To see the cards themselves, check out this Card list for the Trouble with Tribbles expansion set.

PICTURE: For some reason, I always see Janeway here, though of course, that's not her (as flipping the card sideways plainly reveals). Maybe I'm imagining a missing scene from the episode where she got assimilated, or I just enjoy seeing the character in trouble, I don't know. Regardless, it's a good and creepy shot of assimilation procedures (and happily not as gruesome as a lot of others, such as Add Distinctiveness), but unfortunately, it's got very little to do with the game text. Very little. So that's gonna cost it, the score dropping to 2.

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

TREK SENSE: Many effects, all supposedly stemming from the Borg's ability to quash resistance. The first effect works the best. It gives you points for eliminating resistance when (or after) completing certain objectives where resistance might be encountered. Defense Borg would be doing the fighting, so if the icon is present, consider the resistance beaten down, and take the points. The Def Borg must remain in the area to fend off further resistance, which is interesting. It's not a perfect effect, of course, requiring only a single Def icon (or alternately, not considering the Bob Defense drones that would undoubtedly be aboard any Borg ship). It's also strange that there is technically no resistance UNLESS Resistance Is Futile is in play. Of course, the resistance may only come after the completion, a distinction that helps here. It's not resistance so much as a futile counter-offensive. And why no resistance at Assimilate Homeworld, for example? Well, that can be explained by the resistance already being figured into those other objectives. I'd say resistance at Salvage Starship and Establish Gateway would be unexpected outside influences, so that works out well. Planets may or may not hold native populations, so that's more muddy. The second effect is quite mechanical/conceptual, so it doesn't work as well. Basically, it's the opposing player who "resists" by playing Q's Planet. It's cute that a Communications Borg would, I dunno, contact Q and tell him to shove it, but there's no real storytelling here. As for the third effect, it has Navigation drones report directly to your Spheres, and that's just out in left field as far as the theme of the card goes. I have no problem with Spheres being packed with drones that come online when you need them, but it's just not in keeping with the rest of the effects. For what works, a 3.

STOCKABILITY: Lots to like, and you might very well stock more than one copy to achieve everything you want to. First is the idea of boosting the points on three of the Borg's objectives. Two of these are 25-pointers, but at 35, you can actually do a three-mission win. That would of course require 3 copies of Resistance Is Futile though. Salvage Starship at 40 points is as much as Assimilate Homeworld, but without the need to seek a counterpart. You do need to keep the Defense Borg present, though you could just fly them to the right place (easy with Scout Vessel and Establish Gateway) With Population 9 Billion, you could be scoring a very high point value for that Establish Gateway you've been keeping close, winning you the game at 100 points. Now, sometimes the game doesn't stop at 100 points because your opponent went and played Q's Planet. This is devastating to the Borg because they have fewer high-point options to get them to 140. Throw down RIF to invalidate the card completely. All you need here is a Communications drone at the location. Once again, it's a matter of keeping drones at specific locations, so small ships may be in order. Speaking of small ships, after the massive RANGE boost afforded by Sphere Encounter, the Borg Sphere gets another boost here. A copy of this card on the table allows Nav Borg (not just drones mind you) to report aboard directly (à la Scout Vessel). Since the craft requires 2 Nav icons to staff it, I'd say this makes sure you keep it flying even if you lose personnel. Also note that this completes the subcommand icon combo, making this card a perfect probe result for the Collective. Since it's a rare, you might not have very many copies, but Fifth can help you, for example, recycle one used for the third effect to play on an objective later in game. Tries its best to make the Borg more competitive and succeeds failry well. A 4.3.

TOTAL: 12.4 (62%) I know, I know, score is irrelevant.

PICTURE: You don't see the awful costume much, I'm happy to say. I always thought it looked like Shakaar dressed his assistant in dressy farming overalls. I guess he's always stayed a gardener in his heart. There's a good play with various shades of gray here that's likeable, and the background is unobtrusive despite the white spotlight in its corner. Doesn't visually say anything about Sarish really, but it's well presented. A 3.4.

LORE: His present and past job are given, the second explaining at least one skill. And the little joke about his being an entire "senior staff" is here too. Facts and a little humor. A good 3.5.

TREK SENSE: Sarish Rez is an assistant to a VIP, but it doesn't make him a VIP himself. Civilian suits him fine. Biology, he got from tending grounds. Anthropology, that's the skill he uses to understand politics and help Shakaar with his speeches. Fair enough on both counts. Transporter Skill is much more iffy however. The First Minister's security may require secure transports, but the episode "Shakaar" was full of docking, walking and turbolifts, not much transporting at all. If he's so interested in security procedures, then Security might have been the right skill for him. There are two choices for special download, though they aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. When there's a choice, it's good that they be options for the same situation. Well, we may find sense in that yet. One of the choices is First Minister Shakaar himself. Sarish is Shakaar's go-to guy, and where one is, the other follows. Some may think it would have worked better is Shakaar downloaded Sarish since the latter is in tow of the former. Perhaps, but it was quite clear that Sarish was the one who handled Shakaar's schedule. He went where Sarish told him to. The other choice is Senior Staff Meeting, carrying over the joke mentioned in the lore. Well, if he really were Shakaar's entire staff, then he should be able to use that card all by his lonesome, right? Well, he certainly can't. No doubt, Sarish is in charge of a "junior" staff he might put problems to when the First Minister is occupied elsewhere, and that's where the choice between the two comes in. A situation can either call for the Minister himself to make an appearance, or we can schedule a Staff Meeting to take care of matters. I'm afraid the Staff icon may be part of the senior staff joke, because I see no onscreen evidence that he could staff a ship, sorry. Integrity's good, but could be higher given the amount of responsibility he's been given, not least of which with the Minister's privacy. Cunning seems fine for a minor official. Strength's a bit high for a functionary though. Tending grounds does require some physical labor, I will admit. In all, it's a good effort, with a couple of eyesores that keep the score at 3.3.

STOCKABILITY: CIVILIANs enjoy a priviledged status with the Bajorans because there are many ways to give them an extra boost. Keeve Falor boosts all their attributes by +2, for example, and that's in addition to other boosts that may come from Shakaar Edon, The Earring of Li Nalas, War Room, etc. Don't forget to add to that First Minister Shakaar's special skill that allows one CIVILIAN per turn to report for free at the Chamber of Ministers. Now, Sarish Rez can download that personnel if he's in play before the Minister, and if he's not, he reports for free and still has a special download to call his own: Senior Staff Meeting. It's a very nice alternative that plays havoc with dilemma combos, though he has no classification to work with the card. Skillwise, none of his skills are especially common, not are any of them less than useful. CIVILIAN/Anthropology will overcome Primitive Culture, for example, and Transporter Skill is an always excellent, but rare, skill. Biology is perhaps the most useful here, especially when not on a MEDICAL personnel, since combos will usually try to weed those out. Even the attributes are good (9-9-8 with Keeve alone as a booster). Fits in well with previously published cards, and just flexible enough to score a high 3.8.

TOTAL: 14 (70%) And his boss only scored 12.5 (not because of Stockability, if that's any comfort).

PICTURE: A difficult concept to illustrate, and so we have to live with a boring ol' screenshot. Is that a sensor wave emanating from the front of the Enterprise graphic? Did it cycle round the ship? I just can't tell. It's very plain. I do acknowledge the theme running through all cards with the word "Scan" in the title though. But it's not a terribly attractive theme. A 1.9.

