[Nate Winchester]

As someone kind of coming back to the game after a long absence and helping others to do the same, I was wondering if someone can give me a list of deck & dilemma staples as well as the most commonly used tools.

For example: I saw on a card discussion people making reference to interrupt prevention. Awesome! What are those?

I guess it would be most useful for newbs to start with generally useful tools (things 3 or more affiliations can use - like Tacking Into the Wind seems to show up a lot I've noticed) followed by those more specific to affiliations (i.e. If you're playing Romulan, you'll pretty much always include ___).

[CaptMDKirk]

Card drawing/cycling - These Are The Voyages + Julian Bashir, Rebel Captain, Nel Apgar, In a Mirror, Darkly, Indebtedness
Adding counters - Surprise Party, At What Cost?, Energize
Dilemma help - Unexpected Difficulties, Uninvited, Alvera Tree Ritual
Ship search - Christening, Tacking Into the Wind
Interrupt prevention - Grav-Plating Trap, Our Death Is Glory to the Founders, Lustful Distraction, Amanda Rogers, Benjamin Sisko, Command Staffer, Mila
Download discouragement - Klingon Tea Ceremony, Standard Orbit
Range boosts - Astrometrics Lab, Quantum Slipstream Drive
Skill "cheats" - Shady Resources, Stricken Dumb; most are affiliated and work for one or two different HQs
Attribute boosts - U.S.S. Enterprise-J; again, most are affiliated

[Nate Winchester]

Thanks, Captain! That's actually going to be a big help.

Anybody have advice on staples of specific affiliations?

[CaptMDKirk]

Anybody have advice on staples of specific affiliations?

If you check out the Affiliation HQ, it will give you a list of the 10 most popular cards for each affiliation. But aside from those...

Bajoran Gratitude Festival, In the Pah-wraith's Wake, Covenant
Unyielding, Knowledge and Experience, Regeneration Alcoves
The Central Command, Comfort Women, Ensnared
Hollow Pleasantries, Dominion Hierarchy, Friction
Holding Cell, Bustling With Activity, Confessions In the Pale Moonlight
Rule of Acquisition #6, Tongo: Confront, Rule of Acquisition #33
Warrior's Birthright, The Promise, Guidance of the Council
Biogenic Weapon, Stalling for Time, Alarming Rumors
Prejudice and Politics, Getting Under Your Skin, Power Shift
Lustful Distraction, A Sight for Sore Eyes, Spatial Reconfiguration
Tenuous Alliance, Ruling Council, Reclaim Terok Nor
Disadvantage Into Advantage, Common Ground, VIP Welcome
Driven, Coordinated Counterattack
Homeward Bound, Finding Our Way (duh), Good Shepherd