Good Card, Bad Card #53

I was bugging Charlie for some spoilers from the next set (due to release at Worlds) and he sent me a reprint instead. He said since I was onto the set Necessary Evil on GCBC it was perfect timing. Actually the 10th anniversary cards were next, but we can just skip those. So we get the beast-mode ship U.S.S. Valiant. This card played tricks on my eyes when I first looked at it. I said to myself, "Where the hell is the ship?" Then my eyes adjusted and I realized what I was looking at. I like the image, showing it compared to the massive size of the Dominion Battleship. You know what was the best part about the cadet episode? They all died. Well, except Jake, Nog and Dorian Collins. Would've been my favorite episode ever if they died too.

Necessary Evil was one of the few sets I had to actually pay cash for. Those Decipher Dollars were good for something at least (they beat me for my last couple hundred). I remember when I went to the store to buy it (ironic, I live 1/2 mile from it now but drive an hour to play trek in DE) and the guy charged me full retail. He always gave me a deal and I remember being pissed off and calling somebody, maybe Len or Alex. Then they told me the set was in limited print, or something, and that was all there was going to be of it. So this set is 'special' compared to any other Decipher set. Cards from this set are a bit more rare than others. That's why you see alot of archive portraits and alternate images from this set, so people can have a copies of hard-to-get cards. Which kinda makes me think of the argument of making all cards printable, which I'm not a fan of. I won't rant on it, but I'll just say I don't think it's a necessary evil (worst pun ever) we need yet. Plus, I think it'll make the game look shitty. Maybe it's my OCD, but I can't stand it when somebody has shitty prints of v-cards. I remember how terrible Star Wars CCG looked when they first went to v-cards. I remember thinking, 'who wants to play a game that looks like shit?' How can we expect people to take Trek serious if they look at it and see black-and-white printouts or a bunch of ugly paper-cards? The only reasons v-cards work now is because they almost look like a real card. Most games you never even realize the difference. So much for not ranting about it.....

Good Card: Riley Shepard, Confident Cadet

Why: I'm gay for Riley Shepard. I have no problem saying that. I used to say it alot back in the day. Blue was played alot back then, and if you did (in non-cadet decks), this guy could save your ass. First, he was Kirk's bodyguard (this is the days before OT Kirk, I still can't believe they made a worse Kirk). Tons of people played Kirk, tons of people played Charged-Particle Precipitation to filter him out. Since Kirk only had 2 skill dots he usually got snagged. Hence why I would sneak Riley, and his sexy non-skill dot having ass, and he would do the noble thing and take the bullet. Other than bodyguard duty Riley Shepard had the money skills. Biology and Security, plenty of dilemmas required those. And, mostly at Origins and Gencon, some Ohio fool would try to play a Quantum Filament pile, and Mr. Shepard would whip out his 2 navigation. The only knock on Riley, and I mean only knock, is that he had programming. Which means he would get stopped by Picking up the Pieces, a super popular card in my meta back then.

Bad Card: Weyoun, Warship Commander

Why: I forgot all about this Weyoun. Hell, I had to check my binder to make sure I even had a copy of this one in it. A shame really, Weyoun was such a cool character in DS9, but all his 2E cards are either lame or broken. So this one is basically just a cheap copy that is the matching commander of the Tanak'talar, since they forgot to add that keyword on both Call to Arms versions of him. I understand the token engagement ability (which is the best ability in our multi-player 'battle royal' format), I just don't get why a non-Terok Nor icon person needs the Cardassian ship part. That doesn't make any sense. I guess that is money for your dual-HQ Dominion/Cardassian deck that you never made, or never will make....