The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is a booster-based product in the Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond series released by Wizards of the Coast. The set was released on June 23, 2023. It was designed to be drafted and went straight-to-Modern.
==Set details==
This is a cross-over product based on the The Lord of the Rings, the epic high fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. It was created in close cooperation with Middle-earth Enterprises, the firm which owns the rights. Hasbro, the mother company of Wizards of the Coast, has earlier published a board game based on the same franchise. The cards in this set feature the triangular holofoil stamp of non-canon cards.
Like all Universes Beyond products, the set is not legal in Standard. In the eyes of R&D, Modern (and historic) legality provides the greatest opportunity for most people to experience this IP while still holding Standard (and Pioneer) as its own space. While the set isn't focused on Modern as a Modern Horizons set might be, R&D wanted to allow as many players to play with these cards and enjoy them. The set was also be released on Magic Online and Magic Arena, where became legal in Alchemy and Historic.
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth contains 281 regular cards , and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The regular cards include a cycle of full-art basic lands that feature art from different sections of Middle-earth’s iconic map (#272-281). Alternate card frames have a different card number than the original version. The Jumpstart rares are #282-286 and the Starter Kit-exclusives are #287-298. Promos for the Pro Tour, the Store Championship and the Regional Championship are #299-301. Cards numbered #302-331 have the Showcase Ring treatment, while #332-339 are Nazgûl variants, #340-345 are borderless lands and #346-397 are extended art variants. The Buy-a-Box card is #398 and #399-451 are the scene cards. The Scroll-treatment cards of the Holiday Release are #411-490 for the Commander cards and #452-712 for the main set cards, while the cards with the new Holiday Release foil treatment are #731-757-787-1046.
The set features multiple representations of iconic characters to capture the depths of the story and changes. The circular shape of this set’s showcase ring treatment is meant to express what happens “inside” the Ring, symbolizing “the power that the quest for the One Ring can have in the different characters’ internal struggles.” For this treatment, the design team 30 legendary characters whose actions and motivations were influenced by the power of the Ring.
As a nod to the nine Nazgûl found in The Lord of the Rings, R&D commissioned nine unique pieces of art for the single card named in the main set. The card itself is Relentless, it lets you play up to nine copies of itself. In Set, Draft, and Collector Boosters, each of the nine Nazgûl cards shows up at an equal rate.
There are no Planeswalker cards in the set. According to Blake Rasmussen, this is because "there aren't any Planeswalkers in Lord of the Rings". This differs from previous approaches to other IP's. Some characters look noticeably different from previous depictions, as they are intentionally reinterpreted with diversity and originality in mind. 
Arwen, Elrond, Eomer, Eowyn, Faramir, Frodo, Gimli, Gollum, Legolas, Merry, Pippin, Saruman, and Sam each have two legendary creatures in the set. Aragorn, Gandalf, and Sauron have three. Many characters, including some who only have one card in the main set, have additional versions in other products, like the Commander decks.
===Storyline===
The title names the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron, who had in an earlier age created the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth. From homely beginnings in the Shire, a hobbit land reminiscent of the English countryside, the story ranges across Middle-earth, following the quest mainly through the eyes of the hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.
===Marketing===
This 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.
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth was sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), Collector Boosters, Set Boosters, Jumpstart Boosters, the The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Bundle (also in a Gift Edition), four Commander decks, Scene Boxes and a Starter Kit.
The set is accompanied by some Secret Lairs featuring the same IP (More Adventures in Middle-earth). Unlike these Secret Lairs, the cards of the main set won't automatically have a Magic equivalent printed later, though R&D have the ability to make Magic versions of any UB card if the need arises.
Many extended art foils can only be found in in Collector Booster Sample Packs.
====Box Toppers====
Each Lord of the Rings Draft, Set, and Collector Booster display includes a traditional foil Realms and Relics Box Topper card, a skinned reprint with artwork and treatment at home with The Lord of the Rings.
====Rings====
Found exclusively in Collector Boosters, players may find with art modeled after Elven, Dwarven, and Human rings from the novels, and text written in Tengwar script. These Ring cards can be found in both traditional foil and non-foil. The traditional foil versions of these specialized Sol Rings are serialized — there are 300 Elven Sol Rings, 700 Dwarven Sol Rings, and 900 Human Sol Rings. The non-foil versions are not serialized. There are 3,000, 7,000 and 9,000 respectively.
