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. Next up, Khan's last stand...
PICTURE: The earth tones and general framing weaken this picture of an otherwise memorable scene. Technical details drive the score down to 2.8.
LORE: The title is a pretty long quote already, and the lore gets deeper into it, going for some of Moby Dick. Prefigures the 2nd Edition style and is quite good, though the title goes a bit far, especially in naming Kirk. It's just not generic enough. I do like the double-entendre about the card game itself though. Manages a 3.8.
TREK SENSE: The Genesis Device just doesn't do enough by itself, and this card is the fix. See, the Device either makes a planet into a paradise, subverting its points for a greater goal (doubling them), or destroys the mission site (reducing its points to zero). But it ignores the fact that any use of the Genesis Device would be destructive to whatever was already on that planet. This interrupt remedies the situation by adding such effects to the use of the Device. Basically, anything on the planet (facilities, ships and personnel) are destroyed. Furthermore, if we go by the wide range of the Device at the end of ST II, ships in orbit are also destroyed. Not space facilities though? We could always say using the Device without No Kirk is akin to the cave experiment inside the asteroid, but that this unleashes the genesis effect full force. It's a 4, no more, since it's tied to a somewhat flawed concept (as we'll see next time).
STOCKABILITY: The Genesis Device can be worth points to Khan or Kruge, but whether you score from it or not, you can also use it as a weapon. When you drop the Artifact on a planet, you may zero its points at the start of your turn, rendering it useless. But why stop there? Play No Kirk on it at that time, and all cards here are discarded in one fell swoop. And thanks to The Genesis Device's short countdown, you can even get away. But so can your opponent! Well, here's a use for Samuel Clemens' Pocketwatch (sacrificing one of your personnel, and possibly a ship in the process). No Kirk remains a great incentive for dropping the Device on a homeworld (to destroy the HQ) or Colony. Your opponent better have been using an Outpost or Nor to report personnel, because they might lose their only means. Note that if you have the means to attempt your opponent's mission, you might use the Device to double the mission's points, then destroy any opposition there. Fly back in and cement your 2-mission win. Maybe the Game is Over after all. A powerful, destructive card, only balanced by The Genesis Device's own fail safes, which aren't a deal breaker. A 4.5.
TOTAL: 15.1 (75.5%) Just short of the top 10 interrupts.
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