Virtually Assimilated

by Niall Matthew, Staff Writer

19th August 2013

As a few of you may know, I've always had a soft spot for the Borg. When I got 'the call' to write up about one of the three non-missions in Homefront IV, I jumped triumphantly in the air, accidentally hitting my fist on the roof...

 

Assimilate Homeworld first appeared in First Contact and was one of the first Objectives to be released. It is also one of the more potent Borg only Objectives.

It allows the Borg player to target any Homeworld mission for assimilation, but they also need to have the matching counterpart in play. The standard way to achieve this is to report a 'ready made' counterpart like Locutus of Borg or Brunt of Borg. (Remember that most ready made counterparts require some sort of AU door in order to be reported.) You can easily match up the Counterparts to their Homeworld by looking at the lore of both cards. Remember that they do need to match the universe they're from, for example, Bareil of Borg is not the matching counterpart for Disrupt Alliance.

Another way to bag a Counterpart is to take the fight to the opponent directly. Assimilate Counterpart allows the Borg to target a unique male in play. As long as there is a way to breach the opponents shields, the Borg need only to engage the target in combat (they do not need to win the battle) and place him on an Assimilation Table, pull out a good probe and BOOM! One less personnel for the opponent and 5 points per skill dot on the new addition to the collective.

 

There a few things to consider when choosing a Homeworld to target.

-There are two Homeworlds that are worth 40 points. This means that the opponent has a chance to steal them. Though you can assimilate them after they are completed, you're still giving the opponent an easy 40 points so consider how many seed slots you can afford to use to protect it.

-There is an upside to the above, if you're behind by 40 points you can easily grab some reinforcements and place them directly into play.

-Is there an affiliation that is popular in your playgroup? Then why not choose the appropriate Homeworld and prevent them from reporting to any outposts for the rest of the game. (This can slow TNG Ferengi down a touch.)

-What other Objectives will you use to win? Assimilate Homeworld requires a Communication (Blue Borg thingy) subcommand icon to execute a successful probe, so ensure that you use other Objectives that also require said icon to increase the probability of a good probe.

-Consider the skills of your matching Counterpart. Data of Borg has Computer Skill x 2, good for the infamous Access Denied combo. Gowron of Borg can initiate battle once per game. Brunt of Borg has INTEGRITY < 4 to get past In The Pale Moonlight and also has Treachery and Greed to walk through Chula: The Game. They are also rife with skills like Diplomacy, Leadership, OFFICER and VIP, all of which are either rare or non-existant in the Borg skill pool.

 

Now you have chosen your Homeworld/Counterpart combo, you need to consider how to play. There is only one way to download a Counterpart, a self seeded Secret Identity allows you to get one into play easily. This will require you to complete a different Objective first (or at least clear the Dilemmas under it, ready to complete later in the game.) You can also stock multiple copies in your deck to ensure you draw one early, this isn't a bad idea as Counterparts have all three subcommand icons, making them excellent probes. And also remember that you need not have the Counterpart at the Homeworld while you scout, he simply needs to be there when you are ready to probe. Don't forget; please keep your Counterpart alive. Assimilate Homeworld specifies that he is the target as well as the Homeworld so if he dies, the Objective is discarded.

 

Now the overview is done, I thought it'd be fun to design a deck for virtual format. Before the release of Homefront IV, the Borg required four Objective completions from a combination of Assimilate Planet, Establish Gateway and Assimilate Starship in order to win. This is very slow indeed and guaranteed to lose you the game. Now, the Borg can win a game completing three Objectives. One of them doesn't even require you to scout a location to clear Dilemmas.

 

Aim of the Deck

To complete Establish Gateway, Assimilate Earth and assimilate an opponents ship for the 100 point win.

How to Play

They Will Be Coming will provide a free universal report, as does We Are The Borg. Borg Scout Vessels can provide additional ships to add to your arsenal and the 'report with crew' function is immune to It's Only a Game.

How to Draw

The main draw engine is Handshake and can be used for either the first or third function. There are six altogether complete with three Isomagnetic Disintegrators to replenish your draw deck when needed. There is also We Are The Borg for an additional end of turn draw.

The Game

Establish Gateway a location right away. By the time you complete it, you should have Locutus out and ready for Assimilating Earth. If you have Locutus early, you can probe the same turn you scouted via Service the Collective, as Borg normally have to wait a for the next turn (once all Dilemmas are removed from under the mission.) When scouting, use the Borg Queen to bring additional skills when needed. If you need multiple drones in play during one turn, use a handshake to convert one draw into a drone, download it into hand, and report it for free. Any additionals draws for the rest of the turn can be used to download another one directly into play, avoiding the effects of General Quarters. Also remember that Dead End will only 'stop' your away team for one turn. Dilemmas that are placed on top of the mission (Friendly Fire for example) are classed as being encountered and will not affect your probing. Four of Nine can be used to access skills mid-turn if you face any tough walls. Locutus is great combined with Nine of Eleven to give all your Borg OFFICER and Diplomacy, ideal for Dilemmas like Maglock or Gomtuu Shock wave.

Dilemma Strategy

The obvious thing you'll notice is the Kobayashi Maru Scenario-fest. This is combined with tough wall Dilemmas to slow your opponent down while you eat through their Dilemmas. Contingency Plan is key here. If the opponent has four Space missions, place the Edo Probes under two and the Contingency Plans under the other two, that way, it's almost certain they'll hit one. (Even leave the missions With Contingency Plan free of Kobayashis to make them more enticing for the opponent to attempt.) Once a Ship hits the Dilemma, grab all your Eight of Nineteens and Eight of Eighteen and move in for assimilation. If the opponent attacks your scouts, you can beam as many Borg over as you desire for a counter attack.

 

It might not be a 'Worlds quality' deck, but I reckon this can hold it's own in virtual format. And most of all, have fun (that is the point of the Star Trek: Customizable Card Game, after all.) I'm so happy to see this card printable and accessible to all players, and hope to see some Borg Homeworld decks crop up in the decklists.

 

Oh, and before I leave you...

Look at that image, just look. Stunning job and it's exactly the image I would've picked for a reprint.

So here is the deck, those of you that have had the misfortune of facing one of my Borg decks will be relieved that this is actually quite a simple one for me ;)

See you on Lackey guys and gals...

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Decklist

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

• Borg Player
• Among the Stars

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