Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game

Babylon 5

Babylon 5 CCG Card (reverse)
Designer(s) Ran Ackels, Edi Birsan, David Hewitt, Paul Brown, John Myler, Kevin Tewart
Publisher(s) Precedence Entertainment
Players 2+ but typically 4 or 5
Setup time 10+ minutes, excluding deck construction
Playing time max 2 hours (tournament)
Random chance limited (draw)
Skill(s) required CCG knowledgeable
Arithmetic
Interpersonal communication

The Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game (B5 CCG) is a discontinued collectible card game set in the Babylon 5 universe. The game is ideally set for 5 players but can be played from a minimum of two players to as many as 20 if using multiple Non-Aligned Factions and Home Factions. This CCG is distinct from most others of the genre for being specifically designed to be played by more than two players. The gameplay tends to have strong political elements encouraging significant player interaction aka "table talk" which is appropriate for a game based on a series which featured such a strong element of political intrigue. During its brief six-year existence under the Precedence Entertainment banner it released two core sets, five expansions sets and one revision set. There were two World Championships during that time. The game still continues to have a cult following as two further releases were made available online.

History

After the successful release of Premiere, which hit store shelves on December 11, 1997 in North America, Precedence began to hire more staff to promote the B5 CCG as quickly and completely as possible.[1] A large part of their success came with their promoting of the game. Not only would they give free starter decks at major conventions [2] but they offered solid prize support for local tournaments through their Ranger program. Precedence was also the first company to begin a successful promo chase card program, where various promo cards were made available through different means of acquiring them, some more difficult then others. This, as opposed to other companies who offered relatively common cards as promos, gave Precedence an edge in marketing not seen before.[3] They followed up their debut with the Shadows expansion and within the same year released the Deluxe edition, which was a cleaner slimmer version of Premiere (minus the starter decks) and the Great War stand alone expansion, an expansion pits the greater forces of the shadows and the Vorlons against each other and includes the First Ones, this may have been a replacement for the cancelled War of Worlds starter expansion which never materialized. By the beginning of 1999, they found themselves near the top of the CCG market at that time.[4]

"1998 was a year of triple digit growth for Precedence, much of it spurred on by the broad based international success of our Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game," reports Precedence Entertainment CEO Paul W. Brown III [5]

"For some months now, Babylon 5 has been one of the best selling and most played hobby card games in every country where the game is sold; particularly in North America, the UK and as far abroad as Australia. The enthusiasm and support of the fans has been overwhelming," stated Brown. "We're most proud of the game's reputation for being true to the show. When your die- hard players even include people who have written for the actual series, like Babylon 5's original executive story editor Larry Ditillio, you know you're doing something right." [6]

In 1999, Precedence and Warner Brothers came to an agreement to renew the licensing to continue use of the Babylon 5 franchise until June 2001.[7]

After their breakout year they released Psi Corps, an expansion dedicated to the world of telepaths. To promote this release, Precedence ran a contest where booster pack purchasers could collect 5 randomly inserted psi corps identicards (chase cards) to redeem them for a chance to have dinner with Walter Koenig, the actor who portrayed Alfred Bester on the show.[8] This was followed by Severed Dreams the same tear and in 2000, Wheel of Fire and Crusade.

In June 2001 Warner Brothers chose not to renew Precedence's license to produce the game. This brought the game to an abrupt ending and they could no longer print, sell B5 CCG product and found themselves unable to provide tournament prizes in the form of Babylon 5 cards could no longer be provided.[9] This caused the cancellation of the Collector's set which was already at the printers, and the well into development Anla'shok expansion. The company closed its doors in 2002 although this was not as a direct result of the ending of the Babylon 5 licensing agreement with WB.[10]

The Precedence website is still active.[11]

Product History

During its run between 1997 and 2001, Precedence Entertainment released two base sets, four expansions and two stand alone expansion for the B5 CCG. Two further expansions were released through the secondary market.

World Championships

During the course of the B5 CCG lifespan, Precedence Entertainment held two World Championships before declining sales force them to abandon the practice. Both featured a large proportion of players from around the world and fierce competition.

The sixteen finalists at the first B5 CCG World Championships in Pomona, California. Pictured center holding the Vorlon action figure is Inaugural B5 CCG World Champion Serge Lavergne.

