, and while Computer Skill and Youth aren't rare in the Federation, you can add two skills to her palette. Of course, you already have those skills available since they must be "taught", but duplication of rarer skills can be useful. And if you can report her to opposing personnel, you could be stealing their skills to solve their missions. Unfortunate that the Federation doesn't have more Espionage cards. Her flexibility can be extended too by taking her back into hand with Space-Time Portal and re-reporting her with different personnel. A good android, though far from the most powerful. A 3.8.

TOTAL: 14.1 (70.5%) Hey, she's an android. Everybody loves an android.

PICTURE: Nice colors in the front, but a lame background. An interesting shot visually, but composition's bad due to Q's head being chopped off. And I have to go for a less than stellar 2.9 here.

LORE: A quote within a Q-uote, I'm not sure of its overall relevance, though it talks about playing, and that's what we gamers do best (or most). As for the title pun, it's okay, though not as clever as some others. Aids a Lemon deck, hehehe. No, I kinda like it. 2.9 again.

TREK SENSE: Totally concerned with game mechanics, this one won't get much out of this category. Basically, when you encounter it, if your deck is doing better at scoring points than your opponent's, he or she scores 5 points. Where there are points, I want to see game goals. No goals here though. The points are just a friendly gift (sort of like when your mom made you apologize to your sister after a fight - it was never too heartfelt). Trying to patch in Q's quote here... Points reveal HOW you play the game... um... or being generous is showing something about humanity to Q... Aw, forget it. Lemon-Aid is just a game mechanics card, and has no real effect on the Star Trek universe or the personnel involved. A 0.5 as to the concept.

STOCKABILITY: Well, just in case you lag behind by 20 or more points, why not get yourself an impossible to nullify 5 points extra? Helps bridge the gap, and if encountered often enough, bridges it even more. Of course, are you really planning on playing a losing deck (a "lemon"?). Well, maybe your deck is slow (starts in another quadrant or something). An early Q-Flash would give you some bonus points. One way to capitalize on it is to actually wait for your opponent to hit a Q-Flash, but since there can't be duplication of Q-cards in the same Q-Flash, it's no use hoping for a lot of points from this card. More useless than not. A 1.9.

TOTAL: 8.2 (41%) I've misread Q-cards before (and had to entirely change my review of Amanda's Parents), am I doing so here?

PICTURE: A little too dark because of the backlighting, but Guinan is in a fun pose, obviously poking fun at Samuel Clemens' theories here, and above all, listening. Lots of fun, but a limited palette of colors brings this one to a 3.8 only. Still good.

LORE: Good turnabout lore, telling us the story from her point of view rather than the Enterprise's. Worth a cool 3.6.

TREK SENSE: In the 19th century, Guinan was still a non-aligned Civilian, but as she is from another time period, she gets an AU icon. The staff icon makes sense if we're to believe she goes planet-hopping. Her Anthropology also goes with this as she experiences (listens to) and emulates a number of cultures. Her other ability, to nullify AU icon cards (interrupts, events and dilemmas present), is a little too broad to be taken seriously though. Her own part in the episode didn't really nullify anything that's a card now, and how can she, de facto, stop Empathic Echoes and Dead in Bed? Why would she rip out Drought Trees? Yes, she has shown (or at this point, will show) that she's aware of the space/time continuum (as in "Yesterday's Enterprise"), so she could advise her Away Team of any AU danger and help nullify it. The reasoning doesn't apply in a lot of cases however. As for the attributes, I've gotta go to her older self, Guinan, for comparison. -2 to Integrity when she was younger may be due to her infiltration of other cultures, without a thought to the contamination this could result in. Cunning stays the same (she didn't get smarter with age?). And Strength goes down by 1, where I would have thought more vitality and spunkiness would have made her more ferocious in battle. Ah well, overall, she's better than her older self Sense-wise, but still has powers too broad. A 2.8.

STOCKABILITY: A Non-Aligned Guinan isn't too bad a deal, unless Where's Guinan? is in the Q-Continuum side-deck, since she can at least nullify a small number of dilemmas, events and interrupts, like a walking counter. One per turn, unless you're packing both Guinans, so choose wisely. She can help your Romulans with Quantum Singularity Lifeforms, prevent Dead in Bed and Brain Drain, and since she has a real skill, she's better than the other one on actual mission solving. In fact, she has everything it takes to pass Primitrive Culture (like 19th century Earth?). Good stats, and more than adequate staffing icons, including the means to report her directly to an AU ship with Crew Reassignment, makes her a good personnel. She's not yet what she will become, but at least a 3.8 here.

