Tom, Bert, and William Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smaug the Magnificent" href="#" target="_blank">Smaug the Magnificent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tedrick94" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Tedrick</a></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peanut butter and jelly. Simon and Garfunkel. Dragons and Treasures. Some things just go together well, don't they?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frankie Peanuts"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barrels of Blasting Jelly"></div></div>
<p>But, unfortunately, this isn't the type of website where I get to rant about why smooth peanut butter is better than chunky peanut butter, nor is it the type of website where I get to sing the praises of <em>Bridge over Troubled Water</em>. Instead, we'll be talking about a Dragon who loves his Treasure. Today's article will focus on the recently previewed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smaug the Magnificent" href="#" target="_blank">Smaug the Magnificent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an early spoiler for the upcoming <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/hob" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The</em> <em>Hobbit</em></a> set.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smaug the Magnificent"></div></div></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smaug the Magnificent" href="#" target="_blank">Smaug the Magnificent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Smaug is a 4/3 Dragon with flying and haste. He lets us make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on each of our upkeeps, and will deal damage to any target equal to the number of Treasures we control when he attacks.</p>
<p>Smaug is the latest in a long line of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> commanders that care about Treasures. From other Dragons like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky" href="#" target="_blank">Atsushi, the Blazing Sky</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to robbers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vaan, Street Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Vaan, Street Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there's tons of similar cards in this color.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"></div></div>
<p>Smaug provides us with a consistent stream of Treasure tokens and a way to turn those tokens into direct damage to our opponents (or their valuable creatures). We'll fill our 99 with other ways to flood the board with artifact tokens, and ensure that we're crashing in for big damage when our commander attacks.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Smaug</h2>
<p>We'll be able to make a ton of Treasure tokens with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while also punishing our opponents for having too many artifacts on the board. Additionally, Smaug's attack trigger targets our opponents (or permanents they control), which counts as committing a crime! That allows <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magda, the Hoardmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Magda, the Hoardmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to create more Treasures for us. We can even turn those tokens into 4/4 Dragons if we need to close out the game.</p>
<p>I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldspan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Goldspan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a bit of extra mana production. It's neat that this creature makes us an additional artifact token every turn, but I'm really focused on the fact that it doubles the mana our Treasures can create. We've got 12 other spells with a mana value of five or higher, and Goldspan Dragon will let us cast those spells way ahead of schedule.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Plunderer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magda, the Hoardmaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldspan Dragon"></div></div>
<p>Smaug lets us pick off opposing creatures with his attack trigger, so we've got a few ways to take advantage of that. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainsaw" href="#" target="_blank">Chainsaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may seem like an artifact version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragefire" href="#" target="_blank">Ragefire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this Equipment can provide a huge power boost to any creature as the game goes on. Creatures die all the time in Commander games, and they'll die more frequently if we hit them for massive damage with our commander's attack trigger, making this Equipment a great inclusion.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chainsaw"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spiteful Banditry" href="#" target="_blank">Spiteful Banditry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will remove a creature upon entering the battlefield before providing us with a steady stream of value turn after turn. Even if we cast this spell with an <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> value of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-0" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we still get the Treasure-making benefits!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spiteful Banditry"></div></div>
<p>Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magmatic Galleon" href="#" target="_blank">Magmatic Galleon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make us Treasure tokens turn after turn. Smaug's attack trigger will often hit creatures for more damage than they have toughness, and this five-drop Vehicle will turn that excess damage into extra Treasures.</p>
<p>This artifact is, admittedly, a bit expensive. But, this is a <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket 2</a> deck where high mana value cards like the Galleon are right at home!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magmatic Galleon"></div></div>
