Card Extra

Sleeper Trap from Kathy McCracken (01/1999)

Rounding out the Empok Nor dilemmas, Sleeper Trap can provide a nasty surprise to anyone trying to commandeer Empok Nor. Whether you're protecting your own Empok Nor, or stalling your opponent from commandeering his own, three Cardassians and a disruptor dropped into his midst will definitely upset his plans.

But it's useful in other ways as well. As a planet dilemma, you can abort your opponent's mission attempt by engaging him in battle, or simply use it as a way to get three personnel and a hand weapon into play for free. Under a space mission, it's useful only if there a Nor at the location, which could mean Empok Nor (seeded during the mission phase), Deep Space 9 / Terok Nor (seeded during the dilemma phase), or your own planned Nor to be seeded in the facility phase.

A word to the wise: unless you'd like some uninvited guests, hold off seeding your DS9 until the very end of the dilemma phase, in hopes that your opponent will have seeded his Sleeper Trap elsewhere.

Combos:

• Sleeper Trap + your Empok Nor + [univ] Cardassian x3: If you're playing an obviously non-Cardassian deck, your opponent may not be expecting a Cardassian assault team to greet them when they try to commandeer your Empok Nor. But nothing keeps you from inserting a few Cardassian "enforcers" in your Federation deck.
• His mission + your Nor + Sleeper Trap: Battle his Away Team or just get three personnel and a hand weapon for free.
• His DS9 + Sleeper Trap + Ari + Dakol + Jasad + Cardassian Disruptor Rifle: A STRENGTH 32 assault team with Computer Skill to commandeer DS9.