Decks & lists

The Master of Lake-town

Gollum, Riddle Master

I have put together what I consider to be the most logical choice for a hobbit related commander deck, from the perspective of WOTC executives. Let me explain: The hobbit lends itself to 5 commander decks based on the battle of the 5 armies. WOTC execs decided they could potentially make more money releasing this as a standalone product, so they are no longer viable commander deck options. This really leaves 2 main options - a deck built around Bilbo, or a deck built around Gollum. A deck built around Bilbo would be too similar to the hobbit precon from the main LOTR set, so Gollum it is. "I heard that there is a Gollum movie coming out", says one WOTC exec, "this will tie in nicely. But how do we make sure this deck sells?" After much discussion they realise that customers loved to collect the 9 different Nazgul artworks. A reprint of a fresh set of 9 Nazgul in the old hobbit art style would make this a must-buy for any fan! With these prompts, the deck was put together based on normal precon considerations - mythic rare commander, a few higher value reprints, and an otherwise serviceable deck. Thematically this deck ties in with the upcoming 'Hunt for Gollum' movie by playing Gollum, getting value from each of his abilities, then sacrificing him to get some other benefit. But as we know Gollum is difficult to kill, which is why there are so many supernatural stamina-like effects. These have the added benefit of resetting Gollum to use all his abilities again. The remainder of the deck is largely aristocrats staples, with preference given to thematically appropriate card names.

Tom, Bert, and William

A lost Hobbit precon built around one simple idea: **the trolls are hungry**. Tom, Bert, and William turn oversized creatures into card advantage, while the rest of the deck leans into Food, sacrifice, and graveyard recursion to keep the feast going. Cards like **Gluttonous Troll, Feasting Troll King, Daemogoth Titan, Yargle and Multani, and Mossbridge Troll** provide suitably enormous meals, while **Bilbo, Fellow Conspirator, Peregrin Took, Gyome, Master Chef, Academy Manufactor, and Trail of Crumbs** build out the Food engine. There are also a few deliberately flavorful tricks. **Xenic Poltergeist** and **Lifecraft Awakening** can help bring Tom, Bert, and William back into the action after they’ve been turned to stone, while **Living Death** and **Victimize** let the trolls’ victims return for another course. The deck is intentionally built for **Bracket 2**: synergistic and splashy, but without fast mana packages, tutors, or compact infinite combos. The goal is to feel like a real missing Hobbit precon: play big creatures, make far too much Food, eat everything in sight, and eventually overwhelm the table with a very unexpected feast.

Tom, Bert, and William

A lost Hobbit precon built around one simple idea: **the trolls are hungry**. Tom, Bert, and William turn oversized creatures into card advantage, while the rest of the deck leans into Food, sacrifice, and graveyard recursion to keep the feast going. Cards like **Gluttonous Troll, Feasting Troll King, Daemogoth Titan, Yargle and Multani, and Mossbridge Troll** provide suitably enormous meals, while **Bilbo, Fellow Conspirator, Peregrin Took, Gyome, Master Chef, Academy Manufactor, and Trail of Crumbs** build out the Food engine. There are also a few deliberately flavorful tricks. **Xenic Poltergeist** and **Lifecraft Awakening** can help bring Tom, Bert, and William back into the action after they’ve been turned to stone, while **Living Death** and **Victimize** let the trolls’ victims return for another course. The deck is intentionally built for **Bracket 2**: synergistic and splashy, but without fast mana packages, tutors, or compact infinite combos. The goal is to feel like a real missing Hobbit precon: play big creatures, make far too much Food, eat everything in sight, and eventually overwhelm the table with a very unexpected feast.

Bard the Bowman

I have made a deck list that focuses on mostly being humans, from Tales of middle earth, The Hobbit and my personal favorite plane Innistrad. I tried to focus on making the deck as if it was a pre-con, and yes i know Bard the Bowman is a uncommon but i like him as the commander and the other 2 Bards as just part of the 99. I plan to build Bard the Bowman as my newest commander deck to play with next Friday with my play group and I just cant wait to play with him. I had a lot of fun building this deck list as a pre-con, hope you like it.

