Magic: The Gathering has introduced an astonishing range of unique and interesting fantasy worlds to the game over its rich 30-year history. Now, with the Universes Beyond crossover series, MTG is extending its reach to popular characters and settings from other franchises, bringing them to life within the framework of its famously deep and meaningful ruleset. With the upcoming set The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, MTG will introduce its own portrayals of heroes, villains, locations and more from the most iconic fantasy series of all time.
While Tales of Middle-earth will be far from the first game based on The Lord of the Rings, it will be the largest crossover MTG has ever had with an IP not owned by Wizards of the Coast, marking a big milestone for the Universes Beyond brand. There hasn't been much revealed yet in terms of cards or mechanics, but looking at MTG's design trends so far can shed some light on what fans should expect from Tales of Middle-earth.
MTG Can Create New Portrayals of Iconic Middle-earth Characters
Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy assembled a near-perfect cast to create remarkably faithful depictions of Tolkien's classic characters. Conceiving fresh and interesting takes on such iconic characters will no doubt be a challenge for Wizards of the Coast, but it is absolutely one worth undertaking.
Fans have already seen artwork featuring Gandalf and Frodo, as well as an 18-card collage depicting the Battle of the Pelennor Fields including members of the Fellowship and other important characters. This one piece of art will be released as 18 separate cards, each featuring a different character or characters from The Lord of the Rings. With MTG's preference for printing Commander-ready legendary creatures combined with The Lord of the Rings' impressive cast of characters, fans should expect to see at least a few of their favorites depicted on cards in Tales of Middle-earth.
While the Fellowship and antagonists like Sauron, Saruman and the Nazgul are all-but-guaranteed to appear, some of The Lord of the Rings' supporting characters could make an appearance too. Treebeard and the Ents are the inspiration for MTG's own treefolk, and elves like Elrond and Galadriel fit perfectly into one of MTG's most popular tribes. MTG also has the opportunity to introduce cards for characters missing from the films who've never had a mainstream portrayal, like the ever-perplexing Tom Bombadil. A powerful, enigmatic character like this would be ideal as a Planeswalker.
MTG Already Has Mechanics That Fit LotR Perfectly
With Tales of Middle-earth launching on June 23, fans still have a while to wait before they get to see the new cards and mechanics up-close. However, The Lord of the Rings has a number of key concepts and themes that translate well into existing MTG mechanics that players should expect to see in some form or another. Abilities in MTG like Renown, Exalted and Heroic all reflect the bravery shown by many heroes in The Lord of the Rings over the series, whereas mechanics like Ferocious, Enrage and Bloodthirst are right-at-home with the fearsome orcs of Sauron's armies. Adventure, initially introduced in Throne of Eldraine, would fit perfectly with the Middle-earth setting as well.
With Tales of Middle-earth's launch on the horizon, fans will soon see Tolkien's epic saga come to life in a way no one ever has before. Locations like Rivendell, The Shire and Mount Doom are more than likely to receive their own legendary land cards, and the upcoming "Battle" card type from March of the Machine could also appear, which would be ideal for capturing some of the series' most pivotal moments in card form. With Tales of Middle-earth being Modern-legal as well as being playable in Commander and other formats, fans will get to enjoy MTG's depictions of iconic characters, scenes and settings from The Lord of the Rings for years to come.