Troop of PoniesTroop of Ponies | Art by Christina Kraus

It's finally time for one of my favorite articles I get to do here on EDHREC, where I go over the best commons and uncommons from a brand-new set. This time around, we're returning to Middle-earth with The Hobbit, which features a bit of a smaller card pool than our last visit. Even though there aren't as many new singles to talk about this time around, there are still a lot of powerful effects stapled to the cards on this list.

So, with all that being said, join me, Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, as we go on an adventure to find the treasures that are hidden in the packs from this set: it's time to Bulk Up!

WHITE

Dáin, Lord of the Iron Hills

Let's kick off today's list with an absolutely incredible uncommon legend! Dáin, Lord of the Iron HillsDáin, Lord of the Iron Hills only costs two mana, and brings you a Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison-esque effect when you have an enduring story. An ability like that being attached to a two mana 2/2 is great for any creature-heavy deck that happens to have a few artifacts, legends or Sagas filling up its 99.

(See Tom BombadilTom Bombadil as a possible commander pairing.)

Bofur, Reliable Guardian

Sure, a one mana lifelinker is useful to have around, but that's not what landed Bofur, Reliable GuardianBofur, Reliable Guardian on the list. That Adventure side offers up some really solid protection for only two mana by helping you save a creature or an artifact, which is incredibly useful for a wide range of decks.

(See Amalia Benavides AguirreAmalia Benavides Aguirre as a possible commander pairing.)

The Mountain-king's Return

This new Saga is really tricky, and I like the play pattern it offers. The Mountain-king's ReturnThe Mountain-king's Return hits the battlefield and allows you to draw and discard a card, then it pulls a creature from your graveyard to play. The fact that you can throw one of your team members into the bin, just to bring it right back the next turn, makes this one very interesting to pilot. Oh, and you get to put a counter on something at the end, which is always nice!

(See Celes, Rune KnightCeles, Rune Knight as a possible commander pairing.)

Stone by Sunlight

We've already seen one protection spell today, but what about second protection spell? Stone by SunlightStone by Sunlight turns one of your key creatures into an artifact and gives it indestructible until end of turn. On top of that, it has the option to destroy a big threat that might be causing you some trouble. Having both of those effects on the same card means that this could help you in a variety of situations during a game.

(See Toph, the First MetalbenderToph, the First Metalbender as a possible commander pairing.)

BLUE

Confusticate and Bebother

Our first blue card on the list is a modal spell that offers you two useful routes. Confusticate and BebotherConfusticate and Bebother can either counter a spell unless someone pays four (which is a steep price) or it allows you to loot in order to sculpt a better hand. As the years go on, we're getting a lot of support for self-discard decks, so having the option to counter something in a pinch like this spell offers you, can help those lists feel more equipped to handle different situations.

(See Doctor Doom, King of LatveriaDoctor Doom, King of Latveria as a possible commander pairing.)

Old Fat Spider Can't See Me

Here's a card that I almost didn't talk about, but the more I thought about it, the more it grew on me. Old Fat Spider Can't See MeOld Fat Spider Can't See Me gives a key creature hexproof with its first chapter, and finishes up with drawing a couple of cards, however that middle ability is what kept me thinking about this one. There's a lot of political sway you can get from your opponents by turning off a creature's damage for a few turns, and it's the sort of thing that can help the table fight back against an archenemy.

(See The Council of FourThe Council of Four as a possible commander pairing.)

Bilbo, Luckwearer

As previously stated, drawing and discarding has become incredibly popular with recent sets, so attaching that effect to an evasive creature like Bilbo, LuckwearerBilbo, Luckwearer could be very easy to slot into the right deck. Plus, it has the upside of allowing you to swap some permanents with an opponent. If someone else has The One RingThe One Ring in play, and you have a Clue, well why not do a little trade for the two?

(See Hashaton, Scarab's FistHashaton, Scarab's Fist as a possible commander pairing.)

