Shore Leave Release Day

by Ross Fertel, Taking Five

8th January 2021

The latest Second Edition set, Shore Leave, releases today and is legal one week from now on Friday, January 15, 2021. Enjoy your yummy Chefs and other fun cards this holiday season.

For one, we have Mortal Q, Student of the Humanities. At only three cost you get three skills already at double value. Not just that but these are skills that when you need them in double you are glad to have them, especially naturally. His ability might seem a little TNG-ish, but you can play it after you are sure that you will get a greater benefit to the download than your opponent.

Of course, there is another long running antagonist with Dukat, Interstellar Despot. As with other commander and ship combinations in a set his ability is enhanced by the Tenak'talar. Sure, playing a ship that can download a maneuver to your opponent might help them too, but yours is the only one with protection. This will be very beneficial if you are facing another battle deck.

Should you be worried about your opponent benefiting from your careful deckcrafting and hard work, Starbase 173, Defend Android Rights can be something that you exclusively benefit from. Open to all affiliations most decks with an android are stocking Data. Maybe a few have Lore as well but while your opponent has a fairly easy choice, you can get out an option. You do not have to settle for just one Android you can get the exact one you want into play.

Second Breakfast might seem a bit too niche and costly, a discard for a chance of getting the dilemma you need, but in a pinch, this can be useful, especially when the game is near an end and you have a better idea of what is left in your dilemma pile. The card is a bit utilitarian but ignore it at your own risk. William T. Riker, Stirring Confidant can help skew the odds ever in your favor.

It would not be release day without a key theme of the set being saved for last and is this case that is the Chefs. The final one is revealed to the public with Quark, Smarmy Restauranteur. One of the few personnel that occupies the slices of different decks, you get an extra benefit with another Chef, Dabo Girl or Waiter. The most expensive Chef, he will pay for himself particularly in a Tongo deck.

Chefs have uses beyond this newest Quark and coming in to get Hot Mess out of the way. Gagh Tek Or will give you a cheap replacement draw. The cost is stopping a Chef, though you can also discard the event itself if it is late in the game and you need a key component this turn.

This set would not have been possible without the efforts of Playtesting, Rules, Creative, and the Programming teams. This was also the one of first projects for the Second Edition Art Department. Not only did they curate these fantastic images, but they also worked on the expansion icon. Have fun with the twenty-five cards.

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