LORE: A piece of the story from "Trials and Tribble-ations", it doesn't mesh entirely with the game text because it leaves out the secret beam-ins. Also, I don't really care for "to identify when" as a sentence structure. To "determine" maybe? No more than 1.5 here.

TREK SENSE: The Scan Cycle Check seems to do what it did on the show, allowing a ship to decloak and recloak (phasing is similar, so acceptable) being visible (or tangible) only while transporters are used. In fact, it's the Transporter Skill personnel that does the Check. In the game, there won't always be a ship present to confound, but it might be offscreen (belonging to natives of the area) or the sensors could be those of a native facility. In any case, you're confounding the long-range sensors of all ships in play that might be interested in going to your location to attack you, and all phenomena that could affect your decloaked ship. It does allow you to do something you couldn't normally though, and that's decloak and cloak in the same turn, and well, how's that a function of Transporter Skill? Also, how can one Transporter Skill personnel do this for an entire fleet of ships? Cuz it does affect all ships "there". Works out fine for the most part though (and you could always say the ships "network" through a single console). What doesn't quite work is the second function. In some cases, I agree that a dilemma could somehow get past sensors through that blip or hole created by the cycling. I'm thinking of Q-related dilemmas, or those that feature cloaking ships like Nelvana Trap. At planet missions, I suppose Alien Parasites must have been able to hide their presence, but in reality, how are Hunter Gangs and Love Interests doing it? The bigger half of the card works, so I'll happily give the card a 3.7.

STOCKABILITY: Cloaking and phasing ships offer a great deal of protection, whether it be from battle or from various other effects (Interrupts, Events, etc.), but the protection isn't complete. Your personnel need to beam off the ship to attempt planet missions, so the ship'll be left decloaked for the rest of the turn. See it destroyed and your Away Team could be stranded there. Scan Cycle Check can hide the ship right back. Of course, if you want to do this again on the return trip up, you need another Scan Cycle Check, and that's the card's biggest problem. How many copies do you need to make the strategy worthwhile? It has two saving graces on that front though. First, it affects all ships at the location, so you can use a single Transporter Skill to cloak/decloak your entire fleet at the same time. Second, it has a second use in case you have too many in hand: it nullifies the two dilemma-scanning cards. Those get hosed in other ways, but an outright nullifier not affected by The Line Must Be Drawn here is still useful. It's a possible out for the extra cards, though you might not get to use them this way either. Back to the main function, it's not just useful during mission attempts, but certainly after using Invasive Beam-In to get aboard an enemy vessel. As soon as you initiate personnel battle, it gives your opponent the right to counterattack ship-to-ship. But what if your ship isn't there anymore? This is especially good against a Borg opponent. A niche card for some cloaking decks and not others, I give it 3.4.

TOTAL: 10.5 (52.5%) Cards with "Scan" in the title have this kind of curse.

PICTURE: We never saw Sherman's Planet. It's only mentioned. But it's a stroke of genius to pull an image of Vasquez Rocks where so many original Trek episodes were filmed. Encounter with the Gorn? Here. "Shore Leave" planet? Here. The events of "The Alternative Factor" and "Friday's Child"? All here. It's even featured in later series, such as in "Who Watches the Watchers" in TNG. Ok, enough of that. The point is that so many planets in Trek have this distinctive "Peak", I think it's a wonderful tip of the hat to Trek history to give Sherman's Planet the same one. Sure, a planet where grain actually grows might have been a bit more appropriate (bit arid, ain't it?), but great ideas like this deserve a 5.

LORE: Lovely! Man, Time Locations get very short lore and when they pull something like this, I gotta give them a 5. Yes, you heard me, another 5. The line, of course, is pulled from "Trials and Tribble-ations", referring to the uncanny ability of the Temporal Investigation twins to figure out how long ago, and when in the week, any date is from the current day. Sure, the information isn't accurate unless your game takes place on the very same day Sisko got their visit, and only on that day, but who cares? A 5!

TREK SENSE: 2267 is what they've chosen to be the native time location of the OS era. It's in the second season of that series, so some personnel should be dead or disabled already (Christopher Pike and Dr. Roger Korby come to mind), but these are few. With the main spaceline, we just don't get a date, so this issue doesn't come up, though of course, some personnel and ship cards are tied to a specific timeline, and you wouldn't expect, for example, Jadzia Dax to be on the USS Sao Paulo. The game is an alternate universe when it comes to such events, so it's not too bothersome. The OS personnel that are from this time are those that also have an AU icon (differentiating them from the DS9 crew that infiltrated them) and excluding Mirror universe personnel (who come from a Mirror TL). The card is linked inextricably to "The Trouble with Tribbles" storyline, requiring, first of all, that you download Deep Space Station K-7. This is where the action actually took place, not on the planet. At this time, the Organian Peace Treaty was in effect (since during the first season of TOS), so you may download that too. May? Given that the Klingons and Feds were still at odds and the Organians weren't making weapons "hot" anymore, I like the option of ignoring the Treaty idea. Following the added plot layer of "Trials and Tribble-ations", examining and nullifying the Tribble Bomb here also negates Hero of the Empire. It's basically an addendum to the game text of those cards telling us that once the Bomb is taken out of play, Waddle's plans fall apart and he doesn't get a second chance. That the text is here rather than there is academic. Ties in well with the two episodes associated with the planet, though of course, the era (this IS a time location) was the home of many more events. It's very well done, though here's hoping 2E handles the OS era as more than one card you must time-travel from into the "real" universe. I'll go as high as 4.5.

STOCKABILITY: While you can play OS personnel without the benefit of this time location, either through simple AU Door/Space-Time Portal reporting or Spacedoor/Crew Reassignment with a universal OS ship, doing so does offer some advantages. First, the time location downloads Station K-7, to which OS cards can report for free at a rate of one per turn. The TL also allows you to download the Organian Peace Treaty, giving you Klingon cards to play with in addition to Federation cards. Arne Darvin is especially good here, giving you card draws each time you report a Klingon card, as well as each time your opponent dares report a Fed here. Romulans are included, but there are so few, it might be good to consider skipping the TL entirely and treating them like Telek R'Mor and the rest. If they do start here, they can have a Romulan Cloaking Device reported to them at this location. Otherwise-affiliated personnel can also make use of the equipment if they have 2 ENGINEERs aboard their ship, so any ship starting here could get a cloak before travelling through time. For your Fed and Klingon OSers, it's quick reporting before heading into the 24th century for mission attempts. The first mission might as well be Agricultural Assessment, which you must seed to use Sherman's Peak, and it happens to be extremely easy for OS personnel. Just two skills, or optionally, either of two OS Feds. Additionally, the Klingons can use Captain Kirk at K-7 to initiate Hero of the Empire with the Tribble Bomb. Blow him to kingdom come, then start solving your [Kli] missions in the Alpha Quadrant with or without any OS personnel. They're all worth +10 points! If your opponent is mainly in the Alpha Quadrant, all her missions there are -10 points! And it's retroactive. Not as simple as all that, since you need a Tribble side-deck, need to get a group of Tribbles on K-7 (not hard, small groups report anywhere), and need to get Barry Waddle to the station (he's required, but also downloads the Bomb). An opponent can come here to scan for the Bomb with a Tricorder, nullifying it and your Hero of the Empire, but it's not a foregone conclusion they can get there in time or even succeed in finding it on the first try. A bit card intensive, but the rewards are well worth it. Just don't get bogged down in the timeline disruption for too long. A good place to start for OS personnel, ships and equipment (which are generally good cards), it's also the launching pad of a couple of strategies. I say a 4.4.