Elven Raft-Steerer

Landfall is already a powerful ability, but when you pair it with tapping and untapping shenanigans, you're just asking for trouble. Elven Raft-SteererElven Raft-Steerer helps you either turn an opponent's creature sideways when a land hits play, or untap one of the members of your team. Plus, if you're able to cause a lot of lands to hit your board all at once, this Elf can really get out of hand.

(See Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre StraitAesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait as a possible commander pairing.)

BLACK

Great Fierce Bee

Moving onto black, we have one of my favorite bulk cards in the entire set. Great Fierce BeeGreat Fierce Bee allows you to scry 1 whenever one or more other creatures die. It's not limited to nontokens, or once per turn; every time it sees things die, you get to scry. That's a huge amount of top-deck manipulation, especially if you or anyone else is playing an Aristocrats-style deck.

(See Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov as a possible commander pairing.)

Reverent Howl

I've become more and more pulled to spells like Reverent HowlReverent Howl as time goes on. Finding draw effects that have different routes you can take with them helps ensure you're either digging for answers, or pushing some kind of advantage forward. This spell's ability to buff up a creature, while giving it lifelink, could help pad your health if things are getting dangerously low in the late game.

(See K'rrik, Son of YawgmothK'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth as a possible commander pairing.)

Gnashing of Teeth

While there weren't many black commons and uncommons that caught my eye from this set, I still wanted to highlight Gnashing of TeethGnashing of Teeth for a couple of reasons. That -5/-5 mode can actually deal with more creatures than you might first expect, but giving -1/-1 to someone's whole board could act as a one-sided sweeper against a token deck. I recently won a Commander game on stream, which was hosted by fellow EDHREC writer Cas Hinds, thanks to Gruesome RealizationGruesome Realization's second mode, so I'd be remiss if I didn't give this one a shout-out.

(See Massacre Girl, Known KillerMassacre Girl, Known Killer as a possible commander pairing.)

RED

Snowslope Hunter

Let's jump into the red review with a powerhouse uncommon! Snowslope HunterSnowslope Hunter allows you to sacrifice a creature or artifact once on your turn in order to gain access to a new card. Not only does this work well in Aristocrats-style decks, but it also helps you turn tokens that might just be sitting around into card advantage, which is huge when paired with the right commander.

(See Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss as a possible commander pairing.)

Glóin the Mighty

As I mentioned earlier, sometimes having the ability to deal with smaller creatures can help win you a game. So, Glóin the MightyGlóin the Mighty's Adventure spell can be very powerful for messing with the rest of the table's plans. On top of that, you can also deploy it as a creature and get two red mana on your turn, which helps push you into the late game on a good foot.

(See Eshki DragonclawEshki Dragonclaw as a possible commander pairing.)

Ragged Short Spear

We have a lot of two mana spells that allow you to throw a card away, in order to get two more, however Ragged Short SpearRagged Short Spear is a little different. It has the same mana cost as we're used to, but then it gets to sit on the battlefield and be an Equipment if you need it. That's just added upside to a style of card that already sees play.

(See Tony StarkTony Stark as a possible commander pairing.)

Bothersome Noisemaker

Another style of card we've seen time after time is something like Bothersome NoisemakerBothersome Noisemaker; creatures that make you more bodies when you cast noncreature spells. A lot of those cards already see play and this Bard will be no different! Especially since it can help you grow whatever army you're building, just for simply moving forward with your game plan.

(See Saruman, the White HandSaruman, the White Hand as a possible commander pairing.)

GREEN

Wood Elves

Here's a returning classic, making its way to Middle-earth! Wood ElvesWood Elves enters and finds you any Forest in your deck, even nonbasics, and can put it into play untapped. It's a staple of this format for a reason, and I'm excited to see it show up in booster packs again.

(See Thranduil, Sindarin LiegeThranduil, Sindarin Liege as a possible commander pairing.)

