Decks, Cubes, and Other Lists

Bard, King of Dale

I wanted to build a deck that feels thematic to the humans of Lake-town in The Hobbit, like a real precon, and thus this deck is running a light kindred strategy. Most creatures are Humans, the recruit mechanic is used considerably, and when the creatures aren't Humans they either thematically feel relevant or contribute to certain strategies. As this deck uses recruit a lot, and is thus drawing cards a lot because of its commander, so I also have a ton of "you have no maximum hand size effects" on board as well, with pieces like Triskaidekaphile and Laboratory Maniac in there for alternate win-conditions as well. The aim is to go wide with tokens and buff them with various effects, including kindred synergies. Since there is also a light discard strategy going on with the recruit mechanic, I've also put in some cards that help cast spells from the graveyard too (we can say it's thematic to Dale rising again after the fall of Smaug, or something). There's also a handful of connive cards in here too since that mechanic is similar to recruit. Finally, I tried to keep myself to a budget of about $150, minus new Hobbit cards, which I treated a bit like if they were new mechanically unique cards for this "lost" precon. That value with the Hobbit cards is above said limit but it still feels like a reasonably plausible deck list (with a whole bunch of LOTR arts chosen here where possible)

Bard, King of Dale

Thranduil, the Elvenking

Chief of the Wilds

"You must forgive my not taking your word. If you lived near the edge of Mirkwood, you would take the word of no one that you did not know as well as your brother or better."-Beorn the Fierce Pump and go wide with wolf and warg alike! Take control of the Wilds of Mirkwood with your chief (and commander). Your commander growing stronger with each member that is added to your hunting pack.

Chief of the Wilds

A Black-Green deck full of wolves backed up by spiders and bears this deck's bite is certainly worse that it's bark.

Tom, Bert, and William

Great Goblin, Foul-Hearted

The Lord of the Eagles

Small flyers, draw cards from attacking, grow the aerial army, drop huge Eagles.

Thorin Oakenshield

Protect your dwarves and equipment with ward from the commander while flooding the board. Mostly legendary creatures and equipment so Urza's Ruinous Blast becomes a mostly one sided board wipe. The arkenstone searches the perfect dwarf for the situation while also buffing and giving draw support.

Gandalf, Goblins' Bane // Flameshape

Voltron-Storm hybrid where you're swinging with a juiced-to-the-gills Gandalf (and Fling), storming off with grapeshot/Empty the Warrens, burning the table down or winning with Hellkite Tyrant. Thorin, Mountain-King can be considered an alternate commander.

The Sackville-Bagginses

This monoblack precon builds on one of the archetypes associated with Hobbits in the first LOTR set – Food tokens! Sacrifice Food tokens to gain life and ping your opponents. Reanimate your commander to use its powerful ETB, draw cards and ramp.

The Lord of the Eagles

Tom Bombadil

Ainulindalë: The Music of the Ainur is the first part of The Silmarillion written by J. R. R. Tolkien and narrates the tale of Ilúvatar and the Ainur singing the music at the creation of the world. The music creates Eä (creation), Arda (the World), and foretells the coming of the Children of Ilúvatar, Elves and Men. This deck focuses around Tom Bombadil, the God Bard, and the many songs, poems, and tales from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in the form of Enchantments and Sagas. The vast majority of the cards and printings are from the Hobbit and LOTR sets.

Bard, King of Dale

It was a timely message from an old thrush that allowed Bard to locate Smaug's weakness and slay the beast. Let the wisdom of the birds of Middle-earth guide you to your next victory!

Bard, King of Dale

With several solid archetypes in this set, this W/U deck headed by "Bard, King of Dale" utilizes the new "Recruit" mechanic to go alongside the other 3 previously created precons made by The Professor. Combined with a standard "precon package" (sol ring, command tower, arcane signet) there are multiple cards with the "recruit" keyword along with a game plan to benefit off of drawing your second card each turn. To go alongside this theme, there is a heavy emphasis on interacting on other turns to draw cards and protect our expensive commander. This paired with ways to make tokens and grow both a wide and tall board-state lead a control and token based strategy that funnels through your deck efficiently.

Gandalf, Party Guest

Cheap legendary wizards, expensive instant and sorcery pay offs. And lots of wizards of course, all of which are never late

Chief of the Wilds

Chief of the Wilds

Gollum, Riddle Master

The Torment of Gollum is a deck where you can repeatedly sacrifice and reanimate its commander - The choice is yours between the titular Gollum, punishing your opponents for playing spells, or Azog, a removal-spell-on-a-stick, whose ability also supports the primary commander's gameplan by allowing you to reset his second ability on top of replacing him with a sizeable Army and drawing a card.

Bard, King of Dale

An entry for the Tolarian Academy Hobbit Precon deckbuilding challenge. The deck is a more aggressive Azorius deck with a human tribal theme and a go-wide token strategy. The deck rewards you for drawing at least one extra card per turn with cards like Prince Imrahil the Fair and Mischievous Mystic. The commander, Bard, King of Dale, doubles your token generation and card draw, making him a threat to be reckoned with in the mid and late game. The second commander option, Bard, Heir of Girion, can be used as a finisher with his anthem effect, or simply as a decent attacker and blocker that provides extra card draw when you attack with any number of creatures.

