5 Stunning Magic: The Gathering x The Hobbit Cards That Have Fans Ready to Line Up on Launch Day

When it comes to crossovers, Magic: The Gathering has quite a storied history. Some pairings, like SpongeBob SquarePants and Stardew Valley, are unexpected. But others, like Tolkien’s Middle-earth, are almost too perfectly on-brand. In its upcoming Universes Beyond release, Magic: The Gathering is returning to Middle-earth for a new set steeped in Shire lore. Magic: The Gathering -The Hobbit arrives on August 14th, and Wizards has already treated fans to several exciting card reveals.

The official website for Magic: The Gathering – The Hobbit shows off 148 of the set’s card designs. In total, the expansion is expected to include 248 regular cards, plus variants. So we’ve not yet seen everything the new Universes Beyond drop will include. Still, what we have seen so far has many fans excited to try and get ahold of the new release. Of course, like basically any TCG drop these days, that won’t be easy. But these 5 stunning crossover designs make it worth a try.

Tom Bombadil

Love him or hate him, Tom Bombadil has a big presence in the world of Middle-earth. That’s true even though the movies chose to do away with the admittedly side-questy nature of the hobbits’ visit to Bombadil in The Lord of the Rings. Seeing the character represented among the upcoming MTG crossover with The Hobbit is no doubt a delight to those seeking justice for Tom Bombadil. And the card design itself is just plain fun, with Bombadil midsong near the water, as he should be.

This will be a Borderless Classic Artist Card, available in Surge Foil. Bombadil will play the role of a God Bard Legendary Creature, with abilities linked to the number of lore counters among your controlled Sagas. The card will be included in the Collector Boosters, Draft Night, Gift Bundle, and Box Topper releases for the physical The Hobbit drop. It will also be added as a Card Style in MTG Arena.

Bag End Banquet

I don’t know what it says about me that I love a food-themed MTG card, but I am who I am. And in this case, I think a beautifully rendered banquet is a spot-on requirement for a Hobbit-themed set. Hobbits are known for their love of eating, after all, and how could we deny them second breakfast in their own themed release? This card is a feast fit for any Hobbit, and it makes me want to immediately start a new Tales of the Shire playthrough, if I’m honest.

Bag End Banquet is an Artifact card that will let you create 3 Food tokens when it enters the playing field, then use those Food to generate energy. It’s got a stunning Borderless design and will be printed in a Traditional Foil style. When the The Hobbit set releases, you’ll find this card in the Collector Boosters, Draft Night, Gift Bundle, and Crack the Plates Scene Box. Here’s hoping it’s not too hard to pull, because I’m going to need this one based on vibes alone.

An Unexpected Party

Listen, I love an excuse to throw in random Middle-earth lore as much as the next fan. But given that this MTG release is called The Hobbit, I’m most interested in cards that directly reference that book. Naturally, that means I’m drawn to this depiction of the unexpected arrival of several dwarves interrupting Bilbo’s quiet time. And not just because I, too, would rather be alone at home with some cheese and a good book. This card beautifully captures Bilbo’s reaction to the unexpected visitors, complete with his grudging hospitality as he takes their coats.

An Unexpected Party will be an Enchantment card for Magic: The Gathering. It creates Dwarf creature tokens on the board, while also giving you a boost to your chosen creature type. This version features Extended Art and will be printed as a Traditional Foil card. It will be available in the full lineup of planned product releases for the Magic: The Gathering – The Hobbit drop, including as part of MTG Arena store packs.

Dwarven Warriors

One of many exciting details in the Magic: The Gathering – The Hobbit set is its use of Dwarven-language cards. Sure, it might be tricky to read the card for gameplay purposes unless you’ve brushed up on your Tolkien. But it’s a delightful homage to the lore of Middle-earth, one that feels right at home in a fantasy TCG like MTG. Wizards has unveiled a handful of Dwarven-language cards already, but Dwarven Warriors is my favorite so far.

This card shows a laughing Dwarf, fully in armor and ready to go to battle. The text is entirely in Dwarvish, a perfect fit for a Dwarf-centric card design. It will be available as a Borderless, Traditional Foil card and will be included in the Collector Boosters, Draft Night, and Gift Bundle drops. Though any of the Dwarvish Language Cards will be an exciting pull, this is going on my personal list of must-haves from this Universes Beyond release.

Gandalf, Goblin’s Bane

Several of the cards in the Universes Beyond The Hobbit lineup have book cover card designs. They pay homage to classic fantasy book covers in the best way, and I think they’ll easily be fan-favorite versions of these cards. Personally, I’m most partial to the Gandalf, Goblin’s Bane rendition. It features a true high fantasy Gandalf illustration, with the wizard’s staff on full display. The book cover details even include a reminder that paperbacks once cost 75 cents.

This Gandalf card is one of a few that feature the Grey Wizard. In this case, he appears as a Legendary Creature, boasting a Flameshape ability that will let you preview and exile the top two cards in your draw pile. This Borderless Book Cover card is a Surge Foil and will no doubt be a must-have for any Lord of the Rings fan who also plays Magic: The Gathering. It will feature in the Collector Boosters, Draft Night, Gift Bundle, and Crack the Plates Scene Box, and will also be a MTG Arena wildcard.

Which of these cards are you most hoping to get when the new Magic: The Gathering – The Hobbit lineup comes out? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!