In celebration of the release of First Contact, the Spacedock is beginning a four-part look at the past, present, and future of the ST:CCG. We begin with a ship pulled out of the history books: The
The Enterprise-C's uses:
Run-of-the-Mill, but Still Respectable, Attributes: The Enterprise-C's Range, Weapons, and Shields follow the standard Federation system; good Range, weak Weapons, good Shields. For all their averageness, however, the Enterpries-C's attributes are still useful. Range 8 gives the ship reasonable maneuverability on both space- and planet-heavy spacelines. Weapons 7 is unexceptional, but is sufficient to damage the Borg Sphere and the Borg Scout Vessel. Shields 8 is enough to turn away the attacks of most vessels, although the more powerful Men-of-War or an armada will easily overcome this Enterprise.
Enhancements Galore: As the bearer of the name of one of the proudest names in the fleet, U.S.S. Enterprise-C benefits from Wall Of Ships. It also recieves Captain's Log benefits from the valuable Rachel Garret. Better than both of these frills, however, is the Enterprise-C's real treat: The ability to report to any spaceline location. One of the few frills duplicated nowhere else, this line of game text permits the Enterprise-C to rescue stranded away teams (particularly handy if the planet they are on is about to be assimilated), provide extra Weapons in battle, pick up an Inconian Gatewayed group of travelers, or allows the splitting of a crew (preventing an opponent from killing them all in one fell swoop).
Unfortunately, the U.S.S. Enterprise-C is its own worst enemy:
Go Speed Racer...Or Not: The great value of the Enterprise-C is in its ability to deploy anywhere. Unfortunately, this ability comes at a price; the Enterprise-C reports for duty *already damaged.* This means that the Enterprise-C's special ability comes at the cost of reducing its Range to a miserable 5, which would be slow even on a planet-heavy spaceline. Furthermore, there is rarely time to repair a damaged vessel (and it is difficult to justify the use of a Spacedock just to aid a single card). Hence, the Enterprise-C presents a double-edged sword; supreme maneuverability in deployment at the cost of terrible unmaneuverability once deployed.
An AU Icon That Hurts: Although the I.K.C. Fek'lhr's AU staffing requirements are offset by the many useful Klingon AU personnel, the Federation is not quite so lucky. Although the Federation has Rachel Garret, their other AU personnel are generally either uninspired (Richard Castillo) or better off elsewhere (Beverly Picard). Although Non-Aligned AU personnel could be used (Garak comes to mind), that could mean "diluting" an otherwise "tight" deck.
Final Analysis: The U.S.S. Enterprise-C is a ship that warrants a great deal of thought whenever one makes a Federation deck. On the one hand, it presents the perfect escape route--a ship that can be anywhere it is needed to save your personnel from danger. However, it makes such a miserable transport, with minimal Range, merely average shielding for a ship-of-the-line, and no cloaking device, that it is only suitable in a limited role. All in all, the Enterprise-C is an excellent Q's Tent card; although you have not taken up deck space for it, it is there when you need it.
Next Week: The Spacedock continues its celebration with the vessel that was, deservedly, the flagship of the Federation fleet: U.S.S. Enterprise-D.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to e-mail Phalanx
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