The Hobbit (HOB)

In figures

• 323,114 games analysed
• On the play: 60.8% wins, against 51.5% on the draw
• A game lasts 8.9 turns on average

What players think

The Hobbit is a small set: only five two-color archetypes are really supported, so it pays to spot the open pair early. Players note that legendary creatures are very numerous (taking several copies of the same one is a handicap) and that removal matters in every color; they add that removal is expensive, hence the value of a good creature curve. No archetype clearly stands out. Our measured games also show archetypes that sit very close together: Goblin Army () leads, closely followed by Ferocious (), Dwarves and Equipment () and Recruits ().

Colour pairs

Win rate of the decks of each pair, from real games of online draft players.

Pair	Share of games	Win rate	Strong players	Over time
Goblin Army	26.4 %	57.6 %	56.3 %	57.7 → 57.6 → 57.1
Recruits	18.1 %	56.4 %	57.2 %	56.0 → 56.8 → 58.1
Ferocious	17.7 %	56.9 %	55.1 %	56.8 → 57.1 → 56.5
Dwarves and Equipment	16.3 %	56.5 %	56.1 %	56.4 → 56.2 → 57.6
Elves and Landfall	6.9 %	52.5 %	51.8 %	52.3 → 51.9 → 55.2
	3.9 %	53.2 %	53.3 %	53.5 → 53.2 → 51.8
	1.5 %	55.2 %	55.6 %	54.4 → 54.9 → 58.6
	1.5 %	56.8 %	54.0 %	57.1 → 55.3 → 57.2
	0.9 %	54.6 %	53.7 %	53.8 → 56.0 → 56.6
	0.4 %	49.7 %	50.8 %	47.8 → 52.6 → —

Archetypes: the gold uncommons

• Recruits

  56.4 % win rate18.1 % of games

  Recruit

  • 

    58. Bard the Bowman

    6.3
  • 

    80. Eagle's Rescue

    5.8

• Goblin Army

  57.6 % win rate26.4 % of games

  Amass Goblins

  • 

    141. Bolg of the North

    4.6
  • 

    91. Fearsome Goblin Pair

    5.6

• Ferocious

  56.9 % win rate17.7 % of games

  Ferocious

  • 

    128. The Chief Warg

    5.0
  • 

    77. Large Bear

    5.9

• Dwarves and Equipment

  56.5 % win rate16.3 % of games

  Storied

  • 

    57. Thorin Oakenshield

    6.4
  • 

    130. Bifur, Melodic Rider

    4.8

• Elves and Landfall

  52.5 % win rate6.9 % of games

  Landfall

  • 

    75. Thranduil, Sindarin Liege // Silvan Rally

    6.0
  • 

    156. Silvan Reveler

    4.2

Mechanics of the set

• Recruit

  Draw a card, then discard a card; if the discarded card is not a land, create a 1/1 white Human Soldier token.

• Amass Goblins

  You put +1/+1 counters on your Army; if you have none, you first create a 0/0 Goblin Army token.

• Ferocious

  A bonus if you control a creature with power 4 or greater.

• Landfall

  An effect each time a land enters the battlefield under your control.

• Storied

  If you control three artifacts, legendaries and/or Sagas, you have an enduring story for the rest of the game: some creatures then get a bonus.

• Adventure

  A two-part card: you cast the adventure, a spell, first, then the creature from exile.

The best cards

By colour

Rank by our rating, then rank by win rate when the card is in hand.

To remember

• Count your artifacts, legendaries and Sagas: three permanents are enough for the enduring story, and a legendary creature counts for itself.
• Keep a few creatures with power 4 or greater: six cards of the set need a big creature to be effective.
• An Adventure card is worth two cards: the adventure first, then the creature from exile.