This column is the second of fourth in a series looking at the four "categories" of attributes, and the conflicts that relate to them.  These are Intrigue, Military,Diplomacy, and Psi/Misc.

So let's take a look at Military.  Of the original four Races, there is no really "weak" Military force.  What the Centauri lack in leadership, they can make up for in sneaky Intrigue Conflicts like Bio-Weapon Discovery and Technological Espionage.  They are also better at calling upon Raiders and the Shadows to help them.

The Minbari have stronger single Fleets, decent leaders, and cards like Stealth Technology and Wind Swords to help them out.  They also have a ready-made War Conflict with the Humans (due to Finish the War).  The Narn have numerous weaker Fleets that they can bring into play quickly, and good leaders.  The Humans have average Fleets and good leaders.

So pretty much anyone can win if they decide to pursue a Military strategy.  So what do you need to do this?

Conflicts.  Agendas can help, but not a lot for giving you actual power.  Defense in Depth, Total War, Rise of the Republic, Forced Evolution, Never Again, and Revenge can all help you under the right circumstances.  You can also use Maintain the Peace to shut down other races'
Military conflicts.  However, you are often better-off using diplomatic measures and News of Galactic Import if you want to benefit from Maintain the Peace.

The number of Military Conflict cards is relatively small.  They include:

Blockade:  Good if there is a single player you want to stop from advancing.  If you play against a militarily- weak player, you can keep them locked while still gain benefits from Aftermaths for winning this Conflict.  Don't forget that if successful, you get Blockade back.

Border Raid:  A vital card for Military types.  Only one fleet of each side can participate (characters can _not_ rotate to participate, using Level the Playing Field).  If you've got the best Fleet and leader, you'll probably win.  Good for raising tension to play other Military Conflicts which require higher tension, like Blockade.  Keep in mind that "uncontested" means that your opponent must not have participated at _all_ (even if the fleet he uses is destroyed).  This is one you want to play early, and putting one in your starting hand is often a good idea.

Crusade:  Like Blockade, you keep this Conflict if successful.  Good for raising B5 influence, obviously, but Diplomacy is usually more  efficient.  Still, if you're going to put lots of fleets in your Diplomacy deck for self-defense, using Crusade might not hurt.

Establish Base:  A vital card if you're going to launch a full-scale military campaign.  Not only can it knock down B5 influence, but give you good offense and defense for later.

Gunboat Diplomacy:  This Conflict lets other players participate, but can potentially lower B5 influence if they do.  Still, this provides a very high potential Influence gain (+3 if you can use your Homeworld!).

Limited Strike:  This lies somewhere between Border Raid and Gunboat Diplomacy.  Other players have to stay out of the Conflict, but your opponent can use Level the Playing Field and bring more fleets to bear.  On the other hand, so can you.  Good for reducing B5 influence, but you have to win it by a lot to succeed.  Another good tension- raiser for playing other Conflicts or starting a War.

Peacekeeping:  Not a very useful card, in this author's opinion.  If two players are at war, they're probably going to be strong in Military, making it harder for you to intervene.  And you can go a whole game without two other players starting a war.  Not recommended.  If you want to try this strategy, use Maintain the Peace.

Raid Shipping:  This can backfire unless you're good at Intrigue.  But it is good for draining off B5 influence.  Something to add if you've added the better Military Conflicts mentioned above, and still feel you need a few.

Shadow Assault:  For obvious reasons, only good if you've got Shadow Marks.  It's also a good way to start a war, regardless of race tensions.

And finally, there is the non-card "War Conflict."  First you need to start a war:  typically you're going to have to raise your tensions with one specific race (using the Conflicts mentioned above), then play Declaration of War.  If you're employing the Shadows, Shadow Assault will work.  War by Popular Decree is an iffy choice, and not recommended.

It can be difficult to take all but the weakest of Locations, if your opponent has any military worth mentioning (or the Shadows help you via Shadow Assault).  Going for straight-out Influence-theft can be easier, but remember what we said above:  if your opponent participates with _any_ Fleet or character, even if they are subsequently destroyed before resolution, the Conflict is _not_ considered "uncontested."

Those are the Conflicts.  There are a multitude of ways to modify or raise your values or mess up your opponent's.  They include:  Battle Tested, Casualty Reports, Combat Experience, Disgrace, News of Defeat, No Escape, Renowned Victory, Rescue, Rise to Power, War
Hero, Wear and Tear, Assault Troops, Censure, Mass Drivers, Fleet Support Base, Salvage Yard, Coordinated Fire, Decisive Tactics, Emergency Military Aid, Exploration (indirectly), Ramming, Shadow Strike, Strafing Run, Victory in My Grasp, Damage Control Team,
Military Cadre, Military Telepaths, Quadrant 14, and Quadrant 37.  There are other cards that will help if you are targeted by Military Conflicts.

Cut Supply Lines, Fleets on the Border, Sanctions, and Special Ops can help, but don't forget they let your opponent support with a new attribute as well.  Unless you're equally strong or better in the "new" attribute, don't bother.

What do you have to worry about if you pursue a Military path to victory?  Well, don't get too attached to those fleets.  You'll probably lose them.  Characters lost to an attack when supporting Diplomacy or even Intrigue Conflicts may be few and far between, but you'll probably
lose a few fleets.

A character leading a fleet can still be neutralized and discarded if they're a Supporting Character.  Promote them to the Inner Circle, give them Luxuries of Homeworld, or use Rescue to get them out of the battle unscathed.

It can be difficult to start a war in some two- and three-player games.  The Narn, for instance, have the easiest time starting a war with the Centauri.  In a three-player game without the Centauri, they'll have a harder time of it.  In a two-player game against the Humans, it can take considerably longer for the Narn to raise tensions to the point where they can bring their better Military Conflicts to bear.

Beware of Diplomats trying to stop your wars.  A strong Military, consistently employed to raise your Influence, will help this.

Even if you don't plan on starting a war, you're probably best off consistently targeting one player (the one with the worst Military, of course).  If you go pro-Military you can probably match any one player (although watch the sparks fly if they did the same).  But beating up on someone too much may draw in other players sympathizing with the underdog.  Don't get overconfident, and don't flaunt your superior Military.   ometimes slapping down six fleets and only using three will aggravate people more than putting down three and using three.  You can beat one person every Conflict if you manage it right, but you most likely can't beat every player in one Conflict.

Overall, Military is probably the most democratic of the Conflict types.  Anybody can use it, if they put their mind to it.  Save your diplomatic  skills for bargaining for who you'll help and who will help you.  To borrow a phrase from another CCG, "Peace is highly overrated."

Next week:  Conflicts - Diplomacy

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Steve Crow