Desab Sdrawkcab Romulan Decks

by Adam Warpinski, Lead First Edition Writer

4th July 2008

The following is the author’s analysis of the Romulan cards in Second Edition that are backwards-compatible and could have implications in First Edition games. These are not all of the possible uses, and the author leaves it open-ended for players to devise their own strategies.

Note: This article does not contain Personnel or Ships, as these could warrant their own articles.

Nelvana Trap (1 R 96) – Engage Cloak in First Edition is seedable, allowing players to get ships onto copies quicker. There also is no restriction on the number of copies of this event. You could play a copy on each of your opponent’s missions. Placing two to three ships on copies of Engage Cloak, and using Nelvana Trap, could dissuade your opponent from attempting a key mission or could be used to set up the eventual Quantum Singularity Lifeforms trap. This event can even transport ships through quadrants, allowing you to hunt your opponent at any mission.

Peacemaker or Predator (1 C 102) – Knowing what is coming up in your opponent’s draw deck is always a great advantage, especially considering some other cards to be covered in this review. Are you afraid of what your opponent will be probing? Has your opponent played games with his deck using the hexany? Use this event to line-up other deck manipulation cards or to make the most of The Juggler!

Prejudice and Politics (1 U 106) – Remember the last card? Well, if your opponent is due for a non-personnel card, use this card to score five points and place the ship or event your opponent needs on the bottom of his or her deck. This may be a little trickier since you cannot play more than one event per turn, but with Heisenberg Compensators in play, Prejudice and Politics becomes money!

Romulan Intelligence Network (1 U 110) – Another way to manipulate your opponent's deck with a Second Edition backwards-compatible card! This is kind of like a reverse Guest Quarters. If you’re playing Romulans and you want to slow your opponent down a bit, use this card to put a key card out of your opponent's reach, or at least make them burn some manipulation cards to get it back. This card can also assist in a Prejudice and Politics engine.

The Reman Mines (1 U 117) – Using Remans? Need more Range? With just three Remans in play, your ships can get a boost along the spaceline. Why not seed a mission in the Romulus region that your opponent can’t steal? Nice card for a speed boost. This event does take-up a card play and forces your mission selection a bit, but this may be a worthy trade for giving your ship another range boost.

Twist of Fate (1 R 147) – This card is a straightforward way to save a key personnel about to bite the dust.

Security Sweep (3 U 77) – Using this card and Peacemaker or Predator to scout your opponent’s deck can score you a nice ten points and push those three personnel to the bottom of your opponent’s draw deck.

Getting Under Your Skin (4 U 55) – If you’re running a lot of events, this card is a good way to peek at your opponent's deck and score some points. With the possibility of free reports via Headquarters, this card can help score those points needed for a two-mission win.

Forcing Their Hand (4 U 53) – One strike against this card is that there is no limit on the size of a player’s hand, so your opponent may not voluntarily play a card onto this event. There is, however, a limit to the number of cards that can be played. This card, as its title says, can force your opponent’s hand into what card enters play when.

Out of Options (5 P 9) – Does your opponent use "cheater" interrupts to bypass your dilemmas? Especially those Adapt cards or Senior Staff Meetings or even Changes of Heart?  Now you know how to deal with them.

Change of Heart (6 P 33) – This card is another way to save your personnel from random selection whether a Denevan Neural Parasites. When you need another chance, you can always have a change of heart.

Clear Ultimatum (7 C 38) – This card is a nice way to clear your opponent's hand before initiating a battle or clearing out a part of your opponent’s hexeny.

Distant Control (14 R 26) – Another way to stall an opponent’s interrupt-heavy deck or to prevent the benefit of some of our favorite Captain’s Orders or Referee cards. This is also a way to open up downloading by blocking the oft-hated Standard Orbit.