It's almost impossible to squeeze everything from a book into movie adaptations, but MTG Lord of the Rings doesn't have the same limitations - rather than trying to fill a couple of hours, it's got hundreds of cards to work with. That means many of the major characters who were cut from Peter Jackson's trilogy are having their chance to shine with Magic's new set.
Publisher Wizards of the Coast gave us a look at cards for heroes that didn't feature in the movies but will be very recognizable to fans of Tolkien's books. Because the team's pulled out all the stops for its MTG Lord of the Rings artwork in general, we've listed them below so you can feast your eyes on these classic characters.
We've been going hands-on with MTG Lord of the Rings so we'll have a verdict on where it sits alongside the best card games soon, but until then, here's a look at some of what's available in the set.
Prince Imrahil & the Knights of Dol Amroth
In the books, you get a sense of Gondor being a much bigger and more diverse place than in the movies; its different regions are home to an array of sub-kingdoms that gather their armies to aid Minas Tirth in its hour of need, and the Knights of Dol Amroth are the perfect example. These 'Swan Knights' of the coast have the eponymous bird as their symbol and are led by the heroic Prince Imrahil, who is making an appearance in the MTG Lord of the Rings set. You can see how he's depicted above alongside his Knights, all of which have feather-themed armor here.
Beregond, Guard Captain
Of all the characters cut from Peter Jackson's movies, Beregond was one of the more notable. This captain of Minas Tirith's Citadel Guard played a significant role alongside Pippin during those sections in Return of the King, not least of which was saving Faramir when his's grief-stricken father tried to burn him alive on a pyre. In this artwork, Beregond can be seen trying to fend off other guards and stop them from setting Faramir alight. He's a good egg, in other words.
Erkenbrand, Rohan lord
Another character who's often referenced in the books but doesn't make an appearance in the movie trilogy is Erkenbrand. While it's Eomer who gets the honor of saving the day in the movie equivalent of Two Towers, in the book it's actually Erkenbrand that Gandalf rushes off to find for a last-minute ride to the rescue. This horse-lord was responsible for defending the western reaches of Rohan and was a renowned warrior, hence why Gandalf sought him out to gather reinforcements for Helm's Deep. Here, he is presumably leading those men to save the bacon of Aragorn, Theoden, and co.
Quickbeam the Ent
There were a lot of tree-like Ents in the Two Towers movie, but few got names or backstories - mainly because they all take so long to discuss anything that there simply wouldn't be time for it short of making a nine-hour film. Quickbeam (or Bregalad, as he's known amongst the Ents) agrees, and the young tree-man is considered 'hasty' in the books because he doesn't take forever to respond to questions. In the book, he's the first to decide the Ents should march on Isengard and shelters Merry and Pippin in his house while his kin faff about.
Tom Bombadil & Goldberry
OK, so you may have seen these two before - they were some of the first MTG Lord of the Rings cards to be shown off, mainly because they're the biggest omissions from the movies. In the books, it's heavily implied that Tom and Goldberry are supernatural, otherworldly creatures that could absolutely wreck shop if they ever stopped getting distracted by singing funny songs and generally having a nice time at home. That's represented by Tom's 'God Bard' tag here, along with the fact that Goldberry, River-Daughter is listed as a 'Nymph'. Fun fact: someone at the Council of Elrond where the Fellowship is formed asks why Tom can't just take the ring, as he seems immune to its effects. Answer? Gandalf is worried Tom will lose it because he simply doesn't give AF.
Glorfindel, Elven Lord
Along with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, this is another major omission from the movies. Glorfindel is an absolute badass in Tolkien's mythology and kicks butt for much of the earlier parts of Fellowship. Indeed, he's responsible for carrying Frodo to Rivendell after he's stabbed with the Ringwraith's blade rather than Arwen.
Here's another fun fact: in the books, Glorfindel is one of the elves that went to war with Morgoth, the Dark Lord of Middle Earth before Sauron. Glorfindel manages to singlehandedly slay a Balrog (Gandalf-style) but is mortally wounded in the process. Like Gandalf, he is also sent back by the Ainur (the gods of Tolkein's universe) to aid in the war against Sauron. Had he not been such a legendary figure among the peoples of Middle Earth, he probably would have been sent as a member of the Fellowship. To keep stealth a high priority though, he stays behind to help the elves.
There are other cards that would make this list, of course, but these were just the ones we got access to. You can check out MTG Lord of the Rings now, as it launches July 23.
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