The Hobbit MTG Commander Party

Sunday, August 23 | 4–8 PM

Entry: $10 per player

Casual Commander Pods | Special Hobbit Scenario | Prize Support | Free Pizza

Bilbo, Luckwearer Promo Card while supplies last

Gather your fellowship, grab your favorite Commander deck, and join us at Purple Dragon Games for The Hobbit MTG Commander Party on Sunday, August 23 from 4–8 PM. If the words "Commander event" make you picture a serious tournament full of optimized decks and players staring intensely at their opening hands, don't worry. This is a casual Commander Party, not a competitive tournament. The whole idea is to sit down with other Magic players, play the deck you enjoy, and experience a special Hobbit adventure that unfolds alongside your normal Commander game. New Commander players are welcome, experienced players are welcome, and you absolutely do not need a Hobbit-themed deck. Your regular Commander deck works just fine.

So... What Is a Commander Party?

A Commander Party takes a normal multiplayer game of Commander and adds a shared story scenario created specifically for the event. You still shuffle your own 100-card Commander deck, draw your opening hand, cast your Commander, attack opponents, build your board, and play Magic normally. The difference is that your pod also has a special Hobbit Journey Board sitting at the table. As your Commander game progresses, your entire fellowship travels together from The Shire toward the Lonely Mountain, visiting locations from Bilbo's adventure along the way.

At the beginning of each active player's upkeep, the fellowship advances to the next location on the Journey Board. When you arrive somewhere new, the location presents special choices that can affect your game. You might gain life, create Treasure, make Food, strengthen a creature, draw cards, or receive another useful bonus. Each player makes their own choice, so while everyone is traveling the same road, you don't necessarily receive the same benefit. Think of the Journey Board as an extra adventure running on top of your Commander game.

And yes, eventually you're going to reach a rather large mountain with a rather large dragon sitting on an unreasonable amount of treasure.

The Road to the Lonely Mountain

Your fellowship begins in The Shire, where everyone starts with a little help for the journey. From there, the table travels through places such as Trollshaw's Cave of Plunder, Rivendell, the Misty Mountains, Beorn's House, Mirkwood, Thranduil's Halls, Lake-town, and finally the Lonely Mountain. Every stop introduces another decision or benefit, so the scenario gradually changes what's happening in your Commander game.

The important part is that you aren't playing against the Journey Board and you don't need to study it before coming. There isn't a Hobbit trivia test hiding behind the counter. We'll have the scenario set up and explain how it works before your pod begins. When your upkeep comes around, you'll advance the fellowship and follow the instructions for the new location. Your normal Commander game continues around it.

That makes this a particularly fun event for players who enjoy Commander but want something different from an ordinary open-play night. Your deck is still doing its thing, except now the Shire is feeding you, Mirkwood is interfering with everyone's plans, Treasure is piling up, and eventually the entire table is poking around somewhere Smaug would probably prefer you didn't.

And Then You Find Smaug's Hoard...

Once the fellowship reaches the Lonely Mountain, the journey stops advancing. You've made it.

This is where another special Commander Party component enters the game: Smaug's Hoard.

We'll have a special deck of oversized artifact cards at the table representing treasures from the hoard. These include powerful Magic artifacts such as Blade of Selves, Mirari, Sword of Wealth and Power, Chromatic Orrery, Cloud Key, Staff of Domination, Sword of the Animist, The Immortal Sun and more. These aren't cards you need to own or put into your deck. They're part of the Commander Party scenario.

Once you're at the Lonely Mountain, the active player reveals cards from Smaug's Hoard and chooses a treasure to use. That artifact can become part of your battlefield and suddenly add a completely new toy to whatever your Commander deck was already trying to accomplish. Other players will be getting treasures of their own as the game continues, so reaching the mountain can turn an already interesting Commander table into something wonderfully unpredictable. In other words, bring your deck. We'll provide the adventure and the dragon's treasure.

