Federation Fleet Upgrade Guide: 10 Cuts and 10 Upgrades for Picard

The best upgrades for the MTG Star Trek Federation Fleet Commander deck are Uthros Research Craft, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, The Seriema, the U.S.S. Enterprise-A and Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge. Early Picard players turn the deck into a Spacecraft deck, and all 10 picks cost about $65 on TCGplayer. Skip the three most expensive ships and the other seven cost about $17. The first cards to cut are Chain Reaction, Promise of Loyalty and Chronomantic Escape.

Updated October 28, 2026 · Decklist from Wizards of the Coast (revealed October 27, 2026) · Picks and percentages from EDHREC (84 early Jean-Luc Picard, Luminary decks) · Prices are TCGplayer market prices, checked October 28, 2026

What’s in the Federation Fleet Commander deck?

Federation Fleet is the blue, red and white deck from MTG Star Trek. Its face commander is Jean-Luc Picard, Luminary, a 4-mana 2/4, and Captain Janeway, Endgame is the second legend you can lead with. Every creature in it is a legend, almost all of them from the shows, and five famous ships are in the box: the Stargazer, the Enterprise-C, the Enterprise-E, the Prometheus and the Defiant.

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Each Star Trek Commander deck comes with a traditional foil face commander with borderless art, 99 nonfoil cards (32 of them new to Magic), 10 double-sided tokens, a reference card and a deck box.

The deck lists for $74.99 and sells for about $67.23 on TCGplayer, the cheapest of the four Star Trek decks right now. It releases November 13, 2026, but Wizards said on October 16 that Star Trek Commander decks in North America may arrive after that date. See our Star Trek delays guide for every region.

How does the Jean-Luc Picard deck win?

Picard does two things. First, whenever another historic permanent you control with mana value 3 or more enters, you draw a card. Artifacts, legendaries and Sagas are historic, and this deck has more than 30 of them at 3 mana or more. Second, his seek out ability triggers whenever you draw your second card each turn: put a +1/+1 counter on another creature and two charge counters on a Spacecraft.

Your normal draw is your first card, so any extra draw on your turn sets off seek out. Eleven other cards in the deck have seek out too. Tom Paris gives your creatures flying, double strike, vigilance and haste. Data discovers a free spell, Ro Laren deals 2 damage to each opponent and Rom and Leeta make two Treasures. Howling Mine and Ambassador K’Ehleyr give you that second card, and Alhammarret’s Archive doubles your extra draws.

Spacecraft use station: tap another creature to put charge counters equal to its power on the ship, and at a set number of counters the ship becomes a flying artifact creature. Picard’s two free charge counters every turn speed that up. That’s why early Picard players lean so hard into ships, and why most of the upgrades below are Spacecraft.

What are the best Federation Fleet upgrades?

These 10 picks come from what early Picard players on EDHREC add most, checked against the precon’s list. Every card image links to the card on TCGplayer.

1. Uthros Research Craft

What it does: A Spacecraft with station. At 3 or more charge counters, you draw a card and add a charge counter whenever you cast an artifact spell. At 12, it’s a flier that gets +1/+0 for each artifact you control.

Why it fits Picard: One seek out trigger gets it most of the way to 3 counters. After that, every artifact spell draws a card, and that extra card sets off seek out again.

Price: about $4.19 (TCGplayer) · in 89% of EDHREC Picard decks

2. U.S.S. Enterprise-D, Galaxy-Class

What it does: The first time each turn charge counters are put on it, exile the top card of your library, and you may play it that turn. At 7 counters it’s a 4/5 with flying and vigilance.

Why it fits Picard: It’s Picard’s own ship. At 3 mana it’s historic, so Picard draws when it enters, and every seek out trigger that adds charge counters to it gives you an extra card to play.

Price: about $22.31 for the regular version (TCGplayer) · the showcase version shown is on TCGplayer too · in 86% of EDHREC Picard decks

3. The Seriema

What it does: When it enters, search your library for a legendary creature card and put it into your hand. At 7 counters it’s a 5/5 flier, and your other tapped legendary creatures have indestructible.

