The Hobbit: Top 10 Best Cards for Duel CommanderIn MTG, there are "right" cards and interesting cards. Many cards can't find a home immediately, but they have unique/unseen effects or are similar to many other cards to the point that an archetype centered around them might soon become viable.In this review, we'll cover these two types of cards, highlighting which one they are quite clearly. Let's go!10 - Bilbo’s GambitIf it were up to me, in particular, this card wouldn't be in this article. Bilbo's Gambit is a lot worse than Reprieve, considering it doesn't draw a card. Giving a Treasure to the opponent to Silence them doesn't even work if you want to protect yourself because then you also won't be able to play anything else that turn.Lots of players believe this card is great and have compared it to Mana Tithe and Reprieve. But, personally, to me, it's a lot closer to Lapse of Certainty, and it will soon be forgotten.9 - Most Decrepit Old BirdWill any deck be able to use this Bird? If Speak Secrets were an instant, I'd say with confidence that this Bird is one of the best cards in this set. Decks that can hit lots of instants/sorceries usually don't want a 2/2 Flying creature. Flaws aside, this card is fantastic because Adventures create a lot of value.8 - Gollum, Riddle MasterThis card is a 4/2, draws a card, and drains 2 life. This is a lot for just . The only issue is that oftentimes it will be removed (with a Fury for instance, for just 1 damage), or you'll have to replace it before you get everything out of it. Though it drains 2 life, this won't happen automatically (this means you can't end the game with it or "not die" once it's your turn again because of it), which makes it a lot worse.Still, Gollum seems like a very versatile 2-drop, and I'd be extremely surprised if it didn't show up in aggressive black decks (Rakdos/Golgari/Jund).7 - Thorin WakenshieldIn Duel Commander, there is an inside joke inspired by "it can see play in Tron" from Modern (which players say about every card that costs a lot of mana and is colorless): "it can see play in Yoshi". Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful was critical for this format, and, as such, every legendary card gets this feedback when it comes out.That being said, I see real potential in Thorin. As a rule, Storied will often be active on turn 2 (Yoshi + a legendary land + Thorin itself). Its Ward ability is strong for a deck centered around putting pressure, and Trample makes a huge difference in this card.Furthermore, Thorin is not a Human, so Winota lists can also see some use for it.6 - The Lonely MountainOh, what a sad requirement. Unfortunately, in Duel Commander, equipment cards are white, not red. There are a few good options, like Cori-Steel Cutter and Skullclamp, but paying 6 mana (5 to activate + 1 to tap) is quite heavy. I believe you'll need at least 2 equipment cards to make this card viable, which should keep this Lonely Mountain out of the meta. But you can tutor it with fetchlands, so we had to bring it up.5 - Riddles in the DarkThis is by far the most difficult card to review in this set. It is a mixture of several things. You can say that the difference between this card and a Sauron's Ransom is the same difference between Fact or Fiction and Steam Augury. The fact it costs 3 mana and draws 2 cards from the top of the deck makes it similar to Stock Up, but it works at instant speed. Unlike other options, which give the opponent all the information, the face-down pile allows you to keep some secrets in the dark, which can be rewarding.I wouldn't be surprised if this card never saw play in DC, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the most played card from this set. It's very difficult to properly assess Riddles in the Dark, and players will have to test it a lot before they know its true strength.4 - Bilbo, Thief in the NightBilbo seems like a modern version of Dreadhorde Arcanist. The fact you have to attack with him is quite bad because decks that can take advantage of it (usually piles of instants and sorceries, and maybe a few artifacts) won't play many creatures. This means that you'll have to set up an alternative game plan (if attacking with these decks was good, you'd play more attackers), and Bilbo is the perfect target for enemy removals.Still, it creates a lot of value. Considering Long Goodbye, Demonic Tutor, Mishra's Bauble, and Flow State are in play, a few attacks with Bilbo can end the game when your opponent still has 15 HP.The number of creatures that seem to work in aggro lists points to me that this archetype will soon be viable (hello, Basim Ibn Ishaq) and might even be good!3 - The Queen of DaleIs Recruit good? The obvious comparison is with Connive, but creating an extra body is a lot better than putting +1/+1 counters in play. The trigger condition is acceptable and should trigger in nearly every turn cycle (and, in some turns, it should trigger more than once).If Recruit ends up so good that opponents can't ignore it, I believe this card will become a staple. It is still a 2/1 for 2 mana, and the loot ability in a Highlander format without a sideboard is actually quite valuable.2 - Kili the ResourcefulKili already has a place in Cloud, Midgar Mercenary lists. Though it only allows you to equip for free the first time in each turn, it is still good enough because activating Storied is too easy. The mini-Sram part (a reference to Sram, Senior Edificer) also makes Kili quite powerful.The fact it is a 1/2 instead of a 2/1 is annoying. A lot. A 2/1 creature is helpful enough in combat to be considered good. Considering creatures like Spectacular Spider-Man (a 3/2 with Flash) see play in DC, investing 2 mana in such a small body (in an equipment/creature list, which clearly values the combat phase) is probably not worth it.To sum up, I believe Kili is my biggest mistake in this list, but I still wasn't brave enough to leave it out of this article.1 - Smaug, the MagnificentSmaug is simple, but it has Flying, Haste, decent stats, and a relevant ability. Considering Magda, the Hoardmaster sees play in DC, as well as several other ways to create Treasures, Smaug seems an extremely versatile way to put pressure.I don't believe a Dragon archetype will be viable soon, but, considering The Ur-Dragon, Mox Jasper, Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant, and so many other support pieces, I believe this creature type might become relevant (which could even be interesting to WotC... A super popular creature type becoming competitive? Seems great).Smaug might not see play immediately, or ever. It is still a 4-mana threat that dies to Lightning Bolt, after all. But its growing synergies (through its creature type, cards that create Treasures, etc.) lead me to believe it could be decent in the long term.Honorable MentionsGleaming Splendor was probably the most discussed card in the spoiler season, but it is destined for multiplayer modes. Its design is beautiful, but it won't see play in DC.Uncover the Moon Letters is a wonderful card that I really wanted to add to my top 10, but, for 4 mana, a card that doesn't do anything straight away is simply too slow for the current meta. It's a pity because when this card is in play, you can access many other cards in your deck (which should make you win more, as long as you know what you're doing).Bejeweled Warg has decent stats, evasion, and relevant abilities. Ten years ago, people would go crazy for such a great creature. But Werewolf Pack Leader exists and is considered trash. I still struggle to understand how such big numbers and relevant abilities can be bad, but things are what they are.Final WordsWhat do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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