Original reporting by Melissa Miller.
Middle-earth seems to be all around us these days. We’re still waiting on fresh news from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s season two, but other Tolkien adventures are giving us plenty of things to feel excited about. Recently, Wizards of the Coast announced the newest Magic: The Gathering collection’s Tolkien tie-in. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth collection comes out on June 23, 2023. The artwork for the first revealed cards is a stunning addition to the already rich tapestry of Middle-earth, and we can’t wait to see even more. Not to mention, Magic has created a very special surprise regarding its “Rings” cards. Here’s what we know about this The Lord of the Rings collaboration with Magic cards.
Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Reveals First Magic Cards
Recently, we got a good look at the first revealed cards from The Lord of the Rings‘ collaboration with Magic. Magic: The Gathering revealed many of Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth‘s offerings. From Frodo to Sam to Tom Bombadil to Arwen, the Shire, and more, here is some of what you can look forward to:
Of course, Magic will create some special cards to serve as Middle-earth’s magical rings. These rare cards’ availability will be based on Tolkien’s iconic poem detailing how many of each kind of ring were made. (Three rings for the elven kings means 300 or 3,000 versions of that card, etc.) And, in the end, that, of course, leaves us with just one ring. Yes. There will be a special version of the One Ring of Power Magic card that will be serialized as only one of one. Happy hunting for this precious…
Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Comes to Magic: The Gathering
The initial news was from a slate of announcements Wizards of the Coast made about both Magic and Dungeons & Dragons offerings coming up in 2023 as Magic celebrates its 30th anniversary. We’ll also see a Doctor Who set coming soon. For both, alchemy sets will also be available for digital players of Magic: The Gathering Arena.
The Lord of the Rings Magic Cards Release Date and Product Information
A release for Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth shares more about what we can expect. It notes:
The Lord of the Rings has come to Magic: The Gathering, and it’s time to take familiar favorites on a whole new journey there and back again. In the upcoming set The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™, players have the chance to join the Fellowship in adventures filled with valor, courage, and second breakfast. Play your favorite moments of the third age or turn Middle-earth on its head and surrender to the temptation of the Precious. Either way; Middle-earth is in your hands.
The set has two primary launch windows—June 2023 and a holiday launch in November 2023—and is the first full set release as part of Universes Beyond, bringing the iconic world of J.R.R. Tolkien to life within the Magic frame. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is modern legal and comprised of Draft, Set, Collector, and Jumpstart Boosters, four Commander decks, a Starter Kit, a Bundle and Gift Bundle, Scene Boxes, and Secret Lair drops.
More Looks at the Art of This Collection
You can check out more product artwork from The Lord of the Rings Magic set below:
Other Nerdy Sets
Even though scientists declared Magic: The Gathering the world’s most complex game, it’s clear that it offers something for everyone. There’s My Little Pony cards after all. Other recent crossovers include Stranger Things, FortNite, and Street Fighter. But no mashup has ever made me want to own a set more than the Bob Ross painting “Happy Little Gathering” landscapes collection. Maybe it’s not too late to get into Magic.
If the game still doesn’t seem like quite your thing, you can always watch other people play. Like this delightful video of Joseph Gordon-Levitt opening his boxes of Magic cards for the first time since he was a kid. Or the Netflix animated series starring Brandon Routh, allegedly coming soon.
Originally published on August 18, 2022.