As part of its first-ever Wizards Presents, Magic: the Gathering revealed details about its upcoming Lord of the Rings-inspired set, Tales of Middle Earth.

Wizards of the Coast revealed Tales of Middle Earth will release in the third quarter of 2023, two years since a Lord of the Rings/MTG crossover was announced. The latest set includes familiar faces, items, locations and villains from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, such as Frodo and Gandalf, who have made appearances in art for the expansion. Players will also recognize villains like the Balrog, whom Gandolf famously faced in The Fellowship of the Ring. In addition to the familiar characters, Tales of Middle Earth will debut new card treatments, including borderless scene cards. These cards stand alone as a piece of art by Tyler Jacobson, but when all eighteen are put together, they form one scene depicting the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

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The set will be a fully draftable booster in the modern legal format. Wizards of the Coast representative Liz Stewart stated that as a modern legal set, Tales of Middle Earth would be "treated with the care and attention that a core set in Magic would look like" and that the collection will join the roster of MtG's main sets. In addition to the paper version, Tales of Middle Earth will also see a digital release on Magic: the Gathering Arena. The digital release will include a new battlefield, mastery pass, avatars and pets for players to enjoy.

As for whether the set will be getting Commander decks, no news has yet been released, but Stewart stated that she would follow up at a later date. MtG's social, multiplayer format, Commander—also known as Elder Dragon Highlander or EDH—has increased in popularity in recent years, with many players enjoying the laid-back atmosphere in many Commander games. Commander is currently the most popular MtG format.

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Since its debut in 1993, Magic: the Gathering has become the longest-running tabletop trading card game ever made. In the three decades it has been around, Magic has released over 100 booster sets and almost 100,000 unique cards. Partially due to the frequent release of new content like the upcoming Dominaria United, and the pioneering digital format, MtG: Arena, Magic boasts a large and still-growing fan base. Magic: the Gathering's extensive roster of unique cards and characters has led to it becoming one of the most popular trading card games to date.

Tales of Middle Earth will hit shelves in 2023. Magic: the Gathering starter sets, booster packs, pre-constructed decks and individual cards are currently available for purchase online and in stores.

Source: Wizards of the Coast