MTG reveals first Lord of the Rings crossover cards!

If you caught last week’s Weekly Wave post, you may recall the story we highlighted about MTG’s recent Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth crossover. In that story, we pointed out some key updates that all wizards should be aware of before the big launch. Those updates included the official release date, its modern legal format, and the different boosters that the set will feature.

The only key detail we couldn’t highlight at the time was the cards that were coming with this crossover. With the official launch date three months out, we weren’t too surprised that MTG didn’t unveil any cards, but we were still hoping to get a peek behind the curtain sometime this month. Earlier this week, we got our wish!

With fellow wizards and fans of both franchises looking forward to this summer, Wizards of the Coast has decided to give everyone a good look at the cards that this crossover will contain. Remember, MTG first announced this crossover, part of their Universes Beyond series, back in 2021. In fact, we even posted a blog about it the same week that the announcement was made. Here we are two years later, and finally, we can put a card face to the names that have been teased.

See for yourself:

I don’t know about you, but I think the art on some of these cards looks awesome, especially The One Ring, which is listed as an indestructible artifact. After getting our first glimpse at these eight cards, you can imagine how psyched we were for the WOTC WeeklyMTG livestream that aired on Tuesday.

During that stream, more cards were showcased, some of which feature rainbow foil and non-foil variants. Those cards include the following:

• Frodo, Sauron's Bane
• Samwise, The Stouthearted
• Gollum, Patient Plotter
• Sam, Loyal Attendant

Here’s a look at the Rainbow foil:

In addition to those Legendary Creatures, Artifacts, and Lands, WOTC also unveiled a pair of Instant cards called Reprieve and You Cannot Pass! Reprieve costs one generic and one white mana, but enables you to return a target spell on the battlefield to its owner's hand and draw a card. For one White Mana, You Cannot Pass! gives you the power to destroy a creature that either blocked or was blocked by a legendary creature this turn.

There’s a lot to like about this long-awaited crossover, and the cards/details released over these past couple of weeks confirm that. Remember, preordering is currently available, and the official launch date for MTG’s Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is set for June 3, 2023. 

There are also some other events happening between May and November that you’ll want to keep circled on your calendar. After you’re finished here, swing by MTG’s site and check out those events, along with the other details about Tales of Middle-earth. 

Until we meet again,

Vince the Prince