Unleashing the Power: Exploring Middle-earth in Magic The Gathering

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, a collaboration between Wizards of the Coast and Middle-earth Enterprises, is the newest addition to the Universes Beyond brand of Magic: The Gathering. Universes Beyond brings together the worlds of popular entertainment franchises and the card game, having already featured franchises like Dungeons & Dragons, Transformers, Warhammer, and Fortnite. Fans can look forward to the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth through a pre-release event from June 16 to 22, with the set also debuting on MTG Arena on June 20. The cards will be available worldwide from June 23 onwards.

Full-Fledged Card Set

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is the most extensive Universes Beyond set in the Magic: The Gathering line-up. It caters to a variety of player preferences with Commander decks, Draft Boosters, Set Boosters, and a Gift Bundle. Fans seeking more exclusive versions of the cards can also look forward to Collector Boosters. The set includes four pre-constructed Commander decks, each with its own The Lord of the Rings theme, such as the Hobbit deck led by Frodo. Even beginners can enjoy the set with products like Jumpstart Boosters and a Starter Kit. The fusion of Magic: The Gathering and The Lord of the Rings introduces special lands that showcase iconic locations from the franchise, such as The Shire, Mordor, and Khazad-dum. Even basic land cards feature beloved characters on their quests, adding to the intrigue of the set.

The set includes both new and returning mechanics. One of the returning mechanics is the partner mechanic, which highlights the bond between characters such as Sam and Frodo. Additionally, amass makes a comeback in this set, creating a powerful Orc Army token that grows stronger over time. The introduction of sagas also brings a new mechanic in the form of lore counters, allowing players to experience the excitement of epic stories one chapter at a time.

The One Ring

The One Ring plays a crucial role in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set and is anticipated to be a highly sought-after card for collectors. This Legendary Artifact card, known as The One Ring, introduces a unique gameplay element. When tapped, players can draw cards and assign a burden counter to the card, which causes damage to the owner every turn.

The set also features a crucial component known as the tempt mechanic, activated by cards that declare "the Ring tempts you." This statement initiates the gameplay mechanic, resulting in the creation of The Ring emblem after its first activation. It's worth noting that this emblem is a double-sided card that outlines the rules of the temptation interaction, which requires players to choose a single creature as the ring bearer.

Subsequently, players can opt for a different creature during future "the Ring tempts you" instances, causing The Ring to shift and acquire additional abilities that stack on top of the previous ones. The Ring can tempt players even if they don't have a creature, and the abilities it gains remain throughout the game. Additionally, players can only control a single emblem named The Ring at any given time.

Magic: The Gathering The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth launches on June 23.