Wild New MTG Borg Legend Triples Your Artifacts For Infinite Turns

Star Trek preview season is still in full swing, with yesterday giving us the full reveal of the We Are The Borg Commander precon. This is an incredibly exciting new deck for Esper Artifacts fans, packed with potent new legends and 99 staples alike.

One of the deck’s most intriguing new cards, for both purposes, is Jurati, Cordial Queen. With a unique take on a powerful established ability, this legend is set to make a big impact when the deck drops next month.

Jurati, Cordial Queen MTG

Like an unholy union of Tymna the Weaver Tymna the Weaver Lifelink
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, you may pay X life, where X is the number of opponents that were dealt combat damage this turn. If you do, draw X cards.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.) and Worldwalker Helm Worldwalker Helm If you would create one or more artifact tokens, instead create those tokens plus an additional Map token. (It's an artifact with "{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery.")
{1}{U}, {T}: Create a token that's a copy of target artifact token you control. , Jurati is an incredibly efficient way to copy your artifact tokens in the command zone. At a base level, this is great with all the Treasures, Clues, and Food running around in Commander these days, thanks to staples like Gleaming Splendor Gleaming Splendor Whenever an opponent draws their second card each turn, you create a Treasure token.
{2}{W}: Two target players each draw a card. and Academy Manufactor Academy Manufactor If you would create a Clue, Food, or Treasure token, instead create one of each. . Since Jurati triggers once per opponent per turn, you can get up to three extra tokens this way, which is a stellar rate.

As good as extra Treasures can be, this is pretty much the tamest thing you can do with Jurati. Powerful artifact creature tokens, like the Karnstructs created by Urza’s Saga Urza’s Saga (As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — This Saga gains "{T}: Add {C}."
II — This Saga gains "{2}, {T}: Create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with 'This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control.'"
III — Search your library for an artifact card with mana cost {0} or {1}, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. and friends, get out of hand quickly when replicated en masse like this. Other solid hitters, like the tokens created on death by Wurmcoil Engine Wurmcoil Engine Deathtouch, lifelink
When this creature dies, create a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with deathtouch and a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with lifelink. and Ancient Stone Idol Ancient Stone Idol Flash
This spell costs {1} less to cast for each attacking creature.
Trample
When this creature dies, create a 6/12 colorless Construct artifact creature token with trample. , will help Jurati build you a terrifying army, too.

To take things even further, Jurati can actually make copies of any artifact, provided you can make a token copy of it first. This is trivial to do these days, with cards like Donatello, Gadget Master Donatello, Gadget Master Sneak {1}{U} (You may cast this spell for {1}{U} if you also return an unblocked attacker you control to hand during the declare blockers step. He enters tapped and attacking.)
Whenever Donatello deals combat damage to a player, create a token that's a copy of target artifact you control. and Ultron, Artificial Malevolence Ultron, Artificial Malevolence Whenever another nontoken artifact you control enters, you may pay {2}. If you do, create a token that's a copy of it. If the token isn't a creature, it becomes a 2/2 Robot Villain creature in addition to its other types. in the mix. There are ways to do this regularly every turn, too, with Artificer Class Artificer Class (Gain the next level as a sorcery to add its ability.)
The first artifact spell you cast each turn costs {1} less to cast.
{1}{U}: Level 2
When this Class becomes level 2, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal an artifact card. Put that card into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
{5}{U}: Level 3
At the beginning of your end step, create a token that's a copy of target artifact you control. and Mechanized Production Mechanized Production Enchant artifact you control
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a token that's a copy of enchanted artifact. Then if you control eight or more artifacts with the same name as one another, you win the game. letting you repeatedly copy the best thing going. Artifact Clone Clone You may have this creature enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. s, like Phyrexian Metamorph Phyrexian Metamorph ({U/P} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.)
You may have this creature enter as a copy of any artifact or creature on the battlefield, except it's an artifact in addition to its other types. and Auton Soldier Auton Soldier You may have this creature enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it isn't legendary, is an artifact in addition to its other types, and has myriad. (Whenever it attacks, for each opponent other than defending player, you may create a token copy that's tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker they control. Exile the tokens at end of combat.) , will even let you springboard off these cards to make copiable versions of any creature in play, too.

