Welcome to part 1 of our set retrospective for Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle Earth, and Tales of Middle Earth Commander. This part will feature Deinonychus’ takes on cards with Bones’ reactions.
It is so much harder to find content about how cards have performed in cubes compared to how people think cards will perform before they come out. Perhaps speculation is more fun than retrospection, but the goal of this series is to focus on the latter. It will take a look at each set about a year after it came out and go over our thoughts on the cards we think are worth talking about.
The reviews will be based mostly on cubes that we play and curate.
Deinonychus' main cube is the Bodleian Cube, which showcases iconic and powerful cards with an emphasis on strategies that combine cards to be more than the sum of their parts. The power level is designed to allow these iconic cards to shine within and alongside archetypes which often suffocate in cubes designed to maximize individual card power. The strategies within the cube are set up to combine and cross pollinate to encourage emergent deckbuilding and present drafters with many possible directions throughout the draft. His other cube, Midwinter is a snow desert cube that expands on the themes of Kaldheim. Other cubes he plays both within his local group and while at various cube events factor into his reviews as well.
Bones curates many lists including the Amonkar Desert, Eiganjo Drift, and The Museum of Modern which you may recognize from CubeCon. Also in his playgroup is the Counters of Monte Cristo which is a big influence in the appreciation of counters-matter themes, which will come up often in these sets. The vast majority of cubes he plays are thematic or synergy-driven, with comparatively little experience in the powermax legacy and vintage cube worlds.
This is by no means a comprehensive review of all cards from the set, it is focused on the ones we would like to talk about. Whether you agree with my takes, disagree, or feel like we missed cards entirely, we want to hear about it! The more discussion these retrospectives generate the better they serve their intended goal of documenting takes on cards after they’ve been tested.
With that said, let’s dive into the cards of LTR/LTC.
White
Flowering of the White Tree
Pros:
Glorious Anthem for two mana instead of three is a great baseline for this card. Any deck going wide is happy to have this effect. Once legends enter the picture this card gets even better. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, [Kytheon, Hero of Akroas]], and many other white legends become huge when this card is in play and Ward 1 makes them harder to kill.
Cons:
This is a great anthem, but it is still an anthem. If you have no board this does not do anything.
Conclusion:
This is my favorite legends-matter payoff in Bodleian Cube. If you’re in the market for an anthem, this is a great addition to the cube. Flowering can also single handedly add a legends theme to a deck. Players draft and deckbuild differently when they take this card, which is the hallmark of a fun build around.
Bones’ Reaction:
I can directly attest that I took this card early while drafting Bodleian, and built around it in a monowhite deck that I really enjoyed! The card was great for the deck, but I wasn’t totally reliant on finding it for the deck to work well. Definitely one of the cooler anthem effects for cube.
Reprieve
Pros:
Remand is a beloved card in many cubes. White decks are very excited to get access to the effect. It has all the same benefits as Remand. Early game it can return a cheap spell that is awkward to cast again for a few turns. Late game it can stop the opponent’s more expensive spells for a turn while developing or maintaining your lead on board. I also like that unlike Mana Tithe this is less punishing to now know about and play around. The opponent gets their key spell back, and doesn’t feel like they should have checked the cube list to know that they might get force spike’d by a white deck.
Cons:
The play patterns are better than Mana Tithe, but some designers may think any white counterspell is too much.
Conclusion:
I love this card and I think you should test it unless you are adamantly against white counterspells.
Bones’ Reaction:
I find this card obnoxious in constructed, but in limited I am way more tolerant knowing they usually don’t have a way to do it again. Great tempo piece for a color that is usually reliant on removal and combat tricks in the instant space.
Blue
Press the Enemy
Pros:
Venser, Shaper Savant without the body that gains an interesting upside to cast instants and sorceries for free. This card is so cool as a way to cast cards like Ancestral Visions and other suspend cards without the wait. It also lets you break timing restrictions on your sorceries in creative ways. Players love feeling smart by finding lines like this.
