Though the MTG Lord of the Rings: Adventures in Middle-Earth set has only just ventured from The Shire and onto retail shelves, publishers Wizards of the Coast have already announced further Tolkien-related products.
Naturally, Wizards of the Coast are taking advantage of the surge in popularity that their respectful and wide-ranging treatment of the Lord of the Rings license has brought them.
We’ve only just had the LOTR MTG Holiday Releases announced, but as part of their latest Secret Lair drop, it seems there are even more Tolkien-based goodies on the way!
What is Secret Lair?
If, like many people, you’re either a casual Magic: The Gathering player or you’re new to MTG and have been brought in because you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, you may not be aware of what Secret Lair actually is.
In short, Secret Lair started in 2019, as a way to bring unique, alternate art versions of cards to collectors.
Pre-orders for Secret Lair cards are live for a set period, with a specific release date also made known when pre-orders become available.
Once the pre-order period finishes, Wizards of the Coast print only as many sets of cards as have been ordered in advance.
This allows for some really interesting experiments, as cards will fully sell out of whatever volumes the market demands; there’ve been Secret Lair cards featuring amazing Street Fighter art, cards featuring the disturbing monochrome art of famed Japanese manga artist Junji Ito and much, much more.
What Will Be Available For The LOTR Secret Lair Set?
Titled ‘More Adventures in Middle-Earth’, the LOTR themed Secret Lair set will feature four cards, each adorned with art from the oft-forgotten – and somewhat incomplete – 1978 animated Lord of the Rings movie.
This movie was directed by Ralph Bakshi – and used a rotoscoping feature to create a lifelike, albeit stylised, animated aesthetic.
For many older Lord of the Rings fans, this was the first time they’d seen the world of Middle-Earth on screen, decades before Peter Jackson’s iconic Lord of the Rings live action movie trilogy came to cinemas.
The cards reproduced with art from the Ralph Bakshi movie are as follows:
- Slip On the Ring
- Gandalf, Friend of the Shire
- Mirror of Galadriel
- Shire Terrace
All are available in their standard forms in the current Adventures in Middle-Earth set, but these unique and very limited variants are sure to become quite the sought-after collectors items.
When Can I Pre-Order The LOTR Secret Lair Set?
You can pre-order the set directly from Wizards of the Coast at this link.
Cards can be purchased in non-foil or foil versions – or a bundle of 1 of each card in both foil and non-foil versions.
Prices range between £29.99-£69.99, depending on which set you opt for.
If you’re interested in getting yourself a set of these very special cards, you have until the end of August to pre-order them.
When Are The LOTR Secret Lair Cards Released?
If you do pre-order the More Adventures in Middle-Earth cards, they’re expected to release on the 29th of September 2023.
Should these precious cards be of interest, make sure to pre-order them before time runs out!
