After a long break, the Siskoid series is back. I could give excuses like I've been waiting to see and digest the DS9 set, like I've been busy, like I'm real lazy, but I'll spare. For the uninitiated (and your ranks have grown, I'm sure) this series is dedicated to listing the many -oids found in the Trek series. An "-oid" is a somehow skewed version of one of our beloved characters that might or might not make it into the game as Personea or AU personnel. If you've gotten in late, follow the link below to Captain Targ's Outpost where you'll find all the TNGoids archived as well as many Niners. Up next though, my least favorite DS9 character... Odo:
ODOIDS
1-Odo: Not an -oid of course, this the real thing. Decipher's given us a very good rendition of the constable... but what else is out there?
2-Solid Odo: Perhaps a contender for the Dominion set, this is the Odo that is not a Changeling. He doesn't benefit from Changeling cards, so what's the use? It's a collector's item: when you find it's the rare in your pack, you start bawling just like solid Odo himself. "Boo-hoo-hoo, I'm a solid, snif, my people don't like me anymore, boo-hoo!" ;-) He doesn't even stop Qwark anymore...
3-Mature Odo: From "Children of Time" in which Odo had learned to be at peace with himself. He's AU and much calmer than in the "past" trading one of his SECURITY for either CIVILIAN or VIP. Qwark or hand weapons isn't much of a consideration anymore, so perhaps bonuses for Kira instead? Or taking his role in the episode conceptually, he could, when present with another AU personnel, discard himself and that personnel. Watch out Major Rakal! Walls might have ears!
4-SF editor: Like most of the characters, I don't remember his name in "Far Beyond the Stars" (George?), but like Benny(Sisko), there's not a whole lot to do with a writer beyond giving him the Writing skill. My idea for these guys was to have them "imagine" (download) science fiction concepts related to their characters. As an SF editor, Odo couldstop those downloads from occuring when he's on the table. This would derail what many have felt was a too-powerful strategy (given that O'Brien downloads androids, Bashir, mutants, and so on.)
5-Mirror Odo: The Odo from the Mirror Universe was only briefly seen before he was turned into a puddle by a stray disruptor beam. He's too close to the original to be a viable card, but your Alliance affiliation personnel could need a good Security...
6-Klingon Odo: I really hope the "Klingons" from "Apocalypse Rising" make it into cards. They would be great! Well the Klingon Odoid wasn't so great (and not a changeling at the time), but I'd collect the entire set. He's still Security and Law and that's just what Klingons need.
7-Traitor Odo: The REAL Dominion Odo, he's even got the dual affiliation to prove it. This Persona's only available when that female changeling is present of course, or else Kira's feminine wiles would get the better of him. This is when I really started to dislike Odo. I'd tear the card to shreds. Well, maybe I wouldn't.
8-Classic Trek Odo: The Tribble episode gave us a Non-Aligned, classic trek-icon Odo who perhaps had the best line in the show, the one about the Great Tribble Hunt. How does he translate into the cards? No idea. (HEEEELPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!)
9-Odo/Curzon combo: This is the Dax host parceled out to Odo in "Facets". Still no clue how (if at all) such "personas" could make it into a game (play splicing ritual Event on table; if any Dax present, download any Facet to any personnel present - one per turn. Facet counts as a Personna for that personnel who goes back to your hand until brought back, then discard facet.) In any case, Curzon takes a lot more room and is that much more of a shoe-in for a card. So Odo goes condo and gets equal shares of Diplomatic and Security skills. Great skills, but one drawback: Jadzia Dax suffers minuses to her stats while Curzon is in play.
10-Prophet: As I first mentioned in Sisko's article, the Prophets appear in the shows in the likenesses of all the regular characters. What I would like to see then, are Prophet cards (perhaps attainable through a Wormhole Doorway or Orb Experience card) that have effects related to the personna taken. Odo-Prophet could be the cop of the bunch. He makes law and decided to stop the Dominion from sending their fleet through the Wormhole. Or he makes policy as to what the Sisko should do. So effects? Close Bajoran Wormhole? That kind of thing?
11-The alternate: My favorite Odo might only make it as a Dilemma. It's the one from "The Alternate" in which a mindless monster changeling rampages through the station. Turns out it's an imbalanced Odo! So a Dilemma that makes your Changeling go crazy and attack the rest of the Away Team at triple Strength? Or an actual personnel with no skills but an incredible Strength? (I'd like to see such "mission specialists" with uncommonly high Integrity, Cunning or Strength and that's it.)
12-From Bashir's head: From "Distant Voices", in which Odo played the part of Julian's inner strength and will (I think, somebody correct me here if I'm wrong). Like all -oids from that episode, they would report to that "Mind Location", perhaps inside a person's mind, making him or her immune, in this case, to Brainwash, Torture, Alien Parasites and maybe even Assimilation.
13-Terek Nor security: Back when Odo was working for the Cardassians, he must have been Cardassian affiliation right? But what else? Lower Integrity (let Kira go and executed innocent men), none of the Honor and even a hint of Treachery (cripes!)
14-Thrax: This is the Cardassian Odo placed in his role in that episode taking place within his troubled psyche. Makes a nice AU Cardassian! SECURITY x2 and maybe even a Torture Download for fun!
15-Bajoran Odo: The flip coin of that episode is the role Odo gave himself, that of a Bajoran he had executed. Odo's already Bajoran affiliated but this version could have a variety of Resistance type skills, and might be necessary to the "Mind Location" if such a concept was even used by Decipher.
16-Piano-player: Odo doing it "his way". Music is a prerequisite (only where holodeck or holosuite present) and he always gets the girl (Love Interests cancelled... HE's calling the shots in this relationship!) Ok, let's not make the card and say we did. :-)
17-Umpire Odo: To be very recent here, I'm mentioning a baseball Odoid. Ok, I've mentioned him... (heehee).
So that's all I can remember for now. As always, comments are welcome and appreciated since I always make changes before the article is relegated to the Archives. Next up should be Qwark, so stay tuned!
