The popular card game Magic: The Gathering has finally come out with a Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth set. The huge crossover has seen the characters we know and love from the world of Middle Earth artistically illustrated onto each card. In order to celebrate and promote the release of these cards, Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood took a trip down memory lane.
Many characters have multiple cards showing them at different stages in their story, but for one character, whose own story came to an end some time ago, it’s now about reminiscing. Wood, who played the Hobbit Frodo Baggins in the Peter Jackson trilogy, sat down with MTG to take a look at the cards and some of the characters he used to interact with whilst filming.
The actor sat down and sifted through the cards, as he noted characters such as Gimli, Arwen, Galadriel, and even sweet Rosie Cotton, saying:
“Seeing all these characters, they really mean something to me… any time you get to see these characters realized in a new and fresh way is always really exciting.”
The skit at the end of the video might be one that fans of the Lord of the Rings are well familiar with and might have raised a chuckle. As Wood gets up to leave he is told “We need the card back” (referring to the One Ring card), with Wood answering, “oh, I gave it back.” He then feels his pocket and then adds, “oh, here it is, here in my pocket. Isn’t that odd now?” It would seem this is one item he will not part with as he simply tucks it back in and walks off.
This is the next big step for the franchise’s Universes Beyond project after its MTG Warhammer 40k EDH decks were a huge success. Now stepping into the world of Lord of the Rings, players can experience the characters, locations, and stories of Middle Earth through the cards with the artwork designed by Senior Art Director Ovidio Cartagena. Of the set the website reads:
“JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP . Journey with familiar favorites on a whole new adventure, there and back again, filled with valor, courage, and second breakfast.”
This unique set has been in the works for some time now, with the new artwork commissioned for Tales From Middle Earth over the course of three years. For those who are desperate to get their hands on them there isn’t long left to wait as the cards will be released on June 23, with prerelease events beginning on June 16.