Wizards of the Coast has unveiled more of the its highly anticipated set based on Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, showcasing some of the legendary characters and items from the Legendarium as we head towards the set's launch next month.
In a press preview earlier this month, Wizards of the Coast showcased a ton of cards coming to the upcoming Universes Beyond set, as well as some incredible art treatments that pay homage to the books by Professor Tolkien. From iconic locations to iconic weapons and characters, Middle-earth is fully represented during the high stages of the War of the Ring, with many of the cards depicting pivotal moments in the story.
It's especially exciting for someone like myself who is an avid fan of the books. Peter Jackson's wonderful movie trilogy has formed the collective culture's vision of what Tolkien's world looks like, so seeing the artists in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set try to set that aside and depict the book-accurate descriptions is a treat.
One area where this is clearly evident is in the card The Balrog, Flame of Udun. No discernible wings. The artists at Wizards are drawing a definitive line in the sand it seems in the "Winged Balrog" debate that has raged with enthusiasts ever since Tolkien used similie to describe the Balrog of Moria.
"We put our line in the sand there. 'Wing-like smoke.' And that's all I will say," Ovidio Cartagena, lead art director on the set told press in our preview.
Showcasing The Books On Each Card
One of the clear takeaways for me while looking through the vast tome of cards Wizards has revealed today is just how many Easter eggs are in the artwork for hardcore fans to find. Cards such as the standard art Samewise Gamgee feature small touches that to a casual fan might not stand out, but for a diehard stick out like a sore thumb, such as the book itself that Sam is reading to his children being the Red Book of Westmarch - the in-universe record of The Lord of the Rings itself.
Other card art features more recognizeable Easter eggs, such as the recurring theme of Samwise's Frying Pans on Bill the Pony, or in Sam's hand on Sam, Loyal Attendant. My favorite (aside from the wingless Balrog) has to be the Palantir on Sauron, the Lidless Eye, highlighting how the Dark Lord has completely captured the minds of Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor, and Saruman the White through the Seeing Stone.
It goes even further than simply Easter eggs, though, as cards such as the basic Land cycle depicts various locations and stages in The Fellowship's journey. One Plains art shows Gandalf and Pippen crossing the Rammas Echor into Gondor, while a Forest card shows the end of the Journey with Frodo, Sam and Gandalf riding for the Grey Havens.
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LotR MTG Mountain
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The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth also highlights characters that are not present in the movies, introducing iconic figures (and representing characters in a more book-accurate form) to players who might not have read Tolkien's works. Cards such as Prince Imrahil the Fair introduce the legendary Prince of Dol Amroth as he and the Swan Knights charge into battle at the Pelennor Fields. One card that might also raise eyebrows and questions from fans is the Saruman of Many Colors card, depicting the Wizard as he unveiled himself to Gandalf during their fateful encounter in Orthanc, highlighting his change in purpose as his designs for the Ring were no longer being wrought in secret.
Some of the card mechanics also remind me of the characters themselves, such as Gandalf the White's ability to allow for Legendary and Artifact spells to be cast as though they had flash. This to me perfectly illustrates Gandalf's penchant to leave the Fellowship only to arrive precisely when he is needed most, unlooked for and unawares.
The way the Nazgul are depicted on their cards also highlights this departure from the movie visions we have of the Nine. More accurate with the books, we see nine separate card arts for the Nazgul, each with their beaming red eyes glowing prominently on each card. I also love that it's one of the few cards you can have more than the standard set of four in a deck, allowing players to assemble all Nine in a deck if they so choose. Also, can you imagine a Nazgul-flavored Commander deck led by the Witch-king of Angmar himself?
Like many Magic: The Gathering sets that have released in recent years, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth will see multiple alternate art treatments to amp up the collector's value. One way this is being done is through card art that extends to multiple cards, such as one grid that perfectly depicts the Battle of Pelennor fields across fifteen separate full art cards, featuring many of the iconic characters who took part in the battle. From Aragorn, the Uniter, Legolas, Master Archer, Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant and more, plaers can piece this together to create a stunning piece of artwork.
However, it's the Ring Showcase treatment cards have have really captured my attention. These cards depict iconic moments from the story that deal with the character on the card directly. From Samwise Gamgee looking into the Mirror of Galadriel and seeing the Scouring of the Shire (and Frodo's encounter with Shelob) to Gimli, Mournful Avenger running from the Balrog of Morgoth in Khazad-dum, these art treatments are divine.
Card Mechanics
While the art in this new set is utterly fantastic, these are cards meant to be played. Thankfully, we got a glimpse of some of the returning mechanics coming with The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Food tokens are making a return - because I mean, Hobbits - giving players a chance to nom on a Hobbit feast, or Shelob victim, to gain some life.
The mehcanic I was most excited to see come back on these cards is the Amass mechanic. Introduced with Magic's War of the Spark set, Amass allows you to create a Token with a number of +1/+1 counters on it for the Amass value of the card. This works out beautifully from a flavor perspective as the War of the Ring saw countless armies amass their forces, and I'm glad to see it return with this latest set.
One mechanic that might seem new to many Magic: The Gathering players is Will of the Council, but it's actually a returning mechanic from Conspiracy. This is seen on Galadriel, Elven-Queen which sees players vote for either Dominion or Guidance. Depending on how the vote goes, Galadriel's controller will either be tempted by the Ring (very on flavor for the Lady of Lorien) or draw a card.
Sagas also made it back here, showcased by the card Long List of the Ents - a very, very on flavor card that seemingly goes on a long as Old Entish can.
New with the set is the temptation of the One Ring and how Magic illustrates that temptation. Certain cards will state that the "Ring tempts you" which triggers a series of events on an Emblem in the game. Once the Ring tempts you, one of your creatures is chosen as the Ring-bearer to attach the Emblem to in order to kick things off. The creature chosen gets the abilities from the Emblem as the Ring tempts them further.
For example, the first time the Ring tempts you, your Ring-bearer becomes Legendary and cannot be blocked by creatures with greater power. As the Ring tempts you more and more, these abilities continue to augment the bearer, even going so far as to effectively give it deathtouch, or even the ability to damage every opponent, regardles of who it attacked.
Commander
Commander is by far the most important format for Magic players now, and Tales of Middle-earth isn't being left out of the treatment. The upcoming set will feature a few different Commander pre-constructed sets, from the Abzan-themed Food and Fellowship deck with Frodo and Sam as partner commanders, to the Simic Elven Council deck helmed by Galadriel herself. A Grixis Sauron deck is also on offer, while the Riders of Rohan take up the Jeskai color combination for their set.
Digital Treatment
As with all things Magic: The Gathering nowadays, Magic Arena is also key to how Wizards rolls these sets out. Players on Magic: The Gathering Arena will see a whole new playmat featuring an idyllic location to sit down and hear the Tales of Middle-earth, as well as collect new pets and card sleeve styles.
One pet, The One Ring itself, reacts to the various aspects of the game, such as when the Ring tempts you. Fittingly, if you lose the match, the Ring drops into the Fires of Mount Doom, destroyed forever. Players can also collect various Ent pets, as well as card sleeves showcasing Aragorn, Gandalf, and Sauron.
Magic: The Gathering The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Release Timing
The upcoming Lord of the Rings set is fast approaching its launch date, with pre-release slated for June 16th in local game stores. Additionally, the MTG: Arena release hits on June 20th with the global table top release a few days later o June 23rd.
The upcoming Unverses Beyond set will be available in Set Boosters, Draft Boosters, Collector Boosters, Jumpstart packs and more. There are a lot of ways to get your hands on the Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set when it releases next month.
