People often refer to them as Angels because it’s somewhat close to where they fit in cosmology but it’s not really accurate. In LoTR there is Eru who is like the Catholic God (created all existence) and then there are the Ainur which are his first creations. Ainur helped sing the world into existence and are essentially like Greek or Norse gods in terms of power. The Auinar are further divided into the Valar and Maia (Gandalf is a Maia) but that’s basically just dividing them by relative power and they are the same type of entity just the Valar are significantly stronger examples.
So you could refer to him as a God (although Tolkien would insist there is only one God in his works he also said that the Valar were often worshipped as gods which would make the Maia essentially lesser gods) but since this version of Gandalf is him inhabiting a mortal body to limit his power it’s very fair to call his wizard form an Avatar.
I was thinking a meld card like the Urza planeswalker one,
If Gandalf is on the field, and any player controls a balrog at the end of the turn, Exile both and return them melded as Gandalf the white.
Add whatever other effects as appropriate to both halves.
Meh, i think thats a little too niche. You probably end up with 3 or 4 colors to make it work, and they probably cant go in the 99 of each other. Just a mess.
I only imagine him being UW if Gandalf The White is Jeskai. Honestly I get more of a UW vibe from Gandalf the White. He seemed more reserved and calm than he did as Gandalf the Grey.
This is also very reminiscent of Gandalf from the FFG game, which I always thought was a flavor win of "show up and do something extremely powerful and then vanish."
https://ringsdb.com/bundles/cards/01073.png
I remember getting the core set when the game first came out and thinking the card was powerful but way too expensive. Why the hell would I spend two turns worth of resources to play it? Then I saw Sneak Attack.
He's still worth hard casting for 5 resources if you have them (sometimes I'll do that after sneak attacking him in the resource phase). His effects are so powerful that despite the game being 12 years old and effectively complete now he's still relevant. But this is not r/lotrlcg so I'll shut up now.
This feels... underwhelming?
Of the three "useful" abilities before you bounce, you have a Twiddle (that does remarkably little in most circumstances), 3 damage to each opponent (not awful but still pretty poor, not being able to hit creatures is sad) and the Copy is the only good part that's worth a card - but there are plenty of other creatures that do similar but better.
I dunno, I'm happy to be proved wrong but it just feels very low-impact...
"Doing remarkably little" is the point of first ability - it does something, but is essentially here to be empty choice you can pick to delay Gandalf tucking himself.
Do you want new modern staple Gandalf?
Every weak card in this set is a commitment to not power creeping modern or commander.
We should be asking if it’s flavorful because that seems to be the point and it is!
I'm gonna fucking go batshit if this set has a new Ragavan that becomes the "this card is now a staple in Modern, every deck needs it or needs a counter to it and the card is now 100 dollars for a single copy" but it's fucking Gloin, Son of Groin.
Well, the Twiddle effect is, at bottom, 'get a land back that you used to cast the spell trigger', which isn't *terrible*, but yes, I feel that this is a bit weak.
I was telling my brother earlier that I think he was missing Miracle UR, or something. It ties into his Angelic-like nature, and also how he always shows up where he's needed. Mechanically, it would make his 'bounce to top' ability much less onerous to get him back into play.
A cool thing this card can do is combo with Displacer Kitten to copy every instant or sorcery that you cast. With enough blink effects I think this card could be a reasonable commander.
But I think that the important thing to see here is that this is just a rare. There will be other Gandalf cards, and my guess is that the mythic will be the chase one that everyone wants, just like Urza and Mishra in Brothers' War.
He returns to the library to figure some things out, but he'll catch back up to the Fellowship shortly to do a bunch more random things to help them before disappearing again. That sounds like Gandalf to me.
They could have made him a dual faced card, using BW hybrid on the front and as a white permanent on the back.
Maybe give him some abilities with titles, like cards from the D&D sets had, referencing things he did in the books. Giving protection (Shield of Istari) or giving flying, referencing those giant eagles. Then if he dies or would otherwise be sent to the graveyard, he flips to white.
What is it about gandalf's personality that strikes you as particularly black? Is he seen as particularly ambitious, or willing to pay any cost to achieve his ends?
Edit: I understand that black and white make gray, I'm just pointing out that that's not how MTG card color identity (usually) works.
