Vacation!

 

     I will be on vacation for an entire week. I am very excited but unfortunately will be away from the computer. I will come back with some revisions and fresh posts on the 10th. If anyone has any questions feel free to send me an email and I may still be able to check from a public computer on occasion.

 

Why you should play

One day in the future you might find yourself looking over this small blog and asking yourself why you should play the game. There are other reasons I will go over in future articles but the first one that jumps into my head is variety.

  There are 824 cards from the 3 sets plus 5 real promo cards. So a total of 829 unique cards. That is a ton of variety for a game that only lasted 3 sets.

    103 cards are Team characters.
         - You only pick 4 for your team. There are hundreds of combinations for your starting team.
          - Choices include Atlantis, SGC, Tok'ra, NID, Jaffa, Asgard, Russian, Non aligned.
    144 cards are Mission cards.
        - You pick 12 missions for your deck. You can focus on 2 glyph decks or more glyphs.
          - Choices include 6 different glyphs.
            - The missions usually have their own completion text and can trigger abilities in Team characters.
    154 cards are Support Character cards.
        - You can have a support character heavy deck or don't use any at all.
          - Choices include Atlantis, SGC, Tok'ra, NID, Jaffa, Asgard, Russian, Non aligned, Ancient.
    75 cards are Event cards.
    48 cards are Gear cards.
    86 cards are Adversary cards.
        - Some people play with Adversary heavy decks. I usually have about 4 to 5 and some people play with none.
           - Choices include Ori, Goa'uld, Replicator, Political, Jaffa, Non aligned
     211 cards are Obstacle cards.
        -   Obstacles are a staple of any deck and with 211 there is a ton of variety.
          - Choices include Ori, Goa'uld, Replicator, Political, Jaffa, Non aligned, Disease.
    33 hero/villain Ship cards.
        - Between hero and villain there are a total of 33 ships. Not many because the card type came out in the last set. This is the one time where I can say there really isn't a lot of options to pick from. There are really a couple of good ships on each side with the villain getting the best.

   Choices are everywhere in this game. There are combat heavy decks, pacifist decks, mission manipulation, adversary win decks, 7 glyph win decks, SGC only decks, two team decks ie NID/Russian, decks that focus on two glyphs or high experience missions. Those are all off the top of my head in the last 30 seconds. This is what I mean by variety. With this game you get it in spades which allows you to keep playing without the game feeling stale.

      

Review of Hermiod

Hermiod was meant to be a preview card of Atlantis but that set never came out. He mainly interests me because he is an Asgard Team Character. So it is possible for the first time to have an all Asgard team. It is cool in concept but the skills just don't match up well enough to make it very plausible.  His ability is to be stopped and to ready a gear for each different glyph he has. There are some gears you can stop to drop the difficulty of certain missions by 1 but you would still have to stop Hermiod in the process. I might be missing something but I didn't think of any combos that would be really useful with him and a gear. Supposedly Atlantis was going to be a gear heavy set but with the gear from the first 3 sets I can't really recommend him in your deck.

SG-1 and some Russian lovin

 Other than one mission all of these cards are from the first two sets. I did well in tournaments with this deck. It was a skip combat deck that focused on skill boosts and mission manipulation. I still had this deck in sleeves in a box in my closet. I will hopefully post more decks at a later time.

