Galadriel of Lothlorien – LOTR: TALES OF MIDDLE-EARTH
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2023
Ratings:
Constructed: 2.75
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 3.88
Multiplayer: 3.88
Commander [EDH]: 4.13
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
It’s funny to think of Galadriel in a Magic-related mechanical role, in this case as a signpost of sorts for Tales of Middle-earth‘s scrying theme. Her appearances in the books are brief, but give readers a hint of the hidden depths and power she possesses; and her abilities are similarly subtle and deceptively strong. You may have noticed that recent scry effects favor numbers equal to or less than two, on average, making her first trigger stand out. And you have undoubtedly also noticed that green and blue decks like getting to the late game, which is a lot easier when you’re getting free lands from a game action designed to stack your deck, and which is what the set’s elf cards want to do anyway. I’d be surprised if somebody doesn’t find a way to fit that into the super-ramp archetypes in Commander, whether or not it involves a deck actually led by Galadriel herself.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
The lady of Lothlórien and wife of its lord, Celeborn, Galadriel served as a motivator for the Fellowship of the Ring, granting them each gifts and cloaks to aid them in their journey. She also was tempted by the powers of The One Ring, as she bore one of the elven Rings of Power, Nenya, though she ultimately threw it off and did not succumb.
Such is a neat reference baked into Galadriel’s card here, which rewards you if you choose to not make her your ring-bearer. In conjunction with other instances of the temptation of the Precious Supreme, Galadriel can let you scry a healthy amount. It also feeds into her other ability, which can turn the scry set-up into payoff by potentially accelerating your mana. Keep in mind that the scry need not come from Galadriel’s first ability, and it’s scrying of any amount. Her scry 3 is good for setting up both a card to get on your next turn and a land to use on your next turn, so there’s that.
Galadriel’s not going to make it in Modern, I feel; dying to Lightning Bolt without immediate impact on the board is a tall order for a three-mana creature, and she needs additional time and set-up to really shine. She’s good in Simic colors, though, playing well with their fondness for scrying, and I feel like she’ll be a solid “value engine” Commander who won’t win you the game alone but will put you n quite a good position.
Constructed: 2.5
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 3.75
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 4.25
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