The final round of Star Trek spoilers is underway, and it seems Wizards saved some of the most unique for last. For many players, one of Star Trek’s latest enchantments is going too far, with a name and artwork that are just weird.
Unfortunately, since The Naked Time is mono-red Ramp, it’s also quite good in Commander.
MTG The Naked Time
If you told me ten years ago that one day we would have a card named The Naked Time in MTG, I would’ve thought you were joking. Yet, here we are, and many players aren’t taking too kindly to the design.
Universes Beyond cards that don’t feel like real MTG cards are a common grievance, and The Naked Time dials that up to 11. While Star Trek lore-wise it’s a clever printing, for those who’ve never seen the episode with the same title, it can feel off-putting and confusing.
This is rather unfortunate, too, because the card lends itself to some deckbuilding opportunities. In Standard, the Saga can serve as sacrifice fodder for Rottenmouth Viper, with the extra land setting it up on turn 3.
Better yet, The Naked Time can give your turn 3 Viper an immediate attack. By sacrificing the Saga, you won’t even face the consequences of chapter III!
You can also “gift” The Naked Time to opponents via donate effects; Iroh, Tea Master in Standard nets a 1/1 while forcing an opponent to sacrifice a land, which just makes things better and worse at the same time.
In Commander, The Naked Time should be an automatic inclusion in Zedruu the Greathearted and Blim, Comedic Genius decks. Giving Haste to Blim specifically is quite strong, donating The Naked Time immediately afterward.
MTG Rok-Tahk, Budding Scientist
Rok-Tahk, Budding Scientist screams EDH. Any token deck can go completely nuts with the extra mana, especially with X spells like Secure the Wastes.
If you really want to pile on the mana, cards like Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy can product a ridiculous amount of mana with a wide board. Then, untap effects like Dionus, Elvish Archdruid can snowball out of control.
To make winning even easier, simply landing Pili-Pala alongside this legend creates an infinite mana combo. Add Walking Ballista into the mix, and you’ve got a lethal combination.
MTG Gul Dukat, Colonial Governor
- Gul Dukat, Colonial Governor – 4BBB
- Legendary Creature – Cardassian Rogue (Mythic Rare)
- Menace. At the beginning of each end step, each opponent loses life equal to the amount of life they lost this turn. You gain life equal to the life lost this way. (Damage causes loss of life.)
- 6/6
Just like Archfiend of Despair, Gul Dukat, Colonial Governor punishes your opponents further every time they lose life. However, players have access to this effect in the command zone for the first time.
This makes Gul Dukat an incredible combo Commander, which fits his role in Star Trek. Just cut your opponent’s life in half with Fraying Omnipotence or Shard of the Nightbringer, and Gul Dukat will finish them off. Mono-black has access to tons of tutors, so pulling this off consistently is super easy.
Of course, forcing your opponents to lose life also lets you gain life with Gul Dukat, making it a decent addition to other Orzhov Lifegain shells. Liesa, Shroud of Dusk serves as a particularly strong home, since Gul Dukat amplifies its trigger.
Still, remember this card is situational: it has a clunky mana cost and dies to everything. So, don’t let the flashy mythic design fool you in Limited and Constructed, where it will likely be quite bad.
MTG Stable Wormhole
If you’re sick and tired of missing your land drops, Stable Wormhole will be your best friend. This is especially true for cheap one and two-mana Commanders, who can ramp with Stable Wormhole right after playing it.
If you can keep attacking unscathed, you’ll quickly gain a massive mana advantage and go nuts with Landfall cards like Scute Swarm
Scute SwarmLandfall — Whenever a land you control enters, create a 1/1 green Insect creature token. If you control six or more lands, create a token that's a copy of this creature instead.. Token Doublers can go absolutely insane here, doubling Landfall triggers for cards like Rampaging Baloths and the lands from Stable Wormhole.
While there are plenty of ways to use excess mana in EDH, Commanders like Jinnie Fay, Jetmir’s Second
Jinnie Fay, Jetmir’s SecondIf you would create one or more tokens, you may instead create that many 2/2 green Cat creature tokens with haste or that many 3/1 green Dog creature tokens with vigilance. can convert these tokens into extra board presence. This way, Stable Wormhole keeps providing value in the late game when you no longer need the extra lands.
Even without these premium synergies, Stable Wormhole still fixes all your colors, meaning its a decent upgrade to the outdated Chromatic Lantern
Chromatic LanternLands you control have "{T}: Add one mana of any color."
{T}: Add one mana of any color. for a lot of decks. I’d be very surprised if this card weren’t seen as a Commander staple down the line.
MTG Federation Resupply
Speaking of Commander staples, Federation Resupply should see tons of EDH play in the Equipment archetype. Open the Armory already sees play in 215,000 decks, according to EDHREC, and this card is strictly better!
While searching for Spacecraft is a nice touch for Commanders like Inspirit, Flagship Vessel, the Beam Me Up ability is Federation Resupply’s real upgrade. Not only does this let you double dip on tutoring up equipment, but you also get to bounce creatures with strong enters triggers to get more value.
This makes Federation Resupply a super strong option in Cloud, Midgar Mercenary decks. Otherwise, Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh Partner decks give you a zero-drop Commander, bypassing a potential Beam Me Up downside.
Overall, the Star Trek set seems best suited for Commander players, but it has some neat Constructed options here and there. Prerelease events are right around the corner, so pick up some product if Star Trek is your jam.
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