TOTAL: 18.9 (94.5%) Hits the top 3 (currently in 2nd place overall).

PICTURE: Though a less-than-distinct side-shot, there's something enticingly Giger-esque about the line work and bare black & white palette. Since the Borg have more than a passing relationship to the Alien (still nameless after all these years) in methodology (and Giger redesigned the Borg for First Contact), this is a welcome thing, and enough to warrant 3.4.

LORE: A fair ID and task. We're used to this stuff by now, but at least it's nothing odd or far-fetched. A 3.

TREK SENSE: A matter of the Scout Drone's special skills making sense, but the more standard details... not so much. Let's start with the good. The Scout is used to going it alone or in a small party (the drone here is meant to be from a Scout Vessel, which is a 5-drone craft). What kind of a drone would he be if he let himself be captured by the native population of planets (AKA Thine Own Self)? So it's immune. Though your Adaptation to an Obstruction (dilemma) may be nullified (they change a beam's frequency, or pull a surprise, in essence forcing you to re-adapt), the Scout who was there can report back to the Hive/Collective (I suspect that's why he's a Communications drone) even at its time of death, making sure there's a way to Adapt later. This is represented as returning the Adapt to the bottom of the draw deck. Why so buried? Well, the Collective has a massive store of information to sift through at all times, and in any case, it's just a download away. The awkward thing is that the Adapt doesn't really have to have to be used on the same dilemma. Maybe a shred of information about one thing helps against another thing, who knows? Also shaky is Astrophysics. I mean, why? The Scout in the picture, and at least one of its special skills, is planet-based. Does Astrophysics help with scouting in space? Certainly, but no more than any other skill, I don't think. Maybe it's got to do with the nature of Transwarp conduits, though the Transwarp Drone has no such skill, and it's not required of any Transwarp card. And though I've mentioned how 6 of 13 can be a Com drone, I'm of a mind that he could have been Navigation just as well, considering the ships these guys fly. A lot of shaky, though not completely wrong, elements keep this one at 2.8.

STOCKABILITY: I'm not quite sure what Scout Drone was made for is relevant anymore, especially after the changes made in The Borg expansion. Astrophysics used to be a super-rare skill in the Collective, with just Scout and Tachyon Drones having it (and the Queen, obviously). In TB, they added the Isotope and Tactician Drones, and Second to that list. Interlink has more personnel to play with now. The immunity to Thine Own Self made sense when the Borg could scout planets only one personnel at a time, being extremely vulnerable to this card. This is no longer the case, with Borg making the same Away Teams as other affiliations. And I never thought losing your Adapt: Negate Obstruction to Amanda Rogers was that likely, since Amanda was being hosed severely as early as First Contact. That said, Astrophysics is still a good skill; being immune to Thine Own Self can protect your personnel from being lost under the mission if it's somehow alone (in the same ways as "normal" personnel); and reabsorbing your lost Adapt (it does happen) only to re-download it through the Countermeasure Drone is good recycling strategy. The whole thing just seems... antiquated now. I'll go for 2.5.

TOTAL: 11.7 (58.5%) Hope this scout was ready to be in the bottom five.

PICTURE: A somewhat grainy photo of an OS ship, right? Well, it IS saved by a very subtle piece of CGI work, namely the 1700 on the side of the nacelle, changed from the Enterprise's 1701. Very small, but I appreciate the attention to detail. It's enough to bring the score up to 3.5.

LORE: "Class ship" may be what you call the initial non-NX model of a starship line, but it reads very abruptly here, like there's something missing. The rest is just as stiff, if more readable. I do like the idea of putting "Starship" in front of OS ship names to differentiate them from later models, but the lore is a dull 2.

TREK SENSE: The Constitution baseline ship was never seen, of course, but we saw the OS Enterprise for 3 years, and sometimes other Constitution-class ships, so we do know what this ship would be like. It has a Tractor Beam, certainly, and requires OS personnel to staff it. This encourages players to have the right kind of personnel aboard the ship, though OS personnel without a regular staffing icon are less than appropriate as staffers of any ship. The only real oddity is Nilz Baris, so that's not too bad. The special download is a good one since Starships are supposedly full of Ensign Bobs, so they need only step into the spotlight. The anomaly here is that Mirror personnel can show up this way. As far as attributes go, the emphasis is on peaceful exploration, with Range and Shields being much higher than Weapons. Can't really argue with that. Note that there is another version of this ship's persona, the Classic Films Starship Constitution, which I mention because persona-switching allows for an extremely fast refit, or an improbable downgrade. Overall, pretty standard stuff, the nitpicks chop it down to 2.9.

STOCKABILITY: Though it's not the Starship Enterprise, it makes for an adequate backup to that ship in an OS deck. It staffs just as easily, with Crew Reassignment promising reinforcements outside the native time location, Sherman's Peak, where Deep Space Station K-7 may allow it to report for free. Similarly, the Columbus can report and launch from it. Its got very low WEAPONS, but your Feds aren't meant to attack passing ships (Kirk definitely belongs on the Enterprise instead). Mr. Scott can boost it just like any other Consitution-class, to 8-6-8, incidently. Its download can get you Lieutenants Grant and Palmer, but you can also legally download the Mirror horribles, Wilson, Davis and Gaffney. One of them anyway. If you have the CF Constitution in hand early on, you can even switch ships and download a universal CF personnel in addition, no doubt before turning the ship into one of the Enterprises (4 to choose from) with the Dom Perignon and downloading yet another, this time unique, personnel. It may in fact be a good choice to Spacedoor, using the champagne to get the ship you want, including a Mirror ISS Enterprise to get that affiliation into play in the Alpha Quadrant, or the OS in the present. Otherwise not very impressive, and no real alternative for Kirk's ship, which gets so many boosts, its insane. Mostly as a step toward downloading a Starship Enterprise, hits 3.4.

TOTAL: 11.8 (59%) Sadly scores low among Federation ships.

PICTURE: Purists may argue that an Original Series shot would be more appropriate for the classic ship than the DS9 recreation, but can you really argue with this sharpness of focus, these fine details and fun angle? Maybe seeing it from a higher standpoint would have made it better, but it's still 3.5.

LORE: I'll play the purist here though. Sticking to the events of "The Trouble with Tribbles" (and by association, "Trials and Tribble-ations") may be in tune with the expansion's theme, but it does a disservice to a ship that appeared for three whole seasons. The rest of the lore is very standard stuff, but at least it makes sure Captain Kirk is matching commander. A 2.4 here.

TREK SENSE: The Starship Enterprise reads a whole lot like the Constitution, with nothing very original coming out of the design. The ship does have a Tractor Beam, and downloading an OS personnel to it simply means a member of the 400+-person crew steps out from the shadows and into the spotlight. Since most OS Feds were members of the Enterprise, we wouldn't be surprised to see any of them there. Those not from the Enterprise at least came in contact with it. Everyone that is, except the Mirror Quadrant Feds. Yes, they can be downloaded here, but we'll have to assume a kind of transporter mix-up occured. The staffing makes sure you have personnel from the right period aboard, and only Nilz Baris makes for an absurd staffer (he has no real staffing icon), though NAs could also cause a stir. Attributes are at OS-era levels, with Weapons being a little higher than other Constitution-class ships'. Not a bad choice seeing as the ship took on a number of foes in its 5-year mission, but Range might have been another choice seeing as it left the galaxy a number of times on its own power. A minor problem, this design getting a fairly hard to impeach 4.3.