<p>Once we've got a board full of Treasure tokens, what else can we do with them? Well, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Professional Face-Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Professional Face-Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to sacrifice those Treasures for a bit of extra card advantage. This Human Warrior is one of the best ways that <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks can access more cards.</p>
<p>When we use those artifact tokens to cast spells, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alchemist&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Alchemist&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rain of Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Rain of Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will give us a little something extra for our trouble. There's a bit of an odd push-and-pull created when these enchantments are on the battlefield. We want to keep our Treasures around so that we can deal extra damage with our commander's attack trigger, but we also want to get the burn and cascade that these two cards provide.</p>
<p>It'll often be best to use as few Treasures as possible to cast our spells, relying instead on our lands. This lets us get the desired effect from both Alchemist's Talent and Rain of Riches, while still preserving our artifact tokens for future use.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Professional Face-Breaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alchemist&#039;s Talent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rain of Riches"></div></div>
<p>At the top end of our mana curve, there's a few other fantastic spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Depthshaker Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Depthshaker Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns each of our Treasures into 3/3 trampling creatures that can become 6/6s if we spread out our attacks. While <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is admittedly a high price to pay for this one-time effect, we'll be making more than enough Treasures to cover that cost.</p>
<p>We've also got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtue of Courage" href="#" target="_blank">Virtue of Courage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to provide us with access to tons of cards, as long as we're pointing Smaug's attack trigger damage at an opponent's face. This enchantment also works well with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ingenious Artillerist" href="#" target="_blank">Ingenious Artillerist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which ping our opponents when Treasures hit the board.</p>
<p>I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hit the Mother Lode" href="#" target="_blank">Hit the Mother Lode</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a fun way to spend tons of mana. This seven-drop sorcery will often replace many of the Treasures we use to cast it, while also netting us a valuable spell from our deck in the process.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Depthshaker Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Courage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hit the Mother Lode"></div></div>
<h2>How Does This Smaug the Magnificent Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Smaug can deal a good chunk of damage to our opponents with his attack trigger, but we've got a few ways to make him even more powerful. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dowsing Device" href="#" target="_blank">Dowsing Device</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nettlecyst" href="#" target="_blank">Nettlecyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will turn our flying commander into a huge beater. The fact that Dowsing Dagger flips into a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-producing land is just gravy.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dowsing Device"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nettlecyst"></div></div>
<p>We can also win the game by sacrificing artifact tokens with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaws, Relentless Predator" href="#" target="_blank">Jaws, Relentless Predator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board. Our Treasures can sacrifice themselves quite easily, making this Shark a super effective way to whittle down out opponents' life totals. And other creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weftstalker Ardent" href="#" target="_blank">Weftstalker Ardent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedron Detonator" href="#" target="_blank">Hedron Detonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Fireweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Fireweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us further damage our opponents.</p>
<p>If we've got a few of these creatures on the board, the Treasure that Smaug makes on our upkeep can represent a really solid chunk of damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaws, Relentless Predator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weftstalker Ardent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hedron Detonator"></div></div>
<p>If our opponents manage to gain enough life to avoid being knocked out by our burn effects, we've got a few other ways to win the game. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knuckles the Echidna" href="#" target="_blank">Knuckles the Echidna</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> let us win the game if we accumulate enough artifacts. Both of these creatures help us reach their alternate win thresholds, but effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xorn" href="#" target="_blank">Xorn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Manufactor" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Manufactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us get there even faster.</p>