=====The One Ring=====
The serialized version of The One Ring, which is a variant of Mythic Rare card from the main set, features a raised gold foil treatment applied to the frame, art, and text written in the Black Speech of Sauron using Tengwar letterforms. The serialization denotes that this card is 001/001 — the only one of its kind available in the world. The One Ring (Serialized 001 of 001) could only be found in a single English-language Collector Booster. It was revealed to be found in Canada on June 30, 2023. On August 2, 2023, Post Malone purchased the card from the finder for $2,000,000.
====Scene cards====
The set includes borderless scene cards. When brought together these cards form recognizable scenes from the books. These can be found in Collector Boosters.
Scene 	# cards	Notes
Mount Doom 	2 x 2 	Also available in Bundles.
Battle of the Pelennor Fields 	6 x 3 	
Bilbo's Birthday Party 	2 x 3 	Also available in prerelease packs.
Isengard Destroyed 	3 x 3 	
The Bridge of Khazad-dûm 	3 x 2 	
The Scouring of the Shire 	2 x 2 	
The Grey Havens 	3 x 2 	
Aragorn at Helm's Deep 	2 x 3 	Holiday release (Scene Box)
The Might of Galadriel 	2 x 3 	Holiday release (Scene Box)
Gandalf in the Pelennor Fields	2 x 3 	Holiday release (Scene Box)
Flight of the Witch-King 	2 x 3 	Holiday release (Scene Box)
====Holiday Release====
thumb|right|300px| Flight of the Witch-King Scene Box
In addition to the June 23 release, this set featured a holiday release on November 3, 2023, with four special Scene Boxes that showed off more iconic moments from The Lord of the Rings, Jumpstart Volume 2, and a Special Edition of Collector Boosters with special alternate art, an alternate "Scroll" card frame and a new type of foil treatment. The Scene Boxes each contain 6 Scene cards, 3 Set Boosters, 6 Art cards and a paper display easel. Special Edition Collector Boosters do not contain Serialized Ring cards. The Holiday release features 24 mechanically unique cards among the scene cards (LTC #491-508).
====Events====
*Prerelease: June 16–22, 2023
*Digital release: June 20, 2023
*Launch party: June 23-25, 2023
*Bundle: Gift Edition release: July 7, 2023
*Magic Celebration Event: July 7 – 9, 2023
*Commander Party: July 21-23, 2023
*Store Championship: August 5-13, 2023
*Holiday Release: November 3, 2023 
====Promotional cards====
*Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and a scene card.
**Prerelease scene cards include: , , , , and .These borderless scene promos aren't intended for play during Prerelease events. 
*Buy-a-Box promo: (skinned )
*30th Anniversary promos: Japanese , , and 
*Bundle promos: borderless scene: , , and 
*Commander Party: retro frame 
*Play Promo (Pro Tour): alternate art 
*Store Championship promos: (participation), (Top 8), (winner)
*CommandFest promos: (Skinned <c>Tranquil Thicket</c>) and alternate art 
*Regional Championship: alternate art 
*Holiday Release promo: dark frame 
*This set doesn't feature a universal promo pack.
====Set Booster tins====
On September 1, 2023, three special The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth themed booster tins became available in select North-American Walmart and Meijer stores. Each tin came with three Set Boosters and two accompanying non-Lord of the Rings promo cards: a foil-etched and a retro frame .
====Tokens and emblems====
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth has 12 tokens and one emblem.
# 1/1 Human Soldier creature (Gondor) for <c>Aragorn, the Uniter</c>; <c>Denethor, Ruling Steward</c>; <c>Éomer of the Riddermark</c>; <c>Faramir, Field Commander</c>; <c>Faramir, Prince of Ithilien</c>; <c>Horn of Gondor</c>; <c>Prince Imrahil the Fair</c>; <c>Protector of Gondor</c>; <c>Quarrel's End</c>; and <c>Rally at the Hornburg</c>.
# 1/1 Human Soldier creature (Rohirrim).
# 1/1 Spirit creature with flying for <c>Andúril, Flame of the West</c>; <c>King of the Oathbreakers</c>; <c>Oath of the Grey Host</c> and <c>Shadow Summoning</c>.
# 1/1 Tentacle creature for <c>The Watcher in the Water</c>.
# 0/0 Orc Army creature (Sauron) for <c>Assault on Osgiliath</c>; <c>Barad-dûr</c>; <c>Book of Mazarbul</c>; <c>Deceive the Messenger</c>; <c>Dunland Crebain</c>; <c>Easterling Vanguard</c>; <c>Fall of Cair Andros</c>; <c>Foray of Orcs</c>; <c>Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant</c>; <c>Grima Wormtongue</c>; <c>Grishnákh, Brash Instigator</c>; <c>March from the Black Gate</c>; <c>Mordor Muster</c>; <c>Orcish Bowmasters</c>; <c>Orcish Medicine</c>; <c>Saruman's Trickery</c>; <c>Saruman the White</c>; <c>Sauron, the Dark Lord</c>; <c>Shagrat, Loot Bearer</c>; <c>Surrounded by Orcs</c>; <c>Swarming of Moria</c>; <c>The Mouth of Sauron</c>; <c>The Torment of Gollum</c>; <c>Treason of Isengard</c> and <c>Warbeast of Gorgoroth</c>.
