Stories hold a power far greater than that of the heroes within. When we read about or watch warriors on their epic journey, it's easy to feel like one's own life falls short. Few of us will ever go on quests or conquer the forces of darkness, at least in the literal sense. But that's just it: Sam's words aren't about orcs or dark lords, despite those very obstacles swirling around himself and Frodo. No, Sam is talking about life, and how no matter the background or circumstances, it sometimes feels insurmountable in its difficulty. And yet, it's those literary heroes who persist, who keep fighting despite all odds, that inspire us to hold on, to be brave, even when we feel like there's nothing left to draw upon. When all hope appears lost, that's when the choice to keep going makes all the difference. And that's something everyone can relate to.

So today, we won't be talking about a mighty wizard or would-be king. Our hero is a champion for the everyman, the one who wishes nothing more than a peaceful existence. When adventure calls, it'll often be unwelcome, yet necessary in order to do the right thing or correct an impending wrong. It might be a difficult project or toxic relationship. Perhaps an anxiety that threatens to take hold. But Samwise Gamgee reminds us: Keep going. Hold on. The good things are worth fighting for.

I know, I know. Quite the heavy start for an article about cardboard dragons. But Magic: The Gathering and The Lord of the Rings both share a mythological DNA that's designed to inspire. Watching our heroes face nigh-insurmountable odds, despite the doubt in their heart, emboldens us to do the same. And because Commander is a social format by nature, it's my hope that you're able to find additional strength and support from your friends each time you shuffle up.

The good things are worth fighting for.

Samwise the Brave by Marko Manev

Great friends not only have your back.

They'll carry you on theirs.

Now, onto the cardboard. I dunno about you, but philosophy makes me hungry.

1. Food Matters: Hobbits are all about hearth and home. Thorin Oakenshield's famous last words - "If more people valued home above gold, this world would be a merrier place." - are the truest testament to this ideal. A warm meal can work wonders, something family-man Samwise Gamgee knows well. Every new visitor gets their own Food token, which opens up a variety of useful synergies. These can either be direct (Trail of Crumbs, Peregrin Took, Academy Manufactor), or relate to Life-gain (The Gaffer, Treebeard, Gracious Host), Artifact (Inspiring Statuary), and Token (Bennie Bracks, Zoologist, Ellyn Harbreeze, Busybody) payoffs.

2. Enters-the-Battlefield Matters: To maximize the Food-generating potential of our Commander, we'll want to include as many creatures as possible. When those creatures come with ETB-effects, it's as if we're getting a free spell stapled onto their cardboard, helping us generate more value than simple food tokens. Aragorn and Arwen, Wed strengthen both the team and your life total. Loran of the Third Path comes with a free Disenchant. Rishkar, Peema Renegade hands out counters. Kogla, the Titan Ape punches something. This all blends well with Sam's culinary rewards, but why stop at a single visit when our guests can come and go multiple times in one game? Blink-(Ex. Emiel the Blessed, Charming Prince) and Bounce-(Ex. Stonecloaker, Whitemane Lion) work to both protect our team and repeat ETB-triggers along the way.

3. Legendary Matters: In addition to cooking up a storm, Samwise Gamgee is also able to cash in his tokens to return a historic permanent from our graveyard to hand. At the end of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo asks Samwise to finish the final pages of his chronicle. The tale of their quest, along with that of the other heroes that fought for them. A book of legends. You might notice a great many of our above examples are legendary, and that's very much by design. And among those legends, many come with ETB-abilities, getting us the most synergistic bang for our buck. On top of all that, we also draw on Legendary-matters effects such as Gandalf the White, Frodo Baggins, War of the Last Alliance, Flowering of the White Tree, and Urza's Ruinous Blast.

The combination of these factors make for a potent strategy. One that might not seem threatening at the start, but where the value keeps on coming. Each creature we cast can bring multiple bonus-effects along with it. Few individual creatures are imposing on their own, instead fueling bumps in card advantage or utility. However, after awhile, the abundance of resources will become apparent as a single mass-pump effect a la Craterhoof Behemoth or Blossoming Bogbeast will arrive to take opponents out.

Samwise Gamgee's Book of Legends | Commander | Matthew Lotti

• Commander (1)
• 1 Samwise Gamgee

• Creatures (36)
• 1 Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward
• 1 Academy Manufactor
• 1 Aragorn and Arwen, Wed
• 1 Arwen, Mortal Queen
• 1 Banquet Guests
• 1 Bennie Bracks, Zoologist
• 1 Blossoming Bogbeast
• 1 Boromir, Warden of the Tower
• 1 Captain Sisay
• 1 Charming Prince
• 1 Craterhoof Behemoth
• 1 Elanor Gardner
• 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
• 1 Ellyn Harbreeze, Busybody
• 1 Emiel the Blessed
• 1 Feasting Troll King
• 1 Frodo Baggins
• 1 Gandalf the White
• 1 Gilded Goose
• 1 Kogla, the Titan Ape
• 1 Loran of the Third Path
• 1 Lumbering Battlement
• 1 Peregrin Took
• 1 Radagast the Brown
• 1 Rescuer Chwinga
• 1 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
• 1 Rosie Cotton of South Lane
• 1 Samwise the Stouthearted
• 1 Stonecloaker
• 1 Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle
• 1 The Gaffer
• 1 Tireless Provisioner
• 1 Treebeard, Gracious Host
• 1 Torens, Fist of the Angels
• 1 Torsten, Founder of Benalia
• 1 Whitemane Lion

