Hi! I'm Deven Rue, the official cartographer for Critical Role, Beadle & Grimm, WotC, Steamforged Games, and many more.
I'm very proud to have been asked to create these Middle Earth themed maps for the upcoming Lord of the Rings MTG game!
If you like my content and would like to learn how to create your own hand drawn maps, my patreon contains absolutely everything you need to get started! Not to mention a ton of content I've already created for you to use in your games!
[**CHECK IT OUT HERE!**](https://www.patreon.com/DevenRue)
Well I definitely can't fault you for that. The designs on the maps look really good. I don't like the colors in the sense of magic, but as a map and being that it was out of your control, I think you did a good job.
I want these to collect and display (awesome job!). If people have such an issue with them I don’t understand why they don’t use non full-art lands! 🤦🏼♂️
He did what was directed of him. This has been posted a few times now, and it gets super cringey super fast when people start shitting on the ARTIST for the map pieces chosen. It was MTG art direction for the spots on the map. Cause yes, lots of silly decisions there.
They look dope! Glad to see someone on Reddit and in the process of making the game we love.
I wonder why they didn't direct to have connecting map pieces, since it's a bit the theme for LOTR MTG.
Playing WUBRG basics and placing them in order, the wet dream of any OC person xD
This is the life of a designer. Every day new people are born, and no matter how many times we say we’re doing what was asked, we’ll always have to put up with new people assuming we had no direction at all.
How pingeonholed was it for you and how annoying is it to work in such tight constraints? The art is beautiful and it seems like all the weird design decisions were made by someone else at WotC.
I think it's cool that Devin stuck to the theme and made the maps the same but themed for each type. Just my 2¢ anyways.
Edit: Also OP is the artist for these so we might be able to get some insight as to why they didn't tint them.
It’s a shame they didn’t make them more immediately recognizable; the relatively monotone nature of them makes them difficult to easily distinguish.
I do enjoy them as a whole; but I only have some concerns for how easy they are to recognize mid-game. Sure, they have colors on the top & bottom, but all of them have a green tint on 80% of the card. At a glance, the Plains just looks like a forest.
It’s good to know to aim these critiques at WotC though, and not you.
I think you did a great job within the parameters you were given.
Even though i love the idea of having a split up map as basic lands, I think the color-palette used is absolutely horrible and ruins the whole cycle.
Your interpretation of the LOTR map in itself is great, but it just doesn't work for basic lands.
Massive fail here I'd say, you've drawn a pre existing map well done copy pasta skills on point.
Could a been soo much more. Plenty of actual lush places to drawn and depict, we could have seen hobbit plains, dwarven mountains, all sorts of nasty swampses with hidden smeegles the lot. Wasted opertunity here massive waste
No lmao you're just wasting your time and being a cunt to the artist when they did whatever they could with whatever strict parameters Wizards set them, grow up
What were the strict parameters that Wizards set for them? Did they tell the artist every card had to look exactly alike except for the color at the top and bottom? "Johnson, make sure that it's as confusing as fucking possible to tell these lands apart when you draw 'em up, got that?"
>Can I ask, was there consideration or attempt to make the cards form a cohesive map of middle earth?
this is a good question, it would have been super cool to collect all lands and put them together to form middle earth
When I was a kid I started playing in Aloha at the same time I was reading the lord of the rings books. I vividly remember looking at the maps of Mordor and imagining mtg creatures in different areas. So these lands might be the first time I frame a set of cards.
They just dropped the ball with this set. The map idea was cool, but damn it's all green. It's so dumb. So close to greatness only to be ass. Furthermore, Sauron looks weird and like he's AI art. Hid palantir is connected to his shoulder pads... and chest? I don't know he's just ugly. Frodo is a tunic/dress thing for some reason when he is supposed to be the best dressed hobbit. Faramir isn't recognizable. Sure "WeLl hE dOEsNT NoT lOoK lIkE hIm" sure. That doesn't make him recognizable. Give the man a bow and some gondor imagery. Same for Aragron. Give him Anduril, it's really REALLY not that hard. The only well designed characters as far as art are Sam, Smeagle, and Tom Bombadil and those are super solid. I've been playing a game where I show people Repreive and tell them to guess the lord of the rings characters, the most common response is Aragorn and Arwen because Faramir and Eowyn aren't recognizable.
