Aragorn, the Uniter
– LOTR: TALES OF MIDDLE-EARTH
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2023
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.13
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 3.13
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 4.25
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
I’ll just warn you guys – Tales of Middle-Earth has a lot of different versions of the key characters. Most appear on at least two cards, and some have more. Aragorn has one for nearly every stage of his journey to the throne of Gondor; it looks like this is him when he’s almost there, already in command but not yet crowned. Perhaps, then, it’s fitting that his design is reminiscent of Kenrith, the Returned King from Throne of Eldraine. He’s likely to fill a similar role, going nearly straight to Commander – leaders with more than three colors are uncommon, and leaders with exactly four are the rarest of all. He also rewards you for having all of those colors in your deck, even (or especially) on multicolor cards that can trigger two at once. His effects are all somewhat linear and rather “fair” by high-power standards – including some Commander standards – but being a new option for four-color Commander and giving you the opportunity to surround him with whatever support spells you want will likely overcome that.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 4
Limited: 3
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
Four-color creatures are rare to begin with, and so I suppose the “expected protagonist” of The Lord of the Rings is indeed a good way to make such a card. Aragorn’s role in the grand adventure hews a bit closer to what you might expect the protagonist to be; he’s not the main hero, but as the last legitimate heir to a vacant throne, his journey to finally deciding to ascend to the throne of man, as it were, is a backbone of the story.
As a four-color payoff, Aragorn, the Uniter doesn’t disappoint in a gameplay sense. Each of his abilities triggers on casting a spell that shares one or more of his colors, and adding an effect to each spell adds up quickly. An additional Lava Spike to the face, a new friend, information, and a big power buff are all on offer, and while the red and green effects are the most conspicuous in terms of their power, all four are good ways to wrest control of the board over a long game.
Unfortunately, Aragorn, the Uniter’s only notable stat on his own is his slightly above-rate body, bound by a finicky color requirement. That said, Aragorn shines with friends, and if you can chain together the right line of spells, he’ll lead your army to a decisive and commanding victory in short order. There’s a small chance he might make waves in Modern, if the multi-color Humans deck is a thing still, but I feel like he’d be a side piece at best and not the main game plan. In a deck built to take advantage of his talents, though, the king of men in Middle-Earth will take you far.
Constructed: 3.25
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 3.25 (hampered heavily by his awkward casting cost)
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 4.5
We would love more volunteers to help us with our Magic the Gathering Card of the Day reviews. If you want to share your ideas on cards with other fans, feel free to drop us an email. We would be happy to link back to your blog / YouTube Channel / etc. 😉
