Wizards of the Coast revealed even more cards due out with its next Universes Beyond crossover in Magic: The Gathering, reveling in the mystical wonder of The Hobbit during a MagicCon: Amsterdam panel on July 18. Anticipation for the set was already staggering, but the mix of legendary characters, iconic locations, and premium treatments inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel has fans frothing for more.
The showcase featured legendary creatures like Thorin Oakenshield; Bard the Bowman; Thranduil, the Elvenking; and Gollum, Riddle Master, alongside spells recreating some of the book’s most memorable moments. Wizards also unveiled several collectible treatments, including borderless Dwarvish-language cards, alternate “Book Cover” frames (my personal favorite), and new Scene Boxes centered around Smaug and the Lonely Mountain.
Here’s everything revealed duringThe Hobbit MagicCon panel.
Thorin, Bard, and the heroes of The Hobbit lead the set
The biggest reveals naturally centered on the memorable heroes of Tolkien’s world. Leading the charge is Thorin Oakenshield, who finally joins Magic as a legendary creature with the set’s signature new mechanic, called “Storied.” Players establish an “enduring story” by controlling three or more artifacts, legendary permanents, and/or sagas, unlocking additional abilities on Storied cards. Thorin grants your artifacts and creatures ward one, reflecting the growing strength of his company as the adventure unfolds.
Wizards also gave another member of Thorin’s Company the legendary treatment with Bifur, Melodic Rider. He carries the same Storied ability, but Bifur’s version doubles triggered abilities from Dwarves while steadily growing your board with +1/+1 counters. That should go nicely with the beautiful mountain land called The Lonely Mountain, which can create 2/2 Dwarves for cheap if you have an equipment-filled board.
The human kingdom also receives plenty of attention, with Bard the Bowman and his later incarnation as Bard, King of Dale. The Bowman variant rewards players for drawing extra cards by steadily strengthening creatures with +1/+1 counters and lifelink, while the King of Dale amplifies the other’s ability with two-card draws and doubles your tokens every time you create one or more. That’s a serious combo that’s sure to get Azorius (blue-white) players thrilled, and you can’t forget The Queen of Dale, whose Recruit ability turns opponents’ noncreature spells into card selection and Human Soldier tokens.
Gandalf, Goblin’s Bane arrives as one of the set’s mono-red adventure creatures. His adventure spell, Flameshape, lets players exile the top two cards of their library facedown before playing them later so long as they control a wizard, effectively banking future resources. Once on the battlefield, Gandalf rewards a spellslinger strategy, growing larger whenever you cast a noncreature spell while pinging each opponent for one damage.
There’s also Gollum, Riddle Master; Thranduil, the Elvenking; Silvan Reveler; The Chief Warg; and Bolg of the North. Bolg weaponizes sacrificed creatures by flinging them at enemies before amassing goblin armies if excess damage is dealt.
Iconic moments become spells and lands
As expected, many of the set’s noncreature cards recreate memorable chapters from The Hobbit, like The Lonely Mountain mentioned previously. Bilbo’s encounter with the Wargs is rendered in the aptly-named saga Burn, Burn, Tree and Fern, which kicks off by first burning opposing creatures before destroying artifacts and ultimately generating mana. Is it the best card in the set? Probably not, but it captures a part of the story in a particularly flavorful way.
One of the novel’s most memorable rescues comes to life in The Eagles Are Coming!, which temporarily returns your creatures to your hand before replacing them with Eagle tokens on your next upkeep. It’s an interesting protection spell with a delightful bit of lore baked in, and the art is quite beautiful.
Other reveals continued that story-first philosophy, like Supper for Spiders. The instant turns creatures that died the same turn it was cast into Food artifacts under your control, so if you ever wanted to eat your opponents’ monsters, this card is for you. Players also got a look at Sting, Bilbo’s Sword, turning the hobbit’s iconic Elven blade into an Equipment card, and Desolation of Smaug, a powerful sorcery that deals three damage to each non-dragon creature and adds four mana that can be spent only on dragon spells.
Showcase treatments and Scene Boxes round out the reveals
Beyond the main set, Wizards also unveiled several premium treatments and collector products inspired by The Hobbit. Main among them is the new Book Cover series that gives cards like Bard, King of Dale; Gandalf, Goblin’s Bane; Gollum, Riddle Master; The Lonely Mountain; and Thranduil, the Elvenking alternate artwork styled after classic editions of Tolkien’s novel.
A Borderless Dwarvish Language treatment reimagines cards like Arcane Signet, Mox Amber, and Treasure Vault using Tolkien-inspired script, while the Dragon Hoard frame showcases Desolation of Smaug; Sting, Bilbo’s Sword; and The Queen of Dale amid Erebor’s legendary riches.
Wizards also revealed two new panoramic Scene Boxes first introduced in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Universes Beyond set. Crack the Plates recreates the dwarves’ unforgettable dinner party at Bag End across six cards, while Treasures of Smaug depicts the greedy dragon’s vast hoard with cards including Bilbo’s Burglaring, Dragon’s Desire, Dragon-Cursed Halls, and Smaug the Impenetrable.
With dozens of cards revealed, Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit is already shaping up to be a faithful adaptation of Tolkien’s novel, blending iconic characters, memorable story beats, and new mechanics ahead of the full preview season.