Attack Wing: Cardassian Connections

The powerful Keldon Class was a late addition to Attack Wing, but added a great deal of weight to the Dominion fleet.

In fact the Dominion is fast becoming my go-to faction with a good range of ships from the fighters and attack ships right up to battleships. 

The Keldon Class Cardassian starship certainly sits more towards the latter category, acting as the most powerful vessel from the annexed race.

The model itself, as became of the later expansions, has a good level of detail and a fairly accurate, sandy paint scheme. The panel definition is quite impressive given the scale and there's some space for grey highlights although the blue window markings are a bit blobby.

Running a five for attack, one defence, four Shields and three Hull, it has the potential for greatness and could well act more as a capital ship than a cruiser. The Koronak can Action Evade, Target Lock, Scan and Battlestations with open slots for two Tech, Two Weapons and a Crew upgrade. 

Spending your Scan token, if in play, you can spend it and perform a three dice attack against two separate ships. Probably a feature I should have used more actively following a rather brutal defeat to the Romulans recently. The Koronak costs 26 points to put on your fleet while the generic Dominion Starship version drops a Weapon slot the Unique Action and a Hull point for 24 points.

Movement could be restrictive unfortunately but it's not when it comes to speed with a top of five. However, the bank turns are available at ranges two to four with hard rights and lefts at ranges two and three incurring that wonderful Auxiliary Power Token penalty.

Gul Dukat leads the command options for the Koronak expansion and costs five points. His skill of seven is average at best but he does offer a free Evade or Battlestations in addition to your Action on each round with no disable or discard in sight. Dukat can also field an Elite Action but the main ability here makes him essential for any Dominion fleet.

Gul Evek, one of the few characters to appear in The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, costs just two points and has a skill of four. He too is a solid option for your fleet, allowing you to re-roll all your blank results when defending. What you might want to do is pair this up with a card (or another ship) that rolls more than one die as the Koronak does.

Coming in for your lone Crew slot is a lone Crew offering but one that is super effective when lined up with Gul Dukat. Boheeka (two point cost) allows you to convert a blank result over to a Damage as long as you have the Battlestation token in play. It's a combo that I've seen mentioned on a few sites and one that doesn't involve discards or disabling. This pack could have done with at least another option for your Crew as this solo entry is disappointing from a numbers point of view.

Enhanced Weaponry is this pack’s version of Photon Torpedoes as its disabled to work and requires a Target Lock in place. Costing a cool five points, this one kicks in at ranges two and three with a roll of five attack dice. If it’s used on the Keldon Class itself then you can make this six which does make it a touch more exciting to use than standard torpedoes. 

Dorsal Weapons Array is slightly less powerful with a three dice attack in any direction although it’s not in continuous use as you find with the Enterprise-E’s dorsal phaser array. Three points will add this to your ship and it’s effective at any range which does mean those attack strafing runs can be fully utilised. 

The Koronak also comes with a couple of Tech cards. Tetryon Emissions is a big help especially on a ship with just a single defence due to counter your opponents. It does. It does as you would expect, need disabling  it adds three defence die to each encounter that round and costs three points to place in play. With this and the Cloak ability you might have a bit greater survival chance.

Cloak does cost four points itself but does offer the standard increased defence plus that Sensor Echo shuffle that can make a big ranging difference. The card itself is disabled so you’ll need to choose when to decloak and engage wisely because you then might not be in a good place just to use and Action to re-enable the ability. This one’s also very specific to the Keldon Class given that it will cost NINE points if you put it on any other ship.

Last up is Captured Intelligence, the Elite Action for the Koronak expansion. It’s one of those chances to correct an error or counter an unseen attack by throwing this card in to place an Evade token by your ship AND it allows you to add in a defence die for each time you come under attack that round. 

For three points it’s a great card that enhances tour evading ability but I would definitely stick it onto any ship with a single die for defence...pretty much like this one then!