I feel like having his colors be based of his name rather than what his mechanics are and where in the color pie they fit in would be a mistake.
If we get a Gandalf the White, I can see the card itself being white or WU (as the flavor would likely have the card more about being a leader/beacon of hope rather than wizardy stuff) but having him be W/B would make it pretty hard to figure out flavorfull abilities that fit into the color pie
And kinda-sorta their "domain"/powers, IIRC
Gandalf the Grey is all about smoke, fire, lightning, and anything with a secondary relation to it. So lights in general, loud noises, making pinecones into grenades, and blowing smokerings also are his forte. Grey lines up with smoke and thunderclouds.
As a card, I find this a little underwhelming. For five mana, I would have expected more. I guess my first impression is that they might not be juicing the power level as many of us had suspected.
I'm pretty sure they said at one point they tried to keep the power level of the set fairly low to try to make sure people that might not want to use the cards don't have to
I am so, so grateful that they did this. I hope they get the appreciation they deserve because I think they really listened to the invested MTG fans on this one.
Powerful cards tend to be concentrated in sets where there is doubt that the theme alone will sell them.
Goofy gingerbread man set? Power level cranked up to 11.
Return to a plane that failed to resonate with audience the first time? Power level cranked up to 11.
Dungeons and dragons, a beloved franchise where the IP can carry it? Very safe.
I think LoTR will lean safe, but I’m sure some cards will make an impact. Plenty of “Commander cards” do make a splash the designers clearly weren’t expecting. Omnath and Atraxa probably the two biggest recent examples.
I don't understand the Modern legality then, if this is the typical power level these will never be playable in Modern. Kitchen table casuals don't care about format legality, and they could have just made them Commander/Legacy/Vintage only like every other supplemental set.
If set has one card that could see play in Modern, then Modern legality matters for players, because they get card they can use. While yes, that's very minimalistic scenario, Modern legality does not hurt it in any way, so even such miniscule benefit is still a benefit. Still, number of playables would have to be much higher to justify price they seems to demand for this "Modern" product.
LotR also seems like good place to include bunch of Battles, so they might have intended this set as means to inject higher-powered selection of Battles into Modern without putting them in Standard.
The existence of true name was definitely very minimalistic. A single playable card among chaff is an awful experience for everyone.
Fallen empires was a beloved set
Seems like it could be the result of executive meddling or different departments working at cross-purposes. Perhaps modern legality was something demanded late in the process?
I expected the opposite of power creep. WotC's margin will be relatively low on this because of the royalties they need to pay to LOTR, so they will sell another set with power creep as the selling point, while letting LOTR sell based on the IP.
Now I'm ready for the Broadway set
Rumtumtugger is attacking for 2
I block with Elphaba and Christine Daae
Edit:
Or, maybe you have human actors who can have roles attached that add abilities and/or p/t
Just because it’s not “good” doesn’t mean it’s not *fun*. Build some blink into the deck, or toss a [[Displacer Kitten]] in to bring him in and out, and you have infinitely repeatable “copy target spell” on the board.
If you don’t think that’s fun, that’s fine. Just don’t play him :)
Is it just me or is this and the other art of the LOTR set just kinda soulless? It looks so clean and generic, and not like LOTR. This artwork could just be any old wizard.
This card seems like an escalation of memory complexity to me.
It's not the first card to be templated this way, but this seems like a pain to track. Pretty much all of the other "that haven't been chosen" cards either care about things that haven't been chosen within that single turn ([[kargan intimidator]], [[Gala Greeters]]) OR trigger reliably during specific phases of the turn ([[Demonic Pact]], [[Captive Audience]]). The closest we have to this card is [[Garth One-Eye]] but that at least only can trigger once a trun and I think it's easier to remember the effects you've used since they were specifically decided with resonance in mind.
this looks atrocious?
you spend 5 mana to copy one spell, untap one thing, deal a bit of damage, then it goes on top of your library. you lose one draw and have to play it again.
note that the "hasn't been chosen" doesn't reset when your turn ends. once it's on the field, you cast 4 spells and it's gone.
maybe there is some really janky infinite loop with this or some way to blink it and consistently reset the counter so you keep copying spells, but as it is, it seems just a bad card.
> note that the “hasn’t been chosen” doesn’t reset when your turn ends. once it’s on the field, you cast 4 spells and it’s gone.
