Weenie Takes All
Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Thu, 04/13/2006 - 18:00
This Deck was build by and was published first on "none".
Warnings for this deck!
A ST2E dilemma pile must contain at least 20 cards!
Weenie Takes All
Deck listing:
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Dilemma pile (0): | Draw deck (50):
 Event (11):
 Interrupt (2):
 Personnel (27):
 Ship (4):
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Missions:
Dual: 0
Equipment (6):
Hints & strategie notes for this Deck
"Oh, I wish I cost as much as Miles O'Brien. That's how much I'd truly love to be..." –Oscar Mayer commercial (revised)
Shortly after learning how to play the Star Trek Customizable Card Game, Second Edition, I heard the term "weenie" in reference to game play. Weenie in this context refers to a card (usually a personnel) which does not cost very many counters to play, and does not independently possess special skills, orders, or other distinguishing characteristics. Examples found in a Next Generation affiliation deck include Lopez, Martin, and Lian T'su. These poor personnel may as well be labeled the "Oscar Mayors of Weeniedom," because they lack the notable qualities found on more expensive personnel. However, each is non-unique, is readily available as a "common" card in terms of rarity, possesses a staffing icon to help pilot a ship, and costs only one counter. Collectively, having one copy of each personnel under your command also represents having nine different skills and a combined Integrity of 18 to help complete missions and overcome dilemmas. Many of us have designed so-called ‘weenie decks' before, but I've often wondered if it would be possible to design a draw deck consisting only of cards that cost a maximum of one counter each, so here goes...
Let's first deal with a possible exception to our one counter cost rule. Ships generally cost significantly more than one counter. Smiley can be used to reduce the cost of a ship, but he then violates the one-cost rule himself. Before playing Smiley, though, a graceful play of two copies of Disadvantage Into Advantage following a copy of Party Atmosphere would put all four cards into play for only one counter, as well as reduce the cost of playing higher-cost unique personnel later if desired. Disadvantage Into Advantage is likely not worth it with the deck list included with this article since Smiley is the only personnel in this deck that costs more than one counter, but you can tweak this deck as desired. Also important to keep in mind, Disadvantage Into Advantage applies to all players, and you don't want to give your opponent free personnel if you can avoid it. Whether you choose to use Disadvantage Into Advantage or not, playing a few more Engineers to your headquarters mission allows you to then play a ship for one (or zero) counters using Smiley. Most personnel in this deck will not have the cherished command icon that Smiley touts, so I recommend sticking with easily-staffed ships like the U.S.S. Excelsior.
Arguably, the most notable power of a weenie deck is its speed. With a reasonable opening hand, you'll likely have enough personnel in play after two turns to consider attempting missions, assuming you can find a ship and have the right mix of skills. As always, careful attention must be given to ship staffing requirements to make sure you don't end up stranded at a mission, but weenies are notorious for getting to attempt missions before their non-weenie opponents. Moreover, inexpensive condiments like equipment can complement your weenie. Daniel Kwan, for instance, suddenly has a double portion of Physics and gains Astrometrics when sharing an Engineering Kit and Engineering PADD with his fellow Engineers. Put him aboard ship with Van Orton, and you have the skills necessary to complete several missions, such as Fissure Research. Equally important, a skill missing in this deck is Intelligence. Several higher-cost personnel (or additional non-aligned personnel) may be included in the deck to add this skill if desired (especially if using Disadvantage Into Advantage), but I've kept such personnel out to hit the one-counter-per-card goal mentioned above.
Another facet of a weenie deck is its ability to face killer dilemmas. Weenies are very inexpensive to replace, and dilemmas can quickly pile up beneath missions as weenies hit your discard pile. This is very effective when facing opponents who rely heavily on dilemmas with the Consume keyword, such as the devastating combination of Tragic Turn and Charged-Particle Precipitation readily found in many dilemma stacks these days. Sure, your first mission attempt may yield a stack of burnt weenies in your discard pile, but it takes only a few counters to replace them on your next turn. Viewed a different way, who would you rather have selected to face Charged-Particle Precipitation, Kirk or Davies? Given the frequency with which you'll need to return to your headquarters to pick up replacement weenies, a second ship or use of range boosters will likely be needed. Two favorites for boosting range include Quantum Slipstream Drive and Astrometrics Lab. This deck list includes only the former, providing yet another way for Smiley to contribute. There are some dilemmas weenies should avoid completely if possible, such as In Training or Dressing Down. If you find your opponent stopping you by playing only one dilemma like this (even if it does Consume others), it's probably best to just pretend Nothing Happened, and help your weenies start completing missions.
While not the fanciest dish you'll find on a buffet, weenies are an inexpensive, easy-to-prepare option when deck speed is important or card availability is limited. Weenies are easily garnished by a wide array of non-aligned characters and equipment to target different missions, and they do not require the step-by-step game mechanics more seasoned officers often need in intricate decks. Speed, skill balancing, and dilemma recovery are all important aspects of this deck, but then again, when are they not? So, relish the opportunity to muster a weenie deck peppered with a few choice cards, and your opponents will find themselves in quite a pickle because they will not be able to catch up to you.
