The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth Limited Set Review: Red

Hey everyone! The shadows out of Mordor have been growing longer and it is time for us to rise up to destroy the evil forces of Sauron. Well, I guess we could also be playing for the other team as well, but either way we’re heading into Middle Earth for a fabulous adventure.

As a long time lover of Lord of the Rings, I am extremely excited to spend a couple months drafting this set. I am slightly less excited about how much my wife is going to spend on boxes of them, but it makes her happy so it’s all good.

Now let’s start checking out how these cards are going to play out in limited.

Here’s the usual grading scale:

• 5.0: Disgustingly powerful and basically unbeatable. Either answer it the turn it comes down or just pack up your cards. (Tovolar's Huntmaster, The Meathook Massacre, Starnheim Unleashed)
• 4.5: Incredible bomb that still gives your opponent a slim chance. (Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, Alrund's Epiphany, Grand Master of Flowers)
• 4.0: Great rare or the absolute best uncommons and removal. (Froghemoth, Morbid Opportunist, Skullport Merchant)
• 3.5: Great role filler or removal that you never cut. (Magic Missile, Cathartic Pyre, Battle Cry Goblin)
• 3.0: Good playable that I’m basically never cutting. (Usher of the Fallen, Search Party Captain, Dragon Turtle)
• 2.5: Decent playable and the bar I hope nearly every card in my deck to reach. (Mourning Patrol, Steadfast Paladin, Goblin Morningstar)
• 2.0: Mediocre filler that normally is your 20-23rd card(s). (Contact Other Plane, Mindleech Ghoul, Timberland Guide)
• 1.5: Replaceable, overall bad filler. Could also be decent sideboard cards. (Secrets of the Key, Spiked Pit Trap, Village Rites)
• 1.0: Bad filler. Gets cut most of the time. (Secret Door, Mystic Skull, Funeral Longboat)
• 0.5: Very unhappy to main deck this, but maybe it has fringe sideboard applications. (You See a Guard Approach, Bramble Armor, Compelled Duel)
• 0.0: Unplayable in every possible situation. (Mimic, Change of Fortune, Curse of Shaken Faith)

---

Battle-Scarred Goblin

Rating: 2.5/5

This is a Grizzly Bears that is really annoying to block because it can trade up with a 3/3 and can’t be blocked by 2/1s. Solid two drop, but at the end of the day, even a hard to block bear can only do so much if it doesn’t have any way to generate value.  

Book of Mazarbul

Rating: 2.0/5

By the time you can attack with this, it’s a Centaur Courser unless you lose the first 1/1 somewhere along the way. I do like that it gives you the opportunity to sac it to something first or just let it be a 3/3 depending on which is better on the board.  

They can see the third step coming from a mile away so while it does something, they will have ample time to prepare for it.

Breaking of the Fellowship

Rating: 1.5/5

Sometimes breakups are hard, but this one is an easy decision to move on from.

It can be difficult to get to line up properly because they need to have at least two creatures with one being able to kill the other. It will rarely be able to kill their biggest creature either. On top of that, there are a lot of 1/4s and 2/3s running around.

Even with the temptation thrown in, it’s a really bad removal spell that can easily get stuck in your hand.

Cast into the Fire

Rating: 1.5/5

This would be great if it let you deal two damage divided as you choose because it would have the option of killing a bear as well. As it is, you just have to hope things line up the right way to get much out of it. While it does wreck some situations, it should probably stay in the sideboard.

Display of Power

Rating: 2.0/5

Don’t let the potential power convince you that you are going to do something crazy with this. It is awfully tempting when you think of a scenario where you play a removal and they counterspell it. Then you get to play this to get an extra removal spell and counterspell their counterspell.

In most scenarios, it will just be used to copy an instant or sorcery spell. Three mana is too much to pay considering that you have to have to be able to play both in the same turn. There’s also the possibility that this can get blown out if they counter the spell you are targeting with this.

It is fine to play as long as you have a few prime targets because you can also just copy one of your opponents removal spells if things don’t line up right. Granted they do have to play an instant or sorcery worth copying in that scenario.

I’m going to stop talking about this card. It’s situationally good.

Eomer, Marshal of Rohan

Rating: 3.5/5

Back-to-back cards of the same character, I guess I should name them like the Cat in the Hat. This is Eomer 1 and the next one is Eomer 2.

A 4/4 haste can do some serious damage out of nowhere with the potential to do more if another of your legendary creatures dies. There might be some cool lines where you sacrifice your ring bearer during end of combat phase to get another attack in with everything else.

Eomer of the Riddermark

Rating: 3.5/5

Like all Eomers, this one is ready to hastily run into combat. That’s so Eomer. And that reference is so old that it could be in college now.

There aren’t many creatures that are going to have a higher power than Eomer so you’ll almost always be getting a 1/1 along with it. Five mana is a bit rough, but we can make it work.  