With this added flexibility, Jurati starts to get really silly. Suddenly a single combat can create three extra copies of Simulacrum Synthesizer Simulacrum Synthesizer When this artifact enters, scry 2.
Whenever another artifact you control with mana value 3 or greater enters, create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with "This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control." , resulting in nine total Karnstruct tokens and a ton of free Scrying. You can also draw six cards with Thought Monitor Thought Monitor Affinity for artifacts (This spell costs {1} less to cast for each artifact you control.)
Flying
When this creature enters, draw two cards. , set up an absurd lethal attack force with Cybermen Squadron Cybermen Squadron Nonlegendary artifact creatures you control have myriad. (Whenever a creature with myriad attacks, for each opponent other than defending player, you may create a token copy that's tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker they control. Exile the tokens at end of combat.) , or sweep the board repeatedly with Portal to Phyrexia Portal to Phyrexia When this artifact enters, each opponent sacrifices three creatures of their choice.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. It's a Phyrexian in addition to its other types. . The sky really is the limit here, and you can include other artifact token copiers like Replicator Replicator When this artifact enters, create a Food token. (It's an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life.")
{2}, {T}: Create a tapped token that's a copy of target token you control. and Oltec Matterweaver Oltec Matterweaver Whenever you cast a creature spell, choose one —
• Create a 1/1 colorless Gnome artifact creature token.
• Create a token that's a copy of target artifact token you control. to push your chosen synergies even harder.

While Jurati’s ability is incredibly powerful, it also requires you to be consistently getting in with creatures to function at all. To this end, you’ll want to run a bunch of cheap, evasive artifact creatures, like Fugitive Droid Fugitive Droid This creature can't be blocked if an artifact entered the battlefield under your control this turn.
{U}, Sacrifice this creature: Counter target spell that targets an artifact or creature you control. and Gingerbrute Gingerbrute Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.)
{1}: This creature can't be blocked this turn except by creatures with haste.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this creature: You gain 3 life. , to get things going early. Go-wide artifact token generators, like Illustrious Wanderglyph Illustrious Wanderglyph Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.)
Other artifact creatures you control get +2/+2 as long as you have the city's blessing.
At the beginning of each upkeep, create a 1/1 colorless Gnome artifact creature token. and Antagonist Incorporator Antagonist Incorporator Artifact creatures you control have "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may pay {1}. If you do, create a 1/1 colorless Borg artifact creature token." , are also great for getting in through sheer volume of attackers. If you go down this route, cards like Reconnaissance Reconnaissance {0}: Remove target attacking creature you control from combat and untap it. (If you activate during end of combat, the creature will untap after it deals combat damage.) and Nivea, Beloved Battlemage Nivea, Beloved Battlemage Whenever a creature you control becomes blocked, you may untap it and remove it from combat.
{5}{W}{W}{W}, Sacrifice Nivea: Create an Akroma, Angel of Wrath token. (She's a {5}{W}{W}{W} legendary 6/6 Angel creature with flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, and protection from black and from red.) are great adds to keep your blocked creatures around.

