Last updated on March 15, 2023
Gandalf, Friend of the Shire | Illustration by Dmitry Burmak
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!
While details are very sparse right now, we know a few things about The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth so far:
- This set will not be Standard legal. Instead it’ll be slotted straight into Modern.
- Cards will not be turned into traditional Magic cards, but Wizards reserves the right to reprint them or print a regular Magic version.
- But there will be Secret Lair cards that will have Magic card equivalents.
- The set is designed to be drafted, so we’ll most likely get a draft experience similar to Modern Horizons or Commander Legends.
- The set is coming to MTG Arena with all the same cards as the paper release and will be legal in Alchemy and Historic. It’s also going to get the same support as a typical main set, including a preorder bundle, Mastery Pass, and cosmetics.
The Lord of the Rings Basic Information
LotR: Tales of Middle-earth promo art
Set Details
| Set Symbol |  |
| Set Code | LTR |
| Hashtag | TBA |
| Number of Cards | TBA |
| Rarities | TBA |
| Mechanics | The Ring tempts you, Food tokens, more TBA |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| First Look | March 14, 2023 |
| Card previews | May 30 to June 9, 2023 |
| Commander previews and decklists | June 8, 2023 |
| Full gallery available | June 9, 2023 |
| Available on Draftsim's draft simulator | June 9, 2023 (estimated) |
| Prerelease events | June 16 to 22, 2023 |
| Release on MTG Arena | June 20, 2023 |
| Available on Arena Tutor | June 20, 2023 (estimated) |
| Paper release date | June 23, 2023 |
| Launch party events | June 23 to 25, 2023 |
| Bundle: Gift Edition release | July 7, 2023 |
| In-store celebration events | July 7 to 9, 2023 |
| Commander parties | July 21 to 23, 2023 |
| Store Championships | August 5 to 13, 2023 |
| Holiday release | November 3, 2023 |
About the Set: The Story
Gandalf the White | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve
Assuming they stick to the core books, we’ll probably see Tales of Middle-earth somewhere in the middle of the War of the Ring.
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. We don’t fully know what exactly this mechanic does just yet, only that it’ll be one of the main mechanics in the set. But an educated guess based on Frodo, Sauron’s Bane would be that various different cards have effects based on how many times the Ring has tempted you during the game, or even just whether or not the Ring has tempted you (or an opponent!) at all.
Food Tokens
It’s no surprise that Food tokens are returning for this set. We’re dealing with Hobbits, after all!
While most of the cards from First Looks that featured Food are from the Commander precons, The Shire legendary land gives us a little taste of what we can expect of this mechanic in the set. We’re sure to get plenty of Hobbits that create and use Food as more cards are revealed.
Official Spoilers
March 14, 2023
- Aragorn and Arwen, Wed
- Frodo, Sauron’s Bane
- Gollum, Patient Plotter
- Lórien Brooch
- Mount Doom
- Reprieve
- Samwise the Stouthearted
- Sauron, the Lidless Eye
- The Shire
- Tom Bombadil
- You Cannot Pass!
March 13, 2023
- Gandalf the Grey
- The One Ring
- Full-art map Forest
- Full-art map Island
- Full-art map Mountain
- Full-art map Plains
- Full-art map Swamp
Notable Cards
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 Nazgul. 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
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
- 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
- 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
- FOIL IN 33% OF PACKS—1 shiny Traditional Foil card of any rarity replaces a Common card in 33% of Draft Boosters
Set Boosters
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 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 AND FOIL IN EVERY PACK—Every Set Booster includes at least 1 shining Traditional Foil card and 1 Art Card showcasing a piece of art from the set, sometimes featuring a foil signature from the artist
- MAY INCLUDE MULTIPLE RARE CARDS—Every Set Booster contains a total of 12 MTG cards, including 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher
Collector Boosters
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 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 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 THE PRECIOUS—Collector Boosters are the only boosters that may include Serialized Ring cards; in some packs you may find Serialized Elven, Dwarven, or Human Sol Ring cards, and only one English-language Collector Booster in the entire world will contain The One Ring (Serialized 1 of 1) card. These cards have the same play mechanics as their non-serialized versions
- FULL OF RARE CARDS & GORGEOUS FOILS—these boosters are full of hard-to-find cards, with 5–7 cards of rarity Rare or higher, a total of 8–10 cards with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment, and 1 possible Surge Foil card in every pack
Jumpstart Boosters
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 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 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
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:
- 8 LotR: Tales of Middle-earth set boosters
- 4 foil alt-art promo cards
- 20 basic lands
- 20 foil basic lands
- 1 spindown life counter
- 1 card storage box
- 2 reference 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
- 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
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
- 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 THE PRECIOUS—the included Collector Booster may contain a Serialized Elven, Dwarven, or Human alt-art Sol Ring card, and just one English-language Collector Booster in the entire world will contain The One Ring (Serialized 1 of 1) card. These cards have the same play mechanics as their non-serialized versions.
- 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
Are you new to Magic and don’t quite know where to start? 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
- 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
- LEARN TO PLAY WITH A FRIEND—use the included How-to-Play Guide and an interactive online tutorial in Magic: The Gathering Arena to learn how to play Magic with a friend
- PLAY IN PERSON & ONLINE—in addition to physical decks, this kit includes codes for 2 people to unlock both decks to play each other online in MTG Arena, a digital platform available on desktop or mobile
- CONTENTS—2 ready-to-play 60-card decks (including 1 foil Mythic Rare card and 4 Rare cards), 1 Learn-to-Play Guide, 2 boxes to store your decks, and codes to unlock both decks to play online in MTG Arena
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
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
- 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
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.
- 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
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.
- 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 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.
- 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
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.
- 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
Closing the Red Book of Westmarch
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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