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MTG The Hobbit exclusive reveals Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver and Eagle of the Great Shelf
Wizards of the Coast has revealed a new Magic: The Gathering card based on Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver, the legendary sword wielded by Thorin Oakenshield in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, ahead of the upcoming Magic: The Hobbit set's release. The reveal follows the sword's storied history in Tolkien's lore, and matters for Magic players because it fills a gap left by the previous Lord of the Rings crossover, which featured Glamdring but not its companion blade Orcrist.
The set launches on 14 August, with Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver designed as a three-mana colourless legendary equipment artifact that costs three mana to attach, granting +2/+2 and trample, and generating treasure tokens tied to creature types when it deals combat damage. Standard art comes from Erikas Perl, with a borderless variant by Francisco Badilla, and the card is said to synergise well with two Thorin cards already revealed for the set, Thorin, Mountain-king and Thorin, King of Durin's Folk, the latter exclusive to the Crack the Plates scene box.
In short
- MTG reveals Orcrist equipment card for new Hobbit-themed set
- Set releases 14 August; card grants +2/+2, trample and treasure tokens
- Card synergises with newly revealed Thorin-themed dwarf cards
Explained simply
Magic: The Gathering is a collectible trading card game where players use themed decks to compete. In recent years, the game's publisher, Wizards of the Coast, has created special card sets based on popular fantasy worlds like The Lord of the Rings to attract fans of those franchises.
The Hobbit is J.R.R. Tolkien's classic 1937 fantasy novel that follows a small hobbit named Bilbo on an adventure with dwarves, including their leader Thorin Oakenshield. Orcrist is a magical sword that belongs to Thorin throughout the story and is valued for its craftsmanship and history.
Wizards of the Coast previously released a Lord of the Rings Magic set that included Glamdring, Thorin's companion sword, but notably left out Orcrist. For fans of the source material and dedicated Magic players, having the complete set of iconic items and characters matters because it represents the richness of Tolkien's world.