Mot's Useless Card Review #28: The Higher... The Fewer

To be totally honest, The Higher... The Fewer is only a part-time "useless" card. I see it in cycles. For a while (usually during periods where massive Away Teams are a commonly played strategy), everybody plays it. Then the cycle comes around (people use red-shirting more frequently), and The Higher... The Fewer vanishes from decks. It's rarely played in tournament decks that I've seen.

Yet, it's a great card for all occasions. The dilemma works in both space and on planets, on all affiliations. There is absolutely NOTHING your opponent can do to counter it. The opponent loses points. What more could you want in a dilemma?! With red-shirting such a popular strategy, though, The Higher... The Fewer is sometimes passed over in favor of other dilemmas that hinder such decks. The thing you have to remember is, it always works, even on red-shirting.

Ask Tebok, he'll tell you all about it. I judged his second round Online Tournament match with Sirol earlier this week. He rocketed ahead to a commanding lead, scoring three missions almost before Sirol ever left his outpost. The problem was, Tebok hit The Higher... The Fewer at the third mission. He had red-shirted it, sending down a single personnel on his initial attempt - but the damage was done. A 30 point mission, plus two 35 point missions, minus 1 point for The Higher... The Fewer gave him a total of 99 points. So close, yet so far. Very, VERY far, because unfortunately for Tebok, Sirol came back to win the game! (My apologies to Tebok for twisting the knife here a bit, but the transcript is soon to become a matter of public record anyway.)

So there it is - concrete proof that even when it only takes a single point, The Higher... The Fewer can be a very powerful card. That's not to say you should be content only taking one point. There's plenty of ways to set up for more; just position The Higher... The Fewer immediately after any "wall" dilemma. That's any dilemma that requires certain skills be present to continue, like Impassible Door, Alien Labyrinth, Matriarchal Society, etc. Your opponent can red-shirt if they want, but they'll be stopped first on the wall dilemma and then be forced to send down a larger team, which will continue on and lose a larger number of points to The Higher... The Fewer.

Hands down, the best wall dilemma for this job is Shaka, When the Walls Fell. Not only does the 2 Diplomacy usually require multiple personnel, but the 30 CUNNING is even more demanding. On average, 5 personnel have to be committed to bypass this dilemma and continue. Snatching 5 points from an opponent with The Higher... The Fewer can be cutting fairly deep. Best of all, like The Higher... The Fewer, Shaka is a planet/space dilemma. This combination of cards can be seeded at any mission you choose.

Even if your opponent has Dathon along to pass the Shaka, you're in good shape. Dathon cannot attempt missions by himself (save Qualor II Rendezvous and Samaritan Snare, of course), so at least one other personnel will be with him in order to meet the affiliation requirements. That's at least 2 points. And if you consider that the average mission is worth 35 points, a frustrating bit of math results: 35 + 35 + 35 - 6 (that is, 2 points x 3 missions) = 99 points. Not enough to win, and highly annoying to boot!

You might also include six The Higher... The Fewers in your seed deck (one for each mission) and a Q’s Planet in your side deck. Suddenly, you all but force your opponent to complete five, maybe even all six of their missions to win. Just stock a few nasty dilemmas in your Q’s Tent to go on that Planet, in case the opponent tries to go there to restore the game winning score to 100. My recommendation on Q's Planet dilemmas: The Higher... The Fewer ;-), The Sheliak, Q.

Negative points was one of the more interesting innovations added to the game by the first expansion (Alternate Universe), with a great deal of potential for highly frustrating theme decks. 'Tis better to give than receive...