In an advance showcasing of their upcoming The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth card set, Magic: The Gathering game maker Wizards of the Coast presented an extensive roster of cards featuring characters from the well-known Tolkien setting.
Among the more than 100 cards shown, were numerous depictions of the terrifying Nazgûl, recognizable locations from Middle-earth in the form of land cards, and the corrupting One Ring itself, as well as huge cast of characters beloved by Tolkienites everywhere.
From Aragorn to Frodo, Boromir to Peregrin Took, and even the terrifying Balrog, all the notable characters you’d hope for can be found — and often more than once, too!
Flip through the gallery below to see for yourself:
Many of the cards revealed make use of “The Ring Tempts You” mechanics, which empowers the player’s Ring-bearer the longer you make use of its terrible might. One of those abilities makes your Ring-bearer a legendary and prevents creatures with greater power from blocking their attacks, while another saps all opponents of life when the Ring-bearer deals damage to any player.
WotC also discussed the digital version of their game, Magic: The Gathering Arena, which will be receiving the set in its entirety. For those hoping to bring Middle-Earth to their arena battles, they’re offering a Hobbit-themed digital playmat for you to sling cards against your friends.
This new Magic: The Gathering Arena battlefield makes me hungry for some reason…
Tales from Middle-earth adds to a growing number of MTG crossovers in recent years, which previously included Transformers, Street Fighter, Stranger Things, and Fortnite, though The Lord of the Rings will be the first crossover to receive a full set of cards that includes four commander decks, a starter kit, Jumpstart themes, and more.
For more, check out the Doctor Who crossover that went live for pre-orders a few weeks ago.
Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.
