Bill the Pony
– LOTR: TALES OF MIDDLE-EARTH
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2023
Ratings:
Constructed: 2.25
Casual: 4.00
Limited: 4.00
Multiplayer: 3.00
Commander [EDH]: 3.25
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Bill is not the most spectacular member of the fellowship, but he’s one who leaves an impression on many readers – not just on horse fans, either. He may end up doing so on Magic players, too, just because there are a surprising number of facets to his gameplay. There’s a clear Food subtheme in Tales of Middle-earth, and as such a clear benefit to getting two Food tokens along with a four-toughness creature. He’s capable of punching above his weight in combat, and once you add older cards to the mix, he’s capable of adding a new dimension to the Wall/defender/Doran/Arcades decks in casual play. While not necessary in those decks and probably not well positioned for tournaments, there’s an argument that he adds more than enough fun to be worth trying out.
Constructed: 2
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3
Commander [EDH]: 3
Samwise Gamgee’s faithful steed, Bill the Pony appropriately plays into what the hobbits of the set like to do: interact with food. He produces two Food tokens when he comes in and, in a pinch, can turn those into a combat buff of sorts; most of the set’s Halfling creatures tend to have higher toughness, and so Bill the Pony can make them hit hard. And, likewise, food turns the faithful steed into a functional 4/4 in combat. He’s not the flashiest, but he’s a solid workhorse of a creature with a surprising amount of synergies available to the enterprising player.
Constructed: 2.5 (four mana is a bit of a steep ask for Modern, and I don’t believe the Defender deck has ever really taken off)
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
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