Last updated on March 7, 2024

Gandalf, Friend of the Shire | Illustration by Dmitry Burmak

Gandalf, Friend of the Shire | Illustration by Dmitry Burmak

Wanna get ready to play LTR? Check out our Limited set review!

With the new Universes Beyond series we were greeted with one of the most impressive feats yet: Hasbro somehow convinced the Tolkien estate to allow them to create an entire Lord of the Rings set!

Are you ready to experience The Shire, Mount Doom, and Rivendell in MTG? Let me introduce you to everything you need to know about Tales of Middle-earth. Don't worry, you can definitely pass here!

The Lord of the Rings Basic Information

LotR: Tales of Middle-earth promo art

LotR: Tales of Middle-earth promo art

Here are a few quick facts about The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth:

Set Details

Set SymbolThe Lord of the Rings Tale of Middle-earth set symbol
Set CodeLTR
Hashtag#MTGxLOTR
Number of Cards281 + 170
Rarities101 commons, 80 uncommons, 60 rares, 20 mythic rares, 20 basic lands
MechanicsThe Ring tempts you, Food tokens, amass, landcycling

Important Dates

EventDate
First LookMarch 14, 2023
Card previewsMay 30 to June 9, 2023
Commander previews and decklistsJune 8, 2023
Full gallery availableJune 9, 2023
Available on Draftsim's draft simulatorJune 9, 2023
Prerelease eventsJune 16 to 22, 2023
Release on MTG ArenaJune 20, 2023
Available on Arena TutorJune 20, 2023 (estimated)
Paper release dateJune 23, 2023
Launch party eventsJune 23 to 25, 2023
Bundle: Gift Edition releaseJuly 7, 2023
In-store celebration eventsJuly 7 to 9, 2023
Commander partiesJuly 21 to 23, 2023
Store ChampionshipsAugust 5 to 13, 2023
Holiday releaseNovember 3, 2023

About the Set: The Story

Gandalf the White - Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

Gandalf the White | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

For the uninitiated, Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy tale that spans three books. Without getting into the crazy mythos of Middle-earth, the story is about an evil entity known as “Sauron” who was defeated at the hands of men and elves after nearly destroying the realm. He needs his Ring of Power (known as “The One Ring”) to reform his physical form and finish what he started. But the ring was lost to time.

Unfortunately, a small hobbit eventually discovers that ring, which throws the world back into chaos. A small group of heroes known as the “Fellowship of the Ring” seeks to bring the ring to the mountain where it was forged, to destroy it once and for all.

Middle-earth is known as the “original” high-fantasy setting upon which almost all of the modern fantasy fiction stems, so we'll see a lot of fantasy tropes in this set. Elves, orcs, treefolk, hobbits, and humans all have a place here.

Set Mechanics

This set will be Modern and Historic legal, so I wouldn't be surprised if the power level is a bit above what we see in a typical Standard set. I don't expect it to be on par with a Modern Horizons set but there's a strong chance it'll be around there.

The Ring Tempts You

It wouldn't be a Lord of the Rings set without some temptation by the One Ring. Whenever you're tempted by the ring for the first time in a game, you're given an emblem called “The Ring” alongside the helper card. It starts off at the first, top ability, but gains other abilities and attaches to creatures each time you're tempted.

Food Tokens

It's no surprise that Food tokens are returning for this set. We're dealing with hobbits, after all!

Food tokens allow you to pay and sacrifice them to gain some life. You get these from cards like Butterbur, Bree Innkeeper and Second Breakfast, which seem appropriate.

Amass Orcs

Remember amass from War of the Spark? Well it's back, but this time you're making Orc Armys instead of Zombie Armys.

If you're not familiar, whenever you amass, if you don't already control an Army token then you create a 0/0 Orc Army. Then you put X +1+1 counters on said Army, where X is the amass number. If you already had an Orc Army token, then you put those counters on the existing token.

Landcycling

Tales of Middle-earth brings a cycle of landcycling cards, with one in each color. You're familiar with regular cycling, right? Well, landcycling is similar, except instead of just drawing a card after you discard (“cycle”) the cycling card, you search your library for a basic land that aligns with the landcycling card's land type.

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Full Gallery

White Cards

Blue Cards

Black Cards

Red Cards

Green Cards

Multicolored Cards

Colorless Cards

Lands

Notable Cards

The 1 of 1 Ring

The 1 of 1 Ring

Following the flavor of the One Ring, WotC is printing literally only one version of this special printing of The One Ring. Printed with the Black Speed of Sauron using Tengwar letterforms, this card will be found in literally one single English-language collector booster.

