(Sméagol, Helpful Guide | (Campbell White)

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Against a Common Enemy

You're not reading this intro to listen to me wax poetic about how The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is one of the most flavorful sets of all time. You're here to shout from the top of the mountains of Middle-earth that your favorite character from The Lord of the Rings can now be played in Magic. I won't delay you any longer with this intro, because there's an entire review that lies beyond.

Mythics

Aragorn, the Uniter

As he was one of the earlier spoilers in the week, my first read of Aragorn, the Uniter met him with cynicism and skepticism.

"Aragorn is only four colors so that he's able to play all of the cards that fall under the forces of Man," I balked. I wasn't really on board because it felt a tad too flavor-pandering.

But now, I'd like to apologize to everyone for ever thinking that was the case. As previews continued to roll in (and the retelling of the The Lord of the Rings saga on cardboard along with them), I couldn't help but yearn for a deck that could carry them under a single banner. And there was Aragorn, regal, smiling, and welcoming me back with arms open wide.

Aragorn brings with him the very fury of the forces of Man. The foresight of the Elves, the might of the Ents, the fiery fury of Dwarves, and the stalwart resiliency of Man. Combining four colors can be difficult, and while each of Aragon's abilities are largely more generic than thematic, I still feel that he brings all of the cards within the set together better than a more intricate design could.

If we look beyond Tales of Middle-earth, Aragorn is also a supporter of the many charms and multicolor spells from history. Hybrid spells, like Trace of Abundance, cause multiple abilities to trigger as Aragorn bestows his battlefield with numerous boons. While there will be a bunch of ways to build him (choose your Man/Human-centric style), whatever path you choose, Aragorn will follow.

Saruman of Many Colors

While it's a bit strange, I'm not surprised that one as ageless as Saruman had taken Monk Classes in the past. As odd of an ability as Saruman has, there's an even stranger amount of support that already exists for him since the release of Kaldheim.

As dense and convoluted as his ability may read, Saruman wants to warm up on his turns with a cantrip followed by a haymaker. The higher mana value we're able to cast as a second spell, the larger the target we can choose from an opposing graveyard. We can already see that path with current decks on EDHREC, as Saruman brewers are including the likes of Shadow of the Enemy, Breach the Multiverse, and Rise of the Dark Realms. Not only are deckbuilders already aiming to steal the larger spells in opponents' graveyards, but they're also aiming to steal any creatures milled away as well.

From there, it'll come down to how you want to set up these spells. Frantic Search and Cloud of Faeries give you a clean slate of mana to cast anything you'd like. Rebound spells, like Ephemerate, help prime you as well.

While Saruman may be second to The Dark Lord in the canon, he makes a strong case of his own powers as well. Among all of the legends from the main set, this is the commander that I'm most excited to see play out across the table.

Sauron, the Dark Lord

I usually think of myself as a player who considers the type of deck I bring to a table. I put effort into eliminating negative-play-experiences (NPEs) from my decks, and I typically want to avoid cards designed to make it harder for everyone to play the game.

Throw that all out the window. Enter NPE-city. We're the bad guys now. Sauron, the Dark Lord is such an elegant and ruthless mix of power and theme. Every line of text compounds into the monstrous villain at the center of Lord of the Rings:

Ward - Sacrifice a Legendary Artifact or Creature

Are you kidding me with this? While legendary-matters decks won't like paying this, many decks will outright avoid this tax. Not only does Sauron protect himself, but he also Amasses an Army to equal the efforts thrown against him. Managorger Hydra can become a threat quickly already, and Sauron has the liberty to sacrifice or Fling them at will as the forces of Mordor will only continue to grow in strength. Large or small, the Army will serve.

Lastly, as the Ring tempts Sauron's forces, we're able to pitch our hand for four new cards. With cards like Drake Haven, Archfiend of Ifnir, and Shadow of the Grave as support, there's little reason to fear the power of the Ring. In fact, the Call of the Ring is great. The Dark Lord lives up to his name, and I'm excited to (softly) windmill slam him onto a table the wreck havoc.

