What it does
Station is a mechanic on certain nonland artifacts (often Spacecraft) that lets you tap untapped creatures you control to add "charge counters" to the permanent. On your turn, you activate the station ability and tap any number of creatures, adding charge counters equal to their total power. Once the artifact reaches certain counter thresholds (like STATION 5, 8, or 12), it gains new abilities or becomes a creature—effectively "powering up" over time.
The big nuance: tapping creatures for station isn't an attack or a normal tap-for-cost like crewing repeatedly—you can only station during your turn, at sorcery speed, and creatures must be untapped. Counters stay permanently, so progress accumulates across turns; you don't lose them between upkeeps.
In Commander, station rewards going wide—lots of small creatures let you hit high thresholds fast, and once "stationed," these artifacts often become huge threats. Protect the artifact, since losing it wastes all banked counters.
Iconic cards with Station
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