Mot's Useless Card Review #43: Space

This "non-mission" has no affiliation icons, no mission requirements, no point value, no nothing. It just... well, it takes up space. :-)

And no card is better suited to this purpose. Space is a two-for-the-price-of-one bargain; since it only costs 1/2 a card in your mission selection, you have the ability to create an empty space on the spaceline of as much as 8 span for just one card play. (You aren't required to put both cards next to each other, of course - though you'll usually want to do so to maximize the benefit.) Space inserts into the spaceline wherever you choose, so you can put that gap exactly where you want it to be. If there's room in your deck for 2 or 3 pairs of Space, even better. You can create 3 separate gaps of 8 span, or string them all together for an impressive 28 span void on the spaceline.

So, why would you want to take up space? Because you're playing Romulan, of course! Huh? Grab your binder and take a look at the Romulan D’deridex class ships. 4 of them have a span of 9 (as do the Scout Vessel and the Pi). All Romulan ships have a span of at least 8. Now take a look at the other affiliations. Very few nines, and a lot of eights. The Federation's range frequently dips to 7 and below. Then there's the ever popular Husnock Ship with its range of 6. This means you as a Romulan player are likely to get around on A "Space"-line faster than a non-Romulan opponent. There's a world of difference between a range of 7 and 9, or even 8 and 9 when you're looking at 3 adjacent span 3 missions. And of course, when you know you're planning to clog up the line with Space, you can include Plasmadyne Relays in your deck; your opponent may not be so fortunate.

Two mission decks are very popular right now. Fortunately, they are also easy to spot. When you see your opponent playing two 45 point missions, it's a safe bet they're planning on the tried-and-true "pair of missions and a 10 point dilemma/personnel" strategy to give them the win. So insert as much Space as possible in between those two coveted missions of your opponent's. It'll take them that much longer to get their "quick" win. Just be aware, some players rely on Lakanta and a self-seeded Cytherians for their last few points, so don't force the two missions right to the very ends of the spaceline, either.

But then, speaking of Cytherians, what a great idea! A line riddled with Space is going to take a very, very long time to cross. Borg Ship also goes nicely with a "Space"-line... at least, the Kurlan Naiskos Borg-hunter strategy does. Just to be sure you catch up with the Borg Ship you intend to destroy for points, add a few extra mission locations to the spaceline. (You never know when a stray Temporal Rift, Time Travel Pod, Rogue Borg attack, or other delay might set you back a few turns you hadn't planned on losing.)

Space between you and your opponent can create a buffer zone to protect your Colonies. It it works great with the range-reducing cards like Birth of Junior and Baryon Buildup.

Gee, with so many good reasons to play Space, you'd better be sure to remember to include a real mission or two in your deck! ;-)