Tying the Koronak into one of the Keldon Class' few appearances, the included mission is born from the Defiant episode of Deep Space Nine and sees a 120 point Dominion fleet take on an 80 point Federation team. The aim is for the Federation ships to scan the Cardassian base and "find out" whats going on while the Keldon fleet is there to stop them from getting the data away.

The Reklar Cardassian Galor physically takes up almost all of the Keldon class characteristics physically except for the rear unit added to the top of the Koronak.

The colour seems way off, coming in as a dark brown rather than a sandy desert colour that’s not exactly, but more like, the shade on the Koronak. The yellow and blue highlights are a bit gawdy against the brown and unfortunately the bridge module - ironically the same error I had on the Eaglemoss version - is set at a kinked angle. 

The stats make this ship as viable as the Keldon Class with four in attack, one defence, four Hull and four Shield. This makes it come in with exactly the same cost (26 points) as the Koronak but with a slightly more balanced card although you'll still need to work on building a solid defence. 

Luckily its Unique Action does just that. Place a Battlestations next to the ship and when defending you can roll an extra die. At least it's a bit more balance. As you'll spot, the Battlestations is missing from the Action Bar and there's still the usual Evade, Target Lock and Scan. Two Crew slots are open here plus one for Weapons and one for Tech. The generic version minuses off a Crew slot, the Battlestations Unique Action and one of those Hull points for 24 points. I actually would keep away from this one since it does eliminate that Battlestations option and that could be costly.

Able to achieve the same top speed of five as the Koronak, the Reklar is a little less maneuverable, dropping the banking turns at speed four and it retains the full and bank curves at speeds three and two with the sharper ones incurring the Auxiliary Power Token handicap.

Spun towards the classic The Next Generation two-parter, Chain of Command, the Reklar includes the two key Cardassian figures from the story in its command options. The seven-skilled Gul Madred can also be flipped as a Fleet Admiral and costs five points on either side. Having him able to deploy will be useful for those outlying attacks since he can target a ship within ranges one to three and if the Captain has a skill of six or less then both Madred and that card are out of play. If it's over or equal to 7 then the captain of the opposing ship rolls two Defence dice and if at least one Battlestations comes up then nothing gets discarded. It's a bit of a gamble as an Action either for the Fleet or on a single ship.

Four-skilled Gul Lemec had to deal with Edward Jellico and that cost sort of reflects his loss. Costing three points, Lemec likes to pick on the underdog as seems to be a trait here started with Madred. Any captains his ship takes on with a captain skilled less than his own is hit with an additional attack die making him fairly lethal on small opponents. It also offers up a thread of more underhand methods perhaps employed by the Cardassians and their Dominion masters.

Gul Ocett, taken from The Chase in season six of The Next Generation was the first female Cardassian we encountered in the franchise. She's carrying a skill of three here (unfair in my opinion since she was more effective than Lemec) and costs only two points. She's a ruthless card to have in play since critical Hull Damage will lead you to dig out Power Disruption or Minor Explosion from the Damage Deck rather than pick a card at random. Note as well she's continuously usable - no discard or disable which would make her a real asset.

With two Crew slots, the Reklar comes with two Crew to fill them. Glinn Tajor is a three pointer who takes the comfort out of a long range defence with any opponent fired on at range three not having the benefit of the extra defence die. It's a one time deal as he's a discard but might offer a nicely sneaky way to finish off an enemy ship.

Corak (two points) can be repeatedly called on as an Action and increases the Captain's skill by three until the end of the round. This will give you an early attack opportunity potentially against some bigger fish and not having to disable or discard means you can step in earlier more than once.

The Aft Weapons Array (four points) gives more chances to give fire from every angle. The full 180 arc already available is a big advantage but this provides a full 360 window. Offering four attack dice and an unusual chance to use this over the full three distances, the Array has to be disabled to be used and is limited only to ships with four Hull points or more. Given the gravity of the weapon's ability it does mean that the primary weapon value of the ship it's on will be four at a minimum. Firing all around is always a good advantage but having to re-enable this might kick some of the wind out but one shot could be all you need.