Yes, you read that right: this particular printing of The One Ring will only have one printed copy, ever. Boy would I like to be a fly on the wall when this thing gets opened, le'me tell ya.

Bundle Promos

While set bundles usually come with just one promo card, the Tales of Middle-earth bundles will come with four “borderless scene” promo cards. These special versions of Frodo, Sauron's Bane, Samwise the Stouthearted, Gollum, Patient Plotter, and The One Ring depict an important moment in LotR’s narrative, just before the One Ring was destroyed, when placed in a two-by-two card grid.

Showcase Ring Treatment

Showcasing more flavor for the set, the showcase Ring treatment will highlight 30 legendary cards during epic moments of the story. Most of these revolve around the One Ring, like Frodo, Sauron's Bane depicting Frodo donning the Ring for the first time to hide from the Nazgûl. Gandalf the Grey’s showcase ring treatment, however, depicts the moment Gandalf fell in the Mines of Moria to save the Fellowship from the Balrog.

Available Products

Draft Boosters

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth draft booster box

Interested in drafting LTR? Then you're gonna want the draft boosters. You can get the Tales of Middle-earth draft boosters individually, or in a display box of 36 packs.

The LTR draft boosters contain:

  • 1 land
  • 8-9 commons
  • 3-5 uncommons
  • 1-2 rares/mythics
  • 1 token/ad card
Sale
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Draft Booster Box - 36 Packs + 1 Box Topper Card
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP—Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with unique game mechanics and stunning art that draw you into this epic tale
  • BEST BOOSTERS FOR DRAFTING—Draft Boosters are designed to draft a deck and play with friends; everyone grabs 3 packs and passes them around to pick cards. Add some lands and you're ready for epic 2-player battles
  • EXPLORE MIDDLE-EARTH—33% of Draft Boosters contain a Land card featuring a Full-Art map of 1 of 10 different Middle-earth locations; collect them all and plot the journey of the Fellowship
  • 1 RARE OR MYTHIC RARE IN EVERY PACK—Every Draft Booster contains at least 1 card of rarity Rare or higher, with the possibility of getting an additional with a shining Traditional Foil treatment

Set Boosters

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set booster box

If Limited isn't your thing and you're not super interested in collecting all the flashy alternates and treatments, then you probably just want some set boosters. Just like always, you can buy individual LotR: Tales of Middle-earth set boosters or get a 30-pack display box.

The LTR set boosters contain:

  • 1 land
  • 2-7 commons
  • 3-8 uncommons
  • 1-5 rares/mythics
  • 1 art card
  • 1 token/ad card, Helper card, or The List card
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Set Booster Box - 30 Packs (360 Magic Cards)
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP—Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with unique game mechanics and stunning art that draw you into this epic tale
  • EXPLORE WITH SET BOOSTERS—Designed for a fun pack-opening experience, if you want to explore the set by opening packs just to see what you get, Set Boosters are for you
  • ART CARD, RARE CARD, AND FOIL IN EVERY PACK—Every Set Booster includes at least 1 shining Traditional Foil card, at least 1 card of rarity Rare or higher (with up to 4!), and 1 Art Card showcasing a piece of art from the set
  • ALTERNATE-ART CARD IN EVERY PACK—Whether it’s a Borderless Scene card with art that’s one piece of a larger, multi-card scene or a Showcase Ring card with art circled by the inscription from the One Ring, every Set Booster contains at least 1 special alt-art, alt-frame card

Collector Boosters

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth collector booster box

We don't know any of the special treatments and alternate arts this set will offer us yet, but if you know that aesthetics and collecting all the goodies are what you want, then you'll wanna snatch up some collector boosters. You can get the Tales of Middle-earth collector boosters in individual packs or a 12-pack display box.

The LTR collector boosters contain:

  • 1 land
  • 5 commons
  • 4 uncommons
  • 5 rares/mythics
  • 1 foil double-sided token
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Collector Booster Box - 12 Packs + 1 Box Topper Card
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings through the gorgeous art and thrilling gameplay of the Magic: The Gathering collectible trading card game
  • JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP—Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with unique game mechanics and stunning art that draw you into this epic tale
  • BEST BOOSTERS FOR COLLECTORS—Collector Boosters are a shortcut to the coolest cards in a set, with packs full of Rare cards, shiny foil cards, and special alt-art, alt-frame cards
  • FIND YOUR OWN RING OF POWER—Collector Boosters are the only boosters that may include Serialized Elven, Dwarven, or Human Sol Ring cards. These cards have the same play mechanics as their non-serialized versions. The Serialized 1 of 1 Ring was originally in an English Collector Booster but was found on June 30, 2023.
  • COLLECT BORDERLESS SCENE CARDS—Every Collector Booster contains at least 1 Scene card with Borderless art that’s one piece of a larger, multi-card scene; collect them all to piece together a full view of the most iconic moments from The Lord of the Rings

Jumpstart Boosters

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Jumpstart booster box

Wanna just smash too packs together and jump right into a game? If the answer is “yes,” then Jumpstart boosters are your thing! Each of these packs follows one of five themes and make a ready-to-play deck when you combine two of 'em. You can buy LotR: Tales of Middle-earth Jumpstart boosters in individual packs or a display box of 18 packs.

