Card Extra

Scanner Interference from Kathy McCracken (08/1999)

Scanner Interference makes the use of scan cards more difficult, chancy and realistic. Just as Picard couldn't sit aboard the Enterprise at a starbase and do long-distance scans of the Gamma Quadrant to decide on the least-risky mission assignment to accept, you too will have to staff a ship, travel to the mission you want to check out and make sure you have 2 Computer Skill aboard to run those pesky scanners. (To add insult to injury, if you try to make a scan from afar and your opponent flips this hidden agenda, that scan card will be nullified.)

Even then, your scan isn't a sure thing. Oh, you'll know what's there, except for the "interference" that your opponent can introduce by adding another seed card after you scan. Since that "interference" is the first card you will encounter, all bets are off for deciding exactly who to include in your Away Team to get around the rest of the dilemmas with minimal casualties.

Opponent's not using scans? The card needn't be wasted. Discard it from the table to download a card to interfere with your opponent's ability to beam up and down from a key planet mission.

Combos:

• Scanner Interference + seeded Lack of Preparation + added Cytherians: If you put everyone you need to solve the mission aboard your ship, you might find them making an unexpected trip to the far end of the spaceline.
• Scanner Interference + added Chula: The Chandra: No matter how you try to plan for the mission attempt, the random nature of The Chandra's "stopping" is bound to throw those plans out the viewport.