Bard, King of Dale

I used a few simple cards that would be seen in a pre-con deck and to go even further I didn't use any UB sets (other than LOTR and Hobbit obviously) since Wizards would have to make a UB to UB reprint So it's a fully in universe and LOTR IP only deck, that has a very clear game plan with drawing cards, preferably 2 or more, and a few game enders to make sure things don't drag on too long or you end up decking yourself I believe the price isn't too high but card prices can change so my apologies if a card or two spike between me uploading this and the day its reviewed This was fun for me as I got a chance to cut much stronger cards not only for 'budget' reasons, like I normally do for a budget commander events, but for a practical and methodical reasons because Wizards wont put a £40 card in a pre-con deck knowingly so it was enjoyable to try think like a pre-con maker for Wizards

Bard, King of Dale

with the dragon falling at the hands of bard, the people of Lake Town rebuild, and the animals of the lake prosper

Smaug the Impenetrable

Smaug the Impenetrable as a very masochistic commander. The game plan is to get him in the field as soon as possible, then causing as much non-combat damage to him to generate a butt load of treasure. Working toward pay offs of either treasure enter triggers (Mirkwood Bats, Reckless Fireweaver), Big X spells that can take out your opponents (Comet Storm, Fireball), or alternate win conditions (Hellkite Tyrant, Revel in Riches). Pariah Shield creates extra value, turning any damage you take into even more treasures, and Pain for Fall turns all that self damage to potential player removal. There's also a some synergy with other indestructible creatures that also benefit in getting hurt, since you have a plethora of ways to deal damage to your own creatures, which can equal to player removal.

Belladonna Took

Second Breakfast Battalion is the missing Hobbit precon: a mono-white Belladonna Took deck where ponies, villagers, Lake-town guards, Dwarven supplies, Eagles, and a very organized Took family dinner become a full-scale resistance. Belladonna rewards the first three token entries each turn with life, a card, and then counters for the whole team. The deck uses Recruit cards, modest token makers, small white value creatures, and precon-style anthems to feel like a real lost product rather than an optimized token deck. The upgrade path is obvious: Anointed Procession, Mondrak, Smothering Tithe, Staff of the Storyteller, and Cathars’ Crusade. However, this submitted version aims for the lost-precon experience: cozy, flavorful, affordable, interactive, and surprisingly dangerous after the third breakfast.

Gandalf, Wandering Wizard

Gandalf, Goblins' Bane // Flameshape

The Great Goblin

Far under the Mist Mountains lies Goblin Town. Amass your armies of goblins and orcs, sacrificing them for value before marching to Erebor to overrun your opponents and claim the riches under the Mountain.

Bard, King of Dale

Draw cards. Make tokens.

Great Goblin, Foul-Hearted

It's an thematic goblin amass deck with an alternative of equipment. Build up a massive and evasive army with Great Goblin Foul Hearted or equip Shagrat, Loot Bearer and build your army that way.

Thorin, King of Durin's Folk

Beorn the Fierce

Beorn the Fierce

Bilbo, Thief in the Night

An Adventure deck focused around Bilbo, Thief in the Night. By milling yourself, you give yourself a variety of spells, then get the creature back later in the turn with a cost reduction. Some finishers include getting through with a sting or outlasting your opponents boardwipes and removals by recasting your creatures that are gone on adventures. Can't be blocked and evasion are key for letting bilbo get in safely The mana curve is misleading as many of the cards will be cast from your graveyard or exile. Futuresight allows you to get that discount from the top of your library.

Bard, King of Dale

The plan is pretty simple: draw cards, make tokens, and let Bard make both of those things stupid. Most of the deck works fine without the commander, but once Bard hits the board every draw engine gets better and every token maker starts getting out of hand fast. There’s a small Recruit package because it fits the theme and happens to work really well with both sides of Bard. And then there’s Skullclamp. Turning one disposable 1/1 into four cards because Bard decided drawing two wasn’t enough is exactly the kind of nonsense I wanted this deck to do. The deck usually wins by going wide with a ridiculous number of tokens, then finishing with Akroma’s Will, Moonshaker Cavalry, Mirror Entity, or Starlight Spectacular. Basically, Bard tells the story, adds a few details, and somehow one Soldier turns into an army.

Gollum, Silent Slinker // Meager Meal

This is a bracket 1 exhibition deck themed around Gollum, The Fish Song, and his love for everything raw and wriggling. The Fish Song (the deck) focuses entirely on cards that evoke Gollum's song he sang in the Dead Marshes including: Fish themed cards, art, and things that gift fish. Art and cards evoking the Dead Marshes themselves. Cards featuring hunger, food and consumption. Gollum himself in all of his (legal in this deck) forms! A few cards to glue the mechanics together while staying as close as possible to the theme. The resulting deck is a charming high bracket 1 composition that focuses on lifegain, evasion, and swamps matter effects.