• Instants (6)
• 1 Chord of Calling
• 1 Eerie Interlude
• 1 Ephemerate
• 1 Ghostway
• 1 Kabira Takedown
• 1 Swords to Plowshares

• Sorceries (8)
• 1 Ascend from Avernus
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Farewell
• 1 Farseek
• 1 Kodama's Reach
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood
• 1 Urza's Ruinous Blast

• Enchantments (7)
• 1 Aura Shards
• 1 Dawn of a New Age
• 1 Day of Destiny
• 1 Flowering of the White Tree
• 1 Teleportation Circle
• 1 Trail of Crumbs
• 1 War of the Last Alliance

• Artifacts (8)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Crown of Gondor
• 1 Horn of the Mark
• 1 Idol of Oblivion
• 1 Inspiring Statuary
• 1 Relic of Legends
• 1 Sword of Hearth and Home
• 1 The One Ring

• Lands (34)
• 6 Plains
• 7 Forest
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1 Bountiful Promenade
• 1 Brushland
• 1 Castle Garenbrig
• 1 Eiganjo Castle
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Horizon Canopy
• 1 Kor Haven
• 1 Krosan Verge
• 1 Minas Tirith
• 1 Overgrown Farmland
• 1 Plaza of Heroes
• 1 Razorverge Thicket
• 1 Sunpetal Grove
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 The Grey Havens
• 1 The Shire
• 1 War Room
• 1 Windbrisk Heights
• 1 Windswept Heath
• 1 Wooded Bastion

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Family of Heroes: Our synergies are largely creature-based, so they unsurprisingly make up the majority of our deck. As such, it falls to them to make up for the utility normally reserved for other card types. We already touched upon how important ETB- effects are, in addition to the extra oomph we get from legendary cards, but now let's dive into specifics:

Card Advantage: Samwise Gamgee plus a multitude of creatures equals a multitude of life-gaining tokens, turning cards like aforementioned Peregrine Took, Bennie Bracks, Zoologist, Ellyn Harbreeze, Budybody, and The Gaffer into repeated card draw machines. But they're not alone. Loran of the Third Path and Radagast the Brown provide cards even after their ETB abilities fire. Legend after legend ensures Frodo Baggins tempts the Ringbearer to the highest level in short order. Torens, Fist of Angels and Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle generate card advantage rather than actual card draw, but due to our high legendary creature count, both are likely trigger on every one of our turns, expanding the army even further. In the case of Teshar, remember that our Commander only costs 2-mana, so making him easily revived via the historic ability. The classic Captain Sisay tutors up our best legendaries each turn. Torsten, Founder of Benalia can refill our hand completely upon arrival, and while he doesn't continue to draw cards after the ETB ability, he's the perfect example to segue into...

Bounce, Blink, and Exile Effects: One their own, these abilities go a long way toward protecting the team. Each effectively acts as a counter spell for opposing removal, even mass-removal in some cases. When combined with Samwise Gamgee giving us food each time a creatures enter play (it need not be cast) and copious ETB abilities, each instance of bounce, blink, and self-exile stands to generate multiple repeated value. Stonecloaker, Whiteman Lion, Samwise the Stouthearted and Rescuer Chwinga deploy at Instant-speed and bounce something back to hand. We'll then need to recast the returned permanent, but this is easily accomplished by waiting for an opponent's end-of-turn. Or you could deploy a surprise blocker-rescue in a pinch. Blink effects like Charming Prince and Emiel the Blessed are slower or require additional mana to activate, but getting around you having to recast the targeted creature. Finally, in the realm of self-exile, Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward and Lumbering Battlement cover the rest of your army in a cloak. This puts your opponents in an awkward position, as anything that would remove them (sweepers, combat, etc.) now means your army returns all at once, resulting in a slew of triggers and ETB-abilities. Alternatively, you could drop a sweeper-effect yourself, wiping the board while bringing all your own creatures back unharmed. Before any of that happens, you'll either have a brand new army of 1/1 tokens or a massive vigilant beast hammering down on your foe's life total.

Odd couple

While it's the most thematically-unlikely pairing I could imagine, Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines partners incredibly well with Samwise Gamgee and everything his deck is trying to do. He may not agree with her methods, per say, but you'll certainly enjoying the doubling-up of triggers. Gandalf the White is included for similar reasons, but I imagine his presence is less troubling for our Hobbit hero.