<p>While we'll often try to win by more traditional means, both Knuckles and Hellkite Tyrant fit in our 99 well.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knuckles the Echidna"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Tyrant"></div></div>
<h2>Smaug the Magnificent Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Smug Smaug" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Smaug the Magnificent
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chainsaw
*1 Commander&#039;s Plate
*1 Dowsing Device // Geode Grotto
*1 Inspiring Statuary
*1 Magmatic Galleon
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
*1 The Reaver Cleaver
*1 Treasure Map // Treasure Cove
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Manufactor
*1 Bonehoard Dracosaur
*1 Breya&#039;s Apprentice
*1 Captain Lannery Storm
*1 Cemetery Gatekeeper
*1 Chiss-Goria, Forge Tyrant
*1 Crime Novelist
*1 Depthshaker Titan
*1 Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
*1 Generous Plunderer
*1 Glóin, Dwarf Emissary
*1 Goblin Engineer
*1 Goldspan Dragon
*1 Hedron Detonator
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Ingenious Artillerist
*1 Iron Myr
*1 Jaws, Relentless Predator
*1 Knuckles the Echidna
*1 Magda, the Hoardmaster
*1 Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might // Temple of Power
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Quicksmith Genius
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Solphim, Mayhem Dominus
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender
*1 Weftstalker Ardent
*1 Xorn
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Bottle-Cap Blast
*1 Demand Answers
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
*1 Tezzeret, Cruel Captain
[/Planeswalkers]
[Enchantments]
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Talent
*1 Descent into Avernus
*1 Mechanized Warfare
*1 Rain of Riches
*1 Spiteful Banditry
*1 Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Hell to Pay
*1 Hit the Mother Lode
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Seize the Spotlight
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Fomori Vault
*1 Fountainport
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*25 Mountain
*1 The Mycosynth Gardens
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Witch&#039;s Clinic
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>As soon as <em>The Hobbit</em> was revealed, I knew we were going to see Smaug depicted on at least one legendary creature. Now that Smaug the Magnificent has been revealed, I'm super happy with the design. Smaug gets to create a hoard as the game goes on, and becomes more fearsome the larger our cache of Treasure gets!</p>
<p>I also find Smaug's power and toughness to be interesting. His vulnerability is a key point in <em>The Hobbit</em>'s plot, and that may explain why he's a 4/3 instead of a 4/4. Maybe I'm reading too far into this card's ludonarrative, though...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hapless Researcher"></div></div>
<p>Which cards from the upcoming <em>Hobbit</em> set are you most excited about? I'm obviously a fan of Smaug, but I think that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bilbo, Thief in the Night" href="#" target="_blank">Bilbo, Thief in the Night</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cool card too. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and I'll be back next week with another article!</p>


Building a Magnificent Commander Deck With Smaug the Magnificent

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring|LTR|451" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMarta+Nael%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marta Nael</a></em></p>
<p>On Friday, May 1st, Wizards of the Coast previewed a large number of cards from various upcoming <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> sets. Among them was <em>The Hobbit</em>, which includes multiple box toppers. One such topper is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the most sought-after card in <em>Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth</em>.</p>
<p>However, many keen-eyed players noticed that something appeared off about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring|HOC|44" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s art. As it turns out, credited artist Dan Frazier used Marta Nael's Bundle promo rendition of the card as a reference for his iteration. Late on the evening of Saturday, May 2nd, Wizards of the Coast and Dan Frazier released joint statements on their social media platforms.</p>
<h2>Wizards of the Coast's Joint Statement Regarding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring|HOC|44" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>At the late hour of 7:00 PM Eastern Time, in the midst of MagicCon Las Vegas 2026's 4:00 PM, Wizards of the Coast released the following statement alongside Dan Frazier. In it, both parties apologized for missing the mark on properly vetting Frazier's art references:</p>
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:rcyyjldt7topi6fz3dxnsaxx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkvqoghxru24" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiaegofc3kejptfltgxpsjnfdbvvn7u7lariyxjihi53r4lefjpuxi">
<p>A message from Dan Frazier and Wizards of the Coast:</p>
<p>&mdash; <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:rcyyjldt7topi6fz3dxnsaxx?ref_src=embed">Magic: The Gathering (@magic.wizards.com)</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:rcyyjldt7topi6fz3dxnsaxx/post/3mkvqoghxru24?ref_src=embed">2026-05-02T23:00:09.850Z</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>While the above post on BlueSky didn't use alt text to offer the text for the visually-impaired, we do have alt text courtesy of one user on the platform:</p>
<blockquote><p>A message from Dan Frazier and Wizards of the Coast:</p>
<p>Recently, fans noted the similarities between The One Ring by Marta Nael, and the newly released image of The One Ring by Dan Frazier. Those similarities are not coincidental, unfortunately.</p>
<p>From Dan,</p>
