The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Mechanics

Magic: The Gathering is full of incredible worlds. From the steampunk splendor of Kaladesh to the stained-glass reaches of Dominaria, it’s built up its own multiverse stunningly over the last 30 years. However, in fantasy, there’s always going to be one name that outranks all others, and we’re about to head there for MTG’s next set. That’s right, we’re off to Middle-earth.

Adapting the three books of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Magic’s Lord of the Rings: Tales Of Middle-earth brings names like Frodo, Gandalf, Eowyn, Sauron, and Gollum to the game for the first time ever. Designed not just for Commander, Vintage and Legacy, but also as a straight-to-Modern set, this is the biggest crossover Magic has ever done, and you’re not going to want to miss it.

As far as mechanics go, Tales of Middle-earth is mostly sticking to things we’ve already seen, but with new twists. Food tokens are a big part of the set, so you too can recreate those Hobbit feasts. However, with cards like Bill the Pony and Samwise Gamgee, there’s lots of new and interesting ways to use your meals.

We’re also seeing the return of amass, last seen in the War of the Spark. Instead of just a Zombie army, though, here you’ll be able to build up the forces of Mordor with a massive Orc army, thanks to cards like The Torment of Gollum, Shagrat, Loot Bearer, and The Mouth of Sauron. Orcs get a lot of love in this set, making this new take on amass a lot scarier than the first time around!

But of course, the big new thing for Tales of Middle-earth is the addition of being tempted by the ring. When you’re tempted, you create an emblem and designate one of your creatures as your Ring-bearer. The more you tempt, the more powerful the emblem gets, and the more abilities it’ll give to your Ring-bearer. While it does turn that creature into a removal lightning rod (as you’d hope for anyone clutching the one ring), you’ll also be able to drain your opponents and maybe even make them sacrifice some creatures in the process.

The art in this set is absolutely stunning, giving us a fresh new take on the Lord of the Rings that you’ve never seen before. Alt-art cards showcase the biggest trials the characters face in the story, such as Sauron’s defeat or Merry at the battle of Pelennor Fields – complete with stark colour contrasts and a visually fascinating ring-like frame.

There’s also the borderless scene cards to collect. These all come together to make a larger image, such as of those Pelennor Fields, Frodo and Gollum in Mount Doom, or, my personal favourite, a gorgeous shot of the Ents, Orcs, and Saruman himself fighting it out. Any trade binder will look just amazing with a scene spread out in it, so make sure you keep an eye out for those! Best of all, the bundle comes with the Mount Doom scene included, meaning you have an easy way to get your hands on one.

Collector’s boosters are the real appeal this time, though, thanks to the serialised rings. The Commander staple Sol Ring is up for grabs with unique serial numbers to make each copy unique: 3,300 rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, 7,700 for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, and 9,900 for the Mortal Men Doomed to Die. These are split between non-foil an a special halo foil treatment, and any one of them would either be a massive money pull if you find it in a booster pack, or one heck of a bling upgrade for your Commander deck!

There’s also the matter of The One Ring itself. While you can find the card in regular boosters, and will even get one in the bundle box, everybody is in an absolute frenzy looking for easily the rarest Magic: The Gathering card ever printed: the one-of-one The One Ring. Found in one English-language Collector’s booster, this unique copy of The One Ring has special art and a number to identify it as a one-off. Only one copy of it will ever be printed, making it rarer than even the Black Lotus. Considering some hardcore collectors have put out bounties as high as two million dollars for it, you could have an absolutely incredible pull if you pull this precious.

It wouldn’t be a Magic set without Commander decks! Lord of the Rings is coming with four Commander decks ready to open and play straight out of the box: the white/black/green Food and Fellowship, which lets you play as the central heroes of the entire story, Frodo and Samwise. There’s the blue/red/white Riders of Rohan, letting you go wide with loads of Human creature tokens, led by Eowyn, Shieldmaiden. If you want to get a bit more political, there’s the blue/green Elven Council deck that’s focused on casting big spells and calling lots of votes at the table. Finally, there’s the Hosts of Mordor, a blue/black/red deck that wants to amass an army of Orcs, and sacrifice creatures for the glory of Lord Sauron.

Each deck includes dozens of cards never before seen, as well as some really cracking reprints. I desperately want Riders of Rohan to get my hands on that Combat Celebrant! Each deck also comes with a two-card Collector’s sample pack, which can include any of the fancy art treatments found in a Collector’s booster (bar the One Ring).

Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth carries on an absolute blockbuster year for Magic. Whether you’re a die-hard Tolkien fan wanting to see your favourite characters in a whole new way, or a seasoned pro wanting new cards for your Modern, Commander, or even Oathbreaker deck, Tales of Middle-earth is a set that’s going to go down in Magic history.

Make sure you’ve preordered your singles, booster boxes, bundled, Commander decks, and even the special Starter kit through Magic Madhouse today!