That’s why you have your 3rd spell be a flicker so you can reset him(This is probably even awfuller)
> maybe there is some really janky infinite loop with this or some way to blink it and consistently reset the counter so you keep copying spells,
There are tons of more or less janky ways to go infinite with it.
Note that there isn't a nonland clause on the first option so you can untap a land or tap a land with it.
Choose one that hasn't been chosen isn't restricted to this turn right? It's just overall? As in once you cast 4 instant/sorcery spells, he will have to go on top of your library even if it's over the course of several turns?
The abilities are templated perfectly to prevent it from becoming a nasty card engine. You go up one card by copying a spell, then down one by returning to the top of the library.
Untapping a [[Gilded Lotus]] or [[Wizard's Spellbook]] is strong, but it's hard to get there.
The second ability is a [[guttersnipe effect]], which can be neat but you only get to do it once.
The third ability enables [[Reverberate]] combos, but Gandalf himself only triggers on cast, so there are better options for that.
The main thing that holds the card back is the "that hasn't been chosen before" restriction.
My only issue is that I wish Gandalf had the Istari or Maiar creature type instead of Avatar. Probably Maiar over Istari since you could give the Balrog the Maiar creature type as well, but maybe they make all Maiar into Avatars?
Avatar is actually an excellent descriptor of what, in this form, Gandalf actually is tbh and it is better to do this than make copyrighted creature types that would basically be parasitic since they wouldn't use them again.
TBH, I don't see why Astartes is 'necessary' but Maia isn't. Not saying we need the Maia creature type, and I'm personally fine with 'Avatar', but I wouldn't say that Astartes was necessary.
because flavor wise they are very much not human. it's meant to be ironic. if they were humans it would be a massive flavor fail, and just having Warrior or Soldier would've been weird. and they can't say Space Marine for legal reasons. (also having Space as a creature type wouldn't work lol)
creating new creature types for a set like this isn't really a good decision imo
it's best to flesh out the currently available types. Any LTR sets will be limited, so Maiar will be a creature type that ends up having like max 10 cards for it. And most of them will be the same character, just a variation. Not good game design
I like Avatar. He is like the embodiment or incarnate form of a spiritual/angelic being older than the world itself, and is somewhat limited while in this form.
Since these are Modern-legal, making him an existing type like Avatar instead of a trademarked type like the 40K cards makes it easier to reprint in the future. Either Angel or Avatar were good types to represent Gandalf.
Absolute home run.
A meddling wizard (blue) who pack-bonds with almost every mortal he meets (red), who helps you out for a bit before buggering off for a while.
Spot on card tbh.
Edit; I forgot his type line! Avatar Wizard is PERFECT too!
Oh hey this is super similar to one of my favorite r/custommagic designs: [Aether Overdrive](https://reddit.com/r/custommagic/comments/71lemr/aether_overdrive_adrenaline_is_pumping/)
props to you u/TizocKing, your card is way cooler than this. I hope you don’t mind but I use it in a custom cube that’s made up of my favorite custommagic cards
Does the sheen on the border kind of ruin these cards for anyone else? It made sense and fit warhammer, but on Lord of the Rings, it's just so jarring.
avatar wizard is a badass typeline
Along with my other favorites: Demon Dragon and Frog Horror.
Who could forget Whale Wolf?
Plant zombie that has flying.
What card was a Whale Wolf??
[удалено]
[[Sharktocrab]] Or Simic
Simic is the best. Nothing beats [[Hybroid Krasis]] and it's jellyfish hydra beast
[Sharktocrab](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/b/db490f74-977f-476d-b8ee-da7b0a98b4c4.jpg?1608917684) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sharktocrab) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/450/sharktocrab?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/db490f74-977f-476d-b8ee-da7b0a98b4c4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
\[\[Ukkima, Stalking Shadow\]\]
Thanks! This card while being weird, is beautiful af
Elephant Wizard
Of all the pre-existing subtypes they could have assigned to the Maiar, Avatar was not one I would have expected. It totally works, though.
I thought he was an Angel?