First championship

The first B5 CCG World Championship was held at Vorcon 1 in Pomona, California, October 16–18, 1998. Held at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center, the eventual winner was Canadian champion, Serge Lavergne of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He had used a Narn hybrid Vorlon military speed deck with the “Order Above All” winning agenda.[12][13]

Opposition came from Australians Steve Green and Les Allen, Marcel Kopper of Germany, UK Champion Mike Pemberthy, Pan-European Champion Hayden Gittings, as well as Americans John Paiva, Pete Simpson, Kyle Bennick, Mike Jasperson, Anthony Oshmago, David Sisson, Paul Beaman, Kyle Sykora and John and Johnna Golden.[14]

Second championship

The second and final B5 CCG World Championship was in Aachen, Germany, October 8–10, 1999. The champion there was Martin Franz who used a Human deck with the agenda “A Rising Power”. The Final table comprised Marco Schütz (Narn), Michael Brand (Minbari), Peter Ender (Centauri) and Paul Sheward (Non-Aligned).[15]

The second World Championship again featured national qualifiers, but there was also a pre-qualifying tournament run the day before. This allowed a number of locally based players to qualify for the World Championship itself and led to the makeup of the "top table" i.e. 4 out of the 5 players were "local" Germans. It was commented upon that this turned the World Final into a team event with the German players ensuring that one of them won the tournament.

Cancelation of World Championships

In January 2000, Precedence announced that it was cancelling the planned third B5 CCG World Championships. This brought to an abrupt end a very popular aspect of the game. No further World Championships were ever sanctioned or held by Precedence afterwards.[16]

Zeta Squadron

Zeta Squadron was the official member club of B5 CCG players registered with Precedence publishing. They received newsletters which informed them of upcoming events and expansions. They also received promo cards such as the Na'Toth (variant).[17]

Rangers

The Rangers were tournament organizers from around the world who conducted sanctioned tournaments, game demonstration events on behalf of Precedence in support of the B5 CCG.[18]

Tournaments

There are several variant tournament formats that can be used when playing the B5 CCG. Below is a listed of most commonly used formats.

Cards

There are various types of cards in the B5 CCG universe which will allow you the opportunity to perform various things at different times.[19][20]

Below is a list of each type of card and what each will allow you to do and when they are permitted to be played. All cards have the following information on them when possible or needed:

1. Name (top)
Identifies who or what the cards represents.
2. Cost (bottom right corner)
The influence cost to bring the card into play.
3. Type ( center below image)
The type of card is listed here, (character, fleet location, etc.( as well as any other restrictions (race, etc.)
4. Abilities (left side of image)
Characters, fleets and locations may possess abilities (if an ability is not listed it is considered zero).
5. Effects (bottom area)
This area covers ant special rules a card may have when being played and what its effects will be when played. Also, any special title will be marked in bold type. The special titles will be used during game play at certain times when called upon by other cards or at specific times during the game.
6. Marks (bottom left corner)
Some cards are marked, causing them to have special abilities or receive negative effects.

Shadow and Vorlon marks cannot be found in the same playing field. Thus a player having Shadow marks cannot gain any Vorlon marks and the opposite for a player who has Vorlon marks cannot gain Shadow marks. Marks of Strife increase the damage inflicted during an attack. Other marks (Conspiracy. Destiny, Doom) have effects related to other cards played.

7. Caption (bottom of card)
Quote from the Babylon 5 Universe. Has no effect on game play.
Card Types

All cards in the B5 CCG collection are color coded to help differentiate them from one another. This in turn allows easy sorting and allows ease of play when cards are combined, joined or overlapped on the playing field.

Game Mechanics

Influence

Influence represents a player's raw strength. It is used to play cards and use cards on the playing field.

Victory

The base influence that a player has represents his Power total. Other cards can increase this total if certain conditions are met. At the start of the turn, players can check for Victory requirements.

Preparing to Play

Deck construction

Building B5 CCG decks have the following restrictions: - Each must have a Starting Ambassador - Each must have a minimum of 45 cards - They may only have 3 of any specific card (unless marked Unique which would be one only)

Choosing a Race

Only one of each Race may be in play at any time unless the Home Faction rules are in play. There are five races to choose from: - Centauri Republic - Earth Alliance - Minbari Federation - Narn Regime - Non-Aligned Worlds There are four Home Factions that can be used: - Centauri - Earth - Minbari - Narn There is one alternate Faction that can be used - Psi Corps

Starting hand

Your starting hand must have four cards with one being your Starting Ambassador. The remaining cards may not be of the same type. You may not have more than one additional character, fleet, agenda, etc.