Food Fight: Samwise Gamgee will make the majority of Food, and provides a built-in payoff to boot, but there's plenty else to do with them. Feasting Troll King gobbles up a trio to directly return to play. No need to recast via Samwise, though if you do, the troll king's second appearance will leave you one token ahead. Banquet Guests doesn't even need to eat the food to grow large enough to fell an Eldrazi. Rosie Cotton of South Lane and Treebeard, Gracious Host bring along extra snacks while also enhancing power/toughness. Gilded Goose, Elanor Gardener and Academy Manufactor turn rations into ramp. And if we're talking finishers, a few Food tokens cracked alongside a Blossoming Bogbeast make for quite the Craterhoof Behemoth impression. Though he's included too, as that's way too good an ETB-ability to leave at home. For more budget builds, look to Heroes' Podium for a similarly-large boost at a tenth of the price.

Supporting Spells: On the non-creature front, we see many of the same effects as described as above. Creature- and token-centric card draw comes in the form of Dawn of a New Age, War of the Last Alliance, Crown of Gondor, Trail of Crumbs, and Idol of Oblivion, but those aren't the only sources of value. The infamous Aura Shards is bound to trigger often, annihilating opposing artifacts and enchantments. Teleportation Circle, Eerie Interlude, Ghostway, Sword of Hearth and Home, and Ephemerate all reactivate ETB-abilities. Food tokens are also useful for shoring up our life total when necessary, making the draining effect of The One Ring less potent as it draws us a bunch of cards.

The legendary nature of our army elevates Urza's Ruinous Blast, Flowering of the White Tree, and Day of Destiny to their best, making each a potential game-winner if our forces are large enough.

Mana Support and Rocks: Most of our ramp hails from the usual Green places (Cultivate, Farseek, etc.), but our deck does synergize incredibly well with two three-mana rocks. Relic of Legends has plenty of creatures to fuel large bursts of mana. The card I'm really excited to try out is Inspiring Statuary, as it's easy to forget that Food token are Artifacts, so each effectively becomes a 'mana rock' for colorless once the statuary begins inspiring. It doesn't take much work to effectively double your mana off this card with Sam on the table.

Samwise Gamgee will most often trade in Food tokens to save legendary creatures, but remember that he can also bring back artifacts and legendary lands from the graveyard. Plenty of legendary lands like Minas Tirith, The Shire, Kor Haven, and Eiganjo Castle provide useful effects atop mana production. Or you could continually use the Channel abilities of Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire and Boseiju, Who Endures for repeated removal.

The Shire by Jonas De Ro

Budget Options: Hobbits spare no expense on good food and ale, but that doesn't mean they can't be frugal every now and then. Even Samwise Gamgee had to live off of Lembas for a good long while. In the wilds, there wasn't even a good potato to Stew the Conneys with. If Hobbits can tighten their belts every once and a while, so can we. For any Magic players who'd prefer not to break the bank on cardboard, here are some alternatives to +$20 cards.

Creatures: Among our army, we lose Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines, Captain Sisay, Craterhoof Behemoth, and Bennie Bracks, Zoologist. All great cards, and sadly, vehicles for either card advantage or a won game. But fear not, for the world of legends runs deep. Lena, Selfless Champion, God-Eternal Rhonas, Yasharn, Implacable Earth, and Old One Eye all offer powerful ETB-abilities on legendary bodies, perfect for flicker/bounce effects. If we're looking for more sources of blink/bounce/exile, look to cards like Dust Elemental, Flickerwisp, Shepherd of the Flock, Yannick, Scavenging Sentinel, and Fleetfoot Panther. Increasing your number of these effects also makes Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit more appealing as a budget-inclusion.

Non-Creature Spells: We suffer less in the non-creature department, with only The One Ring breaking the bank. I'll touch on Heroes' Podium once again, as it acts as a Coat of Arms for our legendary creatures while drawing cards. Both fantastic effects. Other fun Food synergies include Giant Opportunity for a surprise 7/7 and Field-Tested Frying Pan for a thematic and potentially heavy-hitting attack. Our plethora of creatures also warrants a look at other mass-revival spells like Faith's Reward and Revivify to join the Ascend from Avernus already present in our deck.

Mana Sources: Now is a fantastic time to pick up nonbasics like Minas Tirith and The Shire, along with many of the other legendary lands from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth. Their prices are all under $10, even among Mythics like Mount Doom.

Within our deck, we only lose Windswept Heath and Boseiju, Who Endures. While it hurts to lose Boseiju and its potential for recycling, plenty of other legendary lands like Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth, Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers, and Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper are available to fill the spot.

Samwise Gamgee by Ekaterina Burmak

No matter where your adventures take you, be they epic in scope or day-to-day, may you face them with courage and hope. If a quiet Hobbit from the countryside can save the world with nothing but loyalty and determination, imagine what we can all do. May your Commander nights be as full of camaraderie as they are competitiveness. In each game played, may the heroes you send into fantasy battles inspire you during the real-life ones.

Thanks for reading, and may you always keep going. It's worth fighting for.

-Matt-

@Intrepid_Tautog