Defensive Upgrades

by Johannes Klarhauser, Staff Writer

18th December 2008

That old station called Deep Space Nine (DS9) has come a long way. Ever since the discovery of the Wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant, it has been a strategically-important outpost that all of the warring factions would like to have as a base of operations.

However, the members of the DS9 crew have no intentions of giving up their home easily. To stand a chance against all those who want to take it from them, they have upgraded the station with a lot of firepower. You want to take DS9? Come on, do your worst, but know that even if you defeat us, you will have to pay dearly for it.

Defensive Upgrades is the latest addition to the "protect our stuff" theme of the sub-affiliation, and it is arguably the most versatile weapon in the station's armory.

Unlike Sabotage Program, which prevents the next event played, regardless of which player tried to use it, Defensive Upgrades does not limit your own options. As long as you have a copy in your core, your more important events (e.g., Captain's Log, Machinations) will be safe from any attempts to destroy them. Your opponent will have to think hard whether it's really worth the effort to waste two event-destruction resources to get rid of one of your key cards (especially if you have Jadzia Dax and Nog around to immediately download another copy of Defensive Upgrades).

Also, don't forget about the second function: protect your interrupts! Even back in the days when I used to play a Confessions in the Pale Moonlight deck, nothing was more annoying than discarding two random cards from hand to pay the cost of The Rite of Emergence, only to see it canceled by a timely Our Death is Glory to the Founders. With Defensive Upgrades, whether it is a well-timed Escape, Surprise Amity, or Warp-Speed Transfer, playing all those cards has just become a lot safer.

Combine Defensive Measures with Benjamin Sisko (Command Staffer) or Kira Nerys (Defiant Captain), and your opponent might just as well discard those Grav-Plating Traps right away.