Wesley's STCCG card of the day #68


Hi, folks,

Here's not one, not two, but THREE cards:

INCOMING MESSAGE - FEDERATION

INCOMING MESSAGE - KLINGON

INCOMING MESSAGE - ROMULAN

Interrupts, uncommon.
Your ship must immediately return to the nearest *** outpost, full speed. Place on any *** ship until outpost reached, then discard.
"Messages and directives are sent, faster than light, on subspace radio sig- nals amplified by networks of relay stations."
(Yep, all 3 cards have the same boring flavor text :-( )
These cards are powerful. Play them in any stall deck, if you know what affiliation your opponent is going to use. If not - try something else.

So much for the quick reader. In depth:
These cards, used correctly, are incredibly strong. Not only can you stall an opponent for several turns, with a little calculation you can actually use them destructively. Try for example two strategically placed subspace warp rifts. The opponent MAY NOT stop there, so damage is assured. Two of them: BOOM... Of course, this play requires several short span missions in a row, as after the first hit, range is reduced to 5.

Gaps in normal space also is an option. In the right position - unstoppable Mini-Armus(TM).

The biggest one however, is Incoming Message + Q-Net, a perfect lock unless the opponent has 2 Diplomacy aboard. Remember, no beaming to or from the ship is allowed if a ship is under the influence of one of these cards. So stick a Q-Net between the ship and the outpost and grin. Having no 2 Diplomacy, your opponent wil sit there forever, never being able to complete the assignment. Cure with Kevin Uxbridge on Q-Net, Amanda won't work anymore! (There are three more solutions to this problem, but I won't tell yet. The first reader to find ALL will get the usual honorable mention... One is easy and requires only one card, the second one needs at least four cards and will not be easy to implement in a game and the third is a two-card one, but who plays them?)

Now for the drawback: You need to know what affiliation your opponent is playing, otherwise you are stuck with a completely useless card. So for fixed-deck play this card is relatively crap. If you are allowed to side- board, however (evil cackle)...


Favorite combo(s):
Ratings for : INCOMING MESSAGEs

Wesley's rating:                6.5 (9.9 if playing with sideboard)
Conner's rating:                5.5
Phil's rating:                  8.0
Mike's rating:                  7.8
----------------------
AVERAGE RATING:                 6.95

Please direct all email concerning card of the day to: blohmer@pips11.informatik.uni-mannheim.de Visit the Web Page! http://www.wolfe.net/~conner/COTD.html

With all back issues from #1 up to today ! Even the long-lost #13 is there!


LLAP,

Wesley Crusher, the new STCCG Lord

"A couple of lightyears can't keep good friends apart"