The third of the Starship Enterprise bridge crew to be seen (Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy were the first two), Lt. Sulu has the least "Wow!" value of the three.  Of course, that doesn't mean that he's a bad personnel; I simply mean that nothing pops out at you and makes you say "Oh my gosh!" like Kirk and McCoy did with their special skills.  However, his skills are quite useful, and with the exception of Physics, every single one of them is valuable in a space deck, and the Physics isn't exactly Barbering, either.

First, he's dual-classification.  Never a bad thing, especially when both of them are very useful skills.  Sulu's a space man, with his skills all more useful in space than on planets (SCIENCE is about equal, but all the rest are definitely better up in the skies).  OFFICER is very powerful with STRENGTH of 6 and SCIENCE, helping him to pass many of the major dilemmas: Maglock, Hazardous Duty (the last two commonly seen in a combo with Cytherians in the middle), Scientific Method, Dangerous Liaisons (not in widespread use, but not unusual to see, either), and many other less-commonly seen dilemmas.  The SCIENCE is also useful in solving some space missions, but this won't be a very common use, as few Federation space missions require SCIENCE to solve.

His other skills?  Navigation and Biology are invaluable skills to have in space.  Even if McCoy's already used his special skill to nullify a Hippocratic Oath (or is saving it in case a Tarellian Plague Ship follows), he and Sulu can pass an Aphasia Device.  That's about the only significant use for Biology, but Aphasia Device is such a nasty dilemma that players prepare for it by stocking plenty of Biology.  Navigation is also extremely important.  Although not as useful as the Romulan Selveth, or other super-Navigators, having the skill never hurts.  Navigational Hazards is a space wall that's seen a lot; and Stellar Flare pops up from time to time as well, as an anti-armada card (seed it where your outpost is, when the armada arrives, trip the dilemma and use a Battle Bridge to leave the ships adrift).  Physics, while not called for on dilemmas, is in heavy demand in Federation space decks: Investigate Disappearance and Explore Dyson Sphere, two of such a deck's staples, both require this relatively rare skill. Navigation is also needed for both of these missions.  This guy's a definite inclusion in any deck that has both of those missions, and will probably be used in most Federation space decks even if those missions aren't used, simply for his dilemma-busting ability.

And he can enhance the WEAPONS of the Starship Enterprise.  While this may be passed off as a nominal benefit, and I can't really judge how effective this is until we see the ship herself, I can say that this looks to be part of a powerful combo.  Because he's Alternate Universe, as is Kirk, and in all likelihood the Starship Enterprise, they can all be dropped with a Space-Time Portal.  While drawing cards through whatever means (after all, most good decks include some sort of extra drawing/playing mechanic), once your opponent gets going, you can STP-drop the Starship Enterprise with Kirk, Sulu, and whatever other [AU] crew you've acquired.  According to the card extra, the [AU] Scotty will also be able to enhance the Starship in some way.  Anyway, STP-drop it where your opponent's ship is, use Kirk to download Captain's Log, and you've got one tough little ship with +5 WEAPONS and +3 SHIELDS, even more if supplemented by a Battle Bridge -- and it can initiate battle as well (unless your opponent is also playing Federation). Watch your opponent's face when out of nowhere the Starship Enterprise appears out of nowhere and scores a hit on his D'deridex Advanced, and might even avoid the return fire (depends on Tactic used and the base SHIELDS of the Starship Enterprise).  And if you really want this to be a key part of your deck, if your opponent's playing Federation, you can drop the ship on your opponent's turn, then play Luther Sloan to the Starship as your card play.  Flip a HQ: Defensive Measures, and you're off and firing away.  Best of all, even if you don't want to battle or need these guys ahead of time, with the exception of Kirk, you're likely to have strong personnel anyway -- Sulu and Sloan are very nice cards for dilemma/mission solving, as I'm sure Scotty will be as well (unless they do a Kirk on him and give him mostly special skills instead).

Even without this strategy, he's a strong [AU] card, which makes him eligible for two of the biggest speed-reporting mechanisms available: Cryosatellite and STP-drop.  Cryo is the inferior of the two, because even though you can choose which personnel you want, you have to solve a mission to get them first, and it's very obvious what you're doing.  STP-drop is still IMHO a very powerful strategy even with It's Only a Game out there.  A ship and four personnel for free is nothing to laugh at.  Especially with the advent of Original Series crew for the Federation, expect to see Federation STP-drop make a comeback.  Load your deck with powerful [AU]s, such as Sulu, McCoy, Beverly Picard, Rachel Garrett, Commander Troi, Garak, Thomas Paris, Sevek, Solkar, T'Shonra, etc. as well as multiple [AU] ships (Future Enterprise, Pasteur, etc.).  After a Kivas or two, drop a ship with whatever personnel you've drawn so far.  If your opponent isn't playing IOAG, you get a ship and five-six personnel for free.  Even if he is, you still get a ship and four for free.  Regardless, you've gained a powerful card advantage over your opponent.  Combine with other report-for-free mechanisms, such as Cybernetics/android, Headquarters, AMS, and Devidian Doors, and you can assemble a good-sized crew very quickly.

The final verdict: A powerful inclusion in space-based decks even though he lacks a "Wow!" skill.  For most Federation space decks, there's not a useless skill on the guy!  OFFICER, Navigation, Biology, and SCIENCE are four skills very high on the wanted list for space dilemmas, and Physics is required for multiple Federation space missions.  Or, if you're more into gimmicks and combos, there's the STP-drop the Starship Enterprise with him, Kirk, and perhaps Scotty.  Surprise your opponent with a probably 10+ ATTACK ship that drops out of nowhere and can initiate battle.  Or, for any STP-drop deck, he's definitely one of the must-includes.  A useful card that'll make an appearance in a lot of Federation decks come release.

Next: Thot Gor

Steve "Sergei Rachmaninoff" Boyles