Magic: The Gathering has always been quite extravagant when it comes to the expansions. And if I’m being honest, the Lord of the Rings production didn’t really disappoint in that aspect.
While the cards are somewhat imbalanced, the art style looks quite eye-catching. And, I also do prefer how well Wizards of the Cost tried to implement a brand new strategy in the game.
But, there’s still a meta in the game, and I have five cards that I, personally, love a lot. So, let’s not make any further ado, and get started with the list.
Top 5 Cards You Should Look for in the Game
It’s difficult to pick, really.
As a rule of thumb, you may go for almost any Black card you want, as that’s what the current metal is. But, if you want to have a strategy of your own, here’s I’d ask you to choose from the available sets of magic the gathering lord of the rings –
1: Borne Upon a Wind
When encountering a low-cost blue cantrip, I always assess its impact in relevant formats. Quicken has held a special place for me since an unfortunate experience at an early Pro Tour, where I attempted to cast Wrath of God at instant speed. Despite that setback, I appreciate the low opportunity cost of a card like Quicken. Borne Upon a Wind is a similar concept, but with the added ability to cast any spell as an instant.
While Quicken was limited to sorceries, Borne Upon a Wind allows you to cast spells as if they had flash, giving it an appealing resemblance to Teferi, Time Raveler’s ability.
However, its two-mana cost and the fact that most spells players want to cast during the opponent’s turn are sorceries (rather than planeswalkers, enchantments, or artifacts) hinder its competitive playability.
2: Isildur’s Fateful Strike
As a fan of diverse removal options, I welcome cards with unique effects. Isildur’s Fateful Strike is an instant-removal spell that can take out any creature, albeit at the cost of four mana. This higher cost makes it less favorable against aggressive decks, where opponents often have fewer cards in hand when it resolves. However, in slower matchups, the card shines by removing a creature and forcing the opponent to exile down to four cards.
In Modern, certain matchups have a “draw-go” dynamic, making Isildur’s Fateful Strike useful. It can help regain lost card advantage or punish opponents who have recently drawn a significant number of cards. While it might not find an immediate place in competitive decks, it holds potential as a sideboard card for specific matchups.
3: Council’s Deliberation
The return of Think Twice to Modern Control has pleasantly surprised me. Think Twice was once a staple draw spell in various control decks, and some players still used it until recently. Now, Council’s Deliberation offers a similar effect with the added advantage of scry.
Council’s Deliberation is a perfect fit for control decks with scary opportunities. For just two mana, it draws a card, aligning with other cards in that slot. Once you scry while controlling an Island, Council’s Deliberation gets exiled from the graveyard and rewards you with an additional card. Essentially, it grants two cards for the cost of one, contingent on including cards with scry in your deck.
4: The One Ring
No The Lord of the Rings Top 5 list would be complete without The One Ring. As an avid fan of Phyrexian Arena, I must admit that The One Ring surpasses it by far. It costs only one more mana but provides numerous additional benefits. When cast, it grants protection from everything for a full turn and is indestructible, making it challenging for opponents to remove.
The One Ring also enables immediate card draw upon casting, with the option to draw even more in subsequent turns at the cost of life. In formats like Modern, where life totals are less punished, The One Ring becomes a formidable card that can generate significant card advantage and offer robust protection.
Bonus: Sauron’s Ransom
This three-mana spell prompts the opponent to create two piles, one face-up and one face-down, from which the user selects one to add to their hand while the other goes to the graveyard. While it lacks the two face-up piles of Fact or Fiction, filling the graveyard might have significant implications, making it an appealing alternative to Memory Deluge in certain situations.
As a control player, I find Sauron’s Ransom particularly exciting and plan to test it when building black-based control decks. The additional allure of “The Ring” ability adds further intrigue to its potential use in the Modern.
Although it might not replicate the impact of the Legacy version, we should not dismiss its strength entirely. Its combination with an excellent card draw spell makes it an amazing option, especially if Esper Control makes a triumphant return.
