Source transparency: This Digest item is based primarily on reporting from MTG Rocks. TMF summarizes and interprets the news; original reporting remains credited and linked.
Q, Your Illustrious Host gives Faerie decks a new five-color construction to explore. Revealed in the October 27 Scene Box previews, this Q converts three untapped Faeries into a spell cast from the library without paying its mana cost. It is mechanically separate from Q, Stacking the Deck and its very different library restrictions.
The activated ability taps three untapped Faeries you control, then exiles cards from the top of your library until a nonland card appears. You may cast that nonland card without paying its mana cost. Lands passed along the way are exiled rather than drawn, and the ability is not a tutor for an arbitrary card elsewhere in the library.
There is no tap symbol on Q itself and no once-per-turn clause. The Faeries are tapped as the cost of another permanent’s ability, so newly created Faerie tokens can help pay it. That distinction is useful: a token does not need to wait a turn merely because this cost involves tapping it. However, the same three tapped tokens cannot pay again without an untap effect or a fresh group.
The accompanying Federation Q cards suggest ways to maintain the supply. Data, Professor of Humanities creates two Faeries when its controller draws a second card in a turn. La Forge, Thoughtful as Ever can produce Faeries based on permanents that received counters that turn, though La Forge’s own tap ability has the usual timing constraints. Troi, Winging It rewards an opponent drawing during your turn. Those are different conditions, not interchangeable guarantees of three ready tokens.
Deck construction has two competing demands: enough Faerie production to activate Q repeatedly, and enough worthwhile nonland hits to justify using the tokens. Cheap setup cards remain possible hits after the engine is assembled. Because this Q does not shuffle before revealing, known top-of-library information can influence the next activation.
Removal of Q, token sweepers and interaction with the eventual spell all remain relevant. The newly available engine supports a distinct Commander strategy report, but the preview establishes neither tournament results nor a solved list. Its significance is the repeatable conversion of a creature resource into free casting, with explicit setup and failure points.
The activated ability taps three untapped Faeries you control, then exiles cards from the top of your library until a nonland card appears. You may cast that nonland card without paying its mana cost. Lands passed along the way are exiled rather than drawn, and the ability is not a tutor for an arbitrary card elsewhere in the library.
There is no tap symbol on Q itself and no once-per-turn clause. The Faeries are tapped as the cost of another permanent’s ability, so newly created Faerie tokens can help pay it. That distinction is useful: a token does not need to wait a turn merely because this cost involves tapping it. However, the same three tapped tokens cannot pay again without an untap effect or a fresh group.
The accompanying Federation Q cards suggest ways to maintain the supply. Data, Professor of Humanities creates two Faeries when its controller draws a second card in a turn. La Forge, Thoughtful as Ever can produce Faeries based on permanents that received counters that turn, though La Forge’s own tap ability has the usual timing constraints. Troi, Winging It rewards an opponent drawing during your turn. Those are different conditions, not interchangeable guarantees of three ready tokens.
Deck construction has two competing demands: enough Faerie production to activate Q repeatedly, and enough worthwhile nonland hits to justify using the tokens. Cheap setup cards remain possible hits after the engine is assembled. Because this Q does not shuffle before revealing, known top-of-library information can influence the next activation.
Removal of Q, token sweepers and interaction with the eventual spell all remain relevant. The newly available engine supports a distinct Commander strategy report, but the preview establishes neither tournament results nor a solved list. Its significance is the repeatable conversion of a creature resource into free casting, with explicit setup and failure points.
Original source: MTG Star Trek “Precon-Upgrading” Scene Boxes Reveal Incredible Five-Color Faerie Typal Commander ↗MTG Rocks