Dukat, Erstwhile Ally

"I'm a much more complicated man than you give me credit for." - Gul Dukat, Return to Grace.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Deep Space Nine. In many ways the series was revolutionary for Star Trek for its darker tone and complex portrayal of humans and aliens who lived not in the utopian paradise depicted in The Next Generation but in a universe dominated by shades of gray.  When Nathan and I pitched a boutique set commemorating Deep Space Nine, we wanted the overall feel of the set to reflect the character of the show. When we were deciding on specific cards to pitch, it was clear to both of us early on that we wanted pivotal moments and characters well represented.  So, the series' principle recurring antagonist, Gul Dukat, was a natural choice.

In many ways, Dukat is a personification of the dark moral ambiguity of Deep Space Nine. He begins the series as a representative Cardassian militaristic imperialist (Dukat, Military Advisor) bent on reclaiming Terok Nor and Bajor. Through flashbacks, we observe Dukat as being capable of Machiavellian machinations and casual brutality (Dukat, Prefect of Bajor) seldom seen in Trek. But, as the series progresses, the character transforms into almost an antihero – a determined underdog (Dukat, Ambitious Commander), and the last true Cardassian (Dukat, True Cardassian). And, just when we think we might be able to grow to like Dukat – to accept his transformation and partial redemption as a guerilla leader and a freedom fighter – he betrays the entire Alpha Quadrant (Dukat, Liberator and Protector) and allies his people with the Dominion in a Faustian attempt to reclaim what he sees as Cardassia’s rightful dominance. Our challenge as designers was to try to capture this remarkable arc. Allow us to introduce Dukat, Erstwhile Ally and his ship, Naprem, Renegade Vessel.

At this point, it's important to note that neither Nathan nor myself had any misconceptions that we could design cards capable of replacing Dukat, Cardassian Representative or the Tenak'talar, Vanguard of the Occupation. Strictly speaking, in just about any Terok Nor deck, these cards are just too good to be replaced. So, we decided to try to give the Terok Nor player the incentive to think outside the typical mill build. Delta Pavonis, Secure Expansion and Weyoun, Shrewd Strategist pointed to a possibility: the Terok Nor engagement deck. In this deck, one that requires speed, Dukat, Cardassian Representative felt too expensive at cost 4. And, while Dukat, Dominion Puppet and Dukat, Liberator and Protector both satisfy the need for cheap Leadership and command stars, neither feels thematic to the build. In addition, Weyoun and Delta Pavonis alone aren’t quite enough to really make the deck work. We decided that Dukat depicted from Season 4’s Return to Grace through Season 5’s By Inferno’s Light and his captured Bird of Prey fit the battle theme nicely. In addition, and in a design first, we opted to give the cards both the and icons to reflect the character’s descent from ally to traitor in Season 5, while also opening-up design space for a Deep Space Nine engagement deck down the line.

This Dukat has two skills needed to help complete Delta Pavonis, and at cost 3 he’s more playable than his more expensive persona. His 2 Leadership reflects his position as guerilla leader and his eventual ascendance to the head of the Cardassian Union, albeit under Dominion authority. His Diplomacy and 2 Treachery reflect his success at conducting secret treaty negotiations aligning Cardassia with the Dominion. But, it’s his ability that really sets him apart: for the cost of a card from hand, he allows any or personnel to begin an engagement once per turn. He does not even necessarily have to be present with that personnel – after all he spends the rest of Season 5 getting the Dominion to fight Cardasia’s battles for him. Pair him with Weyoun, Shrewd Strategist and Delta Pavonis and you can begin a free engagement to remove an opponent’s dilemma from the game without the need to destroy an event in your core. His ship, the Naprem, amplifies his ability, giving your or personnel a choice rewards for winning the engagement he begins.

This deck takes advantage of the new text on Dukat and Naprem that allow engagements without the deck burden of manuever events.The deck also incorporates Keevan, Pragmatic Captor for capture, and allows for the scoring of bonus points from both Jem'Hadar Ambush and Labor Camp for the two-mission win and to compensate for any Pheonix that might hit the table. Untapped Influence is there to take advantage of the limited mill, just as War of Attrition and Undermined Defenses are there in case the Terok Nor player gets close to the critical mass of 10 dilemmas (a well-timed Inevitable Triumph might help with that). The goal of the dilemma pile is to slow the opponent down and make him or her vulnerable to attack - perhaps even bluffing the opponent into going home to repair while the Terok Nor player racks up the bonus points in preparation for the two-mission win.

Enjoy. And, stay tuned for more from Far Beyond the Stars!

See corresponding Deck "The Changing Face of Evil".

by Michael Shea, Chief Ambassador