- Custom Precons: Six Commander decks built for the five armies and Smaug.
- Budget Target: Each deck is designed to hover around a $50 price point.
- Thematic Strategies: Decks utilize Kindred mechanics and lore-appropriate synergies.
- Market Warning: Avoid pre-order prices; wait for the market crash on Hobbit singles.
- Smaug Deck: A unique "Archenemy" build designed to punish opponents with treasures.
Overview of the Hobbit Commander Precons
Wizards of the Coast released The Hobbit set without dedicated Commander precon decks, focusing instead on the Battle of Five Armies multiplayer box. However, the set offers enough depth to construct six distinct Commander decks representing the five armies (Dwarves, Elves, Humans, Goblins, Wargs) and the dragon Smaug. These custom builds are designed to be thematic, relatively budget-friendly, and mechanically synergistic, providing a "precon experience" that Wizards did not officially print.
Video Highlights:
- Analysis of why Wizards skipped precons for this set.
- Breakdown of the $50 budget strategy for the five armies.
- Explanation of the Smaug "Archenemy" deck mechanics.
- Tips on navigating volatile pre-order pricing for new cards.
Prices for The Hobbit singles are currently inflated due to pre-release demand. Base copy rares are temporarily priced at $7-$10 but are expected to drop significantly. It is highly recommended to wait for prices to stabilize before purchasing cards for these lists.
The Five Armies: Deck Breakdown
The following table outlines the six custom precon decks, their Commanders, primary strategies, and difficulty levels.
| Deck Name | Commander | Strategy | Difficulty | Key Mechanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baruka Zad | Thorin, King of Durin's Folk | Kindred Dwarves / Aggro | Beginner | Treasure generation & Equipment |
| Wilderland Wargs | The Great Warg | Kindred Wolves / Card Draw | Beginner | Anthems to enable power 4+ triggers |
| Misty Mountain Menace | The Great Goblin | Kindred Goblins / Amass | Intermediate | Pinging damage & Impulse draw |
| Greenwood the Great | Thranduil, Elven King | Kindred Elves / Graveyard | Intermediate | Activated abilities from graveyard |
| King's Command | Bard, King of Dale | Humans / Token Doubling | Advanced | Draw & Token multiplication |
| Greatest of Calamities | Smaug, Wicked Worm | Artifacts / Control / Archenemy | Advanced | Treasure ramp & Punishment |
Each of the "Five Armies" decks is built with a specific $50 budget in mind. This includes leaving some common cards in the list to keep costs low, providing obvious upgrade paths for new players.
Baruka Zad (Dwarves)
- Thorin leads a charge of 33 Dwarf creatures.
- Generates Treasure tokens for every Dwarf entering.
- Features an Equipment sub-theme to boost power.
- Includes a "Blasphemous Act" combo with Semester's End.
Wilderland Wargs
- The Great Warg draws cards when attacking with 4+ power.
- Runs over 10 anthem effects to boost creature power.
- Includes Spider-Ham as a tech choice for tribal buffs.
- Simple, aggressive playstyle suitable for beginners.
Misty Mountain Menace
- The Great Goblin pings opponents when counters are added.
- Utilizes 32 cards that amass one giant Army token.
- Features Azog to recycle Army tokens for draw.
- Requires knowing when to attack or sacrifice tokens.
Advanced Strategies: Elves, Humans, and Dragons
The remaining three decks deviate from simple Kindred strategies, offering more complex interactions and higher difficulty curves.
Greenwood the Great (Elves) Thranduil enables a unique strategy where he gains all activated abilities of Elf cards in your graveyard. The deck utilizes self-mill cards like Aftermath Analyst and Fauna Shaman to fill the graveyard. A key play involves wiping the board with Singularity Rupture, milling half your library, and then casting Thranduil to access a suite of abilities from the graveyard.
King's Command (Humans) Bard, King of Dale, offers a distinct non-Kindred approach for the Human army. His abilities double your token creation and your card draw (beyond the first card per turn). This creates a snowball effect where you must build an engine before casting him. The deck utilizes cards like Belladonna Took to convert tokens into value and Ox Drover for aggressive card draw.
Greatest of Calamities (Smaug) This deck is designed as an "Archenemy" list, meant to be played solo against the other five armies. Smaug creates treasures based on opponents' artifacts and punishes them for using them. It runs Karn the Great Creator to shut down opposing artifacts and finishers like Exsanguinate or Torment of Hailfire to utilize the massive treasure pile.
Smaug's deck is not budget-conscious. It is designed to be a powerful, "mean" deck that ramps hard, creates treasures, and uses them to burn opponents out of the game.
Step-by-Step: Building Your First Precon
Follow these steps to construct one of the Five Armies decks using the $50 budget framework.
Select Your Army
Choose one of the five thematic decks (Dwarves, Elves, Goblins, Humans, or Wargs) based on your preferred playstyle—aggro, control, or combo.
Acquire the Commander
Purchase the specified Commander card first. Ensure you are buying the version matching the deck's strategy (e.g., Thorin, King of Durin's Folk for Dwarves).
Build the Skeleton
Use a deckbuilding tool like Moxfield to import the desired list. The skeleton typically consists of 33-35 creatures and 20-25 support spells.
Fill the Ranks
Fill the remaining slots with budget commons and uncommons that fit the theme. These act as placeholders for future upgrades.
Wait for Price Drops
Monitor the market. Avoid buying expensive Hobbit rares at pre-order prices. Wait for the "crash" to get the best value for your money.
Deck Construction Checklist:
- Choose a Commander from the Five Armies or Smaug
- Identify the primary win condition (Combat, Combo, or Value)
- Allocate $50 budget for non-land cards
- Include 10-15 ramp pieces for lands
- Add 5-10 removal spells for interaction
Deck Comparison and Performance
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each deck helps in choosing the right one for your local meta.
| Deck | Strengths | Weaknesses | Upgrade Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baruka Zad | High creature density, Equipment synergies | Vulnerable to board wipes | Swap commons for better Equipment |
| Wilderland Wargs | Consistent card draw, Fast aggro | Weak without anthem effects | Add more robust Wolf creatures |
| Misty Mountain Menace | Strong value engine, Amass synergies | Complex decision trees | Add more sacrifice outlets |
| Greenwood the Great | High value from graveyard, Flexible | Relies on Commander presence | Add protection auras |
| King's Command | Explosive turns, High card advantage | Slow start, 6-mana Commander | Add faster ramp |
| Greatest of Calamities | Powerful late-game, Archenemy fun | Expensive to build, Targeted | Add stax pieces |
Building these decks now prepares you for the Battle of Five Armies box release. You will have the shell ready to integrate new cards and mechanics as they drop.
FAQ
Q: Why didn't Wizards of the Coast make official precons?
Wizards focused their precon efforts on the *Battle of Five Armies* multiplayer box set, leaving *The Hobbit* set without traditional Commander precon decks.
Q: What is the budget for these custom decks?
The Five Armies decks (Dwarves, Elves, Goblins, Humans, Wargs) are built around a **$50 budget**. The Smaug deck is an exception, designed as a higher-powered 'Archenemy' list without strict budget limits.
Q: Should I buy cards now or wait?
It is strongly advised to **wait**. Currently, prices for *The Hobbit* singles are inflated due to pre-release hype. Waiting for prices to stabilize will save you significant money, potentially bringing deck costs down to the target $50 range.
Q: Can I play the Smaug deck against the Five Armies?
Yes, the Smaug deck is specifically designed as an 'Archenemy' deck to play solo against one or more of the Five Armies decks, simulating the conflict from the story.