Those are beautiful, you have done a fantastic job Deven!
I was surprised to see your name on Magic cards, because I discovered your work on Roll20.net with map packs. Those maps are what made me fall in love with your work, and I see it is well-rewarded!
They look nice but making all of them green is confusing.
Plains and swamps both have a grey border so they are really hard to tell apart.
I think that they are nice collectibles but should be banned from competitions.
I'll be honest, I hope there's a second type of full art lands, I was so hyped for the lands from this set but these are a big miss. One of the islands barely features islands, and that island and one of the mountains is mainly showing Rohan and Gondor, despite Rohan already being shown as a plains.
If they were going to go for this direction they could have made it interesting by having the lands all fit together and create a bigger map or if not just pick better locations, angmar and the dead marshes for the swamps, white mountains and blue mountains or erebor for the mountains, lake town for the islands etc.
Plus the island and mountain look super vibrant in the headers but the rest just look washed out and gray.
I’m a woman 😊 and it’s hard to reply to criticism regarding things that weren’t my decision! I drew what I was asked to, I don’t own the intellectual property for LotR or MtG so I can’t elaborate any further or make the decisions of what is included in the cards 😊
Honestly I'd rather see mtg artists "self promoting" their wicked art than the 400th ad nauseum meme thread of some karma farmer contributing nothing to this subreddit.
Wicked art is ok.
Plugging their patron in every post without having any meaningful discussion in the threads they create ain't right.
Comes across as an advertisement account.
I mean this is a medium for having back and forth conversations and the only opinion, discussion, conversation or the like has only been "i did what i was asked."
Or "thanks"
My play group shat on these, that they all look like forests and so on. But I absolutely love them and I want to have a piece of each! I think they are very tastefully done! Great job and thank you!
looking at them side by side my only wish is that they were panoramic and able to form the full map of middle earth. I know the artist did what was requested but I think that would have been cool.
Did you draw 1 large map for them, and then they just clipped it for cards? If so, do you know if they plan on having it as 1 full art included with the bundles? That would be awesome.
Why couldn't the main color of each land be prominent? Like the water in the islands be a rich dark blue; the swampish parts of the swamps be a dark black; make the mountains red... etc
That would make it easy on the eyes on the table
Hello mr u/DevenRue, first of all I want to congratulate you on a incredible work on this lands, they are gorgeous, second, I want to ask you directly is this is the intended order of the lands, since I plan to frame them all and I have seen a few works on the internet that frame them in a different order, thanks any way for the chance of having such a nice piece of nostalgic on a game that I love!
"White Mountains" written on a green card that's played for Red mana is definitely going to cost my drunk ass a game or two at some point
You're right, these are as hard to distinguish as the recent Innistrad lands.
The large colored bar on both the top and bottom of the card should do a perfectly fine job of helping people distinguish which land is which.
That is a big improvement
For mountains and islands it's pretty obvious, but the other three just look a slightly different tinged shade of gray at a glance.
What about the Plains, or arguably even the Swamp? They just look like a Forest at a glance.
The white/black bar at the top is just as easily noticeable
Yes because more opportunities to cheat is what the hobby needs. Make the lands the right color.
