The hardest STCCG puzzle ever

update

Hi, folks,

my little puzzle has really motivated a few STCCG experts to get better and better solutions.

For those of you still stuck with a 335 and hoping to somehow get past 340, better start afresh, the world record is now a whopping 380 points! How? Read on, unless you don't want to get spoiled...

The first answer came from Tomek (David Bowling) who suggested a Klingon variant which was however not completely worked out, so a honorable mention (you'll see later why that), but no new highscore.

But that was really soon to change, because in the next days, things got hectical with four (yes, four!) new world records on the list. First, Tebok contributed the following modification to my original solution:

Spaceline: (Dilemmas listed in order encountered)

REPAIR MISSION (S,35/2)
- Crystalline Entity
- Cosmic String Fragment
- Cryosatellite
  - Data's Head
  - Beverly Picard
  - Tasha-Alternate
  - Samuel Clemens
- Federation Outpost
- Data's Body
AVERT DISASTER (P,40/3)
- Chalnoth
- Samuel Clemens' Pocketwatch
INVESTIGATE TIME CONTINUUM (P,35/3)
- Sarjenka
- Betazoid Gift Box
PEGASUS SEARCH (S,50/4)
EVALUATE TERRAFORMING (P,35/3)
- Microvirus
- Ressikan Flute
INVESTIGATE MASSACRE (P,35/3)
- Hyper-Aging
- Interphase Generator

AU DOOR. (30 seed cards)

DRAW DECK: (I only list the top 11 cards, the rest does not matter)

Juliana Tainer
Data
Future Enterprise
Soong-Type Android
Lal
Transwarp Conduit
Distortion of Space/Time Continuum
Parallax Arguers
Palor Toff
Particle Fountain
Devidian Door

COURSE OF PLAY:

1) Report Future Enterprise to Federation Outpost
2) Announce Devidian Door, Play Juliana Tainer to Outpost.
3) Using Cybernetics, play Data to Outpost.
4) Play Soong-Type Android (male ENGINEER) to Outpost.
5) Play Lal (ENGINEER, Music) to Outpost.
6) Attempt Repair Mission.
7) Encounter Crystalline Entity. Solve with Data. (5)
8) Encounter Cosmic String Fragment. Solve with Data. (10)
9) Solve mission with Data, Lal, S-T Android. (45)
10) Add Cryo crew to your ship.
11) Acquire Data's Head. Attach to Data's Body.
12) Play Transwarp Conduit on Future Enterprise.
13) Move entire crew to Future Enterprise.
14) Move to Pegasus Search (Range remaining: 16), attempt.
15) Encounter Cytherians.
16) Move back to Repair Mission (Range remaining: 8). (60)
17) Move to Avert Disaster (Range: 5) and attempt.
18) Encounter Chalnoth, Away Team has S:79. (65)
19) Solve mission with Tainer, Tasha and I:60.(105)
20) Use S.C. Pocketwatch to draw a card (Parallax Arguers).
21) Move to ITC. (Range: 2) Attempt.
22) Encounter Sarjenka. Choose to be stopped. (110)
23) Play Distortion to unstop Away Team and restore ship's range.
24) Declare this was cool and play Parallax Arguers. (115)
25) Solve ITC with Data (150), acquire Betazoid Gift Box.
26) Use BGB to get Devidian Door, Palor Toff and Particle Fountain.
27) Use Palor Toff to get back Parallax Arguers.
28) Beam up, move to Investigate Massacre (Range: 16).
29) Beam down everyone, attempt.
30) Encounter Hyper-Aging. Solve with Tainer and Bev Picard. (155)
31) Solve mission with Clemens, I:60, C:59. (190)
32) Acquire Interphase Generator.
33) Move to Evaluate Terraforming (Range 13), beam down, attempt.
34) Encounter Microvirus, solve with Tainer and Bev. (195)
35) Solve mission with Bev and Data. (230)
36) Acquire Ressikan Flute. (250)
37) Play Particle Fountain. (255)
38) Declare this was cool and play Parallax Arguers. (260)
39) Beam up and move to Pegasus Search (Range 9).
40) Attempt, encounter Temp. Causality Loop. Solve with Tainer, C:59. (265)
41) Encounter Nagilum, S:79. (270)
42) Encounter Nanites, solve with Clemens. (275)
43) Encounter Barclay's, solve with Tasha, Bev, Tainer. (285)
44) Encounter Tarellian Plague Ship, discard Bev. (290)
45) Solve Pegasus Search with Interphase Generator. (340)
46) End turn. You must now show your Devidian Door.
47) Show the Door. Remove Clemens from play. (350)

