Universes Beyond: The Lord of the Rings may just have been the peak of Magic the Gathering's Universes Beyond concept, and the cards that come from the booster packs have prices that attest to this. Indeed, the 1-of-1 The One Ring isn't the only expensive card in the list as collectors and players alike see the value in having many of the cards in the set. Many collectors also appear to want to have a copy of each card from this set out of their passion for The Lord of the Rings, driving prices even higher. In this article, we take a look at the 10 most expensive Universes Beyond: The Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-earth cards in the set.
We first take a look at the cards that you can crack open from booster packs. Although lower in value compared to the next list we have below, the median price of these cards is still a lot higher compared to the cards that you'd usually find in regular sets. This is extremely profound, especially given how these cards are going straight to Modern, skipping Standard entirely. This might mean that even after release weekend, these prices might hold given how they are already being priced based on their collectability and fit in Modern and Commander.
10. Aragorn and Arwen, Wed ($11.05 Regular, $10.28 Extended)
Whether you're running Humans or Elves, Aragorn and Arwen, Wed is a strong card for go-wide tribal decks. Having 6 toughness that allows all other creatures to grow bigger every time it attacks is such a strong card to have, and having Vigilance is just as good. It's a Gavony Township on legs, which you only pay for once to get the counters. It also depicts one of the most satisfying payoff moments in The Lord of the Rings, so it's a special card that collectors would also want a copy of.
9. Gandalf the White ($12.98 Regular, $14.70 Showcase, $20.88 Borderless)
Panharmonicon where Legends Matters on legs, enough said. Having Flash and giving other cards you own have flash is a fantastic effect to have, making this otherwise expensive card a lot easier to cast. This is definitely going to be a staple in white decks in Commander, where Legends matter more than in any other format.
8. Last March of the Ents ($13.19 Regular, $12.00 Borderless)
At first glance, Last March of the Ents feels like a very expensive card that doesn't really give you a lot of benefits. When I already have 8 mana, I might have other spells that I could cast that could be more impactful than drawing cards based on my toughest creature and putting any creatures from my hand to the field. However, this "win more" card actually allows players to build decks revolving around bigger, more expensive creatures. It's just a shame that this card had to be a sorcery, making it very easy to counter and to deal with a counterspell or a board wipe.
7. Delighted Halfling ($13.82 Regular, $14.90 Extended, $16.00 Borderless)
Delighted Halfling is one of the most reliable cards in this set. A tougher bird where Legends Matters isn't exactly that exciting, but it does the job pretty well. The kicker here is that Delighted Halfling ensures that the legends you cast won't be countered, which makes it the perfect card for Commander, making sure that your Commander always goes out whenever you mean to, as long as this otherwise unassuming Halfling helps in casting it.
6. Sauron, the Dark Lord ($13.97 Regular, $8.96 Showcase)
A truly terrifying card to deal with - Sauron, the Dark Lord does a lot of things - amassing an Army, Ring temptation, and massive looting for four cards. To top it all off, if you weren't able to counterspell this card, then you'll have a hard time getting rid of it. It has one of the most taxing Ward costs ever - asking whoever wishes ill upon the Dark Lord to sacrifice a legendary artifact or creature. That's a huge price to pay, but totally worth it with what this Avatar Horror can do for you.
5. Nazgul ($13.97 High, $11.00 Low)
There are many Nazgul card arts in the set, and you can have up to nine of them in a single deck (including Commander!). They are, by far, the most consistent way to get the Ring's Temptation. They are also essentially 2/3 creatures since they will almost immediately receive a +1/+1 counter as soon as they enter the battlefield. The fun starts when you manage to play more of these in succession, as they grow in strength in numbers. Having Deathtouch means they are a huge threat not only in offense, but also in defense. They're cheap creatures with massive upsides that no one should sleep on.
4. Spiteful Banditry ($14.50 Regular, $14.08 Borderless)
Spiteful Banditry is a board wipe for red that helps you rebuild after casting it. It might fool others, though, thinking that they will receive a Treasure token for every creature it wipes, but a closer reading shows that you're only getting one. Still, it being an Enchantment means that as your opponents try to rebuild, you can continue destroying creatures that they put down and still receive even more Treasures as you go along. This is an extremely strong card that can turn the tides of battle, and a card that red decks would definitely won't mind adding.