Chief of the Wilds

Bard the Bowman

Bard The Bowman but with ghosts! Buff your board and storm the other players with a relentless ghost army :)

Dwalin, Weaponmaster

Bilbo, Thief in the Night

This Adventure-focused Bilbo, Thief in the Night Commander deck is a deck that heavily uses the "Adventure" mechanic to gain extra value out of every card. By utilizing Bilbo's ability to reduce the generic mana costs of spells cast from anywhere other than your hand, the deck casts flexible Adventure instants and sorceries dynamically in response to threats. Once resolved, those cards sit safely in exile until you cast them a second time as creatures.

Dáin of the Ancient Halls

Chief of the Wilds

"All of a sudden they heard a howl away down hill, a long shuddering howl... It was the wolves howling at the moon, wolves gathering together!" Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Beorn the Fierce

Beorn makes the deck into tribal but the main focus is on mill, recursion, and a lil bit of Bearz!

Smaug, Wicked Worm

In this deck, Smaug not only hoards treasure but shares the wealth, if only to benefit himself even more. This deck aims to maximize the abilities of it's commander: Smaug, Wicked Worm by adding a group hug-like twist to it's strategy. Multiple cards in this deck give opponents artifacts in exchange for benefits like treasure and land. Once opponents are stocked with artifacts, Smaug flies in making even more treasure for each artifact they control. You may think this happens only once until someone kills him (which is less likely when he has a powerful entrance ability) but with a combination of sacrifice outlets and returning him to the battlefield upon death, Smaug's entrance ability can be repeated for as little as 2 mana. Now, having a bountiful treasure trove might be nice but will not win the game ... unless Hellkite Tyrant or Revel in Riches is on the battlefield on upkeep, then they do exactly that. Additionally, if Smaug the Magnificent is able to attack, treasures are turned into damage without even sacrificing them. If the player cannot afford to wait until upkeep or to draw one of these cards, a large sum of damage can be produced by sacrificing many treasures. Cards like Mirkwood Bats and Nadier's Nightblade followed by sacrificing a bunch of treasures (even if there's nothing to spend them on) can be game winning, with even more options for a singular opponent to take such damage. This deck aims to maintain a budget of a precon before it is printed as a precon which based on examples is ~$170. When I made the deck it claimed to cost less than $170 but when I imported it here, even with swapping out card versions I could not get it much lower than $200. (Also, the irony is not lost on me that a treasure themed deck is meant to be "budget" in real life.)

Dáin, Lord of the Iron Hills

Chief of the Wilds

Beorn the Fierce

Ramp quickly into your commander, Beorn, and build a wide board of creatures that can trample over your opponents while keeping your hand full with plenty of card draw each turn.

Thorin Oakenshield

The throne of Erebor has been filled at long last now that Smaug has been slain. But The new King Under the Mountain must decide his birthright; become the richest king in the history of Middle-Earth or the king to unite all Durins folk.

Dáin, Lord of the Iron Hills

“Pay your taxes and maybe I will give you a rebate”- Dáin, Agent of The IRS.

Thranduil, the Elvenking

Elf typal with a bit of self-mill, but I tried not to go too hard on the synergies, since it's a precon. No tokens and I tried to avoid re-creating LOTR deck. Precon-style landbase. Filler mostly from HOB/LTR; I tried to use printings from HOB/LTR wherever I could.

Galadriel, Light of Valinor

This deck blends Elf tribal, go-wide token production, +1/+1 counters, and enchantment-based support. Elves generate mana and flood the battlefield, while cards like Beastmaster Ascension, Kindred Discovery, Beast Whisperer, and Simic Ascendancy turn that growing army into overwhelming power and alternative ways to win. A major goal in building the deck was featuring as much art by Rebecca Guay, my favorite MTG artist, as possible. I hope it gives the deck a dreamlike, “ancient world” feel to anyone who uses it. Supporting this are several themed cards that, while not as potent, feel right at home with Galadriel's book characterization.