Playing Field

A part of you playing area should be kept for tracking tensions, unrest, and influence for Babylon 5 the Shadows and Vorlons. Cards are played at specific areas as shown in the diagram below. The row with your Ambassador is known as your Inner Circle, this is where you promote characters. Aftermath cards that remain into play should be placed under the cards that they affect. Agendas should be placed to the left of your Ambassador. New characters, groups and locations are put in a row below your Inner Circle, this is known as your Supporting Row.

Accessories

Some of the items that seasoned players may use that are not included with the B5 CCG are: dice, glass beads, coins

Set Tension Tokens

Certain Races have predetermined Tension ratings prior to the game starting and must be set. As the game progresses certain cards may alter these settings. Tension setting are:

Set Influence Tokens

Influence tokens should be set above the Ambassador. Spent influence should be moved below the Ambassador.

Play Structure

The game is played in turns, each turn is sub-divided into rounds. Each turn play progresses through the following rounds:

Ready round
Sustained Actions
Ready and Rotated cards
Conflict round
Action round
Resolution round
Draw round

Game Situations

During each a game of the B5 CCG, certain situations may arise, below is a list of what you may encounter.

Triggered effects
Votes
Tension and Unrest
States
War
Unconditional Surrender
Legal Targets
Marks
Discards
Bonuses
Blanking
Cumulative Effects
Dual Race
Alternate Faction
Negative Power
Cards with no printed costs
Specialty Texts
Boldface Text

Online Playing

Since this game is no longer in production, there has been a decrease in the number of players for this game. For those who can not find others to play with in person, programs such as LackeyCCG and Vassal allow players to meet and play online.[21]

References

"Precedence & Babylon 5 News", Precedence Announces Additions to Management Team, FORAY Roleplaying Journal, retrieved April 7, 2016 

"Convention Reports", A Visit to GenCon 1998, Moonrise.org, retrieved April 6, 2016 

Fighting the Beast from Within, Century, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"News Releases From Precedence Publishing", Precedence Reports Record Year Of Sales, Expands Management Team, FORAY Roleplaying Journal, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Gaming News From Precedence Publishing.", Precedence and Warner Brothers Renew Contract for Babylon 5 CCG – Crusade Expansion Green Lighted, FORAY Roleplaying Journal, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Top 5 … Popular CCGs Before 1999 Not Called Magic", 5. Babylon 5, The Cardboard Republic, retrieved April 8, 2016 

"For Immediate Release …", Babylon 5 Card Game Explodes Into “The Great War”, FORAY Roleplaying Journal, retrieved November 30, 2010 

"Gaming News From Precedence Publishing", Precedence Entertainment Ups The Ante On The “Get The Best Of Bester” Contest, FORAY Roleplaying Journal, retrieved April 6, 2016 

Precedence Entertainment (2001), Precedence announces the discontinuation of further design, production and sales of the Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game., Precedence Entertainment, archived from the original on June 7, 2001, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"News Item", Notice from Precedence Entertainment, OgreCave, retrieved April 6, 2016 

Precedence Entertainment, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Vorlon Space", The Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game Collector’s Set, Mahasamatman, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Vorlon Space", The Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game Collector’s Set – The Cards, Mahasamatman, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Press Release", "War Without End": Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game Introduces Entry Level Two-Player Set, The Zocalo, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Anla’shok", Background, b5quest.pbworks.com, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Anla’shok", Resources, b5quest.pbworks.com, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Vorlons", History, b5quest.pbworks.com, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"The 10 most expensive CCG cards of all time", Surprise, Geek.com, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"VOR Convention USA", Precedence Announces World Championships For Babylon 5 Card Game, Vorcon1, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Vorlons Take Vorcon" (PDF), Serge Lavergene Wins B5CCG World Championship, b5quest.pbworks.com, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Vorlon Space", The Road To The World Championships, Mahasamatman, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Worlds Collide" (PDF), Championship Cancelled, b5quest.pbworks.com, retrieved April 6, 2016 

Fighting The Beast From Within, Century, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Vorlon Space", The Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game, Mahasamatman, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"New Sets", Virtual Sets, b5quest.pbworks.com, retrieved April 6, 2016 

"Vassal: The Open-Source Boardgame Engine", Module: Babylon 5 Collectible Card Game, Vassal, retrieved April 6, 2016 

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