keepcalculator

06 Numbers and Powers

We Are the Borg Deck: Colors, Tokens, and Upgrades

Card No. 06·26090 · Updated · Standard formula, shown below

“We Are the Borg” is a Star Trek: The Next Generation–themed Magic: The Gathering Commander deck, not a deck with one universal color identity or token recipe across every edition. Its colors, included tokens, and upgrade options depend on the specific product or list you mean; check the commander and card list before changing it, because the name alone does not establish those details.

First identify which deck you mean

The wording can refer to a themed deck list, a fan-built Commander deck, or a listing using a title associated with a particular release. These are not necessarily identical. Magic decks are defined by their actual cards, and sellers, players, and deck databases may use a theme name informally. A product’s exact contents can also be different from a later modified list.

To identify the version, look for the deck’s commander, set or product name, and full card list. A listing that only says “We Are the Borg” is not enough to reliably state its color identity, token package, or included upgrade cards. If you share the commander or a link to the list, those details can be checked card by card.

How Commander colors are determined

In Commander, a deck’s color identity is set by its commander’s color identity. Color identity includes colored mana symbols in a card’s mana cost and rules text, as well as color indicators and characteristic-defining abilities that specify color. A card in the deck must fit within that identity; a deck cannot add a card with an off-color identity merely because the card’s effect seems thematically appropriate.

  • A mono-color commander permits cards within that single color identity, plus colorless cards.
  • A multicolor commander permits cards whose identities are subsets of the commander’s identity, along with colorless cards.
  • A colorless commander generally permits colorless cards; special rules and the commander’s text still matter.

Do not infer colors from artwork, faction theme, or the colors of the deck box. Nor should you assume that “Borg” automatically means a particular combination of colors. Check the commander’s printed or database-listed color identity, then compare each proposed replacement against it. Commander deck construction also has other rules, including the singleton requirement and the usual 100-card deck total including the commander.

What tokens the deck uses

A token is a game object created by a card’s effect; it is not automatically included just because a deck’s theme suggests it. The relevant list tells you which tokens are needed. Read the cards that create tokens and note the token’s characteristics: creature type, colors, power and toughness, and any abilities. A token reference card or a clearly marked substitute can represent it during play.

For a Borg-themed list, do not assume that every token is a Borg creature, or that a particular number of tokens comes in the box. Token requirements depend on the exact cards. Some effects create creature tokens, while others may create noncreature tokens such as artifacts or counters represented by markers. Counters are not tokens: a +1/+1 counter placed on a creature does not create another creature.

  • Scan the whole deck list for phrases such as “create a token” and record each kind.
  • Check whether a card creates one token or several, and whether its choices change the token’s form.
  • Bring enough markers for likely board states; extra copies of a token card can make tracking easier, but do not change the rules.

When an effect creates a token with a copy effect or a choice, follow that card’s exact wording. A token is usually a permanent on the battlefield, but it is not a card. If it leaves the battlefield, it normally ceases to exist in its new zone after state-based actions are checked. These details can matter when a player tries to return a token to hand or count it in a graveyard.

How to verify the exact list

Use a complete, current card list rather than a theme summary. A reliable check is to identify the commander, confirm its color identity, and inspect the individual card names against a card database or the deck’s published list. If the list has been upgraded, distinguish the original contents from additions and cuts. This avoids a common mix-up: treating a player’s customized deck as though it were the untouched release version.

For a physical deck, compare the cards in hand with the supplied inventory or packaging list, if available. For an online deck, check whether the author labels it as stock, upgraded, or budget-built. Reprints and alternate art do not change a card’s rules, but a similarly named card or an incorrect entry can lead to a mistaken color or token count.

Upgrade paths that preserve the theme

There is no single official upgrade path implied by the title. A sound approach starts with the list you actually own and improves a role at a time. First decide what the deck should do in a game: develop a board, generate and use tokens, disrupt opponents, or pursue another strategy shown by its commander and cards. Then make replacements that support that plan and remain within the commander’s color identity.

  1. Set a goal. Choose one or two weaknesses to address, such as too few ways to draw cards or difficulty recovering after a board wipe.
  2. Inspect the mana base. Check whether the deck can produce the colors its spells require and whether its lands enter the battlefield tapped. Make changes consistent with the deck’s actual colors and your available collection.
  3. Improve consistency. Consider more cards that provide the kinds of resources the deck repeatedly needs, such as card draw, ramp, or interaction. The right choices depend on the commander and current list.
  4. Strengthen the main theme. If token production is central, prioritize effects that create tokens and cards that make those tokens useful. Avoid adding token payoffs when the list rarely creates tokens.
  5. Test small batches. Replace a few cards, play several games, and note what remains awkward. Change one category at a time so you can tell whether an upgrade solved the problem.

There is no need to make a themed deck resemble a tournament list. Keeping recognizable characters or mechanics is a legitimate upgrade constraint. Conversely, adding powerful cards without checking their color identity, mana requirements, or relationship to the commander can make the deck less consistent rather than stronger.

Common mix-ups and rules checks

The most frequent error is treating a fan title as a definitive product specification. The second is confusing a color theme with color identity: a card’s identity is determined by its rules characteristics, not by its illustration or story. A third is treating counters and tokens as interchangeable. They are different game objects and are created and removed under different rules.

Before a game, agree on whether you are using an unmodified list or a customized one, especially if players are comparing deck strength. If a card interaction is unclear, read the complete current card text and consult the applicable Commander and token rules rather than relying on a short deck description. The commander’s color identity and the list itself settle the core questions; the title does not.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors is the We Are the Borg deck?
There is no safe color answer from the title alone. Identify the exact deck list and commander, then use that commander’s color identity.

What tokens come with the deck?
That depends on the version and its card list. Check the inventory or list for token-producing cards and confirm whether the physical product includes matching token cards.

Can I add any Borg-themed card?
No. In Commander, every card must fit within the commander’s color identity, in addition to meeting the format’s other deck-building rules.

Are counters the same as tokens?
No. A counter modifies or marks an existing object; a token is a separate game object created by an effect.

What is the best upgrade?
There is no universal best addition without the exact list and goal. Identify a weakness first, then choose a legal card that supports the commander’s plan and test the change.

Related

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.

More cards in this drawer

The whole Numbers and Powers drawer →