Tom Bombadil

The mythical figure himself, Tom Bombadil. Okay, I'm a poser, as I was largely unaware of who Tom was prior to the announcement of the set. As everyone clamored for him in the months leading up its release, I became a believer. And here he is to tell the stories of the age.

As our first dedicated five-color Saga commander, Tom brings a unique direction to a color combination that can easily fall into good stuff. It's perfect, really. The more tales that our God Bard can spin, the more impervious and powerful he becomes. Not only does he reward himself with the blessing of hexproof and indestructible with enough stories, but he can chain those same tales into a massive narrative tapestry as he Cascades into new Sagas to tell.

It goes without saying that a Saga-focused deck is going to primarily built with enchantments in mind. While we're considering that theme, what are some cards that may not come to mind as readily? My first thought is any cards that can remove Lore counters. Scholar of New Horizons and Hex Parasite are both able to reset Sagas on their final chapter by one. Sagas only sacrifice themselves when their final chapter ability resolves and they have Lore counters equal to or greater than the number of chapters they possess. This is a great way to not only reap the benefits of the Saga, but also Tom, and any bonus from the effect removing the counters.

Rares

Elrond, Master of Healing

Scrying, as both a payoff and enabler, is a core theme of the Elves in Tales of Middle-earth. Elrond, Master of Healing acts as a consistent enabler that bridges that mechanic with +1/+1 counters. While he has a second ability, I only consider the Shapers' Sanctuary effect as a bonus versus anything to build around.

Elrond cannot innately scry, so we'll need to include a density of those effects in other cards. Luckily, Elrond's ability only becomes stronger with overlapping instances of scry, and I imagine that once he has an established board, counters will stack quickly. Not only that, but the increased instances of scrying will help you churn the engine.

Scry 1 will be the most common numerical increment that we have access to, and we have access to consistent forms of it with cards like Thassa, God of the Sea, Lifecrafter's Bestiary, and Nissa, Steward of Elements. We also have additional reason to run powerful cantrips, like Serum Visions and Preordain. Given that we'll need creatures onboard to supply with counters, cards like Sylvan Anthem and Season of Growth will only help to churn the engine. From there, tinkering will be necessary to figure out the right mix, and I can't speak to that without some real testing. Will cards that only scry in large numbers, like Cryptic Annelid or Augury Owl, be worth it? Is Kenessos, Priest of Thassa worth it only for the scry enhancement? And so on.

As you might guess, I'm particularly excited for Elrond, so I'm curious to see how his deck eventually shakes out.

Éowyn, Fearless Knight

Éowyn is always ready to charge into battle and topple even the mightiest of foes.

Éowyn strikes me as a straightforward combat commander, but rather than leading every battle, she wants to time her arrival and strike a decisive blow. Exiling a creature with four or greater power is already solid enough as an enters-the-battlefield trigger, but on top of that, she hands out protection to your other legendary creatures for a devastating alpha strike. While that does narrow her potential builds as a commander, there are plenty of other legendary-matters commanders that can benefit from this or be included in her deck.

To get the most out of her, I imagine the deck she leads will pack a healthy dose of blink cards. Legion's Initiative in particular seems like a great way to set up a destructive combat phase. Couple that with format all-stars, like Ephemerate, and Éowyn will lock down the mightiest of enemies; and if there are no other powerful creatures, she can swing freely into the ranks with no one challenging her.

For my own tastes, though, Éowyn doesn't quite do enough. I'm not typically a fan of commanders who devolve into repeated loops of removing cards. She does avoid some of the pitfalls of those strategies, though, as she can only remove larger creatures and protection can push games to an end point.

Flame of Anor

Upon first read, Flame of Anor's similarity to Prismari Command immediately came to mind. The Izzet Strixhaven: School of Mages spell shares three of its modes with our newest instant, and while there are some notable differences, starting our evaluation with a card in over 30,000 decks feels good. However, unlike the Command, Flame of Anor requires a Wizard in play to really generate value. How do each of its abilities compare on their own?