Erebor Flamesmith

Rating: 2.0/5

If you’re in a highly aggressive red deck, then this can get in a few extra damage that might put you over the top. It’s just a little too easy to have your 2/1 get blanked in this format.

It’s a fine curve filler, but I wouldn’t want to load up on these unless you’re playing a form of Izzet spells like the Kessig Flamebreather decks from Crimson Vow.

Erkenbrand, Lord of Westfold

Rating: 3.0/5

There are plenty of humans to stack your deck with to keep the pumps coming all night long. This plays amazingly with Rally at the Hornburg both in going wide as well as providing two pumps the turn you play it.

Fall of Cair Andros

Rating: 1.5/5

This does literal nothing in the early game unless you have some burn spells that are bigger than what you are killing. Then once you hit eight mana, it kills their best creature every turn while continuing to stack your orc army high.

I don’t want this in any aggressive deck because it will be the equivalent of a mulligan when you draw it. If I’m playing a control deck that needs a way to take over at the end, then this fits the bill.  

Fear, Fire, Foes!

Rating: 3.5/5

This gives you all the potential shenanigans of a The Black Breathor End the Festivities type spell without the problems of it being dead against some decks. This will typically pop off their best creature and might turn into a total blow out. That’ll have your opponent screaming something much different than, “Fear, Fire, Foes!”

Fiery Inscription

Rating: 1.5/5

Not a huge fan of this unless you’re playing it in the same cheap spells deck that I was talking about with Erebor Flamesmith. A ring temptation is just not worth playing a three mana do nothing else unless it contributes to the holistic game plan of your deck.  

Fire of Orthanc

Rating: 1.5/5

This is a true Falter effect unlike the nightmare that Hazardous Blast was in ONE. There is a world of difference in that, but this does have the upside of potentially popping off an annoying artifact.

Just imagine how much your eyes will light up when your opponent misses an early land drop and you have this.

Before I go off on a tangent about not playing playing land destruction in limited, this is a fine sideboard card if they have a problematic target.  

Foray of Orcs

Rating: 3.5/5

I am slightly biased towards any Flametongue Kavu effects due to all of my great memories of that card. Even though this needs help to get to those standards, I’m interested in taking a foray down to Orcville (It’s like Goblin Town, but with orcs and a Grinch who hates Christmas a lot) with this.

Even without other amass, the targets worth killing with this are still plentiful.  

Gimli, Counter of Kills

Rating: 2.5/5

Your opponent is going to be the one counting down to their death when Gimli is across the table. A reasonably costed trampler is always nice and he can throw a few damage to your opponents face when their creatures die.

You could even go for the flavorful fun of giving him his axe to smash in with. (As you will see below, you probably shouldn’t be doing that too often)

Gimli’s Axe

Rating: 1.5/5

When Gimli said that you would have his axe, it was most likely because he was trying to pass off this lemon to you. It’s not even legendary because it’s the knockoff version he’s selling on the street corner.

You’re five mana in to this before it does anything, but at least the cost to reequip is reasonable. There will be decks that this plays more like a 2.5 in, but in the average deck it will be pretty bad.

Gimli’s Fury

Rating: 1.5/5

While potentially getting trample is a nice addition to Infuriate, costing two mana is a pretty big detriment that more than cancels that out.

Gloin, Dwarf Emissary

Rating: 3.0/5

According to this card, Gloin is the master of talking smack. He just yells, “Your mother looked like a troll and smelled of a horse’s behind!” and the opponents creature runs right at you regardless of the situation.  

There are tons of historic spells running around so you can get some treasures to have Gloin start the roasting.

Goblin Fireleaper

Rating: 2.5/5

While pricy to pump, this does highly encourage your opponents not to block it unless they want to lose two creatures.

It also is a great ringbearer in that they need a one power thing to block it and you can pump after the way is clear.

Grishnakh, Brash Instigator

Rating: 3.5/5

Basically, a Centaur Courser that steals a two-power creature until end of turn. Of course, it can get something bigger if you already have an army going.

Combine with sacrifice effects for best effect. As you can imagine, Nasty End is pretty, pretty, pretty good with this.  

Haradrim Spearmaster

Rating: 2.5/5

I would have preferred that this could pump itself, but you should have plenty of other creatures that will enjoy passing that around.

This is my prediction for the card that gets the most people with “secret reach”.

Hew the Entwood

Rating: 0.5/5

Hmm…sacrifice all of my lands to possibly get some lands back and maybe some artifacts. If you looked ahead to chapter seven, you might have read that “put all nonland cards into play” and gotten all excited. Unfortunately, in article 3 paragraph 17 of index 8 it specifies that you can only choose artifacts and lands. Sorry creatures and Sagas, it’s not happening.

If I really, really tried, I could come up with some corner case uses for this, but it’s just not worth the brain power. Don’t play this.

Improvised Club

Rating: 2.5/5

Four damage to any target for only two mana is a nice little exchange. You obviously have to throw something in to make that work for all parties, but you can even sac a sandwich (food token) for this. I’m sure you expected that to turn into an Improvised Club Sandwich joke there, but even I am above that.