The Great Goblin

Built using cards I've pulled from packs since the original LOTR set came out. Amass a large army and run em over with it.

Thorin, King of Durin's Folk

The Great Goblin

Smaug, Wicked Worm

The Master of Lake-town

One person's loss is another person's treasure! The Master of Lake-town has never been one to waste an opportunity—and neither should you. The Greedy Master is a mono-black sacrifice and graveyard deck built around turning your opponents' losses into your own riches. Mill their libraries, sacrifice creatures, drain their life totals, and put everything in their graveyards to work for you. Steal it. Sacrifice it. Profit. With The Master of Lake-town leading the way, every death and every point of life lost can become another resource, while creatures like Gollum, Gríma Wormtongue, The Sackville-Bagginses, and Witch-king of Angmar keep the value flowing. And when the graveyards are full? Take the best creatures available to keep your engine thrummin' - reanimate them, sacrifice them, and turn their losses into even more cards, Treasure, and pain. The Greedy Master is all about stacking small advantages every turn until every sacrifice becomes prime fuel for his engine and every opponent's loss becomes your gain. After all, if someone was foolish enough to put their own resources into the graveyard, why shouldn't you profit?!

Beorn the Fierce

This deck is a big stompy deck that want to go very tall with Beorn turn the other creatures into bears and turning them sideways. There's also a light side of landfall as there are several cards from Hobbit that go great with that!

The Great Goblin

Hobbit precon focusing on amassing goblin armies, aggressively swinging with anthems and self sacrificing to trigger carddraw/damaging abilities. Bolg, Erebor's Reckoning is the alt commander that would focus more towards the anthem swings, and since he has a higher cost I wanted to get some mana generating spells into the deck to mayhaps get him out faster or just to build the board faster with a large amount of 2-3 drops. In precon spirit i kept it to bracket 2, and wanted to keep it closer to 100 dollars which I believe can be done depending on the price fluctuations. I also wanted to have around 1/4 of the deck from the hobbit set and a salt level that isn't to high. I also wanted to try to keep Krenko out, there are after all a lot of other beautiful goblins out there.

Gandalf, Party Guest

make dudes, pump dudes, turn sideways, trigger gandalf, repeat

Bard, King of Dale

Thorin Oakenshield

Dáin, Lord of the Iron Hills

Tom, Bert, and William

BERT: Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey if it don’t look like mutton again tomorrer. TOM: That’s the beauty of it, ain’t it? Everything what wanders in goes in the pot — ponies, spiders, burglars. And the more we eat, the cleverer we get. WILLIAM: Cleverer? You et half a warg last night and all you thought of was seconds. TOM: Seconds was the thought, weren’t it. BERT: Shut it, both of you. Big meals, big ideas — keep the fire going and don’t stop eatin’ till there’s nobody left at the table but us. WILLIAM: And if the sun catches us? TOM: Then we stands very still… and eats very quiet.

Gandalf, Party Guest

Gandalf, Party Guest

Legends - Big Spells - Wizards Bring all your most magically inclined companions to celebrate The Hobbit with Wizard Party! Conjure all your closest friends, but be ready for an explosive event! With 24 Wizard creatures, and 26 Instants and Sorceries, you're sure to inspire awe at the table. And when you run out of spells in hand, have no fear! With spells like Aminatou's Augury, Mizzix's Mastery, and Surge to Victory, the party never truly ends!

Fíli the Pathfinder

Find the Path with Fili The Pathfinder! Fili leads the dwarves on their quest to the Lonely Mountain, cast spells to exile Fili and return him battlefield to bring more dwarves! Anthems and Equipment are also on this journey to help turn your dwarves into mighty warriors ready to face Smaug!

