By sending a scout through a temporal vortex, the Spacedock was able to procure information on an ancient but critically important ship (at the request of Baran); the:
The Vulcan Lander's uses:
I'm Here!: The Vulcan Lander's only frill is its claim to fame, since that frill is what endears it to so many strategies. By landing, the Vulcan Lander silences Patrol Neutral Zone decks (by landing at an NZ planet, leaving a ship in the Zone that cannot be removed ) and nullifies Stop First Contact (by landing on 2063 Earth). Hence, even when it is not needed for some specific strategy, the Vulcan Lander's ability to shut down two extremely annoying strategies merits it a place in most every deck's Q's Tent.
Break On Through... : ...limiting deployment rules! By using the Vulcan Lander, one can deploy Vulcans directly to the ship in use. In need of another Officer to pass Maglock? No need to haul all the way back to the outpost to get one--just deploy Solkar directly to the ship! Desperate for another Engineer? Report Taurik directly to where the action is! Shaka presenting a problem? Not when Spock can arrive at a moment's notice!
"But, what if I'm not playing Federation?" Don't let that stop you! Tallera, most often noticed for the mission-stealing opportunities she presents, also offers two of the classifications needed to pass Barclay's Protomorphosis Disease--and Sevek provides the other. T'Shonra has useful skills for a space-oriented deck, and, like the previous two, can be used by non-Federation players. Of course, this list would not be complete without mentioning Solkar, who has both awe-inspiring attributes and some handy skills (unfortunately, Solkar will have to be left in the past if Tallera is around). Regardless of your affiliation (Borg not included, of course), the Vulcan Lander can prove useful indeed!
Boldly Go... : ...into dilemmas! The Vulcan Lander's unusual staffing requirements and frills offer an unparalleled way in which to redshirt space missions. Simply deploy the Vulcan Lander and a Vulcan, and attempt a mission. If something unfortunate happens to the crew member, no problem--just deploy another crewer directly there and do it again! By doing this, it is possible to clean out "killer" dilemmas at one mission at a minimal expenditure of cards while completing another mission with the "real" personnel who are the emphasis of the deck.
Of course, the Vulcan Lander shows its age in some ways...
"Ow.": The Vulcan Lander comes from a time when the Vulcans were aggressively pursing peace--and this ship shows it. With infimitesimal weaponry, the Vulcan Lander is no real threat to the other player, even with Solkar and the Captain's Log. With mediocre Shielding and Range, the Vulcan Lander presents a tempting target.
The Vulcan Superiority Movement... : ...would love this ship. Since it can only be crewed by a Vulcan, you *must* include several of them in your deck if you hope to keep the Vulcan Lander flying (landing?). Like the Future Enterprise and the U.S.S. Enterprise-E, the Vulcan Lander makes uncomfortable demands on how your deck is made.
You Deploy Where *I* Want You To: Although it sees relatively little use, the Montana Missle Complex is the bane of this ship. Since the MMC forces the Vulcan Lander to deploy there once it comes into play, an MMC played early in the game could completely shut down any deck based on the Vulcan Lander. A Temporal Vortex provides some assistance, but the opposition decides where the Lander will arrive on the spaceline. Hence, the Vulcan Lander's benefits are balanced by a great risk--the risk that the provider of those benefits will be in no position to do any good at all.
Final Analysis: The Vulcan Lander is easy to crew and has several useful frills. However, it is native to an earlier time--and it shows its age. With several nasty limitations, the Vulcan Lander is an excellent backup or special-purpose ship; however, it is too easily pushed aside for it to serve as a reliable primary ship for most decks.
Next Week: The Spacedock drops in on the Romulan Star Empire to get a better look at one of the staples of their warfleet; the Haakona.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to e-mail Phalanx
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