STOCKABILITY: The Starship Enterprise seems pretty demure when you look at it without the proper context, but it can be boosted to its legendary levels reasonably easily. The ship reports, potentially for free, at Sherman's Peak/K-7, and from there can download any OS personnel you want. After that, you can stick around at the station to get more free reporting to fill up on personnel, or fly into the future and use Crew Reassignment to get more of them in play (including the OS DS9 personnel). Don't want to use the Time Location? Use Admiral Riker at your HQ to download it directly to the spaceline. Plenty of the relevant personnel have Equipment downloads that add to their skills considerably, and many others actually boost the Enterprise's attributes so that the ship can compete in its new environment. Captain Kirk, of course, downloads Captain's Log and is its matching commander. Christopher Pike can also serve in that capacity (he boosts OS personnel, but not the ship except for the MC bonuses). There's also Ensign Chekov (+2 RANGE), Lt. Sulu (+2 WEAPONS) and Mr. Scott (all attributes +2). It's an Enterprise, so throw in a couple of other such ships and use Wall of Ships to further boost each attribute by 1 (cumulative). The card could also download Starship Enterprise, by the way. Non-OS personnel you could get aboard include Demora Sulu (+1 RANGE) and Guinan (doubles Captain's Log). Where are we up to? Oh yeah, a 14-16-15 ship with a matching commander that can initiate battle in spite of attack restrictions (with only one Wall of Ships). I don't think we need to get all those cards in play to make the Enterprise a formidable ship, eh? As to the matter of the CF version of the ship's persona, at only 1 more point in WEAPONS, its attributes aren't much different from its younger self, but you might include it in your deck simply to make the switch, download Crew Reassignment, and then go back to the more boostable OS ship. It it can be a very strong ship, but you've got to throw some support behind it. Hits 4.4.

TOTAL: 14.6 (73%) All the Enterprises are in the top half.

PICTURE: The angle is quite lame, with the Attack Ship flying away from us and not showing anything interesting from this vantage point. Colors are equally lacking, and the nacelles look disembodied. A disappointing 1.5.

LORE: The historical and technical notes are submerged in the need to give the ship 2 matching commanders. The first doesn't even match the ship's affiliation, and the second is pretty gauchely written. MCs are useful and add to a Lore's score, but this one is still rather blah at 2.5.

TREK SENSE: By putting the word "Stolen" in the title, the designers were free to take away its Dominion affiliation icon, but why leave Luaran as a possible commander? Those "brief" commanders aren't really sensical anyway, not having been serving on a ship long enough to know the ship so well, you can give it applicable bonuses. Luaran didn't even get to use the newly installed Breen technology. Is Kira a better choice? Not really. Her stint aboard this ship wasn't all that long either, and I doubt she was that comfortable with the alien technology. She does lend two of her affiliation icons to the ship however, but again, there are problems. It was stolen by the Cardassian rebels, so the Cardassian icon makes sense. But when did the Feds really fly it? Never, since this isn't the same one that crashed in "Rocks and Shoals". They eventually got to take it apart to learn all they could about the Breen weapon, but that's not the same as adding it to their fleet. When Kira is working with the rebels, she has the Cardassian icon anyway, so there's no reason for the Federation one. If it were all about her, it should also have a Bajoran icon, no? In all other respects, this is an Enhanced Attack Ship from the last DS9 story arc. The Breen Dampener has been added, and it still has Invasive Transporters and the same staffing and attributes as that universal design. And you know what? I don't agree. Since this is a design alien to the ones commanding it, it should either have higher staffing or lower attributes to simulate its crew's inexperience. Not too happy with any of it, I'm going to give it a low 1.7.

STOCKABILITY: This is a great ship for either the Cardassians or Federation (or for a Klaestron-inspired Treaty deck) because it offers both of the Dominion's unique special equipment. The Cardassians in particular will love the ability afforded by Invasive Transporters whether they're into battling or capturing. Either affiliation will like what the right Tactic can do to victims of an Energy Dampener. And Kira, the matching commander, can work with either of them, Plaquing and Logging that ship to a faster (the RANGE is all too low) 8-11-11. It's easy to staff for such a powerful ship. Luaran's matching commander status isn't really useful, and will only come into play if she commandeers the ship or if using a Dominion Treaty. If you're playing Dominion anyway, just give her a VR Headset to command the Enhanced Attack Ship she reports on and be done with it. Very nice options and a matching commander you'll want to include, this Stolen Ship scores 4.2.

TOTAL: 9.9 (49.5%) Though useful, this scores the lowest of all Cardassian ships to date.

PICTURE: Though it's still a funny pic, it's disappointing to see the same exact image from 100,000 Tribbles, only zoomed-in a little more. It does fix the problem with the fake-looking tribbles over his head, and with "Clone" being in the corner of the Tribbles card, well, you can sort of forgive the duplication, can't you? The doorway aspect isn't well represented, so that element's a little weaker, but it's still a classic... 3.9, same as 100,000 Tribbles.

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

TREK SENSE: Quite conceptual, the Door seems to open everywhere in play at the same time. It's representative of the Tribbles' ability to sell and breed, and perhaps all the grain in the Storage Compartment is the symbol of that breeding, but in actuality, that's not where the Tribbles started. They started at their now-destroyed homeworld, and came to us via Cyrano Jones. Still, it's cute that the side-deck is topped with this card, and the deck is full of Tribbles. Each turn - and this is mechanical - you draw up to three options for your Tribbles (will they breed? new batch? Troubles?). Stocked in the deck, the card can be used to download just what you need, giving the breeding/troubling habits more logic. And as usual, the doorway can re-open itself if closed. Cute, but essentially a license to use Tribbles. No more than a 1.2.

SEEDABILITY: A Tribbles strategy only requires one seedling, this one, and then basically runs independently from your deck and hand. Cheap, and the results can be very aggravating to your opponent. Tribbles can stop personnel, lower their attributes, prevent mission attempts, remove skills, kill Ooby Dooby and Colony strategies, prevent probing and free reporting, and reduce mission points. Add Troubles, and they can stop ships, reduce their attributes, suspend Process Ore, conducting services and matching commander bonuses, limit Away Team numbers, and spread even more than usual. The Tribble Bomb adds a little more spice. You draw as many as many as three, and what you don't immediately use goes face-up into the side-deck, only to be reshuffled later. Stocking SCD in your deck can come in handy too, since downloading can give you the missing link missing from the threesome you pulled. You can insure breeding sequences or the right Trouble card this way. And you never know, always good to have a back-up to keep Revolving Door away from your side-deck. Tribbles are a complication for the player using them, but the annoyance can be worth it... as long as the Tribbles don't get in YOUR way. And they can. So this is slightly better in cross-quadrant games, for example. I'd say the card - and thus the side-deck - is maybe worth 3.5, though a lot of players feel it slows down the game to much.

TOTAL: 11.47 (57.33%) Aww, but they're so soft and cuddly!

PICTURE: The transporter effect on Bok makes this image grainier than you might expect, and the necessary vertical composition sends our eyeline shooting right out of the pic. For all that, the evil grin is priceless, and the golden tones are very Ferengi. A 3.

LORE: An exercise in techno-babble that still gets its message across. Another 3.