The LTR Jumpstart boosters contain:

  • 2 foil lands
  • 2 rares/mythics
  • 18 commons/uncommons
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Jumpstart Booster Box (18 Packs) - 2-Player Card Game
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP—Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with unique game mechanics and stunning art that draw you into this epic tale
  • BEST BOOSTERS TO JUMP RIGHT IN—Jumpstart Boosters are a fast, fun way to jump into the game; just grab a friend, open 2 packs each, shuffle them together, and play
  • 5 THEMES—Each pack has 1 of 5 possible themes (Courageous, Tricksy, Mordor, Marauders, or Journey) and each theme comes in 2 variants; mix and match to try different combos
  • 2 RARES + 2 FOIL LANDS IN EVERY PACK—Every pack contains 1 thematic Rare card designed specifically for Jumpstart Boosters, 1 Rare or Mythic Rare from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth main set, and 2 Land cards with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment

LotR: Tales of Middle-earth Bundle

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth bundle

If you don't wanna deal with any extras or fanfare, then the LotR: Tales of Middle-earth bundle is probably your best bet. It comes with everything you need to just jump right in and enjoy the set, no other accessories, packs, or purchases necessary!

The LTR bundles contain:

Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Bundle - 8 Set Boosters + Accessories
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP—Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with unique game mechanics and stunning art that draw you into this epic tale
  • A BUNDLE FULL OF CARDS & ACCESSORIES—Open a box full of The Lord of the Rings-themed Magic cards plus accessories, including Lands, a Spindown life counter, and more
  • 4 MOUNT DOOM SCENE CARDS—Every Bundle includes 4 Traditional Foil cards with Borderless alt-art that combine to depict a full scene of the moment Gollum and The One Ring fall to their destruction in the fires of Mount Doom
  • EXPLORE WITH SET BOOSTERS—Set Boosters are specifically designed for a fun pack-opening experience, including at least 1 shining Traditional Foil card and 1 Art Card in every pack

LotR: Tales of Middle-earth Gift Bundle

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth gift bundle

Maybe you have a friend that's really into Magic, or not quite into MTG but they love LotR and you're trying to convert them. Well, look no further than the LotR: Tales of Middle-earth gift bundle! This bundle comes with everything a prospective LotR and/or Magic lover needs to get started in this set.

The LTR gift bundles contain:

  • 8 set boosters
  • 1 collector booster
  • 20 basic lands
  • 20 foil basic lands
  • 4 foil alternate-art cards
  • 1 oversized spindown life counter
  • 1 card storage box
  • 2 reference cards
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Gift Bundle - 8 Set Boosters, 1 Collector Booster + Accessories
  • ONE GIFT TO RULE THEM ALL—The perfect present for Magic and The Lord of the Rings fans alike, this Gift Bundle is full of The Lord of the Rings-themed Magic cards and accessories, including a Collector Booster full of special, hard-to-find cards
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • A BOOSTER FULL OF RARES & ALT-ART CARDS—In addition to the usual Bundle goodies, this Gift Bundle includes a 15-card Collector Booster containing 5–7 cards of rarity Rare or higher, a total of 8–10 cards with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment, 1 possible Surge Foil card, and tons of special alt-art, alt-frame cards
  • FIND YOUR OWN RING OF POWER—The included Collector Booster may include Serialized Elven, Dwarven, or Human Sol Ring cards. These cards have the same play mechanics as their non-serialized versions. The Serialized 1 of 1 Ring was originally in an English Collector Booster but was found on June 30, 2023.
  • 4 MOUNT DOOM SCENE CARDS—Every Gift Bundle includes 4 Traditional Foil cards with Borderless alt-art that combine to depict a full scene of the moment Gollum and The One Ring fall to their destruction in the fires of Mount Doom

Starter Kit

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth starter kit

Are you new to Magic and don't quite know where to start learning how to play? Maybe you're a LotR lover and this set has persuaded you to give MTG a shot. You're in luck, because the LotR: Tales of Middle-earth starter kit is quite literally made for you and a friend to open and jump into a game!

