Who’s ready to revisit Middle-earth?! Magic has been there once before with The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, and now we’re going back again. The Hobbit will launch in a little more than a week, bringing tons of powerful new cards that the Magic community has already been eyeing greedily during spoiler season. But why wait that long? …
Dwarves: At the Height of their Powers
Before it established its own original fantasy worlds, Magic: The Gathering was one of many fantasy games to borrow heavily from The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien-esque elves, dwarves and goblins all featured prominently in its early sets, and were among the first creature types to receive dedicated typal support. But where elves and goblins went on to become cornerstones …
Did Dragon’s Desire Finally Fix Dockside Extortionist?
Dockside Extortionist was banned in Commander in September 2024. It’s a busted little Magic card, and while many were sad to see it go, it was simply too powerful for the format as written. What would a “fixed” Dockside Extortionist look like, and does The Hobbit’s Dragon’s Desire fit the role? DOCKSIDE EXTORTIONIST Dockside is a two-mana creature that enters and …
Amassing Value With Amass
Magic: the Gathering | The Hobbit releases on August 14th, 2026 and we are currently in the midst of preview season. The set features tons of amazing new cards and mechanics that bring Tolkien’s iconic 1937 novel to life. However, I’m most excited about a returning mechanic – Amass. This mechanic represents Middle Earth’s seemingly endless Goblin armies. In this …
Tempting Fate: Why the Ringbearer Mechanic Fails
In a recent article on how high-level design choices made for The Hobbit, Mark Rosewater discussed which aspects of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth were worth carrying over to this new set. There were several mechanical wins deemed “must re-use” for how well they captured the feeling of Tolkien’s world on the tabletop. Others were put in …
Marvel Super Heroes Draft Guide
When you think about it, Draft plays an important role for Universes Beyond sets. Only a handful of the cards in Marvel Super Heroes are destined to find a lasting place in the metagame of Standard, Commander, or other Constructed formats. Even then, they will typically be just one or two Marvel cards playing a role alongside cards from other …
Is Swan Song Even Good Anymore?
Swan Song is currently the 5th most played counterspell in Commander – but does it deserve that spot? Is it still a premium choice, or are the downsides starting to accumulate? Today I want to look at how Swan Song is best played to answer the question: is Swan Song even good anymore? SWAN SONG For a single blue mana, …
Marvel Super Heroes Super-Team Synergies
Marvel Super Heroes is the biggest crossover yet under the Universes Beyond banner… not only in terms of hype, but in the sheer number of beloved and awesome characters making their first appearance on Magic cards! From Earth’s Mightiest Heroes down to some of the deep cuts and cult classics of the Marvel roster, there’s a good chance your favorite …
Marvel Super Heroes Prerelease Guide
Planeswalkers and Avengers alike – assemble now for the biggest blockbuster release on this year’s Magic calendar! Marvel Super Heroes has finally arrived, bringing the star-studded superhero roster of Marvel’s comics and movies to the tabletop arena. Your first opportunity to get in on this multiverse-shattering debut is also one of the best ones: attending an official prerelease event at …
Magic Villains Worthy of Equipping Mjolnir
Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor is the headline equipment card in Marvel Super Heroes. It represents the phenomenal power of Thor’s signature weapon, and as such has a lot of utility packed into one card. However, only those that are worthy may equip it… or so it seems. Turns out a fair few of Magic’s iconic villains are worthy to hold …