Not bad, eh? Of course, I scrambled for my cards and, a few hours later, returned with this:

Spaceline:

(Dilemmas listed in order encountered)

INVESTIGATE TIME CONTINUUM (P,35/3)
- Sarjenka
- Data's Head
- Federation Outpost
  - Data's Body
REPAIR MISSION (S,35/2)
- Crystalline Entity
- Cosmic String Fragment
- Cryosatellite
  - Samuel Clemens' Pocketwatch
  - Beverly Picard
  - Tasha-Alternate
  - Samuel Clemens
AVERT DISASTER (P,40/3)
- Chalnoth
- Betazoid Gift Box
PEGASUS SEARCH (S,50/4)
- Cytherians
- Temporal Causality Loop
- Nagilum
- Nanites
- Tarellian Plague Ship
EVALUATE TERRAFORMING (P,35/3)
- Microvirus
- Ressikan Flute
INVESTIGATE LEGEND (P,40/4)
- Hyper-Aging
- Barclay's Protomorphosis Disease
- Interphase Generator

AU DOOR. (30 seed cards)

DRAW DECK: (I only list the top 11 cards, the rest does not matter)

Juliana Tainer
Data
Future Enterprise
Soong-Type Android
Lal
Transwarp Conduit
Distortion of Space/Time Continuum
Parallax Arguers
Palor Toff
Particle Fountain
Devidian Door

COURSE OF PLAY:

1) Report Future Enterprise to Federation Outpost
2) Announce Devidian Door, Play Juliana Tainer to Outpost.
3) Using Cybernetics, play Data to Outpost.
4) Play Soong-Type Android (male ENGINEER) to Outpost.
5) Play Lal (Youth, Music) to Outpost.
6) Attempt Investigate Time Continuum with Tainer alone
7) Encounter Sarjenka, choose to be stopped (5)
8) Play Transwarp Conduit on Future Enterprise.
9) Move remaining crew to Future Enterprise.
10) Move to Pegasus Search (Range remaining: 17), attempt.
11) Encounter Cytherians.
12) Move back to Investigate Time Continuum (Range remaining: 9). (20)
13) Attempt Investigate Time Continuum with remaining crew
***If anyone argues this would stop my team, this does not matter, as I...
14) Play Distortion of Space/Time Continuum to unstop Tainer and restore ship range
15) Solve Investigate Time Continuum with Data, get Data's Head (55)
16) Move to Repair Mission (Range: 24 + 2)
17) Attempt Repair Mission.
18) Encounter Crystalline Entity. Solve with Data. (60)
19) Encounter Cosmic String Fragment. Solve with Data. (65)
20) Solve mission with Data, Lal, S-T Android. (100)
21) Add Cryo crew to your ship.
22) Acquire Samuel Clemens' Pocketwatch
23) Use S.C. Pocketwatch to draw a card (Parallax Arguers).
24) Declare this was cool and play Parallax Arguers. (105)
25) Move to Avert Disaster (Range: 21 + 2) and attempt.
26) Encounter Chalnoth, Away Team has S:65. (110)
27) Solve mission with Tainer, Tasha and I:52.(150)
28) Acquire Betazoid Gift Box.
29) Use BGB to get Devidian Door, Palor Toff and Particle Fountain.
30) Use Palor Toff to get back Parallax Arguers.
31) Declare this was cool, play Parallax Arguers. (155)
*** Note: At this point, I have scored 10 times so Investigate Legend is uncloaked
32) Beam up, move to Investigate Legend (Range: 10 + 2).
33) Beam down everyone, attempt.
34) Encounter Hyper-Aging. Solve with Tainer and Bev Picard. (160)
*** The planet cloaks, but my away team is inside the cloak, so who cares...
35) Encounter Barclay's, solve with Tasha, Bev, Tainer. (170)
*** Now the mission is again uncloaked so I can solve it...
36) Solve mission with Lal and Soong-Type Android (both discarded).(210)
*** Which of course cloaks Aldea
37) Acquire Ressikan Flute.(225)
*** And yet again uncloaked! So I can...
38) Beam up and move to Evaluate Terraforming (Range 7 + 2), beam down, attempt.
39) Encounter Microvirus, solve with Tainer and Bev. (230)
40) Solve mission with Bev and Data. (265)
41) Acquire Interphase Generator.
42) Play Particle Fountain. (270)
43) Beam up and move to Pegasus Search (Range 3 + 2).
44) Attach Data's Head (275) (Range: 3)
45) Attempt, encounter Temp. Causality Loop. Solve with Tainer, C:41. (280)
46) Encounter Nagilum, S:55. (285)
47) Encounter Nanites, solve with Clemens. (290)
48) Encounter Tarellian Plague Ship, discard Bev. (295)
49) Solve Pegasus Search with Interphase Generator. (345)
50) End turn. You must now show your Devidian Door.
51) Show the Door. Remove Clemens from play. (355)