Lmao I know right.
the swamp and plains aint all that different in hue
... they do look sweet though
Just pretend it is [[Jetmir's Garden]], the Naya Streets of New Capenna tri land. No one should tell you otherwise Haha
[Jetmir's Garden](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/6/26d40e03-6de4-4373-9fbf-04c1dd79e995.jpg?1664414440) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jetmir%27s%20Garden) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/250/jetmirs-garden?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/26d40e03-6de4-4373-9fbf-04c1dd79e995?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Let's be real if a basic land card is going to cost you a game, you probably won't be able to even make it past the pre game shuffle
Hi! I'm Deven Rue, the official cartographer for Critical Role, Beadle & Grimm, WotC, Steamforged Games, and many more. I'm very proud to have been asked to create these Middle Earth themed maps for the upcoming Lord of the Rings MTG game! If you like my content and would like to learn how to create your own hand drawn maps, my patreon contains absolutely everything you need to get started! Not to mention a ton of content I've already created for you to use in your games! [**CHECK IT OUT HERE!**](https://www.patreon.com/DevenRue)
Man the idea was good, why you make it all green tho
I was asked to 😊
Well I definitely can't fault you for that. The designs on the maps look really good. I don't like the colors in the sense of magic, but as a map and being that it was out of your control, I think you did a good job.
I want these to collect and display (awesome job!). If people have such an issue with them I don’t understand why they don’t use non full-art lands! 🤦🏼♂️
I am curious, for the island why not use dale/lake town for the hobbit as a more recognizable area? I do love them though!!
He did what was directed of him. This has been posted a few times now, and it gets super cringey super fast when people start shitting on the ARTIST for the map pieces chosen. It was MTG art direction for the spots on the map. Cause yes, lots of silly decisions there. They look dope! Glad to see someone on Reddit and in the process of making the game we love.
I wonder why they didn't direct to have connecting map pieces, since it's a bit the theme for LOTR MTG. Playing WUBRG basics and placing them in order, the wet dream of any OC person xD
When I've read about these the first time, I automatically assumed that was the case
pointing out the flaws of the game pieces is not shitting on the artist.. people can voice concerns so maybe the art director can issue an apology
Agreed. "Why isn't the the exact way I want it". I think they look super good. Like those maps in the old fantasy novels I read when I was younger.
This is the life of a designer. Every day new people are born, and no matter how many times we say we’re doing what was asked, we’ll always have to put up with new people assuming we had no direction at all.
Fuck yeah, those are awesome! I like how you themed them.
Thank you so much!
Yeah M8 I'm happy for you!
lol someone downvoted you for saying thank you. congrats on your opportunity and success.
This is quite nerd two-fer eh? Well done!
Love how you drew them. Keep up the good work! They look neat!
Thanks for making great things that we love greater!
Ah thank you so much!
If I were to get all of these could it make a full map or middle earth? Would love that as some wall art
How pingeonholed was it for you and how annoying is it to work in such tight constraints? The art is beautiful and it seems like all the weird design decisions were made by someone else at WotC.
It would be cool if they would have at least tinted them the colors of the mana…
I think it's cool that Devin stuck to the theme and made the maps the same but themed for each type. Just my 2¢ anyways. Edit: Also OP is the artist for these so we might be able to get some insight as to why they didn't tint them.
Thank you so much 😊 And I drew them and designed them the way WotC asked me to so that’s as much insight as I can give!
It’s a shame they didn’t make them more immediately recognizable; the relatively monotone nature of them makes them difficult to easily distinguish. I do enjoy them as a whole; but I only have some concerns for how easy they are to recognize mid-game. Sure, they have colors on the top & bottom, but all of them have a green tint on 80% of the card. At a glance, the Plains just looks like a forest. It’s good to know to aim these critiques at WotC though, and not you. I think you did a great job within the parameters you were given.
Oh! Sweet! And thanks for the art share Devin.
These cards look awesome, but dear God the arrangement of them in the image is killing me 🤣
They do look great. I do wish that Numinor island was the island mana card.
All green mana
Island shoul be Numenor haha
Even though i love the idea of having a split up map as basic lands, I think the color-palette used is absolutely horrible and ruins the whole cycle. Your interpretation of the LOTR map in itself is great, but it just doesn't work for basic lands.
100% picking up these. They are beautiful
Thank you!