Three mana to draw two cards at instant speed is solid, but it's not reason enough to include it in the current EDH climate. We see that rate attached to four-mana cards most often, but usually those come with minor upside to offset it. Dealing five damage to a creature is also solid. While there are much better options for spot removal in blue and red, this will still remove plenty of sizable threats. In fact, across Tales of Middle-earth proper, only six cards will survive these Flames. Lastly, we have the most underwhelming option (for the cost). Shatter has existed since Alpha, and this is not only more expensive, but more color-restrictive as well.

Now that the formalities are out of the way and we've summarized that two modes are solid for the cost, viewing the entire package that Flame of Anor brings highlights how powerful this card can be. Having a blue or red Wizard in play is as easy as breathing, so fulfilling the condition is hardly a hurdle. From there, the value on this spell skyrockets. A kill spell and card draw? Double removal? The utility this provides for the cost makes it a powerful and fun inclusion for many decks.

Galadriel of Lothlórien

While Elrond, Master of Healing may be the blue and green Elf that I'm most interested in, I have to admit that Galadriel of Lothlórien presents a powerful case in her own right. It'd be easy enough to play her only for the second ability. Turning every scry into potential ramp? With enough redundancy and a dash of manipulation, you could easily pull multiple lands in a single turn. This in turn encourages a potential Landfall strategy when combined with Retreat to Coralhelm.

Many of the same cards mentioned above with Elrond can be shifted cleanly into Galadriel's own deck. Not only that, but Galadriel can dip into the temptation of the Ring. Scry 3 is not only a tremendous boon for her own ability, but don't forget that it will also be filtering your draw pile in the process. While the selection is limited, there are several that you will want to include. If The Ring Goes South triggers Galadriel, then we're grabbing potentially three lands for four mana. One from Galadriel, one for choosing a Ring-bearer as they become legendary, and then a potential third from the scry. Scroll of Isildur is a solid value piece, and then of course, Dúnedain Rangers.

Among legends that she fits into, there's not that many outside of Tales of Middle-earth that actually have scry in their text box. Aragorn, the Uniter serves as a powerful enabler with her in the 99, and maybe even Amareth, the Lustrous will consider Galadriel with the likes of Rumor Gatherer at your disposal.

Gandalf the Grey

Among one of the first rares spoiled from Tales of Middle-earth, Gandalf the Grey sparked plenty of discussion around if the card made sense as a top-down design. While I won't be delving into that discussion in particular, do Gandalf the Grey's party tricks make for an interesting card? Among the options, Gandalf's best tricks are following your own spells with a table-wide burn or copying an instant or sorcery. Twiddle with upside could be relevant in a number of way with powerful enablers like Isochron Scepter or Lithoform Engine. Lastly, Gandalf can disappear for the chance to be back soon after a short journey.

While each of these abilities would be powerful if we could repeat them indefinitely, Gandalf's own text limits him. But has that ever stopped a Wizard before? Veyran, Voice of Duality is a staple for spellslingers for a reason. Dealing six to every opponent is a massive swing of life totals, and with cards like Displacer Beast we can reset Gandalf or have our favorite option on demand. Like many other decks, Ghostly Flicker can either be an incredible value piece with Gandalf, as you can copy it to not only reset your commander, but also go mana-neutral on the cast. I'm sure there's a convoluted combo with them as well, but I'll let someone else figure that out.

Overall, Gandalf seems like he'll shine the most as a the main face of a deck. Blinking him is an easy way to reset him, and without that as a key theme, I think he'll struggle to provide enough value overall for most spellslinger shells. However, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm underestimating his prowess.

King of the Oathbreakers

The Return of the King of the Dead! Wait, that sounds slightly wrong...

King of the Oathbreakers brings with it a new direction for Spirit-themed decks. While support for Spirits is concentrated in blue and white typically, black isn't shy with dealing with the undead. King of the Oathbreakers brings with it a new direction for Spirits that is similar to their existing mechanical and thematic identity: phasing.

