New Horizons - Lord of the Rings
Many of the cards serve as improvements on existing staples or fresh new additions to pre-existing archetypes. While not all cards will become future auto-includes in specific decks, the set offers a wide variety of effects and play styles that cater to the interests of the vast majority of players.
In addition to the playability aspect, the set also offers ample content to satisfy collectors and speculators alike. From the highly sought-after One of One Ring and its increasing popularity in online bidding, to the assortment of meaningful box toppers, there is a wealth of cards that will continue to make waves in the coming weeks.
This set uses serialized cards more thematically, with varying print quantities. As a result, there’s been an escalation in the prices of Collector Boosters and boxes. These prices are likely to remain high until the resolution of the saga surrounding the One of One Ring, as finding an appropriate equilibrium point will take time.
Delighted Halfling
Delighted Halfling has sparked my enthusiasm and prompted a reassessment of my EDH decks. This card offers a combination of abilities comparable to
During previews, card prices tend to be slightly inflated compared to their eventual value after the set release. While some cards may garner significant attention and maintain or even increase in value after release, this outcome is contingent upon the interplay of supply and demand. The regular art and extended art versions of Delighted Halfling are currently priced at $11.50, while the panorama version can be found in one out of six prerelease kits at $11.95. It’s possible that the price trend may experience a slight dip during the initial week of release. However, if the card finds its footing, it’s likely that the price of Delighted Halfling will continue to rise, potentially exceeding $15.
| Delighted Halfling | ||
| Delighted Halfling (Extended Art) | ||
| Delighted Halfling (Borderless) |
Spiteful Banditry
Spiteful Banditry represents a toned-down iteration of
Upon further reflection, it becomes apparent that this card would have been excessively oppressive without these limitations in place. Employing a board wipe and subsequently gaining additional resources would have drastically swung the outcome of too many games.
Where Spiteful Banditry truly excels is in multiplayer formats like EDH, as opposed to more competitive one-on-one matchups. Its utility lies in providing a board wipe during the later stages of the game or a minor reset, along with the advantage of generating treasures in the early game. Certain situations may even favor the damage dealt by Spiteful Banditry, especially when paired with amplification effects such as the recently printed
Considering its current average price of $17, which is on a declining trend, Spiteful Banditry is poised to be acquired by many players who will experiment with it extensively in their decks.
| Spiteful Banditry | ||
| Spiteful Banditry (Borderless) |
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee is a great example of where flavor meets game design in the set. While being a well-designed card, Samwise is also a very balanced resource generator, providing us with food tokens for each creature entering the battlefield and returning historic spells from the graveyard to hand. It’s the first ability on Samwise that has generated a little bit of attention recently, and that spike back towards the $7 average earlier this month. The current speculation is to bring the Cat-Oven Combo from Pioneer into Modern assembling a new midrange deck.
Since the initial deck speculations, the price on Samwise has begun to come back down toward its earlier trajectory of $2. This trend is likely to continue until we hear about any new breakouts in the Modern metagame.
| Samwise Gamgee | ||
| Samwise Gamgee (Showcase) |
The One Ring
No respectable article would be complete without revisiting The One Ring. Reflecting on our initial mention of it back in March, the price was $55, and it quickly surged to $90. However, in the past three weeks, the price has significantly corrected itself, currently averaging $30. Although this average is slightly higher than what we anticipate in the coming weeks, it’s noteworthy to compare The One Ring to
In the interim, other cards are also experiencing price corrections associated with the Ring.
| The One Ring | ||
| The One Ring (Extended Art) | ||
| The One Ring (Borderless) |
Conclusion
Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth has made a notable entry into the Universes Beyond line, strategically designed to engage both Modern and EDH players while expanding the hobby's appeal to a wider audience. With a well-executed advertising campaign and the inclusion of the serialized Ring as a thematic element, Wizards of the Coast has successfully attracted a fresh demographic. The warm reception and overall excitement surrounding Tales of Middle-earth demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating a different intellectual property into the game. This leaves us eagerly anticipating the future and what other exciting prospects may lie ahead.
Join me in the next installment of New Horizons as we delve into
Check out these other articles:
Over and Underhill - Tales of Middle-earth by Harvey McGuinness
Hidden Gems - Man! I Feel Like a Zombie! by Adam Berg
Modern Times - Tales of Middle-earth by Corey Williams
Matt Grzechnik
Matt Grzechnik started playing Magic with the release of Dragon's Maze. Since then he has tried and experimented with all of the formats before discovering his love for EDH and Pauper. Piloting the same Jund deck for the last 10 years, he now tries to both understand and break Sealed as a format.