Lord of The Rings First Look: Magic the Gathering (MTG) Spoilers

By | Bullscore 11 Apr, 2023

Wizards of the Coast is set to release a new MTG set called The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth in June. This set is playable in both Modern and Eternal formats, as well is designed for Limited Draft play. With over 200 regular cards and various variants, the set offers a full MTG experience. Pre-order options include four Commander Precon decks, two bundles, Jumpstart boosters, and a starter kit. Spoilers began on March 13, revealing characters like Gandalf the Grey, The One Ring, and full art basic lands. The March 14 spoilers featured additional characters such as Frodo, Sauron’s Bane, Samwise the Stouthearted, Tom Bombadil, and Sol Ring.

The One Ring

The One Ring, a legendary Artifact in the Lord of the Rings tale, has been reimagined as a four-drop Artifact card that cannot be destroyed. When cast, the controller of The One Ring gains protection from all sources of damage for that turn. Additionally, players can choose to tap The One Ring, which adds a Burden counter and allows them to draw a card. At the beginning of each upkeep, The One Ring deals one point of damage for each Burden counter it has. Moreover, the number of Burden counters on The One Ring determines how many cards can be drawn from the Artifact.

Gandalf The Grey

In LTR, MTG Gandalf exists in three different versions, among which is Gandalf the Grey. This particular version has four modal abilities that activate upon casting an Instant or Sorcery spell. The wizard is a legendary card that belongs to the Red and Blue color categories and requires a casting cost of 3UR.

Gandalf’s abilities are versatile and can have a significant impact on the board state, making him a valuable asset for players willing to invest in the five-cost requirement. Additionally, the final ability of Gandalf’s departure from the battlefield is an impressive nod to the card’s overall theme, showcasing WotC’s commitment to maintaining a cohesive and flavorful design.

Full Art LTR Basic Land Cycle

In Magic: The Gathering, each of the five basic lands is designed to showcase a specific section of the Middle-Earth map. The Plains land type, for instance, portrays The Shire and nearby Hobbit towns, while Island displays the Belegaer Sea and Eriador.

Frodo, Sauron’s Bane

Frodo, Sauron’s Bane is a legendary creature in Magic: The Gathering, belonging to the White and Black color categories. Although it has a low casting cost of one White mana, it requires Black mana to level up and transform into a Scout capable of winning the game through the Ring’s tempting mechanic.

Samwise The Stouthearted

Like Gandalf and Frodo, Sam also has several versions in Magic: The Gathering, with this particular version being an Uncommon rarity legendary creature. Samwise the Stouthearted has the ability to use Flash and an Enter the Battlefield effect that allows players to return a permanent from their graveyard to their hand, but only if that permanent was put into the graveyard during the current turn.

Gollum, Patient Plotter

Gollum, Patient Plotter is another Uncommon rarity legendary creature in Magic: The Gathering. With a casting cost of two mana, Gollum has decent stats of 3/1 and a useful ability that allows players to reanimate a creature from their graveyard to their hand by sacrificing another creature and paying one Black mana.

Tom Bombadil

Tom Bombadil (Middle-Earth storyteller) has his own card on LTR, showcasing a casting cost of WUBRG and synergy with Sagas.

Sol Ring

Sol Ring has been reprinted in LTR under the name “Rings of Power.” Within this MTG Lord of the Rings set, distinct Sol Ring cards have been created for elves, dwarves, and humans, featuring the Quenya Elvish language text. In addition, there exists a singular version of The One Ring within the set.

LTR Starter Deck MTG Cards

During the initial preview, two face cards from the LTR Starter deck were revealed, which depicted Aragorn and Arwen together, as well as Wed and Sauron, who is referred to as the Lidless Eye.

You Cannot Pass

While many LTR cards are centered around creatures and characters, some, like You Cannot Pass!, pay tribute to iconic moments such as the epic clash between Gandalf and the Balrog. This one-drop White Instant serves as a clever combat maneuver that embraces the set’s legendary theme.

Reprieve

Reprieve is a new LTR Instant that is very similar to Remand. The White Instant will likely see a good amount of gameplay in both the Commander and Modern formats.

Legendary Lands The Shire and Mount Doom

The recent LTR spoilers included two legendary lands – The Shire and Mount Doom, both featuring powerful activated abilities. However, there is no announcement of a legendary land cycle, and it has been confirmed that there won’t be a dual land cycle. These lands are expected to have an impact on formats such as Modern and Commander.