Creating tokens whenever your Spirits phase back paints an evocative picture of a growing army of the restless. While white has slowly added more cards that phase out permanents, black's only offering is that of Oubliette which will make for a thematic removal spell vs. actual synergy. While only half of our available colors are providing support, Clever Concealment and Guardian of Faith are powerful inclusions that will neatly double your board. After those, we'll have to work much harder, as two of the other mass phasing spells are board wipes: Out of Time and Disciple of Caelus Nin. Disciple in particular is incredible, as it can double as mass removal and a board-doubler. Lastly, Robe of Stars is great wrath protection for the King. While our commander will naturally phase out versus spot removal, the Robe will allow us to keep our strategy intact.

With that said, that's almost every support card available right now, and we'll have to get inventive from there. My thoughts drifted to X-cost spells that target multiple creatures to allow us to target our Spirits and another "anchor" creature to keep the spell from fizzling with no targets. The options are limited as we're with only two spells in white and effectively zero in black. We're not going to play Dregs of Sorrow for that.

If we open our search to cards that target "any number of creatures" we get some additional value: Semester's End and Eerie Interlude act as extra copies of our mass phasing spells above.

Overall, the King's ability is incredibly unique and will only get stronger over time. While I focused on it as an offensive tool, it makes spot removal virtually worthless against your own board. For such a unique deck, resiliency will play a pivotal role.

Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff

I've seen some general excitement around Lotho, and at first, I'll admit I was skeptical. At a glance, Lotho reads as a legendary Monologue Tax, a card whose initial excitement had faded into general criticism from what I've seen. While that initially hurt my perception, there are a few factors that elevate Lotho above the initial hype and why he's currently being met with enthusiasm.

The most notable reason is that he's not only a creature, but a legendary creature. Creatures are already the most flexible permanent types in the game, and slapping legendary status on him allows access to the command zone. While it's a small buff, being two mana instead of three is another positive gain for this effect. While white has a long-standing history with interacting with "mana value 3 or less", there's also a subset of powerful "mana value 2 or less" cards that are now active with our commander. Most notably, this includes not only the ban-happy cat, Lurrus of the Dream-Den, but also a personal favorite in Extraction Specialist.

Beyond that, whereas Monologue Tax only looks at our opponents, Lotho allows us to push the value. Being able to create Treasures off of its own spells is a huge boon. I imagine there's a possible bauble-style deck that uses low mana-value recursion like Lurrus to consistently generate multiple spells on your own turn. While there's not many spells with Rebound, Ephemerate provides nothing but value.

From there, Lotho seems to be mostly a value deck centered around generating Treasure to offset casting more spells.

Merry, Esquire of Rohan

With his becoming an Esquire of Rohan, Merry's rare version takes on many of the common themes of Knights in Magic's history. With haste, the ability to gain first strike, and the added benefit of drawing cards on attack, Merry comes with an aggressive set of abilities for two mana. If you want to benefit immediately from the draw, there are quite a few one drops that can curve into Merry. Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful and his ancestor Isamaru, Hound of Konda are two of ten possible one-drops that we can include the start the draw engine. Sorry, Mikaeus. Even without the draw, Merry can still represent an aggressive and hard-to-block threat should we choose that route. However, that only puts Merry on par with many of the surplus Boros commanders that have released in recent years. While Equipment commanders are well-known, we've even began to explore legends-matters with Djeru and Hazoret.

I can see Merry being popular on his own, but I imagine he will shine brightest in other aggressive legend-focused decks, like Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge, or even the new Aragorn, King of Gondor, as card advantage is his defining feature.

Shelob, Child of Ungoliant

Shelob. Her Ladyship. Child of Ungoliant. The Great Spider.

Of every character the public expected from Tales from Middle-earth, none captivated my excitement and anticipation more than Shelob. I'll have to disappoint the more ardent fans of the books, though, as my excitement stemmed mostly from the prospect of having a new Golgari Spider to compete against Ishkanah, Grafwidow. I'm on record many times that Spiders are my favorite creature type in Magic solely because of how tightly bound their mechanics are.

And Shelob delivered in full.

