It seems like Wizards of the Coast announced it would be releasing a Lord of the Rings-themed edition of its venerable Magic: The Gathering trading card game back in the First Age, but in fact, it’s only been two years, and other than a peek at a little of the art, we’ve learned little about it. Now, we—well, we don’t know much, other than you’ll be available to blow an entire dragon hoard on the set.
This second installment of Magic’s Universes Beyond series will be a massive release on par with any Magic series, and thus far greater than Magic’s paltry Warhammer series. While the 40K crossover amounted to a few Commander Decks and themed Secret Lair drops, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth will be a full-blown set release more akin to Wizards’ internal crossover with Dungeons & Dragons. There’ll be Starter Packs, Commander Decks, and special Secret Lair releases, of course, but Lord of the Rings will also feature Jumpstart Boosters, Draft Boosters, Set Boosters, and Collector Boosters. Now, I personally don’t understand what any of these things are, but luckily, Wizards of the Coast does:
Jumpstart Boosters
“Each The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Jumpstart Booster has a theme. Just grab two packs and shuffle them together for wild combos and a unique gameplay experience that’s great for a quick game, for long-time fans looking to jump back in, or for a fun way to learn to play. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Jumpstart Boosters contain 20 Magic cards (including all the lands you need to play). In every pack, you’ll find 2 Rare cards (1 Rare card designed for Jumpstart boosters and 1 Rare or Mythic Rare from the main set), and 2 Land cards with a shining Traditional Foil treatment. If you’re looking to maximize your mashups, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Jumpstart Boosters can be combined with packs from any other Jumpstart product.”
Draft Boosters
“Each Draft Booster contains 15 cards and 1 token/ad card or Helper card, including 1 card of rarity Rare or higher and 3 Uncommons, 10 Commons, and 1 Land cards. Traditional Foil Borderless Mythic Rare card in <1% of boosters. Traditional Foil of any rarity replaces a Common in 33% of boosters.”
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Set Boosters
“Each Set Booster [pack] contains 12 Magic cards, 1 Art Card, and 1 token/ad card, Helper card, or card from ‘The List’ (a special card from Magic’s history—found in 25% of packs). Every pack includes a combination of 1–4 card(s) of rarity Rare or higher and 3–7 Uncommon, 3–7 Common, and 1 Land cards. A Traditional Foil Land replaces the basic land in 20% of Set Boosters and a Foil-Stamped Signature Art Card replaces the Art Card in 10% of Set Boosters. A Traditional Foil Borderless Mythic Rare card can be found in <1% of boosters.”
Collector Boosters
“ In this Collector Booster, Sauron sealed away the most incredible cards to grace Middle-earth: foils, Showcase cards, Borderless cards, and more. Who knows what these cards could do in the wrong hands? At least with you, we know they’ll look great. Each The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Collector Booster contains 15 Magic: The Gathering cards and 1 Traditional Foil double-sided token, with a combination of 5–7 cards of rarity Rare or higher and 3–5 Uncommon, 3–6 Common, and 1 Land cards. Every pack contains a total of 8–10 Traditional Foil cards.”
That’s hardly all. There will also be a Starter Kit, Pre-release Pack, a Bundle, and then a Gift Bundle:
Starter Kit
“Experience the epic story of The Lord of the Rings like you’ve never seen it before! Gear up for your first games with two The Lord of the Rings-themed decks. Each deck contains 1 Mythic Rare card with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment and 4 Rare cards, plus codes to unlock them both online on Magic: The Gathering Arena. The interactive online tutorial will take you through all the basics, and then the forces of Middle-earth will be yours to command! The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Starter Kit contains 2 ready-to-play 60-card decks (Lands included), 4 double-sided tokens (2 with each deck), 2 deck boxes, 1 how-to-play guide booklet, 2 double-sided reference cards (Turn Order/Attacking & Blocking), and 2 code cards for two people to unlock both decks and play online in Magic: The Gathering Arena, a digital platform available on desktop and on the mobile app.”
Prerelease Pack
“The best way to build a Sealed deck right out of the box—The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Prerelease Pack contains 6 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Draft Boosters, 1 Traditional Foil year-stamped Rare or Mythic Rare card, 1 Traditional Foil year-stamped card from a pool of 6 Prerelease Promo cards, 1 Helper card, 1 MTG Arena code card (only available in select regions), 1 deck box, and 1 Spindown life counter. Each The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Draft Booster contains 15 cards and 1 token/ad card or Helper card, including 1 card of rarity Rare or higher and 3 Uncommons, 10 Commons, and 1 Land cards. Traditional Foil Borderless Mythic Rare card in <1% of boosters. Traditional Foil of any rarity replaces a Common in 33% of boosters.”
Bundle
“The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Bundle contains 8 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Set Boosters—the best boosters to open just for fun—plus other The Lord of the Rings-themed goodies, with 4 Traditional Foil alternate-art cards, 40 basic land cards (20 Traditional Foils and 20 nonfoils), 1 oversized Spindown for life counter, 1 card storage box, and 2 reference cards. Each Set Booster contains 12 Magic cards, 1 Art Card, and 1 token/ad card, Helper card, or card from “The List” (a special card from Magic’s history—found in 25% of packs), with a combination of 1–4 card(s) of rarity Rare or higher and 3–7 Uncommon, 3–7 Common, and 1 Land cards. A Traditional Foil Land replaces the basic land in 20% of Set Boosters and a Foil-Stamped Signature Art Card replaces the Art Card in 10% of Set Boosters. A Traditional Foil Borderless Mythic Rare card can be found in <1% of boosters.”
Gift Bundle
“The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Gift Bundle contains 8 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Set Boosters, 1 The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Collector Booster, 40 basic lands (20 Traditional Foils and 20 nonfoils), 4 Traditional Foil alternate-art cards, 1 exclusive oversized Spindown life counter, 1 foil card storage box, and 2 reference cards. The Collector Booster contains 15 Magic: The Gathering cards and 1 Traditional Foil double-sided token, including 5–7 cards of rarity Rare or higher. Every pack contains a total of 8–10 Traditional Foil cards. Each Set Booster contains 12 Magic cards, 1 Art Card, and 1 token/ad card, Helper card, or card from “The List” (a special card from Magic’s history—found in 25% of packs). Every pack contains at least 1 Traditional Foil card and a total of 1–4 card(s) of rarity Rare or higher.”
The release of the tabletop game will be on June 23, but you might be able to score the Prerelease Pack on June 16. Failing that, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth will come to Magic: The Gathering Arena on June 23. Stay tuned for more.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