# 0/0 Orc Army creature (Uruk-hai).
# , a 6/6 legendary Dragon creature with flying, haste, and "Whenever this creature dies, create fourteen Treasure tokens." for <c>There and Back Again</c>.
# , a 2/1 Construct artifact creature with flying for <c>Mordor Trebuchet</c>.
# Food artifact (breakfast) for <c>Bill the Pony</c>; <c>Brandywine Farmer</c>; <c>Butterbur, Bree Innkeeper</c>; <c>Cirith Ungol Patrol</c>; <c>Eastfarthing Farmer</c>; <c>Elanor Gardner</c>; <c>Galadriel, Gift-Giver</c>; <c>Generous Ent</c>; <c>Many Partings</c>; <c>Meriadoc Brandybuck</c>; <c>Oath of the Grey Host</c>; <c>Peregrin Took</c>; <c>Revive the Shire</c>; <c>Rosie Cotton of South Lane</c>; <c>Samwise Gamgee</c>; <c>Second Breakfast</c>; <c>Shelob, Child of Ungoliant</c>; <c>Shelob's Ambush</c>; <c>Stew the Coneys</c>; <c>The Battle of Bywater</c>; <c>The Shire</c> and <c>Voracious Fell Beast</c>.
# Food artifact (farmhouse).
# Food artifact (giant spider).
# Treasure artifact for <c>Bilbo, Retired Burglar</c>; <c>Bill Ferny, Bree Swindler</c>; <c>Galadriel, Gift-Giver</c>; <c>Glóin, Dwarf Emissary</c>; <c>Gorbag of Minas Morgul</c>; <c>Lobelia Sackville-Baggins</c>; <c>Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff</c>; <c>Mines of Moria</c>; <c>Oath of the Grey Host</c>; <c>Spiteful Banditry</c> and <c>Swarming of Moria</c>.
#<c>The Ring</c> emblem.
===MTG Arena===
As a Universes Beyond product, Wizards of the Coast only has a limited use of The Lord of the Rings IP. For Magic: The Gathering Arena this means booster packs will be removed from the store at the end of 2025 and unavailable for purchase from 2026 onwards. Although the booster packs will not be availble, players can continue to craft individual cards using wildcards beyond 2025.
==Themes and mechanics==
A new mechanic is The Ring Tempts You, showing the corrupting influence of the One Ring on its holder. Each time the Ring tempts you, two things happen. First, you choose a creature you control to become your Ring-bearer. If you have a Ring-bearer, you may choose to have that creature remain your Ring-bearer, or you may choose another creature you control to carry that burden. 
Second, The Ring gains its next ability, if it can. Once The Ring has all four of its abilities, it has reached its full power and won't gain additional abilities as the Ring tempts you in the future. Notably, The Ring will gain its next ability even if you didn't control any creatures as the Ring tempted you, meaning you didn't choose a Ring-bearer.
To represent the forces of Mordor in this set, Amass from War of the Spark has been modified to allow the creation of Orc Army tokens.
Food tokens, introduced in Throne of Eldraine, have a substantial presence in the set, being present primarily in white, black, and green and largely associated with hobbits.
Basic landcycling returns as a minor theme, having been previously used in March of the Machine. Historic from Dominaria is also used on multiple cards. 
===Card types===
Lord of the Rings features a decently sized “legendary matters” theme, and a lot of one-of “creature type matters” cards.
The set debuts legendary instant cards that capture extraordinary moments from main characters' pasts. These powerful spells can only be cast while you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.
===Counter types===
Lord of the Rings introduces Burden -, Hope - and Influence counters. It also sees the return of Verse counters.
===Limited Archetypes===
Lord of the Rings features the following Limited archetypes:
*: Evasion with "draw a second card"
*: Amass Control
*: Amass Aggro
*: Ramp "power matters" 
*: Halfling Food tokens
*: The Ring Tempts You "Legendary matters"
*: Instants and sorceries
*: Food Sacrifice
*: Humans go wide
*: Tempo Elves with "scry matters"
==Cycles==
Lord of the Rings has seven cycles, including three vertical cycles.
