In less than one month, Magic: The Gathering is launching its fifth set of the year in the form of The Hobbit as a Universes Beyond release playable in all formats. Magic: The Gathering's collaboration with The Lord of the Rings on UB cards and a full-fledged set, complete with the single One Ring copy that sold for well over $2 million, was a smashing success. The Hobbit can replicate that success with new characters, interesting cards, and some great products. GameRant participated in a preview event held by Wizards of the Coast on July 14 ahead of the Amsterdam panel showcasing everything The Hobbit set is bringing to the table on August 14.

Every New MTG The Hobbit Card Shown So Far

Main Set:

  • Bard the Bowman
  • Bard, King of Dale
  • Bifur, Melodic Rider
  • Bolg of the North
  • Burn, Burn, Tree and Fern
  • Desolation of Smaug
  • Gandalf, Goblins' Bane
  • Gollum, Riddle Master
  • Silvan Reveler
  • Sting, Bilbo's Sword
  • Supper for Spiders
  • The Chief Warg
  • The Eagles Are Coming
  • The Lonely Mountain
  • The Queen of Dale
  • Thorin Oakenshield
  • Thranduil, the Elvenking

Book Cover Alternate Treatment:

  • Bard, King of Dale
  • Gandalf, Goblins' Bane
  • Gollum, Riddle Master
  • The Lonely Mountain
  • Thranduil, the Elvenking

Borderless Dwarvish Language Cards:

  • Arcane Signet
  • Dwarven Warriors
  • Mox Amber
  • The Reaver Cleaver
  • Treasure Vault

Dragon Hoard Alternate Treatment:

  • Desolation of Smaug
  • Sting, Bilbo's Sword
  • The Queen of Dale

Crack the Plates Scene Box:

  • Bag End Banquet
  • Bilbo, Fellow Conspirator
  • Fili and Kili, Joyous
  • Gandalf, Party Guest
  • Ori, Plate Stacker
  • Thorin, King of Durin's Folk

Treasures of Smaug Scene Box:

  • Bilbo's Burglaring
  • Dragon's Desire
  • Dragon-Cursed Halls
  • Long-Lost Lances
  • Necklace of Girion
  • Smaug the Impenetrable

From the main set, some cards stand out for their abilities and design. For example, The Lonely Mountain is a powerful utility land in MTG, and it isn't Legendary, meaning that players can put more than one copy on the field with no issues. Thranduil, the Elvenking is the only three-colored card in the set, using Black, Green, and Blue, and it can be an extremely powerful commander or piece in an Elf-themed Commander deck due to its ability to get all abilities from other Elf cards.

Scratch & Peek

Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.

Notably, MTG's The Hobbit set introduces the recruit mechanic, which allows the user to draw and then discard a card, while also creating a 1/1 creature token if the discarded card is not a land. Another new mechanic is storied, which allows players to have an "enduring story" if they control three or more artifacts, legendaries, and/or sagas, and it stays active for the rest of the game. On its own, an enduring story doesn't do anything, but cards with Storied come with effects that activate when the user has an enduring story. For example, Thorin Oakenshield gives artifacts and creatures under the user's control ward 1 if they have an enduring story.

Bilbo and Gandalf in Magic: The Gathering's The Hobbit set Image via Wizards of the Coast

Bifur, Melodic Rider also has Storied and a matching effect for an enduring story, which is to trigger all abilities from Dwarf creatures an additional time. This is interesting because it's an MTG card that combos with itself, since Bifur allows the user to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature when Bifur enters or attacks. So, having an enduring story makes the user able to place two +1/+1 counters because Bfiur is a Dwarf.

Another incredible card from the set is Gandalf, Goblins' Bane. This is a mono-Red version of Gandalf that costs two mana of any color and one Red for a 2/3 creature, and whenever the owner casts a noncreature spell, Gandalf gets +1/+1 until the end of the turn and deals 1 damage to each opponent. The reason this card is so good is that it allows a very aggressive playstyle with Gandalf, and it can be used as a commander or in burn Red decks in MTG to great effect. On top of that, it can be cast as an Adventure Sorcery for two mana, allowing players to exile cards from their library and play them at any time, which can then trigger Gandalf's powerful ability.

In terms of new products, the upcoming The Hobbit set has lots of appealing bundles and decks for newcomers and veterans alike. Between Welcome Decks, a co-op kit called Battle of Five Armies, two Scene Boxes, prerelease kits, collector boosters, a themed bundle, and Play Boosters, there is plenty to look forward to when the set is released. Finally, fans can look forward to major reprints in MTG's The Hobbit set from previous LotR cards, including Galadriel's Dismissal and Reprieve.