MTG The Hobbit is bringing players back into Middle-earth with a compact but seriously packed set full of Hobbits, Dwarves, and one seriously greedy dragon. It follows in the footsteps of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, one of the best-selling Magic releases ever, and still manages to pack a serious collectibility punch despite its smaller size.
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Alongside strong playable cards for casual and competitive tables, the set introduces gorgeous Classic Artist and Book Cover treatments that give collectors plenty to chase. Here’s a rundown of the cards you’ll be most excited to pull from Play and Collector Boosters once The Hobbit hits shelves.
11. Bilbo, Thief in the Night (Dragon Horde Showcase)
Bilbo finally gets his moment as a mythic legend, discounting spells cast from anywhere but your hand and letting you recast artifacts, instants, or sorceries from your graveyard whenever he attacks. The Dragon Horde Showcase version, wrapped around Smaug’s coils, is shaping up to be the most desirable printing of the sneaky Halfling.
10. Cavern-Hoard Dragon (Classic Artist Borderless)
Part of the 40-card Classic Artist series celebrating Magic’s most iconic artists, this reprint from Tales of Middle-earth turns opponents’ spare artifacts into a pile of Treasure for you. Its flying, hasty, trampling body makes it a go-to pick in Ur-Dragon Commander decks looking for a mana boost.
9. Beorn, the Fierce (Dragon Horde Showcase)
Beorn shapeshifts a creature into a Bear with trample each combat, and rewards you with two cards once you’re running three or more Bears. The Dragon Horde Showcase treatment is expected to be a hot pull for fans of the beloved Bear tribal archetype.
8. Sauron, the Dark Lord (Classic Artist Borderless)
The fallen Maia returns in a stunning Classic Artist treatment, letting you amass Orcs off opponents’ spells and draw a stack of cards whenever the Ring tempts you. Its ward cost, tied to sacrificing legendary permanents, makes it one of the most-played Commander options around.
7. Belladonna Took (Dragon Horde Showcase – Surge Foil)
Belladonna rewards token strategies with life gain, card draw, and +1/+1 counters as her ability keeps triggering again and again in a single turn. Any token counts, not just creatures, making her Dragon Horde Showcase Surge Foil a coveted pickup for casual Commander tables.
6. Orcish Bowmasters (Classic Artist Borderless – Surge Foil)
Widely considered one of the strongest cards from Tales of Middle-earth, this Orc Archer punishes extra card draws with pings and growing Orc tokens. The Classic Artist Surge Foil version is set to be in especially high demand thanks to its ongoing dominance in Modern, Legacy, and Vintage Cube play.
5. Mox Amber (Dwarvish Borderless)
As part of a small Dwarvish subset exclusive to Collector Boosters, Mox Amber taps for mana of any color as long as you control a legendary creature or planeswalker. Carrying the legendary Mox name alone makes this a heavy hitter for both Commander tables and competitive formats.
4. Smaug, Wicked Worm
Smaug’s other appearance in the set brings the dragon’s hoarding menace to life through one of the striking Book Cover Borderless treatments. Tied to a classic Tolkien-style cover aesthetic, this printing is tipped to be one of the release’s genuine big-ticket chases.
3. Thranduil, the Elvenking (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
The Elvenking gets his own gorgeous Book Cover Borderless treatment, joining a small pool of just ten rares and mythics that receive this classic Tolkien-inspired art style. With a Surge Foil market price already sitting around $169.90, this one is shaping up to be a serious collector favorite.
2. Gleaming Splendor (Borderless) (Surge Foil)
This enchantment turns your opponents’ greedy card draws into a steady stream of Treasure, and even lets you force two players to draw a card for extra value. The Book Cover Borderless Surge Foil version is expected to be one of the priciest pulls of the whole set thanks to its Commander popularity.
1. Smaug the Magnificent (Gleaming Gold Borderless)
Exclusive to Collector Boosters and limited to roughly 500 copies, this gleaming gold Smaug deals damage equal to your Treasure count whenever he attacks. Painted by legendary Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith and already selling for tens of thousands of dollars before release, this is easily the most magnificent chase card in the set.
Even as a smaller release, MTG The Hobbit packs in serious value with playable cards for Commander and competitive formats alongside stunning Classic Artist and Book Cover treatments. Whether you’re chasing a Dragon Horde Showcase Bilbo or the jaw-dropping Gleaming Gold Smaug, there’s something here for casual collectors and hardcore competitors alike.
The set’s compact size means a tighter, more focused chase, so you won’t need to crack endless packs to find the cards you actually want. With release day bringing Play and Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Prerelease Packs, there’s never been a better time to head back to Middle-earth.
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