The Backbone of the Dominion

by Michael Shea, Staff Writer

31st October 2020

Quark: "The Jem Hadar don't eat, don't drink, and they don't have sex. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Founders don't eat and don't drink, and they don't have sex either. Which, between you and me, makes my financial future less than promising."

Ziyal: "It might not be so bad. For all we know, the Vorta could be gluttonous, alcoholic sex maniacs."

- Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Season 5, "By Inferno's Light"

As has been pointed out many times, the Dominion is an dark, mirror image of the Federation. That's one of the things that makes them such a fascinating, and menacing, threat. The Founders rule the Dominion as overlords and the Jem'Hadar are the enforces of the Founders' will. When we first meet the Jem'Hadar in the eponymous Season 2 episode, they are presented to us as fanatical warriors without fear or pity - the kind who would launch a suicide run on a crippled and retreating Galaxy Class starship just to prove a point. Over the course of the series, the writers may have come to present them as honorable, in a way, for their devotion to duty. But that never diminished my first impression of them as the kind of soldiers one dreads facing on the field of battle.

For Star Trek CCG Second Edition, a player wanting to build a Dominion or Terok Nor deck often finds that the Jem'Hadar, more than being simple enforces, are the very backbone of the deck. Look at a typical Terok nor deck, for example, and you'll likely find multiple copies of most or all of that faction's available Jem'Hadar. In fact, Tozara'Kesh is the faction's most used draw deck card (as he also is for the Dominion). Since the addition of Edan'Atal in Balance of Terror, we haven't been given a new non-unique Jem'Hadar. That changes with Apocalypse Rising and the introduction of Morad'inar.

Morad'inar has the standard attributes of a non-unique Jem'Hadar. He also has Security, as almost all non-unique Jem'Hadar have either Officer or Security to reflect their status as the enforcers of the Dominion. But, he also has Astrometrics, Navigation, and Programming, which the Terok Nor player is likely to find quite useful. While it is true you can get Astrometrics into play cheaper with Rak'tazan, that personnel is not nearly as versatile. Morid'inar's Astrometrics and Navigation (and his species) will come in quite handy at Penetrate Enemy Lines, while his Programming and Security are likely to be useful at Delta Pavonis, Secure Expansion, especially if you're stocking copies of Dark Dissension. His Navigation and Security will be helpful at either Recruit Ally or Provoke Interstellar Incident. And, of course, his Security (and high Strength) makes him a natural option for Betazed, Occupy Homeworld. His Navigation can be helpful passing Where No One Has Gone Before (Terok Nor was previously fairly light on that skill) and his Programming might just help you get around Tsiolkovsky Infection or Maglock. Of course, with an 8 Strength he also fits right in a Jem'Hadar murder deck.if that's your preference.

What you have in Morad'inar is a solid, simple workhorse or a non-unique personnel. He may not rise to the ubiquity of Tozara'Kesh (and some might even say that's a good thing for deck diversity) but one or two copies of him should find a place in many a Terok Nor or Dominion deck. With the release of Apocalypse Rising, Morad'inar takes his place among the backbone of the Dominion.

Victory is life!

Discuss this article in this thread.