5 MTG Star Trek Spoilers Highlight Weird Mono-Red Counterspell

Star Trek spoiler season is nearing its end, but for now, the new cards continue to come out in full force. This set is chock full of wild designs, and today’s reveal of Brazen Bluff is no exception. Non-blue counterspells are hard to come by in MTG, and this red disruptive element puts your opponent to the ultimate test.

MTG Brazen Bluff

One of the coolest cards in the set thus far, Brazen Bluff is the ultimate mind games design. This tool ranges from a red counterspell to a free bomb, and while you do ultimately give your opponent the choice, you can easily put them in a bind in the right deck.

With this in mind, Brazen Bluff is at its best in EDH decks with lots of beefy noncreature spells. After all, all it takes is one Omniscience to get put into play, and winning becomes trivial.

Obviously, the opponent is more likely to choose for their spell to get exiled in that case, but that’s still quite a strong effect, especially for non-blue decks. This card even gets around uncounterable spells and exiles spells with Flashback, making it more impactful.

MTG Gwyndala, the Progeny

It’s not every day that we see a mono-blue Equipment Commander worth building around, but Gwyndala easily fits the bill. The goal with this legend is to create a bunch of equipment tokens that you can then turn into copies of another brutal equipment.

This Advisor’s trigger gives you the first token, and can generate more with blink effects like Conjurer’s Closet and Essence Flux. Throw in other copy effects like Flash PhotographyFlash PhotographyYou may cast this spell as though it had flash if it targets a permanent you control.
Create a token that's a copy of target permanent.
Flashback {4}{U}{U}, or other token-making equipment like Bloodforged Battle-Axe, and you’ll really start to pop off.

From there, paying two mana to turn all of your equipment into Colossus Hammers to set up lethal Commander damage is quite appealing. Alternatively, suiting Gwyndala up with a bunch of Sword of Fire and IceSword of Fire and IceEquipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from red and from blue.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, this Equipment deals 2 damage to any target and you draw a card.
Equip {2} copies will put you far ahead on cards.

Notably, Gwyndala also makes for an interesting support piece in the 99 alongside legends like Dan Lewis, which turn all your artifacts into equipment. This way, plentiful artifact tokens like Foods and Treasures feed Gwyndala’s activation. With the help of cards like Vulshok Battlemaster that bypass equip costs, it’s easy to then set up gnarly attacks out of nowhere.

MTG Wesley Crusher, Starfleet Cadet

Eerily similar to Cryptic Command in design, Wesley Crusher, Starfleet Cadet is an annoying card to play around. Even when this card is face up as a Commander, it essentially taxes your opponents’ noncreature spells as long as you have the mana to cast it.

This card really starts to pop off, though, when paired with blink effects. Combining this with Ghostly Flicker and ArchaeomancerArchaeomancerWhen this creature enters, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. makes it virtually impossible for the opponent to ever resolve noncreature spells without mana to spare.

On top of that, you can repeatedly bounce mana dorks and small tokens, staving off pressure. If you can maximize the double-loot ability as well, perhaps with Alhammarret’s Archive generating card advantage, you’ll ensure Wesley Crusher’s trigger has a strong impact on the game.

This ability even makes the card worth considering in Dimir Reanimator decks in Standard, since it helps enable Superior Spider-Man. While it competes with The Theorist, Jace Beleren on curve, instant-speed interaction is powerful.

MTG Sarek, Federation Ambassador

Sarek is the ultimate Commander payoff for having tons of different creature types in your deck. It admittedly doesn’t synergize with Changelings, but creatures like Pet Avengers and Curious Farm AnimalsCurious Farm AnimalsWhen this creature dies, you gain 3 life.
{2}, Sacrifice this creature: Destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment. immediately get you to the five-type threshold alongside this legend.

Since you’ll reliably draw at least one extra card a turn a lot of the time, it’s worth including other draw-two payoffs like Data, Professor of Humanities and Homunculus Horde. These cards also help you go wide, maximizing Sarek’s +1/+1 counter distribution if you can reach 15 types.

Once you get to the point where your whole team is growing, you can further bolster your squad with Proliferate effects. Plenty of creatures also generate extra value when you put counters on them, including Evolution Witness.

From there, trigger doublers and extra combat enablers like Strionic ResonatorStrionic Resonator{2}, {T}: Copy target triggered ability you control. You may choose new targets for the copy. (A triggered ability uses the words "when," "whenever," or "at.") or Genji GloveGenji GloveEquipped creature has double strike.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, if it's the first combat phase of the turn, untap it. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase.
Equip {3} let you double up on Sarek’s triggers. Soon enough, you’ll be drowning in card advantage and have a massive board.

MTG MACO Strike Team

From a Standard standpoint, MACO Strike Team has a ton of appeal in green creature decks. Like Pawpatch Recruit, this tool comes down early and makes removing your creatures a nuisance for your opponent.

While MACO Strike Team lacks the Offspring upside, it still increases your board presence even if the opponent kills the Human and you have no other creatures in play. Going wider makes it easier for decks like Selesnya Gearhulk to maximize Practiced OffensePracticed OffensePut a +1/+1 counter on each creature target player controls. Target creature gains your choice of double strike or lifelink until end of turn.
Flashback {1}{W} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.), which is worth keeping in mind.

It’s also worth noting that Bloomburrow is set to rotate early in 2027, at which point this creature could easily replace Recruit as a tutor target for Brightglass Gearhulk.

With a healthy mix of intriguing Commander options and efficient Constructed tools, MTG Star Trek is sure to make an impact. Spoiler season is almost over, but more main set cards and another precon will be revealed tomorrow.

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