Cons:
The card/permanent is only going back to their hand and you need to cast a card from hand to get full value from this. The floor here is expensive unsubstantiate and even the ceiling is likely to bring you down a card to achieve a huge tempo swing in your favor. If you can take advantage of this that can be great, but if you can’t it will feel anemic.
Conclusion:
If you’re trying to do a Crashing Footfalls style deck in your cube, this card is definitely worth a shot. If it’s a reasonable removal spell and you want the creative upside it brings, that’s great too. It’s not the right fit for any of my cubes, but I wanted to mention it anyway. I am always excited to see it in other people’s lists.
Bones’ Reaction:
I hadn’t seen this card since drafting LTR and totally forgot about it! Really cool, flexible piece of interaction, and definitely a great tool in weird-to-support build-arounds like Living End.
Stern Scolding
Pros:
This is an efficient counterspell that hits a surprisingly large number of creatures, especially in lower curving cubes.
Cons:
The art on this card does not do it for me. There are also plenty of cubes where it is too efficient.
Conclusion:
This card was really solid in Bodleian and I cut it mostly because I did not like looking at the art. If we see a Universes Within version with different art I would probably add it back in. If the art doesn’t bother you and you’re in a similar space to Bodleian Cube I would recommend giving it a try.
Bones’ Reaction:
I’ve seen multiple designers breaking restrictions of time-capsule range and Universes Beyond exclusion for this effect, because it’s so great for Blue to have access to. Highly recommended.
Black
Orcish Bowmasters
Pros:
If you’re reading this you probably don’t need me to tell you how effective this card is. The baseline is a really effective two drop that often trades 2-for-1. If your opponent has cast a draw spell it is a disgustingly good play. If you have a deck with wheels such as Wheel of Fortune it is even stronger.
Setting power level aside, I do think this is a very decision rich card that is fun to play with at the right power level. A lot of the hate this card gets from constructed is just much less relevant in mostly singleton cubes.
Cons:
Cards this strong are only appropriate in a very specific style of cube. Outside of that space this card will simply dominate every game it is played in.
Conclusion:
I cut this from Bodleian for not aligning with my design goals. I want my power outliers to do something more synergistic than what this card does. That said, I do think it’s a very decision dense card that is interesting to play with in cubes where it is an appropriate power level. When it comes to cards this powerful, I think designers tend to know whether or not your environment is interested in them.
Bones’ Reaction:
This card is too strong for the cubes I play, and in constructed it has soft-banned cards I love like Thalia, so I have nothing but disdain for it. Maybe if it was a Goblin I could give it a chance.
Red
Cast into the Fire
Pros:
Modal shatters are always something with potential to work well in a variety of cubes. This one exiles on top of the modality, which can be quite handy.
Cons:
The fact that this can only deal one damage to a given creature is a huge drawback. It is enough of a drawback that I do not think this actually plays like a modal card in a lot of environments.
Conclusion:
If the damage mode here was Fire instead, it would be an awesome card. As is, I do not recommend it unless there is an abundance of one toughness creatures in your cube.
Bones’ Reaction:
The one advantage I will grant this card is it plays like a combat trick to finish off damaged creatures more often than clearing away blockers like Arc Trail often does.
Moria Marauder
Pros:
A 1/1 doublestrike that can impulse draw two cards per turn when it successfully attacks. If you happen to have other goblins (which red decks tend to have) then this does not even need to risk itself in combat to draw cards. The impulse draw synergies are also very useful for cubes which lean into that theme.
Cons:
is not a trivial casting cost if the deck using this card is not mono-red.
Conclusion:
Marauder was a great attacker that put in a lot of work. There are a lot of red two drops that make for good attackers, so I prefer to use those slots on cards which also support other decks in the cube. If Bodelain had a cast from exile theme this card would still be in the cube, but this card is generically powerful enough that it will hang in cubes looking for powerful options.
