Head To The Call Of The Hunt

by Joeri Hoste

Grand and fearless warriors living for the thrill of the hunt, stalking their prey patiently, relentlessly...

The Hirogen affiliation are a pillar of the Borg expansion you just can't ignore. A species with a purpose in life that sets them apart from any other we have ever encountered in the Star Trek universe. The most unique relics and hunting trophies adorn their ships and provide a grim reminder of what happens if you fall prey to the Hirogen. They seek out the greatest challenge and thrive on the exhilaration of the kill. Fancy a few lessons in carnage and bloodbaths? Tag along with the hunting packs of Hirogen!

In a nutshell, Hirogen hunting is all about player interaction. You might not be prepared for it in the current environment, but you'd better plan ahead. Whether they're boarding your damaged ships, gutting or capturing your key personnel, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Hirogen Hunt will be at the core of any Hirogen deck as it not only allows you to download most of the cards that enable the hunting mechanic, but also allows free reporting en masse. It even downloads itself as you may find the choice between its various functions harder than you might think. You wouldn't want to go without the backup copy offered by the Hirogen Outpost either. Combine Hirogen Hunt with any decent card drawing engine and you'll have the basics for your hunting deck set up in no time: fast reporting of Alpha and Beta Hirogen, ships with WEAPONS increasing with the size of their pack, and of course, Rituals Of The Hunt. Prey on the weak with the card's second function. Talk about kicking someone when they're down. Finishing off your opponent was never this easy.

Rituals of the Hunt is one of the powerful capturing-related cards that will make the Delta Quadrant a far more dangerous spaceline. Use it in combination with Hirogen Talon (which reports for free) and your opponent will think twice about leaving Away Teams on a planet surface. That's not all though. Rituals offers enormous versatility by adding skills to your personnel. As the cards pops back to hand on your command it's undoubtably one of the best dial-a-skill mechanics in the game. Other affiliations have had "roving outposts", but none as tempting as the one offered by Rituals of the Hunt. Relics of the Chase, on the other hand, further refines the capture mechanic for the Hirogen, getting the best of your opponent's stunned personnel. Depending on the "value" of your prey, be it CUNNING, INTEGRITY, or STRENGTH, it will also put you closer to victory in terms of actually scoring points. Let's face it, it might be great to stick your opponent's skull to a wall, but at the end of the day it's all about points.

The Hirogen ships are instrumental in hunting down prey. Their strength is literally drawn from their numbers. Your Hunting Vessels get a significant boost out of hunting in packs, making it so much easier for you to go ahead and solve missions like Corner Enemy Ship and Secure Station. Decaren and Idrin, both prominent Alpha-hirogen with the benefits thereof, are matching commanders for these ferocious two-staffers. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide as the pack descends upon your lone ship from a nearby nebula. The Vidiians and Kazon had you running scared? They're choirboys compared to the Hirogen. When you're alone in the darkness and the glimmer of a Hirogen's armor passes you by, a sight that would send a chill down anyone's spine, make sure that the next sound you hear isn't yours snapping.

August 28, 2001