Tragic Love

by Michael Shea, Chief Ambassador

11th February 2019

One of the most powerful elements of the story of Khan in Space Seed and Wrath of Khan is the tragic love between the superman and Marla McGivers, Superior Woman. She was willing to follow him into Hell. When she died, he sacrificed everything in an attempt to avenge her death. It’s an epic, tragic love story, the devotional aspect of which has yet to be fully depicted on a card in Second Edition. That was the design pitch for what would be become Survival of the Fitest – today’s card from Qpid.

One of the biggest weaknesses of a Ceti Alpha V Khan deck is that your people are so vulnerable to attack from combat while they’re attempting that first mission. Since it’s not a headquarters, the To Rule in Hell player unlucky enough to find himself or herself playing against a Bajoran or a Jem’Hadar combat deck can pretty much kiss the game goodbye if the opponent t can stall them enough to get their combat mechanics up and running. We wanted to provide some protection from that vulnerability, and what better way to do it then by depicted the power of love to keep the desperate alive?

The final version of this card depicts Malik in his attempt to seduce Raakin’s former consort Persis – a love affair that would likewise end no less tragically than that of Khan and Marla. Not all love affairs end happily, and though Malik and Khan would no doubt attest that “all’s fair in love and war” today’s card is a reminder to us that love and misery are close cousins.

Use Survival of the Fittest together with Vendetta to protect your Genetically Enhanced personnel from combat or capture and to keep your attempting teams manageable. Then, go forth and conquer to galaxy to avenge your tragic love.

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