New Horizons - LOTR Commander
Including cards that were previously available in limited quantities helps maintain reasonable prices and enables newer players to participate in a slightly more competitive gameplay experience. As previously mentioned in my review of the main set, many newcomers to the hobby are attracted by the Middle-earth theme and are likely to purchase one or two of these decks in order to delve into the world of Magic. This aligns with Wizards' current emphasis on promoting the EDH format and explains the growing number of players who have yet to explore traditional 60-card formats.
Lord of the Nazgul
Lord of the Nazgul possesses several distinctive characteristics that set it apart. Firstly, it belongs to a rare creature type, with only a total of 11 wraith cards ever being printed. Currently it’s considered the go-to choice for a Commander deck focusing on the Wraith theme. Its ability allows players to generate additional Wraiths through the spell slinger subtheme, enhancing their basic attributes in a flavorful manner. However, due to its narrow focus, players may face challenges in customizing the deck according to their personal preferences. It’s also worth noting that the inclusion of the nine
Following some initial adjustments, the price of Lord of the Nazgul is currently trending back to around $10. Upon careful examination, it’s likely that this trend will continue towards $15, as the Hosts of Mordor Commander deck is presently the most expensive option available. Consequently, this may limit the availability and distribution of the card in the short term. In the long run, however, it’s expected that the price will follow a similar pattern to that observed with the
| Lord of the Nazgul | ||
| Lord of the Nazgul (Extended Art) | ||
| Nazgul (0332) |
Heroic Intervention
Heroic Intervention, featured in the Elven Council deck, is the final card discussed in the introduction. Remarkably, this is the card's second time to appear in a Commander preconstructed deck. Initially released in
Both the original copies and subsequent reprints of Heroic Intervention have shown a recent downward trend, dropping from $19 to an average of $15.90. The new printing of the card in the Elven Council deck is available for just over $11.60. When comparing the price graphs of this pre-constructed deck and the
Wizards of the Coast has employed the strategy of enhancing the power level of pre-constructed decks, as these decks must cater to both novice and seasoned players. Over time, reprinting essential cards like Heroic Intervention will enable players to engage more freely in the game without being constrained by budgetary limitations.
| Heroic Intervention | ||
| Heroic Intervention | ||
| Heroic Intervention | ||
| Tyvar's Stand | ||
| Tamiyo's Safekeeping |
Cavern-Hoard Dragon
Cavern-Hoard Dragon represents the growing collection of indispensable red cards in the realm of EDH. Similar to the ubiquitous presence of
With an average price of $19.50, Cavern-Hoard Dragon offers a comparable experience to Dockside Extortionist, but with additional steps required to achieve a similar effect. The first limitation is the higher mana cost, which relies on the number of artifacts controlled by a single opponent. However, this limitation is not particularly significant in the current environment, where there are plenty of options to create food, treasures, and clues. The second limitation arises from the requirement to connect with an opponent in combat to reap the benefits. Notably, the creation of treasures is tied to the opponent's artifact count, rather than being based on the potential three opponents you may face.
While comparing it to Dockside Extortionist with extra steps might seem somewhat harsh, we can examine a comparable card with slightly fewer conditions:
| Cavern-Hoard Dragon | ||
| Cavern-Hoard Dragon (Extended Art) | ||
| Dockside Extortionist | ||
| Ancient Copper Dragon |
Conclusion
The preconstructed Commander decks for Tales of Middle-earth present a compelling value proposition appealing to both novice and experienced players. The inclusion of valuable reprints, along with a significant number of new cards, has caused a minor disruption in the current Magic finance landscape. Personally, despite the proliferation of Commander products in the market, this particular release stands out as a refreshing change, both thematically, and in terms of value.
There are still more releases on the horizon for Commander, such as the upcoming
Join me in the next chapter of my series 'New Horizons' as we collectively share our discontentment with the
Check out these other articles:
The Big Things - Arabian Nights Speculation by Harvey McGuinness
How I Read a Top Commander Page (And So Can You!) by Jason Alt
Where Are They Now? - June 2023 by Ryan Cole
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.