He, gotcha. Or at least I thought. Because when I wanted to post this beauty, I found something else in my mail. Another 355 point Fed solution by Major Rakal, and something even better, also authored by Major Rakal and not at all with blue cards:

Seed Deck (30 cards)

AU Door
Medical Relief (P/35/3)
- Crystalline Entity 5
- Data's Head
- Klingon Outpost
- Data's Body
Warped Space (S/45/5)
- Cosmic String Fragment 5
- Nanites 5
- Cryosatellite
  - Gov. Worf
  - Berlinghoff Rasmussen
  - Samuel Clemens 10
  - Samuel Clemens Pocketwatch
Pegasus Search (S/50/4)
- Cytherians 15
- Temporal Causality Loop 5
- Nagilum 5
New Contact (P/40/4)
- HyperAging 5
- Microvirus 5
- Ressikan Flute 25
Hunt for DNA Program (P/55/5)
- Barclay's 10
- Chalnoth 5
- Ophidian Cane
Fever Emergency (P/35/3)
- Worshiper 5
- Sarjenka 5
- Betazoid Gift Box

Draw Deck (first 11 cards)

1. Draw first 7 cards.
2. Report IKC T'Ong w/Galen, Koroth, and Kitrik aboard at end of spaceline (i.e., outpost).
3. Beam crew down, solve dilemma and mission. Get Data's Head and beam up.
4. Play Trans-Warp Conduit on T'Ong for Range 14=(5+2 for Data's Head) x2
5. Move to Warped Space. Attach Data's Head.
6. Solve dilemmas and mission. Bring Cryosatellite contents aboard.
7. Play Pocketwatch to move up next turn's card draw; draw Devidian Door.
8. Detach Data's Head and move to Pegasus Search. Range left is 5.
9. Encounter Cytherians. Play Distortion of Space-Time Continuum to restore Range 14 and move to Fever Emergency. Range left 2.
10. Attach Data's Head. Beam down Data's Body, Rasmussen, and Koroth.
11. Solve Worshiper. Encounter Sarjenka and be stopped.
12. Palor Toff the Distortion and play it to unstop AT and restore range.
13. Solve mission, get Betazoid Gift Box, and draw next three cards. Beam up.
14. Detach Data's Head. Ship Range is 14.
15. Move to Hunt for DNA Program. Attach Data's head and beam down entire crew.
16. Solve dilemmas and mission. Get Ophidian Cane and beam up.
17. Announce Devidian Door, play Ophidian Cane with Maques, Kahlest, and L'Kor to ship.
18. Detach Data's Head. Move to New Contact. Beam down all but Data's Body.
19. Solve dilemmas and mission. Get Ressikan Flute and beam up.
20. Move to Pegasus Search (1 Range remaining).
21. Solve dilemmas and mission.
22. Attach Data's Head. Ressikan Flute is worth 25 (Galen, Kitrik, Kahlest, L'Kor, Data's Body + Head).
23. Show Devidian Door. Clemens leaves play for 10 points.