3. Bilbo's Ring ($15.00 Regular, $34.49 Extended) © Provided by ClutchPoints
This extremely flavorful card strengthens any Voltron creature that receives it. Attacking alone is almost a certainty for Voltron creatures anyway, so you always get the upside of having this equipped. Not allowing your opponents to block your creature makes it even better, which means your Voltron creature can definitely swing with impunity. The high cost for equipping it isn't a problem if your Voltron is a Halfling, which by itself is its only downside, because just how many Halflings can you think of that can serve as your Voltron commander? Not many, right?
2. Orcish Bowmasters ($34.49 Regular, $45.40 Borderless)
Many Magic the Gathering players raised alarms as soon as they saw this card's effect. A 1/1 for 2 isn't at all exciting, but if it's allowed to deal 1 damage to any target and amass Orcs every time it enters or anytime an opponent gets to draw extra cards, then this becomes a problematic card. Add Flash to it, and you can lay a trap for an unassuming player by playing this on the stack as they resolve their draws. In a format like Commander where Rhystic Study is a staple, this card makes the perfect counter to it that will make the blue player wish they didn't cast Rhystic Study in the first place.
1. The One Ring ($57.89 Regular, $61.50 Extended, $77.16 Borderless, $2 million Serialized)
The One Ring gives players the ultimate power that allows them to end games quickly - for better or for worse. At a reasonable cost of 4 mana, the One Ring saves you from your enemies the moment you cast it, and allows you to get ahead quickly by giving you a big card advantage. This is a card that you'd love to cast early in a game. You can use bounce or flicker spells to reset The One Ring's counters when the damage gets too tough or give you an extra turn of protection, or use untapping spells like Mind Over Matter to make the most out of The One Ring's draws even before it damages you. It's an insanely strong card that befits the ring it depicts, and it's no wonder that it's a chase card even in its most regular forms. Meanwhile, the 1-of-1 Ring now has a floor price of $2 million. Crazy price. It's not just the most expensive Lord of the Rings card, it's the most expensive Magic card ever, period.
These cards appear in the constructed Commander decks, many of which are valuable reprints of staple Commander Cards depicted as iconic locations or events in The Lord of the Rings.
10. Valley of Gorgoroth - Wasteland ($19.67)
The Wasteland is one of those non-basic lands that are always relevant for what it does and the Eldrazi it serves.
9. Elessar, the Elfstone - Cloudstone Curio ($24.03)
The Cloudstone Curio is also another combo piece used a lot in Commander that is beautifully depicted as one of the most valuable (non-ring) artifacts in The Lord of the Rings.
8. Argonath, Pillars of the Kings - The Ozolith ($33.95)
A Counters Matters staple, The Ozolith was overlooked for some time before Commander players realized its full potential. Apart from the physical similarities, Argonath, Pillars of the Kings is a nice location to depict The Ozolith as it uses legacies of older generations to empower soldiers.
7. Minas Morgul - Cabal Coffers ($39.01)
What better place than Minas Morgul to represent a card that generates obscene amounts of black mana?
6. The Dead Marshes - Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth ($53.00)
A place of rot and decay makes the perfect representation of everything turning black.
5. Glittering Caves of Aglarond - Gemstone Caverns ($61.12)
Another staple land in Commander, the Gemstone Caverns is perfectly represented by the Glittering Caves of Aglarond.
4. The Party Tree - The Great Henge ($64.07)
Ever since it was first printed, The Great Henge has been a relevant card in many formats. It being depicted with a more joyous artwork as The Party Tree gives the card a completely different feel, although it's just as devastating as it's always been.
3. Paths of the Dead - Cavern of Souls ($69.69)
Cavern of Souls is yet another powerful staple Commander Card that is perfectly represented by the Paths of the Dead, as it calls on to the player's graveyard to call upon ancestors to help in battle.
2. Balin's Tomb - Ancient Tomb ($72.43)
One of the most iconic scenes in the entire The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was witnessed by Balin's Tomb, as the Fellowship fought against orcs in the Mines of Moria. This is a fantastic depiction of Ancient Tomb.
1. Sol Ring ($799.99 - Elven, $300.89 Dwarven, $270.28 Human)
Finally, the Sol Rings with rules text written in Elvish script, depicting The Rings of Power: Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die. It's only fitting that the all-powerful, The One Ring, is the most expensive Lord of the Rings Magic the Gathering Card, The Rings of Power it controls serve only second in terms of power and cost in the card game.
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