My own preferences aside, I think this is one of the sleeper cards from this set. It is way less represented in eternal cubes than I would expect it to be given how powerful it is on rate.
Bones’ Reaction:
I think and specifying creature types will hold this back from cuber interest a lot more than if it costed, say, 2R or even just said whenever it makes contact. Would love to try it in a cube with sufficient Goblin density someday though.
Green
Delighted Halfling
Pros:
In terms of rate, this is one of the most powerful manadork options. The 1/2 statline makes it brawl better than the other options at this mana value. It’s hard to overstate how many things this can block or trade with relative to its 1/1 and 0/1 counterparts. From the perspective of a player, the uncounterable clause for legends represents a powerful way to drop early creatures and planeswalkers.
Cons:
From the perspective of a cube designer, uncounterable threats off a one drop dork is something you should think hard about. One mana cards are often going to get under counterspells, and then this halfling turns them off for a large amount of threats. If your cube is about getting people, then this likely doesn’t read as a drawback. If it isn’t, consider that the increase in power level relative to llanowar elves is likely not worth the unfun play patterns.
Conclusion:
I am overall very low on Delighted Halfling. If all you care about is power level, I encourage you to break singleton on the Hierarchs which are far more interesting cards. If you care about the experience of both the winning and losing players in each game, which I think you should, then I would recommend passing on this one. It makes the game less interactive, and really punishes a player just for being a blue deck.
Bones’ Reaction:
The day a player ramps out Oko, Thief of Crowns or Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes and it can’t be countered because of this, should be the day you decide that you love or hate this being in your environment. Huge power potential which should garner an equally strong feeling about its potential in your cube.
Gold
Arwen, Mortal Queen
Pros:
Arwen is a beating, and she can protect another card while making it even more of a beating. This is a very flavorful representation of the character and is a strong rate as well. This is particularly cool in a guild which is often bemoaned for having fewer options than the others.
I haven’t seen her played in environments with a lot of proliferate, but this will either result in a very cool dream to chase, or a very heinous play experience as you die to a 3/3 lifelink indestructible.
Cons:
Ability counters are a pain to track, and you need three of them minimum to track Arwen properly. Indestructible at baseline is also not ideal. She is incentivized to give it up, but she can also just stonewall a big creature forever.
Conclusion:
If you do not mind the onboard complexity, I think Arwen is a solid choice for a GW card. I found her to be replaceable in Bodleian Cube, but know she has found a home in plenty of cubes overall.
Bones’ Reaction:
Her indestructible nature requires a (probably healthy) density of evasion and unique removal in all colors to not just be a brick wall until it’s time to win the game. Definitely needs special care to be a compelling inclusion.
Flame of Anor
Pros:
At baseline this card gives you access to three solid effects that are reasonably priced for a variety of environments. None of them are cards you probably want on their own, but the flexibility between them is very valuable.
If you control a wizard, it is a three for one that impacts the board. There are plenty of wizards, such as Snapcaster Mage which are present in cubes where this enhanced rate is not out of line.
Cons:
Typal themes tend not to be present in cubes where the three for one version of this card is reasonable to be achieved regularly. Typal themes are often present in cubes where three mana to kill a creature and draw two cards is way above rate. This presents a unique tension to this card where it is hard to balance the output of it with the power level of the environment.
Conclusion:
I tested this alongside Prismari Command in Bodleian Cube and preferred the higher floor and lower ceiling of command to Flame of Anor. It deals a lot less damage, but the three mana shatter in particular was just painful to have to do. Getting both options on the command every time won out.
That said, I really like this card in Midwinter. There is a minor wizard theme in UR which the card can accentuate nicely. The rate for a single mode is solid in the cube, and the rate for a double mode is exciting when it comes together. A masters limited style cube where some swingy moments are encouraged feels like the ideal home of the card.
