The Ring tempts you: how the Ring and your Ring-bearer work
Each time the Ring tempts you, you choose a Ring-bearer and your Ring emblem gets stronger, up to four abilities. Here's every level and the rules people get wrong.
In this article
The Ring tempts you is the main mechanic from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (June 2023). It’s one of the few mechanics that keeps getting stronger the more you use it, and in Commander it can turn a small creature into a real threat.
What happens when the Ring tempts you
Rule 701.54 of the Comprehensive Rules covers it:
- The first time, you get an emblem called The Ring.
- Every time, you choose a creature you control. It becomes your Ring-bearer until you choose a different one or another player gains control of it.
- The Ring gets stronger based on how many times it has tempted you this game.
The four levels of the Ring
| Times tempted | The Ring gains |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your Ring-bearer is legendary and can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power. |
| 2 | Whenever your Ring-bearer attacks, draw a card, then discard a card. |
| 3 | Whenever your Ring-bearer becomes blocked by a creature, that creature’s controller sacrifices it at end of combat. |
| 4 | Whenever your Ring-bearer deals combat damage to a player, each opponent loses 3 life. |
The levels stack. After the fourth temptation your Ring has all four abilities.
Rules people get wrong
- The count is for the whole game. It never resets, even if your Ring-bearer dies or you go a long time without a new one.
- No creature, still tempted. The Ring tempts you even if you control no creatures (rule 701.54d). The count goes up and “whenever the Ring tempts you” abilities still trigger.
- Copies aren’t Ring-bearers. Being a Ring-bearer isn’t copiable, so a token copy of your Ring-bearer is just a creature.
- Your Ring-bearer becomes legendary. That matters if you also control a legendary creature with the same name: the legend rule kicks in.
- Losing control ends it. If an opponent takes your Ring-bearer, it’s no longer your Ring-bearer.
Cards that tempt you
- Call of the Ring. The Ring tempts you every upkeep. Each time you choose a Ring-bearer you may pay 2 life to draw a card.
- Boromir, Warden of the Tower. Sacrifice it to give your creatures indestructible, and the Ring tempts you.
- Sauron, the Dark Lord. Your Armies tempt you when they connect, and each temptation lets you discard your hand and draw four.
- Frodo, Sauron's Bane. Once it’s a Rogue, its combat damage makes a player lose the game if the Ring has tempted you four or more times.
Keeping track at the table
The number of temptations is the part everyone loses track of. A die on the Ring emblem works well: turn it up every time the Ring tempts you, and the number on top tells you which abilities are on.
Lotus handles life totals, commander damage, poison and other counters for every player, so the die on your Ring is the only thing left on the table.
