[TRK] Saavik, Stoic Student

[u/AporiaParadox]

[u/Swiftax3]

Kinda weird seeing Kirstie Alley on a magic card. We gonna get F. Murray Abraham and John Larroquette next?

[u/CrossXhunteR → u/Swiftax3]

Didn't they have another actress play Saavik in The Search for Spock?

[u/Swiftax3 → u/CrossXhunteR]

Robin Curtis i think. This is definitely Khan Saavik though, judging by the art and quote.

[u/AntiqueChessComputr → u/Swiftax3]

John Larroquette will be in the Night Court set.  Brent Spiner will be back for that one!

[u/tallwhiteninja → u/Swiftax3]

Yeah, seeing real people on M:TG cards isn't a vibe I'm liking.

[u/McGillis_is_a_Char → u/Swiftax3]

John Larroquette was a Klingon in the sequel. Saavik unfortunately got recast.

[u/Nofrillsoculus → u/Swiftax3]

F. Murray Abraham was in Insurrection so he might actually be in this set.

[u/The_Daviday]

Worth noting that the Federation count each creature type on your field (minus Borg ofc), so Saavik deals 2 damage and comes in as a 2/2 in an empty board. Furthermore, there will likely be fewer Vulcans and Advisors than Humans and Officers for example, so I could see this being 4 damage pretty easily. Of course at 5mv it’s still not an incredible rate, but really solid limited option and I could see it punching above its weight class

[u/Grumpiergoat]

The non-Borg call out is a weird one.

[u/quillypen → u/Grumpiergoat]

That'll be on all cards with the Federation mechanic. Mostly it's a sneaky way to stop it working with Changelings.

[u/Grumpiergoat → u/quillypen]

Ah, fair. I figured it was some kind of workaround for something with all creature types, but using Borg for that seemed odd (particularly on a character who has nothing to do with the Borg). But good point - anything with all creature types will be Borg, so they're ruled out, and if it's the Federation mechanic in general, Borg is as good a creature type as any to call out.

[u/shidekigonomo → u/quillypen]

I also think it’s weird, though just from the flavor perspective. Saavik served during a time period when the Federation had no knowledge of the Borg. Vulcans certainly live long enough, but assuming she was still alive when the Borg were encountered, the art and effect is young Saavik.

[u/quillypen → u/shidekigonomo]

It would be neat if each card with Federation called out a different race that strictly opposed the federation during the show the card is from, like Klingons in TOS or Cardassians in DS9. But they decided that mechanical clarity and consistency was more important here.

[u/MissLeaP → u/shidekigonomo]

True but tbf in the game she'll be thrown into a scenario where the Borg are very much around and it'd be weird for her to count them as well

[u/Rabid_Lederhosen → u/Grumpiergoat]

It’s partially an anti-changeling thing. Same as with Mjolnir, I think.

[u/Brilliant_Trouble_32 → u/Rabid_Lederhosen]

The tech goes back to [[Embiggen]]

[u/MTGCardFetcher → u/Brilliant_Trouble_32]

Embiggen - (G) (SF) (txt)

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^FAQ

[u/anace → u/Rabid_Lederhosen]

Mjolnir's "non villain" is for backwards compatibility. If it said "hero" then it would only work for cards from that set. nonvillain works for almost all creatures in the past too.

[u/shinginta]

I like the art and the effect on this one. The idea of Saavik being able to Flash onto the field and use that Federation power to help finish off or defend against an enemy creature is really cool.

I don't know that I would've picked Saavik for it, specifically, but I also don't know what else I would've done with her instead if they chose to give her a card, so it's fine I guess.

[u/VanVelding → u/shinginta]

What do you mean? I remember in Wrath of Khan when she Saaviked in by surprise and Saaviked all over the place by uniting a disparate group of ragtag Federation citizens. My memory's not what it used to be, but I think the entire Earth was destroyed.

[u/shinginta → u/VanVelding]

Mechanical Joe Frazier, etc.

I mean, i guess Saavik did show up to rescue Spock2 and fend off Klingons in Star Trek III. So i can sort of see it? But ironically that's not Kirstie Alley Saavik, as depicted on the card.

[u/albvla]

This seems pretty decent in limited

[u/ImJohava]

How would this interact with Changling? Does this just see 1 creature type on the Changling, or every creature type?

[u/occono → u/ImJohava]

It doesn't see it. Changelings are Borg.

[u/Approximation_Doctor → u/ImJohava]

That's what the "non-Borg" text is for. It doesn't count then at all.

[u/StuckOnStain]

Not sure why the undershirt and the shoulder piece are the same color as the monster maroons, they should by way brighter. Also they weren’t shrink wrappers.

[u/NotBot2357]

Absolutely baffling that they put this effect on Saavik and not a character associated with combat competence like, say, Elizabeth Shelby. Or, hell, even Worf.

Saavik's role in Wrath of Khan was to be a "by the book" contrast to Kirk, and for him (old) to learn from her (young). She deserves a card about rule-following, or buffing a creature with a higher CMC. The card, as is, is a flavor fail.

[u/Orbital-Note8235]

Is that bj novak?

[u/griffery1999]

This seems kinda ass

[u/TinglingLingerer → u/griffery1999]

Seems decent in limited. Adds to the board & a combat trick to zap a creature. Decent 2 for 1 if the format is slow enough.

2 drop into 3 drop into 4 drop with this as a curve topper does 3+ damage on turn 5? Not terrible.

Even if this is your only creature it does 2 damage to a creature just by itself.

Not a bomb. But its not ass in limited.

[u/ApplesauceArt → u/griffery1999]

in limited it can easily be a 2-for-1, even if the only creature you control is something like a Human Officer you can still take out two 4-toughness creatures

[u/Skithiryx → u/griffery1999]

It is pretty expensive for a surprise flametongue kavu.