Bones’ Reaction:
Agreed completely. Especially like it in Midwinter alongside Aegar, the Freezing Flame where the 5 damage is often excess.
Merry, Esquire of Rohan
Pros:
The baseline of a 2/2 haste for two mana is a reasonable statline in aggro decks across a variety of formats. Merry gets the added benefit of caring about two themes that tend to be present in Boros decks. There are lots of legendary creatures and a fair few pieces of equipment that aggro decks are interested in running regardless of Merry.
The legends payoff is particularly big, as attacking once with another legend causes Merry to be a cantripping 2/2 haste for two. This can sometimes be done immediately by virtue of a legendary one drop, and can also be used to cycle Merry in the late game even if he does not have a good attack.
Cons:
This is a fairly innocuous card that is hard to take issue with. The biggest downside is the steep competition in Boros sections these days.
Conclusion:
I have really liked Merry as a reasonable aggro card that also rewards drafting a deck with a lot of legends. I enjoy how the aggro decks in Bodleian Cube take on a variety of subthemes to make them feel distinct, and cards like Merry are a great way to make that happen.
Bones’ Reaction:
I am biased since the Legends deck in Bodleian is my favorite archetype, but I have used Merry to great effect in other cubes and love to see it during a draft. Decent floor and also a cool direction to try to draft for little bonuses.
Riders of Rohan
Pros:
The commander deck this comes from has some heinously powerful garbage, but Riders of Rohan is an elegant, decision rich design that is a ton of fun to play with. The five mana mode is a great army in a can that plays nicely with any deck looking for that kind of effect. Giving only the tokens haste on this mode makes the damage output reasonable without being a surprise 8 post-Wrath of God.
The Dash option adds a lot of decisions to the card. Repeatedly getting the 4/4 of tokens along with the protection from removal is great, but getting to six mana is much less guaranteed than five. Getting to make these decisions is a lot of fun as a player.
Last but not least, this is one of my favorite Winota, Joiner of Forces hits. The two cards show up together often in Bodleian Cube and it is fun every time.
Cons:
If you care about unique token count, this card is probably the only one that makes these knight tokens.
Conclusion:
This is another sleeper from this set. It is a relatively simple card with a lot of decisions that packs a huge punch. It has gone into a variety of Bodleian Cube decks over time and I think it is very well suited to similar environments.
Bones’ Reaction:
Really cool card for cubes that support decks like Winota or Human Typal that need a top end that isn’t terrible on its own.
Colorless
Andúril, Flame of the West
Pros:
The Sword of Lingering and Souls. This has the kind of cool, splashy effect that people like from Swords of X & Y without the miserable protection that just hoses certain matchups. Making two 1/1 flyers on attack is powerful, and the base stats from this equipment are going to make any creature, including one of those spirits, hit very hard. The legendary creature rider on this makes the spirits come into play attacking, which is a great payoff for deck building around it.
The fact that the spirits come into play tapped is key to making this card fun and not miserable. While it is good at providing you with a steady stream of good attackers, it is much less good at producing blockers.
Cons:
Three mana to play and two to equip does give this card a lot of blowout potential in environments with a lot of removal. That said, this is an important part of the counterplay for equipment that generate this much value.
This card also plays better in cubes where it is possible to go over it. If a cube is all about small games and tempo, the amount of bodies this generates will just feel unbeatable.
Conclusion:
Anduril is a card that can single handedly give a deck a legends matter theme, while also playing nicely with other strategies. This style of card is a great addition to a cube, as it increases the deck diversity without adding any narrow cards to do so. I do not see it coming out of Bodleian until there are enough legends matter cards in this space that I have an excess of options I like more.
Bones’ Reaction:
A great equipment that I would much rather see than a Sword of X&Y, unless we’re specifically in a heavily-colorless or time-period-nostalgia cube.
