Brought to life by a joint venture between Wizards of the Coast and Middle-earth Enterprises,The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthsets a new milestone forMagic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond brand. Universes Beyond is a unique initiative that merges the worlds of renowned entertainment franchises with the card game. The brand has already drawn inspiration fromcelebrated franchises such asDungeons & Dragons,Transformers,Warhammer, andFortnite.
Looking ahead, the upcomingThe Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthwill be released into the world via a pre-release event set to take place from June 16 to 22. Eager fans won’t have long to wait, as the set is also poised to make itsdebut onMTG Arenaon June 20. The full global rollout is scheduled shortly after, with cards set to be available everywhere from June 23.
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Full-Fledged Card Set
With the title of being the most extensive Universes Beyond set to date,The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthstands tall in theMagic: The Gatheringline-up. The assortment of products comes tailored to different types of players' preferences. It includes Commander decks, Draft Boosters, Set Boosters, and a Gift Bundle, thus bringing something for mostMagic: The Gatheringfans. For those chasing after more exclusive versions of the cards, Collector Boosters are on the menu. There are fourpre-constructed Commander decks, each with its ownThe Lord of the Ringstheme, like the Hobbit deck led by Frodo.
Catering to beginners as well, products like Jumpstart Boosters and a Starter Kit have been thoughtfully added to the mix. The amalgamation ofMagic: The GatheringandThe Lord of the Ringsin the cards brings forth an intriguing fusion, featuring special lands that showcase thenotable locations from the franchise,like The Shire, Mordor, and Khazad-dum. Even basic land cards include highlights as well, with some of them featuring the beloved characters embarking on their quests.
As for the mechanics, the set features new and returning ones. There’s the partner mechanic, which allowscharacters like Sam and Frodoto assist each other, a testament to their iconic companionship in the lore. Another mechanic making a return is amass, which in this set creates an Orc Army token that progressively strengthens. Lastly, sagas introduce the use of lore counters, allowing players to experience epic stories, progressing one intriguing chapter at a time.
The One Ring
The One Ring, as expected, holds a pivotal role inThe Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthset and is likely to become one of the set’smore collectible cards. A Legendary Artifact card named The One Ring finds its way into the mix, introducing a unique gameplay dynamic. The One Ring allows players to draw cards by tapping the card, which in turn assigns it a burden counter that inflicts damage to the owner of the card every turn.
Another integral element of the set is the tempt mechanic, which comes into play through several cards stating “the Ring tempts you.” This phrasetriggers the gameplay mechanic, which in turn creates an emblem named The Ring upon its first activation. It’s worth noting that this emblem comes in the form of a double-sided card. The card mandates the rules of the temptation interaction, which includes players picking one singular creature to be the ring bearer.
In subsequent instances of “the Ring tempts you,” players can select a new creature, enabling theRing to shift and gain additional abilities. These newly acquired abilities stack upon the previously gained ones. The Ring can also tempt players even if they do not possess a creature. The abilities it gains persist throughout the game, and only a single emblem named The Ring can be controlled by each player at any given time.
Magic: The GatheringThe Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earthlaunches on June 23.