Yeah, right. 370!!! And at a time where my own Klingon solution was stuck at 365... But somehow I always overlooked that AU icon on Rasmussen and when I saw that possibility, I came up with this beauty:

Spaceline

Investigate Disturbance (P/35/4)
- Crystalline Entity
- Data's Head
- Klingon Outpost
  - Data's Body
Warped Space (S/45/5)
- Cosmic String Fragment
- Cryosatellite
  - Samuel Clemens' Pocketwatch
  - Berlingoff Rasmussen
  - Samuel Clemens
  - Governor Worf
Pegasus Search (S/50/4)
- Cytherians
- Nanites
- Null Space
- Nagilum
Medical Relief (P/35/3)
- Worshiper
- Ressikan Flute
Hunt for DNA Program (P/55/5)
- Chalnoth
- Microvirus
- Barclay's Protomorphosis Disease
- Sarjenka
- Betazoid Gift Box
Wormhole Negotiations (S/45/4)
- Temporal Causality Loop

AU Door

(Total 28 seed cards)

Draw Deck (top 11 cards)
IKC T'Ong
Gowron
Koroth
Galen
Kahlest
Transwarp Conduit
Distortion of Space/Time Continuum
Palor Toff
Arbiter of Succession
Parallax Arguers
Devidian Door

Course of Play:

1) Report T'Ong with Gowron, Koroth and Galen to Investigate Disturbance
2) Announce Devidian Door, play Kahlest on T'Ong
3) Play Transwarp Conduit on T'Ong
4) Beam down away team, attempt mission
5) Encounter Crystalline Entity: Kahlest + Galen (5)
6) Solve Mission: Gowron + Koroth (40), acquire Data's Head
7) Beam up, move Data's Body to T'Ong, attach Head.
8) Move to Warped Space (Range 5)
9) Attempt mission
10) Encounter Cosmic String Fragment: Galen (45)
11) Solve Mission: Galen + Koroth + Data's Body/Head (90)
12) Add Cryo crew to ship crew
13) Acquire Sam Clemens' Pocketwatch, use immediately to draw a card (Palor)
14) Detach Data's Head (Range 5 + 4)
15) Move to Pegasus Search (Range 1 + 4)
16) Attempt, encounter Cytherians
17) Move to Medical Relief (Range 0 + 2)
18) Play Distortion of Space/Time Continuum (Range 10 + 4)
19) Use Palor to get back Distortion
20) Move to Wormhole Negotiations (105) (Range 1 + 4), attempt
21) Encounter Temporal Causality Loop: Galen + CUN=55 (110)
22) Solve Mission: Gov. Worf + Kahlest + Gowron (155)
23) Move to Hunt for DNA Program (Range 0), Attach Data's Head, Beam down
24) Attempt, encounter Chalnoth, STR=52 (160)
25) Encounter Microvirus: Gov. Worf + Kahlest (165)
26) Encounter Barclay's Disease: Gov.Worf * Galen + Kahlest (175)
27) Encounter Sarjenka, choose to be stopped (180)
28) Play Distortion of Space/Time Continuum to unstop (Range 10)
29) Solve Mission: Galen + Rasmussen + Koroth + STR=52 (235)
30) Acquire Betazoid Gift Box, get Arbiter of Succession, Devidian Door, Parallax Arguers
31) Beam up, Move to Pegasus Search (Range 3)
32) Attempt Pegasus Search, encounter Nanites: Sam Clemens (240)
33) Enocunter Null Space: Galen + Gov. Worf (245)
34) Encounter Nagilum: STR=52 (250)
35) Solve Mission: Galen + Gov. Worf + INT=53 (300)
36) Move to Medical Relief (Range 0)
37) Beam down Rasmussen, attempt
38) Encounter Worshiper:Rasmussen (305). Rasmussen is stopped.
39) Beam down Gov. Worf and Gowron. Play Arbiter of Succession on these two. Gov. Worf is killed, Gowron is stopped (315)
40) Beam down Galen, Data's Body/Head, Kahlest, attempt, solve (350)
41) Acquire Ressikan Flute: Galen, Data's Body/Head, Kahlest (365)
42) Wow, that was *COOL*. Play Parallax Arguers (370)
43) Show Devidian Door and remove Sam Clemens from Play (380)

Now that one was worse than those Mark Rosewater things for that other card game, but I have the bad, bad feeling there will be someone who can top even this.

So, folks, your turn again! Who will be the first to pass 400?

Wes