So while I play all of the factions and like them all so far * I have really like the Romulans so far. So when the Scimitar was announced to be included in Wave 9 I spit coffee all over my lab top.

After I cleaned it up and got some more coffee, I grabbed the scenario card that came with the Valdore (having played it several times as I also use it to introduce players to the mechanics of the game in a co-op environment).......and I smiled. No, not a happy smile, or a warm smile, mind you, but a smile that can only be accompanied by the finger pyramid of evil contemplation (FPoEC for future refernce).

But having seen the Scimitar win that scenario several times I kinda dismissed it.

From the Scenario Card
Scimitar Token
Captain Skill: 10
Primary weapon: 6
Agility: 2
Hull: 8
Shields: 8

- Battle Stations every turn
- Special Cloak with shields up and doesn't flip it's cloak token as long as it has shields (but losses 1 defence dice each time it's attacked for that turn)
- can fire 360 degrees
- When it scores a Crit, in addition to the normal bad things that happen, the hit ship has to discard a random upgrade and if that isn't possible it loses it's Captain Card for the rest of the game.

That is obviously a vicious package, but it was designed for the scenario and it surely won't be like that for the expansion. Surely.

But hey a beefed up Valdore style ship(as a comparable) with a potential top level captain for the Romulans still sounds awesome.

But then an odd thing happened........well less odd, I suppose and more round. Spherical in nature really.

The teasers about the Borg Sphere dropped.

And from what we could tell it's got;

- 360 degree firing arc

Primary weapon: 6
Agility: 0
Hull: 7
Shields: 7

- A new Action
- A new upgrade slot type

- A secondary weapon (not necessarily from the Sphere, technically) with a 10 attack rating


And I thought that looked really impressive and interesting.......far more powerful that I would have thought the Borg Sphere to be.....but for the first Borg release it looks like it's starting with a bang.

But then I thought back to the Scimitar from the scenario.........it's not really that much more powerful than the Sphere stat wise. Hun.

Wait?! The Scimitar could be closer to the scenario version than I originally though. :FPoEC:


So that brings us to now, were I am thinking with what we've seen the scenario version of the Scimitar doesn't seem that unlikely as it once did.

Here are some thoughts part by part

Captain Skill: 10

Well Shinzon is going to be comparable to Picard......probably better at some things and not a seasoned (adaptable maybe?) at others.

With Picard being a 9 already and seeing the mechanics for Kahn and the Romulan Commander a flat out 10 or a +1 to any captain in play style of skill could fit the bill.

So that seems possible to me.


Primary weapon: 6
Agility: 2
Hull: 8
Shields: 8

Well it's only 1 more Hull and Shields than the Sphere and 2 agility up from zero. And the Tactical Cube should be even beefier than that. So it's in the realm of what we will be seeing.

Seems more likely than not, to me.


Battle Stations every turn

Picard and Dukat can already do this, is addition to their normal ship action. Maybe this is one of the areas where they can show Shinzon is more narrowly focused and have him have less action like Dukat (in comparison to Picard)

Yup, that can be done. Probably the easiest to do actually.


Special Cloak with shields up and doesn't flip it's cloak token as long as it has shields (but losses 1 defence dice each time it's attacked for that turn)

Um.....well......er.......this is definitely a step up from Advanced Weapons Systems the Klingons have (which has the similarities of keeping the ship cloaked in combat). But shields up? That sounds a little scary right now......maybe with 6 more Waves it won't be. But it does now. They do have some really awesome Tech options coming out, and they could make it ship/named ship specific.......

I know Tetryon Emissions do a similar thing, but you have to activate them the turn you want them and they disable......this seems like many, many steps up.

Possible, sure....but probably the most likely to be left in the scenario and be modified the most.


360 degree firing

The Sphere can. The Enterprise D has a modified version of this. The Keldon has the Dorsal Weapons Array. It's certainly possible but from the scenario I got the impression that the 360 firing was more to represent the players not knowing where it was facing more that an actual 360 degree firing arc.