TOTAL: 14 (70%) A better total score than Fajo's Guinan.

PICTURE: The weakest of Madred's three pictures (I'm counting Interrogation), his deadly stare is still somewhat effective. The lighting is good without being too menacing, and I like the Cardassian design chair. Lands itself a 3.2.

LORE: On the practical side, mentions his status as a Gul (making him reportable to Central Command). As for the rest, it's passable, but lacks anything to really put it over the top. A reference to 1984 would have been a winner, for example. Dead even at 3.

TREK SENSE: Non-Aligned where he should be Cardassian, no Obsidian Order when it is clearly marked in his lore, all of this will be fixed in Blaze of Glory when Gul Madred comes out. And expect a comparison when that review wheels around. For now, those things really hurt. What's more, the fact that the two personae come from the exact same episode will hurt both cards, since there really isn't any reason for there to be a difference. Picard one day is the same as the next. Garak has many facets, sure, but Madred is basically a one-liner ("How many lights..."). Where it really breaks down is that Madred is NEVER Non-Aligned in the series. But let's go on. The Officer/Command icon combo is quite natural here, as is the double Security. If he can't be Obsidian Order, we'll at least give him a related skill in spades. He's missing many other skills, again, something that will be fixed on Gul Madred. The special ability is of course related to his two capture cards: Torture and Interrogation. Since he's skilled in those techniques, he adds 1 per turn to these. He has to be at an outpost, a Trek Sense fix under the old capturing rules where captrives were actually in limbo. Now, at least everybody's present to be interrogated or tortured. The Integrity is real low, as it should be for a torturer who thinks nothing of hurting and demeaning a man in front of his (Madred's) children. Cunning and Strength look about right for an Obsidian Order operative. Some good things despite my many misgivings. A 3.1.

STOCKABILITY: As a Non-Aligned personnel, this Madred can be used by anybody, so capturing strategies need not be Cardassians' only. His double SECURITY in particular will help the Feds and Ferengi, though they have some of their own now. The INTEGRITY is way too low to survive Firestorms, but the other attributes are adequate. What you want Madred for however, is to boost bonus points related to captives. Your opponent might not last long when Madred starts interrogating his guy at 2 points a turn. Maybe that 11 points doesn't sound so bad now. Certainly adds to the urgency. As for Torture, at 1 extra point per turn, it turns out to be worth 10 points in all. As a Gul, Madred may report for free at Central Command, but that's not an outpost so it's not a quick way to Torture bonuses. Madred is also a possible requirement for Bioweapon Ruse (which Gul Madred is not), a nice 40-pointer, where he replaces SECURITY x3 + Obsidian Order. And being a persona is an extra bonus if you're playing Cardassian. Use the other Madred for most mission attempts (he has more skills) and to download Torture, then switch to this one to reap higher rewards from the download. A very good 4.1 here.

TOTAL: 13.4 (67%) The new and improved Madred will outclass him in everything except maybe Stockability. We'll see.

PICTURE: A pretty good pic, with the bailiff standing out well in the foreground. The colors are well balanced on the figure, the black and gold of the costume matching that of the staff, and the red Easter Egg AIDS ribbon (tasteful and discreet) matching colors on the hat. A 3.8.

LORE: A brief quotation, not from Q, but from a character he created (presumably... but what if all those people are other members of the Continuum?). It works in tandem with the game text (as a nice lead-in), so a 3.5 here.

TREK SENSE: Well, the card used to make more sense. Before, captives went to a sort of limbo which fit well with Q capturing them. Now that captives are actually in the care of the opposing affiliation, what's Q got to do with it? In any case, posting bail is a cool thematic idea, but not something Q ever let the crew do. The price of the bail is related to the number of skills (or skill dots) a person has, in others words, the more powerful the personnel, the more the ransom. Of course, a two-skill Admiral would be worth more than a dabo girl like Leeta in the real world, but thems the breaks. Good thematically, but loses out in "real" Trek Sense. A 2.8.

STOCKABILITY: One of the better Q-cards (dilemmas often are), as it gets you an immediate captive OR some points. Sure, mission specialists will be cheap at a single point, and even a Jean-Luc Picard is only worth 6, but anything 5 points or more sometimes means a shift in mission solving startegy for your opponent. Enough of these hit, and you're talking multiple points (or captives). It's an "always win" dilemma! Since it IS a dilemma, you can seed it with Beware of Q, actually making it stick without a Q-Flash. It'll fit in any combo really. And its only deterrents are Guinan and Q2. A 4.4.