Currently standing as the second most popular commander from the main set, Shelob's powerful, impactful, and thematic in all of the best ways. While yes, she is yet another Devoted Druid commander, don't let that scare you off from the rest of her potential build. Creating token copies of creatures that can be kept around for their abilities or immediately harvested is such a flavor win. And it's also an avenue to build our own Food factory with cards like Parallel Lives or Second Harvest. Not only that, but she doesn't cannibalize a common Spider theme: using creature cards in the graveyard as fuel. If we decide to feast on our own creatures, we don't lose out on the ability to use Spider Spawning or Rotwidow Pack.

One of my favorite trends recently is the release of creature-type matters commanders that aren't squarely locked into playing their kin. Ward 2 and deathtouch are certainly powerful keywords to hand out to your board, no questions asked. But Shelob can make due with splashing Spider support rather than committing to the theme completely with ample use of Lure effects and fight effects to force creatures to their doom.

I could go on and on about Shelob, but there are so many fun tricks in her arsenal. Will she be an archer with Viridian Longbow? A web of doom with Arachnogenesis? Or will she run the gamut herself with Ulvenwald Tracker?

Also, I do want to note some potential anti-synergy that's already popping up on her page. While the value seems enticing at a glance, Academy Manufactor actually nullifies the token Food copy you would make from her trigger and replace it with a normal Treasure, Clue, and Food.

Sméagol, Helpful Guide

As one of the last-spoiled legends from Tales of Middle-earth, I didn't see much talk around Sméagol, Helpful Guide. The conversation may have been washed away as the entire set dropped shortly after. However, in the last week I've seen the popularity of this horrible little green and black commander skyrocket. Across social media, I've seen praise and admiration for Sméagol's ability pop up again and again.

The temptation of the Ring is certainly what drives this wayward creature to continue exploring enemy lands in the pursuit of power. Not only that, but Sméagol also comes with aristocratic leaning alongside the ability to mill opponents. It's no wonder why I've been seeing their popularity rise in real time as Sméagol encapsulates three of Golgari's most popular themes into a single package. Combined with a sacrifice outlet of your choice and a way to create tokens via Landfall, Dúnedain Rangers and Sméagol allow us to infinitely mill our opponents. And while combos certainly exist with redundancy, potentially stealing powerful lands to ramp yourself while setting up an Animate Dead is value enough to sell people on this Halfling.

The Call of the Ring is great, and those who are leaving on a Collective Voyage may need to be weary of those who seek the One Ring to Rule Them All

Uncommons & Commons

Arwen Undómiel

This ability looks strikingly familiar. Elrond, is that you? It's been some time since I can remember a rare outclasses an uncommon this directly in the same set. Most of what I've said for Elrond can be copy and pasted here. Given how much more potent Elrond, Master of Healing's ability is, I personally would always lean toward him, especially when given the protective draw he offers. Arwen does offer the benefit of costing two mana and being able to deploy early, but blue and green are known for their longevity via ramp and card draw rather than any aggro potential. I want to like Arwen Undómiel more, but without another unique ability to set her apart, she'll be relegated as part of the 99. That said, having redundancy in that same archetype is more than welcome, and I was incredibly excited for her upon reveal. Scry and getting a payoff is a wonderfully fun avenue to explore.

Bilbo, Retired Burglar

As one might expect from The Hobbit's protagonist, Bilbo, Retired Burglar makes for suitable Ring-bearer. With one power and the Ring at his disposal, there is little to stop Bilbo from pilfering Treasure from your opponents. Giving himself pseudo-Skulk upon the Ring tempting you, Bilbo is quick to start amassing Treasure. I tend to be wary of combat-driven abilities with my current sensibilities. The first question always I ask myself is, "How do I make this repeatable?" A Treasure a turn is nice, but unless we're amplifying that ability, Bilbo is little more than a once-per-turn mana dork in the command zone. Embercleave and Lizard Blades are some of the few ways we can generate double strike in the colors, and we can always rely on extra turn and extra combat spells. All of that said, our payoff for this investment is still only Treasure. Maybe that's exactly what you want from your commander, but I'm typically going to be looking for a little more excitement.