Dwalin, Weaponmaster

mix of equipment that come with Power and toughness buff and abilities to give creatures, power them up and swing away. Aim to be low power at around Bracket 2 and semi low price

The Notary Hobbits

Bilbo has returned from his adventure only to discover that he has been presumed dead and his possessions are being auctioned away. Going, Going, Gone! turns that small moment from The Hobbit into an entire Commander precon. The Notary Hobbits enter as the three auctioneers Messrs. Grubb, Grubb, and Burrowes and each can tap for mana based on the number of Halflings you control. As more Halflings arrive, the auction staff becomes an increasingly powerful mana engine. That mana pays for the “auction lots”: Food, Treasures, heirlooms, weapons, maps, household objects, and strange artifacts. Cards such as Coveted Jewel, Pendant of Prosperity, and Bucknard’s Everfull Purse can actually move between players, allowing the auction theme to physically play out at the Commander table. Panharmonicon and Conjurer’s Closet can create additional Notaries, while Food and Treasure production provides a second resource engine. Eventually the harmless looking crowd of Hobbits wins through large combat turns with cards such as Overwhelming Stampede and End-Raze Forerunners. I deliberately built the deck like a real retail Commander precon rather than an optimized EDH list: a modest mana base, familiar Commander staples, a heavy concentration of Hobbit and Middle earth cards, flavorful reprints, no deterministic infinite combo, and several splashy but understandable synergies. The goal was for the deck to be easy to pick up, funny to discover, and strong enough to create memorable Commander games. Bilbo went there and back again. Unfortunately, his furniture didn’t wait for him.

Smaug, Wicked Worm

Give opponents cursed artifacts and maybe slide them some treasure tokens here and there. The more artifacts they take from you, the more treasure you will have to cause chaos. There are payoffs to punish your opponents each time you sacrifice your tokens and there is some nice flavorful additions like mines of Moria and treasure vault which also play into your strategy. I even included a good chunk of your typical precon cards for you to cut and feel smart about to give the authentic precon experience!

Balin, Loremaster

Each new dwarf brings a story of pain. Blast off with Balin as soon as you can land him with an enduring story. Trust the deck to bring you more dwarves and wheels to refill your hand. Keep an eye out for The Ten Rings to take this deck to 11.

Gandalf, Party Guest

There and Back Again: The Worth of the Journey represents Bilbo’s transformation from a comfortable, untested hobbit into someone shaped by friendship, courage, loss, and the stories he gathers along the road. Treasure may drive the quest toward Erebor, but the deck’s true wealth is found in the companions, relics, songs, and memories collected along the way—showing that what gives an adventure meaning is not what you bring home, but who you become before you return.

Great Goblin, Foul-Hearted

Bard, King of Dale

draw fast and play out your hand. When your deck is looking low refill it from your graveyard, just as Bard rebuilt dale after Smaug attacked the city.

Chief of the Wilds

Go wide with many Wargs. Use anthems to pump up even the smallest pups into big threats and sick them on your opponents creatures with one-sided fight effects. Capitalize on extra Wolf Triggers with Roaming Throne and resurrect your Wargs for extra ETB triggers. Instill fear in those Hobbitses and feed on the pesky Dwarves!

Smaug, Wicked Worm

Beorn the Fierce

Belladonna Took

Howdy. I figured I would try to go for a budget token deck that can make Belladonna go off a few times a turn for a good bit of value. Thanks for looking!

Chief of the Wilds

Go big and go wild with the Chief of the Wilds, a wolf-themed, 4-power themed "pre-con" designed to ramp up into large monsters and get advantage with their triggers

Beorn the Fierce

Beorn & the Bearfolk

Gandalf, Wandering Wizard

Lost your Gandalf? Replay him from the command zone! A wizard is never late... Enjoy this Gandalf and Bilbo themed deck where cards from the two lotr sets meet cards from throughout Magics history. The deck has been carefully crafted such that every card references something from the fandom that has sprung from Tolkiens fantastical world. Swing spells or take to the sword as Gandalf, the Wandering Wizard as reimagined in the modern age (or as they call it in lore, the third age). The deck plays by playing enchantments, artifacts, ramp and other long-term value cards until Gandalf, Wandering Wizard can be cast. Use your mana wisely, but do not be afraid to let Gandalf wander off with his ability to protect him. Remember to put him in the command zone instead of shuffling him into your deck, there is plenty of ramp specifically to play him again and again. How does the deck win? There are several avenues to which the deck can win. Firstly Gandalfs' draw can ensure that you have powerful artifacts or enchantments out on turn 7-8 as the deck is full of them. Secondly, The Lord of the Eagles and other fliers can present a strong beat down deck from the air. Thirdly, there are no wizards in the deck except for Gandalf. And Gandalf, Shadow's Foe (to represent that there were only five istari ((also, this make it so that there are two blue wizards in the deck :))) ). Gandalf, Shadow's Foe fuels a secondary theme of the deck. Landfall. Return 3 lands every time Gandalf, Shadow's Foe gets bounced and we're in value town.

The Chief Warg