Subspace Carrier Wave punches out at range three only and rolls four attack dice. It's an Action and for each Damage or Critical Damage rolled you can disable the Captain or a Crew upgrade. It offers a chance for some disruption of plans rather than reducing a direct attack.

The Reklar's first of two Elite Actions, Coded Messages, unusually works on another ship in your fleet that's outside of ranges one to three and it can perform a move of speed three or lessas a freebie plus both ships gain a Battlestations token for the round which we know with both this and the Koronak pack are items to be prized and can be used very effectively by a Cardassian ship.

With Coded Messages costing five points, it's a big outlay for a one off use as I'm fond of noting and it's also sort of true when it comes to the Standard Attack Formation costing four points. This one's also a discard and very, very, very situational, relying on you keeping a very tight knit fleet as you'll need two other ships from your own battlegroup to be within range one. Also the ship that you're attacking will need to be in all three ships' forward firing arcs. Now, for a Cardassian ship that's not a big ask since they have 180 degree windows but it's a lot to ask just to get an additional two dice for a single attack. I'd suggest it's worth combo'ing this one in with a Target Lock for a super re-roll to ensure maximum damage.

The accompanying scenario takes us into the McAllister C-5 Nebula with a large portion of the standard 3x3 playing area acting as the nebula itself with the Federation starting along the southern edge of the board. Ships in the nebula also have the advantage of adding an extra three die when attacked, not being able to be Target Locked, only roll one die at range three in defence, can Sensor Echo and have to use two attack dice whenever there's an ability used that involves Scan - if the result includes a Battlestations then it's failed.

One more thing - each round, the ships in the nebula take one damage to the Hull and for each Damage card present that vessel rolls an attack die  and can suffer Critical Damage if the relevant symbol comes up. 

The core of this is for the Federation to place Anti-Matter Mines (so you'll need that card) ideally as they add an extra die in attack but ultimately it's a straight-forward fight to the end.

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March Roundup - The Blagger's Top Six

Right - time for something a bit new.

We've realised it's all well and good talking about Star Trek but what's going on now? There's no way we can post every day about everything so how about a monthly blagger's post? We'll pick the top five stories from the month, why they're important and the stuff you need to know. If you like it, we'll do one in April. If not, this might be the first and the last.

Wendy Hughes

Sad news to kick off the month that the actress who portrayed Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren in The Next Generation's sixth season episode Lessons died at the age of 61 following a battle with cancer. Hughes' character was one of the few to have romantic links to Captain Picard during the show's run and was an unusually music-centric episode which brought the fabled Ressikan flute back to the table and one of two appearances for stellar cartography (although it would look massively different in Generations). 

The Ron Wilkerson (Imaginary Friend, Schisms, Lower Decks,) penned episode is well-remembered for Hughes performance as one of the few who stood up to Picard and in this case melted his heart a little bit too. Hughes' performance will of course be among those on the soon to be released season six blu-ray.

Warnog

Image from geeknation.com

Fresh from their success with Vulcan Ale in Canada, the Federation of Beer has created a new taste sensation with the introduction of Klingon Warnog. Most likely a fine brew capable of raising the voices of any warrior in the halls of Q'onoS. Now you can drink in honour of Kahless (any excuse really) and sing of the triumphs of battle with a frothing tankard in hand. Ah...I can see it now....

Anyway, back to the 21st Century and according to a press release via the UK Guardian newspaper -

"Warnog incorporates rye malt into a modern Dunkelweizen grain bill, creating a flavor profile that is both familiar and unique...Warnog's aroma is predominantly mild banana and clove produced by the German wheat yeast, supported by subtle sweet malt character from the use of Munich malt. The flavor draws heavily from the blending of the rye malt and traditional clove character, creating a very rich and unique flavor. The inclusion of wheat and caramel malts help to round out the mouthfeel of this beer, making this Dunkelweizen hearty enough to be called a Klingon Warnog."