This Is Casual Commander

We really want to emphasize this part: you do not need a competitive Commander deck for this event.

Commander Party is designed as a social, casual Magic experience. We'll primarily organize players into multiplayer pods, normally four players per table, and encourage everyone to have a quick conversation about their decks before starting. If you're playing something relaxed, say so. If your deck has some stronger interactions, let the table know. The goal is to find enjoyable games where everyone gets a chance to actually play their deck and experience the scenario.

Mistakes aren't disasters here, either. If you miss something, don't understand a card, or aren't sure how the Commander Party scenario interacts with your board, ask us. Our Game Leaders and staff can help with rules questions and walk players through the special scenario. You aren't expected to memorize how the Journey Board works before arriving. We'll explain it.

If this is one of your first Commander games, that's completely okay. In fact, Commander Party can be a pretty entertaining introduction because everyone at the table has something new to discover together.

Bring Whatever Commander Deck You Love

A Hobbit or Middle-earth-themed Commander deck is encouraged for flavor, never required for entry. If you've been looking for an excuse to build Hobbits, Dwarves, Wizards, Dragons, Food, Treasure, legendary creatures, or something gloriously Tolkien-ish, this is your moment. Bring it.

But your Commander doesn't need a passport stamped by the Shire. If you've got a favorite deck you've been tuning for months and it has absolutely nothing to do with The Hobbit, bring that instead. The Journey Board works alongside your existing deck, which is part of what makes Commander Party fun. Every deck interacts with the bonuses and treasures a little differently. You also don't need to modify your deck specifically for the scenario. Show up with a legal Commander deck, shuffle up, and we'll take care of the rest.

New to Commander? You're Invited Too.

If you've been watching Commander from the sidelines because you don't know every rule yet, this is a good night to jump in. Tell us you're new when you arrive and we'll help get you situated. Our Commander community has been growing, and we're especially proud of the players who take the time to explain cards, answer questions, and help newer players understand what's happening at the table.

Don't own a Commander deck yet? Ask us about a loaner deck. We're working to have decks available so a lack of cards doesn't automatically mean someone has to sit out. Loaner availability may be limited, so contacting us ahead of the event is a good idea if you know you'll need one.

Commander has a lot of cards, a lot of interactions, and occasionally a battlefield that looks like someone spilled an entire filing cabinet onto the table. Nobody learns all of that before their first game. Come play.

Bilbo, Luckwearer Participation Promo

We also received a limited supply of the special Bilbo, Luckwearer promotional card for Commander Party participants. We currently have 16 copies available, so these are strictly while supplies last.

Our Bilbo promos are limited to one per participating player. We want the limited supply to reach as many different members of our Commander community as possible rather than having duplicate copies go to the same players. If adding Bilbo to your collection is important to you, we strongly recommend reserving your place early because we cannot guarantee the promo once our supply has been claimed.

The promo isn't about winning the Commander game. This is a participation promo, fitting the whole spirit of Commander Party. Come join the adventure.

What Does the $10 Ticket Include?

Your $10 ticket gets you into our special The Hobbit Commander Party experience, including organized Commander play, use of the official Journey Board and Smaug's Hoard scenario materials, prize support for game winners, eligibility for the Bilbo, Luckwearer participation promo while supplies last, and free pizza during the event. We'll organize the tables, explain the scenario, help with rules questions, and get the fellowship moving. You bring your Commander deck and whatever amount of courage seems appropriate for entering a dragon's mountain. The Hobbit MTG Commander Party takes place Sunday, August 23 from 4–8 PM at Purple Dragon Games.

Whether you've played hundreds of Commander games or you're still figuring out why everyone keeps asking whether you paid your Commander tax, you're invited. Bring a Middle-earth masterpiece, bring your trusty everyday Commander deck, or talk to us about borrowing a deck and learning to play.

Bring your deck. Find your fellowship. Leave the Shire.

There's treasure waiting under the mountain.