TRULY an event to remember, on 14 June, Magic: The Gathering: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth event happened at The Lemon Tree PJ Tropicana. It was an event where Wizards of the Coast announced the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, the latest set and, by far, the biggest collaboration to date for the world’s best trading card game, Magic: The Gathering (MTG) while actively using the hashtag #MTGxLOTR.
Upon my arrival, I was greeted warmly by the organisers before being shown my seat at the beginners’ table and feasting on what they had prepared. The atmosphere and environment were perfect for the kind of event that they were having, fun and relaxed. The MC was warm and friendly, and soon after, Mr Kenneth Ong, the representative for Wizards of the Coast, took the stand.
There, he showed countless characters, places, and story moments, known and well-loved by its fans and the general public. It is clear that they have cleverly reimagined the Magic universe through the art style and gameplay mechanics.
Excitingly, the new set was released recently on tabletop on 23 June and this will create more opportunities than ever to play for both fresh and experienced players.
With the introduction of the new set, it is unspokenly the perfect entry point to MTG for new and fresh-faced players, as beloved Middle-earth characters they know and trust will aid them on their journey.
The released set includes a themed Starter Kit, allowing new players to relive their favourite moments from the popular franchise while learning the world’s greatest trading card game. The kit includes two decks legal in modern times, basic learning materials, and tokens.
Providing further opportunities for newer players, exhilarating Celebration Events complete with prizes will be hosted from 1 to 2 July, as a way to learn how to play in a more casual setting. Thorough details on this will be shared at a later date.
To generate more suspense, fans of The Lord of the Rings and MTG alike will be amazed by The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth’s reimaginings of familiar characters with the largely immersive gameplay.
As part of this intensive collaboration, new Legendary Creature cards featuring Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Saruman, Éowyn, Frodo, and many more will make players feel their impact as powerful cards and potential Commanders for fans of the multiplayer format.
Spoken throughout the whole event, “One Ring to Rule Them All” was definitely the biggest tagline to be whispered in everyone’s ears. The 1 of 1 Ring Promotion is an extraordinarily rare promotion only for The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth.
Further explaining what it is, one copy of this premium foil card with a raised gold foil treatment will be inserted into an English language Collector Booster, printed with 1 of 1 numbering and Elvish script. The precious One Ring could fall into the hands of any player, presenting a unique opportunity for collectors, as well as anyone else, new or experienced.
As one would expect, some adventures can’t be contained in just one book, or one card. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set includes multiple collectible card treatments to be found in Set, Draft, and Collector Boosters including Borderless Scene Cards that include several iconic scenes ranging from 2×2 to 6×3 cards, Full-Art Middle-earth Map Lands, and Showcase Ring Treatment Cards.
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth also includes Draft Boosters, Set Boosters, Collector Boosters, Prerelease Packs, Bundles, Gift Bundles, Commander Decks, Jumpstart Boosters and Starter Kits.
After introducing everything that needed to be known, the event turned into a group unboxing where everyone had a chance to unbox their own kit and produce a personalised deck with the help of an expert stationed at their tables. Afterwards, a friendly playoff with the assigned partner kicks off.
The games were quiet and careful at first, with every table testing and learning on what they could and could not do. But soon enough, there were screams and hurrahs travelling throughout the room as everyone got rowdy playing their matches. Whether it be the beginners or the experts, everyone was enjoying their time either beating their opponent or taking the relaxed approach of learning the game.
All in all, from the expected time the event would be held, some players stayed behind much farther than that, signalling that the newly released set is that good to play around with. Additionally, I was also one of the ones that stayed behind.
Later this year, an additional Holiday release on 3 November will include Collector Boosters Special Edition, Jumpstart Vol. 2 and Scene Boxes.
For more information on The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™, visit their official website at https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-tales-of-middle-earth.