Sounds absolutely delicious and you would expect it to be served in big vats like blood wine a la Apocalypse Rising from Deep Space Nine. Will it make it over to the UK? Something in my mind says no however if anyone over the water fancies shipping us a few barrels to sample we won't be saying no. Reason to know about this? Hell, it's beer...Star Trek beer and that's definitely not your average everyday bit of news. Whether your local Harvester or Toby Carvery will be serving this is anyone's guess but we'll stay in hope.

Harlan Ellison City script to be a graphic novel

OK - this is BIG news. The original script for the legendary City on the Edge of Forever is getting laid down on the page. Yes, the ORIGINAL script and not the one that aired so this will be a must-have for every Star Trek fan out there as we'll get to see just what Ellison envisaged before it got into the hands of the studio. Right here's the facts bit - it'll be released in five parts which will cover more than we saw in the Hugo Award-winning hour long episode. Said Ellison in a quote I've found on Entertainment Weekly;

“For years, it has been a huge controversy,” Ellison told EW. “Which is better? My original version, as I dreamed it? Or as Roddenberry went back and had people rewrite? Now, for the first time since I had the original dream, somebody has interpreted it exactly as I dreamed it.”

The Ellison graphic novel will be published in the same month as his 80th birthday and will mark his 102nd publication in print, all of which can be viewed here. And when's it out? Try June this year.

Season Six on Blu-Ray

Fairly inevitable seeing as they've produced seasons one to five and I don't expect any prizes for guessing season seven will be following thereafter. As per usual the upgraded picture is mesmerizing and a huge leap from the original TV quality we experienced from 1987 onwards. Perhaps the bigger element here through is that, in keeping with seasons three through five, fans can pick up the movie edition of Chain of Command in box-licking HD quality to stick alongside The Best of Both Worlds, Redemption and Unification. I suspect that you've seen the trailers, read the blurb and just need to know it'll be landing in the US in June and should be crossing to the UK fairly soon afterwards.

Dropping over to TrekCore recently I spotted that the Chain of Command movie will feature commentary with the Okudas as well as Director of Photography Jonathan West and Captain Jellico himself, Ronny Cox. For those of you new to Some Kind of Star Trek we also put together a piece on the story here. Season six will feature the usual array of documentaries, bloopers and extras that have filled out and added to each of the preceding seasons.

Kind of reminds me of when they released this movie series on good old VHS back in the late 1990's. Going on this line of one movie per season I guess Gambit is the logical move for season seven as you would hope the full length version of All Good Things... will be the final installment on the full season set - but then if you're in the UK you'll remember it got released as part of the original run VHS series in it's two part format. Ugh. Bad memories.

STID deleted scenes

Ever feel like you got totally ripped off when you bought a DVD or a blu-ray? Yep, me too and it's directed straight at the release of Star Trek into Darkness where features were retailer specific and if you were in the UK, the DVD got, like, sod all bar two measly add ons. Bah. Rubbish. 

So as if to appease us all, you can now scrabble around the internet or a certain video-based website and see all the bits that didn't make the movie and ended up fluttering to the floor of Abrams editing suite (or just being clicked and moved to another file on the PC is probably the reality...).

Surprisingly there are a lot of parts removed and TrekCore have done a fantastic job of listing them all through with full transcript on this page and also this one.

In bullet points here are the removed scenes (in order of appearance)

• A longer discussion between Pike and Kirk in the admiral's office after the Nibiru mission
• Kirk entering his Captain's Log after the Nibiru incident
• Thomas Harewood calls Admiral Marcus - watch out for the original Constitution Class ship in the frame
• Kirk sees Pike get shot by Khan during the attack on Starfleet HQ
• Carol Marcus explains her plummy English accent to Kirk
• A longer discourse between Uhura and the Klingons before Khan's arrival
• Extended fight with the Klingons before Khan appears
• Scotty blags his way aboard the Vengeance
• Kirk meets the Harewoods after recovering from death

The worst bit is now that if you try and search for them it's very difficult to find any that are still lurking around. If you do, drop us a link...

Tom Hardy scared when making Nemesis

For many fans the actual nightmare was when the film got released and for a few they're still trying to purge that nightmare to this day. It seems that for the young actor he was totally out of his depth and an utter bag of nerves. I don't think this comes across on the screen and Hardy certainly hid it well. Perhaps it was the three months off booze that helped here?!

