So, I'm a New/Old First Edition Player, TNG Edition

by Maggie Geppert, Vice Chairman

5th September 2017

"I figured the hard part was over. I'd stepped out on a limb and it hadn't broken. Not bad for my first venture into scientific diplomacy.” – Dr. Beverly Crusher from “Suspicions”

In this series, I will show off some beginner level decks that people have sent to me.  Today’s deck is Ken Tufts’ Lean Mean TNG Fed Scientific Diplomacy.  The version at the bottom of the article is Shane Briarley’s from the 2015 World Championships.

Missions

While perusing the mission selection the first thing I notice is this deck is right up my alley.  I have always enjoyed the TNG episode “Suspicions,” so to see a deck built around it makes me happy.  I almost always built science solvers when I played Federation back in the day, so I feel very comfortable picking this up.  The deck notes say that this is a two-mission win deck, with Salvage Borg Ship (+ mission specialists) being the lynchpin mission, followed with any of the other space missions.  I would probably try to be thematic and attempt Host Metaphasic Shielding Test, but others may want to try out something else.

Other Seeds

One thing that really surprised me about this deck was a lack of Espionage Mission.  Having played during the Decipher era, where the only Fed free play engine was Office of the President, I am used to seeing Earth.  However, you have more options in the CC era and the free play engines here are Scientific Diplomacy and Attention All Hands.  Most of the personnel are Metaphasic Shield related or universal.  All those weenies are great to play because you can fill your hand back up with Continuing Mission.  Assign Mission Specialists and Assign Support Personnel are there to help get your weenies out faster.  The notes say that Sergei is your Support Personnel of choice, because he brings along Helena and can download Nikolai.  The mission specialists in the deck are all designed to make Salvage Borg Ship a 55 point mission.

For dilemmas, it’s nice to see that dilemmas in the CC era have made some really nice combos possible.  For instance, Denevan Neural Parasites + Hanonian Land Eel was always nice in terms of death and destruction, but adding in Deliberate Tactical Error really kicks up the death and destruction.  I mean, really – killing half the away team and then requiring 2 leaders, 2 or 2 [SCD]?  Awesome.  Of course, some times the old classics (Unscientific Method + Kelvan Show of Force + Scientific Method) are great too. There’s no seeded Space-Time Portal, so opponents are safe from Quantum Incursions.

Draw Deck

People.  Lots of People.  Get out Finest Crew in the Fleet to play pretty much anyone else who didn’t play for free from your seeds. Handshakes help you get to the things you need.  Play more Assign Mission Specialists to get out more weenies and score as many bonus points as possible on Salvage Borg Ship.  The biggest recommendation is get people out and GO.  You’re in trouble if you meet a battle opponent.  You should be outspeeding everyone.

Updating for Today’s Play Environment

I’ve been told that the Q the Referee side deck is not strictly necessary in today’s environment.  James Heaney says,

For a deck friendly to new players? You no longer need Ref cards to play a fun, competitive game of Trek. The abuse just isn't that strong, nor is it widespread. You'll want Ref cards in high-level play, but, for new players, the protection they provide is no longer worth the cognitive cost of learning how they work.

So, I would remove ALL Ref cards, change the Civil War tent to a normal Tent, and replace Tribunal with Jol Yichu if they have no AU door, or Quantum Incursions if they do.

That seems pretty straightforward.  Now I just need to print this out and give it a go with one of the local First Edition players here in Chicago.  I’ll let you know how I do.

Addendum

I almost forgot to add that this was one of two [1E-TNG] decks I was sent by players.  Paddy Tye sent me this one.  I can only assume the name refers to himself and a certain Scotsman who will be reigning down Anarchy this October at Worlds in Orlando.

Discuss this article in this thread.

