Mirkwood BatsMirkwood Bats | Art by John Tedrick and Erebor FlamesmithErebor Flamesmith | Art by L J Koh

Now that The Hobbit is in the rear-view mirror, I wanted to do a deep dive back into the classic fan favorite set known as The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. When that first hit shelves, it took the community by storm and brought in a large influx of new players.

So, since we're getting another round of Tolkien-inspired decks being brewed as of late, I got inspired to put a spotlight on some useful commons and uncommons from that first trip to Middle-earth, in order to showcase thematic cards that can help you fill up those 99s!

So, join me, Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, as we cross the fields of The Shire and dive into the Mines of Moria to uncover the treasures that are hidden in those old booster packs; it's time to Bulk Up!

The Ring Tempts You

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let's take a quick Gandalf-esque side quest by looking at an important part of this set, The Ring tempts you. As we go over this list, you'll see a few references to this mechanic, so if you ever get confused, you can look back up here to be reminded of all the stages of the effect. Alright, now we're truly ready to start this adventure.

WHITE

Reprieve - Highly Played

Let's kick things off with my personal favorite uncommon from the set, ReprieveReprieve. This spell has put in so much work for me over the years, since it can stop someone from disrupting your game plan, while replacing itself with a new card; I never get tired of resolving this one!

Éowyn, Lady of Rohan

With so many new Equipment decks hitting the format, creatures like Éowyn, Lady of RohanÉowyn, Lady of Rohan have become even more sought-after. Handing out two useful keywords and lowering equip costs are exactly what those lists are looking for, so this fits right into a Middle-earth themed Voltron deck.

(See Dwalin, WeaponmasterDwalin, Weaponmaster as a possible commander pairing.)

Slip On the Ring

Blink spells are always useful to have around, which is why Slip On the RingSlip On the Ring makes the list today. Reusing a strong enters effect, as well as getting The Ring to tempt you is great for only two mana, especially if your deck is filled with things that trigger when your creatures enter the battlefield.

(See Thorin, King of Durin's FolkThorin, King of Durin's Folk as a possible commander pairing.)

BLUE

Lórien Revealed - Highly Played

Our first blue card today is Lórien RevealedLórien Revealed, which might not seem too crazy at first glance, however it has become a multi-format staple. Spending one mana to get any Island out of your deck is great for fixing your mana in the early game, and drawing three cards is useful for pushing you forward in the late game when you need a few more answers.

Ioreth of the Healing House

Cards that help you untap things on your board are always useful to have around, and Ioreth of the Healing HouseIoreth of the Healing House is one of the best in that category. Three mana is the standard rate for this type of effect, plus it has the upside of being able to untap two legendary creatures, which's a lot of great value in one text box.

(See Elrond, Moon-ReaderElrond, Moon-Reader as a possible commander pairing.)

Soothing of Sméagol

Bouncing a key creature to someone's hand is always nice, so the fact that Soothing of SméagolSoothing of Sméagol offers that effect, as well as The Ring tempting you, can really assist a deck's game plan. Interacting with your opponent's board, while adding some more value onto a creature, gives this spell some great upside for a Middle-earth themed deck.

(See Bilbo, Thief in the NightBilbo, Thief in the Night as a possible commander pairing.)

BLACK

Mirkwood Bats & The Nazgûl - Highly Played

These creatures are some of the most sought-after bulk cards in the entire set. Mirkwood BatsMirkwood Bats has brought countless Token decks to victory over the years. Then there's the NazgûlNazgûl, all of these nine creatures cost around $20 apiece, since each one has unique art, which means you need to get every specific version to truly complete a deck. If you open a pack of this set and see these Bats or a version of one of the Wraiths, it's time to celebrate!

Nasty End

Cashing in creatures for cards is always a useful effect to have around, which's why Nasty EndNasty End has found a home in more than 80,000 decks since it first came out. Plus, you can always trade in a legend to draw three cards if you really need the hand refill.

(See The Master of Lake-townThe Master of Lake-town as a possible commander pairing.)

Orcish Medicine

Amassing an Army while handing out some useful keywords is both great for mono-black to have access to. Orcish MedicineOrcish Medicine can help save a creature or give it lifelink, while also adding more power to your board at the same time!

