Editor's Note: The Master's Stratagem is a sort of roleplaying story line method of introducing advice and strategy for the Highlander Collectible Card Game.  If you have already read the first parts of this and enjoyed them, well continue onward.  If, however, you are new to this writer's work, then You might want to read Parts One through Five Part Six Parts Seven & Eight and Part Nine & Ten before continuing.

EVENT - You force your opponent onto rough ground,
tripping him.  Your next attack this turn is Hidden.  Your
opponent loses any standing defenses. (Various Personas)

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The well-dressed youth looked up at the sudden tingling
sensation of an approaching Immortal.

It was midnight in Paris, and even in the City of Lights
there were darkened alleys where a battle could be held in
relative privacy.  The boy quickly ducked into just such a
place, drawing his sword.

For almost five minutes he waited quietly.  However,
despite the continuing sensation of an Immortal's
presence, no one showed themselves.

There was no choice but to commit.  The youth took one
quick step back into the street...

..and tripped over an extended foot.  As he fell forward,
he twisted, taking the brunt of impact on his right
shoulder.  He rolled over on to his back, sword up to
deflect a thrust.

Which did not come.  Instead, the boy faced a slim, black
man with vaguely Asian features, elegantly dressed and
holding a sword of his own.

"Master...?"

"Very good, Morgan," Xavier said generously.  "Careless and
impatient.  However, your recovery was good.  You might
have survived."

Sighing, Morgan D'Estaing smoothed back his close-cropped
blonde hair.  "If you say so..."  Then he flipped his hand
forward, throwing the dart he had palmed from his collar.

The move caught St. Cloud momentarily by surprise.  A
swordsman like Grayson or Kalas would have probably
deflected the dart with their blade.  Duncan MacLeod would
probably have caught it in his teeth.

Xavier simply choose to dodge the attack, the dart
clattering against the wall behind him.  Morgan was able
to take advantage of his teacher's brief distraction to
get to his feet, sword ready.

Xavier turned back, and the two paused for a moment. 
Then, with a broad smile, Xavier advanced and hugged his
student.  D'Estaing was the only Immortal he would trust
not to gut him.

After a brief embrace, the two separated.  Xavier nodded
approvingly.  "I see you've been studying with those
teachers I recommended."

Morgan smiled humorlessly.  "The dart's coated with a
curare derivative, compliments of Antonio Piedra.  He
sends his regards."

Xavier nodded.  The Immortal assassin had owed him a
favor, after St. Cloud had helped him out of that mess
with the Phoenix Foundation.  "And the fall-and-roll you
learned from Kuyler.  You'll need such skills in the
centuries to come."

D'Estaing glanced around, but the street was otherwise
quiet.  "So, did you come here to test me, or was there
something else...?"

St. Cloud nodded.  Morgan was a quick one, and knew that
he never indulged in social amenities unless he had
ulterior motives.

"Now that you mention it, I do have an ongoing matter
that, if you were to join with me, we might both gain
benefits from."

"Money or Quickening?"

"Both.  A rare gem that another Immortal guards.  She
has...associates, and it will be your job to remove one of
them.  You do remember what I taught you?"

Morgan nodded.  "Remove an opponent's support structure,
his friends and allies, his wealth, and he'll fall to your
sword."

"Exactly.  I trust you'll have no problem with going up
against a protege of the infamous Duncan MacLeod."

D'Estaing sneered.  "The one we met outside the manor in
1806?  Who stood by and let us leave?"

"One and the same.  Don't underestimate him, though: I
learned that lesson the hard way."  Xavier held up the
hook that had replaced his left hand.

"How long has this student of MacLeod's been an Immortal?"
Morgan asked.

"Not even a year."

Xavier's protege shrugged.  "Then he won't be a problem. 
You summoned me to Paris, so I assume he's here?"

"Yes.  Tomorrow night, you'll track him down and kill him. 
I'll strike at MacLeod, while our third ally will go after
the gem and its owner."

Smiling, D'Estaing noted, "I take it he's not long for
this world, once he gets this gem?"

"Ah, Morgan, you know me all too well.  But I'll tend to
that.  Kill your target, wait for me, and we'll fence the
gem and split the profits.  Here's the address you can
locate him at, and where I can be found afterwards."

Xavier handed a piece of paper to D'Estaing.  The student
pocketed it, then nodded, realizing business was over and
their reunion was finished.  "My thanks for this chance,
Master.  I won't disappoint."

As Morgan moved off into the night, St. Cloud nodded.  His
student was good, and obedient in demeanor.  That meant he
would have to watch D'Estaing extremely carefully.  But
that was a consideration for another day, once he had laid
hands upon the Methuselah Stone.  

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Trip is, in this author's opinion, one of the most useful
"basic" cards of the Highlander CCG.  The basic Trip is
available to many of the existing Personas except Amanda
and Slan.  Since it is not a Reserved card, Generics can
also use it.

What good is it?  First of all, it gives the player a
Hidden attack whenever he chooses.  Other methods to
obtain Hidden attacks either restrict you, force you to
choose a particular Persona (usually Nakano, Amanda, Fasil
or Kinman), or give a similar benefit to your opponent.

Trip only requires you play a single attack.  If you can
attack, you can use it.  You can Exert for a Power Blow
for more excitement.

If you're launching a Hidden attack, your opponent will
have to do one of two things.  He can block, and take the
damage or Exert for an additional defense if unsuccessful
(unless you're using Paul Kinman).

The second thing he can do is dodge.  Typically, once an
opponent dodges, they can't counterattack.  This gives you
more freedom to set up a Special Attack such as Master's
Attack.  If you made a Basic Attack Hidden, you can also
use Lunge to make it painful for them to try dodging.

The Hidden aspect of Trip is, of course, useless against
Connor MacLeod.  However, Trip has a second function. 
Have you ever been stymied by an opponent's Guard?

Trip removes standing defenses.  Since Connor tends to
favor Guards, Trip gets them out of the way.  Against
opponents who cannot see Hidden attacks, this tactic is a
powerful bluff.  If you use Trip to remove their Guard and
make a Hidden attack, they will wonder if you _needed_ to
remove their Guard for your attack to succeed.  If they
block where the guard was, your attack may hit them.

There are several other cards in the Movie Edition that
remove standing defenses.  However, most are either
conditional, or affect the user as well as the target. 
Trip combines two functions into one.

Although there were a few Standing Defenses in the Series
Edition, the Movie Edition added new Standing Defenses: 
Kastagir's Master Guard, Higher Ground, Dugal MacLeod, and
Master's Stance.  Since Trip removes all of your
opponent's Standing Defenses, a well-timed one can remove
a Master's Guard, a Continuity, _and_ a Higher Ground at
the same time.

With the Watcher's Chronicles, two new forms of Trip were
introduced.  Although these do something other than
provide a Hidden attack, they still remove Standing
Defenses.

Overall, the basic Trip tends to get short shrift.  The
general opinion seems to be that they can always dodge
that Hidden attack, so why bother?  But don't
underestimate this card.  Trip's dual function makes it a
powerful and versatile weapon in the arsenal of any
Immortal.

(This story is part of the continuing chronicle of Xavier
St. Cloud.  Part 11 occurs between the second season
episodes "Prodigal Son" and "Counterfeit Pt. 1.")