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. More Q shenanigans at Farpoint (we're far from done)...
PICTURE: One of the boring things about Q-cards is that Q is very often standing at that same (beige) spot. What's nice about this one however, is that his black costume goes hand in hand with the card's black frame. The period garments work well with the card's title and have enough glitter to keep the eye interested. And before Fightin' Words, it was the top card of my collection (Q-cards first, Dilemmas-Events-Interrupts) and coincidentally Q's first appearance in the pilot. Sharp. A cool 3.8.
LORE: Very nice. Q's first words are in cod-Shakespearean, either as a homage to Trelaine (from which he conceptually issues) or to show how time has no meaning for him. I like the idea of humanity "infiltrating" the galaxy too. This is interesting lore at 4.1.
TREK SENSE: While Q asks that the ship turn back, here he loses patience and simply relocates it to its home system. Not true because you're outpost can't be at your homeworld. Also, while crew A may meet Q and get the ultimatum, crew B could find itself sent away. I guess they'd be pretty mystified. You can convince Q otherwise though if your total Integrity is between 11 and 49. How? Okay, one guy or gal can't do it alone. But high 50+ Integrity won't work? Maybe it's the number of personnel that represents. Q did say there were too many of us already (the rate of "infiltration"). Great ideas, but the game doesn't permit them to go the full length. A 2.8.
STOCKABILITY: It's a very nice Q-card. First off, it works against redshirting and mega-Away Teams alike, being overcome only by middle-of-the-road teams. Relocation isn't that powerful an effect, but it can make an opponent lose a lot of time. That Dominion player being sent all the way back to the Gamma Quadrant can attest to that. Even better, Borg always redshirt. Send the scout's Borg Cube back to the Delta Quad where it's a real pain to bring back. Of course, you'll have to be lucky enough to draw that one Q-card from the Flash. But wait, it's a Q-Dilemma! With Beware of Q, it can be seeded just like a regular dilemma. Place it under a really big mission where mega-Away Teams are practically required (say, Betazed Invasion), and it's sure to hit. No random Q-Flash there. More fun, as a "real" dilemma, it becomes a wall. If Q or maybe Conundrum (if you put personnel removers/filters in between) is encountered after it, the Away Team will have decreased its total INTEGRITY allowing those other dilemmas to smack their player upside the head. I would certainly keep a few of these in my Q-Continuum, and would even seed it separately - a 4.1.
TOTAL: 14.8 (74%) It doth pretty good.
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