The Spacedock had to work long and hard to get permission to see a ship presently being held as evidence in the court-martial of its commanding officer; the:
The U.S.S. Phoenix's uses:
You'll Have To Move Sooner Or Later: Decks based around Patrolling the Neutral Zone have become extremely popular since the release of First Contact. By AMSing two leaders (say, Benjamin Maxwell and Norah Satie) into play and deploying a ship, it is possible to earn as many as 60 points for a single mission. In fact, the PNZ deck is one of the few that can manage a first-turn win. However, PNZ has become more complicated since it was ruled that one must attempt space missions from a ship. All of the sudden, PNZers had to ask: "What is the best ship to use?"
There are several considerations here. First and foremost, the ship must be easy to crew, since a PNZer will want to complete one PNZ and then move to another on the first turn. This rules out heavy hitters like the Enterprises. At the same time, the ship should be able to hold its own against incursions into the Neutral Zone by such threats as ships emerging from a Space-Time Portal. A middle-of-the-road ship is needed; one tough enough to take some punishment and small enough to be run on a small crew.
On inspection, a ship perfect for the purpose presents itself; the U.S.S. Phoenix. With only a command and staff star as its requirements, the initial pair of leaders can put the U.S.S. Phoenix through its paces. In addition, the U.S.S. Phoenix's painfully Nebula-ish combat attributes can easily be pumped up to Future Enterprise-esque proportions with Captain's Log (remember how we opted to download *Benjamin Maxwell*?). The Log itself is easy enough to bring out; you probably have a Ready Room Door or two in the deck already. All of a sudden, you have everything you need: A small ship that can protect itself, with a crew that can meet the requirements for a 60-point mission. Tally-ho!
All That And A Bunch Of Frills: As if that weren't enough, the U.S.S. Phoenix also offers the classic Holodeck-Tractor Beam pair of frills. The Holodeck is especially handy; a young gentleman named Paul Rice is an interesting addition to PNZ decks...
Besides being a blackballed vessel, the U.S.S. Phoenix does have another problem, namely:
Pernell Whittaker In A Game Of Foremans: The U.S.S. Phoenix is a solid ship that can be extremely useful. However, it pales in comparison to bigger, faster, nastier ships. With more of these powerhouses arriving with each expansion, the U.S.S. Phoenix has to fight harder and harder to win its card slots.
Final Analysis: The U.S.S. Phoenix is a perfect example of a ship that shines in one particular role. As a PNZ vessel, the U.S.S. Phoenix stands head and shoulders above the other choices. Elsewhere, however, the U.S.S. Phoenix has trouble standing up to other, more powerful ships.
An unfortunate announcement:
Due to the ongoing Teacher invasion, it will not be possible for the Spacedock to send out further messages until the Homework-class mines surrounding the staion have been cleared. This process will be completed in mid-June. The Spacedock's crew has always felt that updating regularly and reliably is important; however, the demands of the alternate dimension known as Real Life have become very great, and these demands must take precedence. Although this announcement is painful, the Spacdock's crew feels that it is better to take this short hiatus rather than be forced to delay promised releases as has happened in these past few weeks. The Spacedock's crew would like to apologize again to its readers, and to thank them for their continued support during this difficult period.
However, all is not lost! The Spacedock's crew is planning a treat for when it returns to make up for these difficulties. Keep an eye out come mid-June--the Spacedock has tricks up its sleeve that you *don't* want to miss!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to e-mail Phalanx
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