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. Last Q-Continuum card from Encounter at Farpoint...
PICTURE: Sigh. Seems like I just came off talking about beige picture #whatever, and here's another one. This one's probably the most boring of the Encounter at Farpoint Q-shots, and the recognizable (that is, non-sf) costuming gives us nothing interesting to look at. An otherwise competent 2.4.
LORE: The Q-uote is vintage Q looking down on us ants, and the title itself is interesting, but that's about all that can be said about this aspect of the card. A 3.2.
TREK SENSE: The basic problem with this card is that, on the one hand, Q is chastising people for warring against each other, but on the other, he's forcing you to attack someone, somewhere. The effects of the card don't even respect the location where Q is encountered. So it's reversed conceptualism here. We could reverse all logic and say the card finds a REASON for Q to say those words. The fact that the card is immune to Q-Flash suggests that it's not Q's doing, but yours. Well, Q was talking about the far past, not current conflicts, though he could mean those too. Very warped logic, but I see where they were going with this. It just seems like a very backwards way of working something into the Q-Continuum. I'm generous with a 1.9, but that's because it made me think.
STOCKABILITY: Sometimes, you WANT your opponent to attack you. If you play Borg for example, or even Federation, you might want a reason to counterattack (or for Feds, to play Wartime Conditions). Another reason might be to set off Defend Homeworld after luring a ship or a personnel to yours. Of course, that presupposes that you can keep the opposing ship or personnel (easier) at the right spot until the card has its effect. But The Issue Is Patriotism isn't the only card that has this kind of effect. There's also Conundrum and Saltha'na Clock, for example. Now, when you seed both of these, you know they'll be encountered if the mission is attempted. Conundrum would require that its requirements not be passed; Clock would require that the mission be solved; but those things should occur reasonably often. The problem with The Issue Is Patriotism is that you can't control the Q-Continuum side-deck like you can a dilemma combo. You don't know when it'll hit or even IF it'll hit in any particular Flash, and so is much less efficient. You might even get caught with your pants down. Its immunity to Q-Flash is small comfort considering that Amanda Rogers still does it in, but that's a small point. Might be interesting if you're trying to force a personnel battle rather than the ship battle that results from most other cards that force battle, especially where you have a Love Interest-stuck personnel. Hits 3.
TOTAL: 10.5 (52.5%) I'm getting tired of this side-deck, methinks.
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