On the other side, I am intrigued by Bilbo's potential role as a platform to stack combat-driven effects. With three toughness, it'll be very hard to kill Bilbo in combat. Combine him with effects like Bilbo's Ring or Quietus Spike, and we can build towards a low-power Voltron build.

Denethor, Ruling Steward

While I'm a bit disappointed that a character like Denethor only received an uncommon card in the Tales of Middle-earth, should we be disappointed with the card he received?

Denethor holds firms on the tenured reigns of aristocracy not only in the story, but also in card form. Functionally similar to Hidden Stockpile, Denethor, Ruling Steward continues to build followers despite sacrifices along the way. With the potential of creating only a single token only on your turn, the first ability doesn't inspire much confidence. And his second doesn't carry the rest of that burden as well. While the ability to sacrifice your own creatures will double-down nicely with Zulaport Cutthroat, my guess is Denethor will be left to steward over the black and white Limited environment versus many Commander decks.

Gandalf's Sanction

If only Toralf, God of Fury was Izzet! Seeing excess damage reappear is always a treat, and it's one of the most intuitive mechanics we've received in some time. Aegar, the Freezing Flame is likely the best home for this burn spell, as it will cantrip, but otherwise, I'd normally choose other removal spells first. Beacon Bolt comes in with a nearly identical damage clause, but Beacon Bolt trades excess damage for consistent damage by counting exile and Jump-start. It's not completely outclassed, though. Combined with damage-doublers, Gandalf's Sanction can begin to threaten incredible amounts of damage in a single shot.

Let's take a conservative estimate of five spells in your graveyard. Solphim, Mayhem Dominus will deal ten damage to your target. If you target a 1/1, that translates to eighteen damage being thrown at an opponent.

Legolas, Counter of Kills

While I appreciate and adore the thematic tie-in of Legolas, Counter of Kills and Gimli, Counter of Kills, I doubt many people will be counting towards Legolas' deck counts. From a top-down design, our Simic Legolas is phenomenal. Untapping upon a creature dying can raise questions that can be immediately answered when he's paired with Viridian Longbow. Without a tap ability himself, Legolas will need aid in shooting down his foes. However, he seems to be more at home in Kamigawa as the likes of Shuriken and Ninja's Kunai seem more effective in his hands. I wish we had more of these effects though. Setessan Tactics is wonderfully synergistic, but it's sadly one on few options available. I'm sure if you dig far enough you'll find tools to support his build, but his rare counterpart, Legolas, Master Archer, may serve your needs better.

Old Man Willow

Among the many uncommons in this set review, Old Man Willow feels the most like a signpost Limited uncommon: while they are certainly unique, their power in draft will likely be what we remember them for. That's not to say that they can't make a splash, but nothing about their ability calls out to me. Scaling power and toughness with lands is certainly interesting; given the color-pairs' ability to ramp and play explosive enablers. Old Man Willow could pose a threat combined with the likes of Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord. However, for those working toward that build, Yargle and Multani offer a more consistent chassis. For the second ability, -2/-2 just isn't enough to excite me. While sacrificing any type of token is new ground, commanders like Baba Lysaga, Night Witch profit more heavily from the same potential 99. Old Man Willow may find its way into Treefolk-themed decks, but that's where it will likely stay rooted.

Rise of the Witch-king

I usually write off four-mana spells that reanimate, since Commander is a format with plenty of access to powerful options already, and many of them are often reprinted enough that price isn't an issue. With that said, the Rise of the Witch-king has made me take notice. Least among its advantages is the ability to actually bring back a creature. If that's all I want, Victimize can play the part. What I love about this card is its utility. Being able to grab any permanent opens this up to so many new archetypes. Carth the Lion can resurrect his planeswalkers. Anikthea, Hand of Erebos can bring back her enchantments. We can resurrect a battle or even a land if we're desperate. This type of resiliency isn't common without having the card pass through your hand first. With all of this talk of its utility, it also doubles as an edict. Fleshbag Marauder and its ilk are incredibly popular creatures, and now we have a reanimation spell with that ability tied to it?