In an interview for Total Film, Hardy came into the production after all of the Enterprise scenes had been filmed and worked 17 hour days to complete his appearances in the movie. Considering where his career is now with Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Bronson and the upcoming Mad Max under his belt it's weird to think that this is really where it all started - and could have all ended looking at the reviews. 

That's our top five picks for the month of March - but we also thought it's worth just text-byting a couple of others that caught our eye...

Bubbling Under

Pine DUI charged and fined £48 - you drink, you drive, you get caught. Not great but that's the law.

Star Trek Online goes Mac - Seriously? It took this long to get over to the Apple side? Welcome to to fold iOS users...

Angry Birds - Any excuse these days huh? Oh well, it's as good as any to let them have one Star Trek appearance. It seems that they're going to be portraying the crew in a new comic.It's actually a variant of issue 34 of the main run but I'm saying nothing more...erm...ok...I had hoped that the franchise would avoid selling out in a similar way to Star Wars but I spoke way, way too soon....

Do you want to see more of our monthly news roundups? Let us know below or was there a story that we've missed from our top six?

A Certain Continuity: Star Trek: The Next Generation Season Six

I've come to the end of the sixth year of The Next Generation. One to go.

With season five I managed a few episode pieces but time and Star Trek news have been against me which meant only Schisms and Chain of Command were given a run out in blog form. With my attention turning to the 1993/94 season very soon, I'll be using that time to reflect back on some of the things and themes that made the series tick for me over the course of 178 episodes.

But for now let's look at the last 26 episodes that I've powered through, accompanied in my watching by my one and a bit year old son. Start 'em early....

While the fifth year turned experimental and delved into some quite personal issues as well as coping off-screen with the death of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, I was never the greatest of fans. At the beginning of the sixth season the first two episodes originally left me incredibly cold and worried as to where the year was going to be heading. Time's Arrow had provided a thrilling conclusion but the season opener was a massive comedown from all the set up of the previous year. Indeed, there had been a lot of escalation and only 45 minutes to conclude the story which could maybe have done with a third part to ensure that it didn't come across as rushed as it did. While on the re-watch it's not a bad episode it's not the way you would hope to start a season. It's very convenient and when Data turns up as if by magic I still find myself cringing. 

While a return to Realm of Fear made me realise it's not as hokey as I first thought, it's not until Relics that we see any sign that this season has promise. I would go as far to say that not since season two had I experienced such a mediocre start to a year of The Next Generation. Relics is undoubtedly one of the classics of The Next Generation's entire run and a personal favourite. It is still the only episode of Star Trek I have ever watched more than once in the same day. Schisms isn't a high profile episode yet it does manage to reaffirm the average nature of the early season with True Q, Rascals and The Quality of Life close by doesn't help. Now I'm not saying they're rubbish, just less than you would expect from a show that's heading into its sixth series.

Maybe the point that this is the first season completely without the influence or guidance of Gene Roddenberry; how would the final two years have turned out if he'd still been around to oversee (and would we ever have seen Gambit make it past draft status?!). When you look at the quality you might question what had happened in the hiatus because it's a very slow start as though the show is trying to reaffirm itself with the Scotty driven Relics as the head and shoulders above those first dozen-or-so episodes. It's a different tack and that's more evident when you read the season notes in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion by Larry Nemecek. The opening of the sixth season was designed to be more experimental and away from the "soap opera" of the fifth. Sadly time constraints meant that they had to produce the latter half at speed and waiting for stories to develop wasn't an option. Odd because I actually think that once the series bedded down and had the pressure of deadlines to meet it becomes a much better and more concentrated animal producing some superb installments and much more watchable TV. Experimental is good but the early part of this year might be just pushing that boundary even for Star Trek. Perhaps it's something to do with retaining that "believable" factor. Also notable after only a few episodes is the sudden absence of Alexander, Ro and Guinea who all vanish after Rascals. In fact so does Keiko so this appears to be some sort of midseason send off of sorts  