Relic of Sauron
Pros:
Relic of Sauron is a fantastic “big” mana rock, especially in control decks. Being able to tap out for this on four mana and immediately have up Counterspell, Doom Blade, or Lightning Bolt gives this a lot of versatility. The second activated ability also means this is a card advantage engine with selection for when your ramp or control deck has extra mana or is out of gas.
Cons:
There are a lot of cubes where accelerating to six mana while being able to hold up interaction is going to feel out of line.
Conclusion:
This card has even started to catch on in some powered cubes are a larger mana rock. Not all cubes are looking for large mana rocks, or ones that are this powerful. If your cube is looking for both, give this one a test.
Bones’ Reaction:
You don’t often see good mana rocks that support all of control’s goals this clearly. This would draw me into a Grixis control deck and even make the infamous Cruel Ultimatum feel castable.
LandsThe Land Cyclers
Pros:
I want to talk about all of these cards together as the main mode for all of them is the same. 1 generic mana to cycle for any typed land of the given color is fantastic. The floor of a “tapped basic” is not amazing, but in cubes with typed duals these truly shine. They can even fix for multiple colors if you draft the right lands. They also all let you put a card into the graveyard which many, many, types of decks can take advantage of.
The option to cast the 5-6 mana mode of these cards is handy, though the value of this mode does vary a lot with the “front side” of these cards. Lorien Revealed has the broadest appeal to me as it is the Hieroglyphic Illumination we all deserve. It’s an early cantrip that can guarantee you find a land or a late game spell that generates a lot of card advantage. This scales well into a variety of environments. Troll and Oliphant in particular are solid threats that can bin themselves to be reanimated later. Ent and Eagles can fill this role too, but are less threatening as creatures and in colors that are less able to get the back from the graveyard on average.
Cons:
Rarity restricted cubes have always had access to the most powerful reanimation spells in Magic’s history. Troll and Oliphant have given these same cubes access to very efficient threats that are easy to get into the graveyard. I have found that these cards in combination tend to lead to overly swingy, unfun games. It’s important to make sure that the speed of reanimation effects in a cube with these cards is appropriate in the context of the other cards in a cube. Troll + reanimate is a powerful line even in powered vintage cubes.
Conclusion:
All five land cyclers are great fixing that will fit nicely into your cube if you’re interested in them. As long as you avoid reanimate effects that are too efficient relative to the rest of the environment, it is hard to go wrong with these in a list.
Bones’ Reaction:
Fully agreed, these scale impressively to different power level. My only issue is that every other landcycling cycle costs 2 mana to use, so it can be difficult to mix and match if you, for example, don’t use the tokens from Generous Ent, or want all of them to be creatures instead of Lorien Revealed.
Mount Doom
Pros:
An always untapped Rakdos fixing land which has some interesting abilities. The damage can be relevant in a close matchup, and the destroy the ring option is a fun dream to chase.
Cons:
Always costing life to generate mana is a big drawback compared to the other untapped fixing lands. The abilities are interesting here, but they are fairly complex relative to the amount of time they come up.
Conclusion:
I have tried a lot of RB lands while awaiting the eventual RB horizon land I truly want. Mount Doom was a solid choice, but I do not think it stacks up well to multiple options that have been released since. I swapped it out to test Restless Vents and have never looked back.
Bones’ Reaction:
I would take this land for BR fixing, but I would be more excited with many other options.
Wrap Up
That does it for cards I wanted to talk about from Lord of the Rings. Let me know what cards you like that we didn't mention as well as any assessments you disagree with. The more discussion these generate, the better they are at serving their goal of documenting takes of cards after testing in cubes!
Best ways to reach Deinonychus:Bluesky: Deinonychus @deinonychus9.bsky.social
MTG Cube Talk Discord: @Deinonychus
Bluesky: @goblingathering.bsky.social
MTG Cube Talk Discord: @luckylooter
Thanks for reading! Bones’ takes with Deinonychus' reactions will be coming soon, and our next retrospective on Wilds of Eldraine will follow after that.