Last updated on October 8, 2024
Hobbit's Sting | Illustration by Viko Menezes
It seems like almost every new Magic set brings with it a new style of foil treatment. Though it can be cool to get unique types of cards, especially if certain foil treatments curl less than regular foils, it can also be a little confusing at times to keep up with all the different types of treatments. This can be especially stressful for collectors who want to keep track of all these new card styles and have to understand the sometimes-subtle differences between them.
In the Special Edition of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, we got a unique foil treatment known as silver foils. This foiling process could pop back up again in other sets but hasn't.
Let’s look at the silver foil treatment, how to recognize it, and where to find it. I also quickly go over the value of silver foils and some similar treatments.
What Is a Silver Foil in MTG?
East-Mark Cavalier | Illustration by Viko Menezes
Silver foils are cards with a type of foil treatment which appears in the Special Edition Collector Boosters of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, released on November 3, 2023.
It’s important to note that silver foils are different from the black and white silver screen foils that were found in Innistrad: Double Feature.
How Do You Identify a Silver Foil?
Unlike a traditional foil, which looks like a rainbow of colors on a card, silver foils are only one color. They give the card a silver metallic sheen. From the images released by Wizards so far, the foil appears to have a somewhat granular texture, though I don’t think it’s one you can actually feel. It’s just the way this foil treatment looks.
How Do You Get Silver Foils?
Silver foils are only available in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Special Edition Collector Booster. Each booster has a certain number of these cards, so if you want silver foil cards you can for sure get them here.
- A PRECIOUS GIFT FOR FANS—These Special Edition Collector Boosters celebrate decades of fandom and love for The Lord of the Rings with packs full of special treats for fans, including more Lord of the Rings-inspired cards, plus exclusive alt-art and special treatments
- BROTHERS HILDEBRANDT CARDS—In some packs you may find a Borderless reprint featuring fan-favorite 1970s The Lord of the Rings art by beloved fantasy artists Greg and Tim Hildebrandt
- MAY CONTAIN SERIALIZED CARDS—Some packs may contain a Serialized version of a Borderless Poster card, with art and text styled after concert posters, or Serialized Borderless Realms & Relics cards representing items and locations from across Middle-earth (Special Edition Collector Boosters do not contain Serialized Ring cards)
- SPECIAL FOIL CARDS—Full of special foil treatments, every Special Edition booster contains 5–6 Silver Foil cards with a unique metallic sheen and 2–3 Surge Foil cards with a rippling shine
- 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
What Types of Packs Have Silver Foils?
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Special Edition Collector Booster are the only kind of boosters that have silver foils as of now.
What Sets Have Silver Foils?
The only set that has silver foils is The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, and within the set they can only be found in the LTR Special Edition Collector Boosters. This means Draft boosters, Set boosters, and even normal Collector boosters from the Lord of the Rings set don’t have silver foils in them.
What Are the Odds of Opening a Silver Foil?
You’re guaranteed to open 5 silver foil cards in each Tales of Middle-earth Special Edition Collector Booster. These boosters also include a slot that may contain a silver foil version of a Brothers Hildebrant card.
The chances of getting a silver foil Brothers Hildebrant card in this slot is 38.8%. You may also get a non-foil Brothers Hildebrant card, a borderless poster card in foil or non-foil, and you have a 0.1% chance of getting a serialized poster card. You can see a full breakdown of what these boosters contain on Wizards’ website.
Are Silver Foils Valuable?
The cards themselves may be valuable, but the silver foil aspect does not necessarily add to its value. Because silver foils are no rarer than the non-foil versions, their value comes down to player preference.
In each Tales of Middle-earth Special Edition Collector Booster, you receive an equal number of silver foil and non-foil cards in the showcase style: Scrolls of Middle-earth. These are the majority of the types of cards that silver foils appear on, and this is the only place to get this specific showcase style. Silver foils are generally a well-done treatment, but there are a good number of players who prefer non-foil versions of the cards.
The only other type of card that can come in silver foil are the special Brothers Hildebrant cards in these packs. You have an equal chance of getting a silver foil Brothers Hildebrant card as you do a non-foil one, so again it matters if the treatment is one the collector prefers. I see silver foils of these cards as worth a bit more, just because there’s a chance you don’t even get a Brothers Hildebrant card in a pack, let alone a silver foil one.
Silver Foils vs. Regular Foils
Regular or traditional foils give cards a rainbow effect. Silver foils on the contrary have a silver metallic look to them and don’t appear to have different colors.
Silver Foils vs. Etched Foils
Etched foil treatments are a little different from other foils because they aren’t applied to the entire card. Instead, the etched foil effect is used to highlight only specific areas of the card. Silver foils are more like traditional foils as the treatment is applied to the entire card face and not just certain areas.
Can All Cards Be Found as Silver Foils or Only Certain Ones?
All cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Midde-earth are reprinted in the Scrolls of Middle-earth showcase treatment and all of them can be found in silver foil. However, you can’t get silver foil versions of Middle-earth cards that aren’t also showcase versions.
The only other type of cards that have silver foils are the Brothers Hildebrant cards, which are all reprints with new artwork that went straight to Commander.
Do Silver Foil Cards Warp or Bend More than Regular Foils?
Not really, silver foil cards behave similar to regular foils. Some specific foil treatments curl more than others, and this one is about average.
Are Silver Foils Tournament Legal?
Yes. As long as the card itself is legal in the type of tournament you are playing, it doesn’t matter if it is silver foil. Cards with a silver border aren’t tournament legal.
Wrap Up
Erebor Flamesmith | Illustration by L J Koh
Silver foils cards are a unique treatment that can only be found in one set. With how prevalent they are in the boosters they come in, they aren't especially valuable. They are still a very cool-looking treatment. If you enjoy the aesthetic of foil cards, you may want to pick up a Lord of the Rings Special Edition Booster and see for yourself if silver foils are a treatment you enjoy.
Did you pull some sweet silver foils? Do you think they curl more than others? What do you think about all these different types of foils? Let me know in the comments or on Draftsim’s Twitter/X.
Thank you for reading and see you next time!
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