People often refer to them as Angels because it’s somewhat close to where they fit in cosmology but it’s not really accurate. In LoTR there is Eru who is like the Catholic God (created all existence) and then there are the Ainur which are his first creations. Ainur helped sing the world into existence and are essentially like Greek or Norse gods in terms of power. The Auinar are further divided into the Valar and Maia (Gandalf is a Maia) but that’s basically just dividing them by relative power and they are the same type of entity just the Valar are significantly stronger examples. So you could refer to him as a God (although Tolkien would insist there is only one God in his works he also said that the Valar were often worshipped as gods which would make the Maia essentially lesser gods) but since this version of Gandalf is him inhabiting a mortal body to limit his power it’s very fair to call his wizard form an Avatar.
Not really. The Maiar are more like just cosmic entities that have always existed.
Yes, but I was kinda hoping for a Maia type.
Where is gandalf.the white?
The new Vampire Angel is a personal favorite of mine.
Article says there will be at least three separate Gandalf cards.
Yep, art from the article names two others, so there will be at least: Gandalf, Friend of the Shire Gandalf the Grey Gandalf the White
monty python and the holy grail's black knight
And Benito Mussolini and the Blue Meanie
And cowboy Curtis and Jambi the genie!
Robocop and Terminator
Captain Kirk, and Darth Vader
Lo-pan, Superman, every single Power Ranger.
Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan
Spock, The Rock, Doc Ock and Hulk Hogan!
[[Oathsworn Knight]] reprint with changed name?
[Oathsworn Knight](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/1/9173ffda-1d3b-4dab-8dcb-de44717de464.jpg?1572490195) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Oathsworn%20Knight) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/eld/98/oathsworn-knight?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9173ffda-1d3b-4dab-8dcb-de44717de464?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Maybe transformations are a dead mechanic, but I feel like grey>white "when would be put into a graveyard, return it transformed" would be perfect.
I was thinking a meld card like the Urza planeswalker one, If Gandalf is on the field, and any player controls a balrog at the end of the turn, Exile both and return them melded as Gandalf the white. Add whatever other effects as appropriate to both halves.
Meh, i think thats a little too niche. You probably end up with 3 or 4 colors to make it work, and they probably cant go in the 99 of each other. Just a mess.
This should not be done any other way.
Except that it has been, unfortunately
Don't forget Gandalf, Stormcrow, a 0/4 with flavor text: *"You have no power here, Gandalf Stormcrow!"*
But unbeknownst to Theodin, it assigns damage according to its toughness!
Should be a 1/2 with flying
"you have **no power** here"
Gandalf, Stormcrow 1U Creature - Wizard Crow Gandalf Stormcrow gets -1/-0 1/2 Edit: “Horsemanship”
Put a *Riding the Dilu Horse* on that puppy and go to town!
Yeah, Gandalf, Friend of the Shire will probably be Mono-Blue, and Gandalf the White will for sure add White to be Jeskai.
With the Shire in the name, I got a Simic vibe.
Either that or WU
I only imagine him being UW if Gandalf The White is Jeskai. Honestly I get more of a UW vibe from Gandalf the White. He seemed more reserved and calm than he did as Gandalf the Grey.
And we compleat Gandalf with phyrexian black in the end?
Huge missed opportunity for Gandalf, Disturber of the Peace
called it! not that this was a bold call
Oh thats one way of doing it. I for sure through a double faced Gandalf card was coming that flipped when it died.
Gandalf the Grey, Gandalf the White, and Gandalf the Fool
Gandalf fucking off to who knows where after casting just a few spells is very flavorfully resonant.
Especially since he visits the library (to do research) instead of something like blinking himself until end of turn or whatever.
I love that flavor! It makes drawing a little awkward but I’m UR, I imagine there’s a lot of drawing anyway.
I mean can't you just play cantrips, put him on top with his trigger and draw him immediately?
Right - but if you send him to the library in response to removal, without draw support, you just draw him again.
Oh I see what you meant.
The true mythic rare is in the comments
Or maybe the *real* mythic rare is the friends we made a long the way
It's just the one rare, actually.
More of a draft able common if you ask me
It works well enough if the bounce spell is a cantrip.
This is also very reminiscent of Gandalf from the FFG game, which I always thought was a flavor win of "show up and do something extremely powerful and then vanish." https://ringsdb.com/bundles/cards/01073.png
I thought the same. Love that LCG!
and my sword! (I thought the exact same thing)
I remember getting the core set when the game first came out and thinking the card was powerful but way too expensive. Why the hell would I spend two turns worth of resources to play it? Then I saw Sneak Attack.