TOTAL: 14.5 (72.5%) See? They're not all bad.

PICTURE: Well, we all know how fond I am of purple, and this card is permeated with it. Despite that, and the hokey early season uniforms, the three Datas make for a cool and dramatic card. The "door" itself is well accentuated and different from anything else we have in this category. Hits a 3.7.

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

TREK SENSE: Oof, this is a complicated one, but real close to Trek Sense. Even the game text gives this effect the name of the "Manheim Effect". First off, the doorway is AU since it warps time, and it has to be open on a planet, just like in the show. In the episode, Manheim (apparently Non-Aligned) had his effect play havok on differently aligned personnel (the Feds on the Enterprise), so it should affect both players. All planets should not have a dimensional doorway (I dare say, exceedingly rare), so "not duplicatable" is good here. And an Anti-Matter Pod shuts it down, just like in the show. That's what Data is holding there in the picture. As for the hiccup effect itself, in the show, it made a sequence in time repeat itself exactly as before (except that people were aware of the repeat). In the game, the hiccup is different as it allows for "history" to be changed. Trek Sense becomes conceptual at this point as the "hiccup" is really your showing of the identical card from your hand, then suspending time to change it. Only then does the sequence repeat, though it had never actually occured yet in the original timeline. (Headache.) Falls short in its execution, but goes a long way at 4.

STOCKABILITY: One of those complicated cards people might leave at home because they're not really worth your understanding them. The effect itself, of suspending play of your opponent's card to play one of your own, can be cool in some situations as you undercut their ability to even make their card resolve itself, but it's limited to such an extent as to make the card too much of a liability. For one thing, your opponent can use it against you. If we're talking about both players having the same cards in their decks (for this to work), then it goes to reason that you might play your copy of a card before your opponent does, and he or she can hiccup you. With more and more cards in this game of ours, it becomes less and less likely that your cards will match your opponent's at all unless he's playing the same affiliation (and even then, except maybe if playing Borg). Add to this that the Doorway can be nixed in a variety of ways (Revolving Door either on it, or before it's played, on Alternate Universe Door, or Anti-Matter Pod, or even Paul Manheim). And even if you make it work, you better be real prepared to make use of it by playing the right card, which doesn't preclude you from just reporting people and ships faster. Paul Manheim can double the effect so as to give you even more flexibility, but the card remains a borderline oddity at 2.8.

TOTAL: 14 (70%) An oddity (hic) is still (hic) something worth (hic) hav(hic)... having.

PICTURE: Good moody lighting with great contrast between the orange on the figure and the blues in the background. Plus, Marouk has a pretty good expression on her face. Tough lady, hard to impress. A 3.6.

LORE: The basic storyline is told, though her connection to Yuta isn't. Too bad that "chancellor" title can't report her to The Great Hall for free though. Sigh. It does make her reportable with Going to the Top. But it isn't even her actual title! (It's Sovereign.) A fair 3.

TREK SENSE: Marouk is obviously a Non-Aligned VIP/Leadership/Diplomacy personnel, since she's the leader of her people and signed an agreement with an enemy people. Her special ability, to nullify Yuta, is a special goal for her (since it's worth points) because Yuta would jeopardize her entire mission. How she nullifies her is a bit hazy, but Yuta can be talked down I suppose. Marouk, at the very least, knows enough about the microvirus and enemy clans to realize the danger and put a stop to it. Her attributes look fair enough, with Integrity high (for her openness) but not that high (decades of strife can't eliminate all the problems), Cunning high (as a world leader) and Strength about right for a heavy-set woman her age. Good, though not superlative at 3.8.

STOCKABILITY: VIP/Leadership/Diplomacy ain't too rare, is it? I mean, it's good, but by no means unique. And while she can initiate battle, she would be easily creamed in personnel battle. The special ability is pretty much all she's special for. She'll nullify the dangerous Yuta dilemma, even scoring 3 points in the process. That's not much, but sometimes, it'll counteract such things as The Higher... the Fewer, etc. Marouk is also a requirement on the annoying Gatherers dilemma. Annoying, but relatively easy to pass. So Marouk doesn't impress all that much, especially if you have to guess your opponent will be using certain dilemmas. Yes, Yuta is a popular one, but by no means a prerequisite. Her reporting through Going to the Top would be good mid-mission attempt, but game text excludes this. Ho-hum at 3.

TOTAL: 13.4 (67%) Pretty much a yawner.

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