<p>I made a mistake, and I feel awful. I especially feel for Marta, whose work I adore. In trying to create an iconic version of The One Ring, while looking at references online, I ended up using Marta's Ring as a reference and painted over it to try to depict the item fans hold dear to their hearts. In doing so, I didn't make it my own. I'm reaching out to Marta privately to apologize artist to artist. I love creating art for <em>Magic</em>, I've loved being a part of this artist community for more than 30 years, and I'm sorry I've let my fans down.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Dan Frazier</p>
<p>From Wizards of the Coast,</p>
<p>Dan Frazier is a titan of the art industry and of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. He has created so many iconic pieces of art for the game that he will forever be a part of our game, and we value his contributions tremendously. With that in mind, we're disappointed our review process didn't catch the issue. Like Dan, we have already reached out to apologize to Marta Nael for not catching the use of her art in this piece.</p>
<p>None of this was intentional, but we're going to make it right as much as we can.</p>
<p>On digital versions of the card, we will credit both Dan Frazier and Marta Nael.</p>
<p>We will also make sure Marta is compensated for her work here.</p>
<p>This is a good moment to recognize that we are all humans who make mistakes.</p>
<p>Dan made a mistake. We made mistakes in our process to not catch the error.</p>
<p>We don't condone or accept either, but we still value Dan and his contributions and are grateful for his place in the game.</p>
<p>Thank you to the eagle-eyed fans who noticed this, and for all of you for being strong advocates for amazing art and artists.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>All of us at Wizards of the Coast</p></blockquote>
<p>At this time, a statement by Marta Nael is yet to be released.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>At the risk of editorializing this news piece, I will say that this series of statements is, at the very least, a good way to segue into closer examinations of, and further discussions about, the issues that led up to this mistake.</p>
<p>And now, let me open the floor to you, dear readers. How does this issue with <em>The Hobbit</em>'s iteration of The One Ring affect your morale regarding the set? Will you be buying more or less of the product as a result of it? Alternatively, will you be buying Dan Frazier's version of the card, which will be circulating with the other Box Toppers? Or will you buy another copy, namely Marta Nael's Bundle promo? Let us know in the comments below.</p>


Wizards of the Coast, Dan Frazier Post The One Ring Statements

Everything Revealed at MagicCon Las Vegas 2026

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gandalf of the Secret Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Gandalf of the Secret Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.matthew-stewart.com/">Matt Stewart</a></em></p>
<h2>Many Meetings</h2>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>! <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/gwen-stacy-ghost-spider-commander-deck-tech-2">Last week</a>, I asked if the <em>DnD</em> sets counted as <em>Universes Beyond</em>. The consensus is that they do count as part of the product line, so I'll treat them as such. Also, I said that I had a plan for this week's deck, and I certainly do. It's a deck I tried to get out earlier this year, but nothing was working, so I left it behind. That is, until now. So, what is it I'm planning exactly?</p>
<h3>A Wizard is Never Late, Nor is He Early</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf of the Secret Fire"></div></div>
<p>Everyone knows who Gandalf is, especially if they've either read the books or watched that legendary trilogy. He was also in <em>The Hobbit</em>, but his role was minor by comparison. Having said that, I won't dive into his lore beyond that since he's so well known.</p>
<p>Reading the card, we could see why I've had a hard time trying to figure the card out. When I came back to it a while later, though, the pieces fell into place. One, in particular, stood out to me: What if I made the deck using only instants? I can't say it's possible, because most board wipes are sorceries. However, we're putting a heavy focus on instants and since we're suspending them we'll need to be careful with our selection. We're getting to that below.</p>
<h3>Instant Gratification</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares|fic|256"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reverse the Polarity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Olórin&#039;s Searing Light"></div></div>
<p>At its heart, this iteration of Gandalf is a spellslinger list, especially since he affects sorceries as well. That said, there wasn't anything within the <em>Universes Beyond</em> card pool that can give sorceries flash (at time of writing). I've had an identical problem when I was making the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashad, the Lone Cyberman" href="#" target="_blank">Ashad, the Lone Cyberman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck from <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beyond-the-multiverse-rise-of-the-cyberheads">earlier this year.</a> The solution? Hamfist a bunch of instants into the deck, but even then we have to be selective about what goes in. Another solution would be to add certain in-universe cards, but I'll cover those in a later section.</p>
<p>For starters, we can't simply run our average <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell|mar|9" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It'll do nothing when we cast it off suspend (unless we're into countering your own stuff). Instead, our counterspells pack more utility. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reverse the Polarity" href="#" target="_blank">Reverse the Polarity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be used initially to counter a spell, but when cast from exile, one of the other two modes could be selected instead. Doing this means it wouldn't be a dead card. A more recent example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="School Daze" href="#" target="_blank">School Daze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, counters a spell the first time, but can draw us cards instead on upkeep.</p>