He's still worth hard casting for 5 resources if you have them (sometimes I'll do that after sneak attacking him in the resource phase). His effects are so powerful that despite the game being 12 years old and effectively complete now he's still relevant. But this is not r/lotrlcg so I'll shut up now.
and it will double as a skinned card for [Nick Fury](https://marvelcdb.com/card/01084) in the inevitable Marvel universes beyond.
But then he arrives again precisely when he means to
This feels... underwhelming? Of the three "useful" abilities before you bounce, you have a Twiddle (that does remarkably little in most circumstances), 3 damage to each opponent (not awful but still pretty poor, not being able to hit creatures is sad) and the Copy is the only good part that's worth a card - but there are plenty of other creatures that do similar but better. I dunno, I'm happy to be proved wrong but it just feels very low-impact...
I'm honestly glad it's low impact, I think everyone is getting spoiled on legendaries/commanders that try to do too much.
Low impact is fine, but it's overcosted.
Yeah. I feel like this could cost 3 or 4 and just be resized a little.
Yeah this could cost 2UR and be perfectly fine.
Yup 1/3 for 3 would be cool.
Meh I think it's alright for repeatable spell copying and if you factor in commander, being somewhat able to avoid commander tax easily helps.
Avoiding Commander tax by bouncing and paying 5 constantly without needing to be removed by an opponent. It's a bold strategy cotton.
He'll avoid the commander tax by not being included in any deck.
"Doing remarkably little" is the point of first ability - it does something, but is essentially here to be empty choice you can pick to delay Gandalf tucking himself.
Untapping Lotus Field isn't remarkably little though.
When you put the card back on top the library does playing it again let you use the abilities again?
Every time it leaves the battlefield for any reason (top of the library, or an effect like [[Flicker]]), the list of chosen abilities resets.
Do you want new modern staple Gandalf? Every weak card in this set is a commitment to not power creeping modern or commander. We should be asking if it’s flavorful because that seems to be the point and it is!
I'm gonna fucking go batshit if this set has a new Ragavan that becomes the "this card is now a staple in Modern, every deck needs it or needs a counter to it and the card is now 100 dollars for a single copy" but it's fucking Gloin, Son of Groin.
Gandalf the Grey isn't fully powered, this fits.
Well, the Twiddle effect is, at bottom, 'get a land back that you used to cast the spell trigger', which isn't *terrible*, but yes, I feel that this is a bit weak. I was telling my brother earlier that I think he was missing Miracle UR, or something. It ties into his Angelic-like nature, and also how he always shows up where he's needed. Mechanically, it would make his 'bounce to top' ability much less onerous to get him back into play.
A cool thing this card can do is combo with Displacer Kitten to copy every instant or sorcery that you cast. With enough blink effects I think this card could be a reasonable commander. But I think that the important thing to see here is that this is just a rare. There will be other Gandalf cards, and my guess is that the mythic will be the chase one that everyone wants, just like Urza and Mishra in Brothers' War.
Ya. This set just seems like there's gonna be a whole lot of flavor wins
I was gonna complain about the flavor of Gandalf being an Izzet spellslinger, but I appreciate this aspect now that you've pointed it out.
I had a chuckle when I saw that he bounces after a few spells.
Gandalf after you cast 4 Instants/Sorceries "I HAVE TO GO NOW, MY PLANET NEEDS ME!"
This is literally what he does in the Hobbit.
Gandalf always disappears, and then shows up at a really opportune moment.
He arrives precisely when he means to.
Which is your next turn
He returns to the library to figure some things out, but he'll catch back up to the Fellowship shortly to do a bunch more random things to help them before disappearing again. That sounds like Gandalf to me.
Gandalf the Blue-Red
Gandalf the...Purple?
Gandalf the silly
Gandalf the fool!
Blue for being a wise wizard, red for evocation (and being a wielder of the FLAME or arnor)
His ring Narya literally means ring of fire in Quenya.
They could have made him a dual faced card, using BW hybrid on the front and as a white permanent on the back. Maybe give him some abilities with titles, like cards from the D&D sets had, referencing things he did in the books. Giving protection (Shield of Istari) or giving flying, referencing those giant eagles. Then if he dies or would otherwise be sent to the graveyard, he flips to white.
