Deck Name:  The High Road to Victory
Race:  Human
# of Players:  2-4
Designer:  Richard Pennertz
Email address:  penn0066@tc.umn.edu

Brief Summary of deck:  Uses Alliance of Races to develop a cheap source of
20 extra power.

Section 1: The Cards:

Aftermaths:  Refugees*3
Total # of aftermaths:  3

Agendas:  Alliance of Races, As It Was Meant to Be, Power Politics, Knowledge is Power, Support of the Mighty
Total # of agendas:  5

Characters:  Jeffrey Sinclair, John Sheridan, Human Agent, Lyta Alexander, Stephen Franklin, Talia Winters, Michael Garibaldi, Zack Allan, Senator Voudreau, Miagi Hidoshi, Luis Santiago, Frederick Lantz, Shal Mayan, Bester
Total # of Characters:  14

Diplomacy Conflicts:  Rally the People, The Great Machine, Test Their Mettle*3
Total # of Diplomacy Conflicts:  5

Intrigue Conflicts:  none
Total # of Intrigue Conflicts:  0

Military Conflicts:  none
Total # of Military Conflicts:  0

Psi Conflicts:  Telepathic Scan, Sleeper Personality
Total # of Psi Conflicts:  2

Enhancements:  Upgraded Defensess, Luxuries of Homeworld*3
Total # of Enhancements:  4

Events:  Level the Playing Field*3, Short Term Goals*3, Underworld Connections*3, Popular Support*3, Moral Quandary*3, Destiny Fulfilled*3, Support Babylon 5*3, Affirm Alliance*3
Total # of Events:  24

Fleets:  Second Battle Fleet, First Battle Fleet, Homeworld Fleet, Vree Saucers, Deep Space Fleet*3
Total # of Fleets:  7

Groups:  Psi Corps Intelligence, Secret Police, Military Telepaths, Rabble Rousers
Total # of Groups:  4

Locations:  Earth, Mars Colony
Total # of Locations:  2

Total # of cards in deck:  65

Section 2: Strategy

Opening Hand:  Jeffrey Sinclair, Human Agent, Alliance of Races, Upgraded Defenses

Opening Strategy: 
Many times, the Opening Hand is enough to win.  On your first turn, play the Human Agent.  Promote him on your second turn and play Alliance of Races.  Build influence with the Agent next turn.  Play Upgraded Defenses.  Next turn (your fourth), build influence with both characters.  Transfer one influence to Babylon 5.  Continue building influence and transferring it to Babylon 5, hoping for it to reach 20 influence.  If you are playing against a Minbari war deck, rotate Sinclair to prevent tensions from increasing and sustain.  If not, you may want to bring out characters like Zack Allan and Talia Winters (6 or less influence cost), while continuing to build and transfer influence.  You may very well win just by doing this.

Midgame Strategy:
If your opponent manages to declare war on you, or has more diplomacy and plays Power Politics, you will want to change your strategy, because you’re going to get whomped.  Bring in your heavy diplomacy characters (for Power Politics; if necessary, use Short Term Goals to get enough influence) and use Luxuries of Homeworld to cover for the high influence, or bring in fleets (for war) and attack malevolently (after As It Was Meant to Be, so you can recover fleets).  Replace Sinclair with Sheridan, play As It Was Meant to Be, and use Sleeper Personality and Psi Corps Intelligence (total of three conflicts a turn) to rack up the Destiny Marks (purge one each turn to return Sleeper Personality to your hand).  Use Shal Mayan to allow Bestern (or another telepath if he’s not in play) to support both Sleeper Personality and Psi Corps Intelligence.  Test Their Mettle, until there is an official ruling otherwise, is returned to your hand at the end of every turn on which you play it.  Only use these conflicts after having played Destiny Fulfilled.

Endgame Strategy:
Use Destiny Fulfilled to make your ambassador almighty and start using Telepathic Scan to remove your opponent’s means of defeating you.

Weaknesses:
As mentioned earlier, Power Politics and war wreak havoc on this deck unless you’re prepared to counter. Get your big guys out fast.  Also, conflict-heavy decks and assassin decks could do some damage.

Section 3: Variations

Against a war deck, you may want to add more fleets or Mary Ann Cramer and Armistice*3.  Against a politics-heavy deck or intrigue-heavy deck, your aides*3 and agents*3 can definitiely help.  To counter an assassin deck, add Blood Oath*3 and rack up strife marks on John Sheridan and other characters.