Bard the Bowman

***NOTE: I built decks with german card prices in mind. This deck has a total value of 95€ in Germany which is 40€ below the usual Euro deck value of precons. Also: There was NO AI used in the process of building this deck. I think I should mention this, cuz AI deckbuilding is a thing sadly.*** Bard is inherently a commander which is on the weaker side. The reason being that, compared to most modern commander designs, it's more of a sealed / draft card. But I saw this as a challenge to try to make something cool around it and I think this deck actually turned out pretty decent. The plan of this deck is simple: Draw cards, pump creatures. To accomplish this plan, there are a lot of cheap creatures and spells to draw either 1 card to assist the second card draw during our own turn or to draw 2-3 cards on an enemy's turn to get some additional triggers. Creatures like "Dusk Legion Duelist", "Generous Pup" and "Exemplar of Light" turn the +1 counters Bard places into further card draw and buffs, which can result in even more damage. Cards like "Scrawling Crawler" and "Psychosis Crawler" help with continuous damage across all opponents. I also took into account possible reprints to go along with this Commander Deck if it actually were to be printed. Some obvious choiced are the afformentioned "Scrawling Crawler", the fan favorite "Ledger Shredder" and "Minn, Willy Illusionist" which is a great card to support having a wide deck to eat up incoming damage. But Minn also feeds into the second kinda strategy this deck has: Tokens. Aside from Minn, "Alandra, Sky Dreamer", "Detective of the Month" and "Emrakul's Messenger" provide tokens for both ramp and protection. Or, in the end, to overrun the enemy. I am a huge fan of the classic two-stretegy Commander deck design, so I had to implement it here too. A few other favorite cards of mine for this deck are: ᛫"Herald of Secret Streams" which enables powerful overruns in combination with the Pup or maybe even allow to kill someone with commander damage once in a while; ᛫"Talrand, Sky Summoner", who doesn't inherently look like a great choice in here, but the amount of noncreature spells allows for explosive drake-creation which, in combination with Alandra, is able to finish games quickly; ᛫"Copycrook", which allows for even more cards to be seen through and for some other cards to gain a huge buff and; ᛫"Chasm Skulker", which can burst into a lotta little baby squids, we love little baby squids. And they'll probably also kill our enemies or draw us a lotta more cards with "Flitterwing, Nuisance" All in all, I think this is a really fun commander deck. Nothing nearly bracket 3 ready, but fun in a bracket 2 pod which precons should be in. *Prof, there are Merfolks in here, cmon*

Smaug, Wicked Worm

Under the mountain lies the mighty, the golden, his magnificence in scaled glory, the King Under the Mountain, Smaug! In this pre-con, use treasures to stock a horde and use to devastate your foes with your slew of powerful spells! Work your minions and horde to your favour with a slew of artifacts at your disposal and if possible, steal all of theirs for a satisfying victory! Note: There is an alt-win con in Hellkite Tyrant, it was between that and Revel and I think Hellkite fits better of just *taking* all their stuff. As well as there is a single infinite with Bladewing the Risen and Cursed Mirror. They both felt good fits and they don't auto win you the game without other set up, so it felt reasonable to leave in. Otherwise, my take on a hobbit precon! I also limited my deck building to ONLY taking cards from either the Hobbit, LTR or MTG itself and no other UB. If the card like Brainstealer had another printing besides in a UB, a-okay like WOTC would make their own Commander decks.

Smaug, Wicked Worm

Under the mountain lies the mighty, the golden, his magnificence in scaled glory, the King Under the Mountain, Smaug! In this pre-con, use treasures to stock a horde and use to devastate your foes with your slew of powerful spells! Work your minions and horde to your favour with a slew of artifacts at your disposal and if possible, steal all of theirs for a satisfying victory! Note: There is an alt-win con in Hellkite Tyrant, it was between that and Revel and I think Hellkite fits better of just *taking* all their stuff. As well as there is a single infinite with Bladewing the Risen and Cursed Mirror. They both felt good fits and they don't auto win you the game without other set up, so it felt reasonable to leave in. Otherwise, my take on a hobbit precon!