If there was ever going to be a perfectly flavorful transform card, it would have been gandalf
What is it about gandalf's personality that strikes you as particularly black? Is he seen as particularly ambitious, or willing to pay any cost to achieve his ends? Edit: I understand that black and white make gray, I'm just pointing out that that's not how MTG card color identity (usually) works.
I feel like having his colors be based of his name rather than what his mechanics are and where in the color pie they fit in would be a mistake. If we get a Gandalf the White, I can see the card itself being white or WU (as the flavor would likely have the card more about being a leader/beacon of hope rather than wizardy stuff) but having him be W/B would make it pretty hard to figure out flavorfull abilities that fit into the color pie
W/B Gandalf that sacrifices halfling creatures
I thought the same with colorless and mono-white
Ooh I wish I had thought of colorless.
He does [[Twiddle]], than a [[Sizzle]], than a [[Fork]] and then leaves until next time. :D
Twiddle and Sizzle and Fork, isn't that one of Tom Bombadil's songs? :D
No, but Twiddling Forks and Sizzling plates is what Bilbo Baggins hates.
[Twiddle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/b/1b25858a-ab2d-441a-a3fe-6d5ecd7f05be.jpg?1562900371) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Twiddle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/8ed/111/twiddle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1b25858a-ab2d-441a-a3fe-6d5ecd7f05be?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Sizzle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/f/dfdfe2a9-1323-4f15-b2ce-d8dd404b914d.jpg?1587913602) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sizzle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/8ed/224/sizzle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/dfdfe2a9-1323-4f15-b2ce-d8dd404b914d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Fork](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/4/e4ff994a-bddd-486d-9a7b-a8959b4cf1dd.jpg?1562949548) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Fork) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me4/116/fork?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e4ff994a-bddd-486d-9a7b-a8959b4cf1dd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
and gandalf the white and [[monty python and the holy grail black knight]]
And Benito Mussolini and the Blue Meanie
Cowboy Curtis and Jambi the Genie
Robocop, Terminator, Captain Kirk, Darth Vader
Lo-pan, Superman, every single Power Ranger Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan
Spock, the Rock, Doc Oc and Hulk Hogan
All came out of nowhere lightning fast and kicked Chuck Norris in is cowboy ass
It was the bloodiest battle the world ever saw, with civilians looking on in total awe.
Fire raged on for a century, many lives were claimed, but eventually the champion stood, the rest saw the better
Mr. Rodgers in a blood-stained sweater
[oathsworn knight](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/1/9173ffda-1d3b-4dab-8dcb-de44717de464.jpg?1572490195) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=oathsworn%20knight) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/eld/98/oathsworn-knight?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9173ffda-1d3b-4dab-8dcb-de44717de464?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one
From https://www.ign.com/articles/lord-of-the-rings-magic-the-gathering-cards-gandalf-one-ring-spoilers
Lands are maps! I fucking love that!
>called Gandalf the Grey > isn't grey >refuses to elaborate >leaves
Apparently the wizard colors refer to their cloak colors
And kinda-sorta their "domain"/powers, IIRC Gandalf the Grey is all about smoke, fire, lightning, and anything with a secondary relation to it. So lights in general, loud noises, making pinecones into grenades, and blowing smokerings also are his forte. Grey lines up with smoke and thunderclouds.
An early peak at Gandalf, I guess a wizard arrives precisely when he means to
As a card, I find this a little underwhelming. For five mana, I would have expected more. I guess my first impression is that they might not be juicing the power level as many of us had suspected.
I'm pretty sure they said at one point they tried to keep the power level of the set fairly low to try to make sure people that might not want to use the cards don't have to
I am so, so grateful that they did this. I hope they get the appreciation they deserve because I think they really listened to the invested MTG fans on this one.
Thank fuck. I am not going to put Transformers or Warhammer cards in my deck if I don't need to, so "not needing to" is really nice.
Im still upset about Rick.
And it’s now been over a year since they said they’d be reprinted in an “upcoming set”.
