Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™ Release Notes

The Hobbit set introduces three distinct game mechanics designed around the lore of Middle-earth. Storied gives players a permanent designation called an enduring story once they control three or more permanents that are artifacts, legendaries, or Sagas. This status stays with the player for the remainder of the game regardless of what happens to their permanents. For instance, Thorin Oakenshield grants ward to your creatures and artifacts only after your enduring story is established.

Recruit is a new keyword action that forces a player to draw a card and then discard a card. If a nonland card is discarded this way, the player creates a 1/1 white Human Soldier creature token. Cards like Lake-town Lookout demonstrate this effect upon dying.

Hone counters offer a fresh way to power up Equipment. Each hone counter placed on an Equipment grants +1/+0 to the equipped creature, regardless of whether the Equipment itself possesses abilities printed on it. Cards like Dwalin, Weaponmaster generate these counters to bolster your army's combat strength.

Adventurer cards return in this set, allowing players to cast a card as a temporary spell before exiling it to cast as a permanent later. While in any zone other than the stack as an Adventure spell, only the card's main characteristics are recognized. A creature like Bilbo, Luckwearer functions strictly as a blue creature card in the graveyard, meaning it cannot be fetched by effects seeking instant or sorcery cards.

Amass returns with a twist, focusing on Goblin tokens alongside Orcs. Spells like Misty Mountains Raider trigger amass Goblins, creating a 0/0 black Goblin Army token if you do not control an Army, then putting +1/+1 counters on it. If you combine different amass cards, your Army can acquire multiple creature types, such as becoming a Goblin Orc Army.

Landfall also makes an appearance, rewarding players whenever a land enters the battlefield under their control. Creatures such as Attercop gain temporary combat buffs whenever lands are played or put into play by spell effects.

Cards bearing the primary set code HOB are legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Commander, and other constructed formats. The set enters Standard alongside a wide array of recently printed expansions, expanding deckbuilding options across competitive environments.

Cards printed with the Commander set code HOC are permitted in eternal formats, including Commander, Legacy, and Vintage. Any reprints included within the HOC release maintain their legality in any format where the original card is currently allowed.