For those who missed the last few reviews, I'm going to start going through the set in numbered order (as opposed to the order revealed on the website). First up is the:

Orb of Time (#1, R)
Artifact
Icons: Trouble with Tribbles
Bajoran Orb.  Transported U.S.S. Defiant across time and space to encounter starship Enterprise.  Also used by Kira Nerys to travel back to the Cardassian occupation to learn of her mother's fate.
Use as Equipment card.  Once each turn, your ship or Away Team (if this Orb and your [Orb] personnel present) may time travel (except to board opponent's ship or outpost).

A centerpiece of this expansion, the Orb of Time featured prominently in the episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," a main source of cards for this expansion.  It also makes time travel easier than ever, once earned.  No more hassling around with Wormholes, Temporal Vortex (which, incidentally, can also be downloaded with Q the Referee -- making time travel more accessible was definitely a theme of the expansion), or Jealous Amanda. ;-)

Of course, it's an artifact, so it has to be earned first.  If you're playing an [OS] deck and relying on the Orb of Time to do most of your time travel, you'll at least have to resort to conventional means to get into the present, and solve a mission first.  Of course, there is a not-too-convoluted way around that, which I'll talk about in a short time.

Not only is this an artifact, but it's also an Orb, which also carries some extra advantages/disadvantages along with it.  The big advantage is that it can be earned without solving a mission by using HQ: Return Orb to Bajor. Although Barry Waddle may nullify this, if your opponent doesn't already have Barry in play, there's not much he can do (at least for that turn).  If playing Bajorans, seed HQ: Secure Homeworld at Bajor.  On the first turn, Defend Homeworld for Kira Nerys to the Chamber of Ministers, then play the HQ: ROTB for free using the Chamber's game text (Tent-ing for it if you don't draw it).  Move out, attempt the mission, and if you were able to get last seed at Bajor, you earn the Orb (scoring ten points) and probably five more from the Sarjenka seeded next to prevent Kira from dying unncessarily to dilemmas.  If you had to Tent for Return Orb to Bajor, you can't draw the three cards; however, if you wait a turn, you run the risk of your opponent Tent-ing for (or using Cargo Bay to download) Barry Waddle.  Anyway, there's also a bonus: the [Orb] icon personnel needed to use HQ:ROTB also allows you to use the Orb to start time traveling immediately.  This brings me to the trick I mentioned above to use the Orb of Time to move from the Original Series era to the present without allowing your opponent similar access with QtR/Temporal Vortex.  There are two ways to do this.  One is slightly more faster but requires you to use a Defend Homeworld on somebody only usable once; the other takes an additional turn but gives you a usable (albeit not very useful) personnel.  The first method is to simply to the above trick with Defend Homeworld and Kira Nerys.  As soon as she's earned the Orb, use it to time travel back to 2267 Sherman's Planet (this can be done even though she's "stopped"), and then "transfer" the Orb to any personnel you may have reported there.  Even though they're not compatible (and therefore in two separate Away Teams), you may still transfer Equipment from one to the other (I asked the Major about this, and she said it's legal).  Boom: you've got the Orb, and it didn't even cost a card play.  Problem: you need an [Orb] personnel to use the Orb.  You'd probably have to use Orb Experience, which, although it keeps your card play free, probably isn't worth the hassle.  The other way takes slightly longer and takes extra card plays/draws, but lets you continue to use the [O] personnel.  Use Ops to download The Emissary to the Guest Quarters, then play the ROTB for free. If lucky enough to draw a ship that plays for free (e.g., Bajoran Freighter, U.S.S. Danube), play it, get the Emissary aboard, undock it (using ASP if you need an extra personnel), and then do the Kira trick.  Once at 2267, he can switch to Federation affiliation and you've got him.  Of course, he's not much use.  However, there may be some strong potential in a three-way Bajoran/Federation/Klingon [OS] deck.  Seed Treaty: Federation/Bajoran and Organian Peace Treaty, plus Open Diplomatic Relations and Treaty: Bajoran/Klingon.  You can report an [OS] Feddie or Klingon to Sherman's Peak for free, plus any Bajorans you might draw can report to The Emissary. If you have the seeding room, you can also seed an Orb of Wisdom along with the Orb of Time under Characterize Neutrino Emissions, allowing yet another free report.  If coupled with a card drawing engine, you could be playing at least three personnel/ships a turn.

