Submitted by Dyluk on Wed, 04/23/2008 - 15:55
Auto-Destruct SequenceComputer controlled self-destruct countdown which can be set by the senior officers aboard a ship. Plays on your ship. Ship self-destructs at end of your turn. Explosion damages all other ships at same location that have SHIELDS < 8. Rule hint for this cardThis card has an erratum: Game text befor errata: "Plays on one of your own ships. Ship self-destructs at end of your turn. Explosion damages all other ships at same location that have SHIELDS<8." Taken form Glossary - Version 1.9.5.Card logging info: Logged by openCards team at May 1st, 2009. |   |
This Card-Review article was written by Kathy McCracken and was published first on "Decipher's Website (decipher.com)".
In extreme circumstances - to prevent the ship from falling into enemy hands, for example - a captain may be forced to destroy his own ship by activating its auto-destruct sequence. You don't need anyone aboard to play it, but if there's a crew aboard, you have until the end of your turn to evacuate them (if they have someplace to go), so in most cases it needn't be a suicide. Besides keeping the ship from being commandeered or assimilated, you'll damage any ships at the same location with SHIELDS<8, with all the possibilities available for damage and casualties from a Battle Bridge side deck.
The only catch is that you can only play it on a ship that is under your control. If you wait for your opponent to commandeer it, it's too late - it's now "his ship." On the other hand, you may use this to your advantage if you can take even temporary control of your opponent's ship; as long as it's being treated as "your ship," you can auto-destruct it.
Combos:
Auto-Destruct Sequence + Neural Servo Device: Take control of your opponent's ship and set the Auto-Destruct Sequence. Since it counts down at the end of your turn, he'll need Emergency Transporter Armbands or an Escape Pod to get his personnel off.
Auto-Destruct Sequence + Target Shields: Drain his SHIELDS below 8 and then blow up your ship. He'll likely get two more damage markers after the debris settles.
Auto-Destruct Sequence + opponent's Rogue Borg: If the battle is hopeless, Auto-Destruct the ship before he can play Lore Returns, and send his Rogue Borg to the discard pile.
