The Financial Impact of Realms and Relics in LOTR: Tales of Middle-earth

Stunning reprints at affordable prices.

Magic: The Gathering’s The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is a Universes Beyond set released on June 23. Tales of Middle-earth features new-to-MTG cards depicting many iconic characters and locations from The Lord of the Rings book and movie series. Players can acquire cards from the main set as singles or sealed products containing Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters.

Market Price: $11.26

Market Price: $13.02

Anyone purchasing an entire box of Draft, Set, or Collector Boosters will receive a Box Topper booster inside. Each Box Topper booster holds a foil version of a Realms and Relics card, a reprint of a Land or Artifact card. Thirty different Realms and Relics reprints feature images of items and locations from The Lord of the Rings. Interestingly, some Realms and Relics cards are first-time reprints of highly playable cards. Besides Box Toppers, Realms and Relics cards appear in Collector Boosters as non-foils (31% of Collector Boosters) and Surge Foils (1% of Collector Boosters).  

Market Price: $84.20

Market Price: $13.66

Market Price: $51.31

Surge Foil Realms and Relics cards command high average market prices due to their scarcity and appeal. Fortunately, non-foil and foil versions of Realms and Relics cards are more affordable alternatives with varying prices. All Realms and Relics cards are unequal; some are more desirable and pricy than others. Let’s dive further into the financial impact of six of the most wanted Realms and Relics cards.

 #6 Bucklebury Ferry (Oboro, Palace in the Clouds)

Oboro, Palace in the Clouds

Commander: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Mythic

Market Price: $10.82

One of the most exciting Realms and Relics cards is Bucklebury Ferry (Oboro, Palace in the Clouds). Eighteen years after Saviors of Kamigawa was released, players finally got the first reprint of Oboro, Palace in the Clouds in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Oboro, Palace in the Clouds is a nonbasic land that taps for Blue mana, and you can pay one colorless mana to return it to its owner’s hand.

Lord of the Accursed

Commander: Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Uncommon

Players typically include a copy of Oboro, Palace in the Clouds in Modern Dimir Mill decks to trigger Ruin Crab’s and Hedron Crab’s landfall abilities. Modern Merfolk decks may include a copy of Oboro, Palace in the Clouds. In Commander, the Legendary Land is an excellent inclusion in decks led by Tatyova, Benthic Druid, Omnath, Locus of Creation, and Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait.

Market Price: $28.30

Before the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Oboro, Palace in the Clouds’ average market price hovered around $60 for non foils and $330 for foils. Although non-foil and foil versions of Saviors of Kamigawa’s Oboro, Palace in the Clouds still maintain a similar price point post-release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, versions of Oboro, Palace in the Clouds are readily available at substantially lower price points. Non-foil and foil versions sell for $17 and $20, respectively. If you find the artwork on Bucklebury Ferry acceptable, you can save a ton of money when picking up a copy for a deck.

#5 Elessar, the Elfstone (Cloudstone Curio)

Cloudstone Curio

Commander: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Mythic

Another notable Realms and Relics reprint is Elessar, the Elfstone (Cloudstone Curio). First released in Ravnica: City of Guilds, Cloudstone Curio only saw one reprinting as a Kaladesh Invention before The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Cloudstone Curio is a three-mana artifact with an ability that says, “Whenever a non-artifact permanent enters the battlefield under your control, you may return another permanent you control that shares a permanent type with it to its owner’s hand.”

Market Price: $81.54

Market Price: $13.36

An ideal home for Cloudstone Curio is in Red Commander decks alongside Dockside Extortionist. Cloudstone Curio and Dockside Extortionist form a two-card combo capable of generating infinite Treasure tokens, mana, death triggers, sacrifice triggers, and enters-the-battlefield triggers.

Cloudstone Curio’s combo potential is one reason why Ravnica: City of Guilds non foils and foils had average market prices of $50 and $90, respectively. Average market prices for Ravnica: City of Guilds versions of Cloudstone Curio dropped for non foils but not foils following the release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Currently, players can purchase non-foil copies of Elessar, the Elfstone (Cloudstone Curio) for around $20, and foil copies for $22. Tales of Middle-earth’s Cloudstone Curio Realms and Relics card provides players with a significant savings opportunity for assembling combos in Commander.

#4 Glittering Caves of Aglarond (Gemstone Caverns)

Gemstone Caverns

Commander: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Mythic

Market Price: $53.24

Originally printed in Time Spiral, Gemstone Caverns is a nonbasic land with a unique ability. If you are not the starting player and Gemstone Caverns is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with Gemstone Caverns on the battlefield with a luck counter on it. If you do, exile a card from your hand. Adding a luck counter to Gemstone Caverns lets you tap it for one mana of any color. Without the luck counter, Gemstone Caverns merely taps for one colorless mana.

