(Wizards of the Coast)
What do you get when you cross one of the most iconic fantasy epics with arguably the most popular collectible card game?
A collection of cards that will delight not only long-term fans of Magic the Gathering (MtG), but also attract new attention from Lord of the Rings diehards (myself included) happy to collect a set of cards for their looks first, with their use as a card game a happy second.
Magic the Gathering – Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth is the newest set from Wizards of the Coast, and their latest collaboration with another IP. This isn’t Wizard’s first time releasing a “crossover” set, with previous collaborations with Street Fighter, Transformers and Dungeons and Dragons already under their belt.
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But, this is the first time they’ve introduced a new collectible mechanic to a collaboration. Forged deep in the famed printing presses of Mount Doom, a One Ring card was forged.
(Wizards of the Coast)
Wizard’s have forged a single “One Ring” card, serialised as 1 of 1 and printed in the Black Speech of Mordor, which I will not utter here. This One Ring can only be found in a single English-language Collector Booster. With offers from private collectors coming thick and fast, it’s expected that if found the One Ring will set records for the most expensive trading card ever sold.
As a result, the Collector Boosters are already attracting a premium price as collectors jump at the chance to own a piece of collectible history!
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(Wizards of the Coast)
Beyond the One Ring card, Wizard’s have forged yet another fantastic set. Notably, the artwork and lore for these cards have been pulled from the books themselves and not from Peter Jackson’s well loved trilogy. As a self proclaimed lover of Tolkein’s work – I have an entire thigh tattoo dedicated to Lord of the Rings – this is incredibly pleasing, as it helps create new takes on familiar characters and provides Wizards’ skilled artists the ability to explore new ideas and themes.
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From a gameplay perspective, the “temptation of the Ring” and a dedicated “Ring Bearer” are new mechanics that have been added as part of this set, with the Ring providing various bonuses throughout the game.
(Wizards of the Coast)
Interestingly, the Ring doesn’t provide any negative effects (someone must have forgotten to let Gollum know…), with our local Wizard representative mentioning that while they explored this idea, they found that introducing negative consequences for using the Ring just wasn’t really that fun! I’m all for bending lore to create a better gameplay experience, so I think this was a great decision.
(Wizards of the Coast)
Overall, this is a great collaboration between two massive franchises. Hot off the back of the disaster of Lord of the Rings: Gollum, this set illustrates that when thoughtful consideration is given to a beloved franchise, something special can be created.
Magic the Gathering – Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth is on sale June 23.
If you’re joining others around the world in your search for the One Ring, we’d recommend supporting your friendly local game shop by purchasing from them!
Sam Weaver is a writer at Quest Daily and was supplied an early look at the upcoming Magic the Gathering – Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth set thanks to Wizards of the Coast.
