Mot's Useless Card Review #82: Zefram Cochrane's Telescope

It may have been created by a human, but Zefram Cochrane’s Telescope is actually most helpful for the Bajorans and Cardassians. Why? Because of regions. With the introduction of the Bajor, Cardassian, and Badlands regions (and the Demilitarized Zone - though it consists thus far of only one mission) in DS9, those affiliations have a powerful ability to control where their missions are placed on the spaceline.

Regional missions must of course insert in the spaceline next to another mission from that region. The more regional missions you use, the more likely you can arrange them in such a way that space locations will always be adjacent to planet locations. You will always have places to use your Telescope. That gives you virtually unlimited uses of the Scan interrupt - without actually using the interrupt! Getting past your opponent's dilemmas could hardly be easier.

The same trick can be done with the Romulans using Patrol Neutral Zone missions, or by any affiliation in the Gamma Quadrant, with a little luck and an opponent who isn't also using Gamma missions. Zefram Cochrane's Telescope is played as equipment, which means you actually don't even have to complete a mission to get it. Use Secret Compartment, and you'll never have to face any of your opponent's dilemmas without first knowing what you're getting into.

Also, even though the Telescope is most helpful for peeking at dilemmas, don't forget it can let you look at all cards at an adjacent non-planet location. That includes the cards aboard your opponent's ships. You'll know just what number to call out with your Yuta, or whether you can take them in a fight if you beam over with Dropping In or Open Diplomatic Relations.

Any telescope that can see through solid objects and inside ships has gotta be worth using. ;-)