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. Ok, so some of that all-important TOS bridge crew...
PICTURE: Bones sometime before he identified Arne Darvin as a Klingon. Well, the golden brown behind him is rich, and the composition is sound (good play between the line in the background and the strap on his shoulder), but I'm disappointed with the choice. I understand that the set was titled after the popular (yet, in my opinion, over-rated) "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode, but did the entire TOS bridge crew have to be pulled from it, even when they played only a minor part? There are some good, defining moments for McCoy (For the Earth Is Hollow..., The Man Trap, Shore Leave, any argument with Spock, etc.), but Tribbles really isn't one of them. Given that, I can't find the pic used more than just workmanlike. A 3.
LORE: Not much room with that cool special skill, is there? We get his full name, nickname included. We get his position on the Enterprise (which in TOS-speak was more often referred to as "chief surgeon"). We get a fairly irrelevant detail from his character biography... I'm not sure if the "achievement" is part of the homage to DeForest Kelley, but it's pretty boring. Something about his feuding with Spock, friendship with Kirk, or declaring people dead would have been immensely more satisfying. TOS has that classic kitsch quality, why not use it? A poor 1.5. (For a 5 in lore, check out Admiral McCoy, ironically.)
TREK SENSE: Those CMOs are always Medical x2, which is fine, and McCoy wrote some famous Exobiology papers, so double that skill too. Biology is a pre-requisite for the job as well. Then we get into the meaty stuff. Obviously, a special download for "I'm a Doctor, Not..." cards is right on the money. Had to be done. The more special skill is an interpretation of the first bridge crew's legendary status. Back then, they had poorer facilities, but you could always count on the doctor to come up with a solution to any problem. And McCoy does exactly that, once per turn. Sensical? In a TOS perspective, it is, and no doubt, "modern" doctors would agree with that assessment of Leonard H. I am going to contest the Staff icon however, because Bones was part of the main trio, had a staff of his own, and could give orders that superseded even the captain's. Despite one flaw and some exaggeration, this is an excellent version of a dear character. Worth its 4.6.
STOCKABILITY: Highly stockable. Some personnel can nullify one dilemma, or in special cases, a couple (like Dathon), but he can nullify any dilemma requiring a certain skill! That's immense, especially when that skill is the very popular MEDICAL. Note that he has most of the skills necessary to pass the tightly-focused MEDICAL dilemmas - 2 MEDICAL, 2 Exobiology and Biology (more, if he makes use of Classic equipment! - so he can pass those normally, and keep his skill for the next one which he might not. After all, it's only once per turn, and combos might be stacked against MEDICAL. It's great to finally nullify the ones that have an effect no matter what, like Hippocratic Oath or Tarellian Plague Ship. Usually, it'll allow him to simulate having a lot of other skills, from Cybernetics for Borg Servo, to the bucketload of skills, attributes and equipment required of The Cloud or Invasive Procedures. I don't often mention Temporal Micro-Wormhole in personnel reviews, because it would take to long to speak of a personnel effectiveness in every possible affiliation, but McCoy is a perfect choice for it. Who could NOT use his special skill? Non-Federation affiliations don't generally have the big MEDICAL personnel, so not only will his skill list be a godsend to them, but the special skill makes it even better. The buck doesn't stop there of course. A special download of, for now, two possible cards, can come in handy. Not a Bricklayer can suspend play to nullify Horta (yes, yet another dilemma), download a personnel or give McCoy another skill. Not a Doorstop can only be used if you pair him up with a hologram to then cancel a personnel battle, or if opponent's holo, stop it. Neither is a game-breaker, but they do offer some strategic flexibility. McCoy also allows Nurse Chapel to report for free, adding to the TOS gang's fast reporting. The simple boost of being an attractive choice for almost any affiliation (the Borg will just have to assimilate him) gets him up to a 5. Just too strong a mission solver.
TOTAL: 14.1 (70.5%) Deserved to be an ultra-rare, and not just as a sign of respect for Mr. Kelley. Sadly, it means he escapes most collections.
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