The First Stop?

by Richard New, Phage Designer

24th July 2024

"Captain's log, stardate 48784.2. We have completed our survey of the Avery system and are returning to retrieve Lieutenants Paris, Torres and Durst. By now, they should have concluded their inspection of the magnesite formations on the third planet."

-- Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager "Faces"

Since Captain's Log introduced us to Necessary Execution and it's sledgehammer of an effect - suggesting impolitely for players to go space first - a couple of small lures for planet-first have cropped up. The Vidiians, as previously mentioned in this article series, do things backwards, so it's fitting that one of the strongest lures to go planet-first might have their affiliation alone in mind.

The Avery III (Develop Cure) location features in the episode "Faces" and sets the stage for Sulan and his Face Off with his fully-Klingon B'Elanna. As a result, the requirements skew heavily toward the medical sciences, but give a reasonable 40-point base from which the Vidiians might start. After all, if you're getting weaker over time, you might as well start with the hard mission and end with a couple of simple 30-pointers.

"I feel strong. It's very frustrating to be restrained like this."

"I sympathize."

-- B'Elanna and Sulan, Star Trek: Voyager "Faces"

But the points aren't the only reason for a Vidiian player to start with Avery III. The game text protects early attempts here, blocking access to interrupts that might prevent your research and restraining dilemma strategies that rely on discards utilizing dilemmas like A Taste of Armageddon, Excalbian Drama, or a few others. It doesn't work against every opponent, but in the instance where you're up against an opponent with some real deck/dilemma pile synergy, it'll probably be worthwhile to go planet-first get that early lead with far less surprises.

"You are very strong. I can only hope that you will be truly resistant to the Phage."

"And how will you know that?"

"I have infected you."

-- Sulan and B'Elanna, Star Trek: Voyager "Faces"

Of course, Lucas recently introduced another method to use that valuable score you've just netted. Aside from the fact that several personnel give bonuses while the first mission is incomplete (most will be revealed on Release Day this Friday), Sinaren and his friends Telari and the "rare" Dereth present a couple of other uses of the 40-point boon from Avery III, which you can weigh against having to do 35-point follow-ups.

I'm personally curious to see how much wiggle room players give themselves with the Vidiians to use such surprise abilities during a mission attempt after the first is complete, but the fact remains that there's never just one deck-building option.

So, until next time, I'll see you across the table.

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