Exploring Card Variants in MTG’s Star Trek Set

MTG's Star Trek set celebrates 60 years of the popular sci-fi universe. Let's take a look at the special card variants in the Star Trek set!
MTG Star Trek Key Art - Warp Speed

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the original show, the Star Trek Universes Beyond set for Magic: The Gathering arrives in November, 2026. It’s an absolute treasure trove for Trek fans, and goes much further into the unknown with different card variants and other elements than the Doctor Who set, released in 2023 to celebrate that sci-fi show’s 60th anniversary, did. Let’s take a look at some of the new, thematic card variants you can expect to find in MTG’s Star Trek set!

Standard Card

MTG Star Trek 187
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

There may be a bit of bias at play here, because Janeway is one of my favorite Captains, from my favorite period of Star Trek. The fact remains, however, that many of her card variants have been revealed. Which makes it much easier to showcase the differences between each one! Above, you can see her standard card variant. Her standout ability is the one which allows you to play an extra land each turn, though she also allows each creature card to explore when played too. No doubt she’s going to be a very popular card when the Star Trek set arrives!

Scene Card

MTG Star Trek 340
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

This Borg variant card will be one of the most shocking for fans of Star Trek: Voyager. Over the course of the series, the biomechanical menaces known as the Borg made their presence repeatedly felt, and Janeway became arguably their greatest ever enemy. Yes, even when considering Picard! Though never assimilated in the show, Janeway did become a Borg Queen in Peter David’s 2007 Star Trek novel, Before Dishonor. This variant is a Scene Card, with artwork that spans multiple cards. So far, this is the only one we’ve seen for this particular scene, however, so we’re curious to see the rest of the art!

LCARS Cards

MTG Star Trek 386 and 520
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

An acronym for Library Computer Access/Retrieval System, LCARS is a fictional operating system, first used in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Maintaining a consistent, logical aesthetic on computers and other devices in other Star Trek shows and movies, it’s perhaps one of the most widely recognized, widely used fictional interfaces in history. Such is its popularity, there are countless examples of fans creating functional LCARS interfaces for real computers, tablets, phones and smart watches! Now LCARS has arrived in Magic: The Gathering, with variants that feature the colorful style and typography of the operating system. Above, you can see the foil and surge foil variants of the Captain Kathryn Janeway LCARS variants.

Signed Headliner Card

MTG Star Trek 1704
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

In a true first for Magic: The Gathering, cards bearing real autographs are debuting in the Star Trek set. Seven actors have each signed 200 cards bearing their likeness, and so far both Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Janeway and William Shatner’s Captain Kirk have been revealed. With just 200 of each Signed Headliner card available, and real autographs from the actors on each one, these are sure to become the most sought after and valuable cards in MTG’s Star Trek set.

Classic Enterprise Card

MTG Star Trek 415
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

Sadly, we have to part ways with the brilliant Captain Janeway here, because we have yet to see her Classic Enterprise card. It’s time for the villainous Klingon General Chang to make an appearance, with this card based on classic, painted Star Trek poster art. Other characters feature on their own Classic Enterprise cards, and we’d be surprised if Janeway doesn’t make the cut. We miss her already!

Klingon Card

MTG Star Trek 427 and 437
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

Not only does General Chang have a card with a Klingon color scheme and iconography, but you can also find a variant printed entirely in the Klingon language too. Both variants are shown above.

Stardates Card

MTG Stardates card 0011
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

The Stardates subset of Star Trek MTG cards doesn’t feature original card abilities or text. Instead, it repurposes existing cards with Star Trek names and art. For example, the Khan, Engineered Evil card above is a reprinted Sheoldred, the Apocalypse. Right down to the creature types, as it remains a Phyrexian Praetor.

Star Trek Shock Land Cards

Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

There are 10 different Shock Land cards in MTG, so named because you must pay 2 life to have them enter play untapped. The reason for this cost is that each Shock Land features 2 types of land, rather than just one. You can choose not to pay the cost, which will mean that the card enters play tapped. In any case, all 10 Shock Lands are given a Star Trek aesthetic in this MTG set, with a few shown above.

Schematics Card

Star Trek MTG card 557
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

Found in the Beam Me Up Bundle boxes, these cards each feature a Spacecraft, showcasing its schematics. Each bundle contains 2 of the 8 cards available in this subset, along with land cards, boosters and other accessories.

When Will MTG’s Star Trek Set Be Released?

MTG Star Trek Beam Me Up Bundle
Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

The Star Trek set will be released on November 13th, 2026. Pre-release events will take place in the week leading up to that date, and you can use the official store locator to find out where your local event will be held.

Check out our other MTG coverage, such as our look at the most valuable cards in another Universes Beyond set, The Hobbit. We’ve also compiled a list of the most valuable cards in MTG’s Marvel Super Heroes set!

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Jason Brown

Card Gamer's owner, Jason has been a fan of both tabletop and digital gaming since the early 80s. Not only did he help launch Card Gamer, but he's also responsible for writing more than 500 articles on the site too. Jason has been writing for more than 25 years, with bylines at Polygon, Nintendo Life, Retro Dodo, Lost in Cult and many more. He also regularly writes on a variety of geeky topics at his own website, midlifegamergeek.com.

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