Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond set, inspired by The Hobbit, is seeing some of its cards fetch significant prices even before the full launch, with Gleaming Splendor topping the list. While exact pricing for "The One Ring" remains unannounced, early market data indicates strong demand for certain cards, particularly those with unique artwork and potent abilities. Pre-release pricing is known to be volatile, but these valuations offer a glimpse into the set's most sought-after cards.
Gleaming Splendor, an Enchantment that generates Treasure tokens when players draw their second card in a turn, is currently the most valuable card, priced at $530. This card can be paired with Smaug the Magnificent for potential synergies in red and white decks, and allows players to pay additional mana to compel opponents to draw cards.
High-Value Cards from Middle-earth
Following Gleaming Splendor, The Arkenstone appears in two forms, both commanding substantial prices. The Surge Foil Borderless version is valued at $400, while its Showcase Surge Foil counterpart sits at $305. The Arkenstone, a Legendary Artifact, enhances creature power and provides end-of-turn card draw. It also possesses a sorcery-speed ability to search for a legendary creature card and add it to hand.
Smaug the Magnificent also features prominently, with its Borderless version selling for around $200 and the Showcase Surge Foil version for approximately $225. The card deals damage equal to the number of Treasure tokens a player controls to any target and generates a Treasure token at the beginning of upkeep, boasting flying and haste.
Other notable cards include Gandalf, Goblins' Bane (Surge Foil Borderless) at nearly $300, and Bilbo, Thief in the Night (Showcase Surge Foil) at $240. Gandalf, Goblins' Bane is a versatile Wizard that can also be cast as a sorcery, while Bilbo, Thief in the Night reduces the cost of spells cast from outside the hand and has a similar effect when it attacks.
Thorin, Mountain-king (Borderless Surge Foil) is valued at $195 and provides a free equipment attachment to a creature, alongside a damage-dealing ability. Thranduil, the Elvenking (Borderless Surge Foil) is priced at $170 and grants access to activated abilities of Elf cards in the graveyard, while also enabling card draw and discard when another legendary Elf enters the battlefield. The Queen of Dale (Showcase Surge Foil) rounds out the top ten at $160, offering a "recruit" mechanic that allows players to draw and discard cards, potentially creating Human Soldier tokens.
These prices reflect early market reactions and are subject to change as the set becomes more widely available. The inclusion of iconic characters and elements from The Hobbit has clearly resonated with the Magic: The Gathering player base.