This is easily one of the best uncommons in the set for Commander, and I know I'll be making room in a pair of decks already.

Shadowfax, Lord of Horses

"Run, Shadowfax! Show them the true meaning of haste!"

I hope that you've seen this quote tied to the card already because its one of the best jokes that made the set.

Shadowfax, Lord of Horses is one on my favorite uncommons in the set, and I'm honestly a bit shocked that it's only an uncommon. Cheating creatures into play like this is typically reserved for rares like Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and we know from past powerhouses like Kaalia of the Vast that this is a threat. While we do lose options against the Mardu contemporaries that I've listed, don't underestimate how much power this effect has even in just two colors. Alesha remained one of the top Mardu commanders for years, after all. While Shadowfax needs support to cheat out anything with more than three power, it's not like white and red lack ways to permanently or even temporarily buff creatures. Even something as simple as Cathedral of War turns Shadowfax into a 5/5 that can suddenly cheat Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite into play. And if you're choosing to cheat in utility creatures that you'd rather have survive, Reconnaissance is one of the best combat support spells in the game.

There's plenty of avenues you can build Shadowfax towards just on those virtues alone. Powerful tutors like War of the Last Alliance can easily push Shadowfax into a strong legendary theme. Fourteen to eighteen Horses in your colors can be cheated into play. And even strong combat themes fit perfectly astride their power. I wouldn't be surprised to see Shadowfax be not only one of the most popular uncommon commanders from the set, but also one of the most popular in general.

Shadow Summoning

You can really tell that Lingering Souls warped internal design even glancing at Shadow Summoning. Two mana is a solid rate for creating flyers, and realistically, 80% of the time having the Spirit come in tapped won't matter. You'll feel it when you need blockers and this is your only option. Otherwise, this is a role-player in Spirit-themed decks. There are plenty of other token producers that create higher quality tokens at a similar rate. Unless you're playing King of the Oathbreakers or someone like Alela, Artful Provocateur that focuses your build towards preferring flyers, Shadow Summoning be a solid role-player at most in Commander.

Théoden, King of Rohan

Like his Gondor equivalent, Théoden, King of Rohan appears only as an uncommon in the set, and with him comes another aggressive red and white legend. While Humans as a theme is more prevalent among the cards in the Riders of Rohan commander deck, Théoden still provides a powerful platform for his army. I'm a firm believer that combat keywords are underrated in Commander, and double strike is among the strongest of the evergreen realm. Needing Humans to enter the battlefield is hardly an ask, as you will likely find powerful cards that are incidentally Human. Adeline, Resplendent Cathar can dunk on average pods by scoring a triple double-strike with her attack trigger, making her incredibly hard to block and kill. While typically random, Théoden can bring order to Outlaws' Merriment by either buffing the 3/1 Human to be effectively a Ball Lightning or to just bring about value from double strike.

My favorite angle though is using your own Humans as combat tricks. White is not averse to flashing in creatures, and even glancing at the top creatures in our colors via Scryfall, we have plenty of options. Cathar Commando can offer a clean two-for-one in combat. Dualcaster Mage can continue to rise up the ranks of my favorite creatures. While not a creature, Call the Coppercoats could suddenly threaten lethal mid-combat while leaving blockers behind. While I imagine Théoden will see more play in Aragorn, the Uniter or Éowyn, Shieldmaiden, there's something to appreciate about having a commander that can turn Nahiri's Resolve into a terrifying win-con.

Tales of Middle-earth has captivated me more than any booster set in the last decade. The resonance and story-telling among the cards is unmatched, and the cards themselves blend seamlessly with Magic's numerous fantasy aesthetics. I've been hyping up this set since it was announced, and it met and exceeded all of my expectations. My heart is filled with joy seeing all of these new renditions of beloved characters. Not only that, but this set truly made "The Gathering" special to me, as I've been able to share the real magic of this set with more friends than ever before.

flame of anor

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Set Review - Enemy Colors