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	
Legendary lands	 	 	 	 	
Legendary lands	Five rare Legendary lands with an activated ability and that enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a legendary creature.	Five rare Legendary lands with an activated ability and that enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a legendary creature.	Five rare Legendary lands with an activated ability and that enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a legendary creature.	Five rare Legendary lands with an activated ability and that enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a legendary creature.	Five rare Legendary lands with an activated ability and that enter the battlefield tapped unless you control a legendary creature.
Rare sagas 	 	 	 	 	
Rare sagas 	Five rare sagas, each with three chapters that represent part of the history of the One Ring. 	Five rare sagas, each with three chapters that represent part of the history of the One Ring. 	Five rare sagas, each with three chapters that represent part of the history of the One Ring. 	Five rare sagas, each with three chapters that represent part of the history of the One Ring. 	Five rare sagas, each with three chapters that represent part of the history of the One Ring.
Uncommon sagas 	 	 	 	 	
Uncommon sagas 	Five uncommon sagas. 	Five uncommon sagas. 	Five uncommon sagas. 	Five uncommon sagas. 	Five uncommon sagas.
Landcyclers 	 	 	 	 	
Landcyclers 	Each of these common cards may be cycled for for a land with a basic land type. 	Each of these common cards may be cycled for for a land with a basic land type. 	Each of these common cards may be cycled for for a land with a basic land type. 	Each of these common cards may be cycled for for a land with a basic land type. 	Each of these common cards may be cycled for for a land with a basic land type.
===Vertical cycles===
Cycle name	 	 	
Aragorn 	 	 	
Aragorn 	Depicting Aragorn in various stages of the story.	Depicting Aragorn in various stages of the story.	Depicting Aragorn in various stages of the story.
Gandalf 	 	 	
Gandalf 	Depicting Gandalf in various stages of the story.	Depicting Gandalf in various stages of the story.	Depicting Gandalf in various stages of the story.
Saruman 	 	 	
Saruman 	Depicting Saruman in various stages of the story.	Depicting Saruman in various stages of the story.	Depicting Saruman in various stages of the story.
==Notable cards==
*<c>Isildur's Fateful Strike</c> is the first ever legendary instant.
* is the only card not originally printed in a set designed for multiplayer that can goad creatures with the keyword one may note that <c>Kardur, Doomscourge</c> uses goad unkeyworded.
===Banned and Restricted cards===
*Both <c>Orcish Bowmasters</c> and <c>The One Ring</c> had a significant impact on Modern play, forming an opposing pair; The One Ring draws cards at a high rate, and the Bowmasters punishes it. However, the much lower cost of inclusion of The One Ring meant that all decks had access to it, and it also a suppression of decks that couldn't punch through the protection effect. Bowmasters could only punish the Ring when it was drawn, which generally was easier when the black deck was also playing the Ring. The One Ring was hence banned in Modern in December 2024.
===Misprint===
*The illustration for the borderless scene card depicts instead.
**The Battle of the Pelennor Fields scene was originally commissioned with Théoden at the heart of the battle but the card design was later changed to Éomer without the art being correctly updated.
==Preconstructed decks==
===Starter Kit===
The Starter Kit comes with two Modern-legal 60-card decks, designed to create an interactive learning experience for two.
===Commander decks===
Tales of Middle-earth features four commander decks.
==Gallery==
File:UB LotR.jpg|A long-expected party
File:LTR Dice Set.jpg|The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth collectible dice set available at the Magic Celebration
File:LTR Set Booster tins.jpg|The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Set Booster tins.
File:LTR Ring showcase - Gandalf the Grey.png|Ring showcase from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth.
File:Gollum Obsessed Stalker Scroll frame.jpg|Scroll showcase for the Lord of the Rings Holiday Release
File:LTRPlaneswalkerElf.jpg|Elven Planeswalker symbol by Jeff Carpenter
File:LTRPlaneswalkerMordor.jpg|Mordor Planeswalker symbol by Jeff Carpenter
===Arena Avatars===
File:Aragorn MTGA avatar LTR.png|Aragorn, King of Gondor.
File:Boromir MTGA avatar LTR.png|Boromir
File:Eowyn MTGA avatar LTR.png|Éowyn
File:Frodo Samwise MTGA avatar LTR.png|Frodo & Sam
File:Galadriel MTGA avatar LTR.png|Galadriel
File:Gandalf MTGA avatar LTR.png|Gandalf
File:Gollum MTGA avatar LTR.png|Gollum
File:Legolas MTGA avatar LTR.png|Legolas
File:Ugluk MTGA avatar LTR.png|Uglúk
==External links==
*LOTR wiki
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*Official product page.
*WPN product page.
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==References==
Category:Straight-to-Modern sets