<p>Another thing worth noting is that a lot of instants tend to be spot removal, so there's bound to be a lot that make it into a decklist. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares|fic|256" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Olórin&#039;s Searing Light" href="#" target="_blank">Olórin&#039;s Searing Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two examples of this. Protection spells are another common trend, but be wary of those that phase out our stuff. It's best to play those when Gandalf isn't around, ironically.</p>
<h3>Sorcerer's Drought</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wedding of River Song"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleansing Nova"></div></div>
<p>Remember when I implied that the number of sorceries will be few? I seriously mean it. The decklist below has a paltry four sorceries to its name, and they do either one of two things: wipe the board, or time travel. Time travel cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wedding of River Song" href="#" target="_blank">The Wedding of River Song</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are useful because they speed up the clock, allowing us to cast our suspended cards from exile faster. Unfortunately, while we do have a few other time travel cards, their numbers are few, even in-universe, but we make do with what we have.</p>
<p>On the other hand, we're running few creatures, and we need to keep those aggro decks in check, so we rely on board wipes to do that for us. I do think the deck could benefit from another wipe, but that'd be for another time. Probably <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Austere Command|fic|231" href="#" target="_blank">Austere Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if I had to pick one.</p>
<p>Outside of those, the instants easily shore up the other categories we need to cover. Artifacts, too, but that's mostly ramp in a Gandalf deck anyway.</p>
<h3>Gandalf's Spellbook</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond - The Secret Fire" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Gandalf of the Secret Fire
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Amazing Acrobatics
*1 Battle Menu
*1 Big Score
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Bottle-Cap Blast
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Cloud&#039;s Limit Break
*1 Consider
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Cryptic Command
*1 Cyber Conversion
*1 Destroy Evil
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Flame of Anor
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Laughing Mad
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Olórin&#039;s Searing Light
*1 Opt
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Restoration Magic
*1 Reverberate
*1 Reverse the Polarity
*1 School Daze
*1 Spectacular Tactics
*1 Stroke of Midnight
*1 Sublime Epiphany
*1 Surge of Brilliance
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Valorous Stance
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archmage Emeritus
*1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
*1 Erebor Flamesmith
*1 Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch
*1 Flaming Tyrannosaurus
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Keeper of Secrets
*1 Mathise, Surge Channeler
*1 Pink Horror
*1 Time Beetle
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fiery Inscription
*1 Shadow of the Goblin
*1 Spider-Verse
*1 The Lost and the Damned
*1 The Parting of the Ways
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Progress
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 The Wedding of River Song
*1 Wibbly-wobbly, Timey-wimey
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 City of Brass
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Frostboil Snarl
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Glacial Fortress
*6 Island
*6 Mountain
*1 Mystic Monastery
*1 Path of Ancestry
*6 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Vibrant Cityscape
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>A Wizard Goes to War</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guttersnipe|ltc|220"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Verse"></div></div>
<p>I already covered much of what could be in a given list, but I do want to highlight a few more cards. Firstly, the main way we win is through the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe|ltc|220" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. There's several of them, including a couple of enchantments, so finding one of these isn't going to be too difficult. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keeper of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Keeper of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't be bringing opponents' life totals down so quickly here, but it can be useful spot removal. However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flaming Tyrannosaurus" href="#" target="_blank">Flaming Tyrannosaurus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will end games if enough counters are on it.</p>
<p>Coming from the recent but much-maligned <em>Spider-Man</em> set are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Verse" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Verse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadow of the Goblin" href="#" target="_blank">Shadow of the Goblin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The former copies spells that come out of suspend while the latter will ping opponents for each one. Then, once they hit the graveyard, we can bring them back with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch" href="#" target="_blank">Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (who is also one of our pingers, by the way) and cast them again.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Lost and the Damned" href="#" target="_blank">The Lost and the Damned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will accrue a considerable board presence the more instants we cast from exile. Either we could attack with them, or we could turtle up and be on the defensive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Beetle" href="#" target="_blank">Time Beetle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an evasive creature that, when it connects, will allow us to time travel, perhaps to help amass that token army faster. In addition, while not in the deck (an oversight), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ninth Doctor" href="#" target="_blank">The Ninth Doctor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can untap to give us an additional upkeep, speeding up the clock if he survives combat.</p>