Moria Marauder

Rating: 3.5/5

Getting this through only once can swing the game pretty hard. The problem is it dies to everything and even trades with a bear.

You really want to make this your ring bearer for maximum usage. That also makes a card like Gimli’s Fury much better.

Oliphaunt

Rating: 2.5/5

An Oliphaunt sure does sound like something that would be hanging out with Heffalumps and Woozles.

I don’t think I need to continue to explain why land cycling for one is a good thing. If you manage to drop Dumbo here, he smashes the ever-living crap out of them while also making another one of your creatures a massive trampler too.

Olog-hai Crusher

Rating: 2.0/5

Never being able to block would be a really big downside, but just needing to have an orc or goblin out is a pretty low ask. They are a troll so it doesn’t work if you have two out.

While a 4/4 for four doesn’t hold the raw stats value it used to, trample can be a big difference especially if you have equipment or pump spells.

Quarrel’s End

Rating: 2.0/5

This is our Tormenting Voicevariant for the set. You’re paying an extra mana to have a 1/1 token thrown in. That’s totally fine, but not something you’ll be bending over backwards to get in your deck.

Rally at the Hornburg

Rating: 2.5/5

I can’t read Rally at the Hornburg without thinking Night at the Roxbury. Maybe I’m just weird, but the names are laid out the same way and they are both about two random dudes about to have a crazy night.

As far as the card goes, the two 1/1s for two mana cards have historically been good limited cards. This one has a relevant creature type, trades well with a lot of other creatures in the format, and even has haste. Its important to note that the haste is to all humans you control, so you can play another one first to get in there as well.

Ranger’s Firebrand

Rating: 3.0/5

While making Shock sorcery speed is a big drawback, the temptation makes up for it. You’ll usually still be trading up on mana to pull ahead early and it will get you going towards maxing out your ring. You’ll always be happy to have these.

Relentless Rohirrim

Rating: 2.0/5

If I’m playing a 4/3 for four, I want something that is going to affect the board. This tosses in a temptation which is just enough that it will make the cut.

Rising of the Day

Rating: 1.0/5

We’ve come a long way from the days of Fires of Yavimaya being the card that Standard revolved around. The average power level of a card has risen so much that I want more out of a piece of cardboard these days.

All of your creatures having haste isn’t worth doing nothing else on turn three. If you wait until later to play this, then you’re relying on the small pump to legendaries to pay the bills. It’s not get laughed out of the room bad, but something went wrong if you have this in your deck.

Rohirrim Lancer

Rating: 2.0/5

This is actually a great early ringbearer because they need to have two one power creatures to block it. Shelob's Ambush would be a great way to wreck that block and just plays fantastic with any menace creatures.

If they use a removal spell on this, then you’re feeling pretty good that they wasted it on a one drop.

Rush the Room

Rating: 1.0/5

Don’t be in a rush to pick these up. We’ve had so many variations of +1+0 and first strike for one red mana, but somehow it has never been good. I asked the magic eight ball if this was finally the right time and it told me “Outlook not good”.

Smite the Deathless

Rating: 3.5/5

Love this card both for the flavor of being able to kill the Witch-King and just being an awesome removal spell. Have you ever been disappointed with a three damage for two mana instant removal spell?

Exiling is relevant and removing indestructible isn’t just flavor text since there are multiple cards that deal with that. Great card, high pick.

Spiteful Banditry

Rating: 4.0/5

Obviously, this isn’t on the same level as The Meathook Massacrebecause that was just a ridiculous Magic card. It’s still an adjustable sweeper that sticks around and provides you with a pile of treasure tokens. That sounds like it would be a great time with Mirkwood Bats.

Swarming of Moria

Rating: 1.5/5

Unless I really need a treasure token, I’m not too keen on paying three mana for a 2/2.

There and Back Again

Rating: 3.5/5

At least the haste makes it feel like you’re only waiting one extra turn to get your dragon out.

The first two steps feel pretty bad for five mana unless you really wanted a temptation. Then Smaug (finally) comes down and turns that frown upside down as the biggest creature in town. Luckily Soothing of Smeagol can’t hit the token, but there are some other cards that can end your fun.

Warbeast of Gorgoroth

Rating: 1.5/5

Nothing special, just more top end filler that will be available if you end up needing it. It’s kind of a conundrum because you want other cards that can trigger this, but you don’t want to have too many high cost cards in your deck.

---

Wrap Up

Strangely enough Red has some pretty beefy creatures running around along with its usual collection of goblins and orcs. While there are some clunkers, the better commons form a very solid base. I wonder if we will have the usual doomsayers complaining about red like they do at the beginning of every set.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back tomorrow with my limited review of green for Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth. Until then, stay classy people!

Fine…I guess I will add that I’ll see you LTR! I’m pretty ashamed of that one, but I have a brand to uphold here.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.

You can also find me at:

• Discord
• Twitch
• Twitter