The LTR starter kits contain:

  • 2 ready-to-play 60-card decks
  • 4 double-sided tokens
  • 2 deck boxes
  • 1 how-to-play guide booklet
  • 2 double-sided reference cards
  • 2 MTG Arena promo codes for the decks
Sale
Magic: The Gathering Lord of The Rings Starter Kit - 2 Ready-to-Play Decks, 2 Online Codes, Ages 13+, 2 Players
  • MAGIC: THE GATHERING MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS: Experience the epic story of The Lord of the Rings and learn how to play Magic with this Magic: The Gathering The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Starter Kit. For 2 players. Ages 13+
  • JOIN THE FOLLOWSHIP: Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with thematic game mechanics and gorgeous card art, battling alongside your favorite The Lord of the Rings characters
  • LEARN TO PLAY MAGIC WITH A FRIEND: Use the included how-to-play guide or the interactive online tutorial in Magic: The Gathering Arena, a digital platform available on desktop or mobile, and enjoy 2-player battles
  • TWO READY-TO-PLAY 60-CARD DECKS: This Starter Kit comes with 2 beautifully illustrated premade decks, including 1 foil Mythic Rare card and 4 Rare cards in each one, and 2 deck boxes for easy storage
  • FIGHT FOR THE FATE OF MIDDLE-EARTH: Choose the Black-Red deck to join Sauron and the hordes of Mordor or fight for the Free Peoples of Middle-earth with the Green-White deck

Prerelease Pack

The Lord of the Rings Tales of Middle-earth prerelease pack

Prerelease packs are the best way to build a Sealed deck, right out of the box. The LotR: Tales of Middle-earth prerelease packs are available for preorder leading up to a set's release and offer plenty of goodies for players that are excited for the set.

The LTR prerelease packs contain:

  • 6 LotR: Tales of Middle-earth draft boosters
  • 1 foil rare/mythic
  • 1 foil promo card
  • 1 helper card
  • 1 MTG Arena promo code (in select regions)
  • 1 deck box
  • 1 spindown life counter

Commander Decks

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Commander precons bundle

LotR: Tales of Middle-earth will release with four EDH precons. Each LTR Commander deck contains:

  • 2 foil legendary cards
  • 98 nonfoil cards
  • 10 specialty cards
  • 1 2-card collector booster sample pack
  • 1 foil-etched display commander
  • 10 double-sided tokens
  • 1 deck box
  • 1 life wheel
  • 1 special die
  • 1 strategy insert
  • 1 reference card
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Commander Deck Bundle – Includes Pack of 4 Decks
  • 4 THE LORD OF THE RINGS-THEMED COMMANDER DECKS—Get all 4 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Commander Decks, with 1 Riders of Rohan, 1 Food and Fellowship, 1 Elven Council, and 1 The Hosts of Mordor; each 100-card deck contains 2 Foil Legendary Creature cards and 98 nonfoil cards
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
  • INTRODUCING 80 COMMANDER CARDS—Each deck introduces 20 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
  • COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 special treatment cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil

Riders of Rohan

Commander precon

The Riders of Rohan precon will, as I’m sure you can guess, focus on the Riders of Rohan (go figure). In case you’re unfamiliar, this refers to the second chapter of The Two Towers wherein Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli meet Éomer and his company in the wilderness, and Aragorn refers to them as the “Riders of Rohan.”

The character on the precon definitely isn’t Éomer, though, and might instead be a depiction of Éowyn, a noblewoman and shieldmaiden of Rohan.

Upgrade this precon!

Magic The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Commander Deck 1 + Collector Booster Sample Pack
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
  • RIDERS OF ROHAN—Join the riders of Rohan with a 100-card Blue-Red-White deck containing 2 Foil Legendary Creature cards and 98 nonfoil cards
  • INTRODUCES 20 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 20 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
  • COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 special treatment cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil

Food and Fellowship

Commander precon

It wouldn’t be a Lord of the Rings set without Sam and Frodo partners, would it? Food and Fellowship is a Food-focused precon that will also likely feature other members of the Fellowship, likely with tribal synergies focused around team-boosting abilities.

Upgrade this precon!

Magic The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Commander Deck 2 + Collector Booster Sample Pack
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
  • FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP—Get a 100-card White-Black-Green The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth deck containing 2 Foil Legendary Creature cards and 98 nonfoil cards
  • INTRODUCES 20 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 20 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
  • COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 special treatment cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil

Elven Council

Elven Council Commander precon

Elven Council will have a scry subtheme and, I’m sure, elf tribal synergies. We’ll see characters from the Elven Council including Elrond and (my guess for the commander based on the precon art) Galadriel.