(See The Great GoblinThe Great Goblin as a possible commander pairing.)

RED

Rising of the Day - Highly Played

This enchantment has two very simple lines of text, which's what makes it so easy to include in a 99. Rising of the DayRising of the Day gives your team haste, and buffs up your legends, which both allow for a lot of explosive turns over the course of a game.

Fiery Inscription & Erebor Flamesmith

When it comes to Spellslinger decks that are looking to close out the game with direct damage, Fiery InscriptionFiery Inscription and Erebor FlamesmithErebor Flamesmith both come in with the assist. These have found a home in plenty of lists and work perfectly with any Tolkien-inspired deck centered around instants and sorceries.

(See Gandalf, Goblins' BaneGandalf, Goblins' Bane as a possible commander pairing.)

Cast into the Fire

Dealing with two smaller creatures or permanently getting rid of a troublesome artifact is what Cast into the FireCast into the Fire is all about. The fact that this spell can be cast at instant speed makes it great to trip up your opponent's game plans out of nowhere.

(See Smaug the ImpenetrableSmaug the Impenetrable as a possible commander pairing.)

GREEN

Entish Restoration - Highly Played

This is one of my favorite ramp spells in the format, which makes me sad to see that it has risen to the price that it has over these years. Entish RestorationEntish Restoration was a new take on the classic spell Roiling RegrowthRoiling Regrowth; however it has the ability to find you three total lands if you have a larger creature in play...wow, I wish this were still a budget card!

Revive the Shire

Every deck needs some sort of way to bring something back from the bin, which's what makes Revive the ShireRevive the Shire so useful to include in a 99. Not only does it return a permanent from your graveyard to your hand, but it also gives you that Food token to be cashed in for some life when you need it the most.

(See Tom, Bert, and WilliamTom, Bert, and William as a possible commander pairing.)

Peregrin Took

Speaking of Food, our final green card on the list today is none other than the always hungry Peregrin TookPeregrin Took. This creature has become a solid inclusion for any deck that's looking to fill its board with tokens, and it's especially useful since you can cash them in for a card to help your hand stay stocked as the game goes on.

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

MULTICOLOR & COLORLESS

Prince Imrahil the Fair

The draw your second card archetype has become more and more popular over the last few years, especially after the release of The Hobbit. Prince Imrahil the FairPrince Imrahil the Fair fits right in with those decks, since it offers up the same tokens that get created through the recruit mechanic (as seen on cards like Patient InstructorPatient Instructor).

(See Bard, King of DaleBard, King of Dale as a possible commander pairing.)

Lembas

There's always a need for useful artifacts in a wide range of deck archetypes, which's what has helped land LembasLembas in a lot of 99s since this set's release. This is especially useful for any lists centered around getting an enduring story, since it can sit in play as a historic permanent, and then be cashed in for life when you need the extra padding.

(See Thorin OakenshieldThorin Oakenshield as a possible commander pairing.)

LANDS

Shire Terrace

I utilize Shire TerraceShire Terrace in a good number of my budget builds, so I'm happy to talk about it again here today. It's great in the early game when you need to fix your mana, and also in the late game when you just need an untapped land to allow you to cast your spells.

(See Thranduil the StrategistThranduil the Strategist as a possible commander pairing.)

The Grey Havens

I'm a huge fan of lands that enter and allow you to sculpt the top of your library, because it helps you set up your next draw, while being able to be tapped for mana right away. The Grey HavensThe Grey Havens brings you that value, while also tapping for colored mana if you have a legend in your bin.

(See Thranduil, the ElvenkingThranduil, the Elvenking as a possible commander pairing.)

The Wrap Up!

So, there you have it, my picks for the best commons and uncommons from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth! If you're looking to brew some thematic decks set in this world, hopefully a few of these help add some more flavor to those lists.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, I covered the best bulk from The Hobbit set a few weeks ago, so you can read all about that right here on EDHREC.

If you're looking for even more content for building Commander decks on a budget, then check out my YouTube channel The Pillow Fort, where it's my mission to help make Magic more accessible for everyone!