The big one for Magic players this summer: The Hobbit isn’t just another Universes Beyond curiosity — it’s going through Standard, unlike the Lord of the Rings set before it. That changes the calculus for competitive players, not just Commander collectors.
Magic: The Gathering
The Hobbit is coming this summer and it already has a headliner in Smaug the Magnificent. The key detail that sets it apart from the original LOTR crossover: this set is Standard-legal, so it’ll actually shape the competitive format rather than living in Commander land. Draftsim put together a full prerelease roadmap covering what you need to know before you crack packs.
On the brewing front, someone’s turned Equipment into a control shell. The idea is using The Mighty Thor, Jane Foster’s blink ability to repeatedly wrath the opponent’s board with brutal equipment — a genuinely weird Standard build worth a look in the full deck breakdown.
Pokémon TCG
Mega Evolution—Pitch Black is on the way, and the promo push has begun with a new “The Day Mega Darkrai Arrived” commercial teasing the expansion. Mega Darkrai as a set centerpiece is exactly the kind of chase card collectors will be tracking, so keep an eye on the expansion promo reveal.
Sleeve up — The Hobbit season is nearly here.