While the stories themselves at this stage might not have been making waves there was a lot more going on within them. Character development seems to take a Moon-sized leap. Secondary characters such as Dwight Schultz's stammering Barclay get flesh to their transporter-phobic bones and while Man of the People is easily contender for worst episode of the season it gives Troi a decent level of screen time not being overshadowed by her mother and giving the Betazoid something more to do than sit at Picard's left hand or worry about some kid's feelings. A Fistful of Data's also allows Sirtis to spread her wings a bit and when not restricted to the role of counsellor she really gets to shine - i might as well add Face of the Enemy in here too since its all about Troi and adds weight to that exact point. This experience comes in more than useful by season's end and the visit to the time frozen Warbird in Timescape. She's an expert, don't you know. 

When Marina gets some space she's more than capable of running with it. The more you think about it, doesn't it become apparent that this is Troi's best year? Character development and finally her own Starfleet uniform courtesy of Captain Jellico in Chain of Command can't be such a bad thing - add to that it's a Lwaxana-free year and things are definitely on the up.

I've talked about Chain of Command previously in Some Kind of Star Trek so I won't go over it again suffice to say it's one of the stronger two-parters in The Next Generation most likely helped by being mid-season rather than having its conclusion unwritten before the return from holiday. This re-watch even made me review my grumbles with the later Birthright duo which we'll come to in due time however I seem to be getting well ahead of myself here!

While the previous year had been about hitting some big moral issues, the writing staff appear to refocus here and look at the existing crew in more depth than ever before. The above shows how much breathing room Troi was appreciated and Worf, likewise gets to be our guide into the Klingon culture both in the Birthright two part story and the later Rightful Heir. What this second one shows is that continuity was being honoured and events were not being seen as one offs as soon as the Enterprise left orbit. Ship in a Bottle also carried this theme with the return of Moriarty from season two's Elementary, Dear Data. It also had an absolutely brilliant twist that even when I see it now still gives me a smile. This second appearance from Holmes' nemesis and Daniel Davis is definitely well overdue (and allegedly because of legalities with the Conan Doyle estate).

The distinctly dodgy Aquiel doesn't quell too many fears (but still not going to beat Man of the People) that this isn't holding up as a season; don't tell, but the dog did it. It's not until the Troi-centred Face of the Enemy that we really see the year finally finding its feet. A good story, Sirtis at her best chewing out a Romulan commander and genuinely being in danger for once. What this makes you realise is perhaps how gimmicky those early shows are in the '92-'93 season - just think back to how many of them seem like "neat" ideas - transporter has creatures in it, crew turned into kids, holodeck malfunction - or reliant on past characters (Scotty, Q, Barclay, Moriarty). Was there a genuine concern that they had nothing new on the boards? Continuity is a big factor - Face of the Enemy references Ambassador Spock's underground movement and Tapestry finishes off the story first mentioned back in season two's Samaritan Snare which led to Picard to gain his artificial heart. Later episodes would open up old romances (Troi and Riker in Second Chances) and the return of both the Borg and Data's brother, Lore at the end of the year. Rightful Heir even manages to link back to Birthright and that's only a few stories distant.

This unexpected second visit to the Enterprise by Q is probably his best outing since Q Who? . With the withdrawal from such heavy handed themes and stories that we experienced at this point in the previous year it does seem that the cast are enjoying themselves a lot more with their characters. We learn a lot about Picard here as well as in Chain of Command although it's a more somber affair there with four lights. That brings us to the Birthright tale which, even though it's better than I remember still gives me one niggle - it's a two part story yet Data's dream programme is only worth building on in the first 44 minutes?! I remember hoping that the conclusion would expand on the speech his vision of Soong gives and we got nothing....and we had to wait until Phantasms (personal favourite) in the following season to get any kind of next step in the story. That would be the second and last time we'd get to experience the wonders of Data's sleeping state for ourselves. This was a great departure for the character and I'm surprised that it wasn't expanded on further. The remainder (more accurately the majority) of the two-parter is Worf 100% and importantly one of the biggest episodes to talk about the background of the Klingon people while also fleshing out some of the security chief's background. In fact it's another instance of series continuity as we're reminded of the Khitomer Massacre - the first reference since Redemption I think. In the 90's it wasn't something that captured my attention but now I can see the value of the story and how it strengthens the character of Worf.

