The Lord of the Rings may be one of the most influential fantasy series of all time, but the trilogy itself, particularly the film adaptation, only represents the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Tolkien’s creative vision. An entire universe, replete with lang♌uages and histories𝔍 and cultures, is out there, contained in the myriad supporting texts that came, for the most part, after Tolkien’s death.
All of this material gave 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Magic: The Gathering’s design team plenty to ♎work with for their Tales of Middle-earth expansion, and they took full advantage, journeying down many of the lesser-trodden paths ꧋in the lore to deliver cards that will have even devout fans reaching for their search bars.
10 💛 Sharkey, Tyrant Of The Shire🃏
Even those familiar with the Scouring of the Shire, a post-Sauron section of the books that didn’t make it into the film adaptations, mꦕay not remember who Sharkey is, making this card one that could very well cause some confusion.
Sharkey was, in fact, Saruman’s less-than-favourable nickname among his minions during his time ruling Isengard, and he maintained the moniker when he led a conquest of the Shire following his defeat in Rohan. Traces of Saruman’s appearance can be seen in Sharkey’s design here, and the presence of Grima Wormtongue on the right is a major giveaway, but many would be forgiven for having no id𝄹ea who this character is.
9 The Bath Song ဣ
The Lord of the Rings, as those who have read the original books will attest, is full to the brim with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:songs and poems. Most characters sing one or two during their epic journey, and these are varied in terms of length and scope, some describing the creation myths of Mid🐻dle-earth itself, while others simply extol the virtues of a particular pub in the Sꦐhire.
The Bath Song falls into the latter category, being a song sung by Hobbi🌌ts while bathing. It doesn’t appear in the films at all, but in the books a rendition is given by the four Hobbits during their stay at Crickhollow, before their journey from the Shire truly begins.
8 Gorbag Of Minas Morgul ꦆ
It may be surprising to a lot of Lord of the Rings fans, but many of the Orcs encountered during the journey are actually named characters, with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:surprisingly fleshed-out histories in the extended texts. Gorbag is a prime example of this, an intelligent Orc who served for a time at the nightmare fortress of Minas Morgul, before crossing paths with Frodo and Sam at 🌄the tower of Cirith Ungol.
Fans will undoubtedly remember the iconic exchange between Gorbag and Sam, where the🌺 former declares he’ll “Bleed Frodo like a stuck pig,” and Sam responds, “Not if I stick you first!” However, they’re unlikely to remember his name, and therefore recognise him on this card. His abilities, which encourage an all-out Orc brawl, do tie in nicely with his role in the story, though.
7 Ioreth Of The Healing House ꦐ
While the Lord of the Rings film adaptations offer a rounded view of war, particularly during the Hel😼m’s Deep sections, they omit some of the nuances of the battle at Minas Tirith, including the scenes set within the House of Healing. Within these scenes, Ioreth is the eldest and wisest healer present, tending to the wounded and summoning Aragorn to aid her in this task.
She plays a small but vital role in the story, anꦦd shows the reader the struggles faced by everyone in war time,🔜 not just those who wield swords and loose arrows. Her healing capabilities are represented here by letting her untap your other creatures, ready to get back into the fray by blocking your foes.
6 🔴 Goldberry, River-Daughter
Tom Bombadil may be a big name in the Lord of the Rings fandom, owing mainly to his controversial exclusion from the film trilogy, but his wife is decidedly not. Although Tom sings her🥂 prai🅺ses constantly during his appearance, to the point of annoyance for many readers, it’s still surprisingly easy to forget who Goldberry is.
For those who have, Goldberry is a river spirit, and the wife of Tom Bombadil, living with him in a house in Buckland’s Old Forest. Her role in the story is small, and as a character, she’s just as enigmatic as Tom himself, a fact reflected well in her confusingly-w🐭orded first ability.
5 💎 Book Of Mazar🌟bul
Because of Tolkien’s tendency to give characters and objects within the world of Middle-eart🏅h multiple names, a lot of avoidable confusion has been caused. Many fans wouldn’t recognise the name Mithrandir, for example, despite it being an alternate title of the unforgettable Gandalf. The Book of Mazarbul is a similar case.
This is the book that the Fellowship find in Balin’s Tomb during their journey through Moria, which details 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the coming of the Goblins and the slow defeat of Balin and the Dwarves at their hands. Usually referred to as ‘Balin’s Book’, or not referred to at all, this is a n꧅iche reference despite the scene it pertains to being incredibly ꧙memorable on both page and screen.
4 🔥 ♑ Prince Imrahil The Fair
While the film adaptations leaned hard into the idea🐟 of Aragorn as an exile rejecting the responsibility of rule, his incarnation in the books had no such qualms, and was ready to answer the call as soon as it came. Because of this, he began the story with a pre-established network of allies across the realms of Men, from the Dúnedain in the north to the lords of Dol Amroth in the south.
Pri💟nce Imrahil was the ruler of the latter kingdom, and proved his loyalty to Aragorn when he brought his forces to Minas Tirith to help repel the armies of Sauron during the events of Return of the King. He then went on to take part in the defiant last stand at the Black Gate, surviving the battle and forming part of the Council of Gondor in the days o🐠f peace to come.
3 🐻 😼 You Cannot Pass!
As one of the most iconic scenes in the entire trilogy, it may be confusing to see You Cannot Pass! on a list such as this. The devil is in the detail here, however, as the specific wording of this card’s title has generated more discussion than the majority of cards in the set, even🅠 prom💝pting a short video starring Elijah Wood to clarify things.
Most know the film version of this scene, where Gandalf declares, “You shall not pass!” but in the books he says, “You cannot pass!” instead. This is the ultimate “Well, a🍬ctually…” moment in the set, and for that reason, it ranks among the deepest cuts in terms of obscure fan lore.
2 🌜 ܫ Fall Of Gil-Galad
The Fall of Gil-Galad is a major event in the history of Middle-earth, wherein the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:High King of the Elves🔯 is defeated by Sauron during the War of the Last Alliance. Given that it lies decidedly outwith the jurisdiction of either the books or the films, appearing instead in the form of a partially-translated epic✅ poem recited by Sam at Weathertop, most would be forgiven for not recognising the name of this card.
Gil-Galad does receive much more development in the supplemental books, such as the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, but this specific event i🌃s only eve🅘r shown to us second-hand, making the obscure nature of this card incredibly appropriate.
1 💎 Old Man Willow ꦅ
One of the major differences between the book and film versions of The Lord of the Rings is the length of the opening journey sections featuring the Hobbits. In the books, these were much more extensive, and episodic in nature, calling to mind the structure of the Hobbit rather than the towering epic Rings would 👍evolve into later.
One of these episo♔des involves the Hobbits becoming ensnared by Old Man Willow, a sentient tree they encounter during their travels in the Old Forest. While Willow nearly ends their quest prematurely, they are saved by Tom Bombadil, leading to a chain of other adventures before the party finally makes their way to Bree.