Spanish hobby shop trumps bounty for MTG’s serialised The One Ring card, offers €2 million and paella
Whoever finds the golden ticket will also enjoy a free holiday to Valencia and at least one solid meal.
The speculation scramble over Magic: The Gathering’s serialised 001/001 The One Ring card continues its path towards baffling numbers territory, as a Spanish hobby shop recently promised €2 million ($2.18 million) and a Valencia paella to whoever pulls the winning cardboard lottery ticket.
Valencia-based Gremio de Dragones posted their counter-offer to US card vendor Dave & Adams on June 12th, effectively doubling the monetary reward. The store further garnished the deal by offering to cover travel and lodging expenses, allowing the lucky duck to hand deliver the one-of-a-kind card - as long as it’s still in good condition. Oh, they’ll also treat the individual to a Valencia paella dinner.
While Magic: the Gathering had dabbled in serialised cards before, this special The One Ring from the upcoming Tales of Middle-earth set will be slipped into a random (English language) collector booster and released into the wild. Foil-treated and written in the Black Speech of Mordor, news of its existence produced the exact reaction publisher Wizards of the Coast wanted - whipping demand for the card and the expensive booster packs that might contain it into a frenzy.
Gremio de Dragones’ website, where the offer was posted, doesn’t list a specific expiration date on their offer but does note that it will only be valid for a limited time. A contact email is listed for serious applicants who want to claim the prize, which is a brave move and I wish them luck in wading through the dross and clowns.
For those with no dream of pulling a €2 million euro MTG card, they can enjoy Tales of Middle-earth for the relatively low cost of entry into a pre-release event at their local game stores when it launches this weekend. The full physical set hits shelves on June 23rd, while Magic Arena players will gain access on June 20th.
Read more about the Lord of the Ring-inspired set on Dicebreaker, whether that’s a breakdown of mechanics, a dive into the lore of Tom Bombadil or a celebration of our new favourite commander, Bill the Pony.