It’s time to head back to Middle-Earth, as Wizards of the Coast take us on a very expected journey with Bilbo, Gandalf and friends in The Hobbit, the latest Universes Beyond set for Magic: The Gathering. With the enduring popularity of JRR Tolkien’s work and the Ancalagon-sized success of previous set, The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth, we’re expecting The Hobbit to be quite the blockbuster itself. Which cards are fans most keen to get their hands on? Let’s find out, as we check out the most valuable cards in the Magic: The Gathering set, The Hobbit!
10. Smaug, Wicked Worm (Borderless, Surge Foil) – Rare, 281
These rare variants found in The Hobbit are styled like classic fantasy book covers, and you’ll see from this list that they’re all highly sought after. This one features the infamous dragon, Smaug, but there are plenty more to come.
9. Thranduil, the Elvenking (Borderless, Surge Foil) – Rare, 282
As cool as these variants are, they’re not the most practical for playing MTG with. There’s no denying that they look incredible, with even the painterly style of the illustrations giving a wonderfully retro, second hand book shop vibe. That feel is even reinforced by the faux-worn edges of the cards, making them look like a beloved, well used book!
8. Thorin, Mountain-King (Borderless, Surge Foil) – Mythic, 279
The dwarven King Thorin Oakenshield features on this card, another wonderful tribute to the fantasy literature of yesteryear. Once more, the formatting doesn’t exactly lend itself to being very practical, but the rarity and desirability of these variants mean that you’re very unlikely to see them used in a deck anyway.
7. Smaug the Magnificent (Borderless) – Mythic, 249
This card was recently thought to be the most valuable of any card in The Hobbit set. However, perhaps due to its scarcity and overall availability, current selling prices on TCGplayer position it as the 7th most valuable card at the time of writing. Its unique treatment is likely to keep it being highly sought after, however, and it may be the case that this Smaug variant climbs its way further up the list over the coming months.
6. Smaug the Magnificent (Showcase, Surge Foil) – Mythic, 265
This Showcase, surge foil-treated variant of Smaug the Magnificent has surprisingly outranked the gleaming gold version here. Again, it could be an issue of availability, but of course the Smaug card itself, in many forms, is proving to be very popular among fans.
5. Bilbo, Thief in the Night (Showcase, Surge Foil) – Mythic, 255
Finally, we see the eponymous halfling himself pop up on this list. A Showcase card with a surge foil treatment, Bilbo, Thief in the Night is an undoubtedly gorgeous card, in a more traditional MTG style than the book cover cards which make up the majority of this list.
4. Gandalf, Goblins’ Bane (Borderless, Surge Foil) – Mythic, 278
Here we have the ever-popular wizard, Gandalf, showcased beautifully casting his magic on a retro book cover style variant. It’s a great card in terms of its abilities too, and that also helps to make it highly desirable for fans of The Hobbit and MTG alike.
3. The Arkenstone (Showcase, Surge Foil) – Mythic, 270
A pivotal artifact in The Hobbit, The Arkenstone is an important treasure belonging to the dwarven kingdom. Stolen by Smaug and rediscovered by Bilbo, the hobbit uses it to strike a peace deal without the knowledge of his dwarf companions.
2. The Arkenstone (Borderless, Surge Foil) – Mythic, 283
Here’s the Arkenstone once more, this time shown in classic book form, wielded by Thorin Oakenshield. It’s a very powerful card in terms of its game abilities, so we’re not surprised to see it appear more than once on this list!
1. Gleaming Splendor (Borderless, Surge Foil) – Mythic, 275
Finally, the dragon Smaug appears once more on the Gleaming Splendor card, currently the most valuable card of them all in The Hobbit set. There are ten retro book cover cards to find in The Hobbit’s booster packs, and most of them appear on this list. Given that the number of them is limited, it would be a great subset for collectors to try and complete, but at present it’s certainly going to be costly to try and get them all into your own hoard of treasure!
Check out our lists of the most valuable cards in other MTG Universes Beyond sets, such as Marvel Super Heroes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
