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The Hobbit (HOB): 248 cards, Middle-earth Box Topper, Smaug the Magnificent Gleaming Gold limited edition of 500 copies, 2 Scene Boxes. Release date: August 14, 2026.
The second Tales of Middle-earth expansion for Magic: The Gathering, The Hobbit (set code: HOB), takes players into the story preceding The Lord of the Rings. The main set contains 248 cards dedicated to the quest of Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin's company, from the Shire to Erebor and the lair of the dragon Smaug. The line includes a bonus Box Topper (LOTR reprints), two new Scene Boxes (The Treasures of Smaug and Crack the Plates), and the featured card Smaug the Magnificent. Official release: August 14, 2026, with early access starting August 7.
Magic The Gathering: The Hobbit - HOB
Learn more about the expansion:
Return to Middle-earth: The Hobbit Foundational Tale
The Hobbit is the second Magic: The Gathering expansion based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Tales of Middle-earth, following The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (LTR) released in 2023. This set focuses on The Hobbit, a direct prequel to The Lord of the Rings. Players will once again encounter Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, and the company of thirteen dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, on a quest that takes them from the Shire to Erebor, through the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood, culminating in the final confrontation with the dragon Smaug inside the Lonely Mountain.
Adventures, Treasures, and Dwarves: The Set's Mechanical Cores
The Hobbit revolves around the return of the Adventure mechanic, thematically consistent with Bilbo's quest: cards like An Unexpected Party and Bilbo, Luckwearer place this mechanic at the heart of the set's identity. Treasure tokens structure a significant portion of the gameplay, reflecting the narrative stakes of the gold of Erebor and the dragon's loot. The set also introduces a typical Dwarf sub-theme with its own rewards, as well as a notable presence of Trolls. Sagas make their return, suggested by cards like Tom Bombadil, whose ability activates on the final chapter of a Saga.
Smaug the Magnificent: The Key Card with Three Artworks
Smaug the Magnificent is the signature card of the expansion. The iconic dragon appears as a 4/3 legendary creature for {2}{R}{R}, with flying and haste, damage based on the number of Treasures controlled, and the creation of a Treasure upon upkeep. The card comes in three versions, each illustrated by a different artist. The standard version (HOB 110) is illustrated by Francisco Miyara. The variant HOB 249 is illustrated by Ted Nasmith, the official illustrator for Tolkien Editions since the 1980s (The Silmarillion, Tolkien calendars, illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings), whose inclusion in a Magic set is a major event for Tolkien collectors. The third variant (HOB 265) is illustrated by John Tedrick.
Smaug Gleaming Gold: 500 Exclusive Collector's Editions
An ultra-rare version of the dragon, dubbed Gleaming Gold, is limited to a total of 500 copies. This variant appears exclusively in Collector Boosters, with a rate of less than 1%, and is always printed in English regardless of the language of the opened Collector Booster. It is not serialized, but its extremely limited print run makes it one of the most sought-after cards on the 2026 secondary market.
The Middle-earth Box Topper: Iconic LOTR Reprints
The Hobbit bonus content comes in the form of a Box Topper: a premium card included in each booster box. The announced selection draws from Tolkien's extensive mythology with notable reprints such as *The One Ring*, *Tom Bombadil*, and *Sauron, the Dark Lord*, all three from the LTR (2023) expansion. The Box Topper cards feature premium "Middle-earth classic artist" artwork and are not legal in Standard format.
*The Dwarven Language: A New Card Treatment*
The Hobbit Collector Boosters introduce a card treatment never before seen in Magic's history: some cards are printed in *Dwarven script*, the Cirth runic alphabet created by Tolkien for the dwarves of Middle-earth. *Arcane Signet* is the first card revealed in this treatment, and others are announced throughout the spoiler. This narrative language treatment echoes the Phurd script versions of previous expansions and is a collector's item in its own right for Tolkien worldbuilding enthusiasts.
Scene Boxes: The Treasures of Smaug and Crack the Plates
Two Scene Boxes are included with The Hobbit, each depicting an iconic scene from the novel. The Treasures of Smaug shows Bilbo discovering the treasure of Erebor and Smaug asleep on his gold inside the Lonely Mountain. Crack the Plates illustrates the novel's opening scene, when Gandalf and the thirteen dwarves arrive at Bag End and rearrange Bilbo's tableware, much to his dismay. Each Scene Box contains six traditional foil borderless cards whose artwork fits together to form a complete panoramic scene, six oversized art cards featuring the artwork alone, three Play Boosters, and a display easel for showcasing the scene.
Available products
The Hobbit is available in several formats. The Play Boosters (14 Magic cards, 1 card of rare or higher rarity, premium land in 20% of boosters) are sold individually, in lots of 10 or in boxes of 30 for drafting, the latter including in plus a Middle-earth Box Topper. The Collector Boosters include exclusive treatments (Gleaming Gold Smaug, Dwarven-language cards, and premium variants) and are available individually, in packs of 3, in displays of 12, or in Display Collector EN. The Bundle and the Gift Bundle (deluxe edition with 1 additional Collector Booster) complete the offer for collectors. The 2 Scene Box Set combines Treasures of Smaug and Crack the Plates for the complete panoramic collection. The Draft Night Kit allows you to organize a 4-player Pick-Two Draft with 12 Play Boosters and 1 Collector Booster included. The Preview Pack is released on August 7, 2026, one week before the official release of the expansion on August 14.