Beginning STCCG

    Do you not know what STCCG is, or found this link from somewhere else? Great, this is the section just for you. I'll outline how to play and get started in the Star Trek Customizable Card Game. You'll see terms in bold along the way, like that one. Just click on the link to send you to their referance in the Glossory at the end of this document.
    For those of you who have never heard of a CCG before, image baseball cards, in the Star Trek universe, which you can play a game with. The rules for this game are detailed in the rulebook, available on decipher.com, the offical STCCG website. Many other useful tules are available there, all of which can be useful, however as a beginner you may want to wait to look at that.
    It is helpful to find someone else, another Star Trek fan, someone who collects cards, etc., to find to play the game with. To absolutly begin with I'd suggest buying a 2-Player Game at a local or internet gaming shop. Due to the fact 2-Player Games do not sell very well, many retailers do not carry them. A 2-Player Game is a simplfied enterance to STCCG with 2 decks already made for you. This will help you grasp the basic concepts of the game, such as moving, solving mission, etc.
    After you've mastered the 2-Player Game, I'd suggest buying a Starter Deck II, playable right out of the box, this contains 68 cards that give you a legal deck. This also provides an updated rulebook with the full rules. Buying two of these and playing against each other is a must.
    Now you've spent your first $30 in gaming, but you're hardly finished yet, If you enjoy the full game, I'd suggest buying a First Anthology, and a Second Anthology. These will give you a greater card mix, many more cards that you've collected previously. Now you'll get into deckbuilding, and the true strategy of the game. Play a couple games with your opponent and get a feel for how to compete.
    Then, find a retailer, many are online, and order boxes from each expansion from them. Expansions come out approximatly 3-5 months, minimum two every year. There are also other sets you may want to consider buying which contain premium cards.
    At this point you'll be getting many, many "doubles" of cards you already have. Keep all of these. You may be able to trade with other players, or you may need them for other decks. Keep in mind that many players only want rare cards. These are the most "rare" of cards. Within rares (in Rules of Acqusition and Trouble With Tribbles expansions) there are seperate types of rares. There are also uncommon and common cards. You'll get the most of common cards. These come in a ratio of 1:3:11, 1:3:5, or 1:3:7 depending on expansion packs. Either way you'll only see one rare in each pack.
    Now you'll have an extensive collection and are ready to seek out tournaments. Go to the decipher web page, and click on tournaments, then Find A Tournament. Choose an option there to get a listing of tournaments in your area. Then pick one and find how to get there, by the TD, by mapquest.com, etc.
    When you arrive at the tournament location, be prepared. Know your deck inside out, and exactly what you want to do with it. Don't be surprised if your first tournaments put you down in the rankings, it's likly you've only had exposure to strategy of your opponent, and not to that of the national, or even regional, game. Play in a few more tournaments, and you're likly to get beter.
    But what if you can't find a tournament in your area? Then try playing online. There's sites such as cardtable (I believe the address in cardtable.net, but I'm not sure), Kedanya Station, and soon Decipher themselves will offer a way to play online. I'd suggest Kedanya as it does not inflict with Decipher's copyrights, and is free. You can find Kedanya at http://www.foyer.de/stccg/
    Now you're well on your way to becoming a top-notch STCCG player. But remeber a few things. It is only a game, so you should have fun. While it's nice to win every tournament, it often isn't feasable. Remember to check decipher's page often, weekly, if not every day. When new expansions are about to come out, you'll know, and see cards before they're released. Also you'll be able to read the Glossory and Current Rulings, which will put you up to date with the newest rulings made, so you'll know if that great deck of your relies on a now-illegal strategy.
    And my final note, the Premiere Event Raise The Stakes is the only "banned" card, don't even think about taking it to a tournament.
    Am I missing anything? Anything you want to know in addition to this? Just mail me, I'll be happy to answer your questions.

Glossory

Anthology- First Anthology cointains 6 premium cards, 2 Starter Decks, and assorted boosters. The Second Anthology provides 6 premiums cards 2 Started Decks II's (what I suggested buying earlier, you could buy the 2sd Anthology first and get them there) and assorted boosters.

Boxes- Also known as a display case. These contain 30 packs, and sell for either $46 or $56 retail. These usually give you a good card mix for each expansion.

decipher.com- Offical site for Decipher, Inc., which makes STCCG. Star Trek information can be found at decipher.com/startrek.

Expansion- Set of cards. These cards are an add-on to the original set. Expansions are Premiere, Alternate Universe, Q Continuum, Firt Contact, Deep Space Nine, The Dominion, Blaze of Glory, Rules of Acqusition, and The Trouble With Tribbles.

Premium- Cards whcih aren't found in a regular expansion. Premium cards can be found in Offical Tournament Sealed Decks, The Fajo Collections, Two Player Games, First and Second Anthologies, and Preconstructed Decks. Buying these may overlap your collection already.

Star Trek Customizable Card Game- Long for STCCG. The whole game in which the article is about. This is a type of CCG. In a CCG you obtain cards, like through baseball cards, with some being more rare than others. You then use a setof basic rules to use each individual card to win the game.