Magic: The Gathering is taking its biggest trip into the final frontier yet. The upcoming crossover with Star Trek launches on November 13, bringing characters, ships and stories from the franchise’s 1960s beginning through to Strange New Worlds.
Created to mark Star Trek’s 60th anniversary, this Universes Beyond release combines several new gameplay mechanics with a remarkably broad selection of eras. It includes multiple versions of familiar characters, exceptionally rare actor-signed cards and, naturally, a card devoted to Data’s cat, Spot. Players can also expect Tribbles, Klingons, Borg and a wide range of spacecraft.
With so much packed into the set, it may appeal to both experienced Magic players and fans who are approaching the trading-card game for the first time. Here are the key mechanics and the major art treatments revealed so far.
How the new mechanics work
For readers comparing this release with other tabletop and arcade gaming news, the important detail is how strongly the set links its rules to familiar Star Trek concepts.
Beam Me Up
This keyword ability lets you return a creature to your hand while bringing an instant or sorcery back from your graveyard. That card can then be cast again, allowing players to reuse enter-the-battlefield effects, remove auras and gain other advantages from a second casting.
Face a Dilemma
Face a Dilemma identifies a modal choice: selecting one option from a list counts as facing a dilemma and can trigger related abilities. Seven of Nine, for example, lets you draw an additional card whenever you choose from modes or spells elsewhere.
The Kobayashi Maru Scenario demonstrates the idea at the beginning of your upkeep. You choose one of these options:
- Hail — Return up to one target creature an opponent controls with mana value 3 or less to its owner’s hand.
- Sensors — Draw two cards.
- Transport — Create two 1/1 red Officer creature tokens.
- Abandon Ship — You lose the game.
Federation
Federation rewards a deck containing a variety of Star Trek races, with the exception of the Borg. Captain Jonathan Archer illustrates the mechanic: his ability can give a creature you control +X/+X until the end of your turn, where X equals the number of non-Borg creatures you control.
Strange New Worlds
This ability counts the number of differently named lands you have in play. Captain Pike, Fullness of Time has * / * power and toughness, determined by that total. A Forest, two Islands, a Federation Outpost and Quark’s Bar would therefore make Pike a 4/4.
Spacecraft and Station
Spacecraft begin as artifacts and can become artifact creatures when they are stationed. You tap untapped creatures to station a spacecraft, adding each creature’s power as counters. The threshold can be reached across multiple turns.
U.S.S. Discovery, for example, becomes a 5/5 with Flying after reaching its 6+ Black Alert threshold. The Borg Cube requires 12+ station and then gives your other artifact creatures Flying before becoming a 6/6. The original Starship Enterprise needs 16+ station, becomes a 4/6 and lets you draw cards equal to the damage it deals.
Assimilate
The Borg have their own mechanic rather than joining the Federation system. Assimilate allows you to take an opponent’s creature, add a +1/+1 counter and bring that card under your control as part of the hive mind.
New card art and special treatments
The set’s visual range is nearly as broad as its timeline. Alongside the regular cards, Wizards of the Coast is offering several distinct treatments covering actors, landmark moments, computer interfaces, classic designs and spacecraft schematics.
Signed headliners
Each signed headliner is limited to 250 copies and is available only in collector boosters. The cards are hand-signed by the actor shown, making them likely to be among the most sought-after pieces in the release. Ethan Peck-signed Spock cards are one obvious example of the appeal.
Borderless Stardate
These borderless cards highlight pivotal moments from Star Trek history. The selection includes mirror-universe Spock and other designs tied to significant stories from across the franchise.
LCARS frame cards
LCARS frame cards give alternate art versions the look of the franchise’s familiar computer interface. The Replicator card is a particularly striking example.
Classic Enterprise
This treatment uses a retro visual design that should stand out among the set’s pulls. It also gives cards such as the Salt Vampire an opportunity to draw attention.
Schematics
The schematic variants are all Spacecraft cards, presented as technical-style designs. They add another visual layer to the set’s ships and stations.
More cards across the Star Trek universe
The collection also includes Borderless Lands, Extended Arts, Klingon-themed designs, promotional cards and Commander cards. Among the Commander selection is the essential Spot card, giving Data’s cat a place in the set.
The full release arrives on November 13, while pre-release events begin on November 6. Fans interested in collecting the set will find a wide range of formats and rarity levels, much like choosing between full-size arcade machines and a compact bartop arcade: there is no shortage of ways to approach it.
For anyone planning a dedicated gaming space, the same display considerations apply to collectibles and virtual pinball machines alike. Whether the set reaches store shelves as plentifully as Reality Fracture remains to be seen, but the combination of new mechanics, familiar characters and varied artwork gives this Star Trek release plenty to examine.
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