Locutus, the One Who Speaks offers an interesting direction for Standard artifact-based strategies, particularly with the introduction of several new artifact creatures from the Magic: The Gathering – Star Trek set. For only two mana, this legendary 1/1 Borg gives all artifact creatures you control a static +1/+1 boost, making it a potential centerpiece for an aggressive artifact creature deck. Its additional ability to deal 2 damage to a creature while gaining 2 life also gives it utility even when it is not on the battlefield.

One of Locutus’s most interesting aspects is how it can work alongside the other new Borg artifact creatures. Cards such as Collation Trimatrix can benefit from its anthem effect, becoming larger threats while contributing to an artifact creature strategy built around maintaining a wide battlefield. Having multiple artifact creatures in play also helps enable Collation Trimatrix’s card-drawing ability, creating opportunities to generate additional value while developing your board.

The card becomes even more interesting when paired with Collective Drone, whose power is equal to the number of artifact creatures you control. With Locutus on the battlefield, Collective Drone receives an additional +1/+1, making it a potentially large threat as your Borg army grows. Other cards such as Extraction Integrant and Organic Avulsion Unit add menace-based combat pressure, making it harder for opponents to block your increasingly powerful artifact creatures.

Another promising interaction is with Overflow Submatrix, which allows you to cast artifact creature spells from your graveyard once during each of your turns. This provides additional resilience against removal while helping rebuild your battlefield and maintain Locutus’s anthem effect. There is also potential synergy with Primary Unimatrix Adjunct, which grants double strike to your artifact creatures, creating opportunities for explosive combat damage when combined with Locutus’s power boost.

Overall, Locutus, the One Who Speaks deserves attention as a possible centerpiece for a dedicated Orzhov or multicolor Borg artifact strategy in Standard. Its ability to strengthen an entire board of artifact creatures, combined with its alternative removal and lifegain ability, gives it flexibility beyond a conventional creature lord.

The biggest challenge will be establishing a sufficiently wide artifact creature board, but the new Star Trek cards provide several promising tools to make this strategy worth exploring once the set becomes Standard-legal this 2nd week of November.

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