Talking of character strengths - if Tapestry wasn't a step in the action direction for Picard then Starship Mine certainly was. As well as being Tim (Tuvok) Russ' first Star Trek appearance it's The Next Generation's blatant take on Die Hard. As an adventure installment it's great for the captain to get something to do and for the senior staff to also be placed in a seemingly impossible position. Commander Calvin "Hutch" Hutchinson provides a memorable, if short-lived guest role as well as providing Data with an excellent opportunity to explore "small talk". Picard gets a good run at the end of the season with Lessons next up and the captain getting the girl - and Beverly a few uncomfortable conversations along the way. It could well have descended into major chintz but the story remains sensible with a real threat to the romance where you're not too sure if everything will come right in the end. Just to juxtapose the position though against Kirk, it's Commander Daren who chooses to ditch the relationship rather than Picard. Perhaps his second life/death episode with Q earlier in the season had a profound effect on Jean-Luc?! While we're at it, it's amazing what a movie budget can do to your stellar cartography department...!

While Lessons gives us a lighter breather, he's back cruising the universe in The Chase looking for clues. Certainly an episode that raises the temperatures of many a Star Trek fan with its explanation of why so many races look the same, The Chase brings Romulans, Klingons and Cardassians together for what was, at the time a rare occasion - by the time we got to the end of Deep Space Nine seven years later such an occurrence was all but common place each week.

It's only towards the end of the season that Riker gets some screen time with two outings nearly as the "Picard Trilogy". Frame of Mind and Second Chances are securely focused on the first officer and are far from easy episodes for the XO. He's trapped in the prison of his mind and then upstaged by...himself. Can't be good and how he's not been committed by the end of season six is a hard question to answer. While we're seeing all these returning plotlines and familiar characters season six remains firmly encroached in the arena of good characterisation and interesting stories rather than taking a step onto its soapbox and moralising. 

One character I do feel sorry for is Beverly. Still to tackle the "interesting" ghost tale that is Sub Rosa she gets her nose put out of joint by Commander Daren, plans to resign during the incident with the metaphysical shielding in Suspicions and then to add insult to injury she's on the business end of a Romulan disruptor in Timescape. We all thought Geordi got a bad deal sometimes. This is one of my favourites of the year and got watched a lot when I was younger. I'm always amazed that this is the single The Next Generation episode to feature a runabout and that the rear section used here was never seen in Deep Space Nine for which it was built on this show's budget. It's classic Braga and must have been a nightmare to film considering the temporally-twisted plot. Who can forget the bizarre moment of Picard drawing a smiley in the smoke of a warp core breach?

Season six is a much better slice of The Next Generation than the 26 episodes standing on either side. Not brimming with classics it does manage to bring two memorable nemeses in the form of the Borg and Lore. Indeed, this is almost the perfect way to end the season that we're already noted brought back a lot of The Next Generation's recurring characters. The reintroduction of the Borg through the opening of the sealed door was just brilliant and at this time we didn't know that these individual Borg were Hugh's fault. Data's exploration of emotion is long overdue but it's certainly not the approach he might have hoped for and the second part would only emphasise the darker side of the android's nature. As a season cliffhanger it ticks the boxes but just as with Time's Arrow, it would be tragically let down by a poorly conceived conclusion. When the Sons of Soong join together, you damn well expect them to at least bother the Federation at the least... Rewatching this season i recalled the excitement i felt when I first saw it around 20 years ago. It's lost none of its appeal and has probably gained a little bit over time. There's a good mix, only a couple of clunkers that you can easily get past and a bulk of high quality material that I think has aged well and was great to experience in full this time around. How the final batch will stand in comparison I will find out shortly. Let's hope it's faired just as well...