Since Jurati’s ability is a triggered ability, there are plenty of ways to get extra value out of every hit. Trigger doublers, like Roaming Throne Roaming Throne Ward {2}
As this creature enters, choose a creature type.
This creature is the chosen type in addition to its other types.
If a triggered ability of another creature you control of the chosen type triggers, it triggers an additional time. and Wizard’s Staff Wizard’s Staff Equipped creature has prowess. (Whenever its controller casts a noncreature spell, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
If a triggered ability of equipped creature triggers, that ability triggers an additional time.
Equip Wizard {1}
Equip {3} , will let you make up to six copies a turn, which should likely be enough to end the game if it happens even once. In a similar vein, cards that grant your creatures Double Strike, like Primary Unimatrix Adjunct Primary Unimatrix Adjunct Artifact creatures you control have double strike. and Akroma’s Will Akroma’s Will Choose one. If you control a commander as you cast this spell, you may choose both instead.
• Creatures you control gain flying, vigilance, and double strike until end of turn.
• Creatures you control gain lifelink, indestructible, and protection from each color until end of turn. , will let you get an extra trigger per player each turn, too. Of course, token doublers like Anointed Procession Anointed Procession If an effect would create one or more tokens under your control, it creates twice that many of those tokens instead. and Mondrak, Glory Dominus Mondrak, Glory Dominus If one or more tokens would be created under your control, twice that many of those tokens are created instead.
{1}{W/P}{W/P}, Sacrifice two other artifacts and/or creatures: Put an indestructible counter on Mondrak. ({W/P} can be paid with either {W} or 2 life.) can do something similar.

Time On Your Side

As you’d expect from a legend with so much explosive potential, Jurati has a sweet infinite combo line it can pull off as well. To do this, you’ll need a Mirror Box Mirror Box The "legend rule" doesn't apply to permanents you control.
Each legendary creature you control gets +1/+1.
Each nontoken creature you control gets +1/+1 for each other creature you control with the same name as that creature. in play, then you’ll want to copy Gonti’s Aether Heart Gonti’s Aether Heart Whenever Gonti's Aether Heart or another artifact you control enters, you get {E}{E} (two energy counters).
Pay eight {E}, Exile Gonti's Aether Heart: Take an extra turn after this one. with something like Ultron, Artificial Malevolence Ultron, Artificial Malevolence Whenever another nontoken artifact you control enters, you may pay {2}. If you do, create a token that's a copy of it. If the token isn't a creature, it becomes a 2/2 Robot Villain creature in addition to its other types. , so you have a token copy of it in play.

Next, get through with three creatures while Jurati is out, and you can then make three extra copies of Aether Heart. Each copy nets you 10 energy on entry, so you can immediately exile one to take an extra turn. Rinse and repeat to take infinite turns, chip the table down via combat, or draw into all manner of other wins. While this combo is a little clunky, the individual pieces are solid in the deck anyway, so it’s no trouble to include them in case you pull it off.

On top of being a first-rate Artifact Commander, Jurati also looks like a stellar addition to the 99 of plenty of other decks. It blends perfectly into lists like Mendicant Core, Guidelight Mendicant Core, Guidelight Mendicant Core's power is equal to the number of artifacts you control.
Start your engines! (If you have no speed, it starts at 1. It increases once on each of your turns when an opponent loses life. Max speed is 4.)
Max speed — Whenever you cast an artifact spell, you may pay {1}. If you do, copy it. (The copy becomes a token.) and Urza, Chief Artificer Urza, Chief Artificer Affinity for artifact creatures (This spell costs {1} less to cast for each artifact creature you control.)
Artifact creatures you control have menace.
At the beginning of your end step, create a 0/0 colorless Construct artifact creature token with "This token gets +1/+1 for each artifact you control." , for example, since both care about combat and pushing out powerful artifact tokens. It’s also a great way to create extra sacrifice fodder in Breya, Etherium Shaper Breya, Etherium Shaper When Breya enters, create two 1/1 blue Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying.
{2}, Sacrifice two artifacts: Choose one —
• Breya deals 3 damage to target player or planeswalker.
• Target creature gets -4/-4 until end of turn.
• You gain 5 life. , or a bigger army in Brenard, Ginger Sculptor Brenard, Ginger Sculptor Each creature you control that's a Food or a Golem gets +2/+2 and has trample.
Whenever another nontoken creature you control dies, you may exile it. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that creature, except it's a 1/1 Food Golem artifact creature in addition to its other types and it has "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life." , so there’s no shortage of homes here.

While we still have three more MTG Star Trek Commander precons to see, Jurati, Cordial Queen already feels like a highlight of the set. With a ton of applications in both the command zone and the 99, you can expect to see her a lot once these decks drop next month.

Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew, and our brand new MTG Rocks Podcast!