Tuff Stuff's Gamer Spring 1997 - 10 - X-Files CCG: Feature - Strategy Tips
Strategy Tips
THE X FILES
By Steve Fritz
Who killed JFK? Do aliens
really exist? What makes
tattoos talk?
Maybe The United
States Playing Card Co. knows, since it
has conspired to create a collectible card
game based on America's leading para-
noid television series, The X-Files.
The object of "The X-Files" CCG: Send
out cards representing FBI agents to de-
termine the identity of your opponent's
X-File card before he surmises the iden-
tity of yours.
Each X-File card has four characteris-
tics: Affiliation, Method, Motive, and Re-
sult. To uncover an opponent's X-File,
you ask him questions about its charac-
teristics. Typical questions might be "Is
your 'X-File' Affiliation Alien?" or "Is
your 'X-File' Result Death?" As in the
board game Clue, you discern the card's
identity through a process of elimination.
THE X FILES
By Steve Fritz
Who killed JFK? Do aliens
really exist? What makes
tattoos talk?
Maybe The United
States Playing Card Co. knows, since it
has conspired to create a collectible card
game based on America's leading para-
noid television series, The X-Files.
The object of "The X-Files" CCG: Send
out cards representing FBI agents to de-
termine the identity of your opponent's
X-File card before he surmises the iden-
tity of yours.
Each X-File card has four characteris-
tics: Affiliation, Method, Motive, and Re-
sult. To uncover an opponent's X-File,
you ask him questions about its charac-
teristics. Typical questions might be "Is
your 'X-File' Affiliation Alien?" or "Is
your 'X-File' Result Death?" As in the
board game Clue, you discern the card's
identity through a process of elimination.
Every starter deck contains four of 16
different Agents. Each Agent is skilled in
several of 15 different areas. To build a
deck, you must, after selecting your four
Agents, choose the right Site cards for
them to investigate. If the total skill level
of your Agents matches the require-
ments of the Site you play, you can ask
your opponent an X-File question.
Aiding your Agents in their investiga-
tion are Equipment, Witness, Combat,
and Event cards. Your opponent will try to
stop you with Bluff and Adversary cards,
as well as his own Combats and Events.
Upon opening my first "X-Files" start-
er decks, I discovered several problems
with this collectible card game.
Problem #1: The rulebook does not
explain the game's mechanics very well.
Once I had an actual demonstration from
someone who knew how to play, the game
became very clear.
different Agents. Each Agent is skilled in
several of 15 different areas. To build a
deck, you must, after selecting your four
Agents, choose the right Site cards for
them to investigate. If the total skill level
of your Agents matches the require-
ments of the Site you play, you can ask
your opponent an X-File question.
Aiding your Agents in their investiga-
tion are Equipment, Witness, Combat,
and Event cards. Your opponent will try to
stop you with Bluff and Adversary cards,
as well as his own Combats and Events.
Upon opening my first "X-Files" start-
er decks, I discovered several problems
with this collectible card game.
Problem #1: The rulebook does not
explain the game's mechanics very well.
Once I had an actual demonstration from
someone who knew how to play, the game
became very clear.
Problem #2: Collation leaves a great
deal to be desired. In a sealed deck tour-
nament that I participated in at New
York's Neutral Ground, I wound up with
21 Bluff cards, 13 X-Files cards, and 25
Site cards out of 90 cards (one starter deck
and two booster packs). I received only
two Adversary cards. Also, 10 of the Sites
were next to useless. All that, plus the fact
that only one X-File card is used in a
game, made it rough to construct a func-
tional 60-card deck.
Problem #3: "The X-Files" offers two
ultra-rare cards per box of boosters.
Unfortunately, these cards are very pow-
erful and lead to "suitcase syndrome." A
player who invests heavily and amasses
a ton of cards could dominate a con-
structed-deck tournament.
Expect USPC to tackle the rulebeok
and collation problems in its second edi-
tion, "The Truth Is Out There." Most peo-
ple don't know that the company printed
the original "Marvel OverPower" starter
decks for Fleer. Now USPC is taking a tip
from its former client and offering six
preset "Truth" Edition starter decks.
These decks will be the only way to get
Agent and X-File cards.
deal to be desired. In a sealed deck tour-
nament that I participated in at New
York's Neutral Ground, I wound up with
21 Bluff cards, 13 X-Files cards, and 25
Site cards out of 90 cards (one starter deck
and two booster packs). I received only
two Adversary cards. Also, 10 of the Sites
were next to useless. All that, plus the fact
that only one X-File card is used in a
game, made it rough to construct a func-
tional 60-card deck.
Problem #3: "The X-Files" offers two
ultra-rare cards per box of boosters.
Unfortunately, these cards are very pow-
erful and lead to "suitcase syndrome." A
player who invests heavily and amasses
a ton of cards could dominate a con-
structed-deck tournament.
Expect USPC to tackle the rulebeok
and collation problems in its second edi-
tion, "The Truth Is Out There." Most peo-
ple don't know that the company printed
the original "Marvel OverPower" starter
decks for Fleer. Now USPC is taking a tip
from its former client and offering six
preset "Truth" Edition starter decks.
These decks will be the only way to get
Agent and X-File cards.
Once USPC conquers the "suitcase"
problem - which it expects to do in the
first expansion - "The X-Files" has the
potential to be a pretty good game. The
artwork does a lot to convey the tele-
vision show's cluttered, paranoid, dark-
ly humorous atmosphere. And the game,
in principal, does allow players to uncov-
er secrets that might be better left
unknown.
Steve Fritz is a freelance writer, game
player, and CCG tournament judge.
COOL COMBOS
• AGENT DANA SCULLY
• LANGLY
Each agent has a special ability. Scully
allows you to peep at a hidden Bluff
card before you tackle it. Lone Gunman
Langly (an Event) will blow it out of
the water if it's too much to handle.
• THE HOST ATTACKS
• GHOST IN THE MACHINE
problem - which it expects to do in the
first expansion - "The X-Files" has the
potential to be a pretty good game. The
artwork does a lot to convey the tele-
vision show's cluttered, paranoid, dark-
ly humorous atmosphere. And the game,
in principal, does allow players to uncov-
er secrets that might be better left
unknown.
Steve Fritz is a freelance writer, game
player, and CCG tournament judge.
COOL COMBOS
• AGENT DANA SCULLY
• LANGLY
Each agent has a special ability. Scully
allows you to peep at a hidden Bluff
card before you tackle it. Lone Gunman
Langly (an Event) will blow it out of
the water if it's too much to handle.
• THE HOST ATTACKS
• GHOST IN THE MACHINE
One of the most powerful Adversaries,
The Host kills Agents. (F.Y.I.: Dead
Agents are out of the game permanent-
ly.) But, The Host can only be played on
Sites that ask Result characteristic
questions. The Bluff Ghost In The
Machine changes other Sites into Result
Sites. They form a perfect, deadly team.
• DEEP THROAT
• HACK INTO GOVERNMENT FILES
Deep Throat lets you ask an X-File
question without having to go through
all that investigation rigmarole. Once
used, Deep Throat is supposed to be
removed from the game. Hack Into
Government Files lets you call it back.
Since you can eventually reshuffle your
discard pile, where Hack Into Govern-
ment Files goes, you can call up Deep
Throat again and again and again.
