Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Foil chase and the Squadron Carrier phenomenon
Collectors love the shimmer of foil, the snap of color on the edge of a card, and the thrill of a treasure hunt—especially when the hunt centers on a beloved design from a newer digital-forward set. While not every card is blessed with a foil version in every printing, the aura of foil chase remains a cornerstone of MTG collecting culture. The artifact in question, Squadron Carrier, is a fascinating lens into how design, metrics, and mood collide in the modern MTG ecosystem 🧙🔥💎. As an uncommon artifact from Alchemy: Edge of Eternities, it carries a distinct digital provenance and a flavor that leans into starfarer fantasy and orbital warfare with a wink to the audience of MTG’s Arena environment 🎲⚔️.
A quick primer on the card and its origin
Squadron Carrier is an Artifact — Spacecraft with a mana cost of 2W, yielding a 3-CMC card that lands squarely in White’s wheelhouse. In the Alchemy: Edge of Eternities set, it carries the rarity label of uncommon and exists as a digital print in Arena rather than a traditional foil option within that set. The card’s identity is tied to a crewed starship motif—Spacecraft you control gain a powerful, game-altering ability: Exhaust — {W}: Conjure a card named Starfighter Pilot onto the battlefield. In addition, the text includes a station mechanic and a global flyer buff: Station 10+; Creatures you control have flying. The numbers—4 powered by 4 toughness—make Squadron Carrier a sturdy midrange workhorse that can anchor a tempo or midrange strategy in the right shell. The card’s illustration is credited to Sergey Glushakov, a detail fans often study as closely as the card’s mechanics 🧙🔥🎨.
What exactly makes a foil version so sought after—and why Squadron Carrier still sparks interest
- Visual spectacle: Foil finishes refract light and accentuate edges, which makes lines, chrome, and artwork pop in ways nonfoil cards never quite replicate. Even if this particular print is nonfoil in Arena, collectors still chase foil possibilities across other printings or future reprints where the visual ripple effect becomes a coveted trophy 💎.
- Texture and rarity perception: Foil cards are often perceived as rarer or more valuable in the broader market, creating a psychological incentive to chase a version that gleams with a premium feel—especially for cards that feel thematic to a spacefaring, high-velocity aesthetic 🧭⚔️.
- Set design empathy: Alchemy’s digital-first approach leans into dynamic mechanics like Conjure and Spacecraft, inviting collectors to imagine how a foil treatment would amplify the sense of scale on a ship ready to deploy a Starfighter Pilot. The mental image alone can ignite a chase for those who savor the lore of orbital fleets and the chrome of stellar hardware 🎨.
Mechanical heart: how Squadron Carrier plays out on the battlefield
Two things stand out in this card’s design: the “Spacecraft” trait and the token-summoning edge. First, Spacecraft you control have Exhaust — {W}: Conjure a card named Starfighter Pilot onto the battlefield. This is a classic digital-era twist on a familiar theme: you get a wingman for a cost that scales with the planet’s glow. Conjure creates a temporary, tangible sense of momentum—your board becomes a rotating squad of pilots that fuel your future plays 🧙🔥.
Second, the inclusion of Station and the global buff—Creatures you control have flying—gives your menagerie a reliable aerial advantage. In terms of gameplay, this means you’re often looking to pair Squadron Carrier with flying threats or token generators to maximize evasion and reach. The 4/4 body ensures it can pressure both the air and the ground, even when other pieces are still warming up their engines.
Strategic angles for Arena and Beyond
- Tempo and tempo-forward decks: With a 3-cost body that triggers a recurring token ability, you can pressure opponents while building a flying air force that makes blocking a costly proposition. The “Exhaust” mechanic adds a layer of resource management—every activation of Exhaust is a decision about timing and advantage 🪄.
- Token synergies: Starfighter Pilot tokens, conjured by Exhaust, create a moving goalpost for your opponent. You want to ensure you have a plan for those pilots once they hit the battlefield, whether by leveraging flying clearance or using them as a bridge to bigger threats 🎲.
- Deck alignment in Arena’s landscape: The card’s legalities list indicates its presence in Arena formats like Historic and Gladiator, which means it can slot into digital-centric strategies that prize versatility and board presence. If you’re building around Conjure engines and Station-based buffs, Squadron Carrier can anchor your air superiority plan while your other threats close the game line 📈.
Art, lore, and the allure of the set’s design language
Sergey Glushakov’s artwork for Squadron Carrier pins that sense of gleaming hardware and planetary ambition. The “Spacecraft” motif evokes engine warmth and a cockpit glow that fans recognize from countless sci-fi sleeves—perfect for players who love a little neon mythos with their mana curves. In Alchemy: Edge of Eternities, the set’s digital footprint invites players to experiment with “what-if” hardware fantasies, weaving a narrative through your battlefield choices as you conjure pilots and push your creatures into flight 🧙🔥🎨.
Foils, value, and the collector’s mindset
Even when a card itself isn’t foil within a given print run, foil chase remains a cultural staple of MTG collecting. The pursuit is not merely about money; it’s about the thrill of the chase, the thrill of the shimmer, and the joy of owning a piece that feels special in person. Squadron Carrier embodies a design that resonates with collectors who love spacefaring themes, token ecosystems, and the tactile magnetism of foil finishes elsewhere in their collections. The rarity label and the digital nature of the card remind us that collector value is as much about the story, the playstyle, and the moment you first flipped that perfect, game-winning sequence as it is about the price tag 💎.
A look at the broader collector ecosystem
For many players, the chase extends beyond any single card. It’s about how a design—like a Spacecraft that generates Starfighter Pilot tokens—fits into your overall narrative of the deck, your favorite formats, and your personal taste in art. Squadron Carrier’s aura—an uncommon, white-aligned artifact with robust flying upside—speaks to a balanced, midrange tempo that can slot into a range of modern and digital strategies. It’s also a reminder of how digital sets push designers to explore dynamic interactions—interactions that, even without a foil shell, spark lively conversations in forums and at kitchen-table playgroups across the globe 🧙♂️🎲.
In the end, the fascination with foil finishes—and with Squadron Carrier’s distinctive design—goes beyond value charts. It’s about the story you tell with your deck, the glint of a card catching the light as you execute a careful plan, and the shared love of a universe where engineers, pilots, and pilots-in-training converge on a single battlefield. If you’re hunting for a way to vibe with neon energy in your life beyond the game, consider a small, stylish nod to the aesthetic with a Neon Tough Phone Case—stylish, durable, and built to survive the next skirmish, whether it’s a casual Friday game night or a high-stakes Saturday tournament 🔥⚔️🎨.