Decklist

This deck is currently eligible for the following family or families of achievements:

• Federation Player
• Highlander
• Temporal Mechanics Give Me a Headache
• TNG Federation Player
• The Continuing Mission
• Chair's Challenge 2019: Assimilate This!
• Opening Monologue: To Explore

Hide Deck Stats

Dilemmas
Total Dilemmas		20
[P]		4 (20%)
[S/P]		12 (60%)
[S]		4 (20%)

Draw Deck
Total Draw Deck		43
Doorway		2 (5%)
Event		7 (16%)
Incident		4 (9%)
Objective		3 (7%)
Personnel		26 (60%)
Ship		1 (2%)

Seed Deck
Total Seed Deck		30
Dilemma		20 (67%)
Doorway		1 (3%)
Facility		2 (7%)
Incident		5 (17%)
Objective		2 (7%)

Q-Tent Side Deck
Total Q-Tent Side Deck		13
Equipment		2 (15%)
Event		2 (15%)
Personnel		8 (62%)
Ship		1 (8%)

Q the Referee Side Deck
Total Q the Referee Side Deck		12
Event		3 (25%)
Incident		4 (33%)
Interrupt		4 (33%)
Objective		1 (8%)

Skills
Acquisition		0
Anthropology		3
Archaeology		1
Astrophysics		5
Biology		5
CIVILIAN		2
Computer Skill		8
Cybernetics		0
Diplomacy		9
Empathy		1
ENGINEER		9
Exobiology		5
Geology		2
Greed		1
Honor		7
Law		2
Leadership		3
MEDICAL		6
Music		1
Navigation		10
OFFICER		7
Physics		5
SCIENCE		13
SECURITY		5
Smuggling		0
Stellar Cartography		5
Transporter Skill		3
Treachery		2
V.I.P.		2
Youth		1
Rare Skills
Barbering		0
Cantankerousness		0
Guramba		0
Mindmeld		1
Miracle Worker		0
Orion Syndicate		0
Resistance		0

Skill			On # Missions	Skill Dots	Classifications	Total
Acquisition						0
Anthropology				3		3
Archaeology				1		1
Astrophysics			1	5		5
Biology				5		5
CIVILIAN					2	2
Computer Skill			3	8		8
Cybernetics						0
Diplomacy			1	9		9
Empathy				1		1
ENGINEER			6	6	3	9
Exobiology				5		5
Geology				2		2
Greed				1		1
Honor			1	7		7
Law				2		2
Leadership				3		3
MEDICAL			1	1	5	6
Music				1		1
Navigation			4	10		10
OFFICER					7	7
Physics			2	5		5
SCIENCE			2	3	10	13
SECURITY					5	5
Smuggling						0
Stellar Cartography				5		5
Transporter Skill				3		3
Treachery				2		2
V.I.P.					2	2
Youth				1		1
Rare Skills
Barbering
Cantankerousness
Guramba
Mindmeld				1		1
Miracle Worker
Orion Syndicate
Resistance
Intelligence Skills
FCA
Intelligence
Klingon Intelligence
Memory Omega
Obsidian Order
Section 31
Tal Shiar
V'Shar
any Intelligence

Traits
Card group
Captains Order		1
Dilemma group
Empok Nor-related dilemma		1
male-related dilemma		1
MEDICAL-related dilemma		4
SCIENCE-related dilemma		3
Equipment group
hand weapon		1
phaser		1
Mission region
Argolis Cluster Region		1
Mission trait
Asymmetric mission		1
Test mission		1
Personnel gender
Androgynous		1
Female		14
Male		21
Neuter		1
Personnel group
Metaphasic Shield-related personnel		5
The One-related personnel		1
U.S.S. Enterprise-related personnel		17
Personnel trait
Ambassador		1
Captain		2
Counselor		1
Dual Personnel		1
Mission Specialist		8
Nurse		1
Support Personnel		7
Ship equipment
Holodeck		2
Tractor Beam		2
Ship trait
Federation ship		2

Icons
Special
		1
		1
		1
		8
		12
		3
Staffing
		8
		1
		21