How Do We Keep Our Balance? Tradition!

by Nathan W, Staff Writer

17th August 2010

The 8^th Star Trek Second Edition virtual expansion Peak Performance releases on Friday, September 3, 2010. While this 54-card expansion is sure to introduce new strategies, a significant portion of Peak Performance’s development has been aimed at keeping the long-standing traditions of our game alive.

Today’s pre-releases, Allegiance and Kira Nerys (Liberator), continue two of the more well-known Second Edition traditions: naming Events after previous expansions, and a Kira. We have not seen this first tradition since This Side of Paradise so there is some catching up to do. Remember, the tradition is that full expansions become Events while boutique products such as Infinite Diversity become Dilemmas. Meanwhile, in twenty-two expansions we will have seen our seventeenth Kira Nerys. In that time, Kira has been all over the place. From Bajor to Cardassia; from Deep Space Nine to Terek Nor; and even in the Alternate Universe. This persona revisits her days in the Bajoran Resistance even after her commission on Deep Space Nine.

But these are not the only traditions being displayed in Peak Performance. We have already seen an Enterprise (Damaged Starship), and attending a release event can even net you an alternate image foil version from a Peak Performance release kit. Her captain, along with his team, looks pretty damaged. The team concept is a newer tradition that has gained a lot of fans. Another team in Peak Performance is the Terek Nor ruling council alluded to by Dukat (Cardassian Representative). The addition of this group can really make Terek Nor a peak performer in the current meta.

While we are receiving a damaged captain, we will not be receiving the continuing tradition of a Defiant captain. Instead, the old skipper looks like he will be rolling around in the sand and standing up against the Pah-Wraiths. I suppose that beats the wariness of revisiting a pair of Hinder(ance)ing Romulans. Speaking of Romulans, the tradition of naming Star Trek Second Edition cards after cards from other Decipher products continues with Sent Back. So sly are those Rommies with their diversionary tactics.

Words and concepts aren’t the only traditions in Second Edition. There are two dilemmas with images in the Face to Face and Head to Head fashion, both with effects similar to each other. While we will not be receiving any cards displaying images of choking per se, we will receive a card with an image that looks like someone choking another with their tongue.

Look for a tournament in your area for a chance to win an alternate image Enterprise (Damaged Starship) in addition to other great prizes from Friday, September 3 to Sunday, September 12.