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. Friday's Child also yields up the perfect redshirt...
PICTURE: After reacting badly to danger in "Friday's Child", Grant was promptly killed just after this picture was taken. That makes the prototypical redshirt's image very appropriate (not to mention the right color). Some CGI was done to the image as well, since Spock and Kirk used to be part of the shot. Is that why Grant's left arm looks strange? Or why those awful shadows cross his face? An appropriate pic, but ugly out of context. My score: 3.5.
LORE: Very funny! After we're done with the universality stuff, we get his point of view prior to his only mission. What he hopes will never happen, of course, because he was killed within minutes of beaming down. At the same time, the universal redshirt (which may be played by a variety of actors and stuntmen) will have many such assignments throughout the series. It's his role to die to show how dangerous these missions are. An excellent 4.1.
TREK SENSE: A universal Security personnel in the Original Series was pretty much a marked man from the start. At least Lt. Grant isn't one of the hapless ones whose deaths had little or no meaning. He actually tried to save his captain's life. That's where Honor comes from, certainly (so why the lukewarm Integrity?), and the special skill too. That skill allows him to take the place of another OS personnel selected to die. It respects the period, but in a mixed crew, wouldn't Grant save Picard too? Maybe his allegiance is limited to people he knows, and that closed-mindedness might be at the root of the lower Integrity. Still - and the game never went that way - it would have been interesting to see a personnel who would sacrifice itself only for high-ranking personnel. Note that he only throws himself in front of random selection dangers, but more specific deaths are planned to circumvent security. It works. He wasn't very smart, since he could have avoided death if he hadn't reacted so instinctively. Cunning 5 suits him fine. As does the relatively high Strength, since he's in Security. Ok, rather well done at 4.
STOCKABILITY: OS mains tend to be pretty powerful, in both our universe and the Mirror one. So in an OS-heavy deck, you'll either have fewer personnel in charge of your skill pool, or be basing your strategy on some special skill they have. To keep them safe, stock a few Lt. Grants. Not only is SECURITY a little bit lacking in OS Feds (save for the Mirrors), but he'll have a mission attempt function, and can throw himself in front of any danger that kills with a random selection. Multiple Grants can save multiple personnel, even from the likes of Denevan Neural Parasites, and you can re-stock your OS ship with Grants for your next mission using Crew Reassignment. He can even serve with your non-AU crew if you're using a lot of OS-icon DSNiners. A fine universal that would nevertheless benefit from Lower Decks - his attributes are pretty lame. Born to die, so that others don't have to: a 3.8.
TOTAL: 15.4 (77%) Posthumously, of course.
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