Anyway, what other uses does this thing have?

I've thought about cheesing with Temporal Wake -- move your ship to where an opponent's is, time travel with the Orb, and play Temporal Wake to make him follow, then travel back to a time location with the orb, repeat ad naueseum.  Sort of a modern field trip (players have experimented with this before, but this was more difficult because Wormholes had to be expended both on the first travel for your ship and the return trip).  Note that Examine Singularity *cannot* be used to help facilitate this, as it "Plays if any ship or Away Team *just* time traveled." (emphasis added).  Because it's a "just" action -- and using Examine Singularity to download Temporal Wake is not a valid response to time traveling -- your last action would have been downloading with Examine Singularity, not time traveling, so it's too late to play the Vortex.  Furthermore, it can't be downloaded to your hand, so Examine Singularity cannot download Temporal Vortex for this function.  And stocking multiple Temporal Wakes in a deck is harder because it's rare, plus it's not as useful to use on yourself -- Wormholes can be used on your own ships as well for quick transport, but Temporal Wakes don't share that convenience.  On the other hand, you only need one.  And there's also the hassle of getting your ship to where the opponent's is, so you may also need to supplement your Wakes with some Wormholes to keep up with your opponent.  On top of this, your opponent can escape from the time location by using Q the Referee to download Temporal Vortex, allowing all of his ships imprisoned there to escape.  The plan is by no means watertight. Perhaps stocking Wormholes is a good idea, hoping your opponent will burn a QtR on Operate Wormhole Relays -- then switch over to the Wakes.  Trying to goad your opponent into using his other QtR (e.g., playing Kivas/Traveler) may also be a good idea.

But in the end?  I decided it wasn't worth it.  The versatility of the original Field Trip was what made it strong.  The Wormholes could be used either offensively or defensively, plus it was very difficult to get out of a Time Location unless using Wormholes of your own.  Back in its heyday (the First Contact/DS9 era) there was no Operate Wormhole Relays, few players stocked Wormholes unless playing Field Trip themselves, and even fewer stocked Temporal Wake or Temporal Vortex.  However, in the modern playing environment, the risk of losing much of your resources (all the Wakes/Wormholes stocked) to one unstoppable download (QtR/Temporal Vortex to retrieve all ships you've stuck there, or even a Vortex played from the hand) is too great.

Another use that's not as abusive: instant (OK, not instant, but fast) transport anywhere.  Seed Sherman's Peak, and in two turns you can be literally anywhere in any quadrant.  Time travel from location X to the Peak, then time travel from the Peak to location Y.  It certainly takes some of the teeth away from Theta-Radiation Poisoning/Cytherians.  Worried about an attacker bearing down and fearing an Obelisk/Masaka if you STP the ship to your hand?  Time travel.  It's kinda like reusable Wormholes, albeit slowed down a little.  The flexiblity this gives is incredible.

One thing it's not so good for: Borg players trying to Stop First Contact. Having to earn this first means you'll probably solve an Establish Gateway first.  After disrupting the timeline, you'll be at 65 points (25 from EG + 40 from Assimilate Homeworld).  Even with Population 9 Billion -- All Borg or Resistance is Futile, you'll still have to scout another location (P9BAB isn't retroactive).  No, with QtR/Temporal Vortex around, the way to go is Assimilate Homeworld for 40, then use P9BAB and either Salvage Starship or Assimilate Planet/Establish Gateway + Resistance is Futile.

The final verdict: I like the direction Decipher is going in making time travel easier to use.  For one, it makes Field Trip a lot less of a threat -- after all, you run the risk that your opponent is using an easy mechanism for time travel.  Anyway, this Orb has a myriad of uses.  Whether it be trying to get reinforcements from Sherman's Peak, simply trying to increase your speed in moving around, or whatever, this Orb will not disappoint. It's a definite inclusion in a Bajoran Orb deck, as well as an Original Series deck in case you need to pick up reinforcements.  In the latter case, not only can you get additional personnel, but you also get that side effect of rapid transport anywhere on any spaceline.  In other decks?  Well, it's still no Horga'hn.  But it's useful enough I may throw it in from time to time...

Next, number two: Chula: the Drink

Steve "Sergei Rachmaninoff" Boyles