		Card	Set	Number	Type	Rarity
2	x	Fifth, Hardened Foe	SG-1	9	Adversary	U
1	x	Reese, Creator of the Replicators	SGSL	20	Adversary	R
1	x	Replicator Carter, Leader of the Scourge	SG-1	19	Adversary	R
1	x	Third, Human-Form Replicator	SGSL	24	Adversary	C
Card Type: Character - Support (10 cards)
		Card	Set	Number	Type	Rarity
1	x	Joe Spencer, Average Citizen	SG-1	55	Character - Support	U
2	x	Merrin, Orbanian Urrone	SG-1	65	Character - Support	C
1	x	Ocker, Tok'ra Operative	SG-1	68	Character - Support	U
2	x	Oma Desala, Guide to Ascension	SG-1	70	Character - Support	R
1	x	Orlin, Outcast Ancient	SG-1	71	Character - Support	R
2	x	Ruslan Chernovshev, Opportunist	SGSL	63	Character - Support	U
1	x	Walter Harriman, Technician	SG-1	82	Character - Support	R
Card Type: Character - Team (12 cards)
		Card	Set	Number	Type	Rarity
3	x	Daniel Jackson, Linguistics Expert	SG-1	288	Character - Team	UR
3	x	Daria Voronkova, Military Aide	SGSL	85	Character - Team	C
3	x	Janet Fraiser, Field Medic	SG-1	98	Character - Team	U
3	x	Svetlana Markov, Brilliant Scientist	SG-1	104	Character - Team	U
Card Type: Event (8 cards)
		Card	Set	Number	Type	Rarity
1	x	Gone Fishing	SGSL	117	Event	R
2	x	Seasoned Travelers	SG-1	130	Event	C
3	x	Tabloid Research	SG-1	134	Event	C
2	x	Top Minds	SG-1	136	Event	C
Card Type: Mission (12 cards)
		Card	Set	Number	Type	Rarity
1	x	Activate Trap	SGSL	160	Mission	S
1	x	Defeat Kull Warrior	SGSL	167	Mission	S
1	x	Defend the Byrsa	SGSL	169	Mission	S
1	x	Establish Communication, P3X-562	SG-1	174	Mission	S
1	x	Excavate Ancient Artifacts	SGSL	177	Mission	S
1	x	Inform New President	SGSL	184	Mission	S
1	x	Offworld Research, M4C-862	SG-1	184	Mission	S
1	x	Pursue the Harcesis, Kheb	SG-1	188	Mission	S
1	x	Repair the Sentinel	SGSL	197	Mission	S
1	x	Rescue Team	SGSL	199	Mission	S
1	x	Retrieve Artifact, P5C-353	SG-1	193	Mission	S
1	x	Review Hollywood Script	SGRO	151	Mission	S
Card Type: Obstacle (21 cards)
		Card	Set	Number	Type	Rarity
2	x	Big Bug	SG-1	211	Obstacle	U
2	x	Blocked Escape	SGSL	216	Obstacle	C
3	x	Building the Ranks	SGSL	218	Obstacle	C
2	x	Corrosive Spray	SG-1	221	Obstacle	U
3	x	Infested Ships	SG-1	245	Obstacle	C
2	x	Mind Invasion	SGSL	250	Obstacle	R
2	x	Overrun	SG-1	259	Obstacle	C
2	x	Targeted Abduction	SGSL	278	Obstacle	C
3	x	Too Close Encounter	SG-1	279	Obstacle	C

Promo, Parallel, Preview

Stargate had 31 promo cards. Three really dont count because one was a foil test card with small color blocks on it to test how the color came out in the foil. The other two were advertisement cards. One for the first set and one for the second set. So there really are 28 cards that fall under the Promo, Parallel and Preview portions.

1T1 Jack O'Neill - Dynamic Leader ( 2007 Convention Tour ) was a preview bc it released in RotO
1T2 Vala Mal Doran - SG-1 Member ( 2007 World Championship ) was a preview bc it released in RotO

1T3 Carson Beckett - Chief Medical Doctor ( 2007 Online Championship ) promo

1T4 Marshall Sumner - Senior Military Officer ( 2007-2008 Championship Qualifier ) promo

1P1 Teal'c - Enemy of the Goa'uld ( mail in offer from online version ) parallel - alt image is in SG-1
1P2 Anubis - Galactic Menace ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in SG-1
1P3 Skaara - Hero of Abydos ( tournament support ) foil preview - is in SL
1P4 Jay Felger - Scientist in the Field ( tournament support ) foil preview - is in SL
1P5 Thor - Asgard Ally ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in SG-1
1P6 DHD ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in SG-1
1P7 Oma Desala ( only given to tournament organizers ) foil parallel - is in SG-1

2P1 Young Jack ( tournament support ) alt image parallel - is in SL
2P2 Cronus - God of Fate ( mail in offer from online version ) parallel - alt image is in SL
2P3 Ra - The Sun God ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in SL
2P4 "Colonel Danning" - X-cellent Hero ( tournament support ) foil preview - is in RotO
2P5 Jack O'Neill - SGC Commander ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in SL
2P6 Michael Ryan - Chief of Staff ( tournament support ) foil preview - is in RotO
2P7 Canopic Jar ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in SL
2P8 Daniel Jackson - Ascended Being (only given to tournament organizers ) foil parallel - is in SL

3P1 Trial By Fire ( tournament support ) alt image parallel - is in RotO
3P2 Ori Mothership (tournament support ) alt image parallel - is in RotO
3P3 Heru'ur - Shrewd Rival ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in RotO
3P4 Daniel Jackson - Prior of the Ori ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in RotO

3P5 Kate Heightmeyer - Psychologist ( tournament support ) foil promo

3P6 Hermiod - Engineering Specialist ( tournament support ) foil promo

3P7 Prometheus - The X-303 ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in RotO
3P8 Merlin - Dissenting Ancient ( tournament support ) foil parallel - is in RotO

4P1 Iratus Bug ( tournament support ) - promo

There ya have it. Out of the 28 cards only 5 are true promo cards that you cannot get from an existing set.

First Review

This was my first review I wrote up for the game all the way back in Nov 07. I think it was a good synopsis so I am going to re-post it here. I also added the information from the 3rd set to it.

Background:

A Stargate card game has been in the works for the last handful of years. The license was originally acquired by Genio ( The company who imported Myths and Legends ). Nobody is sure how far along in the design process Genio got, but the company went under before a product was released. Shortly after Genio going under, Comic Images acquired the license. Comic Images brought Worlds Apart (acquired by Sony Online Entertainment) in on the design process. Comic Images first publicly demoed the game at Gen-con 2006. The game was close to release at that time but instead of releasing the product in the current form it went through more rounds of change. The first set released both in online form and cardboard form in April-May 2007.