TREK SENSE: You install this system on your ship, and each turn, it can beam a personnel to of from any place at this location, or an adjacent one. In many ways, that's exactly how it should work. The extended range AND ability to beam through shields are well handled, as is the limit of one personnel per beaming. Not so obvious is why only a Treachery personnel can be beamed, but it must have something to do with such Transporters being illegal, and most beamings being used for intruding or escaping from crimes. What's more bothersome to me is that the person doing the beaming doesn't have to have Treachery (though it may be an treacherous Ensign Bob, since the ship need not be staffed). And I'm always a bit pained when Transporter Skill isn't required for such maneuvers. If this is so dangerous (yeah, where's the risk?!?), why doesn't it take a professional to operate it? The last clause has a couple problems. One is that it could have presented a real risk by killing the beaming personnel, but worse is the fact that the Interference destroys your Transporter system entirely, doesn't just prevent it from working. With all the feedback explosions seen in Star Trek, this is no doubt possible, but it still rings falsely. There are a lot of good things here, but a lot of dodgy elements too. A 3 again.

STOCKABILITY: A poor man's Invasive Beam-In, in a sense, it's nonetheless an excellent card when all you want to do is create intruders. Infiltrators have the Treachery required to make the trip, and can be sent over even if you don't have Invasive Transporters AND from adjacent locations. This can be especially useful to infiltrators when they're just out of range. For non-infiltrators, intruders have their own bag of tricks, from The Walls Have Ears' bonus points to commandeering efforts aboard ships and stations. Note the ability to skip all steps between a docking site and Ops here. Since the card stays on the ship, your intruder can return on your next turn if he or she hasn't been attacked and killed yet. You can also use the card's effect simply to ferry Treachery personnel to destinations faster, whether it's to a mission that requires reinforcements, but to which you don't exactly have the RANGE, or to pull them out of a rough situation at an adjacent location. Or nastier yet, get to use Airlock on opponent's ships. Oh, and the nullification only by Subspace Interference greatly reduces the likelyhood that it will be nullified. Almost no one uses that card, and here, Kevin Uxbridge, Quinn, etc. don't have an effect. Certainly not useful in every deck, it does offer some fun possibilities for certain others. A 3.4.

TOTAL: 12.4 (62%) And for the record, glad it wasn't made as Equipment.

PICTURE: Though a cool moment on the show, it's all very dreary here. The out-of-focus background and too-sharp forefront objects and character may betray the special effects, and the figures are too obscured to be very distinguishable. Ah well, no more than a 1.9.

LORE: Too bad the title couldn't also be about Jem'Hadar kamikaze tactics, but what we have here is pretty good too. Something about turning your back on a Breen, etc., might have been cooler and more generic, but the way this specific incident is told is great and snarky. Poetic, even. A 3.7.

TREK SENSE: Covers a couple of ideas, though the details can sometimes be odd. In the first scenario, your opponent's personnel are escorting a captive. Said captive makes a grab for a weapon, shoots his captor, but, just like in the pic, also gets shot. That's all fine, but I'm not sure about the species restriction. The Romulans say never to turn your back on a Breen, and it's true enough, so that's a cute one right there. Romulans can't really be trusted either, but one could say the same of Cardassians, or Mirror personnel, etc. Replacing the species with a simple "personnel with Treachery" would have gone a long way, though perhaps Treachery personnel can't all be counted to make such a foolish attack. But can we say that of Romulans as a whole? The second scenario involves a personnel battle where your personnel (any) makes a Suicidal Attack on an opposing personnel (they must be paired). Both are killed. This one is broader, so makes more sense, but we might disagree with the choice of personnel to make such an Attack. This card's heart is in the right place, but fussy as I am, I can't go above 3.6. Still good.

STOCKABILITY: Anyone might use this to sacrifice a personnel in order to kill an opposing personnel of greater worth. This is especially relevant when your personnel would lose his or her fight anyway. Suicidal Attack could allow a weakling like Ira Graves to kill an Alpha-Hirogen, for example. Ira was going to kick the bucket anyway, right? This not only kills an opposing personnel, but it also weeds out his or her STRENGTH from the opposing Away Team's total. The Dominion and Romulans have a further use for the card, but only if they are ever captured (for the Dominion, only if a Breen is captured; the Feds also have a couple Romulans). The captive is killed, sure, but you get your choice of captor to be killed. Someone in your discard pile is easier to get back than a captive anyway, and they can't be used against you in some way. The specific kill can more than make up for the loss. It's all about opportunity, but flexible enough to be of use in any deck that expects battle. A 3.6.

TOTAL: 12.8 (64%) Haven't turned my back on this card.

PICTURE: Very gray, but then so are these two characters! The pic comes off as dull, but appropriately so, I suppose. Good humorless expressions. A slight compositional imbalance on the right. I'm gonna go with a fair 3.

LORE: The first sentence gives us the facts and just the facts, m'am, but the second goes for the joke. A fun and true comment on the frequency of time travel stories in Star Trek. A fun 3.5.

TREK SENSE: The event represents your opening a Department (or bureau) of Temporal Investigations, which might well be done by any affiliation. They look out for temporal anomalies, and when they find them, they ask for the allocation of more resources, as represented either by a card draw, or by the assignment (download) of either TI agent (in the case of the Federation). Card draws are always mechanical and conceptual in nature, so there'll always be problems with that kind of thing. In this case, it's also too bad that the anomalies in question can only be personnel and ships. Why not events, interrupts and dilemmas? Why only your opponent's cards? After all, weren't Dulmer and Lucsly a lot more interested in their own guys' misdoings on K-7 than in anything happening on the Romulan side of the border? At least playing cards in other quadrants does initiate any effect, since these places cannot be investigated, but that does bring up another question: If your Kazon have a DTI, why does it investigate the Alpha Quadrant? And if the DTI is only always meant to represent the Federation (Alpha) DTI, then why should the card draws help another affiliation? The concept works, but the exact mechanics used are too vague for more than a 3.4 here.

STOCKABILITY: Temporal Investigations depends way too much on your opponent's behavior, giving you card draws or downloads only on a turn in which your opponent plays an AU personnel or ship. You might get lucky when your opponent goes for either an OS, CF or Terran deck, but in most cases, AU cards won't make up the better part of a deck. Many affiliations don't have many AU cards, and if the Gamma or Delta Quadrants are used for reporting cards, TI won't get you a single card draw. Still, I suppose there are a couple possibilities. The Bajorans have Gantt and their Warship, and the Borg might use an AU counterpart. The Cardassians probably won't use AUs, and only have Garak and Thrax anyway (oh, and the Butcher of Gallitep). The Feds have the most even when you count out the OS and CF ones (who may well appear in a deck other than their own because of some cool special skills). In most cases, they are simple collections of skills, not quite necessary. A couple of AU ships might make the cut though, including a couple of Enterprises. The highlight is Admiral Riker. The Klingons have a few too, not always OS or CF (like K'chiQ), and including a couple of strong ships. The Romulans come in third, and have Telek R'Mor, among others. And of course, there are always NAs like the FC Vulcans, Ajur & Boratus, and The Traveller. So you might get a use from it. If you're a Fed, you can also use it to download Dulmer and/or Lucsly for their skills, I suppose, since they don't amount to that much more. Lucsly has Temporal Investigations as a special download, so getting him out first means you can get the Event quickly thereafter (it's certainly more efficient to stock both, or even all three). Still, the card relies too much on what your opponent will do, and you could be left with nothing to investigate. Can't go higher than a 2.2 with that.