Sauron, the Dark Lord

The Lord of the Eagles

Big fliers, a Blue deck for Timmies! 🦅tLotE reduces the colorless cost to cast him, and that includes commander tax! Constantly cast a UU flying 8/8 along with cheap, high-attack fliers, flying anthems, and monocolor synergy, while protecting yourself with counterspells and removal. The new Ravenhill Flock is the 3rd of 3 fliers that get +1/+1 counters whenever you draw, so there's plenty of draw to support making giant snowballing birds (and squid) to compliment tLotE. 🦅🦅🦅

Bifur, Melodic Rider

Bifur, Melodic Rider

Bard, King of Dale

Smaug, Wicked Worm

The halls of Erebor are silent no longer. Beneath the mountain, Smaug slumbers atop a mountain of gold, awakening only to punish thieves and feed his ever-growing hoard. Gather Treasure, summon dragons, and let greed consume the table in a deck that celebrates the story of The Hobbit

Smaug, Wicked Worm

Create treasures and rain dragon fire down on your enemies with Smaug, Wicked Worm. This deck includes The wicked dragon king under the mountain himself as well as other denizens of middle earth, aiming to take a part of his magnificent hoard.

Bard, King of Dale

Using Middle Earth only cards and led by their Commander "Bard, King of Dale" this deck can go wide with tokens and/or go big with +1/+1 counters. With 23 Humans, multiple ways to pump them up, and a never ending stream of draw power this deck is ready to go off. The perfect "Precon" style commander deck! "This is your realm, and the heart of the greater realm that shall be. The Third Age of the world is ended, and the new age is begun; and it is your task to order its beginning and to preserve what must be preserved. For though much has been saved, much must now pass away; and the power of the Three Rings also is ended. And all the lands that you see, and those that lie round about them, shall be dwellings of Men. For the time comes of the Dominion of Men, and the Elder Kindred shall fade or depart.” - Gandalf // Submitted by MobCougar08

Dwalin, Weaponmaster

In this deck, Dwalin buffs a bunch of cheap living weapon like creatures to create a wide board that gives you presence during the early game. Then, around turn 6/7, you'll be able to start attaching many of the now buffed equipment to a single creature at the same time for some very powerful swings! Cards like Mandibular kite that lack a bit of board presence can quickly turn into a 3/1 flyer for 1 mana if it's on the board when Dwalin enters and Dwalin manages to get a single attack off, turning it into a good blocker during the early game. It's also very fine to trade with these creatures since the buffed artifact sticks around to be equipped later, giving any creature +3/+1 (minimum) and flying! A lot of the interactions in this deck are also based on equipments, such as Coral Sword and Celestial armor. While these cards usually are a bit below average in power, once they're on the board they can quickly gain a lot of power from Dwalin and continuously grow more and more powerful. Around turn 7, it should absolutely be possible to drop one of the cards that put all equipments on a single creature (Thorin, Beatrix, Inventory Management & more) to do a big swing for 20+ damage. If all of these are put on Dwalin, it could turn into commander lethal, especially if the equipments you have on board give your equipped creature Trample/Flying/Double strike/ An additional combat step. All in all, it's a pretty simple deck (as it should be for a precon I think) that lets you be part of the board during all phases of the game. I also really like Dwalin as a commander since he only costs 2 mana. Even if he is destroyed once or twice it isn't unreasonable to cast him again, especially since he immediately buffs the board when he enters (which later in the game could mean +10 power or so amongst all your equippments).

Radagast of Rhosgobel

An oddity among wizards, Radagast concerns himself with flora and fauna, rather than the goings-on of the more sentient races. Use Radagast's ability to call upon nature at the drop of a hat to overwhelm your foes with beastly might! This list is intended to be purchasable at around the price of a normal precon, but the more expensive cards can be easily swapped out for cheaper alternatives and it will still perform wonderfully!

Bard, King of Dale

Bard, King of Dale