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Strategy Articles
Beginner Deck: Bajorans
by Lucas Thompson
22nd July 2022
"The Prophets will be guiding me." The Bajoran religion is built upon the wormhole aliens whom they refer to as the Prophets. The Prophets do not experience time in a linear manner; the Bajorans' spiritual link with these aliens is represented mechanically in the game by unparalleled access to the discard pile (which stands in thematically for the past - the cards you have already seen).
The Prophets' influence in Bajoran gameplay is represented through equipment with the Orb keyword, and events and interrupts with the Prophet keyword. While normally you would need to complete a mission to use an equipment with the Artifact keyword, the version of Bajor that this deck uses sidesteps that requirement. That's a good thing, because you will want to gain extra overcome dilemmas with the Orb of Time early and often, and the Orb of Prophecy and Change will allow you to swap high cost personnel in your discard pile with low-cost personnel in play. The newest Orb, the Orb of the Emissary will help retrieve Prophet-keyword cards for personnel to use.
The only Prophet keyword card in this deck is Accession, an interrupt that allows you to add a personnel to your mission attempts without either paying the cost to play them, or giving the opponent more dilemmas to use against you. But, before you rush to play it, you may also want to hold on to it to use with one of the new personnel. Kasidy Yates can use it to gain skills from a personnel in the discard pile (especially useful if dilemmas stopped all your Archaeology personnel), and Akorem Laan will allow you to move personnel in play (making it very difficult for your opponent to guess who you've brought to a mission attempt).
Sisko's Prophet-related ability is possibly the most powerful in the deck. He allows you to change the sequence of upcoming dilemmas, potentially spoiling your opponent's plans. That said, your opponent will know you have him in play, so you've got to ask yourself if they prepared the dilemma stack you're facing with Sisko in mind. Lots of gamesmanship... once you're not playing against another beginner deck. The beginner decks use dilemma pile that are largely composed of general-use dilemmas for which the sequencing doesn't often matter. Sisko will really shine against opponents using at least slightly more advanced dilemma piles.
Once you're comfortable with this deck, you might want to personalize it. It is loosely based on this 2019 Regional-winning deck by Michael Van Breemen, with an emphasis on using new cards from the set The Menagerie. You may take inspiration from that deck list, or consider these cards:
More Prophet Cards
- Cryptic Revelation is a good, general-use Prophet card that can go in most decks, and I'm fond of using Trial of Faithto give my opponent tough choices. But just take a look at a search result for all of the Prophet cards and see if any appeal to you.
Discard Pile Manipulation
- Days of Atonement is another popular discard pile filler for Bajorans; use that to get more copies of Bareil and Opaka or maybe Emissary Sisko for use with your Accessions and the Orb of Prophecy and Change. Borum, Selfless Hero is another popular way to cheat your high-cost high-integrity personnel into play.
Evil Bajorans
- Even a deck that focuses on Integrity missions can benefit from Treachery personnel. Dukat, Anjohl Tennan is already in the deck, but Basso Tromac is another popular jerk that you could include. With a couple more Treachery personnel, you could use one of the most powerful mission-solving interrupts in the game, Covenant.
General Use Cards
- Some cards can just go in any deck - and often do because they're so useful. An extra counter per turn from Surprise Party wouldn't go amiss. And once you've played a few games, you'll see how the reboot from Unexpected Difficulties can be game-changing. Alvera Tree Ritual is subtler - you basically play it for free, and not only does it protect you from any dilemma pile manipulation, but it can also be used offensively. If you keep track of which dilemmas you don't use, you can proactively use the Ritual to shuffle your dilemma pile at opportune times.
Discuss this article in this thread.
This deck is currently eligible for the following family or families of achievements:
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