Being a look back at cards from the Star Trek CCG, and what I thought of them back when they were fresh and new... in EPISODE order. The last card of "The Arsenal of Freedom" is also one of the very last cards made for 1st Edition...
PICTURE: A totally conceptual design since no Wambundu-class ships were ever seen (both the Drake and Fleming - from "Forces of Nature" - were destroyed before they could ever be shown), this is a fun extrapolation. If it HAD been seen, we can presume the model would have been kitbashed from Galaxy pieces, just as the Nebula was, and so we get a very similar design. It's basically a Galaxy with a shorter neck, saucer a little further back. Fun, if not exactly revolutionary. Personally, I wouldn't have minded more conceptual designs, y'know, from time to time. A 3.8.
LORE: Paul Rice already mentioned the ship (its reason for inclusion in 1st Edition's last collection), but the matching commander is nonetheless mentioned (useful). The rest gives us what few things we knew about the ship, and I suppose telling us Riker was offered this command, too, would have been confusing. Ah well. What's here's a 3.1.
TREK SENSE: Similar to a Nebula, but weaker, which isn't a bad extrapolation since the Wambundu doesn't look quite as sleek. Well, actually, it's not too far from the USS Phoenix with the 8 given to Weapons instead of Shields. Sure, trying to give it a fighting chance against the Minos weapons, but allowing for failure because of low Shields. I might just have dumped the 8 in Range instead, but I'm somewhat unsure of how far out the Lorenze Cluster actually was. The large Galaxy-size saucer lends credence to Holodeck capabilities, and the size overall equates to this much staffing. Of course, it's ridiculous for its matching commander to be a Minosian hologram. Nothing out of the ordinary here, we get a credible 3.5.
STOCKABILITY: Existing simply to give a ship to Paul Rice (who isn't even the real Paul Rice, but there you go), with him aboard (pray you don't lose the Holodeck), the ship can be Plaqued and Logged to 9-11-10 strength. He can be downloaded aboard using either Ready Room Door or Holodeck Door. You can easily think of this as a unique Nebula-class ship, what with its similar attributes, staffing and special equipment, but having a choice, would you grab this over the Sutherland? The latter's got Data as matching commander! Even the Phoenix has a more useful commander (as long as you use Assign Mission Specialists). I can't say this is a bad ship, but it's nothing special in a collection that has a lot better. A 2.5 then.
TOTAL: 13.9 (69.5%) Hey! Higher than the Enterprise-E! (But I'm getting ahead of myself.)
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