Beorn's Hospitality

Decks that are looking to build up their boards with +1/+1 counters are incredibly popular, which is why Beorn's HospitalityBeorn's Hospitality could find a few good homes out there. Plus, it has the upside of permanently turning into a massive Bear if you're able to dump a bunch of mana into it as you're entering the late game!

(See Kodama of the West TreeKodama of the West Tree as a possible commander pairing.)

Warg Tactics

If you have a deck that's centered around one creature, there's a good chance you'll want to protect it at all costs, which is why Warg TacticsWarg Tactics is so useful! If your plan is to swing at your opponents and deal as much damage as possible, then this'll help keep a key creature safe and even add trample to the mix. On top of that, you never know when a troublesome flyer may need to be dealt with in order to help disrupt someone's board.

(See Wolverine, Best There IsWolverine, Best There Is as a possible commander pairing.)

MULTI-COLOR

Patient Instructor

Blink decks are always looking for useful effects for when creatures enter play, which is why Patient InstructorPatient Instructor makes today's list. Having the ability to draw and discard a card, while possibly making a token is a good amount of value, especially if your deck is looking to grow a wider board over time.

(See Kykar, Zephyr AwakenerKykar, Zephyr Awakener as a possible commander pairing.)

Thorin Oakenshield

Meeting the requirements for an enduring story is relatively easy in Commander, which is why Thorin OakenshieldThorin Oakenshield is such a slam dunk for any deck that can play him. Giving out ward 1 to the key pieces on your board is huge, and can lead to many moments in a game where people hesitate to target your permanents, since they won't want to spend extra mana just to resolve their spells.

(See Anim Pakal, Thousandth MoonAnim Pakal, Thousandth Moon as a possible commander pairing.)

Thranduil, Sindarin Liege

I already shouted this card out as a possible commander to pair with Wood ElvesWood Elves, but it deserves its own spot here as well. Thranduil, Sindarin LiegeThranduil, Sindarin Liege makes you Elf tokens when you get lands onto your board, which is an effect that a lot of decks like to utilize. Plus, that adventure side could help you fill up your graveyard and hand when you're in need of more options.

(See Teval, the Balanced ScaleTeval, the Balanced Scale as a possible commander pairing.)

PONIES & A HOMESTEAD

Troop of Ponies

Alright, we finally made it to my personal favorite bulk card from the entire set, Troop of PoniesTroop of Ponies. There's a large number of players out there who prefer their ramp to be land specific, which is sometimes hard to pull off in decks without green or white. However, now that we've added these little horses to the mix, any color basically has access to CultivateCultivate!

They also help trigger dying effects and can be brought back to play with a recursion ability. I'm a big fan of this card, especially the more eerie looking full-art version (Troop of PoniesTroop of Ponies) that'll fit right into my black-focused decks.

(See Terra, Herald of HopeTerra, Herald of Hope as a possible commander pairing.)

Hobbit Hole

We're finishing up today's list where it all began in the book, at a Hobbit HoleHobbit Hole. This is just another land in the long line of replacements for cards like Evolving WildsEvolving Wilds, where you can use it to get a basic into play, or cash it in for a different effect. While only finding a Halfling might seem a little narrow, remember that it can also find a creature with changeling. So, if you have a deck that contains a few popular creatures like GraveshifterGraveshifter or Chomping ChangelingChomping Changeling, this can help you find them!

(See Frodo, Adventurous HobbitFrodo, Adventurous Hobbit & Sam, Loyal AttendantSam, Loyal Attendant as a possible commander pairing.)

The Wrap Up

So, there you have it, my picks for the best commons and uncommons from The Hobbit! I'm wishing everyone reading this a whole lot of luck as you open packs of this set, there are some truly high-value cards loaded in those boosters, but just be sure not to let these bulk cards collect dust on a table after a cool rare or mythic catches your eye.

If you'd like to see even more budget-focused Hobbit content from me, please check out my YouTube channel The Pillow Fort, where I'm covering a whole lot of cheap decks I've built around the new commanders from this set. I hope to see you over there!