Market Price: $49.30

Market Price: $51.97

Market Price: $54.28

Gemstone Cavern’s playability likely influenced its average market price to over $60 before receiving a reprint as a Realms and Relics card. In Constructed formats, Gemstone Caverns sees play in Modern’s Crashing Footfalls, Mono-Blue Tron, and Hardened Scales. Competitive Commander players utilize Gemstone Cavern’s ability to gain a mana advantage at the beginning of a game, as going first is uncommon.

Players interested in grabbing a non-foil copy of Gemstone Caverns can find The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and Time Spiral: Remastered versions available for $44 and $49, respectively. However, foil versions of Glittering Caves of Aglarond (Gemstone Caverns) from Tales of Middle-earth are selling for a premium of $67. Considering foil versions of Gemstone Caverns from Time Spiral and Time Spiral: Remastered sell for over $150, paying $67 for a foil from Tales of Middle-earth seems like a bargain. Adding a non-foil or foil copy of Glittering Caves of Aglarond to your collection is a fine idea at its current price point.

#3 The Party Tree (The Great Henge)

The Great Henge

Commander: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Mythic

Market Price: $60.56

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth’s Realms and Relics marks the first reprinting of The Great Henge. Originally printed in Throne of Eldraine, The Great Henge is a powerful Legendary Artifact commonly played in Commander. Rarely do players pay nine mana to cast The Great Henge since its casting cost gets reduced by X, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control. Tapping The Great Henge adds two green mana to your mana pool and gains you two life. Additionally, whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, you get to put a +1/+1 counter on it and draw a card.

Market Price: $53.09

Market Price: $51.52

Market Price: $67.59

Average market prices for Throne of Eldraine’s The Great Henge non-foil fell 12% from $60 to $53 post-release of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Interestingly, non-foil versions of The Party Tree (The Great Henge) from Tales of Middle-earth currently maintain a similar price point. Furthermore, Tales of Middle-earth foil versions sell for $66 or a $10 premium over Throne of Eldraine. Players waiting to get a non-foil copy of The Great Henge won’t save much money from its first reprinting, but a few dollars are better than nothing.

#2 Paths of the Dead (Cavern of Souls)

Cavern of Souls

Commander: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Mythic

Market Price: $49.69Cavern of Souls is a staple nonbasic Land often found in creature-centric decks across Modern, Legacy, and Commander. When Cavern of Souls enters the battlefield, you choose a creature type. You may tap Cavern of Souls for one colorless or one mana of any color to cast a creature spell of the selected type, and that spell cannot get countered. Goblins, Humans, Merfolk, and Dragons are just a few creature types players choose when playing Cavern of Souls. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth’s Paths of the Dead (Cavern of Souls) is commanding $56 in non-foil and $66 in foil at the time of writing, unsurprising due to its versatility and popularity in multiple constructed formats.

Market Price: $41.97

Market Price: $41.72

Market Price: $40.30

Before Tales of Middle-earth’s release, Double Masters 2022 versions of Cavern of Souls sold for $56 in non-foil and $62 in foil. Double Masters 2022 Cavern of Souls non foils are now selling at an $11 or a 24% discount, whereas foils are only $5 off. Cavern of Souls singles likely won’t hit a price point under $40 as long as Wizards of the Coast is mindful of when, where they reprint the card, and the Mythic rarity given.

#1 Balin’s Tomb (Ancient Tomb)

Ancient Tomb

Commander: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Mythic

Market Price: $102.34

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth’s priciest Realms and Relics card is Balin’s Tomb (Ancient Tomb). Previously reprinted as a non-foil and foil in Ultimate Masters, Ancient Tomb is a nonbasic Land that taps for two colorless mana and deals two damage to you. With over 300,000 deck inclusions on EDHREC, it is undeniable that players highly value Ancient Tomb.

Market Price: $94.36

Market Price: $104.33

Market Price: $96.29

The average market price of Balin’s Tomb (Ancient Tomb) is $66 in non-foil and $76 in foil. These price points are a noticeable discount compared to Ultimate Masters versions at $75 in non-foil and $87 in foil before Tales of Middle-earth. Interestingly, non-foil versions of Ultimate Masters have dropped to $62 post-release of Tales of Middle-earth, while foil versions are maintaining a pricepoint over $80. Considering its demand and discounted pricing, it is an excellent opportunity to grab a copy of Ancient Tomb.