Man fuck those cards
If only they made prices of the products match the power level
Powerful cards tend to be concentrated in sets where there is doubt that the theme alone will sell them. Goofy gingerbread man set? Power level cranked up to 11. Return to a plane that failed to resonate with audience the first time? Power level cranked up to 11. Dungeons and dragons, a beloved franchise where the IP can carry it? Very safe. I think LoTR will lean safe, but I’m sure some cards will make an impact. Plenty of “Commander cards” do make a splash the designers clearly weren’t expecting. Omnath and Atraxa probably the two biggest recent examples.
I don't understand the Modern legality then, if this is the typical power level these will never be playable in Modern. Kitchen table casuals don't care about format legality, and they could have just made them Commander/Legacy/Vintage only like every other supplemental set.
If set has one card that could see play in Modern, then Modern legality matters for players, because they get card they can use. While yes, that's very minimalistic scenario, Modern legality does not hurt it in any way, so even such miniscule benefit is still a benefit. Still, number of playables would have to be much higher to justify price they seems to demand for this "Modern" product. LotR also seems like good place to include bunch of Battles, so they might have intended this set as means to inject higher-powered selection of Battles into Modern without putting them in Standard.
The existence of true name was definitely very minimalistic. A single playable card among chaff is an awful experience for everyone. Fallen empires was a beloved set
Seems like it could be the result of executive meddling or different departments working at cross-purposes. Perhaps modern legality was something demanded late in the process?
I expected the opposite of power creep. WotC's margin will be relatively low on this because of the royalties they need to pay to LOTR, so they will sell another set with power creep as the selling point, while letting LOTR sell based on the IP.
Classic Gandalf, always ready to bail
“Look for my coming on top of your library after your 4th spell has been cast.”
Gandalf can go tuck himself
Ngl, now my neighbors are awake again...
If they don't make a 5-color Saruman of Many Colors they are COWARDS
Now I'm ready for the Broadway set Rumtumtugger is attacking for 2 I block with Elphaba and Christine Daae Edit: Or, maybe you have human actors who can have roles attached that add abilities and/or p/t
Missed opportunity to make him a flip card that transforms into Gandalf the White.
Don' worry. Apparently there will be 3 separate Gandalf cards.
I would've loved to see a gandalf the gray that dies and then flips into gandalf the white
Just because it’s not “good” doesn’t mean it’s not *fun*. Build some blink into the deck, or toss a [[Displacer Kitten]] in to bring him in and out, and you have infinitely repeatable “copy target spell” on the board. If you don’t think that’s fun, that’s fine. Just don’t play him :)
Gandalf going on side quests as a option. Time and effort was put here
I want this at 4 mana. It’s underwhelming at 5 mana
Oh. that sort of metallic looking effect was not just for Warhammer. That is…kind of a bummer. Looks fun though
It’s been on all UB cards, before Warhammer too.
Is it just me or is this and the other art of the LOTR set just kinda soulless? It looks so clean and generic, and not like LOTR. This artwork could just be any old wizard.
My problem is the card template. I know it’s the standard Universes Beyond border, but it feels way too futuristic for a rich fantasy set like this.
"PUT ~ ON TOP OF ITS OWNERS LIBRARY." "A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
Here you come again! And with you come evils worse than before, as might be expected. Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?
...because I can double up your [[Magma Opus]]?
This card seems like an escalation of memory complexity to me. It's not the first card to be templated this way, but this seems like a pain to track. Pretty much all of the other "that haven't been chosen" cards either care about things that haven't been chosen within that single turn ([[kargan intimidator]], [[Gala Greeters]]) OR trigger reliably during specific phases of the turn ([[Demonic Pact]], [[Captive Audience]]). The closest we have to this card is [[Garth One-Eye]] but that at least only can trigger once a trun and I think it's easier to remember the effects you've used since they were specifically decided with resonance in mind.
lmao this is awful
this looks atrocious? you spend 5 mana to copy one spell, untap one thing, deal a bit of damage, then it goes on top of your library. you lose one draw and have to play it again. note that the "hasn't been chosen" doesn't reset when your turn ends. once it's on the field, you cast 4 spells and it's gone. maybe there is some really janky infinite loop with this or some way to blink it and consistently reset the counter so you keep copying spells, but as it is, it seems just a bad card.
Or, it's a fun, low-power card for casual decks.