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Sale
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Commander Deck 3 + Collector Booster Sample Pack
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
  • ELVEN COUNCIL—Join the elven council with a 100-card Green-Blue deck containing 2 Foil Legendary Creature cards and 98 nonfoil cards
  • INTRODUCES 20 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 20 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
  • COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 special treatment cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil

The Hosts of Mordor

The Hosts of Mordor Commander precon

Sauron will lead The Hosts of Mordor precon, almost undoubtedly flanked by hordes of orcs and trolls. I imagine this will be an aggro or combat-focused deck with lots of destruction effects to absolutely decimate your opponents.

Upgrade this precon!

Sale
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Commander Deck 4 + Collector Booster Sample Pack
  • MAGIC MEETS THE LORD OF THE RINGS—Experience the beloved story of The Lord of the Rings with the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, facing off against opponents in thrilling magical battles
  • EPIC MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue
  • THE HOSTS OF MORDOR—Join the hosts of Mordor with a 100-card Blue-Black-Red deck containing 2 Foil Legendary Creature cards and 98 nonfoil cards
  • INTRODUCES 20 COMMANDER CARDS—This deck introduces 20 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
  • COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 special treatment cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil

MaRo's LTR Teaser

Before previews for The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth ™ officially begin, I thought it would be fun to do another of my Duelist-style teasers where I give tiny hints of things to come. Note that I’m only giving you partial information.

First up, here are some things you can expect:  

• five different card types get the legendary supertype

• a decently sized “legendary matters” theme

• new nonmana ward costs  

• a mechanic returns but now references a different creature type

• a card that makes a Smaug creature token  

• two three-color and one four-color legendary creature to go along with the five-color one already previewed

• a lot of one-of “creature type matters” cards

• a mechanic returns that I had to fight tooth and nail to get into the set it premiered in

• a new creature type gets its own equip cost

• some counters in the set: burden, deathtouch, first strike, hope, indestructible, influence, lifelink, lore, stun, verse, vigilance, and +1/+1

Next, here are some rules text that will be showing up on cards:  

• “Whenever you attack with Merry and another legendary creature,”

• “Then create a Food token for each creature you control.”

• “Remove an indestructible counter from Arwen:”

• “Copy any number of target instant and/or sorcery spells.”

• “Whenever you draw a card during an opponent’s turn, create a 1/1 blue Tentacle creature token.”

• “Whenever a creature an opponent control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Legolas.”

• “Target opponent gains control of target Horse you control.”

• “When this ability resolves for the third time this turn, Gimli fights up to one target creature you don’t control.”

• “You may pay 0 rather than pay the equip cost of the first equip ability you activate during each of your turns.”  

• “Whenever you put one or more counters on Aragorn, put one of each of those kinds of counters on up to one other target creature.”

Here are some legendary creature type lines in the set:  

• Legendary Creature – Avatar Demon

• Legendary Creature – Bird Noble

• Legendary Creature – Halfling Knight

• Legendary Creature – Halfling Soldier

• Legendary Creature – Horse

• Legendary Creature – Kraken

• Legendary Creature – Nymph

• Legendary Creature – Spirit Noble

• Legendary Creature – Spider Demon

• Legendary Creature – Wraith Noble

Finally, here are some card names from the set:

• Birthday Escape  

• Breaking of the Fellowship

• Fear, Fire, Foes!

• Grond, the Gatebreaker  

• Horses of the Bruinen

• Lembas

• One Ring to Rule Them All

• Oliphaunt

• Second Breakfast

• There and Back Again

MaRo, Blogatog

Closing the Red Book of Westmarch

MTG x LotR

MTG x LotR

I'm very excited about this set. I'm a massive LotR fan, even going so far to have the White Tree of Gondor tattooed on my arm. I hope this set overperforms, but either way I’ll show my support for it as long as it looks accurate to the source material.

How about you, dear reader? Are you awaiting the stories of elves, hobbits, dwarves, and men? Or do you prefer your goblins to go WAAAAGH instead? Let me know in the comments down below.

As for me, I've got to re-read the Silmarillion and hype myself for the new Amazon show. Have a good one!


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2 Comments

  • Avatar
    chris May 4, 2023 12:11 pm

    do we have an official card list for this set? thanks

    • Nikki
      Nikki May 4, 2023 2:15 pm

      Not yet, no. The last official previews were mid-March, and we won’t get any more (aside from potential leaks) until preview season which starts on May 30 going to June 9.

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