TOTAL: 12.1 (60.5%) Not about to get a smile from either investigator.

PICTURE: A good close-up that minimizes the hot pink of his uniform. We still get some on the far shoulder as well as in the background. I do like the gravelly mesh on his left side though, and the shot isn't your standard head shot. Enough for a 3.3.

LORE: Remove the Romulan references, and that first sentence could be describing Mr. Spock, truly opposing the Gal'Gathong with the Enterprise and Keras with Kirk. His cautious nature gets the second sentence, all in a neat package. Perhaps odd that he doesn't get a name (after all, Keras and Charvanek were each just called "Romulan Commander" on the show). I like "The Centurion", classicly Roman, but I'm just saying. A good 3.6.

TREK SENSE: He's a Science officer, and as a Centurion, must have 100 men under him, so a Command icon is obvious. His two scientific skills are well enough chosen. His Exobiology might include a study of humanity, leading to his caution against the Enterprise, though Anthropology might have been a bit better here. Stellar Cartography helps the ship navigate beyond the Neutral Zone under cloak. Well done. The rest is based on his stand-up nature, starting with Honor and leading to high Integrity. Other Romulans are inspired by this (and well advised by him), boosting all their stats. This would be as true of the men under and around him, as it would Romulans from other (non-AU) times, since he's probably a respected historical figure by now. (Then again, the more aggressive Decius got a ship named after him, so who knows?) Cunning goes with his Science background and advisory capacity. Strength is that of an older warrior. One note rings a little false, but the rest is good - a 3.5.

STOCKABILITY: OS Romulans are quite content to walk through an AU Door to get into play, and Crew Reassignment will certainly get The Centurion to the Gal'Gathong, or if you like your ships a bit more fortified, the Decius. He brings a good skill set to the table, as happy on a planet as he is in space. Exobiology and Stellar Cartography are featured on enough missions and dilemmas to be worthwhile, often with SCIENCE. Honor's a bit rarer in the affiliation, and it has its uses. He can add to those skills with Classic equipment to make himself even better. And better still is his boost to all Romulan attributes at his location (not where present). Leave him aboard ship, and he still helps an Away Team. His very good attributes include high Firestorm-proof INTEGRITY, but his special skill helps many Romulans pass INTEGRITY dilemmas as well! How about a 3.9?

TOTAL: 14.3 (71.5%) Worthy of a legend (though I hope the Romulans at least remember his name).

PICTURE: Hugh makes a handsome Borg drone, here dehumanized compared to his Roguish self, with the really black eye and flawless porcelain skin. The tubes add motion, and the background is unintrusive while maintaining a Borg feel. A 3.5.

LORE: Hugh is treated like any other drone, and his designation is the surprising Tactic Drone. Didn't get this vibe from him once he was cut from the Collective, but the designers had little choice in finding him an alphabetical match to his given numbered designation (deviating from the standard, which would have him as THREE of Five). His Task is varied and disarms him a bit, which does help. How about a plain 3?

TREK SENSE: We don't know much about Hugh's function in the Collective, though the Hugh download at least allows him to be cut off at least once and "become" Hugh. The effects of the Interrupt make no sense coming from a Borg drone however, since he was himself a Rogue Borg and would not have consciously interceded with them on behalf of the Collective. His skills aren't very "tactical", but that was the lore's conceit only. The Borg need information on places and people to better conduct their assimilations, and 3 of 5 compiles that info, be it about planets (Geology), spatial phenomena (Stellar Cartography) or living beings (Biology). Since he was part of a Scout Vessel's crew, he has the requisite staffing icon (Nav) and an attribute boost to such ships. Now, to explain the boost, I might say that the drone is specifically "programmed" to be part of an advance scout team, would then necessarily staff a Scout, and furthermore, his scouting missions would be to the Alpha Quadrant. An other possibility is that he applies the "tactics" he's devised from analyzing other data. Either works for me. One final note: We got to know Hugh and see him as a unique individual, but as a drone, shouldn't he be universal? This is like saying that the Collective has only one Tactic Drone. Seven of Nine, being part of the Queen's inner circle (Unimatrix 01), might have very specific and unique tasks, but an advance scout? Doubtful. A generally good effort, the few bugs keep the score at 3.8.

STOCKABILITY: He makes an excellent drone, if you'll pardon the expression. 3 of 5's skills are all useful against a variety of dilemmas, as much on planets as in space. Follow that up with a boost to one of the smaller (and easier-to-staff) Borg ships that makes the Borg Scout Vessel he's on a 9-6-6 ship in the DQ, MQ and GQ, and an 11-8-8 ship in the Alpha Quadrant. That's a pretty fast ship, certainly saving on the Transwarp Network Gateways, and it'll stand up to most ships trying to pick it off for its 5 bonus points. It's just too bad 3 of 5 isn't universal, he could download to a Scout Encounter. He does report "as crew" to the Scout, or else download via the usual Borg use-only cards. His Hugh download doesn't just get you out of a jam with Rogue Borg Mercenaries, it can also be used very effectively in conjunction with Retask. Use Hugh on a self-seeded Borg Ship dilemma to avoid your Scout Vessel to be blown out of the sky, and then Retask the thing into a full-fledged (and staffed) Borg Cube. No sacrifice necessary. Hugh's Scout Ship becomes a cool unique ship, extremely fast and with attributes to rival any non-Cube. The whole package is worth a 4.1.

TOTAL: 14.4 (72%) Better than Hugh's 47%, it's a credit to being backed by the Collective.

PICTURE: Ever the stick in the mud, Thopok looks very stiff here, and his downloadable Bat'leth stands upright too, almost like a shoulder decoration. So the pic's got the right groove, even if the hazy background leaves something to be desired. An appropriate 3.4.

LORE: The lore makes him a useful bodyguard, and "would-be suitor" is a new shade of romantic interest. After that, they qualify his personality, give him an interesting job, and an enemy to focus on. Quark is refered to in his Klingon guise, which is a nice touch. Some good work here, reaching 3.9.

TREK SENSE: As a bodyguard, Thopok is Security, that's a fair enough assumption, and his skills may or may not have anything to do with his job. The Biology, I imagine, is used to hit opponents in the deadliest spots. Transporter Skill, well... I seems to harken back to the time Grilka kidnapped Quark off the station, but I don't remember Thopok being in her employ yet. Let's just say the skills are borderline at best. Can't say that of the Bat'leth download though. He used one in his only appearance, and well enough, plus it's handy in his line of work. And there it is in the picture. His intolerance of Quark and his kind shows in the Integrity, which is not that low because he mostly meant to protect the Lady Grilka. He's not that smart though, losing her to a Ferengi and being fooled by Quark, Worf and Dax. As for the Strength, it's a worthy 9, falling just short of Worf's 10 (to which he lost after all). I think the skills could stand a refit, but the rest works admirably. A 3.2 then.

