The 7 Best Budget Buys From LOTR: Holiday Release

A fresh wave of reprints means for excellent budget deals.

Magic: The Gathering’s successful Universes Beyond release, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, returns for the holidays. Several new products accompany Tales of Middle-earth’s Holiday Release, including Scene Boxes and Special Edition Collector Boosters. While each Scene Box includes six new-to-MTG cards and Set Boosters, Special Edition Collectors Boosters offer players a chance to pull serialized and exclusive treatment cards. 

Excitingly, Special Edition Collector Boosters may contain Surge Foil Realms and Relics Box Toppers. Anyone who waited to pick up Surge Foil Realms and Relics Box-Toppers from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth’s initial release will be rewarded with lower prices as more supply enters the secondary market.

Market Price: $52.47

Market Price: $203.98

Market Price: $16.21

Other thrilling additions to Special Edition Collector Boosters are Borderless Poster, Borderless Brothers Hildebrandt, and Showcase Scrolls of Middle-earth cards. Borderless Brothers Hildebrandt cards are twenty cards from MTG’s history reprinted with The Lord of the Rings artwork by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt. Additionally, players can pull Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and Commander: Tales of Middle-earth cards with the showcase Scrolls of Middle-earth treatment. Considering the overwhelming number of cards and variants found in Special Edition Collector Boosters, here are seven budget-friendly cards you should consider adding to your collection.

#7 Timber Protector

Timber Protector

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

One of the most exciting Borderless Brothers Hildebrandt inclusions is Timber Protector. Five mana provides a 4/6 Treefolk Warrior that gives +1/+1 to other Treefolk you control. In addition, Timber Protector provides indestructible to Treefolk and Forests you control. Fascinatingly, granting Forests indestructible synergies well with Ashaya, Soul of the Wild, Dryad Arbor, and 1/1 green Forest Dryad creature tokens produced by Awaken the Woods.

Market Price: $15.00

Market Price: $10.93

Commander players missing a copy of Timber Protector from the ninety-nine of their Treefolk-themed Commander decks should rejoice. Initially from Lorwyn, Timber Protector suffered from scarcity and maintained an average market price of over $20. Timber Protector’s reprinting in Special Edition Collector Boosters means players can now grab a copy for a 75% discount.

#6 Mithril Coat

Mithril Coat

Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Rare

Mithril Coat is a three-mana Legendary Equipment card from Tales of Middle-earth that Commander players quickly embraced. Mithril Coat possesses flash, indestructible, and provides indestructible to the creature it equips. Also, when Mithril Coat enters the battlefield, it attaches to a Legendary creature you control upon entering the battlefield. Lastly, you may pay three mana to equip Mithril Coat to another creature you choose.

Market Price: $11.04

Market Price: $10.90

Market Price: $10.65

Entering the battlefield at instant speed for three mana to save your commander or another legendary creature is impressive. Commander players running Darksteel Plate in their decks may want to swap it with Mithril Coat or play them together. Thankfully, Extended Art Surge Foil and Scroll Showcase versions of Mithril Coat are now available for around $5, or 50% less than its regular version.

#5 Last March of the Ents

Last March of the Ents

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

Tales of Middle-earth’s Last March of the Ents is a powerful green sorcery. For eight mana, Last March of the Ents cannot be countered and draws cards equal to the greatest toughness among creatures you control. Also, you may put any number of creature cards from your hand onto the battlefield.

Filling your hand with cards and dropping creature threats for zero mana synergies with high-density creature decks in Commander. Luckily, Wizards of the Coast included multiple synergistic commander options for Last March of the Ents with recent set releases. Commanders such as Fangorn, Tree Shepherd, Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep, and Shelob, Child of Ungoliant can maximize Last March of the Ents. Besides Treefolk, Sea Creatures, and Spiders, Last March of the Ents plays well with Dinosaur and Stompy strategies.

Players can save money on singles of Last March of the Ents with the release of Special Edition Collector Boosters. Last March of the Ents’ non-foil Scroll Showcase version currently has an average market price of around $8, a 33% discount from its regular version price point. Saving a few dollars is better than nothing for players interested in getting a copy of Last March of the Ents.

#4 Minas Tirith

Minas Tirith

Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Rare

Minas Tirith is part of a Rare, non-Basic Land cycle in The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Minas Tirith is beneficial to White decks due to its two-mana activated ability that draws a card if you attacked with two or more creatures during a turn. Enabling Minas Tirith’s card draw ability is easily achievable in white Commander decks interested in attacking with multiple creatures. Legends, Humans, Spirits, and Equipment are a few Commander strategies that may want to include a copy of Minas Tirith.

Wonderfully, copies of Minas Tirith are now available at a price point considerably lower than $3. Players interested in Showcase Scroll versions of Minas Tirith can obtain one for around $1 each. Now is a fine time to add more Tales of Middle-earth real estate to your collection at a discount.

#3 Raise the Palisade

Raise the Palisade

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

Commander: Tales of Middle-earth’s Raise the Palisade is one of the breakout cards from the set. Raise the Palisade is a five-mana Sorcery that returns all creatures to their owners’ hands that are not of a chosen type. Merfolk and Faerie Commander builds may use Raise the Palisade to remove opponents’ blockers and threats from the battlefield. Moreover, Simic Elves, Dimir Ninjas, and Esper Knights decks can use Raise the Palisade to deal opponents lethal combat damage.

Regular versions of Raise the Palisade peaked at an average market price of $16 in October. Fortunately for players, the Showcase Scrolls version of Raise the Palisade is available for only $8. If you missed grabbing a copy of Raise the Palisade for under $10 upon release, you now have a second chance!

#2 Arwen, Weaver of Hope

Arwen, Weaver of Hope

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

Arwen, Weaver of Hope is a versatile, 2/1 Legendary Elf Noble from Commander: Tales of Middle-earth. Arwen, Weaver of Hope’s charm is its triggered ability that says each other creature you control enters the battlefield with several additional +1/+1 counters equal to its toughness. Increasing Arwen, Weaver of Hope’s toughness is achievable with Elves like Elvish Champion, Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen, and Immaculate Magistrate. Commander decks focused on +1/+1 counters have many ways to grow Arwen, Weaver of the Hope’s toughness, too.

Between August and October, Arwen, Weaver of Hope’s average market price climbed from $3 to $10. Commander: Tales of Middle-earth copies still hover around $8 each, even with the added supply of a showcase version. However, budget-minded players can purchase a showcase version of Arwen, Weaver of Hope for around $4.

#1 The Black Gate

The Black Gate

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

The Black Gate is a Legendary Land and the most played card from Commander: Tales of Middle-earth, according to EDHREC. The Black Gate taps for Black mana, but unfortunately, enters the battlefield tapped unless you pay three life. Players may want to add The Black Gate to their decks due to its two-mana ability that lets you choose a player with the most life or tied for the most life, and a target creature can’t be blocked by creatures the chosen player controls this turn.

Black Commander decks looking to attack with sizable creatures may want The Black Gate. Sauron, the Dark Lord, and Saruman, the White Hand wish to attack an opponent with a substantial Army. With The Black Gate’s assistance, Frodo, Sauron’s Bane can end the game for an opponent. The Black Gate may help Grima, Saruman’s Footman, Master of Cruelties, Phage, the Untouchable, and Nine-Fingers Keene deal combat damage to opponents as well.

Market Price: $57.26

Special Edition Collector Boosters allowed players to get an affordable copy of The Black Gate. Although regular and Extended Art versions of The Black Gate will cost players $10 or more, Scroll Showcase versions are selling for under $6. Obtaining a highly playable card for less than its average market price since release is a great deal.