Why it fits Picard: It draws you a card through Picard and finds your best legend, like Data or Tom Paris. Your legends tap to station ships, and The Seriema keeps those tapped legends safe.

Price: about $1.95 (TCGplayer) · in 82% of EDHREC Picard decks

4. U.S.S. Enterprise-A, Free Spirit

What it does: Ward {2}. When it enters, create three 1/1 red Officer tokens. At 6 counters it’s a 5/5 with flying and lifelink.

Why it fits Picard: It brings its own crew to station it, and Picard draws when it enters. The Officer tokens also get +1/+1 from Worf, Son of Mogh and can set off Captain Janeway.

Price: about $13.78 on preorder (TCGplayer) · in 82% of EDHREC Picard decks

5. Dawnsire, Sunstar Dreadnought

What it does: At 10 charge counters, whenever you attack, it deals 100 damage to up to one target creature or planeswalker. At 20 it becomes a 20/20 flier.

Why it fits Picard: Picard adds two counters a turn, and Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge doubles them. Once it reaches 10, every attack kills your opponents’ best creature.

Price: about $12.13 (TCGplayer) · in 75% of EDHREC Picard decks

6. Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge

What it does: If you would put one or more charge counters on an artifact you control, you put twice that many instead.

Why it fits Picard: Picard’s two charge counters become four, and every station tap counts double, so your ships come online in half the time. He’s a different card from the Geordi La Forge, Innovator already in the deck, so you can run both.

Price: about $3.36 on preorder (TCGplayer) · in 73% of EDHREC Picard decks

7. Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain

What it does: Whenever you cast a historic spell, draw a card.

Why it fits Picard: Almost every spell in this deck is legendary or an artifact, so Jhoira draws off nearly everything you cast. That makes your second card each turn easy, which keeps the seek out cards firing.

Price: about $0.45 (TCGplayer) · in 58% of EDHREC Picard decks

8. Surge Conductor

What it does: Whenever another nontoken artifact you control enters, proliferate (add one more of each kind of counter already on any permanents you choose).

Why it fits Picard: Every ship or mana rock you play adds a charge counter to all your Spacecraft and a +1/+1 counter to the creatures Picard has buffed. It’s a 3-mana artifact, so Picard draws when it enters.

Price: about $0.46 (TCGplayer) · in 58% of EDHREC Picard decks

9. Brad Boimler, Eager Ensign

What it does: A 2/2 with lifelink. Whenever Boimler becomes tapped, for the rest of the turn, any counters put on your permanents come with one extra of each kind.

Why it fits Picard: Tap Boimler to station a ship and the ship gets one extra charge counter. Picard’s seek out counters that turn get the bonus too. The Lower Decks fan favorite earns his spot.

Price: about $2.80 on preorder (TCGplayer) · in 48% of EDHREC Picard decks

10. The Eternity Elevator

What it does: Tap it for three colorless mana. At 20 or more charge counters, it can also tap for X mana of any one color, where X is its number of charge counters.

Why it fits Picard: It ramps right away, Picard draws when it enters, and every seek out trigger pushes it toward a huge late-game mana burst.

Price: about $3.67 (TCGplayer) · in 62% of EDHREC Picard decks

How much does it cost to upgrade the Federation Fleet deck?

All 10 cards cost about $65.10. The three big ships, the Enterprise-D ($22.31), the Enterprise-A ($13.78) and Dawnsire ($12.13), are most of that. Skip them and the other seven cost about $16.88. If you only buy one expensive card, make it the Enterprise-D: it’s the most-played new card in Picard decks.

The Star Trek cards on this list are still preorders with only a handful of listings, so their prices may move before November 13.

Which 10 cards should you cut from the Federation Fleet deck?

Federation Fleet wants three things: draw a second card every turn to set off seek out, play historic permanents that cost 3 or more so Picard draws, and keep enough creatures around to station its ships. So we kept every draw enabler, every ship and the seek out cards that matter, and cut cards that hurt your own board, don’t trigger Picard, or barely do anything when they do.