<h3>Looking Beyond the Horizon</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leyline of Anticipation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm-Kiln Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whirlwind of Thought"></div></div>
<p>Peering through in-universe cards brings with it a massive boon: casting cards at instant speed. Stuff like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Anticipation" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Anticipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Fae Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">High Fae Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> means that we can even cast sorceries at instant speed, enabling Gandalf to suspend them with his trigger. That said, we can't depend too heavily on these cards, since they're not common.</p>
<p>Also, since they're noncreature spells, we'll draw cards off of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whirlwind of Thought" href="#" target="_blank">Whirlwind of Thought</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Speaking of benefiting off of casting instants and sorceries, one of the best is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm-Kiln Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Storm-Kiln Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who'll ramp us with each one. With Gandalf, that'll be two Treasures per spell. Also, we get a couple extra Guttersnipe effects with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebrand Archer" href="#" target="_blank">Firebrand Archer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Some other noteworthy cards include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delayed Blast Fireball" href="#" target="_blank">Delayed Blast Fireball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can't be foretold if we want to suspend it with Gandalf's trigger, but it's still a good wipe. The other usual <em>DnD </em>exile suspects are good, too, though <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Passionate Archaeologist" href="#" target="_blank">Passionate Archaeologist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be part of our <em>Universes Beyond </em>card pool very soon.</p>
<h3>Sailing Into the West</h3>
<p>With this article, it brings closure to one of my more frustrating builds to make. I'm not sure why it took me this long to see it, but then again, it's not my typical build. Moving on, as I hinted above with Passionate Archaeologist, we did get news of more <em>Secret Lair</em> drops, especially the <em>Playstation</em> ones. In fact, I'm going to be covering at least one of these drops. Come back next time when I do just that (and I might do things a little differently. A kind of build I would do).</p>


Beyond the Multiverse - Gandalf's Secret Fire

Everything Revealed for 2026 in the Preview Panel at MagicCon Atlanta

<p>Happy Hobbit Day! On Monday, September 22nd, Wizards of the Coast celebrated the birthdays of both Bilbo Baggins and his nephew Frodo by teasing something new out of Middle-Earth. What could it be? Well, to make a long story short, we don't know yet. However, we can always make some educated guesses, so read on, and we'll do just that!</p>
<h2>The Social Media Hobbit Day Post</h2>
<p>On Hobbit Day, Wizards of the Coast shared <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO6YB25gYOG/">an interesting video</a> on its major social media channels. Timed at less than a minute long, it shows a Hobbit-Hole in the Shire. However, this is likely not just <em>any</em> Hobbit-Hole, but is likely Bag-End. For those of you who may have missed any of the particulars from <em>Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frodo Baggins" href="#" target="_blank">Frodo Baggins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lives in Bag-End. Furthermore, he inherited Bag-End from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo, much like Frodo, was an adventurer, consigned by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gandalf the Grey" href="#" target="_blank">Gandalf the Grey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to venture out and find his destiny. Both chanced upon a particularly ornery (and at times rather pathetic) creature called Gollum, and both found themselves in the possession of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frodo Baggins"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf the Grey"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gollum, Patient Plotter"></div></div>
<p>To this end, because Wizards of the Coast haven't yet confirmed anything surrounding this social media post, we don't know if this is a continuation of <em>Lord of the Rings</em> product or if it's really <em>The Hobbit</em>. However, chances are high that this is the latter, due to the runes etched into the door of Bag-End. Whether this is a full tentpole set or a <em>Secret Lair</em> drop remains up in the air, but the possibility that this is about Bilbo's unexpected journey is pretty high.</p>
<p>With that, I want to open the floor to you, dear readers! What do you think? Will we see a new set come of this? Or will this be a <em>Secret Lair</em> drop? We are likely to find out this Friday with the preview panel for MagicCon Atlanta. But what are your guesses? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


the hobbit