The Power of 2: Starfleet

by Ross Fertel, Columbia

1st October 2024

The Continuing Committee is focusing on the Bell Riots of 2024 with their Organized Play Promos. For Second Edition, they all focus on personnel with a printed cost of two. The Committee is supporting this in several ways, going so far as to have not one but two series of tournament promos that all cost two covering all affiliations. Let's go deeper as we look into each affiliation/ faction and see how these personnel can improve play.

Disclaimer: While Benjamin Sisko and Julian Bashir are key cards in several decks, this series will look at all the cards for the affiliation/faction. Note that your mileage may vary.

The last of the affiliations Decipher added to the game, Starfleet entered the scene with a 'space first' theme. They would eventually branch out to a team of MACOs, the Mirror Universe who did not like having cards in their hand, and even the dangers of Trellium-D in the Delphic Expanse.

Rossi likes coming to the party a bit late as she gains attributes for each dilemma under a mission, though it must be one with the Starfleet attemptability icon.

One of the later MACOs created for the game is Markus Forbes, Extraction Specialist allowing you to discard a card to free a captive, something you might not need terribly often, but can come in handy depending on how the game goes.

Brennan Scott exemplifies the Mirror MACO providing skills to their ranks but losing an attribute point for each card in your hand. Logan Black will let you discard a card for a download. It is a net zero change in terms of your hand size, but the ship or maneuver can help you out and Logan's cost is low enough that you might be able to play the card outright.

D'Vela simply wants an empty hand to activate her ability letting you destroy an event to gain a skill while facing a dilemma. Malcolm Reed, Enthusiastic Major is interested in a hand of similar size, but he gains attributes and skills from the bargain.

Stewart Rivers, Patriotic Engineer does not sport the Alternate Universe Icon, but his ability is well at home in that deck allowing you to discard a Decay event for a non-Decay one or an interrupt. Playing it quickly is encouraged and there are several for the deck to use effectively.

After the crew suffers losses, those left forge ahead to complete their mission. Hoshi Sato, Damaged Linguist can gain a skill from a non-human present through the end of a mission attempt, something not as easy in Starfleet but is not limited to that affiliation. Note that you probably have a Phlox or T'Pol somewhere in your deck as well.

Emanuel Stevens is one of the Dissidents trying to make things better for his people. His ability triggers with a stopped Starfleet Dissident present, giving him a skill and attributes. You usually do not want a stopped personnel, but in this case, it is beneficial, particularly if he is attempting a mission for the second time in a turn.

Ethan Novakovich just has solid skills. Williams, Starfleet Commander does as well, including one at a double, but can take the place of a Starfleet personnel about to be stopped when facing a dilemma.

Starfleet has no shortage of personnel who cost two covering a wide variety of their strategies. Have fun giving them a bit of protection as the game goes on, particularly the MACOs, two thirds of whom cost two.

Let us know in the thread below how well Starfleet fares with the 2024 Organized Play Promos.

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