First set: ( SG-1) (9.0/10)

The first set titled SG-1 consisted of 292 cards. It’s main focus was on Stargate Command. All of your favorite characters are included in this set. Not only that, you get multiple versions of most. On top of including SGC team members, other team members consisted of Jaffa, Tokra, Asgard, Russian and NID. There were 4 starter decks for this set which each include 12 different missions. There are 48 missions total for this set. The other card types in this set are Adversary, Obstacle, Event, Gear, Support Characters. There are also 6 “Ultra-Rare” cards in the set. They are all guaranteed when you purchase a box.

Second set: (System Lords) (8.5/10)

The second set titled System Lords also consisted of a huge 292 cards. It’s main focus was to correct any broken strategies from the first set and to make adversary victory more viable. Even though this set focus’s a lot on the villain side, there are a good number of new hero cards, including Support, Team , Event and Gear cards. There are also new versions of your favorite SG-1 characters. The set again has 4 starter decks and adds another 48 missions to the game. This set released online and in cardboard form in August 2007.



*Important note. If you buy a booster box of System Lords the box will say you get a full 6 UR set in each box. This is not true of System Lords like it is of the other 2 sets. You will get about 3-4 UR cards.

Third Set: (Rise of the Ori) (8/10)

The third set title Rise of the Ori has a smaller card count of 240 cards. It still contains its full count of 48 mission cards. It continues to flesh out strategies for both the hero side and villain side. The set again comes with multiple versions of your favorite main characters in addition to including 3 versions of Jonas Quinn! The sets adds the Ship card to the game. This adds new layers of strategy to both hero and villain sides. While the set is named after the Ori and they do get plenty of new cards there are also cards for the Replicators, Gould, Russians, Tokra, Jaffa, Asgard and NID.

  *Important note. If you buy any Rise of the Ori starter decks they do not come with a rulebook!


Future:

This game never recieved a follow up to Rise of the Ori but honestly between 3 sets you get 824 cards. That is a huge number of variety.

Review:

Each player picks 4 team members to make up their team. Each player picks 12 different missions from the 144 in game ( If I choose 12 missions, they all must be different from each other, but my opponent could have the same 12 missions that I picked out ). Decks must consist of a minimum of 20 hero cards and 20 villain cards. Hero cards consist of Events, Gear,Ships and Support Characters. Villain cards consist of Adversary, Obstacle and Ship cards.

Winning Conditions:

There are three different ways of winning the game.

The first consists of solving enough missions ( each mission is worth a certain number of experience points ) to equal your victory total (the total number of cost, located at the top left of Team characters). This is the most common form of victory.

The second consists of solving 7 missions. If you solve 7 missions out of your 12 you win the game.

The third is villain victory. This is achieved by stopping your opponent from solving missions and at the same time scoring your Adversary cards ( you gain villain points from their cost, also located at the top left of Adversary cards ). If you equal your victory total you win. This is the least common way to win the game. After the second set released it became a much more viable option.

Concluding Thoughts:

The game is great because it offers you multiple ways of playing. It is possible to play online games against opponents. The only down side to this is the cost involved online. The more traditional way of playing the game works just as well. The game plays in about 30 minutes and offers a lot of different strategy types. With 3 distinct ways of winning and hundreds of combinations of Team Characters and Missions the variety should keep you busy for months and months to come.

First Impressions

 

This was my first impression of Stargate TCG. I had been reading a Scrye Magazine when I had happened upon this add. I was immediately pulled to it because of the fact that I was a fan of the tv show. I had not bought or collected a card game in years. I put it in the back of my mind to try out the game when it came out. It was awhile before the first set released. I had been searching Ebay like I do whenever I get bored and I came across someone selling cards from the first set. I didn't buy them because I am more of an instant gratification type of person. I went to one of our local malls and was able to buy 2 starters and a handful of boosters at a card shop. I was so excited. It felt great to open the starters and to look at the cards. I loved the design on the cards. Lots of information conveyed in easy to understand ways. I immediately went to my friends house and we read the rule book. The rule book did not take nearly as long as some of the other games I had played in the past. We began to work our way through the first game. This was 3 years ago now so I don't remember which starters were my first ones. I do remember enjoying the game but thinking it was a bit slow. Even though it had some down sides I was hooked. I didn't really know how hooked at the time. But I eventually found a group to play in. We played tournaments on a weekly basis. I found out new tips and strategies. I bought a couple of booster boxes and the remaining starters I was missing. I remained active through all 3 sets and even became a play tester. But that's an article for another time.

This is a test

 

     This is just a test. I plan on writing articles at least once a week. I was a huge fan of the card game. I actually mainly played the physical card version. Everything is sorta in beta mode. Expect lots of changes.