"Mr. Spock, Science Officer: Consecrated Sphinx in a Starfleet Uniform."

"Mr. Spock, Science Officer: Consecrated Sphinx in a Starfleet Uniform."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

Magic: The Gathering has given us many things over the years: complicated combos, questionable Secret Lairs, and cards that make you wonder if R&D has simply run out of ideas.

Enter Mr. Spock, Science Officer.

At first glance, Spock looks like a perfectly respectable Commander card. He costs four mana, has a 2/4 body, and comes with an ability that basically says: whenever you would draw a card, draw two instead.

Wait a minute. Where have we seen this before?

Oh, right. Consecrated Sphinx.

The Sphinx costs six mana, has a 4/6 flying body, and draws you two cards whenever an opponent draws one. Spock, meanwhile, costs four mana and doubles your own card draw. Different triggers, certainly, but the family resemblance is unmistakable.

Wizards of the Coast has essentially taken one of blue's most notorious card-advantage engines, given it pointed ears, a blue Starfleet uniform, and a logical explanation for everything.

And honestly? I'm not complaining.

Commander players love drawing cards. We love drawing MORE cards even more. The only thing we love more than drawing cards is pretending that our opponents are being unreasonable when they ask us to stop drawing cards.

The Star Trek Universes Beyond treatment makes this familiar effect feel fresh, and Spock might even be less threatening than his flying predecessor.

After all, nobody wants to be the player who kills Mr. Spock. That would be highly illogical.

And if Wizards can reprint powerful effects in exciting new forms, perhaps we can all agree to boldly draw where no player has drawn before.