Menage a Troi - Ferengi Starter

This Deck was build by Paddy Tye and was published first on "The Continuing Committee (trekcc.org)" at Jun 27th, 2018.

Menage a Troi - Ferengi Starter

Deck listing:

Hints & strategie notes for this Deck

Back in 2012, you didn’t need the lobes for business to realise that TNG Ferengi decks had some seriously good tools available to them. The ability to seed a ship, multiple points, draws or equipment downloads from battling, and a universal skill monster by the name of Gozar.

The Price

Although Ferengi Military Operations got trimmed back to reasonable levels, the additional changes which followed hurt Ferengi decks quite badly. With Gozar limited to Unique instead of Universal, and the change to Attention All Hands making just non-duplicated universal personnel free to play, the breadth of skills available in Ferengi decks (previously in plentiful supply) were now much more difficult to get into play for free. Other drawbacks of the affiliation became more apparent – like their lack of women, which made them vulnerable to gender-based dilemma combos.

The release of Coming of Age tries to help restore some of the balance to the TNG Ferengi faction – and that help comes largely in female form. One key addition to the available universal personnel is Aletia – the alien companion who (along with Callandra) worked for Omag – the “fat Ferengi” from Unification. She adds a useful source of SCIENCE, Physics, Biology and Acquisition (which Creative have justified by describing her as an expert in both biochemical weaponry and the tympanic tickle)! Unlike her colleague Callandra, she is joint Ferengi and Non-Aligned affiliations, and by having a SCIENCE classification (rather than CIVILIAN like Callandra) she can also play for free via Ferengi Military Operations. Although the starter deck may only include one copy, as she represents a source of SCIENCE, Biology and Acquisition (found in fairly short supply on universal TNG Ferengi), we suspect that in complete / block play environments, it might well be worth players stocking multiple copies of her in their decks, given her ability to play for free via two different engines!

There is also another new mission specialist in Follis – adding more SECURITY and Navigation to the available pool of skills. Being a mission specialist, his Navigation can provide a handy point boost to both Search for Weapons and Attend Mysterious Rendezvous. The set also adds new reprints of Krunk and Taar, who in addition to Dr Farek and Lwaxana Troi (another female) from The Sky’s The Limit, round out the extra personnel from the Ferengi affiliation found in the deck.

However, playtesting proved there was another price which needed to be paid. While the Ferengi had been hampered in Block or Complete play, they had one major advantage in starter deck games – the Kurdon’s download. The feedback was that in starter deck matches it really tipped the balance when it came to mission solving and passing dilemmas, so to maintain balance we removed the Kurdon and added a reprint of the Kreechta. That change also meant that with WEAPONS of 9, the Ferengi would be able to steal Intercept Sleeper Ship from a Klingon opponent! In block play, it also adds a second strong Ferengi ship to the available card pool.

A Fistful of Datas

Bolstering the skills in the Ferengi deck are a few extra Non-Aligned personnel. Data from The Sky’s The Limit boosts the amount of ENGINEER, Biology, Exobiology, Computer Skill and the already plentiful Treachery in the deck. He also adds to the number of familiar faces in the deck, alongside Quark, Will Riker and Captain Picard. In fact Data also makes an appearance in the updated mission selection: Investigate Dead Planet includes Data in the mission requirements, so he can help to solve, or (if you haven’t played him yet) you can use the gametext on the mission to download him when you solve.

The final new addition to the help the available skills in the deck is another woman: Alexana Devos – the Rutian chief of police from “The High Ground”. She won’t play for free or get you a Continuing Mission card draw, but she has a good mix of skills in exchange for costing a card play – including Law which (although not necessary for missions or dilemmas) is in short supply in the Ferengi starter deck.

The available missions have changed too, with a new addition in Examine Battle Site. The second nice juicy 40 point mission found in this set replaces Host Metaphasic Shielding Test, but still retains a SCIENCE requirement, such that Kayron (a SCIENCE mission specialist) can help to boost this up to 45 points! This is also one of the few space missions to include Archaeology in the requirements (even if it is optional).

Hopefully you will all find this update to the Ferengi starter deck (and the other three) useful when teaching new and returning players!

by Paddy Tye, First Edition Creative Manager