Possible sure, but I don't think it would be likely........maybe an upgrade for maneuvering to allow it to change headings or some such.


When it scores a Crit, in addition to the normal bad things that happen, the hit ship has to discard a random upgrade and if that isn't possible it loses it's Captain Card for the rest of the game.

Upgrade Card (thalaron radiation Weapons?) When this ship scores a critical, in addition to the additional effects...........

Sure, it's possible as well.

Overall

The individual parts don't seem that impossible with what we know right now, with the exception of the Uber-Cloak which might seem less impossible when the 21 ships between Wave 3 and including Wave 9 (including the Tholians and the Gorn!!!!) that we know about.

All together though :FPoEC:


So what are your thoughts?

How do you see it turning out?

Do you think the Enterprise E should enjoy the one month spotlight before it is forever surpassed by a better ship and a younger captain?

Think Thugit is going to have to sift through the minefield of Fan Fic to find that one time a Clone of Kirk got his hands on a Scimitar for himself?

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*Well not really the Dominion because I haven't played them much, in comparison,...but they are my OP5 team so they should be fixed by then.

Scimitar (from token)
Primary weapon: 6
Agility: 2
Hull: 8
Shields: 8
48 FP

- Battle Stations every turn = poss special ability?

- Special Cloak with shields up and doesn't flip it's cloak token as long as it has shields (but losses 1 defence dice each time it's attacked for that turn) = Tech Upgrade. Has to be either expensive, usable on Scimitar only, or (preferably) both.

- can fire 360 degrees. I agree that this seems to be more for scenario balance than any real reason. No need to be on the actual ship.

- When it scores a Crit, in addition to the normal bad things that happen, the hit ship has to discard a random upgrade and if that isn't possible it loses it's Captain Card for the rest of the game. = Weapon or Crew upgrade.

As for the Captain Skill 10, I'm of the opinion that it is also due to scenerio balance more than fluff accuracy. I'd really place Shinzon at a 9 just like Picard with a similar ability to the Romulan Commander.

Possibly couple it with the Free <Battle Station> as well instead of having that on the ship: Action to Go first -or- if you do not use the action, place a BS token beside your ship. That way there is some flexibility to him: I'm either first because I took an action or I'm so tactically superior at my 9 already that I get a free <BS>.

It would be an interesting ability because you have to decide if you want to go before Kirk/Picard/Martok or get the benefit of the free <BS>. Very tactical minded Captain, IMHO.

I don't think it'll be quite as brutal as the scenario, maybe something like:

Attack 6
Agility 2
Hull 7
Shields 5

(A couple steps above the Valdore, basically, with slightly better shields than the D'deridex.)

Standard 90 degree firing arcs, I think. Conflicted on whether it needs a rear arc. Give it a good maneuvering dial, both fast and agile.

Advanced firing system is a must, but you're right, the shield aspect of it is tricky. Maybe have them disable only one shield to cloak? That could be the ship's special ability, and then you just give them the same advanced firing system as the Klingons.

This might be fun:

Thalaron Radiation Burst - Action: If your ship is not cloaked, disable all remaining shields and target a ship at Range 1 that is not cloaked and has no active shields. Discard the Captain and all [CREW] upgrades on the target ship. You may not attack this round.

I'd see Shinzon as a 9, tops. I would be okay with 8. He may be a clone of Picard, but he was a kid who grew up in a mining facility and doesn't have anywhere near Picard's experience. He has savagery on his side, and he's desperate. I like DS's idea for giving him something similar to the Romulan Commander.

His Reman buddy (I'm forgetting his name) might make for a good telepathic ganker through shields.

QFT. I was just thinking that after my discovery of a clarification on gankers.

Good point (after you pointed it out the 10 does seem scenario based as well) and cool idea.

I don't think he got a name...he was just Shinzon's Viceroy (which I guess could be his name, by default)..........but yeah, Shields/NoShields, Cloak/NoCloak doesn't seem to matter much to him.