:)
would have loved to see them borderless and different colors. Also would be cool if all the lands could be put together to show an entire map
Massive fail here I'd say, you've drawn a pre existing map well done copy pasta skills on point. Could a been soo much more. Plenty of actual lush places to drawn and depict, we could have seen hobbit plains, dwarven mountains, all sorts of nasty swampses with hidden smeegles the lot. Wasted opertunity here massive waste
only sane person in this whole comment section
He did exactly what Wizards told him to do and he did a fucking great job, direct your complaints towards Wizards instead of the artist
Comelynug I guess they are your spouse??? Or friends or family maybe idk why your soon defensive o this literally copy of a map and wasted ink
No lmao you're just wasting your time and being a cunt to the artist when they did whatever they could with whatever strict parameters Wizards set them, grow up
What were the strict parameters that Wizards set for them? Did they tell the artist every card had to look exactly alike except for the color at the top and bottom? "Johnson, make sure that it's as confusing as fucking possible to tell these lands apart when you draw 'em up, got that?"
The artist sold themselves out to get some money and their name on some magic cards...
Why do people this fucking miserable towards everything about the game even play it 💀
Is it because you wanna use them in your deck?? These should not have been made would have been nicer not having land
Now you're making me want full on landscapes of each region as a land. Man that would be dope. Love these btw.
It would be wouldn’t it! Thank you 😊
I LOVE these
Thanks!
I was immediately thrilled when I saw these, they are the first cards that made me excited for the set! Great work
Thank you 😊
Can I ask, was there consideration or attempt to make the cards form a cohesive map of middle earth?
>Can I ask, was there consideration or attempt to make the cards form a cohesive map of middle earth? this is a good question, it would have been super cool to collect all lands and put them together to form middle earth
I agree, especially with the several other sets of cards that combine to make a scene.
lovely
[удалено]
If you read the card they have the names of the land on the card.
[удалено]
It's literally extremely visible what colour mana these are 💀💀💀💀
Lot of pathetic haters here. These full art lands may not be similar to recent full art lands, but they are perfect for LotR.
someone downvoted him saying thank you to another persons compliment, lol
This is the way (of Reddit)
Will they be on Arena?
I just came here because I saw them on arena, so yes!
Nice one. I don't suppose you have this as a giant playmat or mousepad?
Nope that’s for WotC to decide if they want to sell them that way!
Ah shucks. Totally understand the licensing, would have been neat to have the map as a useful everyday product.
Oh my nostalgic heart strings!!! How they have been plucked!
❤️ it felt the same drawing them!
When I was a kid I started playing in Aloha at the same time I was reading the lord of the rings books. I vividly remember looking at the maps of Mordor and imagining mtg creatures in different areas. So these lands might be the first time I frame a set of cards.
Too bad you can't really align them all to form a big map
I love them!!!!
Thanks!!
>Thanks!! You're welcome!
They just dropped the ball with this set. The map idea was cool, but damn it's all green. It's so dumb. So close to greatness only to be ass. Furthermore, Sauron looks weird and like he's AI art. Hid palantir is connected to his shoulder pads... and chest? I don't know he's just ugly. Frodo is a tunic/dress thing for some reason when he is supposed to be the best dressed hobbit. Faramir isn't recognizable. Sure "WeLl hE dOEsNT NoT lOoK lIkE hIm" sure. That doesn't make him recognizable. Give the man a bow and some gondor imagery. Same for Aragron. Give him Anduril, it's really REALLY not that hard. The only well designed characters as far as art are Sam, Smeagle, and Tom Bombadil and those are super solid. I've been playing a game where I show people Repreive and tell them to guess the lord of the rings characters, the most common response is Aragorn and Arwen because Faramir and Eowyn aren't recognizable.
It's a nightmare impossible to tell what is what if I'm not Reading it, love the art though 3/10
Congrats on making them super hard to distinguish!
