To say that J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Ringsis packed full of characters would be an understatement. In addition to an extensive main cast, there’s also a bevy of supporting characters, many of whom only appear for a chapter or two but manage to make a strong impression.
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The designers ofMagic: The Gathering’s Tales of Middle-earth set did an admirable job of bringing the bulk of these characters over, includingsome of the more obscure ones, but there simply wasn’t room at the inn for everyone. Here are eight characters who, despite their greatness, didn’t make the cardboard cut.
8Elladan And Elrohir
The twin sons of Elrond and older brothers to Arwen, Elladan and Elrohir were surprising omissions not just from Tales of Middle-earth, but from the trilogy’s film adaptations as well. Their heroic deeds are numerous and tightly woven into the story of Lord of the Rings, including fighting alongside Arathorn, Aragorn’s father, and marching on the Black Gate at the end of the War of the Ring.
That gives plenty to work with in terms of mechanics and flavour, and the fact that they’re twins would open up some fun design space in the same vein as Ruric Thar and Gisa and Geralf. There’s no shortage of Elves in Tales of Middle-earth, but Elladan and Elrohir would’ve presented a nice opportunity to print some focused more on combat than card selection.
7Haldir
Most notable for his heroic Helm’s Deep sacrifice in the film trilogy, Haldir also appeared in the original books as an Elf who met the Fellowship on the borders of Lothlórien and guided them through to Lady Galadriel. While his role in the story is minor, he has a few key characteristics that would’ve translated well into a Magic card.
Firstly, Haldir was one of the few Elves that spoke the common tongue and therefore was able to communicate with the Fellowship where his kinsmen could not, something that could be reflected in an ability that provides bonuses to those playing a diverse suite of creature types. He could also feature some kind of lands-matter effect, to reflect his status as a guide for the Fellowship.
6Gamling
One of Theoden’s trusted lieutenants, Gamling the Old played a key role in the climactic battle of the trilogy’s second instalment, The Two Towers. He commanded forces that won key victories both before and during the battle of Helm’s Deep, notably fighting alongside Gimli to protect the civilians who had fled into the Glittering Caves.
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His prowess at defensive warfare could easily be translated into a Magic card, be it in the form of a toughness-boosting Anthem effect for your other creatures, or some kind of bonus when blocking. He could also feature some synergy with Dwarves so that players are subtly coerced into recreating his bold stand with Gimli on their battlefields.
5Déagol
While Déagol does technically appear in the set as a corpse on the card Claim the Precious, he doesn’t get his dedicated creature card. This is a shame, considering his discovery of the One Ring ultimately leads to the events of the entire trilogy. Sméagol’s less-famous cousin may only have a brief role in the story, but he’s important enough to deserve a spot in Tales of Middle-earth.
His famous finding of the Ring could easily be recreated in-game through some kind of artifact-drawing ability, either from the graveyard or the top few cards of your deck. He could also have an ability that allowed him to be sacrificed to have the Ring tempt you, reflecting his sad, cruel fate at Sméagol’s hands. When it comes to Déagol, the river of gameplay possibilities runs deep.
4Farmer Maggot
A bit of an icon among die-hard book fans, Farmer Maggot is known for standing up to a Ringwraith and refusing to give up Frodo’s location, despite the many times he stole mushrooms from his field in the past. He then hosted the traveling Hobbits at his farm as they began their journey east, supplying them with a basket of mushrooms for the road.
Naturally, Maggot’s status as a farmer lends itself to Food token synergies, which are already prevalent among the Hobbits in Tales of Middle-earth, but there are other design angles to consider. Protection from Wraiths seems a fitting ability, as does the option of summoning one of three legendary Dog tokens: Grip, Fang, or Wolf, to represent the farmer’s three beloved pets.
3Watchers Of Cirith Ungol
Despite stretching the definition of ‘character’ a little thin, the Watchers of Cirith Ungol certainly wouldn’t stretch the boundaries of a traditional Magic card. This pair of statues stood on either side of the entrance to the Tower of Cirith Ungol, where Frodo was imprisoned after his run-in with Shelob, and Sam had to pass through them to enact his heroic rescue.
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While they appear to be stationary statues, a dark consciousness lies within the Watchers, and they exert a force that prevents most from passing through the tower gate. This could translate nicely into an artifact creature with defender, perhaps one that prevents creatures below a certain power threshold from attacking.
2Halbarad
The leader of the Grey Company, a group of rangers who came to Aragorn’s aid during the events of Return of the King, Halbarad was a baffling omission from Tales of Middle-earth. Not only did he accompany Aragron into the Paths of the Dead, and help him secure the support ofthe ghostly army within, but he also fought with him at the ensuing Battle of Pelennor Fields, where he met his untimely demise.
There are plenty of directions a Halbarad card could go in, from a Lord for the niche Ranger type, to a Human support card who creates Spirit tokens, to reflect his role in enlisting the Army of the Dead. Either way, he’s a key character from the original books who deserves some recognition in adaptations like Tales of Middle-earth.
1Ghân-buri-Ghân
Perhaps the deepest cut on this whole list, Ghân-buri-Ghân is a minor character in the grand scheme of things, but all the more interesting because of it. He was the chieftain of a group called the Drúedain, a race of men biologically closer to Dwarves than the rest of their kin, and he helped ensure victory for Gondor and Rohan at the Battle of Pelennor Fields by leading Theoden’s forces through secret paths in the mountains, avoiding the Orcs that were intended to block their path.
Naturally, this would translate nicely into an ability that granted your other creatures unblockable, letting them slip through the enemy lines just like the Rohirrim did in the mountains. Alternatively, his home in the Drúadan Forest could be leaned into instead, with abilities that would search or capitalise on Forest lands.
