The Science! preconstructed Commander deck from the Universes Beyond: Fallout set invites players into a world of irradiated ingenuity, where energy counters and artifact synergies collide in a Jeskai-coloured experiment. Led by Dr. Madison Li, this deck promises a blend of resource generation, technological recursion, and thematic flair drawn straight from the Fallout universe. But while the concept is compelling and the card pool includes some intriguing tools, Science! ultimately feels more like a prototype than a polished invention; interesting to explore, but lacking the firepower to stand on its own.
The face commander for this deck is, as mentioned above, Dr. Madison Li. Dr. Li is a 2/3 Human Scientist who rewards artifact casting with energy counters and offers three activated abilities: granting haste and trample, drawing cards, and reanimating artifacts. On paper, she’s a versatile energy sink, but in practice, her abilities often feel underwhelming for their cost; at least in the deck as sold.
The alternative commander for this deck is Liberty Prime, Recharged. This 8/8 Robot with vigilance, trample, and haste is a more straightforward threat. It requires energy to attack or block, but its activated ability – sacrificing artifacts for energy and card draw – offers what might well be a more reliable path to value. It’s certainly more fun.
Looking at the deck, there are some problems, but there are also some definite strengths to be found, including:
- Energy Revival: The deck brings back the energy mechanic with cards like Automated Assembly Line, Electrosiphon, and Glimmer of Genius, giving players a taste of Kaladesh-style gameplay.
- Artifact Synergy: With staples like Panharmonicon, Mystic Forge, and Steel Overseer, the deck leans into artifact value engines. You can also pump out food artifacts with the fantastic Nuka-Cola Vending Machine.
- Flavorful Fallout Integration: The inclusion of characters like Nick Valentine, Private Eye and Curie, Emergent Intelligence adds thematic charm, especially for fans of the Fallout universe.
Whilst there are some real strengths here, particularly around the theming, there are a lot of issues, and the deck does feel somewhat lacklustre. Here are a few prominent weaknesses faced by this deck:
- Lack of Payoffs: While the deck generates energy well, it struggles to convert that energy into meaningful game impact. Many of Dr. Li’s abilities are too expensive or situational to swing the game.
- Clunky Win Conditions: Cards like Mechanized Production and Sentinel Sarah Lyons offer potential finishers, but they rely on narrow setups that rarely come together organically.
- Low Interaction: The deck includes only a handful of removal and counterplay options, making it vulnerable to faster or more interactive strategies.
The deck isn’t good. It’s just lacking. It could have some legs with some upgrades, though. You could try to:
- Add more impactful energy sinks like Aetherworks Marvel or Dynavolt Tower.
- Include efficient artifact recursion like Goblin Welder or Scrap Trawler.
- Improve the mana base with better fixing and utility lands.
It was odd that this Jeskai energy deck was so quickly followed up a few sets later with another Jeskai energy deck in the form of Modern Horizons III’s Creative Energy deck. I reviewed that deck a few weeks ago. Where Science! falters on its own, it blends rather well with the Creative Energy precon. Satya’s aggressive token-copying and energy generation can fuel Dr. Li’s abilities, while Creative Energy’s stronger payoffs, like Brudiclad and Lightning Runner, give Science! the closing power it lacks. Together, they form a more cohesive and explosive energy deck. There are plenty of ways to combine these precons into a more effective, curated deck.
Look, Science! is a flavorful and mechanically interesting precon that reintroduced energy with style, but not with teeth. It’s a great starting point for tinkerers and Fallout fans, but it needs a lot of upgrades or merging with some of the elements of the Creative Energy precon to truly shine.
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