Naturally, the next step was to test the designers’ suggestion. I rounded up three friends and assigned them each a different Star Trek commander deck, taking Federation Fleet for myself. It’s easy to see why this one was recommended: With Picard on the cover and a deck full of ’90s “Trek” staples, it’s the most popular era of the franchise in one 100-card deck.

Our four-player game took over three hours, and frankly, it was some of the best Magic I’ve ever played, with all four decks interacting in surprising and wild ways that left everyone at the table screaming and laughing. The “Trek” fans were impressed by the thematic touches, and how the mechanics relate to character personalities and motives, while the Magic players simply relished in the new design elements. I squeaked out a win, but only after the Borg player staged a comeback that essentially wiped out the table. My victory told a story in of itself: Dr. Bashir threw himself at the Borg player, perishing, but in the process, activated his ability to resurrect Ro Laren from the dead, activating her ability and ending the Borg threat once and for all.

After seeing the commander decks in action, I’m inclined to agree with the designers’ recommendation. The Borg deck is scary and powerful, but makes them an immediate threat the other players will team up against to defeat. The Klingon deck is pure aggression, which may work against a new player’s inherent shyness. The Landing Part deck, with its focus on Original Series characters, is fairly straightforward, but has a lot of moving pieces to consider. The mechanical simplicity of the Federation Fleet deck, and its arsenal of beloved characters, makes it easy to grasp and understand quickly.

Much like with “Star Trek” itself, there are countless ways to get into Magic: The Gathering, and no incorrect way. Ultimately, I agree with the designers: the pre-constructed commander decks, and specifically the Federation Fleet deck, are the best point of entry. Ideally, you’d buy all four and learn with friends for the best possible experience.

But like with “Star Trek” itself, you should be warned: once Magic has sucked you in, be prepared to be sucked in for the long haul.



–