For all of the controversy around Magic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond sets, we imagine a lot of people were very excited for a return to Middle-Earth when The Hobbit was announced.
Now, ahead of launch, we’re still wondering where those Commander Decks are, but we can console ourselves with some absolutely awesome artwork and some really cool new cards.
Before we cover the set’s priciest cards, a couple of caveats: First is that we’re going via TCGplayer pricing, and there’s no amount attached to the One Ring just yet. The second is that pre-release pricing is notoriously fickle, and it’s likely these prices will shift quickly.
Still, if you’re opening packs on launch weekend, these are the cards you should be looking for.
The Most Valuable Cards In The Hobbit’s Magic: The Gathering Set
10 – The Queen of Dale (Showcase) (Surge Foil) – $160
The Queen of Dale (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
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Kicking off our list, this version of The Queen of Dale is sitting at $160 and lets you recruit when your opponents cast noncreature spells.
Recruit, you say? This mechanic allows you to draw and discard a card, creating a 1/1 white Human Soldier token if you discard a nonland card. You can swiftly ramp up your side of the board (and your graveyard) if you’re recruiting for every noncreature spell, especially at a cost of just two mana.
9 – Thranduil, the Elvenking (Borderless) (Surge Foil) – $170
Thranduil, the Elvenking (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
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Our first book cover treatment (expect plenty more), Thranduil, the Elvenking is a 5/6 that has all activated abilities of Elf cards in your graveyard.
It also allows you to draw cards and discard a card when another legendary Elf enters, making it ideal for typal synergies — and green and blue have a ton of access to Elves. It’s around $170.
8 – Thorin, Mountain-king (Borderless) (Surge Foil) – $195
Thorin, Mountain-king (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
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Another book cover, Thorin, Mountain-King is core to the story of The Hobbit, and this Dwarf Noble attaches equipment to one of your creatures for free.
When one or more pieces of equipment become attached to that creature this way, that creature deals damage equal to its power to up to one target creature. It’s also a 3/4 body with Trample, and is selling for around $195.
7 – Smaug the Magnificent (Borderless) – $200
Smaug the Magnificent (Borderless)
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One of the most striking visuals in the set, Smaug the Magnificent’s borderless treatment is going for around $200.
It doesn’t say it on this version of the card, but this card deals damage equal to the number of Treasures you control to any target, be that a creature or a player. And, at the beginning of your upkeep, you get a Treasure token, too. All of that, plus it’s a 4/3 with flying and haste.
6 – Smaug the Magnificent (Showcase) (Surge Foil) – $225
Smaug the Magnificent (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
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More Smaug, anyone? Functionally the same as the above, this version shows the fearsome dragon napping on a pile of gold and treasure.
It’s selling for around $225 right now.
5 – Bilbo, Thief in the Night (Showcase) (Surge Foil) – $225
Bilbo, Thief in the Night (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
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Ah, finally – our cunning burglar Hobbit. Bilbo, Thief in the Night is a 2/2 that reduces the cost of spells cast from anywhere but your hand. Handily, Bilbo also does just that when it attacks.
This version is sitting at around $240.
4 – Gandalf, Goblins’ Bane (Borderless) (Surge Foil) – £292
Gandalf, Goblins’ Bane (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
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Gandalf, Goblins’ Bane was always going to be popular, but this version of the iconic Wizard is useful, too. Not only can he be cast as a 2/3 Avatar Wizard who gains +1/+1 with noncreature spells and pings opponents for damage, but he can act as a Sorcery, too.
Flameshape lets you exile two cards from your library and play them as long as you control a Wizard. He’s close to breaking the $300 mark with this book cover version.
3 – The Arkenstone (Showcase) (Surge Foil) – $305
The Arkenstone (Showcase) (Surge Foil)
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The MacGuffin before the One Ring, The Arkenstone is a Legendary Artifact that powers up your creatures and nets you end-of-turn card draw.
You can play it as a Sorcery, too, which lets you search for a legendary creature card and put it into your hand. It’s $305 right now.
2 – The Arkenstone (Borderless) (Surge Foil) – $400
The Arkenstone (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
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Looking for a different treatment for The Arkenstone? This one is even more expensive at $400!
1 – Gleaming Splendor (Borderless) (Surge Foil) – $530
Gleaming Splendor (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
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Going well beyond the $500 mark is Gleaming Splendor, an Enchantment that gets you Treasure Tokens as players draw their second card on a turn.
As the artwork suggests, this pairs nicely with Smaug, The Magnificent if you’re playing red and white, and you can even pay additional mana to force other players to draw a card. It’s $530 right now.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.