• Chain Reaction: it deals damage to every creature, including the crew you need to station your ships.
• Promise of Loyalty: you sacrifice all but one of your creatures too.
• Chronomantic Escape: 6 mana, or a three-turn suspend, just to stop attacks for a turn.
• Cmdr. Troi, Outgoing Empath: the opponent decides whether you draw a card or they cast a spell for free, so you only get the card when their free spell isn’t worth it.
• Ensign Harry Kim, Operations: a 2-mana 1/2 that’s too cheap to trigger Picard, and it needs two +1/+1 counters to draw one card.
• Ezri Dax, Newly Joined: she only copies a creature that died this turn. Otherwise she’s a 2-mana 2/2 that doesn’t trigger Picard.
• Dr. Pulaski, Cynical Clinician: the weakest seek out payoff in the deck, just 4 life, and at 2 mana she doesn’t trigger Picard.
• Tuvok, Chief Tactical Officer: his ability only works if you flash him in while creatures are attacking.
• Spot, Felis catus: Food tokens and a slow way to destroy an artifact don’t help the draw-and-ships plan.
• Thought Vessel (18% of EDHREC Picard decks): a 2-mana rock that doesn’t trigger Picard. The Eternity Elevator ramps more and draws a card.

What we kept on purpose: Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct draws a card every turn, which sets off seek out, and her loot can put two charge counters on a ship. Commander’s Sphere and Mind Stone can be cashed in for a card, which counts as your second draw on your own turn. Negate is cheap protection against board wipes. Supreme Verdict is your emergency reset, and Grand Crescendo can make your creatures indestructible before you cast it.

Which lands should you upgrade in Federation Fleet?

The three shock lands in Picard’s colors are the most-played nonbasic lands in his EDHREC decks, after Command Tower, which is already in the box.

Cut Evolving Wilds, Terramorphic Expanse and Irrigated Farmland, which all put a land onto the battlefield tapped. All three shock lands cost about $26.72.

What are the best premium upgrades for Picard?

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard (about $17.60, in 75% of decks): your other creatures get +1/+1, and every creature or Spacecraft spell makes an Officer token.
• Mr. Spock, Science Officer (about $26.62, 56%): if you would draw a card, you draw two instead, so your normal draw step sets off seek out every turn.
• Deep Space 9 (about $56.17, 75%): when it enters and every upkeep, it puts permanent cards from the top four cards of your library straight onto the battlefield.

Is the Federation Fleet deck worth buying?

Yes, especially for Star Trek: The Next Generation fans. At about $67.23 it’s the cheapest of the four Star Trek decks right now, it’s packed with Starfleet legends and famous ships, and it has a clear upgrade path into a Spacecraft deck. If you’d rather assimilate everyone, read our We Are the Borg upgrade guide, or compare all four in our Star Trek Commander decks guide.

Federation Fleet FAQ

Who is the commander of Federation Fleet?

The face commander is Jean-Luc Picard, Luminary, a 4-mana blue, red and white legend. Captain Janeway, Endgame is the second legend, and she suits an Officer-token attack plan.

What does seek out mean in MTG?

Seek out abilities trigger whenever you draw your second card in a turn. Picard’s seek out puts a +1/+1 counter on another creature and two charge counters on a Spacecraft.

When does the Federation Fleet deck come out?

It releases on November 13, 2026 with MTG Star Trek. Wizards said on October 16 that the Commander decks may arrive later in North America.

What is the cheapest Federation Fleet upgrade?

Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain and Surge Conductor cost under 50 cents each, and both are in more than half of EDHREC’s Picard decks.

Read next: We Are the Borg Upgrade Guide · All 4 Star Trek Commander Decks · MTG Star Trek Chase Cards · Star Trek Secret Lair Superdrop

Sources: Wizards of the Coast’s Star Trek Commander decklists (October 27, 2026); EDHREC’s Jean-Luc Picard, Luminary page (84 decks), checked October 28, 2026; card text from Scryfall; prices from TCGplayer. Card images: Wizards of the Coast, via Scryfall.

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