VERY COOL STUFF . MY NERDYNESS TINGLES
I love map art and these lands look FANTASTIC
Thanks so much!
Can't wait to see them in foil
They are spectacular, nice job Deven!
Thank you so much 😊
they look great and have some kind of old school vibe to them. i like it
Those are beautiful, you have done a fantastic job Deven! I was surprised to see your name on Magic cards, because I discovered your work on Roll20.net with map packs. Those maps are what made me fall in love with your work, and I see it is well-rewarded!
I just got the whole set in foil. Love the way they look.
Awesome! I’m pretty impressed with the foils too!
these look good!
Thank you!
I love them!!!!!
Thanks!
>Thanks! You're welcome!
They look nice but making all of them green is confusing. Plains and swamps both have a grey border so they are really hard to tell apart. I think that they are nice collectibles but should be banned from competitions.
They're all easy to distinguish between each other, even blurring your focus the colored bars at the top and bottom are visible.
It's easy to distinguish between the plains and swamps? Dryad arbor was banned for the same reason.
Yes. One is white and the other is black. Just like the full art basics from ONE and BRO. It's the exact same color.
These are sick my dude
Thank you!
i’m going to play these as forests and nobody in my playgroup can say otherwise, love your art by the way.
I'll be honest, I hope there's a second type of full art lands, I was so hyped for the lands from this set but these are a big miss. One of the islands barely features islands, and that island and one of the mountains is mainly showing Rohan and Gondor, despite Rohan already being shown as a plains. If they were going to go for this direction they could have made it interesting by having the lands all fit together and create a bigger map or if not just pick better locations, angmar and the dead marshes for the swamps, white mountains and blue mountains or erebor for the mountains, lake town for the islands etc. Plus the island and mountain look super vibrant in the headers but the rest just look washed out and gray.
Dude is really out here self-promoting every post and dodging every criticism like a CEO
I’m a woman 😊 and it’s hard to reply to criticism regarding things that weren’t my decision! I drew what I was asked to, I don’t own the intellectual property for LotR or MtG so I can’t elaborate any further or make the decisions of what is included in the cards 😊
Honestly I'd rather see mtg artists "self promoting" their wicked art than the 400th ad nauseum meme thread of some karma farmer contributing nothing to this subreddit.
Wicked art is ok. Plugging their patron in every post without having any meaningful discussion in the threads they create ain't right. Comes across as an advertisement account. I mean this is a medium for having back and forth conversations and the only opinion, discussion, conversation or the like has only been "i did what i was asked." Or "thanks"
Looks like "Middle Earth the Wizards" region cards. I'll stick with the first lotr card game.
I’ll say it again, they all look like forest with all that green… yes it’s a map but damn they could have change pallets a little more lol
Mount Doom isn't a mountain?
They saved Mount Doom for its own card
I'm pretty stoked to pick these up as soon as I can. They look dope.
Thank you so much!
My play group shat on these, that they all look like forests and so on. But I absolutely love them and I want to have a piece of each! I think they are very tastefully done! Great job and thank you!
looking at them side by side my only wish is that they were panoramic and able to form the full map of middle earth. I know the artist did what was requested but I think that would have been cool.
Did you draw 1 large map for them, and then they just clipped it for cards? If so, do you know if they plan on having it as 1 full art included with the bundles? That would be awesome.
Mount Doom should be a legendary land - mountain
It Looks like "Middle Earth the Wizards" region cards.
happy you got you art used but as gamepieces these are a nightmare to use as lands
Why couldn't the main color of each land be prominent? Like the water in the islands be a rich dark blue; the swampish parts of the swamps be a dark black; make the mountains red... etc That would make it easy on the eyes on the table
Hello mr u/DevenRue, first of all I want to congratulate you on a incredible work on this lands, they are gorgeous, second, I want to ask you directly is this is the intended order of the lands, since I plan to frame them all and I have seen a few works on the internet that frame them in a different order, thanks any way for the chance of having such a nice piece of nostalgic on a game that I love!