STOCKABILITY: Falling a little short of being a support personnel, Thopok nonetheless is a worthy personnel. SECURITY means he can be downloaded early via Defend Homeworld, and from there, he's an excellent mission solver and dilemma passer. Klingon missions seem to have an odd fascination with Biology, and in any case, it's good against a number of dilemmas including Aphasia Device, Alice and Flaxian Assassin. Transporter Skill remains one of the rarer skills in the game. If that were it, he'd read a little too much like the universal support personnel Vartoq, but he's also good for combat decks. He downloads a Bat'leth, first and foremost, which the Klingons can always use (in multiples too). An early download of Thopok and his hand weapon can give you early access to Bat'leth Tournament in fact (just get an Honor mission specialist or two to tag along). He's got a nice STRENGTH of 9 to go along with that, AND he's a bodygyard, which means he can use the Bodyguards card to protect weaker VIPs or CIVILIANs in those combat situations. All other Klingon bodyguards are from another quadrant or time location, so he'll stay useful to Alpha decks. Can't say he's a necessity, but he gives a lot of support for whatever the Klingons are up to. A 3.8.

TOTAL: 14.3 (71.5%) Oooh, finally beats the Son of Keldar (who only hit 13.8).

PICTURE: Thot Gor looking right into the camera is pretty creepy, but it certainly has presence. Note also the Dominion symbol in the background, representing the alliance with that affiliation (and justification for the Breen to actaully BE Dominion - more on that later). A cool 3.5.

LORE: The first couple of phrases are informative and even useful (being a General is, at any rate), but it's the last three that make me smile. We get short acerbic evaluations of his relationships with the other 3 important "Dominion leaders", going in a downward spiral, no less. A fun 4.1.

TREK SENSE: First things first - should the Breen be Dominion-affiliated? After all, an alliance doesn't mean they've been incorporated wholesale, does it? None of the post-alliance Cardassians are Dominion, nor are the Son'a. The Feds and Klingons are allies, but they don't normally share icons. The saving grace is that, aside from a few Breen seen before the final war arc of DS9, the Breen have always been seen fighting for the Dominion. They don't seem to have dissidents like the Cardies do either. They can be seen more like the Dosi and Karemma, that pay tribute to the Dominion and are in fear of the Jem'Hadar, but still clearly within Dominion space and control. Acceptable with reservations. Now, Thot Gor is a general (that's what "Thot" means), so an Officer. As one of the top Officers, Leadership x2 isn't improbable, and indeed, I think it helps explain his special skill. This skill boosts the Weapons of Breen and Jem'Hadar ship if they are fighting together. This makes him a great strategist, especially at integrating the two forces, but it also means the Jem'Hadar follow him without question. The alliance he helped forge should have awarded him Diplomacy, but that's missing. Instead we get the enigmatic Medical, for which I don't really have an explanation. It's not impossible for a military leader to have some field medic-type knowledge, but he's far removed from the battlefield here, and I don't remember him expressing any real interest in the field. As for attributes, Integrity shows some loyalty, but callousness as well. Cunning could have been higher if he was such a great strategist, but I can't really prove it. Speaking of unproven, the sky-high Strength was never really seen as such on the show. But we don't really know the Breen's capabilities, or what kind of biology they have. The best I can do is mention that the Jem'Hadar seem to respect the Breen, so they must be good fighters. A lot to like, but a number of things are merely acceptable. A mitigated 3.4.

STOCKABILITY: The Breen make fine additions to Dominion decks, especially if you don't care to use the Gamma Quadrant much. Thot Gor, as their "hero" personnel, is a prime example of the species. His high STRENGTH makes him fit right in with Jem'Hadar troops if personnel battles are your thing, but his real usefulness is in space battles. Not only does he command a Breen Warship (Plaque/Log: 11-13-12), but if a Jem'Hadar ship also participates (whether an Attack Ship, Warship or - ouch! - Battleship), both ships are +2 to WEAPONS (and indeed any other Jemmie and Breen ships in the armada). Throw in a quite capable Breen Tactic card, and you're on your way to an immense ATTACK total even with just two ships. Hey, a VR Headset will work aboard a Breen ship too, you know. The Breen Warship is Spacedoorable, and Gor is just a Ready Room Door away from being in play. Another important feature of Thot Gor is his MEDICAL, a classification that is rather rare in the Dominion (he's in fact the only one from the Alpha Quadrant). Leadership is much more common there however, and with an extra x2, you'll never run out (and it passes Tense Negotiations). Perhaps more important is that he can pass Executive Authorization, being a General and all. A successful 4.3.

TOTAL: 15.3 (76.5%) Definitely a leader in the Dominion.

PICTURE: To me, it's very funny that they changed the main Breen general after an appearance or two when they could've put anybody in the suit and still called him Thot Gor. We wouldn't have noticed an actor change, and indeed, aside from the name change, you wouldn't know this was a different character. So of course he looks just like Gor, though the close-up is more startling. The lamp near his head is a bit too bright, but I do like all the texture detail on his helmet. A good and dramatic 3.5.

LORE: The "general" keyword adds a use for him, the third sentence places him on the Dominion war timeline, and the last is straight from his episodes. A lot of information, well told. 3.4 here.

TREK SENSE: I can't say I know where they're getting all these skills, but a couple of them do add to the Breen mystique. Archaeology, for example: Are there artifacts of value to the Breen on either Earth or Romulus that inspire their annexation? Or Transporter Skill: Does the energy dampening weapon work in a way similar to transporter technology? Personally, I think I'm letting my imagination run away with me (though that's not a bad effect for a card to have!). Exobiology, at least, has something to do with conquering alien species, though not a lot. I don't need to know how an ant looks inside for me to stomp on it. More obvious skills might have been Physics or Engineer (for the weapon), Leadership (he's a general) and Diplomacy (he was at the signing of the treaty). Greedier perhaps than Gor in what territories he wanted, a slightly lower Integrity is appropriate. He's smarter though, and his more scientific skills reflect that. And he's not quite as strong as Thot Gor who seemed the better tactician, and therefore, soldier. Really strange choices, but I can't quite say they're wrong. My conscience still keeps the score at 2.7.

STOCKABILITY: As I've said before, the Breen are a good addition to the Dominion, especially their Alpha decks, because they are as formidable as Jem'Hadar in battle, yet don't rely on Ketracel-White or Gamma Quadrant reporting. There are only 3 (I don't count the hologram Dar), and only one of them is universal. That would be the support personnel and bodyguard, Lam. Of the other two, Thot Gor is the best, so Thot Pran must take a back seat to him. He's also a general for use against Executive Authorization, and as one of the three Breen, makes the Breen Warship fully operational (he can report directly to it, by the way). Other than that, you've got a unique personnel with high attributes and only three skills, albeit rather rare ones. Archaeology isn't that great, actually, but it is rather rare in the Dominion. Exobiology and Transporter Skill will see more use against dilemmas, and the latter helps with Invasive Beam-In too. A 3.4, but no Thot Gor.

TOTAL: 14 (70%) To Thot Gor's 15.3. (Don't you just hate constantly being compared to another person?)

PICTURE: Not a fan of any of these split-screens, not when a shot of the two affiliations collaborating or signing a Treaty would have been possible. Though the two solid colors are closely related (something I've always found ironic), it makes the card more bland. Plus, the logos themselves add another bunch of colors that just don't match with anything. 0.1 here.

LORE: The story of the Treaty is well told and the prose effective. A good 3.4.

TREK SENSE: Cooperation has never been these two affiliations' strong suits, even when they had a Treaty going. Non-aggression might have been a better way to go (preventing battles between the two), or actually more proper, something to do with the return of equipment, personnel and Orbs. Those were the bullet points of the Treaty, not any kind of collaboration as such. There are instances where cooperation on a very small scale was possible, in "Destiny" for example, and in the final episodes of DS9. The Federation always acted as a go-between however. Anyway, I've never found Treaties to be all that satisfying for those reasons. This one has a little customization, which is good, in the form of free plays if any of the personnel responsible for the Treaty in the lore are in play. Two of them signed it, the other was instrumental in negotiating it. That brings up the score a little, but only to 1.9.