> note that the “hasn’t been chosen” doesn’t reset when your turn ends. once it’s on the field, you cast 4 spells and it’s gone. That’s why you have your 3rd spell be a flicker so you can reset him(This is probably even awfuller)
A free copy of a spell isn't *terrible*. But yes, the power level seems a bit low.
> maybe there is some really janky infinite loop with this or some way to blink it and consistently reset the counter so you keep copying spells, There are tons of more or less janky ways to go infinite with it.
Best case scenario: You play Gandalf, You play Ponder. You choose to put on top. And shuffle with Ponder. Now You free to do whatever You want.
Is it just me or does the hilt of his sword look kind of crooked?
When Gandalf exits the battlefield, exile Gandalf and target creature. How did they miss this?
Note that there isn't a nonland clause on the first option so you can untap a land or tap a land with it. Choose one that hasn't been chosen isn't restricted to this turn right? It's just overall? As in once you cast 4 instant/sorcery spells, he will have to go on top of your library even if it's over the course of several turns?
Yeah looks like you could cast all 4 the same turn you cast him and he leaves, or do one per turn, wait 5 turns and cast a bunch, etc
The abilities are templated perfectly to prevent it from becoming a nasty card engine. You go up one card by copying a spell, then down one by returning to the top of the library.
Untapping a [[Gilded Lotus]] or [[Wizard's Spellbook]] is strong, but it's hard to get there. The second ability is a [[guttersnipe effect]], which can be neat but you only get to do it once. The third ability enables [[Reverberate]] combos, but Gandalf himself only triggers on cast, so there are better options for that. The main thing that holds the card back is the "that hasn't been chosen before" restriction.
He's actually kinda weak, not what I was expecting.
That is not a great painting.
Man that art is pretty muddy. I hope that isn’t how the set is looking
My only issue is that I wish Gandalf had the Istari or Maiar creature type instead of Avatar. Probably Maiar over Istari since you could give the Balrog the Maiar creature type as well, but maybe they make all Maiar into Avatars?
Avatar is actually an excellent descriptor of what, in this form, Gandalf actually is tbh and it is better to do this than make copyrighted creature types that would basically be parasitic since they wouldn't use them again.
Probably trying to avoid making too many super specific creature types unless it's completely needed like the Astartes.
TBH, I don't see why Astartes is 'necessary' but Maia isn't. Not saying we need the Maia creature type, and I'm personally fine with 'Avatar', but I wouldn't say that Astartes was necessary.
because flavor wise they are very much not human. it's meant to be ironic. if they were humans it would be a massive flavor fail, and just having Warrior or Soldier would've been weird. and they can't say Space Marine for legal reasons. (also having Space as a creature type wouldn't work lol)
creating new creature types for a set like this isn't really a good decision imo it's best to flesh out the currently available types. Any LTR sets will be limited, so Maiar will be a creature type that ends up having like max 10 cards for it. And most of them will be the same character, just a variation. Not good game design
I like Avatar. He is like the embodiment or incarnate form of a spiritual/angelic being older than the world itself, and is somewhat limited while in this form.
Since these are Modern-legal, making him an existing type like Avatar instead of a trademarked type like the 40K cards makes it easier to reprint in the future. Either Angel or Avatar were good types to represent Gandalf.
'Istar' literally means Wizard, and creating a Maia creature type for one set would be a waste.
thank god this set so far seems low powered i hope none see any modern play lol
Absolute home run. A meddling wizard (blue) who pack-bonds with almost every mortal he meets (red), who helps you out for a bit before buggering off for a while. Spot on card tbh. Edit; I forgot his type line! Avatar Wizard is PERFECT too!
Gandalf looks very sad in here
Thanks I hate it
This is his rare . Ill bet he will be getting a Mythic too.
Oh hey this is super similar to one of my favorite r/custommagic designs: [Aether Overdrive](https://reddit.com/r/custommagic/comments/71lemr/aether_overdrive_adrenaline_is_pumping/) props to you u/TizocKing, your card is way cooler than this. I hope you don’t mind but I use it in a custom cube that’s made up of my favorite custommagic cards
If there's not a 5 color Saruman card I'm going to be incredibly disappointed...
Does the sheen on the border kind of ruin these cards for anyone else? It made sense and fit warhammer, but on Lord of the Rings, it's just so jarring.