These are the Voyages...

So as some friends know, I've recently been getting back into the Star Trek CCG. It's different to go back to a game that you abandoned previously. This is the second time I've gone back to it, the first being when they released the Deep Space Nine set.

Of course this time is different. The last time, ST:CCG was undergoing the beginning of a renaissance as the original designers had mostly left and the newer people were coming in with a new perspective on things. This time, ST:CCG 1e is no longer being made and they're producing the second edition. I've looked into that and some things about 2e I like (like not having to create dilemma combos) but other things I don't. There is about 25 versions of Kathryn Janeway. Does there really need to be that many? Basically they eliminated a lot of the "universal" personnel and just keep shoving out main characters. As people who have seen my decks, they know that when I make a deck, I very rarely put in more than one copy of any character.

The other thing that's different this time is perspective. When I first came back, I was only getting used to one new set that I had skipped (First Contact) and was still putting together a lot of decks. This time, the time away is a lot longer (4 years compared to a year and a half) and has given me a lot of perspective. First off, sometimes you're looking at a deck and wonder "why is this card in here?" and sometimes you remember why and sometimes that card hits the pile of "extra cards." Other times you shoot yourself for not having a card. Why don't I have a Rom?

I also have been able to get the last great infiltration card.
(Photo courtesy of Decipher Inc.) And already do I have people shaking in their boots. This card came out after I left. I'm also trying to use it in conjunction with when I decide to
Dial Martok.



Another big problem is that the ST:CCG trading scene seems to have died for the most part. The message boards are practically nonexistent!

The final thing about coming back is that sometimes you look at a card and see several new, creative and treacherous uses for it. Persistence of Memory is a painting by Salvador Dali and a card from the elusive Fajo Collection. The Fajo Collection was sold by sets of 18 cards for $100 which is a lot. Back then, when I was living with my parents, as I was in middle school, I couldn't exactly prove the justification for $100. Nevertheless, I still own one of the Fajo Collection cards in my Federation deck (can you guess what card that is?)

But getting back to my original point, the painting card is interesting in that it reverses the card named. But how do you "reverse the card"? They had to release a specific ruling about it.

Horga’hn - Artifact allows opponent to take double turns from now on. (Not cumulative.)
Thought Maker - Look at your draw deck for ten seconds and rearrange as desired.
Mona Lisa - If destroyed, the opponent of the player directly causing the destruction (if any) loses points. (Not duplicatable.)
Static Warp Bubble - You must discard one card before ending each turn. (Not cumulative.)
Kivas Fajo - Collector - Opponent chooses any player to immediately draw three new cards from the top of their draw deck. Discard event after use.
The Traveler: Transcendence- That player's opponent must draw one extra card at the end of each turn. Also, while in play, nullifies Static Warp Bubble. (Not cumulative.)
Devidian Door - Allows you to send a card "to the future." Whether or not you currently have a Devidian Door in your hand, at any time say "Devidian Door" and take (from anywhere in play) one of your Personnel or Equipment cards to your hand. However, any time during your next turn, you must show opponent a Devidian Door from your hand and place it out-of-play, or you lose the game. (Note that you play Persistence of Memory on the "Devidian Door" announcement, not when the Doorway card is shown.)
Black Hole - Remains a location with span of 1. Every four full turns, inserts one new Space location from outside the game (regardless of out-of-play restrictions). Alternates, first inserting one on your left, then on your right, and so on. (Not duplicatable.)
Supernova - Remove from mission (discard event). Everything previously destroyed there remains destroyed except Mission card (which is restored and may be attempted unless already solved).
Anti-Time Anomaly - Regenerates literally ALL personnel from discard piles (both players' cards) at the end of your third full turn, unless anti-time anomaly destroyed first. Players take turns placing their personnel anywhere personnel can normally exist in play (regardless of uniqueness and reporting restrictions).

So this card has its uses. Some of those were extremely popular at various times. Black Hole for over a year was by far the most popular card in Star Trek. This was due to the fact that they created the Gamma Quadrant in the DS9 expansion and people would start off in the gamma quadrant and then Black Hole the Alpha Quadrant. It wasn't until Examine Singularity came out that the Black Hole strategy was stopped. This card turns a Black Hole into a "White Hole" that spews out space. And Anti-Time Anomaly becomes a "Time Anomaly" spewing out people. This could be a really fun card. In fact I thought about spending the $5 to buy a Black Hole and this card just to see what happens. I decided against it...for now.