STOCKABILITY: Two things have an impact on Treaty stockability. Firstly, do the two affiliations use the same strategies? And secondly, do they complement each other well? We can safely say yes to the first question. A lot of missions have both the Bajoran and Cardassian attemptability icons, and even when they don't they are often in each other's regions. You can cut down on Spans substantially if you stay inside the Bajoran or Cardassian region throughout the game, and may well avoid your opponent's space. Plus, you can help your own guys complete your homeworld(s) WITHOUT resorting to Secure Homeworld. Furthermore, both affiliations have their own Nors, and you can do a lot of recycling without worrying about Reactor Overload by Process Ore for a single card and getting the other through Bajoran Shrine. Card-heavy? Perhaps, but the two Ops in this case would allow you to download anyone you wanted, Bajoran OR Cardassian. As to the second question, well, a little bit. The Bajorans can forgo their usual lame ships in favor of Galors or Keldons, while the Cardassians can use boosted-up Resistance fighters to insure victory in personnel battles initiated by Taken Prisoner. The Treaty doesn't seed, but of course, Open Diplomatic Negotiations can fix that. Kai Winn can also download a copy. Turrel's also useful here in protecting it from The Devil. Now, playing for free a Treaty isn't a great effect to me, because you'll want it hard and fast and won't want to wait for it to come into hand. A second copy in case it does get nullified, well, that's where you can always use the free play effect. Three possible personnel that allow it is good. Enough compatibility for a 4.1.

TOTAL: 10.5 (52.5%) Hard to overcome the dull Picture policy set in Premiere.

PICTURE: Treaties are dull, dull, dull, especially when you think about what might've been. Here, a cold reception of Cretak by Kira perhaps... The worst thing about the side-by-side logos is the colors. The apple green and purplish grape looks not unlike a sickly Hulk, and I've always hated that 4-color comic color scheme. Like most Treaties, hovers above zero at 0.1.

LORE: Starts out stating the facts in a pretty dry manner, but the twist ending redeems the lore. Quite nice at 3.5.

TREK SENSE: Here we go again. The very thin alliance between the Bajorans and Romulans had components of the cooperation mentioned by the game text, it's true. The Romulans established an Outpost in Bajoran territory (Durna, not just on DS9), and fought on the same side. Still, there was little actual "mixing", and certainly none aboard any affiliated ships. In fact, they remained at odds! That's where Treaties fail for me: they're all basically the same and don't allow for differences between the various alliances. The single difference between this and other Treaties is the personnel that allow it to be played for free. Colonel Kira and Senator Cretak never signed an actual Treaty (Cretak might've, but Kira didn't), and this Treaty feels more like an Arrangement. These two women have agreed to cooperate (for a time), but the decisions were made by others, and another member of the Bajoran militia would no doubt also have accepted it. There's just no real push for Kira's name to be there. Never been keen on these things, and this particular Treaty only gets 1.9.

STOCKABILITY: I always ask the same two questions, namely whether the two affiliations are compatible, and whether they are complementary. In the former case, the Romulans and Bajorans are pretty different. They don't really have a common agenda, aren't strong in the same fields, etc. It's in the latter category that the two may be a match. See, the Bajorans give the Romulans a chance to use a Nor and everything that comes with that, including a little card cycling from the Bajoran Shrine. The Bajorans get to serve on better ships and act as beefed-up assault teams for the competent, but more cerebral Romulans. And where the Romulans are lacking in Integrity, the Bajorans have some of the most ethical personnel in the game. And yet, they can supply plenty of Treachery for Romulan missions. Seems like the Bajorans are more a help to Romulans than vice-versa, eh? The Treaty unfortunately doesn't seed, something primordial for actually using two affiliations together, so it'll have to be Open Diplomatic Negotiations. That's why the two personnel that allow it to play for free don't matter to me much. They're great for quickly putting a second copy out if The Devil ever interferes, but otherwise... I might very well use the two personnel if that's any consolation, but they don't have abilities that really help one another out. Not the best meshing, but I can see why one side would use the other (what I'd call back-door Trek Sense). A 3.

TOTAL: 8.5 (42.5%) Worst Treaty yet, but I don't think Kira would disagree with me.

PICTURE: There couldn't be another shot of this, since it is the reveal shot on the show. A very strangely-shaped Tribble, I must say, one that has been likened to William Shatner's hair (or hairpiece). Objectively, of course, it's just another bunch of tribbles on aquarium gravel, but the pic is appropriate and has a little more to say to Trekkies. A 3.5.

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

TREK SENSE: A real Trek Sense treasure, the story starts with Barry Waddle secreting the Bomb into a group of tribbles, where it counts down (tic tic tic) and explodes in his target's face. Don't scrutinize that too much though, since you'll be asking too many questions. For example, I can believe that Waddle timed the Bomb so that it would explode while the storage bin doors would be open, but how does that corelate with other targets (why indeed would Waddle use this ploy against anyone but Kirk)? If there are a lot of people at the Bomb's location, only one is killed? How? At least the explosion WAS timed, not keyed to a specific personnel's presence, because it wouldn't have exploded in space where Kirk was absent. If the effect is the same as on the show, the mechanics and motives behind it can be a little wonky. Now, just like on the show, personnel can search for the Bomb with their tricorders. I have no problems with all manner of tricorder being used, since the Tribble would be an amalgam of biology (for Medicals) and technology (for Engineers). But since the Tribbles are numerous and keep breeding, you have to find the Bomb in the shuffle (get it?). You might end up checking the same pile more than once. Wonkiness: it takes the same amount of time to search 1 Tribble as it does 100,000. Again, the mechanics fail it a bit, but high marks for trying to reproduce the episode. A generous 3.9.

STOCKABILITY: Its basic function is pretty obvious - being an integral part of the timeline disruption afforded by Hero of the Empire, a card that can give a huge point boost to non-Fed Alpha Quadrant affiliations, the Klingons in particular. The strategy involves putting an immovable Kirk on Deep Space Station K-7, and then bringing Barry Waddle back in time to Sherman's Peak, where he can download and play the Tribble Bomb on a tribbles group. Lots of elements to take care of, but the point boost for your missions with a Klingon icon (and point drain on your opponent) is retroactive, so as long as you complete your task before the end of the game... The Bomb can be used more generally on any target you like even if you don't want to use Hero of the Empire, benefiting from the same special download by the one personnel that can make use of it. Yes, you still need a tribbles side-deck, and it should include Trouble in the Transporters, a card that not only allows tribble groups to follow personnel around to ships and facilities, but the Bomb as well. It sticks to a proposed victim's neck like a Tiberian bat, to quote someone I know. Tricorders of any type can search a tribble group to nullify the Bomb, but its chances usually hold around 50%. Disruptor Overload, or some nice Equipment-targeting dilemmas while you set things up, can nip that one in the bud. If you're going for Hero of the Empire, it's especially important to keep tricorders far from the Bomb, since Hero will also be nullified by its discovery. Makes a tribble side-deck a little more deadly at the very least, and part of a useful timeline disruption at its best. A 3.7.

TOTAL: 14.8 (74%) Right up there with the best of the Tribble cards.

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