Wizards of the Coast has now shown who leads each of the four Star Trek Commander precons, but the 99-card decklists are still under wraps. That leaves a real question for anyone preordering: which captain do you buy before you’ve seen the deck? Here’s what’s confirmed about the commanders, what they’re built to do, and how I’d choose.
What Wizards has confirmed
Wizards’ official announcement, dated October 20, names the four decks and their face commanders. Each regular deck is a 100-card list with a traditional foil borderless face commander, 99 non-foil cards including 32 new-to-Magic cards, 10 tokens, a reference card and a deck box. Collector’s Edition versions have the same cards, but everything is surge foil.
Everything releases on November 13, 2026, and preorders are open. The decklists themselves aren’t public yet, since each deck’s section says its contents will be revealed later. Card counts have drifted across sources. Earlier retail listings said 33 new cards and one trade outlet said 30, but Wizards’ latest post says 32, so use that.
The four face commanders at a glance
| Deck | Face commander | Colors | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing Party | Commander Spock | Green-White-Blue | Landfall and exploring “strange new worlds” |
| Federation Fleet | Jean-Luc Picard, Luminary | Blue-Red-White | Card draw and charging Spacecraft |
| Klingon Fury | Worf, Defiant Commander | Red-White-Black | Attacking multiple opponents |
| We Are the Borg | The Borg Queen | White-Blue-Black | Assimilating creatures and artifact creatures |
The card behavior below comes from GameDaily’s rundown of the reveal, so check Wizards’ card gallery for exact wording before you commit.
How they’re likely to play
Spock has an ability called Strange New Worlds that triggers when he enters or attacks. Per GameDaily, it reveals your top card and lets you play it free if its mana value is lower than the number of differently named lands you control. If you can’t play it, you draw it. That’s a ramp-and-card-advantage engine, but it rewards unique land names, and basic lands all share a name per type. My read is that the precon version will be fine, but the engine gets much better once you upgrade the mana base.
Picard, Luminary draws a card when a historic permanent with mana value 3 or higher enters. A second ability, Seek Out, adds a +1/+1 counter to another creature or two charge counters to a Spacecraft. That’s a straightforward value engine with a clear payoff, and Spacecraft are the set’s new artifact type.
Worf, Defiant Commander makes a 2/1 haste Klingon Warrior when he enters. His Battlefront ability grants temporary card access based on how many opponents you attacked that turn. In a four-player pod, GameDaily says that can mean up to three extra cards to play. It rewards spreading damage rather than focusing one player, which is a real strategic choice.
The Borg Queen buffs your artifact creatures and assimilates creatures when she enters or attacks. GameDaily reports a +2/+2 bonus, but a different Borg Queen card in the Commander set (Borg Queen, Perfection Manifest) gives +2/+0, so don’t mix them up. Verify the face commander’s exact numbers in the gallery.
What they cost, and when to buy
Wizards lists the regular Commander decks at $74.99 and Collector’s Editions at $159.99. Prerelease events run November 6 to 12, Arena releases November 10, and tabletop release is November 13. Commander Party Round 1 runs November 20 to 26. One retail roundup from October 14 reported regular decks at $72.47 to $74.97 on TCGplayer, with Collector’s Edition preorders around $224. That’s a single snapshot, but it suggests the foil versions are trading well above MSRP before release.
The same roundup notes that Marvel Collector’s Edition decks later sold for far less than their preorder prices. That’s a precedent rather than a guarantee, but it supports the safe approach: buy a regular deck at or near MSRP, and don’t pay inflated preorder prices for foils.
My pick, and what to do first
Until the 99 are revealed, I’d choose by playstyle rather than power. A tracker reports deck previews arriving October 26 to 29 and the full gallery on October 30, so check back before the release if you want to be sure.
- You want a friendly, flexible first deck: Landing Party or Federation Fleet. Both have clear engines, and you can improve them without rebuilding.
- You like pressure and politics: Klingon Fury, since Worf rewards attacking multiple opponents.
- You like stealing and combining: We Are the Borg, if you’re comfortable with an artifact-heavy plan.
The mistake to avoid is paying a premium for Collector’s Editions on preorder before anyone has seen the lists. Preordering a regular deck for the captain you love is fine, since the price is low-risk and you can adjust once the decklists drop.
FAQs
Who are the MTG Star Trek face commanders?
Commander Spock, Jean-Luc Picard (Luminary), Worf (Defiant Commander) and The Borg Queen, each leading a precon.
When do the Star Trek Commander decks release?
November 13, 2026, with preorders open now.
How much do the decks cost?
Wizards lists $74.99 for regular decks and $159.99 for Collector’s Editions.
Are the decklists revealed?
Not yet. Wizards says contents will be shown later.
Pick the captain whose engine you’d enjoy playing, preorder the regular deck near $74.99, and wait for the full lists before you spend more. The face commanders are the headline, but the 99 cards around them decide how good each deck is out of the box.