As those of you who read my last piece “My Trouble with Tribbles” know, I was just finishing shaking my head in confusion when the talk began about Reflections. I like the idea a great deal. The reality of the situation is that very few individuals entering the game have either the money or the time to acquire a competitive play set across all 9 sets not to mention special cards like those included in a Fajo Collection. By issuing a set where you can buy a pack of cards containing twice the normal number of expansion cards that culminate six different sets for five dollars is very appealing and is of course helps simplify the sometimes complicated process of acquiring some cards. In addition, it offers new and existing players a chance to obtain new foils which appear to be very popular here in the Betazed Region among both the players and the collectors. It seemed to me that Decipher had finally made a decision that would not only please existing players but would also allow Ambassadors and TDs (like myself) to stimulate new or renewed interest in the game. Combo all this with the incredible success of the Star Wars Reflections, and it seemed to me that Decipher had a complete and total winner. That’s when the little paranoid voice began in the back of my head…

        Fast Forward to September 19th, when Decipher’s Sandy Wible posts a very intriguing Newsflash concerning The way foils will be available in Reflections. The article states that there are four cards that will be available as a box topper, meaning you open a single display box of the boosters and you’ll find one of these toppers right on top. This news concerned me a little because many people do not buy by the box and instead pick up packs when they can. However, it became readily apparent to me that the card dealers would therefore have a healthy stock of these cards for sale and trade. If you assume six display boxes per case then each retailer who purchased two cases for sale in their store would have three copies of each card for sale, thus making them only as difficult to obtain as any other Ultra Rare we’ve seen in the last four sets. So even if you do not buy by the box, you will have numerous opportunities to obtain the Admiral Riker foil and its box topping counterparts.

        The next bit of the article deals with another foil that will be in limited supply, Seven of Nine. I know from my experience in trading that Seven has been one of the most sought after cards in the five year history of the game, so I was pleased to see that she would be a part of  Reflections. However to say I was dismayed at how frequently she would appear would be the greatest understatement since Decipher admitted they have sorting problems. Seven of Nine will be a case topper, meaning that she will sit on top of the sealed display boxes. In other words, if you do not purchase a full sealed case you will not receive a Seven of Nine.

        My next question is this, what was Decipher thinking when they made this decision? Now, if I want the Seven of Nine foil, I am forced to buy six boxes of Reflections for an astounding price of 480 dollars (locally quoted price) and even then if my source turns out to be less than reputable, I may find myself with three boxes from one case and three from a separate and no Seven at all. So now, the individuals who buy by the pack are in serious trouble, they will more than likely never even glance at one of these Seven of Nine cards, let alone have the opportunity to own one. For the individual who buys by the box, they must now purchase a full case or be left out and for the Retailer, the most desired card in the game has just become the rarest and he’s going to get one with every single order.

        Decipher has taken an opportunity to reach out to its fans, collectors and players and extend an olive branch for each and every complaint it has received, things like poor sorting, poor card cutting (I have a Muniz that looks like he was in a 60’s Batman episode), unexplained delays, rulings that have been changed several times (Palor Toff has been changed so many times, even Toff himself doesn’t know what he does) and the like. Did Decipher take advantage of this opportunity? No, instead they saw an opportunity to directly affect the pricing of their cards and they took it.

        Magic players know that there is no card more expensive in the game than the Black Lotus, for Pokemon players it's Charizard and now for Star Trek it will be the Seven of Nine foil. The difference is that these other cards’ value came about naturally, by limiting supply through normal purchasing means and make the card desirable to the players. Decipher has made a deliberate decision that the value of their cards and how they are traded is more important than the individuals who purchase, collect and enjoy the game. They have taken the power out of the hands of the consumer and placed it in the hands of distributors and retailers in an obvious and disgusting attempt to boost the value of a single selected card.

        I suggest each and every player and collector email Decipher, particularly its president and let them know you disagree with this sorting. Perhaps if they hear from enough people they will avoid making a similar mistake in the future (although from personal experience, I doubt it).

        I’ve spoken to Magic players, Pokemon players, even some Five Rings players and all of them say the same thing, “Wizards is draining the life out of its own games. I’m just glad Decipher doesn’t do it”. Well, guess what folks, Decipher is doing it now and the price is 480 dollars a case.

- Skullduggery